Council Oak Steaks & Seafood – Best Steaks in South Florida
I have been to too many high end steakhouses to count and to tell ya the truth while most are awesome I can not truly distinguish between their delectable steaks. How distinct is one $60 steak from another? Well Council Oak Steaks & Seafood at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood completely blew my notion to smithereens. Their steaks and meat stand gargantuan over the rest. The powerful and intoxicating flavors their aging process imbues into the meat make it my favorite steak house in South Florida! The wonderful experience starts way before that heavenly slab of meat ever hits your table.
The venue entwines modern day luxury with old school ambiance. Supple leather booths, glistening floors and a highly trained waitstaff that swoops around tables quite deftly. Council Oak Steaks & Seafood is the acclaimed steakhouse, bar and lounge located inside the AAA Four Diamond Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
The entire experience was superb, but 2 things really stood out:
Their meat is some of the best I ever had! You can truly taste the difference in their tartare and steaks. They employ USDA prime dry-aged Beef, Japanese A5 Wagyu Beef and many other fantastic cuts. The cuts of meat are dry-aged up to 28 days, personally selected and hand-sculpted inside their Butcher Shop featuring a Himalayan salt-brick-walled chamber. This is why you run to Council Oak.
Spirits lovers get equal love at Council Oak with the One Ounce Club, which allows guests to sample exclusive, high-end liquors in one ounce increments. Selections vary and often include special editions, such as limited edition Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 20 Year, Johnnie Walker Blue Label “Year of the Monkey,” Remy Martin Louis XIII and Macallan 30 Year Old Fine Oak. Like the options, prices range depending on the pour, from $23 to $720 per ounce. Ask the Sommelier for his favorite Malbec, it was one of the best I ever had.
We would suggest/demand pairing their marvelous bread basket with one of our absolute faves from the menu, the Wagyu Beef Tartare with capers, quail egg and smoke pepper aioli… this dish was the best tartare I ever had by far!!! The meat flavor is on a different level. They season and dry age their meat for at least 28 days and you can immediately tell the difference. The flavor was bold and smooth, not the usual mundane meat flavor that requires a sauce to heighten it. The smoke pepper ailoli was terrific though so don’t be shy about adding it!
Nest up we would recommend doing a soup duo, both the Lobster Bisque with Creme Fraiche and Brandy as well as the French Onion Soup with Parmesan and Gruyere cheese were freaking fantastic. The French Onion was one of the tops I have consumed, because I adore Gruyere cheese and twas overflowing with it.
It is virtually impossible to go wrong ordering a slab of meat from the menu or a side for that matter. We opted for the Bone in Ribeye as well as the Colorado Lamb Chops.
Both were cooked to absolute perfection and the seasoned juices danced and tantalized our taste buds. This steak is till fantasized about on occasion.
While every side we tried (and we tried almost them all) was marvelous if you have only have stomach space or budget for 2, we would go with the Wild Mushrooms as well as the Grilled Corn, Lime & queso blanco.
Make sure to save room for desserts, because all the pastries are made in house and there are 2 decadent dishes that still make us nostalgically salivate like Niagra Falls. Their Donut Croissant (not a Cronut 😉 will captivate thee. It is utter perfection and the homemade whip cream complimented it perfectly. A MUST Order!!
If you can swing a second the Bananas Foster Cheesecake – Roasted banana cheesecake, crisp praline crust, caramelized bananas was another grand slam dessert that will make you do the happy dance.
Council Oak Steaks and Seafood is a glorious and enchanting outing. The ambiance, service, cuisine and execution will leave you profoundly impressed and already plotting your next visit. Happy to include them among South Florida’s and even this country’s best restaurants.
Council Oak is open for dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 10:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. with live entertainment in the bar nightly. Brunch is available on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations are available by calling 800-937-0010, visiting www.opentable.com or through its mobile application.
About Council Oak Steaks & Seafood
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s award-winning, signature steakhouse Council Oak Steaks & Seafood delivers a sophisticated fine-dining experience with 100% U.S.D.A. Prime dry-aged stockyard beef and Japanese Wagyu beef, fresh seafood, and an award-winning wine list served in an inviting, upscale atmosphere. Council Oak has been nationally recognized by Zagat and has earned Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence consecutively since 2009.
About Seminole Hard Rock
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is South Florida’s iconic entertainment destination located minutes from Fort Lauderdale’s world-famous beach. The AAA Four Diamond-rated resort features 469 luxury guest rooms and suites, award-winning restaurants, a lagoon-style pool and Beach Club, a Hard Rock-inspired spa, premium meeting and convention space and a 5,500-seat Hard Rock Live concert arena. The casino offers more than 100 table games, 2,000 of the most popular slots and a stand-alone poker room. Fine dining options include Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, the resort’s signature steakhouse, and Kuro, a luxe and socially vibrant restaurant offering new-style Japanese cuisine. In the heart of the hotel is L Bar, a sophisticated, contemporary lounge showcasing handcrafted classic cocktails with a twist. Contemporary and casual eateries, include Blue Plate, the hotel’s 24-hour diner-inspired restaurant; Constant Grind, a gourmet coffee and pastry shop; and the ever-famous Hard Rock Cafe – Hollywood, part of Hard Rock’s 177 globally recognized rock ‘n’ roll restaurants.
