My buddy and i are avid golf players and one day we were out on the course and decided that who ever won would take the loser to a place they would chose but the loser would pay. well needless to say i lost that bet. My friend told me about this new steakhouse he had found in Sparta, NJ. now being someone that is a steakhouse pro of sorts was a bit skeptical at first. I have been to a few premiere steakhouses (BLT Prime, Chris Ruths, Peter Lugers) Now saying that this location has a little ways to go in that department (hence the four stars) HOWEVER from the moment I walked in the door i was greeted with smiling faces and warm welcomes. we had a couple of added guests (which the hostess was very accommodating and told us it would be just a little longer wait while a larger table was being cleared). While we waited we went into the bar where the service was prompt and welcoming. We engaged in conversation with the bartender and he was recommending certain items off of the menu, two of the entrees, which he stressed were “must tries” was either the Porterhouse or the 20oz Signature Steak both with prime dry aging.

We did wind up waiting for an extended period of time due to the table not wanting to leave the live jazz that was being played so the bartender had the kitchen bring out a complimentary dish while we waited just a bit longer. Now normally i have gotten a drink and been satisfied, but not something like that. Needless to say the calamari that was brought out was delicious! melt right in your mouth good. with the two aioli sauces and marinara it was to die for!
In a short time we were brought to past the raw/pizza bar where people i was could sit and eat there and from what i could tell, actually get a look in at the kitchen and watch all the food being prepared.

We were brought to a nice sized table as we were a bunch of not so slim guys, very comfortable chairs as i recall it. My friend took a look at the wine list and didn’t need to look through twice as he found exactly what he was looking for. The service was impeccable, from the water glass never being empty to every time one of us left the table and came back our napkins were neatly folded.

The food came out right when we expected it to and the 20oz recommendation that i got was right on! I have never had such an incredible steak in my life!! Now my one friend decided that he was champ enough to take on the Porterhouse for TWO by himself! As he did give it a good go at it, he needed our help in the end and that made things easier for me because from the very moment it was laid down in front of him and the aroma of the dry age hit my nostrils I was determined to have some whether he would give it up or not!

At the end of our meal and visit the same warm friendly faces that said hello to us were there to wish us well! I can not say enough about this place, but what i can say is that they have me for a customer for life. I can’t wait to win the next golf game with my buddy because I know where I want to go!

Who would think to look for a great steak house in the corner of a strip mall in Sparta? But having found it, I and my family have returned numerous times with friends who have in turn (after experiencing the same satisfaction) have returned with friends and family of their own.

Just what is it that makes Docs a great find? Well, begin with the welcoming hostess, attentive and knowledgeable staff, nice decor, include jazz music on a Friday or Saturday night, and of course — great food!

We have visited Docs both with family and friends at least a 1/2 dozen times in the last 6 months and at all times the service has been excellent starting with the hostess leading us to our table, to the servers serving our meal and to the table being cleaned. Everything was well-paced and balanced.
The food as well has been excellent starting with the Mushroom soup along with either the Jumbo Shrimp or the Lump Crab cocktails. On most occasions I have enjoyed the Filet of Beef cooked medium rare which came out cooked perfectly each time. I have also had the Salmon on one occasion and it proved to be an excellent choice as well. I’ve had the grilled asparagus as a side and again, I enjoyed this dish as well.
On Friday and Saturday nights not only can you enjoy your meal along with a live Jazz three-some, you can actually sit and have a normal level conversation at the same time.
We encourage all to go to Docs and enjoy!

I have been to Docs multiple times now. The service and atmosphere were all wonderful. The food was also very wonderful, my favorite being the filet mignon and grilled asparagus. I have no complaints about Docs and I often recommend it to family and friends for an enjoyable evening out.

I’ve eaten at Docs several times now and each experience is better than the next. From its pleasant and professional staff, to its relaxed ambiance and diverse selection of dishes, Docs is the perfect restaurant for a night out with family and friends. Occasionally, you can even catch a live band complimenting its intimate setting.

I had a family reunion at Doc’s this afternoon. I entered the restaurant with my party and was met by the maitre’ d and inquired for a wine list. He sat us at a table ( we were the only patrons in the restaurant at 2 o’clock pm) and presented a bottle of wine off of a display that he offered for the special price of $50. He finally brought a wine list and the waiter approached. Where as the Maitre’d was rather pushy, our waiter was charming and knowledgeable. We had a brief but intelligent conversation about a few wines on the list and settled on a nice Zinfandel. We ordered lunch and proceded with our family reunion. The waiter was knowledgeable and attentive without being intrusive. I wanted Oysters on the half shell and was told he would have to check to be sure they were available today. (What raw bar?) The waiter then assured that oysters on the half shell, blue points from maryland were available and took our order. Over all the food was enjoyable, a few high notes were the oysters, the mushroom soup, and the signature salad (Doc’s salad) which the waiter made sure to let us knowwe could add a choice of protiens too. Again, the service was enjoyable, the waiter was intelligent and engaging, but knew when to step away. The Maitre’d on the other hand approached the table a couple of times and was aggressive and intrusive. Annoying! We didnt have dessert, but the waiter brought us mints with our check which seemed thoughtful at lunch.

Over all it was a mixed bag experience. Perhaps if the Maitre’d had stayed out of the picture this would have been a 3 star rating. However I can only rate it 1 star and that credit mostly goes to the waiter that served us on Weds afternoon.

I had to put one star as this site will not let you give it no stars. Not only does this place deserve no stars it is horrible place to eat, it is owned by the nastiest and rudest owner I have ever encountered. It is not surprising that this restaurant serves overpriced, low grade dogfood to unsuspecting patrons. The service was poor from beginning to end with arude and nasty wait staff and owner. It is obvious from looking at this place that this dump is in financial distress, there was not enough staff for a weekend night. I understand from other locals that there is constant turnover among the staff and chefs due to the low class owner. The word around the area is that this place is a rip-off and should be avoided at all costs!!!! I guess it is aptly named “Docs” as you will likely need a trip to the doctor after your meal. The place was dirty, dark, disorganized and a public health hazard. The owner seems more interested in schmoozing with his buddies at the bar than attending to his dining customers.The place is not family friendly and the owner clearly has serious problems This place will likely be closing soon!!!!!

My Husband and I had an 8:30 reservation. By 9:30 and still waiting for drinks, water, bread, and some acknowledment of being there we were about to walk out. We were told that the bar was packed and the waiter was waiting for our drinks. Have they heard of a thing called Service Bartenders? There was only bus boy for a busy restaurant (no wonder no water and bread). Our waiter spent more time behind the computer entering orders, getting checks and cleaning tables off then tending to his tables with thristy/hungry customers. The Hostess and Maître d were so busy tending to friends of theirs then to notice how frustrated their other customer’s were getting by this unbelieveable lack of service. Oh and to compensate us for our aggrevation we received an apology and drink on the house. EXTEMELY UNPROFESSIONAL. I expect they will lose repeat customers and new ones because of word of mouth based on this night alone. SERVICE is as important as good food.

My wife and I went to Docs for our anniversary and were very pleased. I’ve been to some of the best steakhouses around, so let’s get the comparisons out of the way: Docs is not on the level of Peter Luger’s, Sparks, or Wolfgang’s. It’s closer to Smith and Wollensky, Angelo and Maxie, or Ruth’s Chris. It is, however, a notch below the latter restaurants.

That said, for a place only open a few months, it is very good, and has the potential to become excellent with more feedback and time.

For appetizers, I had the jumbo lump crab cocktail and my wife had a half dozen oysters on the half shell. The crab was excellent, some of the best I’ve had. The oysters (and my wife is a connoisseur) were fine, but there were two problems. The first was that the oyster was not separated from the shell, so my wife had to use her fork to pry it off. A high-end joint would have that done. Second, unfortunately, one of the oysters was rotten. That is simply unacceptable. The manager apologized and said these problems were the result of someone new shucking the oysters, and that he would be told so it would not happen again. The matter was handled appropriately, and, quite frankly, we really didn’t dwell on it.

For dinner, I had Docs signature serloin steak, while my wife had the Texas prime serloin. Both were very good and cooked perfectly (medium rare). We both agreed, however, that they could have been more marbled, or perhaps thinner cuts, to offset a bit of chewiness. In addition (and this might just be a matter of culinary style) the meat itself was not noticably seasoned, but rather was served on a light bed of sauce that had seasoning in it, which was quite delicious. The meat was also served with a few string beans and a dab of mashed sweet potatoes with honey, which was a knockout. All in all, we thought the meat was very good; probably a notch below Ruth’s Chris, but certainly better than anything else locally. Given time, perhaps with a little saltier seasoning and a bit more marbeling, the steak at Docs has the potential to be superb.

The sides were very good as well. In particular, the four cheese truffle macaroni and cheese was, quite simply, the best we’d ever had. Everything from the taste and consistency of the cheese to the texture of the pasta was flawless – - fall-out-of-your-seat great. (This was a special that will, thankfully, soon be a staple of the menu). The creamed spinach was top-notch as well, better than I’ve had most anywhere else. My wife thought the tanginess of the crumbled parmesan/panko bread crumbs overpowered the spinach, but I didn’t agree. A matter of taste, I suppose. Overall, the sides were excellent.

Dessert was carrotcake and chocolate ganache cake. Both were very good, and the right portions for each of us to be able to finish after a big meal.

Our service was excellent. Our waiter was polite, knowledgeable, and gave us our privacy unless we needed something. In addition, our water glasses never got below half full (always a sign of good service in my opinion).

Overall, I think that Docs is a very good steakhouse – - especially for having just gotten started – - that can only get better with time, and has the potential to be outstanding. We will definitely return soon.

ITS SAD TO SAY THAT AGAIN, IN SPARTA THERE IS NOT A SINGE DECENT RESTAURANT. AFTER DINING IN DOCS A “GREAT” STEAKHOUSE MY EXPERIENCE WAS THAT PEOPLE DONT KNOW HOW OR WHAT TO EAT. GREAT REVIEWS ON THE INTERNET BUT ACTUALLY I DONT KNOW IF THE PEOPLE KNOW ANY BETTER. IVE EATEN IN FIVE STAR RESTAURANTS AND SO I CANT COMPARE THIS PLACE OR COME EVEN CLOSE TO A GOOD STEAKHOUSE. WANT TO EAT GREAT FOOD AT A STEAKHOUSE,….TRY THE RIVER PALM IN BERGEN COUNTY…ITS WORTH THE DRIVE…ITS THE SAME MONEY AND WELL WORTH IT. DOCS RUSHES YOU IN ON A SAT NIGHT, FORGETS ENTREES, TOO DARK TO SEE YOUR FOOD AND THE MEAT WAS VERY FATTY…WE DID NOT STAY FOR DESERT…WE WERE IN AND OUT IN A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR..AND DINNER FOR FOUR SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THAT QUICK…VERY DISAPPOINTED AND WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT.

I go out to eat at least three times a week. I heard great reviews about Docs and since my husband is a steak connoisseur, I figured we would test out a new restaurant. I can honestly say THIS WAS THE BEST MEAL I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE -from the food right down to the ambiance.

We went on a Friday night around 8:30 and there was no wait, though there was a nice sized crowd and a jazz band playing. The tables provide plenty of room to have an intimate conversation without any fear of others hearing. It is spatially well planned.

Everything on the menu is ala carte. We ordered medium well filets, mashed potatoes, french fries, and a salad in red wine vinaigrette.

We were immediately greeted by a hospitable waitress and our drinks came in minutes. Before the waitress completed our drink order, there was warm bread on the table. We only waited a few more minutes for the salad, which was incredible, and a promising indication of what was to come.

My husband, the steak connoisseur, grew excited when he smelled the steak -hoping it would be as good as its aroma indicated.

We didn’t have a long wait to find out. Dinner was served promptly. The filet with demi-glaze could practically melt in your mouth. I’m not a big steak eater -in fact, I rarely finish a steak but this time I barely came up for air. It may quite possibly be the best steak I have ever tasted. The mashed potatoes were second to none. Despite how full we were, we just couldn’t stop eating. When food can actually get my endorphins racing, it’s got to be good.

We topped off our evening with a dessert – chocolate cheesecake, triple-layered with chocolate mouse and cake. We also ordered vanilla ice cream. The presentation was really creative with a shadow of a fork sprinkled on the plate. Just when I thought dinner couldn’t be topped, the dessert was decadent, creamy, and indulgent.

At one point I said to my husband, you just want to stand up and give this place a standing ovation. I even said, this may quite possibly be better than chocolate. A theory I did get to test when the waitress brought some mouth watering pieces of chocolate to the table with our bill.

By Sussex County standards, the meal was on the higher side but worth every penny. Two fillets, a salad, mashed potatoes, french fries, two desserts, bottled water, and four beers ran us around $98.00 plus tip. This was certainly not money wasted.

We can’t give Docs enough stars. This place could turn a vegetarian into a carnivore. It’s really a place not to be missed!!!

We had a really good time at this place. The people over there was very friendly…The food was great… the appetizers and specially the filet mignon were great. I’m going back with my fiancé for a romantic dinner next weekend (I hope she’ll agree with me about this restaurant…)