FINE dining doesn’t just start and end with the food. It includes a carefully designed ambience, a pleasing mood created by the aroma of the kitchen, and the friendly staff that caters to the customers’ needs.
Alfredo’s Steak House, which has been serving prime aged steaks for more than 30 years, has this and more.
The long history of Alfredo’s dates back to Sept. 19, 1968, when it first opened as Alfredo’s Country – Style Steaks in a 34-seat apartment in Timog Avenue. The name was taken from the owner himself, Alfredo Araneta, who happens to be the first chef of the restaurant.
Araneta, an alumnus of the famous UST Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, was a farmer who loved grilling so he and his wife thought of building a restaurant that served steaks imported from New Zealand and Argentina.
Alfredo’s clientele increased, so barely a year later, expansion started. Late in 1972, the new Alfredo’s was constructed on Tomas Morato Ave. in a two-story classic western building. Then on May 13, 1973, it opened with a new name, Alfredo’s Steak House.
Today, Alfredo’s Steak House has a seating capacity of 150 persons with an average of 100-120 customers per day, reaching a peak of 400-450 customers during special occasions.
It has three function rooms: Westmore Function Room, which can accommodate 10-15 persons; Sagamore Room 1, which can accommodate 15-20 persons; and the Sagamore Room 2, which can accommodate 25-35 persons.
Alfredo’s has established its own market that is passed from generation to generation. “Some of our customers now are children of old customers before,” restaurant manager Katherine Alejandro said.
Although the usual customers are executives, government officials and Chinese families, Alejandro said that their clientele is varied. According to her, one could have steaks at only around P316, which already includes bread and butter and side dishes. So, even teenagers from school dine at their restaurant.
Food
There is a wide array of dishes to choose from. They have tenderloin, Fillet Mignon, T-bone, and Porter house. They also serve Steak Mediterranean, which is a marinated tenderloin with herbs, olives, virgin olive oil and a dash of anchovy, served in its own juices, with ratatouille.
If you love garlic on your steak, then order the sizzling Steak a la Pobre, which is tenderloin topped with crispy golden garlic. If you want your steak burning on your tongue, then order the Peppered Tenderloin Steak, which is tenderloin smothered with freshly-ground black pepper with green pepperoni sauce.
Aside from steaks, Alfredo’s also serves grilled or barbecued chicken, pork chop, ribs, fish, and other seafoods. For lighter meals, it has burger, sandwiches, and pasta.
According to Alejandro, Alfredo’s is well-known for its sauce, gravy, iced tea, and the way it marinates and cooks steaks, which are all original recipes. Customers also crave for their homemade pandesal, which is all-you-can-eat. Some customers even take the pandesal as pasalubong when they leave for other countries.
Moreover, Alfredo’s butcher, the one who cuts steaks and marinates main courses, is still the same person the restaurant had back in 1968. So, the quality steaks offered by Alfredo’s then are still the same steaks enjoyed by their customers today.
What adds to the pleasure of eating is the sweet smell of the food even just from the kitchen, which Alejandro said is also their trademark, since they really season their steaks.
Alfredo’s also tried doing promotional activities for the customers like Steak at Stake (where a customers gets a chance to go to Hong Kong when he orders a steak) and Fiesta Americana (where they serve different specialties in one big platter, all for one price).
According to Alejandro, they had just made some changes in their menu about three yeears ago. “If we have new favorites, we offer them from time to time, menus we just put on our stand disk. If they click, we include them in our regular menu,” she said.
Moreover, they adapted their menu from their past coffee shop which relatively has cheaper prices.
Though they offer non-steak dishes, since they are known as a steakhouse, customers still order their steak. “Some children here are already beef-eaters, kaya nakakatuwa,” Alejandro said.
Ambience
Entering Alfredo’s is like leaving the Philippine setting. The architectural design of the restaurant is very western. You’ll be greeted by a neatly made fireplace with artificial fire and a wooden staircase leading to the dining area.
The place is fully carpeted with brick walls and antique-styled chairs and tables. One will be awestruck by the wagon wheel chandeliers and chuck wagon wheeled wall, which give the feeling of eating beside a covered wagon. The cowskins, stuffed animals, gas lamps and copper decors also complement the motif of the restaurant.
Another important feature of the place is the wine bar and the auto piano, used during special occasions, which is the very same model you would find in a western saloon during the 1800’s.
The subdued lights and classic mellow music set the romantic mood of the place and the beckoning aroma of delicious steaks really lures the customers.
Customers can also look out the glass windows and enjoy the view outside.
New plans
Until now, Alfredo’s Steak House still lives up to its tradition of excellent food service. Little by little, it is trying to change the furnitures and improve the over-all design of the place.
Aside from its branch in Baguio City, Alfredo’s still plans to have other outlets.
According to Alejandro, one edge of their restaurant over all other steakhouses is its stability, having been on operations since 1968. Customers too are assured of the quality of the food, a homey ambience and the friendly staff. “Name pa lang namin puwede nang ipagmalaki,” she said.
