On 1/28/25, we ate at the Chart House Seafood restaurant on Longboat Key, FL. Although it had been over twenty years since, on several occasions, I had eaten at a Chart House restaurant in Chicago, I had good memories of great dining experiences. Therefore, I looked forward to providing a treat to my better half who had not been to a Chart House. It quickly became clear that since Landry’s 2002 purchase of the Chart House restaurants, there has been a dramatic lowering of its operating standards and a directional change in the type of customers it must be trying to attract. To be fair, maybe it’s only the Longboat Key, FL restaurant that is in need of vast improvements. Regardless, we will never again eat there or be inclined to visit any other Chart House restaurant – what a disappointment!

Immediately upon entering this restaurant I was surprised to find loud music with its genre oriented to appeal to Gen-Z. This wasn’t yesteryear's Chart House atmosphere that had been so inviting to everyone. But times change and I get it that this must have been an intentional shift in direction to appeal to a specific segment of the population. However, our poor experience went well beyond any target market change(s).

The hostesses were non-communicative and unfriendly. After making them aware we had arrived on time for our reservation, we waited ~10-minutes without knowing what was going on. I finally asked if there was a problem that we should be aware of, but didn’t receive a response. The two young gals visited with one another and never looked up at me before finally proceeding to print a ticket and usher us back to a table without a word being spoken to us.

The server was brash, self-absorbed, unaccommodating and inattentive. We waited for nearly 10-minutes to receive a refill of our water that we had specifically requested. When she finally came back around, we again asked for water and received a comment that she was just on her way to fetch it. No apology for the wait or admitting to having forgotten it.

I have several food allergies and it became extremely difficult to find anything on the menu that didn’t already have garlic and/or onions prepped into it. Even though the kitchen had rice and pasta available, I was told they provide no substitutions even when they run out of baked potatoes. A simple thing as pasta with olive oil or to boil white rice to offer a starch was out of the question. I guess this restaurant must not have a true chef on duty or a high-level objective to satisfy its customers.

Upon leaving we walked past forks out in the open (not near a table) on the carpet. Those forks stuck out like a sore thumb and should have been obvious to any employee, especially by the person who dropped them. In other words, there was a lack of observation or attention to detail throughout this restaurant. To cap off this unpleasant dining experience, there was no ‘thank you’ provided by the hostess staff.

In short, the Chart House Seafood restaurant is a far cry from what it used to be, and that’s too bad. I recommend you think twice before dining at this chain restaurant, and definitely stay clear of the one on Longboat Key, FL.