Finding a cheap steak dinner can be dicey — if the price is right, the meal usually isn’t. Small tough cuts of meat that have been sitting under a warming light for an hour or so ain’t a bargain, no matter how inexpensive they might be. PJ’s Sports Bar, on West Gray between Taft and Montrose, has a more appetizing alternative. Every Thursday is Steak Night at the bar, and the menu is straightforward: two steaks, two salads, two baked potatoes and a pitcher of beer, all for $20. P.J. Mastro himself barbecues the nicely sized steaks. There’s nothing fancy here — the bar is small and low-key, and the decorations consist mainly of promotional posters from beer companies — but the food’s good and so’s the company. What more do you want for 20 bucks?
This article appears in Sep 21-27, 2000.