Ikinari Steak Madison Ave

It was the first time we'd been to any of the branches in this Japanese chain and I'm happy to report that the steaks we tried were succulent and tasty. I'm generally not impressed by most American steak houses simply because they have this fetish for dry aged steaks which isn't really to my taste as it seems to defeat the object of having a juicy steak. The price is by the ounce which is also miles cheaper than most steak houses. Too often I find steak houses go nuts on side dishes but Ikinari has the steak front and centre as the star, with minimal choices of sides. Some other reviewers have mentioned that it can be very salty, I made the mistake of being a little too liberal with the sauce, which is very salty. So, if you want it less salty go easy on the sauce as you have complete control of how much you want or not. I went for medium-rare, though they recommend rare. Should have gone with their suggestion as the steak comes on a sizzling hot plate so it's still cooking when you receive it and suspect that's why going for rare is better. The ordering process is a little odd (choose how much meat and what vegetables it gets served with at the counter, drinks/sides are ordered from the waiter) but you do get to decide whether you want much fat on the steak, if you choose the sirloin. We went on Sunday for lunch and it was just us, I expect they get more people in during the work week at this location. But it was perfect for us as it was nice and quiet. Service was efficient and we liked it, definitely will be back if we have a hankering for steak.

Fantastic addition to NYC. This is the second ikinari location I've been to and both were superb. The lunch special here was amazing - soup, steak and side for under $20 - with the 14oz steak option. Now that I'm embracing the keto diet more full-on I will be back. I also enjoyed how quickly the food arrived. My party of 3 was in and out for a quick working lunch in under 45min. No frills delicious steak dining.

Felt like I was in Tokyo: the utensils, napkins, glasses, and service are all indicative of Japan. There's even a washlet in the bathroom. While the chain is known for standing-only, there are plenty of chairs here. No tipping required; gratuity is built into the cost of the food. Plates come out sizzling. I had the chuck tender lunch special, which had too much of a burnt flavor for me, but my friend's sirloin was much better (we shared pieces of each). Definitely willing to give the restaurant another go.

Whatever you do, do NOT order the chuck tender cab lunch special unless cartilage and gristle held tightly together by fibrous sinew is your thing. The word "tender" should not be in the same side of menu unless it means chewtoy in Japanese. Despite this, I give 4 stars because my companion, who avoided chuck cab had an exceptional quality steak at a half the cost of next door. Servers are ultra friendly, and I should have listened when she said it would be chewy. I will absolutely come back, but order something else for sure.

I work around this place. I Ordered a 10oz sirloin to take out - cashier made a mistake and put it in as 7oz, but was amended almost immediately and credit card charge was reflected accordingly. Little did I know, the kitchen started grilling the 7oz as soon as the order went in, and what I got was a 7oz and 4 small pieces of stale meat. The small chunks they serve for their 'assorted steak' menu. Makes me sad that this used to be my go-to place for lunch. Won't go back.

Very good steaks. Also it is worth adding soup, salad and mash/rice as a $3 set. During my visit I only sampled their ribeye, but I'm planning on coming back to try their other cuts.

Lunch special (10 oz Chuck Tender) - you'll get 4oz of fat, 2oz of gristle and 4oz of meat.

Fast service. The steak is good for what you pay.