TS Steakhouse at Turning Stone

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Penthouse Steakhouse Above Upstate New York

Ride the dedicated elevator to the penthouse floor of the Tower at Turning Stone and the scene that greets you is, by any measure, unexpected for Upstate New York. The grand, double-height dining room opens onto an outdoor terrace with sweeping views of the rolling Central New York countryside. At sunset, the landscaped golf courses below shift through amber and gold, and the valley stretches out in every direction — a backdrop that Forbes Travel Guide, which awarded TS Steakhouse its Four-Star distinction, calls "simply stunning." The red and black décor adds a confident, metropolitan edge that feels closer to a top-tier Las Vegas dining room than anything you might expect in the Oneida region.

The Table

The menu is a serious take on the American steakhouse canon, built around prime cuts and executed with precision. From the grill: a 20oz bone-in ribeye, a 25oz porterhouse, a 16oz New York strip, and a filet mignon, each paired with a choice of béarnaise, red wine demi-glace, horseradish crème, or the house signature steak sauce. The in-house dry-aged Delmonico — a 15oz special cut aged on-premises — is a point of pride. For those who want something beyond the grill, the kitchen turns out an oven-roasted salmon and a Miso Chilean seabass finished tableside, alongside seasonal seafood including a full shellfish tower of lobster, shrimp, and oysters.

Starters range from classic oysters Rockefeller with Pernod and béarnaise to escargot with Comté gougères, a lobster and crab bisque, and a Caesar built on red romaine with crispy white anchovy. The Brussels sprouts with New York maple syrup and bacon have become a consistent guest favorite — one of those sides that earns its reputation order after order.

For those who linger, the restaurant has an intimate smoking parlor with its own views, and live entertainment runs Thursday through Saturday evenings.

The Occasion

TS Steakhouse holds a business casual to cocktail attire dress code — a deliberate choice that preserves the atmosphere guests come for. The recognition it has accumulated over the years, including the Forbes Four-Star award, OpenTable's Diners' Choice, and Casino Player Magazine's Most Romantic Restaurant in New York, reflects a consistent standard rather than a single strong season. Whether the occasion is a birthday, an anniversary, or simply a reason to mark the evening, the combination of the penthouse setting, the American steakhouse menu, and the 360-degree valley views makes a reservation here worth planning ahead for.