Would You Like a Lap Dance With That Filet Mignon?
Written: Jun 06 '02 (Updated Feb 04 '03)
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Pros: pretty decent food with pretty decent strippers
Cons: boobies make it hard for me to enjoy my food
The Bottom Line: If you like strippers and food - Boys Toys in San Francisco is a good place.
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| megugrrrl's Full Review: Boys Toys |
Let me set the record straight - Boys Toys on Broadway is a hetero strip joint catering to men that serves food falling on the fancy side. It's got a cool-looking neon sign out front that has always caught my eye but I had always thought this was just another nudie bar. I'm actually surprised that its in the epinions database. And more, I think Boys Toys fascinates me more because it's a strip club and less because of the food, but it's really the food that separates this place from the rest.
Food, Glorious Food
Entrees are on the pricey side ($20 - $30) and caters to carnivores - steaks, racks of lamb, chops, chicken, and a few seafood items like salmon (though not from the sea) and crab cakes. The entrees are dolled up: reductions, foie gras this, truffles that, complex sauces, and fancy sides.
The presentation is a delight, expect a lot of sprinkled herbs and drizzled sauces on odd-shaped plates like they do at fancy places. My seared Rare Ahi Tuna ($28) was fresh and served with a Wasabi cream sauce, white truffle mashed potatoes (ho hum), and a red gingery relish that worked well with the fish's texture and subtle richness. The New York Strip Steak ($28) avec a red wine reduction and Roquefort butter was lean, tender and flavorful. In general the main portions of the entrees were winners but the sides, as tasty as they sounded were simply unexciting.
One can also partake of appetizers like the Seafood Sampler Platter ($58) - which consists of half a lobster, a variety of fresh shellfish (oysters, mussels & clams), shrimp, a tuna roll, and a small mound of caviar served a top of bed of crushed ice and seaweed. (You can save $20 bucks and forego the caviar.) Other favorites in our group were the gingery crab cakes and warm spinach and bacon salad; a lot of times bacon can upset a salad, but not at Boy's Toys.
Snackier items like wood-fired pizzas, sushi, and sandwiches are available at the bar. ($10 - $15)
As usual, the desserts are what won me over - Boys Toys' creme brulee in its little white ramekin cup and a giant whirled puff of spun sugar balancing on top was creamy and rich; all bean, no extract. The chocolate/vanilla parfait with Crème de Menthe was sinful and too small! The Mango Sorbet (decked with Grand Marnier and various berries: rasp-, straw- and blue-) provided the perfect balance between tart and sweet and proved to be the best way to remember the meal. ($6 - $10)
There are two full-service bars, a great wine list, and even a humidor.
The Service
Professional, efficient, friendly - with great timing.
The Layout
There are also two levels at Boys Toys - the main "Club Room" and the uptairs "Boardroom" (incidentally, all charges to your credit card will read "Boardroom" and not "Boy's Toys" so you can get the company to pay). The Club Room is large (able to squeeze in at least a hundred eaters and oglers) and is colorful and bright like I'd imagine a quintessential '90's ecclectic fusion restuarant to be. There are multi-colored cushy chairs, and colorful walls accented by blue neon stripes. It's airy and doesn't feel like a strip club despite the stages with poles. From afar, everything looks pristine and nice, but upon closer inpection, this place could benefit from a minor facelift or hardcore cleaning - nothing gross, just a little worn. The upstairs Board Room features large high-backed booths, boardroom-esque chairs, crisp white linens, a modern-art feel (vibrant colors, recessed track lighting) and a small stage (again with a pole).
The Strippers
To be fair, I've only been here once and I can't say for sure what all the dancers are like. Also, I've probably only patronized strip clubs a little over a dozen times so I'm far from an expert. Still, I thought the stripping was good and the boobies were nice - definitely a lot of silicone. The dancers were, of course, young and good-looking, although not ga-ga gorgeous.
The Boy's Toys "toys" offer lap dances on special chairs (though noone that evening decided to partake in one). In general, the dancers were warm and didn't seem as aggressive as they do at other strip clubs - probably because the girls outnumbered the boys in our group. The notable thing about Boy's Toys is that the dancers get into their routine, often with a schtick or gimmick. The patriotic theme seemed to be really popular and my favorite was the pin-up type stripper a la Betty Paige.
My one complaint about having strippers and food is that I felt guilty eating such decadent food while partially nude women were gyrating because it reminded me of how many calories I was inhaling.
The Final Word
This is the kind of place that I'd picture million dollar deals with Japanese business men going down - posh and sleazy at the same time, with decent food. During my visit, there actually were Japanese business men, although they didn't look like they could cut million dollar deals. There were also a few couples and small groups celebrating and the place was a little less than half full. And despite the general classy feel to Boy's Toys, there was a minor creepy vibe going.
While I enjoyed my visit, I was distracted by the performers (I couldn't enjoy any sinful desserts with taut bodies bumping and grinding on stage) and I'm sure demure eaters would be shocked. The food was great, but not enough to entice me back, the stripping was good, but the Lusty Lady (women owned and operated) or Mitchell Brothers' O'Farrell Theater is much better.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Don't pay the $15 cover to get in - just wait for the comp guy out front to hand you a card.
Best Suited For: Business
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