North Star

I had several coworkers tell me if I wanted a good steak I had to go to northstar. They were not wrong. I had the 16 oz ribeye with a baked potato cooked perfectly. Very tender very flavorful.

Customer service is top tier! I had placed a drink order and was told they were out of one of the ingredients to make it. Little did I know the owner ran down to the liquor store and purchased more just so I could have the drink I originally ordered! They could have easily said they were out of stock and left it at that, but went above and beyond for one guest! 10/10 recommend!!

What a fantastic meal. And the ambiance, right out of the 1950s. Our 32 oz sirloin for 2 was cooked perfect. The sides were great. The wait staff could not have been more friendly. This place is a must visit if you are in Topeka. You'll love it.

Another awesome experience at North Star. Food and service as always were amazing. Jeff the owner and the rest of the staff always make you feel so welcome no matter how long it's been. Fries and gravy are an absolute must have. Tried the catfish this time and would order again for sure. Hands down the best steakhouse in topeka. 5 stars Highly recommend!

The price definitely did not match the quality we expected. The steaks were flavorless and at $40 a piece, you would think a little flavor is not too much to ask. My husband's potatoes and gravy was good and my baked potato was good. Our service was not good. The food, when it finally arrived, was dropped off at our table and they were gone. No one asked if our steaks were cooked to preference. Our water glasses were never filled beyond the first glass. The waitress did not return to check on us until it was time to sell us a dessert. I would not recommend this restaurant for a steak dinner.

Old speakeasy with the decor just what you would expect. Old building, common tables and chairs, but what an experience. Individual jukebox selectors at each table from the 50s. Go there early and get a flight of old fashioned with different whiskey. Also got a surprisingly amazing Mint Julep. Ribeye served with fries and gravy and it was over the top fantastic. Do not miss the bread pudding. It is the best i have ever had. Must go!

Really enjoyed finding this local spot as "out of towners". Great steaks and a flight of Old Fashioned with a kick! Would recommend completely!

Food took forever to arrive. Two people in our party never got their side dish and the waitress didn’t even notice. Steaks were overcooked and arrived barely warm. Waitress was not attentive and never asked if everything was okay or if we needed anything. Steak was not tender. For the prices, one would expect way better food and service! VERY disappointing!

Great food and great service. I would recommended any of the steaks. Ask for the creamy horseradish... it's delicious on the steak.

The North Star Steakhouse is a popular family chophouse style steakhouse. The service can be marginal on a busy weekend night and the quality of food is only average. The fries were greasy and not crisp; the salad was basically just a small serving of bagged lettuce. While it does have the ambience of a locally owned establishment, and the speak easy history is interesting, don't expect much more.

The experience was amazing! We took my 88 year Mom for her birthday, and everything was great. Between our party we had the catfish, chicken fried steak, and the ribeye and everything was so good. I would highly recommend making a reservation.

We celebrated a good friends birthday this last weekend. I am over 70 years old and can remember going to the North Star with my Dad. A waiter named Dave was one of the amazing people that never carried a pencil or paper and took your order and even more amazing, he would remember what you ordered a year ago. The old building is still home charm and very enjoyable. The staff over the weekend was amazing. There were several large groups as well as many Prom youth there. To my knowledge they never turned any one away and made them feel good about treated with that consideration. Our group had pork chops, catfish, steak, and I am unsure of how many plates of Fries and Gravy we ate. This has been my favorite all these years when I went there to eat. It is still a wonderful place to go eat with friends and family.

Love how long this restaurant has been opened.. 1942? Wild. So cool. I think they have made a fantastic effort to conserve the atmosphere and quality. Our server Debbie did a fantastic job making sure we had everything we needed. So we started out with the onion rings which comes with their homemade ranch which was so good! And for our entree we got the Center Cut Steak for two for our sides we had a loaded bake potato and broccoli. The meal also came with a side salad for both and we both got poppy seed dressing. Great price for what you get but the salad wasn't anything special. . But let's be honest you're not here for the salad.. you're here for the steak!! 32ozs of med/rare steak! It was a good steak. If you're a meat and potato kind of a person then this is your place.

Very neat place with friendly staff and owners. I was traveling from Kansas City airport to Manhattan, KS and this place has a great location with a convenient parking lot. I went with the 16oz ribeye and it came with fries and complimentary salad. It was very tasty. I will come back whenever I return to KS.

Pretty sure I just ate the best steak I've ever had in my life. Been meaning to come here for years but since I moved out of the area, haven't really had the chance. Today was the day. To a person, staff was positive, friendly and helpful with every interaction I had with them. Good work, Tony. You really hit it out of the park for me tonight.

WOW!! We had the best time at North Star Steakhouse. This little (make a reservation) out of the way gem was worth the drive. We got a history lesson from the owner and our server Deborah was fantastic!! We felt very honored to be so well taken care of. Don't let the outside fool you - you will be missing out if you don't stop in.

Don't let the front of the restaurant send you away. Inside is dark and cozy. The staff is well trained and organized. The menu is straight forward steak house. The prices are what they are for this type of food. The food comes out in a timely fashion. Multiple choices for salad dressings. The only thing I would change is to season the steak. Salt and pepper is a good way to start in the kitchen. The steak was a little bland. Everyone in the party complemented the food and service. This restaurant is a Topeka icon with so much history. Worth the visit.

Great food! Everything!!! The servers are amazing and the atmosphere can't be beat! But don't go in expecting some hoity toity upscale kind of place. They don't pretend to be anything but what they are - the best steaks around!

First time here, had to try it before I move back to KC area. They had a special, KC Strip, salad, potato (had great fries with delicious bowl of gravy), dinner rolls and shrimp cocktail for $36. Can't beat that and the steak was cooked perfectly and was delicious. The gravy I could've drank out of my water glass. Staff was super friendly, our service was great. Maybe best meal I've had in Topeka.

Great food food people place need painted What more does anyone neees to know If you want to drive another 150 miles to eat heat food go for it it's your gas you got to spend

Wow, it's still going strong after 83 years. We had reservations for 11, and the service was excellent. The steak is as good as Ruth Chris Steakhouse's. They had a gigantic crowd when we were there; it was great to see. I hope to start making this a once-a-month occasion with the family.

The ambiance was fine. Normal steakhouse settings and atmosphere. The service was not as fine, but not horrible. The only service the waitress performed was taking our order and refilling our water 20 minutes after she said she would. No one asked us if our steaks were cooked as requested, they were dumped on our table by staff other than our waitress, as was all the food served to us, except the dessert. Our waitress actually delivered that. The food was the greatest disappointment. It was our first time here and the anticipation was high due to others who have eaten here before and the reviews. We both ordered the Ribeye. It was flavorless, VERY chewy, and not cooked as requested. The prices did not match the quality expected for the price. At $40.99 per 16 ounce ribeye, you would think it would melt in your mouth and have some kind of flavor. Ours did not. We won't be back and that's okay.

This place is great! The food was delicious, the server was amazing, and the owner was friendly. My wife had the ribeye and loved it. It was cooked perfectly and was delicious. I had the chicken fried steak. It was warm, comforting, and very tasty. The gravy was wonderful. It was our first time there and we didn't know what to expect. But let's just say, the longer we sat there the more we wanted to stay. We'll be back! Give this place a whirl. Enjoy the vibes, music, friendly folks, and delicious food.

Place has been in business for several years. It doesn't look like much from the outside and not too much better on the inside. If you visit on your ACTUAL Birthday then you receive $20.00 off your tab towards a steak. I ate the Ribeye, which was roughly $36.00. I've had a lot better and had a lot worse, so it was somewhere in the middle. I was disappointed to say the least, I was expecting better. I asked for Medium-Well, slightly pink with NO Blood. It can me back "mooing". Yes, very bloody and more like Medium. So I had to send it back, which I hate doing because the flavor is NEVER the same and it's a $36.00/steak! It came back and 1/2 was done and the other 1/2 was still bloody. At that point it wasn't even worth it because it was hard to even get the waitresses attention because it was so busy. The steak also had a lot of gristle. The other person in my party didn't order steak and everything was fine with their meal! Our waitress was so busy that she couldn't be attentive to her tables, she was spread way too thin. It was a week night that we ate here, so I would hate to see a weekend! If you venture here be sure to make reservations.

Living on their history. Underwhelming food. Ran out of baked potatoes. Would not recommend.

We shared the porterhouse special with fries and gravy. Cooked to perfection and the two of us couldn't finish it. We had the Estancia merlot as a good wine pairing. Our server was attentive and friendly so that we were never delayed in enjoying our dinner. Our reservation had us seated in what used to be the lounge and while the North Star is not fancy; it's full of history and great dining.

This place is old school cool! You better start out by calling them in advance and leaving a message on the answering machine with the details of your reservation. No OpenTable here! If you come on your birthday, you get a free steak, which is amazing. Who does that? If you want to upgrade your birthday steak, you totally can. I normally get my steak blackened which adds to the deliciousness. My steak is always cooked to my desired medium or medium rare. The fries and gravy are incredible. I don't know what they put in that gravy, but I could almost drink it. This place is a throwback to days before I was even born, and it is incredible to see them keep the traditions alive. My one tiny complaint - I really hate the super white bright LED bulbs at the tables. It does not fit in with the place at all. We need dim soft lights or Edison bulbs or something else. I'm a taller dude, and I feel like I'm being interrogated when I sit at some of the booths. There is just a blinding light being beamed right into my eyes. That is the only thing I'd change.

For her Birthday dinner, Vergie chose The North Star Steakhouse! Amy is always so welcoming, as soon as we walk in the door. We once again had great service from Debbie, and McKinzie was fantastic in helping out, and also took our picture. Jeff was cooking tonight and everything was incredible! We started with the appetizer platter, which had onion rings, chicken strips, and fried mushrooms (Vergie was killing the Shrooms-LOL). Three sauces came with it. We had their famous gravy and French fries. We had a fresh and delicious dinner salad (it came with our main dish), where we both had their mouth watering bone-in KC Strip, and tonight it was accompanied by 5 grilled shrimp. We both had steamed broccoli as our side, and of course delicious, hot dinner rolls.

Love this place! Food is amazing and they made us feel like family. We spent my son's 50th birthday there (his grandfather in longtime waiter David Benson) and it couldn't have been better. What a special night!

No reservation and a late walk in and they sat us right away with a full house. The service was spot on with friendliness, communication on specials and asking how everything was through out dinner. We had a nice evening together with great drinks great food and fabulous service.

The best steaks in town. I don't know what kind of sorcery they use to make their bread pudding, but it's delicious. When you dine in, you always feel cared for and the managers make their way around to make sure you are enjoying your meal.

One of the best steaks in town. Make sure you go on your birthday for a big discount. They could use a bit of updating on the decor but the food is great. Get the fries and gravy.

Have always had wonderful food and service in many, many visits. Last night was disappointing. Asked for our usual server and told she had no tables. The one we got was lackluster at best. Returned two Bathtub Gins to the bar as they were not right. Hubby's G/T was weak at best. His steak was not the usual cut of filet. My pork chop was the usual good. The potato and gravy were still good. To top off the night, we found our usual server who said she had empty tables all night. Very disappointed overall.

I seldom give 5 stars as to me that represents perfection. But this place was perfect. I hadn't been here in many years. I forgot what a steak is supposed to taste like. The fries and gravy as an appetizer was spot on. The ribeye was cooked perfectly and left me craving more although I have no idea where I would put it. Our server, Erin, was fantastic and restored my faith in the ability to get 5 star service. I can't wait to return.

I highly recommend you make a reservation if you want to have dinner here. It has that old school steakhouse atmosphere and the history of a speakeasy. My filet mignon was cooked to perfection and melted in my mouth. No steak sauces needed here! The broccoli was seasoned perfectly and had the perfect balance of crunch with softness. My husband's t-bone was also perfectly cooked and he said was delicious. I tried the chocolate martini. I liked it but I thought it was mixed a little bit too strong. I just think a drink like that shouldn't taste very strong with only alcohol when it should be more about the flavors in the drink. My husband tried the evil Bloody Mary but again, it just didn't blend and hit too hard on the boozy taste instead of tasting balanced with the other flavors. Food was perfect! The bar wasn't my favorite.

The boyfriend and I came here on a Saturday night. He called around 4pm that day to make a reservation, and they were so full that the earliest we could get in was 8pm. It was worth it! We had a great time. It's such a neat little place with so much character. If you can, definitely read up on the history of it. It's an awesome story. I had the bacon wrapped filet with a baked potato & an Amaretto Sour. Delicious! My boyfriend had a steak & a loaded baked potato & a Blind Tiger Java porter. We will definitely be back & recommend this restaurant to anyone!

We had a great dinner. Steak and veggies were excellent. Servers were fantastic and it was a pleasure making this discovery on their 80th year of operations!

This is a long-held traditional celebration restaurant in North Topeka. That said, I think memories are what keeps this place going. Our service was top-notch, but our food was all over-cooked, the atmosphere is dark and dingy, and it is just not the place I want to spend hard-earned money for a meal.

Delicious food and excellent service. Call for reservations because this place is always busy. A little off the beaten path, and nothing flashy, but worth a visit.

Great food, great atmosphere. Try the old fashioned flight! Learned a little history of the place. Will definitely be back.

I wanted to add that since my last review, I have had their bread pudding a couple of times. It is one of the best desserts ever made. It is wonderful. I had to be talked into trying it the first time, because I don't normally like bread budding. But this dessert is excellent and I would encourage people to try it. It is large, so you can share it with others.

Absolutely amazing steaks, field to plate place and you can, tender juicy and flavorful steak sides are amazing too. The price is worth every bite!!!

Delicious food, good atmosphere, great historical scenery. Our waitress was very kind and sweet, service was fast and the steaks were incredible.

I don't care what people vote...in KS Applebee's is a good steak...yuck! It's North Star all the way. Fair price and amazing food!!!

Best steak in Topeka no one is close. French fries and gravy are to die for. My go to restaurant when I want to impress someone.

Amazing dinner! They snuck us in, but get a reservation. Historical venue with flood lines on the walls. Much better than its contemporaries. The drink menu was extensive with a bourbon "community " approval - awesome local beers as well - however the steaks were the star. Bread, salad, mushrooms were amazing. Service was about as good as I've ever seen. My nephew plays in Lawrence but we will get reservations early in Topeka next time! Don't let this review prevent us from getting a table for the KU spring game!!

Great service and fantastic food. I don't know what they do with their fries but they're delicious! They have a steak for 2 option that is huge we had leftovers for the next day.

Great atmosphere, wonderful service, steak was really good. Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because of the amount of gristle resulting in quite a bit that we couldn't eat

Extremely friendly staff, delicious meal with so many fries and gravy I brought home breakfast. Usually don't order a filet but decided to treat myself on my birthday far away from home. Best decision ever! Those pictures I usually post, totally forgot as I was devouring my meal. I'm surprised my Airbnb hosts weren't aware of the Topeka gem. They are now!!

Good food but the price is pretty expensive.I have nothing else to say but the app wants 85 Characters so I keep typing.

My buddy lives in Topeka, and when I went there on a business trip, he took me to this place for dinner. All he said was "hope you're hungry, the portions here are pretty huge." We waited for a table, so camped out at the bar and order a couple of cocktails. The drinks are pretty serious. When you order a drink, you get a drink. Once we sat down, the steaks looked just as good as any of the high end steakhouses, and I couldn't believe the price. From the outside, you'd think you stopped at a random roadhouse, but it's wavy more than that. It's local institution. The food was amazing! I highly recommend this place!

Incredible experience. I ate a ribeye here and loved it! The atmosphere doesn't seem like much at first, but you will not be disappointed by the steaks.

Very disappointed. Ordered the tomahawk and it had very little bone and lots of grissle. Wanted to take the inedible grissle and little bone home to the dog but they threw it out. Great recommendations for this place but very disappointed .

We had reservations set at 6, but didn't get seated until around 6:25. Extremely poor first inpress Our party started with some apps (fried mushrooms and onion rings). The mushrooms were excellent! Lots of flavor and not dried out. The onion rings were very bland and flavorless. Onto the food: being a connoisseur of chicken fried steak, I took a gamble for it. I opted for fries and gravy as my side. For the price of $15.99, the portion was very small. The steak itself was excellent and juicy, but the breading was lacking and flavorless. Flavorful breading is an important compliment to the steak, which was missing. The fries, though they looked excellent, were dry and flavorless. Though, when dipped in gravy, helped blanket the blandness. The salad that was included in the meal wasn't insane, but wasn't bad either. Nothing spectacular, just your typical house salad. While we were finishing up, I looked up and noticed the caked on dust above our table on the vent (see photo). Showing dirt/grime this visible is disgusting at an eating establishment, I can only image if any of the dust made its way into our food. My party did say their steak was excellent, so do not take my review into full account as it was in regard to the chicken fried steak. May try this place again, but will opt for the steak instead. UPDATE: Second time setting a reservation and tables still aren't ready. This establishment has completely lost my business, as well as others in my party.

What an experience! Visiting post-covid gives a different experience, I am sure. They have all proper precautions in place to make the evening enjoyable. Now onto the food... The steaks. They were cooked to perfection. It's surprising how many places can't get a medium-rare steak right, but North Star is not one. I got the 12oz sirloin. Deliciously perfect. The marg was great. The salad was average. The fries were great; Thin shoe string fries. The gravy was what I couldn't get behind. It's like a mix between brown and white peppered gravy. I love both... but together... it didn't do anything for me. I ended up just dipping my fries in ranch and I was happy. Good food, great service. If you're in North Topeka it's worth the stop!

Excellent service and great food! Casual dress code. The bread pudding is amazing! Highly recommend.

We went for the first time last night. The place was packed. Attentive service. It's been around for a very long time and you can tell. I hate to post a bad review, so I will say maybe not what I'm looking for in an expensive steak dinner.