First Look: Caffrey’s Steakhouse

Caffrey’s Steakhouse helps beef up the metro's restaurant scene. (Credit: Eric Rowley/Metromix)

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Photos: Caffrey's Steakhouse

Metromix put on its cowboy hat and tried Caffrey's...

What it is: A grill-it-yourself steakhouse along the 86th Street corridor. The restaurant is owned by Collin Caffrey and Annie Baldwin, who also own Wellman’s Pub. The space is painted in sandy Southwestern colors, but lacks local character, despite the fact that the meat comes from Iowa farms. I stopped in the first week Caffrey's was open. When I walked in, I was greeted by a flock of friendly female servers, one of which let me choose a spot to sit (I opted for the outdoor patio) and then led me back to the meat case area to pick up my cut. Little did I know, I'd soon have someone stake a claim that my chop was his steak ...
 
What we tried: I went with the Iowa Chop, which was a little more budget-friendly ($18) than the filet mignon, New York strip, T-bone, sirloin and bone-in ribeye, with prices ranging from $20 to $27. All the beef is at least two-thirds choice (high-quality) and comes from a farm in Waterloo, Ia. You can also opt for seafood, like shrimp and lobster, and can add on veggie skillets. The manager said they’re also planning a Sunday service-industry night surf-and-turf special for $15, which would be quite the deal here. I asked for the house rub on my thick-cut chop and for grilling tips, because I didn’t want to have to pay the $2.50 extra for someone else to prepare my meat. Plus, it would have felt like a cop-out.
 
Grilling was an adventure. I squeezed in on the end of a big communal grill, where a group was cooking with cocktails in hand. Number one rule of Caffrey’s: Don’t leave your meat unattended. I went back to my table for a bit, and when I returned to turn my chop, a very inebriated fellow had hijacked it. He claimed that it was his steak (this is how I can assure you he was quite drunk) and we got into a bit of an argument until he told me he was a personal chef and asked how I liked my meat. I retreated to my table until he was finished with my chop, then decided to keep it on the grill for a few more minutes, so I didn’t die from undercooked pork. (I think the flames on my corner were a little low; it took about 20 minutes instead of the expected 10.) My meal came with a few rolls and tasty cinnamon butter, and a buffet of hot sides, like green bean casserole with crispy onion topping, baked beans and potatoes. It would have been nice if they were labeled and if there were a few more options, or if that wasn’t also a serve-yourself buffet.
 
Why you should go: If you’re looking to fill up before hitting the bars and want to show off your grillmaster skills before a crowd. Or if you want a place to try out your meat-related pickup lines.