South Jersey for Steak

FOOD & DRINK > RESTAURANT REVIEWS

Checking in at the venerable Library III for a post-Irene celebratory meal 

By Frank Gabriel

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Aug. 31, 2011

There are a few local  restaurants that have become so well established that they virtually define their particular genre of dining. 

Egg Harbor Township’s Library III, the area’s original steak house, certainly fits into that exclusive category. 

For as long as we can remember, the Black Horse Pike business — once one of four Library franchises in southern New Jersey — has been the first resource for Jersey shore residents when the word “steak” is mentioned. 

And with good reason. 

Offering a combination of high-quality food, personalized service and real value, the Library III continues to excel, as evidenced by a recent, post-Irene visit. 

An original concept eatery, the Library’s interiors are, appropriately enough, lined by volumes of books. 

In another unique twist, customers actually place their orders directly with kitchen staff here. 

After briefly traversing the building’s serpentine corridors, one reaches a pair of windows open to that food preparation area. 

It’s a glorious sight, big, manly hunks of meat sizzling on the grill, only a few feet away. Made even better by the fact that the chef and his cooks will custom butcher cuts of beef to patron’s specifications, even going to far as to visually showing them just how big a certain portion will appear prior to hitting the grill. 

We began our meal with a trio of appetizers.First up were stuffed mushrooms, rather a ubiquitous item that has come to lose some of its luster as a result of being so commonplace on area menus. 

Not here.  

Each order — we enjoyed the first so much we actually requested another — brought four silver dollar-sized baby portobella caps. 

Page: 1 2 3 4 |Next