Julie K.
Yelp
Looking for steakhouse that's above average in the area? No, it's not Carlo & Johnny, nor Eddie Merlot's. It's Ivory House.
Of the three choices, Ivory House surpasses in just about every way, from decor to ambience to service to food, it outshines them all.
Decor/ambiance: eclectic, fun, unstuffy. The pianist was fantastic!
Service: amazing! Elise was truly wonderful and genuine. Did a great job, especially of noticing things i.e. in the kitchen brought out croutons on a salad when they weren't supposed to or an iced tea not getting filled; she was even able to tell which of the two drinks I had I preferred more! She seems like someone everyone would want to hang out with!
Food: Ivory House delivered a near perfect meal from start to finish.
Appetizers - shrimp cocktail, bruschetta, and hummus were all beautifully plated and had great detail, like a charred lemon with the shrimp. The cocktail sauce tasted housemaid, and there was a nice zing to the hummus. Would have been nice to have the option of getting vegetables with hummus instead of pita... It wasn't on the menu, but I have a feeling if we asked, they would've made it happen.
Salad - Caesar salad was perfect, everything in it was the correct amount. I enjoyed the pickled onions!
Mains & Sides - my husband's steak came with most beautifully ginormous pad of garlic herb butter on it. The one bite of it I had was melty heaven. His brussels sprouts had good flavor, though he was disappointed in the amount of asparagus he received. My duck confit was so well balanced, I would be happy to order it again and again. Though I would've liked a few more beets on the plate, the flavor of the parsnip purée with the berry gastique was chef's kiss. It was like elevated Thanksgiving comfort food.
Dessert - The seasonal cheesecake, salted caramel, looked decadent and delightful, and also like it could be shared between 2 to 3 people. I ordered two of the gelato/sorbet flavors, the strawberry lemon I could've done without, it needed more lemon, but the lemon basil was a sleeper hit! Sounds weird, I know right? I think it would be perfectly refreshing at the end of a meal, particularly in the warmer months.
Oh and they had GLUTEN FREEE BREAD FOR THE TABLE! I have never seen a restaurant actually have a gluten-free offering for this!
All in all, Ivory House is a classy but low key restaurant that is worth the drive!