Bowery Meat Company

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Downtown Steakhouse with Serious Intentions

Bowery Meat Company sits on East First Street in the heart of the Lower East Side, part of the Mercer Street Hospitality portfolio founded by entrepreneur John McDonald in 1993. The group has spent over three decades building places people return to — and this steakhouse is one of its anchors, focused squarely on dry-aged beef, chops, and large-format roasts done with precision.

Wine Spectator recognized the restaurant with its Best of Award of Excellence in 2025, a reflection of a wine program that takes the same care as the kitchen — with by-the-glass options spanning Burgundy Chardonnay and Sancerre to an Amarone from the Veneto, alongside a full bottle list built for serious beef pairings.

What's on the Plate

The steakhouse menu is built around prime cuts, many dry-aged in-house for 30 days. The 22oz bone-in rib steak and the 40oz tomahawk — prime, 30-day dry-aged, served for two — are the headliners, but the range is broad: a grass-fed Argentinian filet mignon with chimichurri, New Zealand lamb chop lollipops sold by the chop, and A5 Japanese Wagyu from Kagoshima Prefecture for those who want to go further.

Alongside the beef, the kitchen leans into a few signatures that have become their own draw. The Duck Lasagna — slow-braised, layered with fresh pasta, Caciocavallo, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a rich pan jus — is a dish that earns its place on a steakhouse menu without apology. Broiled Oysters with Pecorino Romano, garlic, and herbed breadcrumbs are a reliable starter, and the Bowery Wagyu Cheeseburger, blended with A5 Wagyu and topped with Vermont Cheddar and caramelized onions, is offered in limited availability.

The raw bar adds another dimension: both East and West Coast oysters, yellowtail crudo, big-eye tuna carpaccio, and composed platters — including The Royal, which brings together oysters, shrimp, clams, ceviche, hamachi crudo, and half-pound Maine lobster.

The Room and the Experience

The Bowery Room is available for private events, and the restaurant offers outdoor seating alongside a full cocktail program — specialty drinks like the Jungle Smoke (mezcal, Aperol, pineapple) and the Spring Old Fashioned (Rittenhouse Rye, poblano liqueur, passionfruit) give the bar its own identity. Non-alcoholic options are treated with equal seriousness, including a St. Agrestis N/A Negroni and a house Forbidden Horchata.

For a New York City steakhouse, Bowery Meat Company earns its reputation not through scale but through focus — quality beef, a kitchen that knows when to go beyond the grill, and a wine list good enough to be noticed.