Hollywood Casino steakhouse earns 4-star rating

Only restaurant to receive Forbes honor in Ohio, Mich., Ind.

Forbes Travel Guide judges took note of the Final Cut Steak & Sea­food restaurant’s plush, semicircular banquettes and its Hollywood memorabilia when awarding it four stars.

It’s official: That 28-ounce, bone-in ribeye and the Chilean sea bass at the Final Cut Steak & Seafood restaurant in the Hollywood Casino Toledo really are that good.

Less than a year after it opened, the popular dining spot has received a coveted four-star rating from the Forbes Travel Guide. It is the only restaurant to receive the honor in Ohio, Michigan, or Indiana.

The casino’s high-end, dinner-only restaurant opened in May with the rest of the casino. The travel guide’s secret judging was held before the restaurant unveiled its new menu a month ago, featuring top-quality American Wagyu beef, roasted bacon, and house-made tater tots served with pork crackling.

“The casino leadership mentioned early on that that was a goal they had for Final Cut,” said Wendy Gramza, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce executive vice president.

“I’ve eaten there a few times and I’m really not surprised that they could get the rankings. It’s a fabulous experience,” she said.

Officials from the restaurant declined to comment on the award, citing a request from Forbes.

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Final Cut Steak & Seafood 

The Forbes Travel Guide is the most discriminating and perhaps the most influential ratings guide in the country.

Formerly the Mobil Travel Guide — Forbes began publishing it in 2009 — the guide lists only 133 four-star restaurants and just 28 five-star restaurants throughout the United States.

The Palace Restaurant in Cincinnati received a recommended rating, which is a notch below four stars. The MGM Grand Detroit hotel and its Immerse Spa both also received four stars.

They were the only four-star hotel and spa in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

According to the travel guide, “a classic American restaurant like Final Cut Steak & Seafood might seem like it wouldn’t hold any surprises, but you’d be wrong.”

Along with noting the quality of the meat served and the drink menus on tablet computers, the guide raves, “the Toledo restaurant’s housemade steak sauce is a thing of beauty.”

The restaurant’s plush, semicircular banquettes were given special notice, and “if you can take your attention from your juicy steak or chicken breast, you’ll note several pieces of Hollywood memorabilia from the restaurant’s collection. Matt Damon’s well-tailored suit from the film The Adjustment Bureau was our favorite.”

While finding Final Cut surprisingly romantic, the guide adds, “The service is the real standout. Like the cuisine, the servers are accessible and reliable, sharing recommendations and explanations in a conversational manner that will instantly make you feel like a steakhouse regular.”

Ms. Gramza said the ranking “will obviously bring tourists to the area, without a doubt. It is always great to be the only one in the state to have something positive like that.”

Area businesses, too, should benefit from the review’s reflected glow, she said. A four-star restaurant adds to local amenities that draw businesses and entice clients to the area.

“It elevates the prestige and the sophistication of our city,” she said.

Though it may seem unlikely for a steakhouse to receive such a high honor, and few of the other four-star winners are steakhouses, the guide says Final Cut transcends its genre.

“We think the Toledo restaurant elevates the idea of what to expect from a steakhouse,” it says.

Contact Daniel Neman at: dneman@theblade.com or 419-724-6155.