NEW JERSEY - If you spend any amount of time covering the regional food scene, you start to hear the same names bandied about with a mixture of awe and utter disbelief. Lately, every food conversation I've had from Philly right down to the Jersey Shore has inevitably come back to one place, a fairly unassuming one up in Long Branch.
We've eaten our way through a fair few high-end restaurants over the years, but the hype around this one was quite different. So on our recent coastal trip, we thought it was time to find out whether this meat-obsessed temple actually lives up to its enormous reputation and its enormous price.
As soon as you walk in, the atmosphere is very much set. It's dark, it's intimate, it's alive. It's not that stuffy, velvet-and-wainscoting, old-school cigar-smoke steakhouse. It's very modern and unapologetic. You're immediately confronted with a very inventive cocktail list (which they change every quarter) and staff who are absolutely knowledgeable and move at a tremendous pace. But you don't come here for the lighting; you come here for the beef.
The Butcher's Block does a brilliant job of justifying its premium price tag by bringing the raw cut to the table before it goes in the fire. You can look at the marbling, check the thickness, and see exactly what you're getting and what it's going to cost you. We split a dry-aged Porterhouse. It came out absolutely charred on the outside and melting like butter on the inside. It was perfectly seasoned (though I suspect some beef purists might find the salt a little heavy; I thought it really brought out the deep, funky richness of the dry age).
We didn't stop at the steak, actually. The menu is a very long love letter to indulgence. We started with the wood-fired oysters in garlic butter and parmesan, then a mountain of their Brussels sprouts (very bizarrely but brilliantly dusted with Cap'n Crunch and drizzled with hot honey).
The pastas here could anchor a standalone Italian joint. We shared the Spicy Rigatoni—a fiery cousin to a traditional vodka sauce spiked with chili oil. By the time the churro bowl arrived for dessert, we were happily waving the white flag.
So, is it the best steakhouse in New Jersey? That's a heavy crown to wear, but The Butcher's Block is undeniably sitting in the royal court. It isn't just a place to eat a piece of meat; it is an unapologetic, high-energy dining event. The portions are massive, the service is remarkably fast, and the quality of the sourcing shows in every bite. If you are looking for an unforgettable meal near the shore and don't mind dropping some serious cash for the privilege, you absolutely need to add this to your hit list.
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