Steakhouse 85

What Steakhouse 85 does

Steakhouse 85 is a privately-held, single-location classic American steakhouse founded in 2008 at 85 Church Street in downtown New Brunswick, New Jersey, operating under proprietor Matthew Terranova with Executive Chef Brian Karluk leading the kitchen. The restaurant employs approximately 16 people and positions itself as a 21st century rendition of the traditional American steakhouse, with a core culinary identity built around dry-aged beef rubbed with sea salt, black pepper, and fresh herbs, then seared on a 1200-degree cast iron grill and broiled to preference. It holds the Official Steakhouse of Rutgers Athletics designation, which functions as a primary brand and customer acquisition anchor in the local market.

The product surface spans four lines: the core dine-in restaurant serving dinner nightly, a private dining business comprising the New Jersey Room (up to 85 guests, divisible into two 40-seat rooms) and the Atrium (up to 16 guests with LED TV), a $125 per couple Date Night prix fixe package available on Fridays and Mondays, and gift cards. A wholly-owned sister venue, Batch Bin & Barrel at 98 Albany Street, extends the brand into a casual bar, wine and spirits retail, and private event space for 6-50 guests. Distribution is direct-to-consumer with no delivery or takeout; reservations are managed through OpenTable and private event inquiries through Tripleseat event software.

Revenue is generated through food and beverage sales at the main restaurant, private event bookings with custom banquet menus, gift card sales, and the sister venue's food, beverage, and retail mix. Customer segments are diversified across general fine dining consumers, corporate and family private event hosts, and date night couples, with no single anchor customer driving volume. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, no institutional investors, and no parent entity, and it has earned regional recognition including a Wine Spectator award, the #1 TripAdvisor ranking for restaurants in New Brunswick, and positive Zagat and NJ.com reviews.

Name

Steakhouse 85

Legal name

Steakhouse 85

Website

https://steakhouse85.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Steakhouse 85 is a privately-held, single-location American steakhouse in New Brunswick, NJ, founded in 2008. It offers dry-aged steaks, private dining events, and a sister casual bar, serving fine dining consumers, corporate event hosts, and Rutgers Athletics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Steakhouse Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Food Services and Drinking Places (722)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAFACAE

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Full-Service Restaurants (Casual & Fine Dining)

SECONDARYTHAFACAA

Fine Dining Restaurants

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Full-Service Restaurants (Casual & Fine Dining)

SECONDARYTHAFACAK

Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Full-Service Restaurants (Casual & Fine Dining)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurant
• Dry-aged steaks
• Private event hosting
• American steakhouse
• Wine program

Headquarters

HQ city

New Brunswick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Revenue from food and beverage sales for in-house dining, including steaks, seafood, cocktails, and wine. Restaurant serves dinner nightly with full menu including appetizers, entrees, and desserts.
2. Private Event Hosting: Revenue from hosting private events in dedicated spaces (New Jersey Room up to 85 guests, Atrium up to 16 guests) including corporate seminars, special occasions, and cocktail parties with custom banquet menus.
3. Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards for use at Steakhouse 85 locations.
4. Sister Venue Referrals: Cross-promotion with sister venue Batch Bin & Barrel at 98 Albany Street for alternative event spaces, cocktail parties, and private wine dinners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Steakhouse 85 is a classic American steakhouse restaurant serving dinner nightly in downtown New Brunswick, NJ. Its core offering is full-service dine-in featuring dry-aged steaks seared on a 1200-degree cast iron grill, fresh seafood, modern interpretations of classic American cuisine, an extensive cocktail program, and a Wine Spectator award-winning wine list. The restaurant also hosts private events in dedicated rooms and offers a prix fixe Date Night package.

Product overview

Steakhouse 85 is a single-location classic American steakhouse restaurant offering dine-in services, private event hosting, and a prixe fixe Date Night package. The core offering is the restaurant itself, complemented by its sister venue Batch Bin & Barrel (a casual bar and bottle shop), private dining spaces (the New Jersey Room and Atrium), and the Date Night prixe fixe menu package. No digital product, software platform, or SaaS offering was identified.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Batch Bin & Barrel: Steakhouse 85's newest space - a hideaway bar located at 98 Albany Street in downtown New Brunswick offering casual drinks, bites to eat, and wine and spirits shopping. Also hosts cocktail parties and private wine dinners for 6 to 50 people.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• OpenTablecoreTechnology or IntegrationOpenTable powers online reservations for Steakhouse 85, allowing customers to book tables through the restaurant's website and OpenTable platform.
• Rutgers AthleticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Steakhouse of Rutgers Athletics designation. Partnership provides visibility with university community, athletic events, and alumni networks in New Brunswick and beyond.
• Batch Bin & BarrelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister venue owned by the same operators. Located at 98 Albany Street, Batch Bin & Barrel serves as an alternative event space offering cocktail parties and private wine dinners for 6-50 people. Cross-promotional relationship between the two venues.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Fogo de Chão: International Brazilian-style churrasco steakhouse with full bar, group/event programming, and premium pricing — comparable upscale-meat category operator with broader geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Eddie V's Prime Seafood: Darden-owned upscale steakhouse and seafood concept with award-winning wine list, live jazz lounge, and private dining — closely comparable on premium surf-and-turf menu and event hosting.
• Smith & Wollensky: Iconic American steakhouse brand serving dry-aged USDA Prime steaks with a strong wine list and private event spaces; comparable on steakhouse specialty positioning and upscale dining experience.
• The Capital Grille: Darden-owned upscale steakhouse chain known for dry-aged steaks, an award-winning wine list, and private dining — directly comparable on product, beverage program, and event hosting.
• Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse: Premium steakhouse concept with extensive private dining rooms, sommelier-led wine programs, and corporate-event focus; directly comparable on premium positioning and group-event revenue model.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House: National upscale steakhouse chain specializing in sizzling USDA Prime steaks with a classic white-tablecloth dining experience; the most direct category peer for Steakhouse 85's premium dry-aged steak positioning.
• Bobby Van's Steakhouse: NY-area upscale steakhouse chain with multiple private dining rooms and a power-lunch/weeknight business clientele — comparable on steakhouse category, event capacity, and Northeast corridor geography.
• Peter Luger Steak House: Legendary, family-owned New York steakhouse famed for dry-aged porterhouse and cash-only tradition — comparable as an iconic, independently operated dry-aging steakhouse with destination-dining status.
• Morton's The Steakhouse: Long-established national upscale steakhouse chain with deep private-event program and classic American steakhouse menu; comparable on price point and event-driven revenue mix.

Regional players

• The Frog and the Peach: Long-established fine dining restaurant in downtown New Brunswick, NJ — the closest local direct competitor for destination diners, corporate events, and special-occasion traffic in the same micro-market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steakhouse-85

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Steakhouse 85