McGraw’s Steak Chop & Fish House

Classy joint. Great steaks and nice setting. Really the only nice restaurant in town that I have found

McGraw’s has a special place in my heart because the food is just that good. Everything is incredibly fresh and filling. I have had the New York strip a few times as well as the salmon. Both dishes are served with a side of your choice. I highly recommend the Mac n Cheese for a side, its too rich to get as a full meal, but perfect with any entrée.
I would make a reservation when going to McGraw’s it can get quite busy during the school year, especially around any Purdue home games. Another fun part of going to McGraw’s is seeing all the Purdue «celebrities.»

The Wine list is OUTSTANDING! Prime Rib special was also fantastic. Server was great. Our whole experience was just lovely. HIGHLY recommended!!!

An absolutely lovely place to have a nice dinner with some close friends. Outstanding steak and service. The only complaint I have is that it took forever for us to be seated even though we have a reservation.

Pricey but not over-​priced, McGraw’s is a great place for a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary or, in my case, to take alumni visiting campus after several years away.
I’ve never had a meal at McGraw’s that I did not enjoy. Steak is always a good selection, however, I’ve also enjoyed the tuna (fresh) and scallops (yum). You can’t go wrong with the calamari appetizer but my favorite is the firecracker shrimp. (I’m not even a fan of shrimp!)
The McGraw Wedge is a very popular salad choice and, although I haven’t ordered it, I’m always filled with regret when my dinner companions do.
If possible, save room for dessert! The options make it a hard decision but do yourself a favor and share something!

I’ve heard many of my friends talk about McGraw’s as one of the nicer restaurants in the Lafayette area, so my boyfriend and I decided to go there for dinner on the night before Valentine’s Day.
If you have not been here before, I recommend using a GPS so you don’t miss the turn into the restaurant, especially if you have a late night dinner reservation.
The restaurant interior is very nice. It has a very home-​y feel. The bar is situated in the front of the restaurant, and towards the back is a nice dining area where windows are so you can see the view of the Wabash River.
We ordered two appetizers, the smoked salmon on wonton skins, and the calamari. They both came out very quickly, much to our surprise. The smoked salmon was very good, although I think that it was a bit difficult to eat as the crispy wonton skins would break apart as soon as you took the first bite. My favorite appetizer, however, was the calamari. It is quite a large plate, enough for two or even three people to share, but it was so good we ate the whole plate! The sweet and spicy sauce that comes with the calamari is also an excellent complement with the dish.
Not much longer after we finished devouring our appetizers, we got our entrees. I had ordered the ahi tuna dish, medium rare, that comes black pepper crusted atop a bed of spinach and slices of avocados. My boyfriend had ordered the ribeye steak, medium rare.
The tuna was cooked well, and tasted fresh to my surprise. My sides were linguini and steak cut fries. The linguini didn’t have very much tomato sauce (which I enjoyed since I do not care for much sauce with my noodles), and the steak fries were crispy and not very oily like most fries tend to be.
The next time I go, however, I will order the ribeye. The few bites of the ribeye that I sampled were absolutely divine. The meat was a very good cut, tender, and had been seasoned and marinated well.
You would think that we were full after finishing al of our food, but in fact, we ordered two desserts! The chocolate lava cake and the raspberry cheesecake. We took them to go since the restaurant had closed, but even at home we were able to enjoy both desserts. Leave room for dessert, they are delicious!
For all the food we got (2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts), the total came to a little over $ 100, but for the quality of the food, service, and of course, the occasion, I was extremely satisfied.
I definitely would recommend this place to anyone celebrating any occasion, graduations, anniversaries, birthdays, or even just to treat themselves!
Oh, and on the way out, there is a step. Do not be fooled. There is a small sign, but you will be so full and wanting to sit down in the car and digest that you won’t even notice it. I almost fell, but if I did fall, I would have fallen a happy customer.

We went here on 12÷26÷15 to celebrate my Mom’s upcoming birthday before I flew back home. We had a reservation for 5 and it was pretty slow the entire time we were there. We were sat next to the kitchen doors and given a very unfriendly server.
The food was good, we all enjoyed our salads, the bread, and our entrees. We ordered the ahi, whole catfish, salmon, chicken, and I had the walleye. The walleye was cooked well and the panko coating was good, but the brown butter sauce was a bit overwhelming/​rich. Would have been good with some citrus/​acidity.
Overall, we were all happy with the food, but I couldn’t believe how unfriendly our server was to us… and to his other tables. He first brought us all waters without saying anything so I thought he was a food runner. We sat there and sat there watching other tables being helped, then he finally returned saying «did you want to order an appetizer?». There was no «hello» or «hi my name is _​_​_​_​and I’ll be your server». Even after we ordered a bottle of wine and salads, he did not become more talkative or friendly. When he couldn’t hear something my Mom said, he just says, «What??». There was never any friendly conversation or friendliness at all… I think the management needs to revisit training staff or be more hands on to observe this type of behavior to customers…

Been to this restaurant a couple of times and it is the class of Lafayette. Best bar manager i have ever bumped into, has a vast selection of craft beer, whiskey, and wine. The detail orientation and menu variety is top notch. Have had the seared tuna and chopped steak both were great and the sides and desert platter is also very impressive. Location is just out of town on a beautiful windy road and the restaurant sits on the edge of the river with outdoor seating if the seasons permit. Ownership is extremely friendly and the place had a very classy feel to it. Great place to go for a romantic dinner with someone special. This is a must visit if you are in Lafayette for business, visiting Purdue, or just want to take a drive to a nice dining experience!

I had the special — a generous portion of steak with veggies.
The steak was cooked to perfection. It was very tender and there was more than I could finish!
The bread with cinnamon butter was really yummy. Our whole group really enjoyed it.
Make sure to check out the large wine list.
Limited Internet connection makes it hard to check in.
This place is a gem on the water. Very fun experience.

Food was good… a little under spiced for my taste but the food was really good. It can be hard to find this place because it’s so far off the road but it’s worth checking out.

we just went here last night (our 2^nd time) and I was equally unimpressed. I got the teriyaki beef tips and they were decent, but everything else was sub par.
if you have kids, stay away from the Mac n cheese. I believe it was white cheddar… not a super kid-​friendly flavor, in my opinion, and neither my 3 year old nor 1 year old would eat it. they did end up replacing the Mac n cheese with grilled chicken, but it was so peppery. my 3 year old ate some of it, but I don’t know if he loved it.
stay away from the chicken dish (can’t remember what it’s called, but it has onions and spinach covered with cheese). my mom got this and felt like they took a chicken breast and dumped anything they could find in the kitchen on it and then melted some cheese on top.
the property itself is kind of odd, too. there are several other buildings that we think awe rental apartments or something. lots of people outside smoking, a bunch of random cars, etc. oh, and whatever building is to the east of the restaurant, we saw SQUIRRELS running in and out of it… what in the world!
overall, not the worst meal I’ve ever eaten, but not sure it’s worth the $ 20/​plate average.

I just stumbled across this place with a friend and decided to try it out. Our servers were attentive and friendly, and the food was great. My steak was overcooked (I ordered medium rare and got medium), but it was yummy nonetheless. The Philly cheese soup was an interesting and welcome change from the soups that I normally get. It wasn’t too cheesy, and had tender bites of meat in it. However, I am a huuuugee huge fan of the Jack Daniel’s teriyaki tips that I got at the Taste of Tippiecanoe. Those were delightful, succulent, perfectly seasoned cubes of mean that melted in my mouth. I am honestly slightly disappointed that I didn’t make it back for seconds because I was too full, so I would go back to McGraw’s just to have those again. I went on a weekday night, so I didn’t wait for a table, even without a reservation, but I’ve heard it does get busy on the weekends. However, I noticed that halfway through our meal, the whole restaurant had filled up, so it’s better to be safe than sorry and make a reservation. There’s plenty of parking available and somewhat secluded, so it makes for quite a nice, relaxing dining environment.

We made reservations for an early Mothers Day dinner on Friday. I got the prime rib special with garlic Yukon mashed potatoes and a Bloody Mary. My wife ordered the honey bourbon salmon and for an appetizer we tried the cheese tray. From the first bite from the cheese tray to the last drops of my bloody Mary, this was a delicious experience. I can’t imagine anything on the menu not being excellent. The prime rib and salmon were some of the best I have had in a long time and the prices are resonable for the quality you get. Request a table facing the river, it is a nice view and change of pace.

We have visited McGraws a handful of times so I think we have a good idea of what they offer. Overall, it’s decent. Nothing special, certainly for the price. Most recently dined there for our anniversary.
It was on a Friday, we did get a reservation for 6:30 just to be safe. The restaurant wasn’t necessarily busy, so it was nice and quite for a little while. The waitress was nice, but not friendly or talkative. She didn’t explain any specials or even ask if we had been there before. Just simply, «do you know what you’d like?»
When we got our shrimp cocktail, the parts of the shrimp that are supposed to be white were yellowed. They were very dry and didn’t taste fresh at all… not what you’d expect for $ 12.00. As the waitress brought our salads, she just sat them in the table and pretty much walked away. I noticed other servers offered fresh cracked black pepper for salads, which I always appreciate.
Now the steak arrived, I ordered a New York strip medium and a loaded baked potato. Let’s just say the potato was the best part. The steak, albeit a nice cut, was slightly over done for my taste and just very bland. Didn’t appear to have hardly any seasoning, so like I said, kind of tasteless. Agaun, not what you expect for $ 24.
Lastly, we did do desert and it was pretty good. Key lime pie and an apple tart. We got the last bit of our meal to go. I just find it almost comical that the to go containers are the cheapest styrofoam you can buy, and bagged up with the same bags you’d get at your local convenience store /​gas station. You get much nicer stuff at an Olive Garden.
Overall, a decent experience, but not worth the money in my opinion.

Unfortunately, our experience was very similar to the complaints of poor service and poor cooking of steaks (unless you want well done). And like many others, the attitude of how dare you point out that your steak was over cooked. I can’t remember ever having a steak so far off that I complained, but over cooked and served at room temp??? Most frustrating was that the appetizers, salads and other food tasted good, just not worth the overall frustration. Hopefully they get these issues fixed, would love a great steakhouse in the area and they could really do well if corrected.

Very impressed by the quality of the steak! I’m a steak lover and most of the time had great steak in NYC. I had tried two other steak houses in this area, and McGraw’s definitely is the best. I must say the chef could easily double the price of the steak if he/​she sells it in Manhattan. So tender, juicy, and flavorful! Wonderful steaks!
We ordered their specials of the day, but I will give their regulars a try next time :)

This place is hit or miss. I had a small wedding and took my guests here after the ceremony. I was hoping to avoid crappy wedding food and left embarrassed. Food serving times were horrendous. 20 mins for an appetizer another 20 for a salad and 40 minutes on entrees. We were the first seating on a Friday. Unacceptable. Once the entrees finally arrived every person noticed their food was room temperature-​Not even a hint of warm and not only the steaks but the side items as well. Most everyone waited to see if the server would be able to rectify the situation once she came back to see how everything was. After 15 minutes she did come back. 2 people in my group had already finished their cold steaks after becoming impatient. My husband did not touch his food and asked to speak with a manager. After another 10 minutes the server from the next table over came and explained that she checked with the kitchen who said our food wasn’t sitting back there so she didn’t know how our food was cold. She asked if we wanted our food warmed up nearly 30 minutes after receiving it… Ughhh…really??? Add insult to injury. After finishing, receiving our checks and paying took another 25 minutes. We were offered 50% off of the entrees. My husband had to pay for his meal that he did not even eat.
The embarrassment and dissatisfaction of the meal alone was not worth any discount we received. If you do choose to eat at McGraws, you better hope they get it right the first time because «management» is clearly not versed in handling what is supposed to be ‘finer dining’ service. In the future, we will not be trusting the experience at McGraws to be worthy of taking guests there.

As a person who’s been to quite a few of the ‘Top 20′ steakhouses in America, this restaurant is very solid for the Lafayette/​W. Lafayette area. Indeed, it is probably THE BEST (in the region).
The food here beats the ‘haute cuisine’ of Bistro 501 any day.
I recommend both the seafood and the steaks (surf & turf).
The location is idyllic. It’s like an oasis in the (sometimes) industrial wasteland of W. Lafayette/​Lafayette. The cabin architecture and rustic feel is very comforting.
The waterfront view is splendid.
If you want to take your wife on a romantic date, or need a restaurant to host a dinner party, I definitely recommend McGraw’s.

Pretty decent find for the area. Steak was cooked perfectly and even had enough for leftovers. I was too stuffed to try the desserts but other people in our group did and enjoyed it. Place is in the middle of no where so easy to miss when driving down that road if you arent familiar with the area

This is (with out question) the worst steak house I have ever been to in my 54 years. The restaurant botched my reservation. If I did not like to dine at the bar, my only choice was to dine on the patio. That was an excellent choice… except there was a stray cat that wanted to rub it self at my feet. When I asked about the cat I was told by my server «Is the cat going to bother you?» «Yes: I am allergic». I thought there was a rule about stray cats and restaurants in Indiana?
Upon removal of the stray cat. I ordered a porterhouse special medium rare; my wife; the filet medium. My porterhouse was served WELL DONE as was my wife’s filet!
My server was no where to be found. I had to leave my table to find the hostess. Why did I leave my table? Because there were people standing along the driveway waiting to take my table.
I asked the hostess to please send the manager out to see how overcooked our food was. THE MANAGER REFUSED. Instead my server was sent back out to witness two steaks that contained no pink color what so ever. I chose to upset (those waiting for my table) by asking for another steak. Had I known they would return with a blue steak that was not even rare, I would have asked for the check. When I asked about he manager I was told by my server: SHE IS BUSY WAITING ON TABLES.
It has been more that 20 years gone by that I have asked for a steak to be replaced. I have never ever asked to speak to a manager before Saturday, and I have never heard that a manager was too busy to talk to a upset guest. They are clearly unable or lack the management skills to run a Chop house.
The chef was clearly unable to cook up to the needs of the restaurant. To over cook a steak at a table, happens, to overcook 2 at the same table; tells me that the chef cant handle a dinner service.
The fact that the manager was waiting on tables tells me there are staffing issues. The fact that the manager could not come to personally apologize shows a complete lack of professionalism.
Offering me a free chocolate desert… eh. This not what I asked for (or wanted). I asked to speak to a manager; not a server, hostess or cook. I WANTED NOTHING GIVEN TO ME FOR FREE. That is why I blog tonight.
I used to dine here when it was called Stiney’s. It is cute, romantic and quaint. It has the atmosphere to make it a 4 star restaurant.
This management team has to go. They cannot handle a busy dinner service. They have staffing issues and you the customer will pay for it in dinner service. If you wish to dine there your chance may be better after the dinner rush or a slow Monday/​Tuesday/​Wednesday.
At the end of the day, I gladly paid my 20% (because I cant fault my server) over food the chef cant prepare. I just can’t do that.
This is why I have given so much of my life to write the one (and hopefully my only) negative blog on a restaurant. You can have the best setting, menu, and staff, but if you cant manage a busy dinner service, cant cook what your guests order, cant fix your mistakes, cant acknowledge your upset guests. What is it that you are known for? Salad?
If you want a great steak that will remain in your memory for years, (and have garden views unlike any restaurant I have eaten). Make the effort to drive to Covington and eat at the Beef House. They know how to cook steaks and the staff makes sure you are happy with your order.