Salmon crudo; photos by World Red Eye
FLORIDA
Jay’s Steakhouse Turns a Church into Fort Lauderdale’s Wildest New Restaurant
By Eric Barton | May 6, 2025
AUTHOR BIO: Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist. He has reviewed restaurants for more than two decades and has written for publications including Food & Wine, Outside, and Men’s Health. Email him here.
From inside a restored 1930s Lutheran church, Jay’s Steakhouse is what happens when you take the white tablecloth traditions of steakhouse culture, stir in a little swagger, and serve it up with a side of duck fat.
The newest concept from YES Hospitality—the team behind Naked Taco and Riviera—is named for its president, Jay Shirodkar, who calls it a “backstage pass” kind of place. And he means it. There’s tableside prime rib service, caviar bumps at the bar, and a house cocktail that tastes like someone reimagined an orange creamsicle after a night in Tokyo.
Smoked scallops
Jay’s doesn’t look or feel like the old steakhouse playbook. The dining room still bears the bones of the church it once was—arched windows, vaulted ceilings, stained glass—but now they’re paired with plush leather booths, bold red velvet curtains, and three bars designed to keep the energy going until someone finally calls for the check.
But beneath the theatrics is a serious kitchen. The menu leans familiar—steaks, raw bar, truffle mac—but reworks the hits with fine-dining ambition. Caviar-topped truffle grilled cheese. Wagyu tartare with Japanese dijonnaise. And sides that steal the spotlight, from Robuchon-style pommes purée to sleeper-hit salads. The truffle duck fat waffle fries are the move, ideally with Jay’s signature espresso martini in hand.
Burrata
If you want the full show, opt for the “Let Jay Take Care of You” tasting menu, a custom ride through the kitchen’s greatest hits (and a few surprises).
The cocktail program plays to the same high-low sensibility. Fancy spirits, cheeky names, balanced drinks. It’s the kind of bar that rewards curiosity, or at the very least, a second round.
Hollywood Salad
Gratitude Farms mushrooms
Later this year, Jay’s management plans to launch a members club, with perks like VIP lockers, after-hours DJs, and off-menu chef dinners. But for now, reservations are on OpenTable, and the red curtains are about to part.
