Home > New York Restaurants > Restaurant Review > Review: PJ’s Steakhouse

How long are you willing to wait for a juicy, marbleized, aged porterhouse steak? At Peter Luger Steakhouse, that’ll probably saddle you with a months-ahead reservation and a marathon wait—if you’re lucky.

So when Forest Hills newbie PJ's Steakhouse promises a no-wait policy for a comparable steak—derived from the top 2 percent of U.S.D.A. prime-choice cuts that undergo a 21-day dry-aging process—any self-respecting carnivore will likely consider riding the R train till the end of its line, then cabbing it for another 10 minutes.

Unfortunately, those expecting a Luger-worthy experience at the end of their (likely) hourlong trek will probably leave PJ’s Steakhouse wanting for more. Still, locals love it here, and it’s easy to see why.

Diners are greeted with unrushed affability by a hostess who’s at ease with a far-from-full-capacity crowd clinking glasses and laughing in the warmly lit room, with its exposed brick and brown-and-white walls. And any kind of journey here is quickly rewarded with gorgeous appetizers: The pan-seared crabcake comes as a thick, nicely packed patty framed in sweet, pureed mango drizzles, plus a lump of fresh guacamole that resembles wasabi.

Bacon-wrapped diver scallops get a kick of fall flavor with maple-cider glaze and apple rings. But the heirloom-tomato plate with Fiore di Latte mozzarella—though drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a pungent balsamic reduction—is a far cry from the tender, buttery buffalo mozzarella you’d expect from Italian standbys elsewhere.

Which may be forgivable, considering the real reason for your visit to PJs isn’t buffalo mozzarella; it’s the steak.

Overall, the $38, 24-ounce porterhouse makes for a tasty, juicy, flavorful chop. But for serious steak lovers looking for the kind of tender, rosier-than-pink perfection that easily tugs off the bone and melts on your tongue, PJ’s porterhouse, though easily big enough for two, is disappointingly on the tough side. Better to opt for the 14-ounce filet mignon, with or without gorgonzola demi butter and roasted shallots.  

Chops aside, choices of good, $30 bottles of wine are aplenty, and non-steak entrees are also extremely well-priced and satisfying. Warm sour cherry sauce nicely sweetens moist, seared duck breast, and brandy-green peppercorn sauce snaps up mildly flavored tuna.

Sides can make or break the experience. Roasted garlic mashed potatoes are hard to resist, and the crispy, beer-battered onion rings are addictive and filling. The creamed spinach, on the other hand, is just passable.

Locals, who say that before PJ’s they had to contend with Outback’s or Applebee’s, appreciate the new outpost, though some would like to tell the chef a thing or two: The seafood tower—stacked trays of shrimp and crabcake—is a blockbuster group-dinner appetizer, but the crème brulee is too cold at the bottom.

Don’t even get them started on the so-called chocolate “lava” cake. Perhaps the dessert’s lack of volcanic character wouldn’t be disappointing if the word “lava” didn’t conjure memories of Morton’s Godiva molten-lava chocolate cake, which simply oozes the stuff. The PJ’s version is more on par with warm Pillsbury fudge brownies, so it’s a good thing the dessert menu changes seasonally.

All of this begs the question for New York City diners not equipped with cars or cab fare: If you’re putting that much effort into getting good steak and sidekicks, why not call ahead to Morton’s or even Peter Luger and make an event of it?

PJ’s does have its selling points: Those too spontaneous to be bothered with making a reservation won’t wait long to bite into top-quality cuts of beef in a homey, friendly atmosphere. Plus, you’ll have enough leftover grub to wrap up for the next day’s lunch. But, unless you live in Queens—or are willing to rent a Zipcar or split a cab to get there—you’ll want to decide whether the no-wait sales pitch outweighs the travel time to get there.

The net results: what people are saying online

[Time Out]: "We strolled in sans reservation and were awarded prime seating. Luger can’t do that."

[Chowhound]: "After 2 disappointing meals, I vowed not to return until they get a new chef. Sorry...Just telling it like it is."

[Queens Central]: "PJ's definitely had the feel of a nice Manhattan steakhouse and the steak was in the same ballpark as some of the better steakhouses in the city as far as I'm concerned."

PJ’s Steakhouse
73-11 Yellowstone Blvd. at Ingram St.
Forest Hills
718-544-5757
www.pjssteakhouse.com

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