Fleming's

I had the opportunity to take the wife to Fleming's on Saturday night. I'll stop short of saying I was disappointed. Overall meal was good. Steak was good. Sides were good. Salad was good. Dessert was good. Service was excellent.

It just wasn't over the top for the price. I can get a better meal at a number of restaurants for the same price or better. As compared to Ruth's Chris (Not the BR Ruth's which is terrible) I feel like Fleming's offering was less for equivalent or higher cost.

Anyone else have an experience to share?

 

As compared to any other Ruth's I've been to across the country, it is far and away the worst. The quality is lacking, as compared to what I come to expect from Ruth's. Changing menu items from the traditional menu (e.g., putting BBQ shrimp over garlic mashed potatoes, rather than straight up) to suit the owner's personal tastes. It just lacks compared to any others I have been to including NO, Lafayette, DC, Vegas, Orlando, Houston, Frisco, Denver, and Toronto (I consider myself a reasonable evaluator).

The very best are the original location on Broad St. in New Orleans followed closely by Lafayette.

If I want steak in BR, I go either Sullivan's or Ruffino's, or I pick up something from Chris' Specialty and cook it at home on the DCS. Otherwise, its off to NO or Lafayette.

 

In all fairness, I haven't been to Sullivan's for dinner since November, and I have heard recently that their quality has slipped. I did go for lunch a couple of weeks back and the offering was of high quality. It is quite possible that Sullivan's has slipped, as I have heard recently. If so, I will be terribly disappointed on my next venture there.

Its probably not reasonable for me to compare Sullivans to the BR Ruth because when I rate Ruth, its against the other Ruth's that I have been to. On that comparison of apples to apples, the BR Ruth is horrible compared to any other Ruth I have been to.

So if my choice is between BR Ruth which is below the Ruth standard, and Sullivans, I would still choose Sullivans since I would be less disappointed. But this is just one man's opinion.

 

There is a Fleming's here in Richmond, but I can't afford to park in their parking lot or walk by their front door. Pretty high priced for Virginia.

When I lived in New Orleans, my favorite steak place was Charlie's Steak House. Classic old neighborhood place that had been there for years. The decor was basically autographed photos of some of the Saints players and some beer signs. Nothing fancy at all. They had no menu. The waitress was great. She was a classic "yat" and would come up to the table and say, "Awright dawl, we got da fee-lay, small or lawge t-bone, strip wit da bone." Then she would ask, "Ya wanna salad wit dat? Some onion rings?" The steak came out on a metal platter sizzling in a quarter inch of butter. She would holler over to your table, "Y'all put up ya napkins!" If you didn't hold your napkin up in front of you, you would get splattered by sizzling butter.

Anyway, they served excellent steaks and side dishes for years. Anyone know if it is still there?

 

I guess where I am coming from is that when you go to a chain, you have a certain expectation of what you are going to get. You expect to get the same (or comparable) quality at every venue. Whether its McDonald's, Chili's, Carrabba's, or anything else, you have a certain expectation.

If I have multiple experiences as less than my expectations, I classify that particular venue as terrible, as compared to the chain. As long as its apples-to-apples, the BR Ruth's is terrible as Ruth's go. If we go apples-to-oranges, BR Ruth's is better than some and worse than others.

Sorry for beating this to death, but I felt like I needed to explain myself a bit better.

 

I loved the steak that I got at Flemings and the service and atmosphere were the best I have ever had in BR. I would highly recommend it.

It also didnt hurt that the night I went Jessica Simpson and Stifler were there.