WATERTOWN — If you’ve ever dined in France, you know it’s not uncommon to visit a restaurant that only offers steak and frites. When Mark Bucher first experienced the concept, he knew immediately that he wanted to open a similar restaurant in America.
That's how Medium Rare, which debuted in 2010 in Washington, D.C., was born, he said.
"It went gangbusters," Bucher added. “The food and the service lived up to the hype."
He and his business partner, Tom Gregg, have since opened eight more Medium Rare restaurants. Their newest location — and first in Massachusetts — opened Dec. 16 at Arsenal Yards in Watertown.
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So, what exactly is Medium Rare?
Some restaurants have overwhelming menus. Not Medium Rare.
In fact, there's one option: A one-course pre-fixe meal for $34.95 that includes artisan rustic bread, mixed green salad and an award-winning culotte steak, seared to personal preference, drizzled with Medium Rare’s secret sauce and a side of fresh-cut French fries.
Vegetarians and vegans can enjoy a portobello mushroom entre?e with roasted red-pepper sauce.
“We decided to do one thing and be the best at it," Bucher said. "We knew it was successful in Europe. We weren’t inventing this."
“It’s an insane value and it’s insane quality of what you get," he continued. "We’ve kept our promise. Over the years, we haven’t changed a single thing. No specials, no menu additions, no menu deletions. We stick and stay with what we do.”
Earlier:New restaurant coming to Watertown is known to serve just one entree
Medium Rare’s most closely guarded recipe is its sauce
Medium Rare’s culotte steak comes generously drizzled with a “secret” sauce.
Bucher said he and Gregg went through hundreds of variations for about a year before coming up with its recipe.
“We worked with a group of highly decorated French chefs to help us perfect it,” Bucher said. “We knew we had to have a sauce with ‘come back’ quality and we do. We go through insane lengths to keep it a secret.”
Medium Rare also has a simple bar menu
Keeping with its concept, Medium Rare has four signature cocktails, one seasonal cocktail, four beers on tap, three local draft beers, four reds, four whites, one vodka, one gin, one bourbon, one scotch and a tequila.
“Life’s complicated enough," Bucher said. "When you come to Medium Rare, the only decision you should really have to make is how you want your steak cooked."
Medium Rare offers a casual, fun dining experience
It’s Easter year round at Medium Rare, because Easter eggs are hidden throughout the restaurant to add whimsy to the experience, according to Bucher.
“There’s a surprise that comes halfway through the meal and a surprise at the end,” he said.
Guests are treated to French touches as they dine. Customers' orders are written on top of the table’s paper cover in crayon; cocktail napkins feature flirty French pick-up lines; and guests can take a quick French lesson while using the restroom.
Five desserts at Medium Rare
There are more options for dessert at Medium Rare.
The pre-fixe menu does not come with dessert. But for an additional $12, you can indulge in one of five “all-American" dessert options, including grandma’s apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream; the house specialty, hot fudge sundae; a double chocolate fudge layer cake; a six-layer carrot cake; or key lime pie.
Weekend brunch
Medium Rare is open for dinner on weekdays and for brunch on weekends. The latter comes with unlimited cocktails, coffee, juice and soda for $39.95.
Besides the steak frites, brunch offers its famous Benedict (steak and egg portobello mushroom hash, poached egg, secret sauce, hollandaise and fresh cut fries); the ultimate American breakfast sandwich (steak and choice of eggs, fries, artisanal chorizo sausage served on a rustic baguette with secret sauce and hollandaise); steak and eggs; and its house specialty, 24-hour soaked French toast with artisanal sausage.
Medium Rare’s Feed the Fridge philanthropic program
Bucher said Medium Rare is passionate about helping those with food insecurity. Owners run Feed the Fridge, a program that feeds 3,600 people with meals placed in refrigerators by local restaurants at recreation centers, schools and other locations in Washington, D.C., and in Montgomery County and Prince George’s County in Maryland.
The program started during the pandemic and has since grown to 29 refrigerators.
In 2023, Bucher announced plans for Medium Rare to expand to cities with NFL teams; he said such cities are strong in media, commerce, community and support for restaurants, as well as an ability to make a difference with food insecurity.
Medium Rare next plans to open in or near Philadelphia. Other existing locations include Washington, D.C.; Arlington, Virginia; Columbia and Bethesda, Maryland; New Orleans; Dallas; Houston; and New York City.