Besh Steakhouse at Harrah's

02/28/2008 Posted by bamakev

First, let me say that I have lived in New Orleans for years and I have eaten at many of the great restaurants in town, from Restaurant August to Stella to Jacque Imo's to Port of Call to Bluebird Cafe. I can appreciate all kinds of cuisine for what it is. I'm definitely no restaurant snob -- I just like good food, regardless of whether it's paneed or fried. I ate at this restaurant tonight, and I immediately had the urge to tell others. I didn't feel that it was appropriate to tip badly, as the service was good; and I didn't think that a talk with the manager would resolve some kind of anomaly of an issue. This was plain and simple a bad meal. This was one of the worst cuts of meat that I have ever eaten. I asked for all the sauces and everything they cover it up with to be put on the side, so that I could really taste the steak and put the topping on in the amount that I wanted. But once I bit into this thing, I realized that the only way to make it palatable was to, in fact, drown it in the toppings they brought. It literally was worse than any Waffle House steak that I've ever had -- and yes, I've actually even had a few of those. This thing tasted like a firm block of bacon -- and ironically enough, it wasn't bacon-wrapped. For reference, I ordered the tournadoes ($36). I was very dissatisfied, and needless to say, I won't be going back here. This is one of the first restaurant reviews that I've ever written, but I felt the need, given that NOLA is such a popular tourist destination and that Harrah's is a spot that out-of-towners frequent. Please don't judge our town on this cuisine.

10/23/2007 Posted by crawkisser

My husband and I just found this place by accident. We were going to eat the buffet, but my husband said he wanted to have a steak. We were seated right away. The chef sent over a complimentary appetizer. The steaks were amazing, but we were a little shocked when we saw the prices on the menu. It was pricey, but the food was great and we enjoyed our evening out without our 3 kids.

Pros: Located inside Harrah's

Cons: A little too pricey

07/01/2007 Posted by gulfcoast232

On a recent trip to New Orleans we tried John Besh's Steak House in Harrah's Casino. Keep in mind we have been dining in New Orleans on a regular basis for about 30 years, also I worked in the restaurant business for several years in the front and the back of the house. One of my jobs when I worked in the kitchen was to check in the meat we ordered for quality etc. We only used prime meat so it had to be just right. So when I order prime meat when dining out I expect that's exactly what I'm going to receive. Not so the case at Besh's Steak House. The service was good as was the appetizer but then came the steaks. I ordered the 30 day old dry aged strip and my wife ordered the filet. The steak that I tried to eat was a vein steak that was tough and flavorless with no marbling to be found. It reminded me of a poor quality super market steak. The filet my wife had was cooked properly but had absolutely no flavor or anything else that would distinguish it as a prime filet. Maybe we came on a bad night, or maybe Chef Besh needs to change his steak supplier. I don't know, I can only report on our experience which was less than average in my estimation.

Pros: Convenient to the casino

Cons: Poor quality steaks

06/28/2007 Posted by jslim123

This is my first review, but I really wanted to share with everyone because it was the best meal I have ever had in my life. We started off each getting an appetizer and sharing them at the table. The crab corn bisque was creamy and delicious. We also had heirloom tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad with basalmic glaze. The tomatos were fresh and so good. The best thing that we had in my opinon was shells stuffed with crab meat with truffle foam. Every bite melted in my mouth!! If you like crab this is a must order!! We all ordered steaks as our entrees and they all tasted different. I am not a huge steak fan , but these steaks were phenomenal. They were all cooked to our specifications. Some came with the biggest rocket dog onion rings I have ever seen. I had fillets with crab beranaise. They were so tender and the crab was excellent. The atmosphere was intimate, but still keeping with the New Orleans style. Our service was great and everyone was super friendly. I keep telling everyone that if they are in New Orleans this restuarant is a must!!

Pros: Atmosphere Food

Cons: In casino

05/10/2007 Posted by cnewmantn

I was really excited to be able to enjoy a wonderful meal at Besh Steakhouse, especially after seeing him compete against an Iron Chef on the Food Network. To my dismay, the service was horrible and the prime rib was so tough you could have re-soled your shoes. The waitress that was assigned to our table was very gruff and getting information about the dishes from her was almost impossible. I LOVE prime rib, but this piece was tough and dry, but not overcooked. The baby vegetables were very bitter and mushy. On a good note, my friend had the filet of beef and it was tender and delicious. The night manager, who was very inexperienced took my meal off of the bill but had very little else to offer. Also, stay away from the pate. It is very dry and lingers on the palette. There are a number of great restaurants in New Orleans and I would suggest going to one of them before going to Besh's.

Pros: Close to gambling

Cons: Poor wait staff and prime rib.