The steaks are perfect. The sides are jaw dropping. And the atmosphere is eye-popping. Which makes this one of the hottest new restaurants north of Boston.

Marcus Palmer – Owner, Smythe & Dove Steak: “Hi, I’m Marcus Palmer, and welcome to Smythe & Dove Steak.”

Located on Main Street in Andover, Massachusetts, Smythe & Dove Steak is slick and modern, but pays plenty of homage to the town’s rich history. It’s housed on the site of the original Andover bookstore, and named after one of the town’s historic mills. The two story space features a big busy bar on the first floor, with a state of the art wine system, and fun shuffleboard table, plus two private dining rooms and a beautiful wine room. The second floor boasts soaring barn inspired ceilings, a big electric fireplace, and an old pickup truck parked above the entrance.

Marcus Palmer – Owner, Smythe & Dove Steak: “We get a lot of ‘Wows’, which is what we’re looking for. We tried to replicate a circa 1850s barn, so lots of reclaimed wood from New England, and tried to make it look as if you were having a party up in your loft back in those days, this is exactly what it would look like.”

The most striking décor here is definitely the gorgeous portraits that decorate the dining room.

Marcus Palmer – Owner, Smythe & Dove Steak: “A good friend of mine, Domingo Barreres, he’s out of South Boston, does amazing art. And as soon as I saw his work, I said you need to be in my new restaurant. So we’ve got Lady Gaga, we’ve got Beyonce, and we have Carrie Fisher.”

From the second you see the enormous barn doors framing the facade of Smythe & Dove Steak, you know you’re in for an impressive experience not often found outside of the city. But despite the grandness of it all, the prices here remain reasonable.

Marcus Palmer – Owner, Smythe & Dove Steak: “Our concept is much more affordable. It’s the kind of place you can come to every night. It’s not special occasion. I think the service is polished, but it’s a lot of fun. And we tell our staff every day, have fun with your tables. It’s a dining experience.”

That experience begins with a loaf of fresh baked cinnamon raisin bread, which customers follow up with appetizers like a Wedge Salad with plenty of blue cheese, a Tuna Martini with crème fraiche, and warm house made Pretzel Bites with whole grain mustard.

Marcus Palmer – Owner, Smythe & Dove Steak: “They’re so popular. We serve so many pretzel bites. Warm, buttery pretzel bites with a mustard dipping sauce. Who wouldn’t want one? They’re so soft. The mustard has just enough spice, you coat it with a little bit of sea salt, and when they come out with that honey butter just right on top of them, they’re kind of addictive.”

Also addictive, and adorable; the Bacon Teriyaki Skewers, served in an old school Chinese take-out box, which always makes customers smile.

Marcus Palmer – Owner, Smythe & Dove Steak: “They get a good laugh over it, and then when they try it, that’s when it’s like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know bacon could be this good.’ It has a hint of teriyaki, and it mixes great with the fat content of the bacon. It’s a very flavorful dish.”

Entrees here include flavorful pastas, local seafood, an outstanding burger, and a thick and juicy brined Pork Chop.

Marcus Palmer – Owner, Smythe & Dove Steak: “We joke about it as the Fred Flintstone pork chop. This one’s about this thick, French served on the bone. And what we love about the quality of this pork chop is we can cook this to a beautiful medium rare, it’s really juicy in the middle, it’s not dried out pork. It hits the table and we get the wow factor.”

Of course there’s a good chance you’re coming to Smythe & Dove for steak, and the Prime fourteen ounce New York Sirloin does not disappoint.

Marcus Palmer – Owner, Smythe & Dove Steak: “To me, that’s the Cadillac of steak. So if you’re going to judge a steakhouse, by something, try the sirloin. And I’ve told people already I think it’s the best sirloin I’ve ever had. And I’ve eaten in all the major steak houses.”

Every great steak deserves some equally impressive sides, and the ever changing options include absolutely enormous thick cut Onion Rings, and this giant Hash Brown, that’s crispy around the edge, and tender in the middle.

Marcus Palmer – Owner, Smythe & Dove Steak: “No one around here does them, probably because they’re a pain, and they’re hard to make, they’re labor intensive, but I told my chef, we have to do them. They’re just so good. So we make them to order, black cast iron skillet, we’re not allowed to tell you how much butter is in them, definitely enough for two people, maybe three. We can only make so many. So we stay up on it as much as we can. But unfortunately there are some nights we can’t keep up with that demand.”

Every meal at Smythe & Dove should end on a sweet note, because the desserts are tough to resist; Whether you opt for the Cinnamon Donut Bread Pudding with vanilla ice cream and caramel, the towering Chocolate Cake for two, or the rich and creamy Chocolate Mousse.

Marcus Palmer – Owner, Smythe & Dove Steak: “It’s mousse and salted caramel with fresh whipped cream. And when you get your spoon through it all and you hit the level of the salted caramel and then get a little bit of the mousse, that’s when you really figure it out. Mousse is okay but salted caramel just makes it.”

And it’s the combination of everything Smythe & Dove does that makes a meal here so memorable. And it’s why customers keep coming back.

Marcus Palmer – Owner, Smythe & Dove Steak: “People walk in the front door, and within minutes, it’s ‘Hey, hey, hey’ they all know each other. We’re creating friends, we’re creating memories. And we’re unique in that way.”