I rarely eat red meat- maybe once a month, at most. But this year I decided to splurge on my birthday and check off another item from my bucket list. Google “What restaurant has the world’s most expensive cheesesteak?” and the response will be “Barclay Prime” at Rittenhouse Square right here in Philadelphia. Having been born and raised in Philly, I have always loved a good cheesesteak. When I read an article about Barclay Prime, I had to put it on my bucket list. Of course a $140 cheesesteak is ridiculous, but hey, it’s my bucket list- I have to try it once while I’m still around. And this was the day.
The cheesesteak was supposedly invented by Philadelphians Pat and Harry Olivieri in the early 1930s. They originally owned a hot dog stand and one day decided to make a new sandwich using chopped beef and grilled onions. While Pat was eating the sandwich, a cab driver stopped by and was interested in it, so he requested one for himself. After eating it, he suggested that Olivieri quit making hot dogs and instead focus on the new sandwich. They began selling their steak sandwiches at their hot dog stand near South Philadelphia’s Italian Market. They became so popular that Pat opened up his own restaurant which still operates today as Pat’s King of Steaks. Cheesesteaks have become popular at restaurants and food carts throughout the city with many locations being independently owned, family-run businesses. Variations of cheesesteaks are now common in several fast-food chains as well as some high-end restaurants.
Barclay Prime is located in Philadelphia on South 18th Street in the iconic Barclay Building, which has been a Philadelphia landmark since its creation in 1929. It was once a hotel and one of the popular spots for dinner dances for the debutantes of Philadelphia. Now it’s filled with custom condos and the acclaimed Barclay Prime steakhouse. The steakhouse was founded by restaurateur Stephen Starr and owned by his company STARR Restaurants. Starr opened Barclay Prime in 2004.
The steakhouse is famous for its Wagyu beef. In 2019, Barclay Prime was listed by The Daily Meal as the sixth-best steakhouse in the United States in a list of the top 50 non-chain steakhouses saying the steakhouse was “undoubtedly 21st century, the menu is as classic as can be”. The cheesesteak consists of “hand cut wagyu, black truffle, foie gras, fried onions, cooper sharp on a freshly baked sesame roll served with a ½ bottle of champagne.” In addition to the cheesesteak, Barclay Prime has 14 different steak choices on the menu (in addition to other entrees), ranging in price from $57 for an 8-ounce fillet mignon to $210 for a 5-ounce Kobe striploin from Hyōgo prefecture in Japan. Caviar is also a specialty, with several choices including 1 ounce of the Royal Kaluga Petrossian caviar from Russia for $250.
We started off sharing a beet and elderflower salad, and the seared diver scallops with lemon beurre blanc and ossetra caviar appetizer. For dinner, I went with my bucket list cheesesteak with a side of tater tots. Eva opted for the special of the night – an American Wagyu/Japanese Wagyu hybrid filet mignon and a horseradish crème fraîche sauce, with sides of grilled broccolini and potato gratin. The cheesesteak was melt-in-your-mouth tender, creamy and delicious. If you ever want to splurge for that special occasion, you can’t go wrong with Barclay Prime.
I was surprised to see we even had an impressive choice of steak knives to choose from. Like the menu items, or waitress described each knife in detail. I went with the Japanese knife, and Eva went with a classic Swiss steak knife. The steaks were so tender you could cut them with a spoon, but the knives were a nice touch.
We were so full we had to pass on the scrumptious dessert menu, but then they surprised me with a delicious birthday cherry brownie, which was a nice ending to a fantastic dinner and a great start to my 68th year!
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