Quality and Classy (and a bit pricey) Steak House - Metro 9 Steak House
Written: Jul 10 '07
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Pros: Quality steaks, Great service, Nice ambiance
Cons: Meals can get expensive quick
The Bottom Line: A great steak house, the Metro 9 Steak House makes a great place for a special dinner with a special someone
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| jps246's Full Review: Metro 9 Steak House |
A step up in class from your typical Route 9 restaurant in the Framingham and Natick area, the Metro 9 Steak House offers a wide variety of steaks and seafood in an upscale atmosphere. That variety of quality steaks and the upscale ambiance come at a price though and the Steak House does have prices that some would consider quite high.
We had seen the Metro 9 Steak House from our various trips to the Route 9 area several times and always told ourselves “we really need to try that,” as I am a great fan of steaks and so is one of my friends. My partner on the other hand can take it or leave it. So it was that we were finally in the area and driving down the eastbound side of Route 9 when we pulled in and decided to have dinner.
Where do I find the Metro 9 Steak House?
The Steak House is located on the eastbound side of Route 9 in Framingham, MA. It’s located roughly across Route 9 from the Shoppers’ World Plaza. There’s plenty of free parking surrounding the Steak House along with other parking in the nearby, interconnected plazas. Access to the restaurant is only from the eastbound side of Route 9, so if you are heading westbound, you will have to pull a u-turn at the next intersection and come back down to the Steak House.
Going Inside
I hadn’t exactly dressed up, not knowing that we would end up having dinner at the Metro 9 Steak House and when I walked in and saw that the average clientele seemed to be dressed in khaki’s and dress shirts, I definitely felt a bit underdressed in my polo shirt and shorts. However, I did notice several other people in the same general outfit (it was 90 degrees outside!) and while I don’t think there’s a problem with wearing what I did, if I were to go again, I would definitely dress myself up a little better.
When you walk in you are greeted and can be seated inside, or if the weather is cooperating, outside on their patio area in front of the restaurant. We decided to sit inside as it was quite hot out and we all thought that the traffic on Route 9 would be quite loud, as it’s not too far from the restaurant.
The restaurant has a bit of a modern feel, but also feels as if it’s in a stately room. The furnishings are all very clean and organized, the artwork tastefully placed around the restaurant and the seating generally laid out so that no table is too close to another table.
Menu
As you can guess by the name of the restaurant, the main entrées here are steak dishes.
That said, there are plenty of choices for everyone, even if you don’t enjoy steak. The menu opens up with shellfish and raw bar selections (not for any of us though) followed by several different kinds of appetizers. We were intrigued by a few (namely the Thai Spare Ribs), we decided that having a salad with our main entrees would be more than enough. Most of the raw bar and shellfish are based on market prices, but the few that are priced are around $10. As for the appetizers, which include the items like duck spring rolls, ahi tuna, and roasted little neck clams, the prices range from about $6 up to $15.
There are several different salads available including the standard mixed greens salad, along with a Caesar salad, and a green apple and arugula salad. The prices on the salads are between $6 and $7. We had the mixed greens salad which is available with a number of different dressings. It was decently sized and the vinaigrette dressing that I had on my salad was quite good.
Then there’s the meat! The menu offers a number of different steaks and other cuts of meat including rack of lam and veal loin chop. The steaks include a sirloin, filet mignon, prime rib, rib eye, t-bone and New York strip, almost all of which are available in various sizes.
According to the restaurant, all of their beef is aged at least four weeks before it is cooked and then when it is cooked, they broil the steak at 1,800 degrees to sear in the flavor of the steak. I did notice the difference on my steak – the searing process produces a very tasty and juicy piece of meat, something I haven’t run across at many restaurants in the area.
The prices for the various steaks and cuts of meat range from about $17 to $29. I went for the 12-ounce thick-cut sirloin while my partner went for the 9-ounce thick-cut sirloin.
The menu also offers several different additions that you can add to your steaks. These include making your steak in the au poivre style or with a blue cheese crust, or including shrimp, scallops or lobster with your steak. These additions will add anywhere between $2 up to $11 on to your steak and if you go with the whole lobster, you’ll be subject to the market price.
Should you want a side with your steak, those are available separately. We went with the garlic mashed potatoes and as we were told by our waiter, the side generally could serve two people with smaller appetites or one person with a bigger appetite. We ended up getting two servings and it was more than enough. Other sides that are available include broccolini, roasted mushrooms, baked potato and truffle fries. The prices range from about $5 to $8.
There’s also a seafood section and a specialties section on the menu. The specialties generally include the dish that our friend got with us, the Tuscan Chicken Pasta. There are also dishes like Chicken Oscar, Veal Flank Steak and Lemon Rosemary Chicken. These meals generally come with a vegetable and in some cases a potato (or risotto). The prices here are from $17 to $25. The seafood section include a shrimp an scallop sauté, ahi tuna, the fresh catch of the day and fresh lobster. The prices here are from $18 to $23, while the lobster and the catch of the day are market priced.
The Food
I have to admit that I was impressed when the steak came out. The thick-cut sirloin looked big (and was big as I tried to eat it). It was also cooked just as I asked. The searing process locked in the flavors and juices of the beef. Three different salt rubs were served with the steak, one a smoky flavor, another standard sea salt and the third an earthy flavor. I was partial to the standard sea salt while my partner liked the earthy flavor. It was also a fun way to change up the meal – as you could sprinkle the sea salt on your steak or go with it just as it was cooked. Our friend’s pasta dish came out in a big dish and while I think she was disappointed she didn’t get a steak after seeing ours, she still enjoyed her meal. My partner had also added the shrimp scampi to his sirloin and he loved them both. The potatoes we had added as sides were also very good.
I think the biggest sign that they had good steaks was that my partner really liked the steak. He's usually ho-hum when it comes to steaks, but he was saying how good it tasted too!
While we were able to finish our steaks, all three of us were so full by the end of our meal that there just wasn’t any room for dessert. Not that we didn’t look – but nothing really caught our eye and we decided that coffee would be good enough.
Service
The Metro 9 Steak House excelled in their service. All of the staff was very attentive and we were constantly taken care of. The menu introduction was excellent, our questions were answered, our requests were always quickly filled and the meal was paced quite well with each course coming out in due time.
Hours & Take-Out
The Metro 9 Steak House is open from 5pm to 11pm on Mondays, 5pm to 12am Tuesday through Saturday and from 4pm to 10pm on Sundays.
Much of the standard menu is available for take-out on the Take-Out Menu if you work or live in the area and want to skip dining in.
Reservations
We came in late on a Tuesday evening and had no problems with getting a table (there was no line), but I would imagine on Friday and Saturday nights, reservations would almost be required. You can either call ahead for reservations, or make one through their website.
Prices
You can see from the menu prices that the meals can get pricey, especially if you start adding various things to your main entrée. For the three of us, we spent around $80 and that was with drink from the bar and coffees at the end of our meal. I think you should expect to spend at least $25 to $30 per person, depending on whether or not you get the steaks or if you go with the specialties and seafood which don’t require the sides that the steaks do.
Overall
I have to admit that I was impressed by the steak that I had at the Metro 9 Steak House. I haven’t run across many steak houses in this area that really dazzle me with the steak quality but they managed to do that here. Though I also have to admit that for the price, I would expect to be dazzled somewhat by my meal.
I also really liked the service. We were quickly seated, our waiter demonstrated an amazing knowledge of the menu, all of our questions were answered, any requests we had were quickly taken care of and like I said before, the pacing of the meal was excellent with each course coming out as we were finishing the one before.
Because of the higher price I probably wouldn’t eat here all of the time, but for a special occasion or the occasional treat for my partner and I, I wouldn’t have any problems with coming back to the Metro 9 Steak House. Also if you were considering the Metro 9 Steak House or the more venerable Ken’s Steak House across the street, I would definitely go with Metro 9. While both are quite nice, for about the same price, Metro 9 gives you a much better quality steak, at least in my mind.
Final Thoughts
A great steak house, the Metro 9 Steak House makes a great place for a special dinner. It has a wide variety of steaks along with other entrees that should satisfy everyone (not just the meat eaters). The service and ambiance are very nice and overall, I think it would be pretty hard not to have a good experience here.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations If you're a light eater, consider splitting sides to reduce cost
Best Suited For: Romantic Evening
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