Like an old friend, Harrah’s Steak House is comfortable to be around, a familiar, relaxing oasis in a busy world.
Now in its 41st year, the restaurant is located on the lower level of Harrah’s Reno Hotel & Casino. It was here in Reno, Nev., in 1973 that Bill Harrah first opened a bingo parlor. It would be the forerunner of Harrah’s Entertainment, now considered to be the world’s largest provider of branded casino entertainment.
Maître d’ Michael Kerivan says Harrah’s Steak House was Bill Harrah’s first restaurant and is “still generally considered to be the top restaurant in the Harrah’s Group.”
A loyal staff helps keep this steakhouse humming. The average employee tenure is 23 years.
Day shift manager Debbie Fquailia has been at Harrah’s for 35 years, all of her working life.
“It’s just a great place to work,” she says. “I’m third-generation. My grandfather was a sous chef here, and my mother was a waitress. I started as a waitress. Mr. Harrah’s motto was that he would meet or beat any competitors, and he had a strong dislike for unions, so we always made more money; we always got a better benefit package.”
Fquailia says Harrah, who died in 1978, started profit sharing in the early 1970s.
“I think he felt it was the right thing,” she says.
Kerivan, a veteran restaurant manager, came to Harrah’s in 1987. As maître d’, he is the manager and runs the show. It’s his baby, and he talks fondly of it.
“We have a lot of wood,” he says. “The tones are rich, the lighting is subdued and we are in tuxedo.”
However, he quickly adds: “We’re not stuffy. If anything, we’re very playful. We interact with the guests. It is not unusual for customers across the restaurant to break into spontaneous applause with the showmanship that goes on here.”
For instance, marriage proposals, which occur about once a month, always prompt clapping, Kerivan says.
“They will slip us a wedding ring, and we bring it out with the meal and with flowers and present the wedding ring to the lady,” he says. “So far we have a good batting average. All the women have said yes.”
Popular with locals, Harrah’s also draws clientele from all over.
“Oh yes,” Kerivan says, “people come from as far away as Florida or New York. They say the reason they come to Reno is for this restaurant. It has a long history.”
Johnathan Wright, food and drink writer for the Reno Gazette-Journal, says: “When so many restaurants have become so casual, even at the high end, it’s important that places like Harrah’s endure and thrive. I love the low lighting and classic red booths, the attentive service and the martinis as big as a birdbath.”
Chef Jeffrey Galick, a Johnson & Wales graduate, has been at Harrah’s for 18 years. He enjoys being creative in the kitchen, but he points out that, “probably 80 percent of the menu has stayed the same because we have so many repeat customers.”
Over the years, Harrah’s has become a tradition for families. Kids who came with their parents have now grown up and are bringing their families to the restaurant.
“We have tried to change the menu, and we can get a little bit out there on a few items, but basically it’s just an old-style steakhouse,” says Galick, who goes on to say that he probably sells almost 1,000 more filet mignon than any other item.
Rib-eye is another big seller, he adds. Although steak is king, Galick calls the menu diverse.
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“We have people who have been eating here for 20 to 25 years who come in for the Dover sole amandine because we do that tableside,” he says.
Wright has his own candid but appreciative take on Harrah’s cuisine: “The menu isn’t food-forward. Some efforts have been made to offer newer flavors and ingredients—chipotle vinaigrette and mango sauce fall into this category.”
But, he continues, “where else could I get steak Diane, which I love? Or Dover sole? Or crêpes Suzette?” This style of tableside cooking is “a dying art,” he says, “and I’m glad it still lives at Harrah’s Steak House.”
Kerivan has managed several establishments in Las Vegas. With 21 years under his belt at Harrah’s, he says, “The best thing I could do is hang a microphone over the top of my head as guests leave and get their comments. One fellow was given not too long to live, and he said to his family, ‘When I die, I don’t want a big production, I just want you guys to go to the steakhouse, because that is where I had my best memories.’”
MENU SAMPLER Dungeness crab cakes $12.50Creamy five-onion soup $7.50 24-oz bone-in Angus rib-eye $38.5Roasted half duck $29.50 Chanterelle Parmesan crusted breast of chicken $24.50 Soufflé $8.50
Helping to make those memories is fine-tuned service. Galick continues to be impressed with the communication within the restaurant.
“I have never worked in a place with better teamwork between the front- and the back-of-the-house,” he says. “You can joke around, do what you want, but when we get hit all of a sudden, everybody knows their place.”
Kerivan adds: “We are very strong on personalized service. We still have the captain.”
Wright says Reno’s dining scene has improved significantly in the past five years as more people from large cities move into the area.
“We now have several cutting-edge, chef-driven restaurants and diverse ethnic food offerings,” he says. “Dining out in Reno no longer means only casinos. At the same time, Harrah’s Steak House is a casino restaurant that I hope goes on forever. It’s a wonderful piece of Old Reno.”
Kerivan says that others would agree. “There is not a night that goes by that somebody doesn’t say this is the best meal they’ve had in their whole life,” he says. “At Harrah’s, it’s more than just the food, it’s the total experience.”
