a tale of three steakhouses

last week i went to three steakhouses. they were:

outback steakhouse: i went there on saturday after sailing. hops recommended it. i wondered why we don't go there more often, it's relatively cheap, hearty, has fantastic bread and onion soup, and steak that is acceptable. in all, a good value with decent service.

the trip to outback inspired me to try two other steakhouses that i've been meaning to try, since they're right next to where i live. they are:

porterhouse: meh. crummy ambiance, nice food presentation, good service. the place was totally dead, though it was a wednesday. the filet was not mealy like outback's, but it also wasn't well seasoned and tasted almost gamey. all in all, it was a good steak at a value not as good as outback's. the fact that i was thinking about "value" at a steakhouse is a bad sign. i wouldn't go back, particularly, especially considering...

san mateo prime: holy cow! a true winner. amazingly great sides (as opposed to porterhouse, where you get some hoity toity potatoes and green beans, all chef-y style, like 3 of each), and really great prime rib. the ambiance is top notch, with a big grill right in the restaurant where they cook and carve the prime rib. sure, the bartender has no idea how to make an old fashioned, and nobody on staff had ever heard of a mint julep (!). but the service was great, the steak was outstanding, the sides were fantastic, and the pecan pie was fantastic. also, i was very hungry.

it was a successful steak roundup. if i want cheap and so-so, outback. if i want reasonable and excellent, i can just walk to san mateo prime. and then to fish waffles.