Gorilla Cinema Presents is a self-described “creative experiences company” that traffics in immersive concept bars and enchanting pop-ups: the colorful La Ofrenda tequila spot near Findlay Market, the Video Archive movie-store speakeasy in Walnut Hills and The Shining-influenced Overlook Lodge in Pleasant Ridge. Next to the latter is the group’s first foray into full food service. The Lonely Pine Steakhouse is a retro restaurant with transportive décor reminiscent of the American Southwest and the Atomic Age. It’s less focused on blatantly paying homage to a film than some of their other establishments, though there are nods to Back to the Future hidden throughout (even the name Lonely Pine is from the film). The concept here is a call-back to owner Jacob Trevino’s Texas childhood where delicious and affordable steaks were available at every roadside restaurant. His hope is to strip the idea of steak having to be a pricey special occasion dish, instead making options available for every budget. “To me it’s very much a working-man’s steakhouse. The secret is that we’ve got some high-end dry-aged steaks, but we also have a steak on the menu for $18 that’s wagyu high-quality beef,” he told CityBeat in an interview. The New York strip is dry-aged in house for 30 days, whereas that aforementioned wagyu comes in a four or eight ounce cut. The eight-ounce version is available in a special Route 66 combo: bread, salad, a side and that buttery dual-cut shoulder filet cooked to your specifications, all for $40. And if you happen to be eating with someone steak-averse, they don’t have to eat a wedge salad and a baked potato here. Lonely Pine has created a vegetarian Prairie Loaf meatloaf with mushrooms, black beans, eggplant, flaxseed and salsa verde. All very Mad Men when enjoyed with an ice-cold and nostalgic Steakhouse Martini. Lonely Pine Steakhouse, 6085 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge, lonelypinesteakhouse.com.
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