alexander's steakhouse

this blog post contains a podcast.

alexander’s steakhouse had excellent service. no water worries, and napkin folding when you are away. the service has marked improved over the years. the prices are expensive, making this a special occassion place. do not come here trying to skimp, save u

special occasions call for special restaurants, and when a friend and former coworker decided he was going to pack it up and move back home to the atl, it was the perfect time for some old friends to get together, reminisce about the good old days and sen

this is a super speciality steakhouse. i have visited a few times, both at their old location in cupertino and their current location. the decor is elegant and simple. the moment you enter you know this is a pricey place and it is true to that!

the service is very courteous and refined. they have an excellent wine collection and are able to recommend the right accompaniment to the main course ordered. i have had steak and lamb chops as main course and both were cooked to perfection as per my request. both times we ordered an assortment of sides to share and each of them was done very well.

the candy floss they hand out at the end is a nice touch!

overall a great dining experience, except this place is pricey! especially if you intend to order any of the japanese steaks, watch out 'cause they could burn a serious hole in your pocket!

how come i've never reviewed this place before? we used to come here often for steaks and mainly for their hamachi shots... ok and their cotton candy! service here for the most part is great! we've had some not so good services but the 5+ more great services out weights the 1 and 2. they have a good combination of land and sea choices with a hint of japanese, which brings me to their yummy caesar salad. it comes with 4-5 whole romaine lettuce leaves that are stacked and topped with a parmesan crisp, a 63 degree egg, and furikake and bit of parmesan shavings. i love it and always get it each time. the hamachi shots are also a must get when you are here. this 12+ ingredients in this little shot glass that comes together so fresh tasting in your mouth. oh goodness..i want one right now! we normally order our own portions of it instead of sharing it. it's really hard to share it. when we are ordering steaks they get it cooked the way we want it each time. on one of our visits we had the opportunity to have dinner at the chef's table which is located inside the kitchen. we were able to cook our own scallop for our appetizers which was fun. we enjoyed being in the kitchen being able to wear our own chef's coat and be able to tour the kitchen and how they serve and operate the kitchen. if you're ever in the area or need a place to go to celebrate anything, this is one of your options.

tip: don't get full from their complimentary bread service...

over-rated..dine here several times (biz dinners and good i don't have to pay for it.)   every time, walk away wondering why the steak is done so poorly for a supposedly well known steakhouse... ok, i cook very good steak.. just go costco and get usda prime and put on my weber grill at high heat w/ little pepper and salt...  always more delicious than over priced alexander.   service can be slow sometimes... hit or miss.  overall, just not impressed, and only go if i'm not paying for it.

the restaurant was just as gorgeous as i remember. i love walking into alexander's...i had no idea what to expect from lunch. would it be more casual? would it include an amuse bouche, bread service, cotton candy, etc? (yes, no, yes). it was certainly more casual, but not in a good way. rather than the precision service one is accustomed to at alexander's (and any michelin rated establishment), service was really quite sloppy and off.

the entire experience at alexander’s ended up being phenomenal.  as i was considering my own unworthiness to write this post, this scene from beauty and the beas t came to mind.  

perry and dave are the dynamic duo behind the bar most days of the week there. dave expertly made a martinez using haydon’s old tom gin which provided a nice sweetness and balance to the classic cocktail:

wine list review. i have been to this restaurant 20+ times since it opened and i have never walked away disappointed. i even sat next to jerry rice on new year's eve a few years ago and watched him drink a bottle of the 1996 dom perignon rose. i am a transplant from nyc so i have eaten at a few steakhouses, but alexander's is as good as any steakhouse i have ever been too. yes it can be expensive, but it is worth it.

here is an insider's tip if you are taking your spouse / partner and you don't want to break the bank: order the 20oz prime rib and ask them to split it. they will be more than happy to do so and it is delicious.

my recommendation is to start your evening with the 2007 dehlinger, chardonnay ($50) or the 2010 gary farrell, sauvignon blanc ($54), and follow it up with the 2004 casanuova delle cerbaie, brunello di montalcino ($64) or the 2008 etude, carneros, pinot noir ($78).

alexander's has an extensive wine list, but the focus on this review is to point out the best values on the list for wines that sell for less than $100 a bottle.

as with all vinoservant reviews, you will see the price at the restaurant followed by the mark-up over retail (2010 scarpetta, pinot grigio | $34 | 2.0x | this translates into a retail price of $17).

vinoservant's top wine values under $100 a bottle at alexander's

white wines

120+ selections that range in price from $34 to $1,085

2010 scarpetta, pinot grigio | $34 | 2.0x
2010 ceretto blange, langhe, arneis | $38 | 2.1x
2006 dr. loosen, graacher himmelreich, mosel, spaltese, riesling | $60 | 1.8x | top pick
2007 schloss goberlsburg, renner kamptal, gruner veltliner | $88 | 2.2x

2009 kathryn kennedy, sauvignon blanc | $44 | 2.2x
2010 capture, tradition, california, sauvignon blanc | $48 | 1.6x | top pick
2010 duckhorn, napa valley, sauvignon blanc | $54 | 2.0x
2010 gary farrell, redwood ranch, sonoma county, sauvignon blanc | $54 | 2.2x

2007 dehlinger, unfiltered, russian river valley, chardonnay | $50 | 1.5x | top pick
2009 domaine louis pinson chablis | $52 | 1.7x | top pick
2009 figge, pelio vineyard, monterey, chardonnay | $56 | 1.6x | top pick
2009 beringer, private reserve, chardonnay | $60 | 1.7x | top pick
2009 kistler, les noisetiers, sonoma coast, chardonnay | $94 | 1.7x | top pick

red wines

350+ selections that range in price from $38 to $2,250

2010 haden fig, no. 52, willamette valley, pinot noir | $38 | 2.2x
2008 zotovich family vineyards, estate, santa rita hills, pinot noir | $70 | 1.8x | top pick
2008 ken brown, santa rita hills, pinot noir | $74 | 2.2x
2009 emeritus, hallberg ranch, russian river valley, pinot noir | $74 | 1.7x | top pick
2007 joseph swan, saralee's vineyard, russian russian river valley, pinot noir | $76 | 2.5x
2008 etude, carneros, pinot noir | $78 | 1.8x | top pick
2008 peay estate, pomarium, sonoma coast, pinot noir | $94 | 1.8x | top pick
2008 white rose, dundee hills, pinot noir | $94 | 1.3x | top pick
2003 morey-st.-denis, domaine heresztyn, les millandes | $98 | 1.2x | top pick


2008 elizabeth spencer, sonoma coast, syrah | $40 | 1.1x | top pick
2006 surh luchtel, page nord vineyard, napa valley, syrah | $50 | 1.8x | top pick
2009 alain graillot, crozes-hermitage | $62 | 2.1x

2007 joseph swan, zeigler vineyard, russian river valley, zinfandel | $58 | 2.1x
2009 turley, pesenti vineyard, paso robles, zinfandel | $76 | 1.6x | top pick

2009 vietti, barbera d'asti, tre vigne | $38 | 2.0x
2008 mauro veglio, angelo, langhe nebbiolo | $46 | 2.3x
2005 castello di volpaia, riserva, chianti classico | $50 | 2.0x
2004 casanuova delle cerbaie, brunello di montalcino | $64 | 1.3x | top pick
2008 alvaro palacios, les terrasses priorat | $78 | 2.2x
2003 boroli, cerequio, barolo| $94 | 1.6x | top pick

2009 freemark abbey, napa valley, merlot | $44 | 2.2x
2008 selene, frediani vineyard, merlot | $80 | 2.0x

2007 petit manou, medoc | $45 | 2.4x
2008 kathryn kennedy, lateral, bordeaux blend | $60 | 1.8x | top pick
2005 chateau petit-bocq, st. estephe | $60 | 1.8x | top pick
2008 laird family, napa valley, cabernet sauvignon | $64 | 1.7x | top pick
2005 rosati family winery, mendocino county, cabernet sauvignon | $72 | 2.4x
2008 kathleen kennedy, small lot, cabernet sauvignon | $74 | 2.2x
1999 chateau bourgneuf-vayron, pomerol | $84 | 2.5x
2008 a. rafanelli, dry creek valley, cabernet sauvignon | $86 | 1.6x | top pick
2009 snowden, the ranch, cabernet sauvignon | $88 | 2.5x

what a steakhouse!!!!. what a treat this place is! i'll write home to mom any day of the week on this restaurant! really good! you get what you pay for here! keep it up!!
the food critic.

amazing food!!!. the food here is mouth watering. the hamachi shots are amazing, steaks are so tender i used a butter knife, wine selection top notch and the service was spot on. highly recommend

alexander's prides themselves as a "fine dining interpretation of an american steakhouse with hints of japanese influences laced into the menu". i was very excited about trying this place out because of raving re

mediocre steak in a michelin star steakhouse ?. first time at alexander's, the place was packed on a week night. pretty noisy, too, a bit more than i'd expect at this price level. people in torn jeans and zippered track jackets. hmm.
hamachi shooters were good, and so was the cesar's salad. lobster pastry amuse bouche was nice, but we came here for the steak, right ? i had the new york strip in brandy-peppercorn sauce. the meat was cooked nicely. but needed some salt. ok, that's easily fixed, but the peppercorn sauce was severely lacking in flavor. a couple of bone fragments i bit into didn't improve things. the meat was a bit stringy and not particulary tender, even for a strip.

at $150 a head, i expect better.

a real experience! worth the money