What started out as a group of twenty-somethings in tech, with a friend named Mehran who knew how to cook a good steak, turned into a full-blown grind to establish a steakhouse. They had a vision, and one shot to give New Yorkers a chance at tasting the most exquisite steak the city had ever seen.
Mehran’s Steakhouse had an illustrious culinary history, with pictures of past U.S. presidents up on the walls, and previous menus on full display. It was situated on the Upper East Side, and its aesthetic had the makings of minimalist yet pretentious fine dining. Even the laser-printed wood-cut menu was unnecessarily complicated, featuring a four-course meal of simple dishes with ostentatious descriptions. A reservation in the fine-dining restaurant was heavily coveted and difficult to get, as they racked up a 2600-person waiting list. The restaurant was so popular that celebrities such as Drake were rumored to dine there, and ‘fans’ waited for him outside with signs held up.
If this looks too good to be true, that’s because it is. All the people who served for the night were friends who had no culinary experience, and the people who started it all—Mehran Jelali and Riley Walz—were all doing this for laughs. It’s an internet joke that became too real, and some guests only realized this once the steaks were being served and whole liters of milk could be requested. The promise of a “revolutionary steak experience” was definitely fulfilled, since Mehran’s Steakhouse offered a dining experience like no other.
It wasn’t like any other stuffy Michelin-starred establishment. Rather, it was a testament to how far people are willing to go for laughs. The steak might be of wedding buffet quality, but the commitment to the bit makes Mehran’s Steakhouse deserve no less than three Michelin Stars.
(featured image: Inside Edition screengrab)
