No one has to be told that these days, food prices — especially at restaurants — are astronomical. But for the man who oversees the kitchen at Gordon Ramsay Steak at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, the cost there is justified.
“It’s a very elevated experience,” proclaimed Thomas Boyle, the ultra-luxe beefeteria’s head chef. “You get what you pay for; we put pride in what we do. It’s not just a steak on a plate. Everybody here is passionate about what they do. I know it’s expensive, but it’s worth the money. You’ll have a good time in here.”
GR Steak, which opened eight Memorial Day weekends ago on the casino’s mezzanine level overlooking the Voodoo Lounge, certainly has ambiance to spare. It’s a chic, sophisticated space in the manner of many contemporary steakhouses. Wood is the predominant motif, with understated accents of gold and red. The most striking decorative features are two large Union Jacks — clearly a tribute to Britisher Ramsay — painted on a rear wall.
There is no shortage of top-shelf steakhouses in Atlantic City — after all, a casino without such an establishment is like a casino without slot machines. But Boyle, a South Philly native whose family moved to North Wildwood when he was a child, explained his dining room offers a unique twist on the standard steakhouse format.
“Well, Gordon puts a little bit of European flair on it with the Wellingtons and, with the mustard seed and the Guinness beer that we braise it in,” he explained. “And his sticky toffee pudding for desserts. So, when I do the recipes for menu changes, I’ll try to keep a little bit of that English flare in there — like I did a corn pudding last year with pork, which was nice.”
But Merrie Olde England-style touches notwithstanding, beef is the star at GR Steak. And Boyle, whose resume includes stints at Capriccio at Resorts Casino-Hotel, Il Mulino New York at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and the long-gone Susanna Foo and Sea Blue at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, is especially proud of the A-5 Wagyu beef that is provided by the Rio Grande-based Westside Meats. According to Boyle, the cuts of beef — the highest-level of Wagyu — “come with a certificate, and a nose print of the animal. It’s pretty cool.”
Gordon Ramsay Steak may emphasize red meat, but it’s certainly not only about that. The menu also features a variety of seafood dishes — both as starters (raw oysters and clams and shrimp and chilled lump crab cocktail) and entrees (salmon, red snapper, branzino).
However, when it comes to the eatery’s “must-have” dish, for Boyle, it’s all about the beef.
“For me, it would be the 24-ounce bone-in ribeye,” he responded without hesitation when asked to give a recommendation. “I know I have to tell people the Wellington, because it’s one of our signatures. And don’t get me wrong, it’s good, too.” But he nonetheless stuck with the ribeye as his go-to choice.
A recent visit confirmed Boyle wasn’t just whistling “God Save the King;” the ribeye definitely ranks among the best found in a local gaming hall.
As for appetizers, “We have the pork belly with apple butter and a little bit of apple slaw that we put on there. And it’s finished with maple syrup, which we get from Vermont. It’s so good.”
The one thing patrons likely won’t get at GR Steak is an encounter with Ramsay, whose reality TV shows (among them “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Kitchen Nightmares” and “Master Chef”) have arguably made him the world’s most famous stove jockey. As Boyle noted, he hasn’t been on property in six years, a circumstance the chef ascribed to Ramsay’s many enterprises on and off TV. But that doesn’t mean the hot-headed (at least on TV) chef isn’t actively involved in the restaurant’s operation.
“We have the corporate chefs that come here,” explained Boyle. “I talk with the corporate chefs almost every other day about recipes. But the recipes that we use are from him. If I submit a recipe, [the corporate chefs] will submit it to him and he’ll look over it.
“He’s aware of everything.”
For more, go to caesars.com/harrahs-ac/restaurants/gordon-ramsay-steak.
Fight night at the Trop
Fans of the “sweet science” will want to be at Tropicana Atlantic City on June 13, as two local heavyweights top a card there.
The featured bout pits undefeated heavyweight Bruce Seldon Jr. of Smithville against Egg Harbor Township’s Josh Popper, who also has never lost a professional match.
“Two undefeated South Jersey heavyweights, both with history at the Tropicana, both willing to step up and fight each other. That doesn’t happen in 2026,” declared promoter Larry Goldberg of Boxing Insider Promotions. “Add in the high school rivalry [Absegami vs. Holy Spirit]…this is the fight everyone locally wanted to see, and it took real work to make it happen. June 13 is going to be a night Atlantic City remembers.”
In addition to the main event, the undercard includes contests featuring Julio “Jewelz” Sanchez III; Shawn Rall; John Leonardo Jr.; Jahanzeb Rizwan; John Gjini; Yoel Angeloni; Kahshad Elliott; Koby Khalil Williams; David Malul and Daiyaan Butt. More names are expected to be added to the lineup.
First bell is at 7:30. For tickets, go to ticketmaster.com.
Chuck Darrow has spent more than 40 years writing about Atlantic City casinos.
