Trying my hardest to avoid any disasters like the past (such as overcrowded streets and restaurants), here are the results of my searching so far. As always I am looking at food establishments, primarily steakhouses, that are within a few blocks walk of a RAIL station.If we are going to go for a steakhouse, there is no doubt it will be pricey, even in outer boroughs.So far, here are the places I've found. I did not look at steak houses in Manhatten for the reasons stated above, and Staten Island is too cumbersome to get to & from with the ferry. Some we may rule out by virtue of excessive prices, but there may be some bearable deals if you look carefully at the menus. A couple of places have menus without prices; I'd stay clear of such places since they can charge whatever they wish. Below are steakhouses in the remaining 3 boroughs, the approximate price range, and the nearest rail station:
BronxJake's Steakhouse --- $18-$40, also has seafood & pasta.
1 242 St-Van Cortlandt Park
QueensChristo's Steakhouse -- $18-$36.
N Q Ditmars Blvd.-Astoria
Outback Steakhouse -- $9.99 for 6 oz steak, up to $27.99. Varied menu.
R Grand Avenue-Newtown.
Austin's Steak & Ale -- $12.95-$32.95. Adjacent to LIRR Kew Gardens station.
BrooklynPeter Luger Steakhouse -- Menu has no prices.
J Marcy Avenue.
Austin's Steakhouse -- $28-$36.
D N R 36th Street.
DeStefano's Steakhouse -- $18.89-$43.89.
L Lorimer Street.
Morton's Steakhouse -- Menu has no prices. Part of Marriott hotel.
A C F N R Jay Street-Metrotech.
Arirang Hibachi Steakhouse -- Japanese. $18.99-$26.99.
R 86th Street.
Hunter's Steak & Ale House -- $18-$37.
R 95th Street-Fort Hamilton Pkwy.Now a little lighter and reasonably priced, but with much more variety, I also looked at places in the vain of the Stage Door Deli, which is a diner/family restaurant type of place. We have been satisfied on several occasions with the
Stage Door Deli (8th Ave./33rd St.) but in a search for variety here are some other choices in the area:
Tick Tock Diner (8th Ave./34th St., walkable from Penn Station -- but I would expect KE$HA to pop out and sing
this to us!)
Skylight Diner (9th Ave./34th St., walkable from Penn Station)
Westway Diner (9th Ave./43rd St.., nearest station
7 A C E 42nd Street-Port Authority)And that's for starters..... We of course have time to keep on looking for other choices. Anyone who wishes to pick up the ball from here and call these establishments to find out if they can accommodate our group (x- number of people will be known closer to the time), and offer separate checks to avoid confusion when it's time to pay the bill, please feel free to do so. Another thing to keep in mind is dress codes, particularly on a Saturday night. Railfans don't typically wear their Sunday best!
In that respect we may be better off with one the above diners.