Cleaverman — Local services in Phoenix

If Phoenix wants to be taken seriously as a top five city in the country, we cannot keep celebrating restaurants for looking the part when the fundamentals are not there. A high-end steakhouse has to deliver more than a beautiful room.

Cleaver Man is one of the most beautiful new additions to downtown Phoenix. The space is stunning, and the design team absolutely nailed the ambiance. It feels high-end the moment you walk in, and the setting alone makes you want to root for this place.

Unfortunately, the food did not come close to matching the environment. At a steakhouse, the steak should be the holy grail the star of the show, and instead it was bland and not well-cooked. That is a tough sentence to write about the supposed star of the menu. The sides were the highlight of the night, and one of their bread pudding options was easily the table favorite.

Service added another layer of disappointment. Our server was kind and clearly trying, but multiple items never arrived, drinks were forgotten more than once, and people at our table had to repeatedly ask just to receive what they ordered. Waiting fifteen to twenty minutes between check-ins with a party of eight in a room that was not even busy is not something you expect from a restaurant positioned at this level. Opening night explains some things, but not the basics.

I do want to acknowledge two standout team members. Steven, one of the managers, was friendly and helpful, and went out of his way to address a seating issue that caused a delay. He took ownership, found a solution, and made sure our group ended up with a great table. The sommelier, Nisa, was exceptional. Incredibly knowledgeable, professional, and by far one of the most impressive sommeliers we have ever experienced. These two were the bright spots of the evening.

The upside is that Cleaver Man has every advantage to succeed. The atmosphere is exceptional, the concept is appealing, and the kitchen showed flashes of talent with the right dishes. If the team tightens up service and makes the steaks worthy of the space, this place could truly become a standout. Right now, it is a stunning restaurant that has not yet earned the experience its...

We tried Cleaverman Steakhouse on their very first night open to the public, and overall we really enjoyed our experience. My drink, Mischief in a Glass, was absolutely delicious. The bread itself was phenomenal, although the raw onion and bacon mixed into the butter weren’t really for me.

The Caesar salad was really good, and the duck fries had a lot of potential. They came out hot, but the bottom was a little soggy. I wasn’t a fan of the cheese sauce, but the duck confit with just the Parmesan would have been perfect.

For entrées, I had the lamb chops and they were very good—although a red wine reduction or sauce option would’ve taken them to the next level. My fiancé ordered the porterhouse, and both the mac and cheese and the broccolini were good (the mac was just a bit too cheesy for our taste).

Service-wise, our server was kind and attentive. She seemed a little nervous, which is completely understandable for opening night, but I would’ve loved to see her personality shine more. The staff as a whole felt a bit on edge, and as someone who dines at fine dining restaurants often, I’ve noticed that the most memorable experiences come from servers who feel relaxed and personable. I’m sure this will naturally improve as they settle in.

Even with a few small tweaks, we really enjoyed our meal and will definitely be adding Cleaverman Steakhouse to...

Beautiful restaurant, food was absolutely horrible. They set select menu items prices absurdly high to make it seem like you are going to enjoy top tier experience. However I think I could’ve gotten a better chicken and steak at Applebees… we ordered several menu items. Escargot was mediocre to say the least. Initially half my lamb was undercooked. Presentation was beautiful however flavor was horrendous. They took the entree back and recommended the chicken. Several staff members had told me it was phenomenal, described it as a “Marsala” style chicken. Dry, bland and extremely lackluster… I truly think Costco rotisserie chicken could blow this dish out of the water.. they put more effort into presentation and environment than the actual quality of the food, my girlfriends steak was charred to a crisp on the outside. Nothing special. I’m never one to write reviews, in fact this is my first one… but I went out of my way to write this because it boils my blood how bad this experience was. Quite possibly one of the worst restaurant experiences I’ve ever had.. don’t let the pompous environment and...