Stephen’s On State

Love going to Media, especially in the summer to eat outside. My friends and I try and go every other week. I have celiac disease and almost all «upscale» restaurants are very accommodating to my food allergy. This was not one of them. I ordered the scallops with risotto and green beans and a Caesar salad. I asked the waiter to just double check that the dressing was GF. After we waited 30 minutes just for the salads he said the dressing was not GF. He didn’t offer to substitute any other appetizer or salad dressing. Ok fine. Then when our meal finally arrived my plate had 4 teeny tiny scallops, which were cold, and some green beans. I told the guy who served the entrees that my meal came with risotto. He looked at me confused and said he would check on it… never did. After another 30 – 45 minutes our waiter finally came over to ask how everything was. I told him I didn’t get my risotto. He said it wasn’t GF so I couldn’t have it. ??? So why not tell me right after I ordered. Why not ask what I wanted substituted? So I paid full price for cold scallops and some green beans. Horrible customer service! Will never go back and will certainly not recommend.

Media has many restaurants, unfortunately, it still needs a good steakhouse. Thoroughly mediocre food with high price tags here. Many better choices on the same street. If you are salivating for steak, thing outside the Boro.

I am writing a review not based on the food, but based on the very poor management! I have been frequenting this restaurant for years. The manager sees me there every week, and never one acknowledgement ever. Not a smile, not how are you, nothing! I let it go, until last night. I was there was my 5 friends for happy hour. We were a little crowded at a table. The manager walks up to us and said VERY RUDELY, you have to move because you are making it hard for the wait staff to get by. There was no please, or would you mind, etc. It was so degrading and unnecessary to talk to us that way. We were all dumbfounded! I get we have to move, but don’t say it like that. It would have made a huge difference if he were even somewhat pleasant. I won’t be back there any time soon. Their loss! As my sister always says, you should say one positive thing on a review. Here it is, go to Fellini’s across the street! They were way more crowded and the staff went over and above to be kind to every one of their patrons. This manager could certainly use some pointers from the employees at Fellini’s!

I have to give three stars based on the price. Good was good and service was just ok but I feel that their prices are just a little to high.

I have never wrote a review in 64 years.
But Stephen’s push me over the edge.
It all started with the bread and dipping oil, I really didn’t want share it. They could make a nice business sell the oil.
Next bake clams you never know how they will taste. Stephen’s can claim the best and get away with the title. I said to my wife who was overdosing on the dipping oil that I can only think the 18oz ribeye should be good since that first course was a 10. They have magic in the kitchen the steak was a 10+ really. The waitress 10 knew when to visit and knew when not to visit.

Best steak house in Delaware county. Little pricy but you get a bang for your buck. I would recommend to every one.

The bartenders were very nice and handled things well but the «wife of the owner» was moving the rug and pulled it from under our feet. I get it I used to be a bartender but if asked politely I would have moved but as never asked to move just got the rubber piece moved from under me.

Great apps, great steaks. Walked in on a Friday night, lucky to get a table for three. Cheese steak nachos and clams casino were delicious. Filet and Ribeye were both great. As was mussels and chorizo. Great value and a great night out, will be going back soon. (Mac and cheese could have used more cheese, is our only constructive criticism…)
bJim

Way overpriced… WAY overpriced… had dinner on a Thursday so the service was fine because it was not crowded. I had the chicken parm which tasted average and my friend had a filet where she ordered it med well but it was very well done. We split a dessert and she had one glass of wine, I had a soda and she ordered a salad and the bill was over 90 bucks! I dint mind paying for quality but this was just so average! I won’t be returning.

The food is usually so good here. The ambiance is great for romantic dates. During the week the Attorney’s etc from the court house frequent here for happy hr.
If sitting near the door on cold, windy days, you’ll regret that.

We had dinner at Stephens on Friday night and my dinner was undercooked and I had specifically asked for a quiet table only to be seated in the main dining area. The noise level was horrific. I will not return ever.

Nice place. Prime rib eg rolls… amazing. Had the special, 22 oz bone in porterhouse, ordered medium rare. The steak was wonderfully seasoned with salt and pepper, only complaint was that the steak was a little overdone. Beautiful char on the steak too. It was served with mashed potatoes, asparagus, topped with gorgonzola, grilled mushrooms/​onions that were perfect. Definitely will be going back. Service was top notch. Well done.

The food tasted pretty good however a few things were missing. I ordered the Filet Au poivre. While it was cooked perfectly, the menu clearly stated it came with a brandy cream sauce. It did not. When I mentioned it to our waiter, he said many patrons say the same thing. When our waiter returned he said the chef told him next time he’ll put on extra sauce. Considering he didn’t put any on in the first place, that would be a good start. I think next time I’ll ask for it on the side.
My companion had the veal saltimbocca. Again, the flavor was good however the veal was very tough. It was difficult to cut with a knife.
Considering the prices, the food should be better prepared than it is. The chef appears to take a lot of shortcuts.

If you don’t tip extremely generously they will shun you at the bar. Makes no sense if they want to make money. Bunch of old heads. Lame place. Go to Quotations.

I have tried to enjoy Stephen’s in its many phases however the food and ambiance leave a lot to be desired. The live entertainment is more of a nuisance in this space and seems to entice a drinker vs a diner crowd.

A cool fall evening in Media provided a great backdrop for Restaurant Week, the two week dining event in Media that draws people from around the area to take in some of the delicious options downtown. While our jaunt to Stephen’s was a good experience, a few small misses kept this from being a five star review.
Atmosphere — A very small entryway greets you as you first walk in to Stephen’s with dining to your right, a bar to your left, and for dinner, live entertainment directly as you check in. On a lively fall evening, my party of six arrived for Restaurant Week, and were very happy to get a table in the back near one of the private rooms. Kept the loud atmosphere toward the front at bay, and a great overall volume for dinner conversation.
Waitstaff — Our waitress was fantastic, took multiple drink orders and traded some witty banter with our senior diners in the party. She really highlighted the evening by pointing out delicious options for our first time there, and recommended taking a look at the generous beer list to find a craft beer that would work for our palettes.
Food — Most of our diners went with options off of the restaurant week menu, and they were delicious. I went with the Crab Bisque, which had a strong kick to it, you’d love it if you enjoy a bit of spice. Also had the Chicken Parmigiana with gnocchi for my entrée which was also very good. Solid dining options, especially for the price. We also ordered some off menu items at the table, including the red mussels, which was a great pick coming with hearty chunks of sausage, and a full supply of bread for dipping. Other diners enjoyed the steak and shrimp dinner which was very filling and tasted ‘awesome’ according to one diner. As well as ordering the salmon, which came with fresh vegetables, which was also well received. Add on top a few delicious desserts, and a happy, full group left after our experience.
Intangibles — As I mentioned, RW usually requires a reservation, especially for a large party. Made one earlier in the day, but still had to wait a good ten minutes for a table. Diners who ordered beers had them come out in water glasses because according to the waitress, there were no clean beer glasses. If you’re sitting toward the front, live music and TV’s from the bar may be distracting, but we didn’t have that problem from our vantage point. Menu is a bit pricey if you’re thinking of dining here off restaurant week, so plan accordingly.
Overall — Stephen’s is a good experience with solid food options and a great locations. A few minor fixes for guests arriving and inventory management can clean these up with no issue moving forward. We may dine there again in the future, but with a lot of good options in Media, depends on the pricing and menu specials moving forward. However, if you’re looking for a fancy night out with friends and having some good food, this is a nice option without having to go into the city.

Food here is delicious and the waitstaff themselves are not bad. However, they need some help with kitchen staff. Came with a group of 6 on a Wed at 7 when we had a reservation. Still had to wait for a table even though we made a reservation. Took 15 min to get our drink order placed. Once we placed our dinner order, the wait was well over an hour until the food came out! This became a nearly 3 hour dinner when we didn’t even order any appetizers. When we complained the waitress said that the kitchen was really backed up. Yeah no kidding! Then have less tables out even if it is Dining Under the Stars. I would rather sit inside and get my dinner quicker!
Luckily the food, once it finally arrived, was delicious. I got the salmon and absolutely loved it. Other people enjoyed various steaks, chicken parm, and the chicken Stephen. Probably would not return though unfortunately.

Very decent food with good lunch specials. They have a good
coupon regularly. The crab burger has CRAB SALAD on top of it, which was gross to say the least. On the menu, it’s listed as «lump crab meat», last i checked mayo, green pepper and celery were not part of lumb crab meat. They need more vegan/​veg options as well.

Food was good.
However had two slight problems with our lunch there;
1 – the burger with crab meat on top is described on the menu as having“lump crabmeat” on top. In fact – the burger was served with crab SALAD on top of it — — –BIG DIFFERENCE – plus everyone isn’t always a fan of mayonnaise.
2-​$ 9.00 «prime rib egg roll» appetizer is NOT worth the price. The appetizer is basically two small eggs rolls cut in half — so there were four small pieces of egg rolls and they weren’t overly stuffed with prime rib. Would not order that again. Not worth the price!

Stephen’s is very cute inside, and it seemed like a bit of a fancier dining choice for State Street. However, my lunch yesterday left a lot to be desired.
The worst part was that my crab soup was sweet. Like, unbearably sweet. When I tasted it I literally said «wow, this is sweet.» My husband replied to me that crab meat is naturally sweet (duh) but a few minutes later when he traded his clam chowder with me (because he’s chivalrous) he was also astonished by how sugary the soup was. It was not just from the crab meat.
The clam chowder was better than the crab soup, for sure. I think that was probably the best part of the meal for me.
My Tuscan flatbread, which was supposed to have artichokes, spinach, roasted red peppers, and fontina cheese on it basically turned out to be a floppy tortilla covered with cheese; it was something that I would make for my 3-​year old nephew.
My husband got the crab cake sandwich and it was fine. Just fine.
For a $ 53.00 lunch, I was incredibly let-​down. Everything was very underwhelming and anti-​climactic.
Lastly, the waiter seemed to be so sweet and attentive that it was borderline inauthentic. If you’re a Downton Abbey fan, I will compare him to Thomas Barrow. He tried to be too suave and cool, and it came across as smarmy.
I don’t think I’ll return to Stephen’s.