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| - In a sentence: Morton's delivers a first-rate classic steakhouse experience but at top-level prices. This is definitely not a value play. You'll find yourself full, happy, and scrambling to figure out how all those numbers on the check add up to the alarmingly large number at the bottom.
The dining room was unnervingly empty for 6:30pm on a Thursday evening. And by "unnervingly," I actually mean "totally." It took a couple of minutes standing by the entrance for the maître d' to come over and seat us. After that slight hiccup, the service was top shelf, and even two or three tables joined in as the night wore on (though restaurant still remained quite empty). My first drink, a simple martini with anchovy-stuffed olives was very good, but expensive--I believe somewhere in the $14 to $16 range. For appetizers, we settled on the Colossal Shrimp Cocktail, a dish of four gigantic shrimp (easily three bites per shrimp) for $20.50. I also had a bowl of the Lobster Bisque ($14, I think), which was pretty good, but not something significantly better than what one could get in other top area restaurants. I will add that the onion loaf bread ($0, alright!) was very good.
After showing us the cuts of meat available--viewable on a platter covered in plastic wrap--I settled on the bone-in filet mignon--a cut I haven't seen before together with a price tag ($58) not often seen either. For sides, we went with the Steamed Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce and simple Hashbrown Potatoes topped with butter, bacon, and sour cream. The hollandaise sauce was good, but I thought the asparagus might have benefited from slightly more cooking. I thought the potatoes were a pretty good side--nothing complicated but enjoyable nonetheless.
The bone-in filet was expertly cooked to the chef's recommendation of medium-rare, still tender in the middle surrounded by a nice crust. Still, I was expecting a lot more based on the waiter's representation (as I've also heard at other steakhouses) that having the bone still on the filet enhanced the taste. I would probably just opt for a regular filet without the bone-in premium next time.
For dessert, I had a Double Chocolate Mousse--a solid dessert that surprisingly did not come off as too heavy after a steak dinner, but, at the same time, not particularly amazing in any way. Be forewarned that the slice of Carrot Cake is absolutely massive.
Overall, the service was friendly and generally of very high quality, not super high-end but appropriate for a classic steakhouse. The steak was also very good. I think you would have a hard time finding a better steak in Cleveland, but at the same time I was expecting something more out of it at those price points. I'll say it again, you pay a premium for the experience here. Finally (and admittedly knowing that Morton's is, in the end, a national chain), I couldn't help but feel that something about the culinary experience--possibly in the selections of food available--felt canned. I think this separates some of my favorite steak places (Peter Lugar's in Brooklyn, NY and Prime in Las Vegas, NV) from Morton's. Having said all of that, Morton's is still a high quality restaurant deserving of its four stars.
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