Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar — Restaurant in Oro Valley

Fleming's has always been a great experience and yet again it was so good I have to write about it. Everything was so good that even the foodies and restaurant-rats and restaurant-in-the-family people all had only positive things to day.

Katie the buser not only handled removing dead plates and glassware in an extremely timely manner but when we asked for extra dressing ... rather than punting to the server or the kitchen, went and got that and had it on our table in about 30 seconds. She was incredible.

Pablo the server was super busy with the annual gem-show crowd but made plenty of time to be patient while our party made up its mind. Drinks were immediately delivered (their nopales margarita is to die for) and fresh warm bread and cheese/butter immediately came to us. When we ordered he verified the steak temps, and when the steaks came about 10-15min later they were EXACTLY as each of us had ordered. He took no notes, had no notepad, just memory, and off to the POS terminal to punch it in.

There was the expected upsale on the molten-chococolate ("lava") cake that "takes 20 minutes to prepare" (it doesn't, but if you can be cajoled to order it before you eat your entree you're more likely to order it.... after the entree you'll be too full and probably wiser ;-)

It was a double date-night and both couples had a blast. The venue was packed (likely due to the aforementioned annual gem and mineral show) and the private dining rooms (PDRs) had been converted to extra seating. Sometimes that can be poor for service but not Fleming's Tucson -- it was definitely staffed right and we felt we were in a "quieter area" than the main dining room, and more intimate (not crowded nor packet, nor anything negative, just a smaller room!)

The steaks ... the steaks are to die for. Two had bone-in. Two had bone-out. I'm still not sure how they can serve a "bone-in filet" since a filet is a cut that severs meat from the bone... but hey, I don't own a steakhouse that takes USDA prime beef into the thousands of degrees (F) and oh the crust... I would say the wedge salad is awesome too.

The one negative thing, and it's so trivial I hate to even mention it, and it didn't ruin our night, just cause a disappointment. Both their online menu and their printed menu offer oysters on the half-shell. In Tucson, Arizona good fresh safe raw oysters are a delicacy east-coast people won't appreciate, kind of like politeness in traffic... but we do! Having seen it online and on the menu at the restaurant we ordered it, planning on 2doz only to be told there are no oysters and that had been the case for two months. Ok, Flemings Tucson, own up and change your website menu and your printed menu. If there's a cost for that, no worries, you make it up on every table every night.

Spend on 4 people to have a fantastic time for around 2 hours: $500 January 2024. That includes drinks, endless warm soft ot-of-the-oven bread, best service in a fine-dining steakhouse in Tucson, clean and safe environment, valet parking (we self-parked), and obvious attention to detail.

Would I go there again: OH YES. Would I recommend it to others: OH YES. Would I recommend it to friends and family knowing that if it's a bad recommendation I'll hear about it forever: OH YES. In one sentence: No oysters takes a 100% rating down to 99%.

Disclaimer: We've been enjoying this restaurant since it opened years and years ago. Even during the COVID pandemic of 2021-2022 and before and beyond... it's been awesome.

I would say "Can't wait to go back" but good things are worth waiting for special occasions. Valentine's Day is coming next month (Feb 2024).

FYI I put dates in here because my last review was (according to google) 6 years ago and I wanted to give some timeline context to those of you who come later and read my words and say "What the heck was going on back in 2023." Great dining at Fleming's Tucson, that's what the heck. OH YES!!

p.s. Double hats off to Katie, and the rest...

This is our second visit to Fleming's. My review of the first follows this review. (Pro tip: nothing's changed; it's great.)

Alright! Let's hear it for service! The experience we had was terrific, with one glitch they gleefully fixed (and overcompensated for).

Because of Covid, we selected outdoor dining at 5pm. The restaurant now has a small patio. It overlooks the Embassy Suites, sure, but they have a handsome front, so that was fine. But the view of the mountains as the sun went down was amazing.

Our server was Randi, and she was the best. Attentive, funny, charming, and warm, Randi ensured our experience was everything you'd expect from a restaurant of this caliber. But what about the food?

We started with drinks (Manhattan for me, prosecco for her, both fantastic) and shared the carpaccio. It was great. The dish was perfectly prepared, and the crustini couldn't be beat.

We skipped salads and moved to the entrees and sides. She ordered the filet (medium rare "plus") and I ordered the bone-in ribeye (medium rare). We ordered the Fleming potatoes and the mushrooms as sides. Both were delicious. The steaks? Hers was perfect. Mine, however, came out medium. The steak had turned from being a delicious steak towards being roast beef. Hey, it happens. When I asked Randi for her opinion, she heartily agreed and had the kitchen re-do it. So I shared her filet while we waited for the replacement. They did it in a hurry and it was cooked to perfection. Amazing and delicious. So we noshed on that after her filet, enjoying it with a bottle of Merlot from Napa. (Pricey, but reasonably above retail.)

We still had wine left when it came to dessert--the chocolate lava cake. It was fantastic. We ordered a glass of 20-year tawny port to go with it (and the rest of the wine) and it was terrific.

Matthew, the manager, came by the table to make sure we were okay with the steak change. Of course we were! And, it turns out, he comped us for our before-dinner drinks, something he simply did not have to do. So I pumped the amount back into the tip because the service was A-One.

Flemings is, in my humble opinion, pretty high-end. But if you're willing/able to do it, you get everything you pay for. This was our second visit to this location (third overall) and we could not have been more pleased.

First Visit:

This is our first visit to this Fleming's. Everything was terrific. We made reservations on a Sunday at 6 and the place was hopping. We arrived a few minutes early, so we waited in the bar--she had a cosmo and I had an old fashioned. Both were fantastic. By the time our drinks were done our reservation time arrived and we were seated promptly.

Our service, led by Tina K., was superb. We started with the carpaccio, which was excellent. This was followed by caesar salads that were beyond perfect. They had a little kick to them and some very thinly sliced bacon. Wow. Oh, the bread was delicious and accompanied by two spreads--one with brie and the other with another cheese--that were fantastic. The best was yet to come.

She ordered the larger filet mignon and I had the dry-aged rib eye--both cooked to perfection. This was accompanied by a bottle of Spanish tempranillo that really opened up after the decanted it. Finally, we had the Fleming's potatoes on the side. A form of au gratin, these were not an afterthought; they were really great.

We opted to take a dessert home--the only thing that came close to a disappointment. It was a chocolate cake, but it was tiny. Not sure why since the other desserts looked pretty normal to me.

Valet parking was a breeze and the experience was terrific from...

What to say… absolutely wow! Been to this amazing establishment 2 times in a week. Once for dinner to celebrate an anniversary with my amazing spouse and the second for social hour and some small bites.

First off… let’s cover the atmosphere, for the dinner we were sat in a side room which was absolutely lovely and much quieter than the main dining room affording the ability to speak with those at the table without loud interruptions from those around you.

For social hour we were sat at a booth near the bar and it was quite nice as we were there before any of the crowds began to come thru. Lighting is perfect for the ambiance.

Now for food - For Dinner we ordered the bone in ribeye , tomahawk steak, roasted asparagus and a amazing lava cake dessert. The steaks were perfectly cooked and seasoned, allowing for the flavor to just melt into your mouth and transport you to a blissful place. I 100% recommend you give their steaks a try as you can’t go wrong. Dessert was a perfect mix of sweet, bitter and creamy as all components complimented each other perfectly presenting a perfect lava cake.

Today we tried out their beef Wellington bites and beef sliders and let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised.

The sliders were delicious and the garlic aioli truly wraps these up perfectly complimenting the juicy beef, pickles, onion and tomato. The portion size is perfect with 4 sliders allowing you to split between two people.

Now it was the beef Wellington bites that were the highlight of this meal hands down. Unlike with a traditional Wellington, the cook at Fleming’s has put a creative twist on it that many may not expect. What is that twist you may ask? It’s the addition of Parmesan into their chopped meat w minced mushroom wrapped in the pastry with a raspberry drizzle on top. When I was first presented with these I was a bit puzzled at how everything would taste. Let me tell you, this combination was a revelation and a perfect take on a well known classic. Producing a sophisticated taste of sweetness within the savory. Taking that first bite I was met with fireworks popping off within my tastebuds and I can honestly say I will be back for more these in the future!

I also have to give an honorable mention to their pull apart sourdough bread and bree with champagne mixture. This is a well developed complimentary addition that helps balance and cleanse ones pallet at any point in the meal.

Last but not least I want to talk about my experience with 3 amazing workers and their superb customer service.

Nick was our server for dinner and I cannot say enough good things about our experience. He was super knowledgeable about the menu, recommended great pairings and even fixed our cocktail when it was a bit too strong for my tastes. Our drinks were kept full and he was excellent at ensuring we had the best possible experience. This guy is a true asset to the company and deserves a raise.

Amber was the floor manager and went out of her way to make sure that not only was our experience amazing but also encouraged us to try out their social hour which was a spot on recommendation. She is truly a kind, knowledgeable and professional individual and you can see that she is liked by those around her. A great manager and phenomenal example of customer service.

Katie was our server during social hour and she was a breath of fresh air, super kind and was even helping train a new server. Loved that her mannerism was upbeat and professional.

In conclusion- 5 out of 5 recommend! I also think that the chefs take on the menu offerings deserves recognition and even a...