Where the Greats Go: Bern’s Steakhouse

If you wanted to sell wine to Bern Laxer, you’d have to taste with him at 1:00am. You’d have to ignore the sounds of mops being squeezed, dishes being steamed, and doors swinging as bussers left to go home. You’d have to watch as he sat there in his steak-stained apron and dug his nose into the glass. His word was good. His taste was unmatched. The next day, you’d know where to find him again.

At the turn of the 20th century, relentless anti-semitism and persecution led Bern’s parents to flee Eastern Europe and move to New York City, where Bern was born in 1923. After serving in World War II, Bern met his wife and lifetime business partner, Gert, and got married in 1950. They wanted to move to California, but after a short stop in Tampa, money ran out. Bern and Gert were stuck in Florida and had to make something out of nothing.

After a few failed attempts at starting an ice cream shop, Bern and Gert opened a small lunch spot inside a strip mall in 1953. They later expanded their space by taking over the neighboring Beer Haven bar, and rebranded it to ‘Bern’s’ using salvaged sign letters (they couldn’t afford to buy more letters to spell ‘and Gert’s’). When they realized they could sell steak for twice as much during dinner service, they made the decision to make it a steakhouse that would open in the evenings.

Bern didn’t drink much, but he tasted a lot. In the 60s and 70s, he grew a deep appreciation for wine and visited regions like Burgundy, Rhône Valley, Douro Valley, and Champagne with his multiple film cameras, well before flocks of MW’s, critics, and sommeliers went. Those memories line the walls of the restaurant that later took over the entire building (hence the many dining rooms that were once stores, barbershops, and bars). The only photos he didn’t snap are the ones he is in, such as Bern and the great winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff in conversation as Andre holds a cigarette between two fingers.

Those wine trips became his buying sprees which today make up the nation’s biggest wine cellar with over 650,000 bottles. It is the mecca of fine and aged wine, and wine lovers make annual pilgrimages to pay their respects. Nowhere else can you find a 1985 Côtes du Rhône made by Etienne Guigal for $100, tucked away in the cellar where the insulation is mashed newspaper and the cellar lights are from abandoned airports. Bern bought these wines for cheap long ago and kept prices accessible (except for maybe the 1841 Lafite Rothschild). It’s special for aged wine fans, because it’s possible.

Brad’s pick: J. Vidal-Fleury Côtes du Rhône 1985, made by Etienne Guigal

A few weeks ago, we drove 4.5 hours (and got a speeding ticket) to make that pilgrimage for the first time. We interviewed head sommelier Brad Dixon, who also took us on a tour of the steakhouse, including the Harry Waugh dessert room, Andre Tchelistcheff room, and the famous warehouse across the street that houses the majority of the wines.

But to our surprise, the visit ended up being less about wine and more about who Bern was as a person. Sure, it’s a top restaurant to celebrate life’s biggest occasions, but here you step inside a timeless capsule that captures the identity of a great man and great woman who slept little, did a lot, and created a metaphor for life along the way. It’s under one roof in Tampa, and worth the visit.

Bern died in 2002 and Gert in 2020. Their son, David, runs the business today and continues to preserve the legacy of these two giants who created something special, not out of nothing, but out of the fire in their hearts.

Bern Laxer in front of his iconic restaurant.