Rails Steakhouse

Been here a few times and they are consistent, clams and chorizo outstanding, veal milanese better then most Italian restaurant, crab cake fresh and spicy. Sit indoors or out… can’t go wrong

AMAZING!!! In every way! Not only was the food absolutely delicious but the service was outstanding! Very attentive and professional staff! Beautiful décor inside! We loved everything about RAILS!
I got the braised short ribs over Parmesan risotto and my husband got the Kansas City steak both dishes were excellent!
We can’t wait to go back!!!

I struggle writing this review… Here is my why — the reviews online and from friends were amazing — «YOU have to go» everyone said… So we did.
Here is the timeline:
–couldn’t get a reservation on a weekend (this was good news right?)
–we walk in for our Thursday night 6:45pm reservation… At the hostess stand we had THE best introduction to the restaurant and well. It is beautiful to say the least. TOP 10 décor or any restaurant I have ever been in… BIG trees, custom everything — super cute wood theming.
–we sit and order — service was as expected for fine dining
–Bread comes — Warm, good flavor
–Salad comes — OVER dressed to the point it was dripping
–Entrée comes — Recommended by server on the bone Kansas dry aged Steak… Average at best. Average as in. Slightly better then an outback steak. Yeah not anything I will remember or ever order again.
–manager asks how food has been so far… We tell her and she apologizes blah blah (but never took off bill… Or offered anything else)
–dessert comes and wow. Disappointment x1000. Again asked for a recommendation and had the chocolate caramel molten cake thing… Comes out like it was heated yesterday. Not hot /​not cold… Room temperature. Couldn’t eat it… Server took it back.
Long story short.
–Great looking /​fun restaurant /​TONS of potential
–Food needs a TON of work
I look forward to trying again hoping the kitchen gets an overhaul on basics… And I will update review then.
Also worth mentioning there is really a FEW concepts in the place — fine dinning /​bar scene (their speakeasy) /​and a bear garden outdoor more casual scene. All with different menus… So maybe you try pizza /​bar menu before dropping over $ 100 on an average steak.

Wednesday evening at Rails, excellent ‘Locals Night’ Surf and Turf dinner. Had more than enough food for a good price. Great service from our waiter Dave, courses were well paced.
Bonus: got a personal tour of the restaurant from Mark, one of the managers.
Had a nice time and will definitely be back!

The ambiance is so cool here. It’s an amazing place to find in Towaco. Every detail was thought of… from the front door to the tree trunk light fixture to the speakeasy set up downstairs. The drinks in the speakeasy were very good. I samples a few and they were well made, not too much of anything. We were seated upstairs. The calamari was well prepared however, the sriracha mayo was a little mild for my taste. The cockles and chorizo were very good but, far too many were closed and although the waiter acknowledged that, they did nothing to remedy the situation. The scallops were okay… a bit bland. The salad, which I did not try but which someone at our table ate, looked great. Now, for the main dishes. I had a cowboy steak. It was slightly more than medium rare, which is what I ordered. Nonetheless, it was very good… proper amount of fat and perfect tenderness. The desserts were great. We had the cheesecake, which was amazing and the butter cake, also great. Service was very good. I will definitely be back. The atmosphere and setting was enough to make up for the short-​comings regarding the food. It’s really a 3.5 but worth a visit.
We went there for a second try. I echo my last thoughts. It is a great place to hang but, the food leaves a lot to be desired. They even had another faux pas with the service. We ordered two orders of the monkey bread. They only brought one out at first. Then, the second one looked completely different then the first. We asked about it and server acknowledged that one looked burnt. He brought out another but made no effort to offer any recompense. I’ll likely be back, but only for drinks from now on. They spent tons on the physical structure but need to upgrade the kitchen… and I don’t mean appliances.

Party of four birthday Thursday. Excellent food and service UNTIL our waitress called my husband «honey» towards the end. Later, touched my husband’s arm (she didn’t touch anyone else). Dear waitress, you don’t have to schmooze and flirt to get a better tip. I may have been AAA.
Other than THAT … It was an excellent experience. Highly recommend.

My family and I recently celebrated a birthday here and we all enjoyed it. The service was great, everyone enjoyed their meals and the atmosphere is unique. Rustic but upscale and contemporary with lots of room and light. Would definitely go back.
I had the Cowboy Steak, a bone-​in ribeye. I’ve ordered this elsewhere but this was the best by far. The steak was nicely marbled with very little actual chunks of fat. The best quality ribeye I’ve had.

If Antoni Gaudí were going to design a restaurant, I think he would have done it like this. Or at least he would have approved! Stunning and beautiful are words that don’t do it justice. I can’t remember seeing a more beautiful place to dine. Sarah, our hostess, was gracious enough to give us a guided tour before we sat. She carefully pointed out all the incredible touches and art that went into it. So many levels with so many rooms! I know I won’t be able to do it justice in my review, but I’ll try. From sculptures made from fallen trees, to a floor made from cut wood, to an actual tree acting as a main support for the roof! Everything was beautiful. There are several bars including outside. But the downstairs, «speak easy» was the most cool! Right down to the secret book you need to pull to open the sliding bookcase door! Rob, our waiter, was tip top. He was NEVER out of sight and a glance was all it ever took to bring him over to see to our every need. I started with the grilled octopus special and it was delicious. Then a Ceasar salad, and finally an 8oz. fillet with a lobster tail with Bernaise. (don’t get saucy with me!) Ended the meal with a cappuccino and the chocolate ten layer cake. I split it and still couldn’t finish it! If I could find something wrong with my meal I would say so. But everything from start to finish was perfect. From the sides to the mains, everyone loved what they ordered. Everything was cooked to perfection and I liked that Rob asked us to please cut into our steaks right away to make sure they were cooked to our liking.
I must take issue with some of the reviews. Our dinner was NOT rushed as some reviews state. In fact we were asked about what pace we would like. Salads with appetizers or separately? Comparing the food to an Outback steakhouse? Definitely not. More like on par with Del Frisco’s or Peter Luger but not having to make the trip into the city.
On a scale of 1 – 10 I would give this meal a 15! Perfect in every way. I’ll be back soon!

The atmosphere is incomparable to any other; simply GORGEOUS. The food is outstanding and the bars are fabulous. You have to see to understand how cool this place really is.

Ending a 3 week stay here in NJ. Got to eat at lots of great places while I was here and Rails might have topped them all!
My tenderloin was prepared perfectly and I would rate it as the best I had during my «steakhouse tour» of Northern NJ! All of our sides and appetizers were also excellent. I especially liked the hash browns and lump crab cocktail. Highly recommend!
I was surprised with a some of the recent reviews about poor service because I would disagree strongly. Our servers were fun, friendly and attentive.
Pricey but worth it!

NYC prices right here in Towaco. So I may as well go into NYC then for the same vibe, right? I’m not the first reviewer to state that obviously. We came for drinks and appetizers on a Saturday night.
The architecture and set up was modern, indoor and outdoor seating (that is 5-​stars). Inside it is loud. Loud music everywhere, including Rafters, Speakeasy, and Restaurant. So where is someone go to have intimate conversation? Oh, outside! They have outdoor seating. But this is unbearable in the cold, or if you don’t like cigarette smoke. Someone should have thought to accommodate the non smokers or humans that are intolerant of harsh weather. (Which is pretty much most of us.)
Staff is extremely pleasant (for NJ) so 5-​stars there, but slow (seems to still be problem based on past reviews) so 2-​stars.
For these NYC prices, I need something more to make it worthwhile to come back. Otherwise, I’ll continue to go into NYC for these prices.

The steak was incredible!
We were seated next to someone who had a medical emergency, and while I did feel horrible for the person in trouble, we had come to celebrate a special occasion so I was getting a bit upset over the circumstances. We were re-​seated without having to say anything in 10 mins and the waiters were incredible, kind and knowledgeable. You must try the apple pie if you go. We will certainly be coming back for our next special occasion.

What a great place !!! Been here a few times and the food get better and better! Love it
We had tuna tartar the Kansas City 20 oz
Service was great and the steaks were awesome. Give yourself some time before your reservation to enjoy the Resturant setting

We had a surprisingly underwhelming experience.
First impression as others had mentioned, beautiful architecture and ambience. 5 stars there.
Good and friendly service, albeit not the typical steakhouse style of having two primary waiters to address a table as you will see at a Ruth Chris, Roots, or your upscale NYC steakhouse.
Wine list was adequate and consisted primarily of recently released California/​west coast labels. There were no library wines or anything truly unique if your a wine aficionado.
For the most important aspect, the food. It completely fell apart here. The price to quality ratio is completely off. As Pasquale R. mentioned in an earlier review that it was outback quality, and I would tend to agree. 2.5 stars here. I would say it was a fluke, but our table of 6 ate family style and tasted our way through the menu and we all came to a similar conclusion. Here are some highlights:
Calamari: ok, oily and somewhat chewy.
Tuna tar tar: tasted fishy and lacked flavor
Mozzerella: ok but nothing unique about it
«Jumbo» Shrimp cocktail: three moderately sized shrimp dumped in a plate with a tablespoon of cocktail sauce for $ 17. It had good flavor, but come on.
Thick cut bacon: great flavor, best thing I had.
Prime NY Strip: good flavor and seasoning. Uneven cooking. Ordered medium. Narrow side was cooked well/​medium well as you might expect to happen. Thicker side was cooked anywhere from medium to rare with some parts being completely cool in the center and raw.
Filet: good flavor but seemed a bit dry. Was nothing special about it.
Lobster: ok but was surprised that it was not available as a side tail for ease of accompanying the steak.
Dessert: crème brûlée, red velvet cake, chocolate layer cake, and chocolate and Caramel were all tasted. Nothing really stood out.
I would not have been so critical of this place and the food but for the NYC asking price, it was hard not to be. 2.5 stars.

I’m torn on this place.
On one side the ambiance and atmosphere is 5 stars. It was perfectly built and set up. Millions of dollars spent on it’s design. Worth every penny.
The 3 floors (Speakeasy, Restaurant and Lounge) are fantastic.
Service is impeccable. Everyone is friendly and warm. Like the atmosphere.
It then starts to deteriorate…
Food is overpriced and not worth what they charge. Drinks are even more ridiculously priced. Folks, this is Towaco NOT NYC.
I can honestly put this place on par with Outback in regards to quality.
There were more staff than patrons the night I went. I would give it another try but the prices don’t warrant it.
A bonus is the people watching!

Party of 6 (old friends looking for a great place to chill, talk and enjoy good food). We really weren’t disappointed with any aspect of the evening.
Valet parking, off the chain décor, great food, nice people, and decent prices considering the place cost 35 million dollars to build! We will totally be back many times (god willing) as we didn’t even begin to explore all the different rooms and the 5 bars they have to offer.

This place rocks! First off the atmosphere is gorgeous — inside and out. My boyfriend and I had our meal outside on a beautiful night. The service was very good. The crowd was classy. We ordered an ice cold 90 minute draft. So, so delicious.
Food: We shared the goat cheese and beet salad — no complaints. My main meal was the Kobe Burger. It was delicious — the cheese was really good. My burger was great and all, but my boyfriend’s steak is the real reason for my 5 star review. They served him a nice hunk of steak with roasted garlic on the side. After spreading the garlic on the steak and taking one bite I was instantly in love and knew right there and then he out ordered me! LOL I didn’t love, love the side of mac & cheese with chunks of short rib. It was alright, but I’m pretty picky when it comes to mac & cheese.
Dessert:The 10 layer chocolate cake is one for the books! Phenomenal.
I can’t wait to come back!

This place open a few months ago and it’s right next to the Towaco train station. I was a bit skeptical about the location and though it can’t be a great steakhouse, but I was Happily wrong! A couple friends told me about how it’s tough getting a reservation here on wknd nights and after checking the place out on Unilocal,i knew i had to try!
It was a Friday night dinner at 630 (I like to eat dinner early). The place is huge! Multiple floors and it’s pretty decked out… a but much for my taste — but it was spacious! Something most NY steakhouses does not offer :) We were seated in their library, a small, more intimate dinning space and it was perfect!
We ordered their tuna mediterranean salad special, T-​bone steak special and the seafood skillet. The salad portion was more like a dinner portion (we were not complaining) and it was great! The T-​bone was cooked to a perfect Medium rare, yum… The seafood skillet was served on this small skillet, at first look it seemed like it was not going to be enough for dinner, but once we put a fork in it, all the grease and butter surfaced! There were chunks of lobster and we really enjoyed it, however it was just too greasy… So, thank goodness it was small! For dessert, we tried the Butter cake and OMG! SO GOOD! the shell was flaky with warm soft center! Tho, i’ve had better mascarpone and it didn’t look neat, just a blob next to the cake.
I would def return and hopefully with some friends! really want to get the T-​bone for 2 and lamb :) and more desserts!

Rails Steakhouse is absolutely gorgeous. Between the design of the restaurant and the amazing décor, Rails is truly stunning. What I especially love about the design of the restaurant is the fact that it has a wilderness lodge type of feel. Beautiful wooden paneling throughout and real trees are incorporated into the design. And while it does have this «woodsy» type of feel, its also extremely classy. Has to be one of the most beautifully designed restaurants I’ve ever been to. It almost feels like you’re at a high end resort… its definitely something to see for yourself.
If you don’t have a reservation (at least on the weekend), you will not get a seat in their formal dining area on the main floor. However, they offer plenty of other options. There is a bar/​high top area on this same floor, there is an outside terrace on this floor that offers seating and then on the second floor there is another bar/​lounge/​high top table section which offers even more seating. What’s great about this is the same menu is offered no matter where you sit. Most places have a different menu for their «non formal» dining areas but Rails doesn’t and I love that. I ended up sitting on the second floor at a high top table, the chair had a back to it too (thank god, I cant stand sitting for dinner without a back to my chair). I did notice the high tops of the first floor didn’t have backs to the chairs, which is why I made my way upstairs.
The menu overall is pricey but this is a steakhouse so you know what you’re getting yourself into. If you want to eat well, be prepared to drop some cash. BUT they do offer pizzas and even had a burger option on their dinner menu, which I think is great. If you want to come and experience this joint while being a little frugal, you can get away with it by sharing a pizza and salad or getting a burger.
Started with a Caesar salad, which was pretty good, standard Caesar salad. For my entrée I had the House Smoked St. Louis Ribs. These ribs were good and the portion size was plentiful. The sauce they were coated with was very tasteful and I appreciated the fact that the ribs were not dry. However, these were most certainly not fall off the bone good ribs. You really had to put some work into getting the meat off the bone, which was fine but some people may expect them to be so tender that the meat falls right off the bone… and this just wasn’t the case. The sides that accompanied this dish were mango slaw and jalapeño corn bread. Mango slaw was very unique and I liked it, the jalapeño corn bread was over cooked and not worth filling up on.
I shared some additional sides: mashed potatoes, cream of spinach and roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon.
Mashed potatoes = awesome, really creamy and tasted homemade and fresh, I would definitely order these again.
Creamed spinach = very good, once again this also had a very home made feel to it and it was better than most creamed spinaches I’ve had before.
Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon = not that great. They were too roasted/​dry and I didn’t really notice any bacon on them at all. I would not order these again, I’ve had way better at other restaurants.
Dessert was NY style cheesecake. I didn’t like the fake berries on top, so I slid those right off. Other than that the cheesecake was enjoyable.
The service at Rails during my visit was good, our waitress was personable and friendly. However, as the upstairs started filling up she started to get in the weeds and clearly needed some help. The wait to get our check and what not was a little lengthy. They need to have additional bus boys around to take some stress off the wait staff.
FYI — I was absolutely freezing during my entire visit. The AC was bumping and it was friggin cold in there. I asked the waitress if she could do something about it but she said it would eventually warm up as it got more crowded (which I don’t think is true because by the time I left it was mobbed and I still had goose bumps). Definitely bring something to throw over your shoulders so you’re not freezing the entire time like I was.
Rails is a solid spot, this area really needed a great restaurant like this to open up. I will absolutely be back and am anxious to try one of their steaks next time.

Used the occasion of my sons high school graduation to check it out. He loved his point Judith calamari. His Kobe burger was tasty but average. My salmon was very tasting on a really different bacon and cabbage bed. Had some sautéed spinach too to add to my carb calorie intake. All in all a good 1^st experience.
Will have to check out the bar/​drinks next time.