Strip House

What is it?

One of the best steakhouse on The Strip. How’s that for summing it up?

Where is it?

At Planet Hollywood on the Center Strip.

What kind of food is served?

Short but covers all the bases and the food is fantastic.

What is the atmosphere like?

Peekaboo stripper photos and a bordello theme make this a unique place to visit.

How is the service?

Terrific once you get to the table.

What are the prices like?

Expensive, as are most Strip restaurants, but worth it.

What else do I need to know?

Some of the photos are risque. Be prepared to explain things if you take your kids.

What’s the bottom line?

Did I mention, one of the best steakhouses on The Strip?

I have to admit, I’m a bit jaded when it comes to Las Vegas steakhouses for a couple of reasons.

First, there are roughly 11,476 of them in this town, give or take an exaggeration or two for comic effect. There are some okay ones and some great ones like Old Homestead at Caesars Palace, BLT at Bally’s, and The Steakhouse at Circus Circus. After you’ve found great ones seems almost silly to keep trying new ones that usually pale in comparison.

Second, most steakhouses on The Strip are often overpriced for what they offer. If you’re going to pay that much for a meal you should be getting something more special than a steak.

But my first visit to Strip House at Planet Hollywood a couple of years ago totally changed my mind and my second visit more recently only confirmed what I already knew: this place definitely belongs on the “great steakhouses” list.

The first thing you notice is the decor. The “Strip” in Strip House does not refer to a type of steak or the road on which the restaurant is located but rather the act of shedding one’s clothes. The entire place is done up with a bordello theme – red walls, padded booths, ornate chandeliers – and features hundreds of photos, mostly of women from the forties and fifties, in various stages of undress. It’s all done in an eye-popping yet tasteful way and is an immediate harbinger that things are not done the same way here that they are done in every other steakhouse in town.

A quick side note to parents: some of the photos do involve peekaboo nudity so you may want to consider taking the wee ones elsewhere if you don’t feel like having that particular conversation over appetizers.

The menu is limited seems like steakhouse basic with things like jumbo lump crab cakes for appetizers, a few salads including a Caesar of course, in the starters area and some seafood, steaks, poultry, and the like in the main courses section.

But look closely and you’ll see interesting items pop out at you. While I am very sad to learn that they don’t offer their garlic bread with gorgonzola fondue appetizer anymore, I totally forgave them when I saw things like house cured beef jerky or roasted bacon. I, naturally, ordered the latter and got several thick cut strips of bacon, cooked perfectly, and served with a side of Russian dressing. Come on! What’s not to love about that?

I skipped over the salads and raw bar and while I flirted with the idea of a roasted lamb t-bone I had to go for the steak, which I remembered as being especially delicious here. I was not disappointed. The filet came cooked to perfection with a pepper rub that is intense and intensely satisfying; a smoky, rough-hewn delight. Filets, while dependable, can sometimes be boring but this one was a pleasant surprise with every bite.

Sides run the gamut from potatoes of all varieties (good fat, whipped puree, garlic herb fries, Romanoff, baked, etc.) and several other vegetable options. How you don’t go for the house mac and cheese is beyond me, to be honest.

The prices were typically expensive for this type of restaurant in this neighborhood but on par with other high-end steakhouses and totally worth it. I did all of the above plus drinks and dessert and it came out to right around $100 plus tax and tip. Not bad for something this good.

Service both times I visited was stellar.

Strip House is fantastic on almost every level and it is absolutely one of the best steakhouses on The Strip.