What’s Your Beef

Not so good, the salad bar is very nice but the steak and potato were not good. Not a great cut of meat and no seasoning.

My beef… was raw, that was my chopped beef. But it’s only the tip of the old iceberg lettuce! Salad bar, ugh Sizzler’s called — oh right Sizzler’s closed years ago. Maybe it’s because nobody wanted to eat from a communal unhygienic salad bar anymore. Everything was just wrong, old and stale in that place. I had such high hopes… but when I go to bed queasy and wake up indisposed for 6 hours because of mild food poisoning, I know I need to give what I had gotten… except my poison is with the pen (electronically speaking, of course).

We come here every now and then. The salad bar is always quite good and fresh. The food though, has not been that good and has been going downhill along with the service. As many reviewers have mentioned, the service is not that great and servers are inattentive.

Wowza! Another place I can’t believe I overlooked in the area. We sat at the bar and had great service at their old school wooden pub. I had the filet with sweet potato fries and my man had the scallops with the onion rings. We had the all you can eat salad bar before which was awesome. The food was AMAZING. Great quality, huge servings, well seasoned and great value. The bar tenders were attentive and entertaining. Great atmosphere!

What can I say about what’s your beef. I have been a patron of this establishment literally since I was a child, coming here many times with my parents, and now continuing the tradition by bring my family here. It may sound and maybe I am a little bias, but if you want to experience a great dining experience come to what’s your beef. The steaks are excellent, I have never had a bad one. This place is for the steak purest, they don’t mask the flavor of the steak with rubs or sauces, they let the flavor of the steak shine threw. A good quality steak needs no assistance to taste good, and nothing but quality meats are served here. The salad bar is small but one of the best. Everything is fresh. The ordering process is an experience in itself. You get a ticket, take it to the chef, tell him what you want and watch him cut and trim your order right in front of you. The atmosphere is amazing, you’ll find it warm and welcoming. Very easy to enjoy a glass of wine and excellent food in a comfortable surrounding. Dress is casual but tasteful, and the servers are like family, often remembering their clients and family. All in all you can’t go wrong with what’s your beef. I would recommend what’s your beef to anyone.

When my husband was a kid, this was his family’s go-​to celebration restaurant. It has a lot of sentimental appeal, but that is really all.
As other people have noted, the décor is really dated. That is fine, but things should not be allowed to fall out of repair. My daughter scratched her leg on a piece of bent metal on the heating vent when we were sitting down at the table. Several bulbs in the fixture over our table were burnt out. Not okay, makes me wonder what the state of the kitchen is.
The food is mediocre at best. Several people in our party ordered filet mignon, medium or medium rare. I was surprised when they came to the table that the steaks had been butterflied — I thought that was only called for for well done meat. The meat had very little flavor — it was clear it had not been seasoned in the kitchen. The salad bar is okay, certainly nothing special.
The service is inattentive. As we were seated I asked for a high chair for my two year old (which I think restaurants should offer when they seat a party with a toddler) and the host just walked away without responding, although she clearly heard me. Waitress was okay.
I am really hoping this most recent poor experience has finally outweighed the sentimental attachment to this place and we can eat elsewhere on future trips to visit my in-​laws!

The salad bar alone is such a rare treat you could probably make a meal out of it. But we didn’t. Had the 12 oz. filet medium with excellent onion rings. Others at the table had prime rib, flounder and a burger. Everything was cooked perfectly. Great steak. Priced right. Love this place.

My new favourite steakhouse. The prime rib was tender and very flavourful and better than I’ve had in a while. The décor is very inviting and the staff very helpful and friendly. Will definitely be back!

While the décor is a little dated, that’s really not a huge factor when I’m deciding where to dine. We came here for a friend’s birthday after hearing him rave about it.
The ordering process is a little different– they hand you a ticket, you bring it to the meat counter, tell the man what you want and he makes a bunch of squiggles that somehow signify your order. I was skeptical– I shouldn’t have been.
I ordered a 12 oz filet medium rare, and that’s exactly what I got. It was perfect. I love that they don’t season the meats. I am conscience and careful of my salt intake, so knowing they didn’t douse it in who-​knows-​what made my meal worry free. They have a system that CLEARLY works, as out hasn’t changed in the last 15+ years.
The salad bar wasn’t anything crazy, but everything tasted fresh. The sides were pretty good, too. My baked potato was perfect, and they brought us a bunch of sides to dress each of ours ourselves. The onion rings were pretty good, too, and I generally don’t care for them.
I didn’t do my homework before heading down here– I brought cupcakes for my friend’s birthday before I realized they had a good selection of desserts. The staff brought the cupcakes out at exactly the right time, candles and all. The staff were all on top of their game– something EVERYONE loves!
Overall, I’d make a trip out here again (despite the 1 hour and 40 minute trip)! It was well worth it in my opinion! There was nothing about this place that had us disappointed or left more to be desired.

I am not sure how I feel about this place… I think the nostalgia factor probably influences a lot of the ratings, because if you isolate the food, everything is just ok, not really that great.
The good:
— nicely chilled, clean salad bar
— hot, fresh french fries
— terrific warm brownie a la mode for dessert
— great service at the bar, normally don’t like eating at a bar but this was enjoyable
The ok:
— french onion soup had a nice taste but was really greasy
— salad bar doesn’t have a great selection
— bread in warming drawer was hot, but stale
The not-​so-​good:
— neither steak was not cooked to the correct doneness
— no seasoning of any kind on the steaks, they definitely need it
I’m going to give this place another try because we live nearby and I really want it to be good! Maybe I need to try the non-​steak items on the menu.

This was our first time here. It’s a nice local place that has a cozy feel to it. The décor definitely appears dated. Tiffany style lamps, with dark wood tables. They serve whipped cheese & crackers in the bar area while you wait for your table. The filet Mignon is sold by weight with a 10oz minimum. Everything else is priced accordingly. Once you’ve made your decision, you take your check to the butcher & tell him what you want. The beef cooking temp is either med rare or medium. I had the prime rib which was 13oz. No more no less. My husband got the Rib Eye which had a nice char on the outside. The salad bar is fairly basic. There is a bread table with a variety of breads in a metal drawer. However the bread wasn’t warm. The service was good. We ended our meal with chocolate chip cookie pie. I’m told the carrot cake is what they are known for. We would definitely go back.

Have been coming here for years. Come early on a Friday or Saturday, they don’t take reservations. Love the bar, small but great wine and spirits. The cheese and crackers is great when waiting for your table. I usually go for the filet and since they cut to the size you want I usually go for the 13oz and is always cooked on point to MR. Salad bar is great, chilled plates and fresh bread in the warmer you cut yourself. The décor is the décor, dated but no one seems to care, I know I don’t. The service is great, I don’t think there is one server assigned to a table as we had about three checking in on us at any given time. The fish is great as well, my wife usually gets that and never complains.

This has been a favorite for years. I come here roughly every other week and have never been disappointed.
I normally start with their salad bar. It offers a comprehensive selection of fresh greens and has a drawer of several selections of delicious breads.
After that, you order at the counter from the chefs. While this is slightly unusual for a sit-​down restaurant, once you get used to it it seems quite natural.
I normally get some kind of steak and a side of potato. They have excellent baked potatoes as well as french fries.
Their steaks are excellent, cooked exactly as you want them. If you want some kind of seafood, that is an option too.
I have never had a bad meal here and have often brought friends and family to What’s Your Beef? and have not received complaints.
Overall, an excellent place with great food.

Been coming here for years.
Rib Eye outstanding
Best salad bar
Desserts very good
Experienced attentive waitresses

Oh, how I look forward to my monthly get-​together with my good friends at What’s Your Beef.
We have been meeting here, religiously, for well over the past year. It’s one of those event nights that we all look forward to because, quite frankly, it’s our favorite restaurant.
Funny thing is, I have known about this restaurant all my life. Don’t live too far from it. I just never had the urge to try it because I thought it would be some «uppity» steak place with unreasonable prices (being that it’s in Rumson). However, when our favorite monthly meeting spot in Red Bank closed down, we had to find another haunt. From the first time I ate at WYB, it became a favorite.
First of all, the atmosphere is very relaxed. You need not get dressed up. Most people dine in casual clothes (even shorts). It’s the kind of place where families gather. On a Saturday night, by 6pm, the place is absolutely packed.
There are two main dining areas adjacent to each other. We always opt to sit in the library. We start with a glass of wine, head on over to their wonderful salad bar, and then once finished, go to their order window to give our dinner preferences.
I usually have the Prime Rib or the Filet Mignon (10 – 12 ounces). Both are served perfectly to my tastes (as rare as they are allowed to cook them). Usually I get a side of french fries which are very, very good.
The best part of the meal is their dessert. We look forward to the carrot cake, which is baked by a local woman and in very high demand. In fact, if not timed right, it’s usually sold out. Don’t fret, there are many other excellent dessert selections to choose from, many of which come with ice cream and a heaping helping of whipped cream.
Perhaps the best part of coming to WYB every month is getting to know the people who run it. The ladies who serve the food or hostesses that walk around to make certain everything is well, are real sweethearts. We have gotten to know them well enough that they always come over and ask how we have been.
What’s Your Beef is a hidden treasure that is worth pursuing. I look forward to my next visit within the next few weeks.

The beef is just okay quality. The grill, however, is really well seasoned which imparts a lot of flavor. Still the meat is not well marbled so maybe that’s why they make the restaurant darker than the bar area. Would go for seafood or other proteins.
The salad bar uses canned artichokes. But has a lot of value. You can eat as much as you want.
The bar is probably the best bet, they serve cocktails in the mixing glass so you get big portions.

Great steak
Awful service
Awful décor
To order your given a ticket, you write on the ticket then take it to the chef. Essentially you do not have a specific waiter. This results in quite the bystander effect. Each person does nothing I guess assuming someone else will.
Everything in this place is old, wooden and dusty. Feels more like Poconos PA than Rumson NJ.
I must say however the place does well. Friday night was packed with 50+ white collar — boat shoes and button downs.
Food was decent. They have a 10oz minimum on all steaks. Salad bar has it all.

Went to WYB tonight and the prime rib was decent but not worth the price. $ 23.95 for the meat and $ 2 for a baked spud. Sorry no value there at all. Our other main was stuffed flounder for $ 21.95 plus another $ 2 spud. Fish was fishy tasting with pasty stuffing and not good. Bottom line w/​three glasses of house wine plus tax and tip coming in at $ 96 this place has lost its edge and is no longer recommended. It is simply an over priced restaurant from a bygone era.

Great historic steakhouse. You order at a butcher counter selecting your meat and cut. You tell the grill man how you like it and what sides you want and it’s brought to your table when it’s ready. Very cool place.

What’s Your Beef is one of those places that I had always heard of and wanted to try, so I was excited when it was suggested for a family dinner for my boyfriend’s birthday. It really is a neat concept — you go up to a butcher and order your meat, they cut it in front of you, and it is later served at your table cooked to your specifications.
Be prepared to eat quite a bit of food. Even the smallest portion of Filet Mignon was too much for me after eating a delicious salad and paired it with a baked potato.
Special little charms such as homemade butter (I think) and warm bread make this rustic restaurant a unique place to dine.
My recommendation is to try it once. For me, it isn’t a must-​go-​to on a regular basis, but it is a fun-​every-​once-​in-​a-​while restaurant when you’re in the mood for something beefy.