First time here and it was fantastic! The service was warm, friendly, prompt, and very attentive. The meal was cooked perfectly, we both had a New York sirloin steak. The drinks were great and we ended the meal with an amazing brownie sundae. Looking forward to returning read more

We went out tonight for our anniversary. We had driven by this place for the last couple years and had always wanted to try it. I am so glad we did, our steaks were cooked PERFECT with such great flavor, very tender and juicy. My husband really enjoyed the house garlic salad dressing, and has been raving about it since we left. The mashed potatoes were so creamy and delicious. Service was very prompt and polite. Truly enjoyed our visit tonight and would recommend to anyone looking for a GREAT steak! read more

Good watching girls sing along country to the band Nick Bosse. Worst bar service ever. First I was told by a customer he'd charge me $10 to sit at a chair and added he wasn't kidding. Then when two chairs clears at the bar the bartender girl said oh no, she had a waiting list. So I waited about 5 minutes and no one sat so I went. Beer list is beer limited. And my martini came on the rocks not straight up. No biggie. But try to get a second drink--not happening. Waiting with cash up for 30-40 minutes, while the bartender in crazy full bar!! racks glasses. Other girls disappeared. One drink. Not exactly my best Saturday night out. Ok here she comes with a take my money because I went to the kitchen to complain. Yay. read more

Our second time trying this place. I wanted to love it!! First problem is there is NO AIR CONDITIONING. It was 98 degrees outside and not much cooler inside. They had a few fans going but it did nothing. People were walking out. If we weren't starving and didn't just drive an hour, we would have left too. The poor server was miserable and covered in sweat. I felt so bad for her. She said the owner of the building won't fix it. With all the Covid relief money business's got, there is no excuse not to fix the air. Second is it's SO dark in there. We had to use our flashlights on phone to read the menu and to see our food. It was not enjoyable at all. The food was ok. For the $38 price for my steak , I expected a piece a little bigger than a hockey puck. The broccoli was hard and had no taste. None of us ate it. The seafood we got that accompanied the steak was tastey. I soooo wanted to give a better rating but just couldn't read more

I was very disappointed with Steak Lift. This is the 2bd time in the last year that I've eaten there & been disappointed. First of all the service was not very good & secondly several of our orders were not right. I ordered a burger well done & specifically ordered it well done with no pink. When it came out I immediately cut into it & it wasn't cooked in the middle...very pink. The waitress returned it to the kitchen & brought back the same burger about 10-15 minutes later but by then everyone in our party had almost finished their meals. Not only that but by health conditions I'm pretty sure they are supposed to make a new burger. They are not supposed to take something that has been served to a customer & out it back on the grill. I think it's a health code violation. One of my sister-in-law's order the seasonal salad & when the waitress brought it out there were no vegetables that were supposed to be on it. It was literally just a plate of lettuce. My other sister-in-law order rolls which they charge for at lunch & the waitress never brought them. The creamy garlic dressing was not the same as it used to be & they no longer have a salad bar which is what they were famous for. The restaurant has never been updated & is very dark & dingy. They have a banner hanging outside bragging about their 50th anniversary but it definitely not the same steak loft as back in the day. They had also run out of fries & said they only had skinny fries which is what was originally on my plate with my burger & then somehow when they brought it back it had steak fries on it. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone looking in the mystic area. There are many other better restaurants to visit than this overpriced, outdated venue. This was my last time patronizing this establishment. read more

Service is very very very slow. Took over a half hour to get water and drinks. Food was average and need to cut back on the salt a tad, but the ambiance is good with a ton of potential with minor effort. This place needs John Taffer. The location is great and could be amazing. Do not recommend it at this time, but I am hopeful management can turn it around. read more

This place has an excellent ambiance for mystic historic background. The service was a bit slow but the waitress was very attentive and on top of everything. The steak was cooked to perfection. We will be back. read more

I was so hesitant to coming here because I thought it was going to be way to expensive. Holy wrong was I ever. The food was out of this world amazing! Doug our waiter was so nice and took great care of us! My daughter kept him on his toes and didn't complain once. My 5yr old had zero filter! I felt horrible but he just rolled with it. The salad bar is extremely fresh with a great variety of choices. I can't wait to come back again this week! Steak was cooked to perfection! Medium rare! And was medium rare! Thank you so much for the experience. Ended back again last night and once again food was perfect! BEST OF ALL, THEY HAVE CORONA BEER!! read more

Steak Loft Restaurant - Short ribs with salad bar - Seafood Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

I have memories of a packed restaurant, good food and a nice atmosphere... Well, it definitely was not the same. The restaurant was extremely dark, very musty smell and warm. I kid you not, I needed a flashlight to read the menu. Very disappointing they no longer have a salad bar. I ordered steak and stuffed shrimp... The steak had no flavor and the shrimp was very overcooked. I had sauteed mushrooms for a side, they smelled rotten, like they were days old and not covered in the fridge so it turned rotten smell. The shrimp were so overcooked they would not come out of the shells. I don't think we will go back, there are so many other good restaurants around for a better price. They need a face lift and new chefs.. read more

I was going to steak loft and the day before I called and asked if they had the salad bar still at lunch. She said they did not and we arrived for lunch but she neglected to inform me the didn't open fir lunch.m read more

Traveled over from RI when we went to the shops around the corner. We did build your own burger and was so delicious and the place is beautiful! read more

If you're in Mystic, stay away from this restaurant! I had a party of 6 and had a reservation for 6pm on Saturday night. We arrived on time if not maybe a couple minutes early and when we stated we had a reservation the hostess FREAKED out! It was like she was shocked there was a reservation made and had no clue about it. It was completely unprofessional and totally awkward for all of us in the party as we were just waiting while she was freaking out and complaining. Now let's get to the mediocre food... Hearty meatloaf should translate to hard brick of low grade ground beef. My stomach was paying for this all night after consumption. My friends ordered Salisbury steaks and the waitress asked them how they wanted that cooked and when they said medium rare she laughed. Very unprofessional. Clearly there was only one way to cook a Salisbury steak (no pink) so why ask? The prices are way to high for low grade meat. I get it's a steakhouse and high prices are to be expected but when I pay a high price I expect QUALITY! DO NOT GO HERE!!! read more

I really wanted to like this place very close to Mystic Aquarium in the Mystic Shoppes area. Treated my mom to dinner here a few months ago when traveling in Mystic. Not as many options as we expected, and while portions were large, the food was just meteocre. You'll eat fine, but it won't be memorable. There were not a lot of people dining, yet service was slow, and each time we had a question about the menu, our waitress had to ask someone else and get back to us. Also there is large bar right in the middle of the main dining room. Poor design choice. read more

We were encouraged to make reservations which was very easy, and worked out well. We were immediately taken to a windowside table. Our server was incredibly friendly and helpful. The complimentary rolls were amazing; I never eat bread at a restaurant and I devoured mine. Our meals came with a salad and we were surprised we could choose any salad from their menu. My husband got the Southwest salad (highly recommended by our water) and I got the Seasonal Salad. Both were outstanding. For our entrees, my husband ordered the burnt brisket ends and I ordered the steak tips in mushroom glace. Our meat was cooked perfectly. The brisket was so tender you could cut it with a fork. Overall, we had an outstanding experience. read more

I can't believe that the score for this restaurant is so low. I personally have been consistently wowed by the food this place makes since I was young. I decided to go here with a friend because it's been a while since I ate here. I started off with a salad covered in their signature "creamy garlic" dressing. It was delicious and the flavor of the croutons was the perfect compliment. I then ordered two main courses; the crab cakes and the golden fried shrimp. The crab cakes were very nice; flaky and meaty with very little breading, plus the mustard aioli enhanced the flavor quite well. My side of choice for this dish was the roasted Brussels sprouts, which were disappointing because they didn't have any seasoning at all, but they were fresh, so this can be overlooked imo. Then I indulged in the golden fried shrimp. This place makes some of the best fried shrimp I've ever tasted in my life. Jumbo shrimp, well breaded and both the cocktail sauce and tartar sauce tasted amazing with them. The tartar sauce in particular is honestly one of the best I've ever had. All their sauces are made in-house and whoever the sauce chef is, I think they deserve a raise. My side for this one was the twice baked potato, which has been a favorite of mine for a long time and thankfully it hasn't changed a bit. Buttery, garlicky, rich and savory, you will want to cherish each and every bite. After all these decades, this is still an excellent restaurant whether you like steak or not. I have no major complaints, but I wouldn't recommend the Brussels sprouts unless you have extra sauce to dip them in. Eat here with confidence!!!!! read more

After our day at the Mystic Aquarium we wanted some food, I google what was next to us and this place popped up. I enjoyed it the steak was great and the shrimp was huge and delicious, the waitress was always near refilling our drinks and we were absolutely happy with the food and staff. I would love to say we would be regulars but we live 2 hours away from this place so hopefully we will make it a twice of year trip. read more

Steak Loft Restaurant - Happy Man - Seafood Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

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I ordered the steak and crab cake combination and that was worse steak I had in my life and my first bite of crab cake I was chewing on shells thank you the waiter was great but when we asked does the chef season the steak he says just salt and pepper that was a lie? But the waiter Doug was good read more

This is one of those go to places that is generally consistently the same. The restaurant itself is more on the dated side and the decor definitely doesn't WOW you, but the food is usually pretty good... I am a creature of habit here and always start out with the salad bar. I am particularly fond of their Blue Cheese salad dressing with nice big chunks of cheese.. (Try not to fill up too much on this stuff because you won't be able to eat your meal). For entrees... You can't go wrong with the Steak & Stuffed Shrimp. The steak is always tender and flavorful, great twice baked potato and the stuffing on the shrimp is really good too. The one thing I do not LOVE about the stuffed shrimp is they keep the shell on the bottom of shrimp and it makes it a little more difficult to eat than normal. All in all you can't go wrong here. read more

The Steak Loft used to mean something. Good food, hearty fare at not too bad a price. Flash forward many years and well, not so good. My broiled seafood had no broiled color at all. And pay nearly 4 per piece (8) if a uninspired lobster sauce Our food wasluke warm at best, and the so called children's cheese pizza was prepared on a rubbery, cold flat bread and was inedible. The burger was good though. Very disadisappointed. read more

This place has always been a family favorite on our weekend trips to Mystic! My family and I come all the way from New York City to dine in at The Steak Loft every so often and its always a pleasant experience. Always friendly hostesses and servers, but our waitress this time (Ida) was especially pleasant - Ida was all smiles throughout the course of our meal. Not only is the service quality but the food is delicious. I highly recommend the stuffed shrimp and oven roasted salmon - The fish is always served fresh and tastes delicious, it never disappoints. *Dinner entrees come with a side of potato (served your way: baked potato, mashed potatoes, steak fries or chips etc.) and access to the salad bar. read more

For the longest time, I avoided this place because of the bad reviews. After experiencing it for myself, I found all the negativity to be over the top. I'm glad I dined here. POSITIVE COMMENTS * The place has a rustic decor and I'm fine with it. I can understand if that's not your thing. So if you're intolerant of such a theme, don't go here. I actually can appreciate it for what it is, and I can enjoy it. I like experiencing a variety of settings and themes. * The salad bar is a highlight, as many others have noted. I can see why some people go here just for the salad bar. * My steak (NY strip) was cooked exactly as I ordered it, was a good cut of meat, and was tasty. * The twice-baked potato was delicious and is an option you don't easily find. I enjoyed the offering and the execution. * Kids menu was great with many options. NEGATIVE COMMENTS * The beer selection is not modern. It's the standard Budweiser's and Sam Adams and such. In these days of craft beers and IPA's, almost every good restaurant offers more variety. I even ate at an Olive Garden recently that had a couple of local selections. Call me a beer snob, but I can't do Budweiser anymore. So this was disappointing. * I'm not a fan of sitting so close to other patrons and depending on where you're seated, there are some tight spots here - both in the lounge and the dining room. The party behind me kept banging into me with their chair. It was that close. But there are also some roomy booths and secluded, sort of romantic, areas, too. So it's hit or miss. * My wife said her fish was just "alright." I always say don't order fish at a steak restaurant and vice versa. But technically, if it's on the menu, it should be good. NEUTRAL COMMENTS * The price does seem a little high. It's not obscene for a steak place. But although good, this place is not David Burke's or even Ruth's Chris. I'd say Steak Loft is about 15% overpriced. But then again, most of Mystic and its restaurants are overpriced. It's a tourist town and destination. Hamburgers and beers at the nearby Engine Room cost me just about the same as an alcohol-less Steak Loft visit. So I'll just say this: you won't find any bargains here. BOTTOM LINE With so many options in the area, I don't see myself as a regular at the Steak Loft. But I will most likely go again. I'm glad the bad reviews didn't keep me away altogether. Two other parties left at the same time as I did, and I asked them about their visit. They all said positive things. read more

My husband and I went there tonight for the first time after driving past it multiple times. Sub-par is the only way I can describe the Steak Loft. We started with the bacon, broccoli, and cheese potato skins. They were very crispy but lacking in flavor. I had the clam chowder as part of my entree and it was probably the best thing about our meal. Both the consistency and flavor were good. I had the steak and stuffed shrimp combo. The steak was cooked properly, however was very greasy and bland, even with the house sauce. The house sauce was a cream base, which did not complement the steak well. The "stuffed" part of my shrimp was good, however the shrimp meat was stuck to the outside shell, and was difficult to separate. My husband had the steak medallions. He agreed that his steak was also bland. For dessert, we had the apple crisp. However, there was no "crisp", just warmed apple pie filling with ice cream and whipped cream on top. Overall, if we were to visit again, we would probably go during happy hour or lunch, as the meal was not worth the $100. I will give the few stars for our server, who was very attentive and asked if there was anything we needed consistently. read more

First we are a allergy family, peanut and tree nut, the hostess, waitress and chef were amazing. Very happy to say that a nut free experience was easy here. We love the atmosphere, very cozy, love the classic feel of being at home. Fish and chips meal was excellent and very generous. The picky eater got cheese pizza and it was a hit. The steak was delicious. This is a straight ward laid back restaurant that I would highly recommend. Kids enjoyed themselves and I cannot say even wonderful things about the staff. Thank you for the great experience. read more

Ceasar salad was good, steak was tough cooked medium, stuffed shrimp was eat able. No seasoning on the steak. Will not be back. Could have had better at chillis. I have been coming here since the mid 80's occasionally. The last time was about 3 years ago this time was completely underwhelming. read more

pros Steak Staff cons The interior Smell after the initial seafood aroma fades Way to dark read more

Abort abort abort! First and last time I will be dining at the Steak Loft. Taking into consideration that it already had poor reviews, I still went in with an open mind. (Everything has a blank page in my book). To start off on a good note the salad bar was actually decent with a wide variety of fresh greens and prepared salads to select from. The service was mediocre, she tried but couldn't help to complain over and over again about how she wasn't getting help from her coworkers. It seemed to be a slow night so I don't know where she was coming from. I'd avoid ordering a steak, as funny as it is to say. You'd get better flavor and dish appearance sitting down at a Ruby Tuesday's. Forget about substituting with seafood, my girlfriend got the seafood medley and everything was overcooked. Both our water glasses were splattered with dried food residue. The only reason I'm sliding to the second star is I don't believe any place deserves a one star rating. ****OVERPRICED**** read more

Read mixed reviews about the restaurant and gave it a shot. Very "old world" feel - loved it. Sat and we were offered a couple seating options , picked a small dining room in the back and shortly after was greeted by Laurie. Laurie made the experience - I can not say enough about her, what a genuine, down to earth Woman who is naturally impeccable in hospitality. Steaks were great, apple crisp dessert was awesome. Experience as a whole - best I have had in years - and I eat out every other day. Wish this was my local spot. Will return just for this experience. Thank you ! read more

Steak Loft Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

As I walked through the doors I smelled a familiar woody smell, 2 doors later that smell intensified in the dimly lit restaurant. Me and a friend were seated, then walked up to the salad bar. My first impression is very limited pickings: chopped iceberg lettuce slabs and a mixed green leaf offering. An Italian charcuterie plate with artichoke hearts, salami, cheese and olives. A few other mixed salads like macaroni which did not look inviting and then the toppings, croutons, dressings, basics only. But it was the smell of the ancient carpet that I most talked about and thought about the entire dining experience, it plain ol' stank and extremely musty and needed to replaced ASAP. It ruined the dining experience. Our entrees came and they were very tasty, scallops cooked just right and my rib eye tender. The staff that served me was knowledgeable and nice and knew the menu. One staff checking table availability was in my opinion dressed inappropriately, in skin tight yoga pants. I wasn't with a girl so it didn't bother me, but really, would not go back, unless they renovated. read more

All of the food we ordered was delicious. The atmosphere was decent and they had everyone spaced out so it wasn't too loud. Our server was friendly and attentive and took care of everything we needed promptly. Restrooms could use a facelift / maintenance. Overall, a great experience and will definitely be back in the future! read more

Very disappointed. I spent ridiculous amounts of money on a steak that had absolutely no seasoning. The restaurant was dark and service sub par. Don't waste the money. read more

We arrived after the dinner hour, so the place was slow, but the service was friendly and quick. We had steaks and seafood which were all very good. read more

Yum but portions are very small I guess cause the salad bar was included. I have to say I do love that salad bar it was great. The reason I gave four stars is unfortunately our server seemed to forget about us and the staff wasn't friendly at all, even after I said the food is delicious read more

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Food excellent. Dinners in the $25-30 range. Worth the money. Salad bar included in meals. Recommend the blueberry bread pudding with ice cream. Squartables are small for three people We have been to Steak Loft several times before, and will be back there again. read more

Horrible Place. The restaurant Smells like sewer. They can not cook a steak to save their lives . Always either charcoal black or totally raw . Sent a burnt steak back and got something that tasted like rotten meat. Shrimp dried up and tastes old . I have eaten at the Steak Loft quite a few times, because it is a relatives favorite restaurant. NEVER AGAIN . Ive read others reviews complaining about the sewer smell. And also people getting sick after eating there . read more

The restaurant is located right off the 95 exit for Mystic so pretty hard not to find. I went in with mixed expectation but all in all a good value. It's kind of old and kind of dark and I was kind of unhappy because I came with wife and of course we were dropped right in the middle of where all the traffic is for the wait staff (that's on me I shouldn't have accepted the seat) The menu is a good value, but the food isn't anything special or enough to get the rating to four stars. The help couldn't have been more friendly or accommodating so a shout out on their behalf. Minor failure onion soup was missing the crouton :-( I recommend this place but there are better choices in the area. read more

Both my sister and I ordered a half rack of ribs, baked potato and roasted Brussel sprouts and broccoli. Ribs seemed to have been warmed up not recently cooked, baked potatoes were old and the Brussel sprouts were browned maybe on the grill but not cooked. They didn't appear to have been cooked with any olive oil or anything. Broccoli was old (yellowing) Our waiter tried to make things right and offered salad and a different side - he was the only worthy quality of this restaurant. read more

It's called the Steak Loft... and I didn't get steak.. What's up with that? Everybody knows that I'm all about the beef. We came with a pretty large group and I would tend more towards a solid 3.5 stars. I had clam chowder, I also ate my seat mates clam chowder (Yeah Baby!) They were both good, his was better.. it was chunkier The salad bar wasn't huge but it was good with several lettuce choices and assorted accompaniments. I had what was basically a blue cheese wedge with some tasty antipasti on the side... a couple of types of good fresh bread. For dinner; a nicely prepared piece of salmon and a fairly dry twice baked potato. Other folks had the stuffed shrimp (lots of stuff..not so much shrimp) and the teriyaki steak (looked pretty good) The atmosphere was pub/restaurant and we were treated to some live music as well.. overall a very nice experience. read more

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What do you do when the restrooms at a 1965 high school are in better condition than at Steak Loft? Answer- YOU RUN!!! I'm not sure how a restaurant is successful with such disgusting restrooms. Fortunately, I used the prior to going to my table. I got up and left. If a restaurant can't take pride in their restrooms then how can the kitchen be any better? read more

We went here for dinners. Think of the steak loft as an updated Steak and Stein. The food was good, although I thought it was a bit on the pricy side. There was a bit of a wait for the food, nothing too terrible. I had the seafood and it was decent. The salad bar was just a basic salad bar. read more

I confess to being mystified by a lot of the low ratings for Steak Loft. I recently went to dinner here and had a fantastic time. If you're into historical structures, this place will definitely appeal to you. Lots of wood, gas lamp style lighting fixtures and old fashioned wallpaper along the edges of some rooms. It looks like an old farmhouse or barn converted into a restaurant (my friend speculated it may have been built to *look* that way). Either way, it was very cool. There is a lot of seating inside and there is a circular salad bar. Most of the dinner entrees including the salad bar, which is a total bargain. I ordered the braised short rib with mashed potatoes. The meat included a generous amount of chimichurri sauce which was delicious. The short rib was fork tender and pulled apart with ease. It was very flavorful and I was quite happy with it. The mashed potatoes were also very tasty and slightly chunky (which i like). The salad bar had a wide range of greens (from mixed greens to a lettuce wedge), coleslaw, potato salad, some anti-pasto and some really delicious and soft bread. Service was very good. My iced tea was refilled at a good pace and the waitress did check on us at least twice during our meal. I'd definitely eat here again. I think for the price the amount of food you get is a bargain and the atmosphere appeals to me. read more