Strip Club Lunch: Getting Crabs and Strip Steak at Rick’s Cabaret
After this post, the PR people from Rick’s Cabaret were bugging me to come try their lunch. I never accept free food from the places I write about on Midtown Lunch (and wanted to stay married) so I told them thanks, but no thanks for that strip club lunch. If I wanted a strip club lunch I would pay for it myself! Of course popular ML commenter Mamacita is not under the same restrictions- so I gladly sent her in my place, to check out the “scenery” at Rick’s Cabaret. I also knew that most of you would much rather picture her at Rick’s than me. Here is her story…
While there may be many tasty delights to be had at Rick’s Cabaret, I was restrained by Zach’s Midtown Lunch $10 price limit so I will not be telling how it feels to get a lap dance at Rick’s. I will also not be telling you about a little something I coined the “Corporate Massage,” which seemed to involve older, bald, fat (no offense Zach) C.E.O’s and perky bodiced ladies rubbing your back and perhaps calling you daddy (Should that excite you). I will also not digress to tell you about the enhanced lovelies in g-strings dancing upon the stage to AC/DC and Aerosmith. Furthermore, I will not mention how this lunch was the first time I’ve seen a stripper dance to R.E.M. and rub her ample buttocks up and down a mirrored wall.
No, we will not sink so low today. After all, this blog is about lunch- right? (Well, maybe we’ll sink a little.)
So let’s get down to the brass tacks. When you enter Rick’s you are offered a choice of seating. Option one is the ground floor- furnished with comfy armchairs and cocktail tables surrounding a red-lit main stage with mirrored walls and disco lights. Option two is a seat upstairs at the bar and lounge, set off from the attractions going on below (but includes a lovely lobster tank.)
Obviously, we opted for the former. Seated in a dimly lit corner we ordered a round of drinks ($8 bucks a pop) and took in the menu (yes, I know that puts me over the ML limit, but hell, I’m in a bar full of stripers! A girl needs a drink). The kitchen is headed by chef Nestor, and as you can tell by this photo, it’s very good to be the chef:
The prix-fixe lunch included soup or salad, entree and dessert. Between the choice of onion or barley soup and caesar salad we opted for the caesar, after all I prefer my barley in drink form. Entrees included a grilled sirloin steak sandwich, steak frites, strip steak, grilled shrimp salad, cheeseburger, grilled chicken club, salmon fillet, or jumbo lump crabcake sandwich. We got the strip and the crab.
I can’t resist a tossed salad in creamy dressing and this one came with abundant parmesan shavings which is always a plus. While I found it tasty, I’d stick to the house salad if you are not into a traditional caesar dressing which has a definite anchovy flavor. The steak was smoky and charred on the outside and a perfectly medium rare and juicy on the inside. The crabcake was wonderfully spiced with Old Bay seasoning and creamy mustard on a brioche bun.
Both came with shoestring fries that were salty, golden and crunchy. I loved the steak and I really liked how the crabcake was actually made of chunks of tender crab and not just mushy breading. However the bun, as good as it tasted, was too much bread for the crabcake and I ended up taking the top bun off and eating it open faced. We also got a quick look at the salmon dish and it looked wonderful.
For $10, the salad, main course, and wonderful scenery would clearly be enough. But wait. There’s more. Dessert is included, and the offering of dessert options is where I almost passed out. Choose between a big and round apple crumble with vanilla ice cream; dark chocolate cake with drizzles of tangy raspberry puree; or a creamy cheesecake topped with plump blueberries, strawberries and whipped cream. It was hedonistic, and I was already stuffed, but.. but… like a pig at the trough I could not resist. I hit it hard and good. Hell, I got so excited if that plate was wearing a g-string I would have slipped it a fiver.
After all was said and eaten, I must say there is something about having a 3 course meal while circled by men getting lap-dances that was a bit disconcerting to me. Kinda like I was in a crappy David Duchovny movie. Terrible shame though, I was offered a ‘dance’ by a gorgeous tall blonde with skin like milky silk and I declined. Sometimes it’s a bitch to be straight.
Here’s the breakdown ML style:
THE +
- Hot! Nekkid! Babes!\
- An amazing amount of quality food for $10
- Excellent choice of different entrees and desserts that will put you in a happy food coma
- Option to sit comfortably on the 2nd or 3rd floor away from the stage and strippers (though I can’t imagine why??)
- Elevator access to the above floors that avoids the main attraction (again, why?? Did I mention the strippers are downstairs!!)
THE -
- Obviously, temptation could easily make this runneth over the $10 price limit
- Hot! Nekkid! Babes! Your wife will kill you! ( Zach take note.)
- With 3 courses, drinks and um.. entertainment, this could definitely be a ‘long’ lunch, plan appropriately
Rick’s Cabaret, 50 W 33rd St. (btw. 5+Bway), (212) 372-0850
Posted: 12:42 pm, September 15th, 2008 under 33rd btw. Bway+5th, American, Rick's Cabaret, Steak.
41 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
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41 Comments
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shit, this looks better than the pu-pu platter at hawaiian tropic zone…
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You hit it hard and good?
that’s the way any/everyone should do lunch.
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Funniest post ever! Makes me want to check it out, especially with those pics [steak of course].
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A fixed-price option is “prix-fixe” (French for ‘fixed price’.) ‘Prefix’ means to place in front of. ‘Pre-fix’ is not a word at all. I know many foreign (non-French!) restaurants get this wrong, but I expect better from a food blog. I have standards, I guess.
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Good food coverage though! I have a hankering for crabs now (hopefully the kind that come in a fried cake).
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Forgot to ask–if you sit upstairs, will you still be ‘approached’ or is it set up for undisturbed dining?
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The upstairs is quiet and nice. You get assigned a waitress and you’re probably not going to get propositioned, unfortunately.
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tossed salad and creamy dressing is the way to your heart, huh? good to know.
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And the hits just keep on coming…
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awesome post. double-entendres galore. great food coverage. and even a shout-out to our dear friend the doc!!
kudos mamacita.
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I would think that the tossed salad is a “must have” at a strip club!
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Girl in blue dress is pregnant.
What if her waters break on the pole?……..would give ‘a baby shower’ a whole new meaning.
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Its a pity there isn’t a Dance & Lunch deal.
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Holy crap, this is so the move!
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Stay Classy San Diego.
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I guess Rick’s is OK…. if you like girls
Zach, Rudy & I await your call to review the all-you-can-swallow sausage party buffet at Chippendales Las Vegas
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The double entendre generator must be overheating.. If I had a corporate card, I’d take everyone there. Far less false pretense than Hawaiian Tropic
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Kudos, Mamacita, nicely done.
Nice menu choices as well, crab, strip, cheesecake. Not sure where the chocolate cake comes in unless it has a lucious, mplten liguid center oozing out when prodded with a fork ( don’t you hate when that happens?).
My only critique is that you need to put aside labels and strereotypes to get the full story and enlighten the MLers, next time go with the blonde silky milk (I’ll treat if I can watch).
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er…. “molten, liquid” even
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Yeah, the boyfriend turned to me after she left our table and was all “we don’t want a dance??” He had this shit eating grin all day afterward. That was one happy boy, ain’t I great girlfriend?
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You’ve broken that poor lad Wayne’s heart.
Great review btw ;)
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Mamcita denied this alleged “boyfriend” a lap dance because she’s saving it for me
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The question is, does anyone have any recs for another place I can hit up?
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How much is a lap dance?
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M
Within Midtown Lunch bounds & prices, the other best steak and sex would be as follows:
Go to Tads and get the special and I’ll run in and throw a Bukkake Udon on you
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Mamacita… Private Eyes just up the block down the block from Piece of Chicken is a strip joint that might be in need of a ML review…
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Hum, looking it over I think Private Eyes is purely a drinks and lapdance joint, but I’m sure wayne would be happy to review for you ;-)
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They emailed me offering me a lunch on the house too. This review actually makes me consider it more seriously…
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Ny Magazine lurks, ha ha.
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I think this might rank as my favorite review ever (sorry, Zach!). $10 for all of that food and a side of potentially scarring eye candy (or a lunch time lap dance)? Awesome.
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Having moved from N.O. to N.Y. I tried the lunch special at Rick’s when it opened… ordered a hamburger that came with some pretty serious food poisoning later that evening.
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This should be interesting I’m going this week with my coworkers, but I’m 6 months pregnant, I’m not turning down the temptation of good food porn, so yeah this should be interesting.
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Just got back (excuse the buzz and misspelling in my comment)… EXCELLENT for fun and food! Somehow rallied a few co-workers (including girls) to go for my birthday today. Seriously, the food was delicious and real quality, more than worth the $10 and the additional price of a few drinks (how could you not?!). As a guy, yes, let’s be clear, the boobies were great too ;> But it’s important to note that the whole situation was very comfortable. God bless Mamacita for opening up the door to this place with her review (we all owe her a lapdance ;> ). The only thing she didn’t really examine more deeply was the girls (unless maybe she did that in the back VIP room [drum beat please] ;> ) Again, it was really a very comfortable set up, basically one girl at a time on the main stage and a few girls floating around ready to give personal lapdances… but at no time did they become accosting or overly aggressive with solicating dances. Actually come to think of it, they were pretty passive… almost as if they were instructed not to actively solicate to allow the customers to enjoy their lunch. (perhaps they are paid a salary to dance during that odd lunch hour, so they don’t need to “work it” as much.. who knows). And my fears of the afternoon performances being more like a freak-show carni-event were unfounded… these were highly attractive woman (stripper quality to the max). Service in general (i’m talking wait-staff, bouncers, managers, front door girl) all were very kind, helpful and professional. So don’t let the strip-club sleezy stereotype keep you away from what really is a delicious lunch bargain. One last thing before my buzz wears off: again, the boobies were great!!! :D
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Haha! Glad you enjoyed it!
No go take a cold shower. -
Actually, I need a couch to take a nap… ate too much ;P
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Yes I went today too with HiMom!!! and I agree the food was amazing, I had the salmon, which was the best salmon I have had in this city this whole year, I kid you not, it took a while because she said they just got a fresh delivery, one thing though there was no dessert choice, it just came with carrot cake, but it was very good so it was not much of a loss. And the boobies, yeah as a woman there was nothing gross to get in the way of my eating. The dancers were very attractive, made me think damn after I pop this kid out I gotta get back in shape real soon! Everyone, waitstaff etc was very professional and nice. I recomend it, but be prepared to spend 8 bucks extra even on water.
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I was in “HiMom!!”’s field trip today and Rick’s Cabaret DELIVERED. A great steak, an AMAZING view of the stage over my pregnant female colleague’s shoulder, an all-around pleasant and friendly vibe, and on top of all that, an incredibly hot waitress, way hotter than the ladies on stage. I’ll be back at least twice a week.
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I know HiMom, and I can attest to his enjoying Bazoingas just like the next guy.
Thanks!
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Ok, at first i was like a strip club for lunch? Skeevy!!!
(I pictured a bunch of smarmy perv dudes, sitting in the dark, getting mid-day lapdances.) NOT THE CASE AT ALL!!!
I am not a big strip club guy. Although i love a good pole-dance…. the lapdance stuff makes me a lil uncomfortable. But this joint was GREAT!!! Hot ladies, who only come to you, if you summon them, sexy show, and the food was DYNAMITE!! My steak was tasty, and the dessert..delish. $10? Are you kidding me? I spend that any normal day for lunch! Friendly staff, and no creepy stuff. I will (surprisingly) go back! $10 fat steaks…? COME ON!!!!! -
I went to Rick’s Cabaret today for lunch around 2:40 (lunch special is over after 3) and had a lovely time. The food came out fast and was quite good, and exceptional considering that a Ceasar Salad, 10 oz steak with fries and a chocolate cake was $10! (Although there is a 1 drink minimum and even a ginger ale is $8 so you’re not really leaving there without throwing down $22)
It was very dark, but there were a few TVs and some delightful girls dancing on stage. Fairly quiet when I went, while eating no one bothered me, but once I finished and kinda relaxed in my chair a bit, I was propositioned by a sexy foreign girl. Didn’t go for the dance, but it was a nice lunchtime ego boost.
All in all, I’d definitely go again with a co-worker, it was a cool place to chill and the food was really good!
NB – If you’re nice to the coat check girl, who was super cute, she’ll probably give you some No Cover passes good anytime with no expiration
Yup, it was hard work, but someone had to write about it. No need to thank me Zach. ;-)