Prime Steaks, Liberty Stars

By Sally Deering

Porterhouse, Filet Mignon, New York Strip – these juicy cuts of meat are always a winner with the fine-dining lunch and dinner crowd and lucky for Jersey City, there’s a new steak house offering prime cuts in an intimate, sophisticated setting.

 Liberty Prime Steakhouse on Montgomery Street in downtown Jersey City is in walking distance of both the Grove Street and Exchange Place PATH stations. The double-decker restaurant is fashioned with dark wood tables and chairs set in cozy nooks and crannies throughout and a roomy barroom that invites lively conversation as you kick back and relax.

Owner George Makrogiannis and Executive Business Manager John Mondry opened Liberty Prime Steakhouse this past October with a menu that offers Appetizers, Sandwiches, Salads and Entrees, but the real stars of the show are the steaks they serve, Porterhouse, Sirloin, NY Strip, Prime Rib and Filet Mignon.

Although Liberty Prime Steakhouse has only been open a couple of months, it already has a signature dish, Makrogiannis says, called Rare Style, a 6 oz. Filet Mignon wrapped with bacon and served with a 4-oz. lobster tail.

“You can’t go wrong with bacon, filet mignon and lobster,” Makrogiannis says. “Everything is made in house; and all our sauces and pastas are fresh, too.”

The menu’s appetizers feature Butternut Squash Risotto, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, Ahi Tuna Tartare, Smoked Salmon Bruschetta, Grilled Octopus, Raw Bar and Oysters. Sandwiches include the 10 oz. Liberty Prime Burger and Steak Sandwich.  Salads are the Tomato Stack, Blue Iceberg, Mini Skirt Steak, Wild Arugula, Caesar and Liberty Prime House Salad.

Entrees feature the Atlantic Salmon, Blackened Red Snapper, Pan-Seared Duck, Pork Chop, Tangerine Fettuccini and Roasted Chicken Breast.  Steaks on the menu are the 48 oz. Porterhouse for two, 20 oz. Prime Bone in Sirloin Steak, 12 oz. Prime NY Strip Steak, 20 oz. Prime Bone in Rib Steak, and 10 oz. Filet Mignon.

There are delicious side dishes too like Chipotle Cheddar Mac & Cheese, Fully-Loaded Baked Potato, Parmesan Garlic Steak Fries, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Spinach, Sauteed Mushrooms, Steamed Broccoli, Grilled Asparagus and Wasabi Mashed Potatoes.

“I always wanted to open a steakhouse,” Makrogiannis says. ““I know a lot more about the kitchen than a lot of owners. My dad owns Liberty Park Café and he taught me to work the grill, the broiler. In no means am I a chef, but I do know about the kitchen and I know good food.”

“The kitchen is like the engine,” Mondry adds, “and we put a lot of effort on the food, making sure it comes out 100 percent perfect every time.  Consistency and high quality are very important to us.”

Liberty Prime Steakhouse offers their customers take-out, private parties, off-site catering, and there’s a private room and private bar on the second floor for corporate events and parties.  There’s free valet parking Wednesday through Saturday nights, and soon they’ll be offering brunch. 

Liberty Prime Steakhouse opened Oct. 14^th and it already has a 4.5 star rating on Yelp.com.

“We’re trying hard,” Mondry says. “We keep the food consistent and we offer great service. We over-staff a lot of times to make sure our customers get great service.”

If you go:

Liberty Prime Steakhouse

111 Montgomery Street

Jersey City

www.libertyprimesteakhouse.com

(201)333-3633

Hours: Mon-Thurs, 11 am to 10 pm lunch and dinner

Fri, 11 am -11 pm

Sat, 5-11 pm; Sun, 5 – 10 pm