Bern's Steak House

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Bern's Steak House
TypePrivate company
Founded1956; 65 years ago (1956)
Headquarters
Tampa, FL
,
United States
Key people
Chef De Cuisine: Habteab Hamde
OwnerDavid Laxer
Number of employees
>300
Websitewww.bernssteakhouse.com

Bern's Steak House is a steak restaurant in the Hyde Park district of Tampa, Florida, founded in 1956.

History[]

The restaurant is owned and operated by David Laxer, son of original owner Bern Laxer.[1]

It has a sister restaurant, Haven (previously SideBern's).

George W. Bush ate at Bern's twice during his presidency.[2] [3][4]

Restaurant once kept live fish in tanks inside the kitchen but the fish tanks were removed before 2011 for logistical reasons.

In 2013 Bern's opened a hotel across the street called The Epicurean. Located in the hotel is Bern's Fine Wine and Spirits.[citation needed]

The farm[]

As of 2012, server trainees worked at the farm.[1]

Wine Cellar[]

Bern's boasts the largest private wine collection in the world of over 600,000 bottles.[5] Bern's is one of three locations that annually host "Winefest", the second largest private fundraiser for charity in the Tampa Bay area, the first being "Taste of Tampa".

In its cellars can be found depression-era French red wine, pre-war Sauternes, and Madeira from the 17th century.

A $30,000 bottle of Chateau Latour from 1947 was found in 2011. The tour feels like a drop into a deep basement but Florida has a shallow water table so this is not possible.[1] The walls are covered with insulation made from newspaper to keep the temperature controlled.[5]

The entire collection has never been catalogued and staffers sometimes find surprises in the stacks. There are about 100,000 bottles in the cellar at the restaurant and another 500,000 in a building next door.[5]

Awards[]

In 1996, Wine Spectator rated Bern's in a tie for the best steak house in the United States.[6] Bern's has been a recipient of Wine Spectator's Grand Award since 1981.[7] In 2009 Rachael Ray rated Bern's as the best restaurant in America, having beat out over a dozen top-rated steakhouses across the U.S.[1] In 2010 industry magazine Nation's Restaurant News deemed Bern's a "Top 50 All-American icon."[2]

Bern's has the largest wine list of any restaurant in the world.[8]

Harry Waugh Dessert Room[]

The establishment has a private dessert room upstairs with wine-barrel booths and a jukebox at each table.[citation needed]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Houck, Jeff (30 May 2012). "The Bern's legend: Separating fact from fiction". The Tampa Tribune. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Secret service: President dines discreetly at Florida steakhouse". Nation's Restaurant News. 18 June 2001. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
  3. ^ Karp, David (17 February 2004). "Tampa mayor's day has no time for Bush". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
  4. ^ Whitaker, Aja (9 April 2004). "Bern's shapes Winefest to serve many purposes". Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Walker, Hunter. "This Is What It's Like Inside The 'World's Largest Wine Cellar'". Business Insider. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  6. ^ "Rating Steak Houses". Wine Spectator. 31 March 1996. Archived from the original on 17 December 2002. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
  7. ^ "Bern's Steak House". Wine Spectator. 1 January 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  8. ^ Mariani, John (Winter 1993). "Ready for Prime Time: A Good Steak Is Hard to Find". Cigar Aficionado. Archived from the original on 10 October 2007. Retrieved 25 August 2007.

External links[]

Coordinates: 27°55′53″N 82°28′58″W / 27.93139°N 82.48278°W / 27.93139; -82.48278

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