JD F.
Yelp
So Shari's has been running a LOT of radio ads for their "Friday Prime Rib Special" lately. But nothing on their website or on line menus mentions WHAT is so special about this special. I hate it when on line menus (and the paper menus they allow you to take home) do not show prices....it is so easy to change prices, it's a red flag. It is MY JOB to explain these details, good and bad.
This review is the Garden Home Shari's but I suspect it applies largely to the entire chain. And I'll add another star IF they put prices on their on line and to go menus.
No, it is not a "special" price, or a BOGO, or a coupon, or a large cut for the price of a small or some extra appetizer or side. What makes THIS Shari's "special" is that they only do Prime Rib on Friday.
What it should be called is "Shari's Friday wine by the bottle special". That's ok with me even if a little misleading.
Friday's from 4 pm till close, IF you order one of the three Prime Rib "specials" you can buy:
Thorney Rose California Cabernet (regular $ 18),
Houge Washington Merlot (reg. $ 17),
Sycamore White Zinfandel ($ 16), or Chardonnay ($17) at half price.
Apparently the per glass prices are not so discounted...but I failed to ask.
There are three Prime Rib choices:
Herbal rubbed ($ 10.99),
Blackened ($ 11.49) or
Blackened with Cajun shrimp ($ 11.99). Each is offered: "extra shrimp" (additional $ 3.99 I THINK...price not on paper menu).
Now I've been tricked before about "shrimp" before so I ask Corine, "The Blackened with Cajun shrimp is how big? 10 oz, 12oz?"
Corine is cheerful, attentive and a sweetie pie, fast and efficient BUT she was wrong on two counts. She should know my cut was no way more than 8 oz and there were 10 medium shrimp included and sufficient NOT to order the "extra" version they seem to be pushing.
When the Sommelier arrived with my $ 8.50 bottle of Houge Merlot, http://www.hoguecellars.com/index.php?month=9&day=13&year=1960
he failed to display the label per vin etiquette. I did, however follow MY part and not so discretely sniff the Boone's Farm style twist off metal bottle cap. I think they don't teach all of the wine rituals at Shari's Sommelier School.
The cook (I was a short order cook many moons past) and he did his best with a non prime cut. Still it was tasty, sufficient size, but had a bit too much waste. It was NOT freshly cut from a full rib or else possibly finished to Medium rare on the grill. And I may be too picky but I dislike a baked tater served WITH aluminum foil ! By the way, you can have potato OR salad but BOTH is extra. The full bottle makes this much less annoying.
Service was good, chow acceptable, price was decent and I gave the last third of the bottle to a woman taking her wheelchair bound elderly father to Shari's for dinner....tugged at my heartstrings 'cause I just went thru the same thing with my father.
Still, it was interesting because this (next to Lamb's Thriftway) Shari's is near my home and I've probably driven past it a few thousand times and this was the first time I've ever eaten there.
Edited to add: So $ 11.99 & $ 8.50 worked out to a very reasonable lightly buzzed $ 20.50 plus tip (including a little something for the unappreciated cook that has a giant menu to master). Maybe they should promote: "Free Prime Rib with purchase of $ 21 bottle of wine"
Over all... good deal, clean, HUGE menu, and staff did not have a chip on their shoulder. Now about the Muzak......
Any questions?