The Urban Chophouse name makes a pretty good pun. It’s urban, in that it’s close to the city center, located in the Short North’s Luxe 23. It’s also Urban, very Urban, in fact, with lots of Coach Urban Meyer portraits bedecking the walls. He is the theme, and the chophouse seems to be thriving, in spite of the coach’s departure to the land of the Jaguars and subsequent adventures that have been well-publicized on social media.
The Urban (person) theme is mixed with other elements that place it outside the sports bar area. Case in point: sparkly chandeliers. The place is upscale and ritzy in a glam, image-conscious way, with a menu to match, featuring steaks, seafood and sushi.
Surrounded by our Urban environment (this is a personal contribution to the mounting pun pile), it makes sense to go all in on the chophouse theme with a steak
The low-end buy-in point would be a 7oz Filet Mignon at $49. It’s a nice cut, generally speaking with a signature tenderness that doesn’t typically require much fussing. At Urban Chophouse, the filet is finished with butter and a defined savory accent, which makes it challenging to fully appreciate the steak quality. It’s a detractor. On the good side, the steak is plated nicely, and for an up-charge, you can add some extra sauce like bearnaise or bordelaise, and formal sides such as asparagus or bacon.
The Urban experience doesn’t have to be so spendy though. More satisfaction can be found in other menu options.
Let’s step back and score some Deviled Eggs from the beginning of the menu, in the small plates section. Carefully made and artfully nested (eggs served in a nest!), $11 buys four halves, each one crowned with its own saucy shrimp. This combo feels appropriately fancy and luxurious and special. True, the differences in texture between the egg and shrimp means it can’t be wolfed down easily. That’s a win, though: A thoughtful eating strategy offers more opportunity to appreciate the richness of the combo.
From the sushi menu, you can score traditional rolls ranging from California to Spicy Tuna. The Shrimp Tempura ($16) offering succeeds on the strength of it crackling shrimp that’s rolled with avocado and cream cheese, braced with a mild soy-based wrap, and accented with eel sauce.
There are decent salad options too. The Chop ($14) would be the theme-oriented pick. It’s a busy collection of greens, cucumber and corn with heft from avocado, salami, feta and sunflower seeds, bound together with a lemon-basil vinaigrette. While a salami-corn combo might not be an intuitive merger, in the bigger picture, the elements harmonize nicely.
There’s more to explore: burgers, pizza, pasta. And the drink menu includes classic wine and beer selection, along with trendy instagram-friendly cocktail concoctions that include a giant Shellytini that serves “up to” six drinkers, and spiked strawberries.
The Urban Chophouse, 1079 N. High St., opens at 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. Saturdays and Sundays, it opens at 11 a.m. with a special brunch menu.
For more information, visit urbanchophouse.com.
All photos by Susan Post
