Patrick E.
Yelp
First, I want to say I left this in my drafts and kept coming back to it because I wanted to be completely fair. I was wavering between three and five stars. Which, I know that sounds odd, but I have specific reasons.
However, since this is going to be a complicated review, I will give you a tl:dr at the end.
Getting a tomahawk had been on my mind for a couple of weeks. But I couldn't decide where to go. Then, I got an email from Fleming's about their "Twosday" special. Two salads, two sides, two desserts, and a 35oz steak for $140. Which, for the quality, is a great deal.
I went with two Caesar salads to start. And they were excellent. The ratio of toppings and dressings was spot on.
Next up were the sides. I got the Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Bacon and the Chipotle Mac & Cheese for those. The Sprouts were good, but the Mac and Cheese was a big wow.
And on to the tomahawk.
This was a big, juicy, perfectly cooked steak. And one of my favorite things about Fleming's is the kinds of butter that come with the cuts. They have three different varieties, and they are equally delicious.
Finally, I had the Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake and Carrot Cake. Which one is better? It will depend on your flavor preferences, but both are great.
The food was 5/5. Here's where I was going back and forth for the overall score.
I made sure to get there at the opening because I thought it would be slower, and since I was going by myself, I didn't want to take up space if they got packed. Between me sitting down and getting my salads, it was about 25 minutes.
It was almost an hour and a half between me ordering and finishing my meal (which, yes, I did take quite a bit to-go). And I didn't take any time deciding what I wanted.
The steak and sides were a full hour. And it was another half hour to dessert.
I tried to eat as slowly as I could, but the pacing was abysmal.
They were having what looked like a big team meeting when I got there, so that might have held it up. Or, it could well be that they just aren't built to handle a single customer. Maybe it was a mix of both?
The steak was medium rare, so it really shouldn't have been more than 30 minutes.
Then, and this is one of those small things that make a difference for me, came the ice cream.
I was clear that I was traveling and that I wanted my desserts to-go. They came to-go, but there was also ice cream.
Which I had not asked for, nor did I even want. I'm not a fan of á la mode. Not even as a kid at birthday parties. And I was charged extra for it.
So, there I was, eating ice cream that I didn't want but paid for because I knew there was no way it would make it the 30-45 minutes it would take on I-25 to get home.
And I didn't know I had paid for it until I looked at the receipt when I got home. Who would add ice cream to-go?
Adding to the weirdness, I sat there waiting for a spoon. They were trying to find a to-go one I didn't want or need.
Now, I want to stress this: the entire staff was very, very nice. The bartender who waited on me was excellent. It was just these operational incongruities that sunk the experience.
Yes, it was a great deal. You save about $50 getting the special. However, once you get into the $100 +/tomahawk area, in my mind, there is an expectation of a better quality experience.
And that is how I landed on three stars.
Tl;dr Excellent food, great/friendly staff, bad pacing, odd and irritating mistakes. Would suggest for a group, not for a single person. Don't go when they first open. Also, it is not a destination-level restaurant, considering how many similar places you would pass once you get 10-15 minutes away. If you are close, it's worth a shot.