RP Prime Steakhouse - Fair Lawn, NJ

Where:
RP Prime Steakhouse
41-11 Rt4, Fair Lawn, NJ
Phone: 201-267-0702
https://www.rpprime.com/menus/

What:
Prime Classic Cheeseburger
Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Pickle, Brioche Bun
$18
Prime Aged NY Strip w/string beans
$38

Comments:
Nice atmosphere, friendly service, forgettable lunch experience.
I don't like reporting not-so-great reviews like this, but it is what it is, and the food was what it was—not very good.
I patronized this restaurant with a friend on Wednesday, March 12th 2025, arriving a little after noon. The place was empty save for one round table of six, so we decided to dine at the exceptionally inviting bar.
The barmaid was as nice as she could be, and the bar and restaurant were as clean and inviting as you could hope for.

My friend ordered the NY Strip medium-rare, and I, (of course), targeted their classic burger.
Before I go any further, please accept my apologies for the lack of photos, and the complete nonexistence of steak photos (you'll have to take my word for it).

Little did we realize that the chef's absence of creativity in plating would be a foreshadowing of the food itself. The mundane offering of steak was indeed just that, with no sauce or juices bleeding onto the dish, and with a modest portion of bright green string beans to accompany it, making the entire entree look as though it came from a corporate cafeteria.

Long story short, the steak was cooked medium, and to our surprise, it was a bit tough. But a steakhouse getting the temperature of a small steak wrong? Enough said.

My burger followed suit unfortunately, in that although it was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, the meat was dry and with little flavor. This, I attribute to a common affliction with steakhouses that use scraps of ground steak bits to make their burger patties. Don't we all like the notion of our burger being made from freshly ground steak? The reality of that usually means you're getting a burger that lacks fat, and I'm quite sure that was the issue in this case. The stale, dry, brioche bun didn't help matters much either, which begs the question, "Why are we still using these awful brioche buns when recent burger masters like Shake Shack have introduced us to the potato bun? That said, a burger and a steak that closely resembled "select" quality meat, along with a few drinks, a shared beet salad, and tiramisu all costing upwards of $180 w/tip, was quite over-the-top for me, especially considering what you can get for that kind of money in New Jersey's robust restaurant arena...

My Pet Peeve: Burger toppings should be just that... on top.