Cast Iron Chef Chop House & Oyster Bar

I had an amazing experience here for my birthday dinner. I originally reserved a table for 6 but I had two more guest wanting to join so I called ahead and notified them and they were very nice enough to help me get a table for 8. When I got there I was greeted and sat immediately with my party. The servers were quick and efficient. When we ordered our food it came out all the same time and it was absolutely delicious! I’m so glad I got to spend my birthday here! I’ll definitely recommend this place!

I took my husband to his birthday after hearing so many great things and reading positive reviews. Unfortunately, our experience was far from what we expected. To start, our waiter was wonderful—attentive, friendly, and patient. However, the food itself was just okay. I ordered the salmon, and the plating was very sloppy. It looked like it had been rushed and thrown on the plate without care, but honestly that wasn’t even the main issue of the night. While my husband was enjoying his drink, the entire bottom of his glass suddenly broke off, spilling everywhere. It was extremely strange, and both our waiter and another customer witnessed it. Instead of handling the situation with concern or professionalism, the manager came over very aggressive and accusatory. She immediately questioned my husband, asking if he had hit the glass with the skillet, and even said she would be checking the cameras—as if the glass breaking clean off was somehow our fault. When she returned from reviewing the footage, her attitude completely changed. She became apologetic once she realized the damage was not caused by us. But by then, the entire night was already ruined. I was upset and embarrassed that we even had to defend ourselves for something that was clearly out of our control. As a Hispanic woman, I could not help but feel singled out and unfairly treated by this manager. Instead of addressing a safety issue, she treated us like we were doing something wrong. And the saddest part? I still paid the entire bill. For the emotional distress, the ruined birthday, and the disrespect we endured, our meal should have been fully comped. This experience made it clear to me that not all customers are treated equally here. I will never return to this restaurant, and I hope management seriously reevaluates how they handle situations—and how they treat their guests.

Drove down to New Haven after a friend dined here for the first time and recommended it for dinner. We had a great time, seated all the way at the back in the Red Room, which was quiet and cozy (the front dining rooms were much louder and when we were seated away from them, we were relieved). Brett was our server and he was attentive and warm. The menu is expansive enough that you can visit several times and try something different each time. We had the lamb lollipops, the mussels (which my husband said was an incredible amount for the price and the sauce was to die for), the short rib, the NY strip, the mushrooms, and the bread pudding with ice cream and caramel sauce. If you’re full just reading it, we were happily full eating it all. 😋. The cocktails were also quite good (I’m a bourbon and gin girl and they delivered!) Will certainly be back!

I’ve been meaning to try this spot for a while, and it didn’t disappoint. Every employee I spoke to was very friendly and hospitable. Their wine and spirit menu is very extensive, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding something you like. They have a balanced menu of soups and salads, appetizers, entrees, and dessert. I got the tuna sashimi as an appetizer and their grass fed New York Strip as my entree. Both were delicious, and the steak came out in a sizzling cast iron skillet with a good amount of garlic and butter. Great spot for a date or group dinner. Plenty of seating throughout. Prices are what you would expect.

Very awesome atmosphere, service was nice. The beef we ordered was nice, but too salty. And the salmon was very sweet, I don’t think it should be such sweet.

One of the best steak houses I’ve ever been to. Many places that claim to be a steak house offer expected everyday steaks that you can’t get enthusiastic about. This place has far and away some of the best in the area. The strip is always (shockingly) just about more than I can finish in a sitting. Side of mashed (truffle or whichever) is a perfect complement. The roasted garlic is a perfect spread for the steak. Since it is served in an extremely hot sizzling cast iron skillet, definitely order one step below what you would normally since it will continue to cook. If you like medium well, order medium. Slice the steak and turn a piece on its side and you can flip it and literally watch it continuing to cook. Hands-down will not disappoint. Many colleagues ordered the filet which looks amazing as well. As does the salmon. Seasonal drinks are also on point! Pumpkin martini with a pumpkin design in the foam… perfection! Desserts are a show stopper as well. Cookie skillet… yes please!

THE GOOD: Overall, the food was excellent. Steak was very well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The truffle, garlic, parm mash and chop house mac and cheese was great! When it came to dessert, the affogato left a lot to be desired, and the cast iron cookie dessert was "meh." THE BAD: The service was SLOW. We were placed at a table with only one water glass, and we had to flag down a busser for a second one. I want to be clear in that the food didn’t take long to get out - it was really just our waitress took a very long time to come around. She also only asked if I wanted a second glass of wine…meanwhile my wife sat with an empty glass of soda the rest of the dinner. The website’s dining guidelines suggest a party of two should be there for no longer than 1.5hrs. We spent 2.5hrs there tonight. This was definitely unexpected and disappointing. THE UGLY: The vibe here was really confusing. At first glance of the website, there is a link to attire and dining guidelines right at the top of the page. They make it clear that attire such as hats and athletic attire are too casual…yet we saw many guests with hats, hoodies, sneakers, torn baggy jeans, and athletic pants. The dining guidelines also suggest that the restaurants may not be the best environment for kids, and that parents should "calm their vocal children outside of the dining room." We noticed multiple families with very young children, several of which were very loud and at their tables in the dining room. $300.00 later…very disappointed I spent this much money for poor service and a very strange dining experience. Felt like I was a Chili’s most of the time…although I didn’t get any free chips.