Old Hickory Steakhouse — Restaurant in Chula Vista

My wife and I dined at Old Hickory on the second day that the resort was open. I sent this below letter to the general manager of the resort after the experience. A physical letter, stamped and mailed. I never received a response, just ignored. My wife and I really care about this resort since it is right next to us, and we intend to spend a lot of time there. We want it to be incredibly successful.

"Mr. Scott Siebert General Manager Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center 1000 H Street Chula Vista, CA 91910

Dear Mr. Siebert,

My wife, Shannon , and I were truly impressed by the breathtaking beauty of the Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center during our recent visit. The exterior landscape, grounds, and pool area, along with the interior landscaping, lighting, and design, are nothing short of fabulous. As residents of Arizona, with a boat docked in the marina next to the resort, we visit the area about twice a month and plan to frequently enjoy your resort’s rooms, pool, spa, and dining options. We dined at the Growler Sports Bar and Tap Room on May 15, 2025, your grand opening day, and had a delightful experience. However, our dinner at The Old Hickory the following evening, May 16, fell short of expectations, especially for a $410 bill, including tip, for two. The appetizers, including refrigerated Parker House rolls and lukewarm seafood chowder broth, were disappointing. The mashed potato puree side was also nearly cold, though the cowboy ribeye and field mushrooms were highlights. Service felt inexperienced. A busser removed our last piece of bread without permission, and our waiter did not address it when asked. Most concerning was a wine pricing error: we requested a $60-70 Cabernet Sauvignon, agreed to an $80 bottle, but were charged $128 for a $250 Cakebread Cellars 2021, which the waiter admitted was his mistake. We understand the challenges of a new opening, but these lapses in food quality and service were significant. We’d appreciate a response to discuss how this can be addressed and to ensure future guests, including ourselves as frequent visitors, have the exceptional experience your beautiful resort promises.

Sincerely, Steven...

My husband surprised me with dinner at Old Hickory Steakhouse last night and it did not disappoint. We found easy parking along the hotel that was free until 1030 p.m. but did see valet for 0-2 hours was $30 as an FYI. He had made a reservation on Open Table and we were greeted promptly by the kind hostesses. They welcomed us and seated us immediately at a table that had a lovely view of pool area and sunset. From there we were introduced to our awesome server, Moses! Moses was friendly, knowledgeable and prompt in his service, not to mention he made fantastic recommendations for sides/desserts that did not disappoint. First we had the little wedge salads and it was light and flavorful and the Parker house roll that came with a delicious herb butter and sea salt spread.

For our dinner, we ordered the dry aged ribeye and the 8oz filet mignon with the rigatoni Mac (SO GOOD) and cheese and the duck fingerlings (yummy but it’s a lot so recommend only if a table of four IMO). The steaks were cooked perfectly, the plating was beautiful. We enjoyed beer and a glass of Willamette Valley Pino Noir. Along side Moses was Christian who assisted and always kept our water full and table clear.

For dessert, not sure how we had room but the chocolate one was incredible! Some type of chocolate poppers with the sea salt ice cream and foam - a pleasant explosion of flavors that I am still thinking about.

Bathrooms are very nice, clean and private stalls. They also have their own in house dry age room under the restaurant! I wish I took photos of the food, but I was so delightfully present in the moment of enjoying our meal and exceptional service!

Thank you to Moses, Christian, kitchen staff and the team of runners who made our dinner memorable. We will absolutely be back. This was our experience after them only being open two weeks, can’t wait to see the growth as they get more time under their belts - they have a great...

Such a disappointment. Came here to celebrate a 30th bday for my gf and if I could sum up this experience in one phrase, it would be: a McDonald’s wrapped in a steakhouse. From start to finish, this was one of the most disappointing and overpriced meals I’ve had in a long time.

First, the service was abysmal. We had to flag down multiple servers just to get basic attention. Our actual server was running around like a chicken with her head cut off, which made simple requests unnecessarily difficult. For a restaurant charging premium prices, the level of professionalism was shockingly low. No high end steakhouse standards of service anywhere.

The two martinis we ordered (the same drink, mind you) arrived looking and tasting completely different one of them barely even half full. At this price point, consistency and attention to detail should be a given, not a luxury.

Then came the food. We ordered the “wagyu steak tartare” only to be served a cooked version, which completely defeats the purpose of tartare. Either the kitchen doesn’t know what they’re doing, or they assume the customers don’t. Either way, not great. We ordered the sourdough, and after 15/20 mins of waiting they came back to tell us they were out. We got the Parker rolls instead and it seemed like Hawaiian rolls thrown in a pan and salted. However, even those came out cold in the middle and had to send them back.

To top it all off, the entire place had a vaguely fishy odor lingering, which was not only unpleasant but also totally unappetizing — especially for a steakhouse.

For the prices they charge, this spot should be delivering a refined and memorable experience. Instead, it felt like a sloppy, confused attempt at fine dining. With this place being so new they have time to hopefully fix things but for now I’d strongly recommend looking elsewhere if you’re seeking quality food, good service, or anything remotely...