The Turf Club in Golden Hill, with a catch: you have to cook the meat yourself! There’s a community grill and your order is delivered raw. By not having to pay a cook’s salary, you get really nice cuts of meat for really cheap. Filet for $12 or $15 I think it is. The price-to-quality ratio is excellent. It’s a small, divey, dark place, awesome if you’re into those kinds of joints. Great jukebox with eclectic music. GREAT signature cocktails. Lounge pianist that plays Prince, Elvis Costello, and Clash songs on certain nights. Still has the original horse racing themed wallpaper from the 50’s (this is where the big-shots came to drink the night away after the races back in the day). Overall, a super-cozy place.
Nights and weekends it can get a bit of a douchey Gaslamp vibe going, so I usually go earlier in the evening or for lunch on weekends when it’s empty. Although, if you’re looking to score a different type of “meat,” this is a great place to find some nice looking cuts on the busy nights.
Although they now have new owners and most of the original staff has gone, so I dunno if it has changed recently. The original owners are opening a new place in La Mesa, not sure when or where yet, but I’m sure it will be top notch. The same dudes also own The Starlight Lounge on India St by the airport, they have some really good steak as well (though more pricey than the Turf).
