Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar — Restaurant in San Diego

The overall experience at Fleming’s was underwhelming. It’s a standard steakhouse with familiar offerings, but I left feeling uninspired by the cuisine—a disappointment when spending upwards of $150+. The entire setting reminded me of a “better dressed” Cheesecake Factory. My significant other and I spent around $200, which is average for a steakhouse, but this fell short of expectations. I debated giving it 3 stars for “average” but settled on 2.5, as it was slightly below par.

I. Food (Appetizers):

A. Caeser Salad: A classic ceaser salad. Thankfully, Fleming's chooses to not follow the growing trend of reinventing the delivery of what a "classic" caeser salad is. The lettuce itself was fresh and had a tasteful crunch to it. However, the salad had a pungent odor of seafood - and no I'm not referring to the anchovies that are used to prepare the dressing. This odor turned me off to eating my portion entirely. It doesn't have any hint of lemon if that's what you're after. It's personally inconsequential if my salad has a hint of lemon as it's a matter of preference. $18 for this was unjustified. I've had better caeser salad's at restaurants for cheaper than this.

B. Onion Rings: The panko coated Onion rings were great. They had a nice consistency for the most part. There's a satisfying crunch to the onion ring - one that you will find in a restaurant quality onion ring. The breading was consistent and evenly distributed. The batch I received was evenly fried with the exception of one being crispier and more brittle than the rest. They pair this with a nice homemade sauce that is tangy and a bit sweet - there's not much to expect when it's onion rings.

II. Food (Main Entree): A. Filet Mingon We ordered two, 8 oz, petite filet mignons. They were great. The Approriately portioned with a beautiful sear and taste. Each bite offered an exquisite balance of tenderness and flavor, although I'm not sure if it embodied the classic melt-in-your-mouth experience that only a well-prepared filet can provide. Cooked to a perfect medium, it showcased a subtle pink center, retaining its juiciness while achieving that slightly charred, caramelized exterior that added depth to every morsel. The seasoning was simple yet effective, allowing the natural, rich taste of the beef to shine through without overwhelming the palate. It was an indulgent, satisfying cut that delivered elegance and comfort in each forkful. My main gripe with this was the price. Go to 230 Forest Ave in Laguna Beach for a better and cheaper filet than this.

III. Dessert A. Chocolate Lava Cake Generic and uninspired. The cake itself lacked a rich, decadent flavor, and the accompanying ice cream tasted like cheap Dreyer’s you’d find at Walmart, further diminishing the experience. At this point I was ready to leave.

IV. Service A. I was EXTREMELY disappointed with the service; from the SECOND I arrived in the front door. The service? The SERVICE SUCKS - it's embarrassingly awful for a place of this caliber. Ever heard of hospitality? From the moment I walked in the door the hostess was unenthusiastic and uninviting. The server’s lack of enthusiasm was palpable, making the experience feel transactional rather than inviting or special. Simple gestures of attentiveness and genuine engagement were absent, leaving me feeling overlooked. It stood in stark contrast to my experiences at Cowboy Star, where the staff consistently makes me feel valued and well cared for. For the premium cost of dining, I expected more than just good food; I expected an overall experience that included attentive, personable service.

V. Ambience The layout felt cramped, with tables positioned far too close to one another, which compromised any sense of privacy or comfort. When celebrating a special occasion with your significant other, intimacy is key, and the crowded arrangement made that nearly impossible.

I can not recommend coming...

5 years ago, Robert left me an experience that I'll never forget.

I was 20 years old when I took my girlfriend to Tomahawk Tuesday. At the time, I had only eaten at one other fancy place, so I felt intimidated about the setting & my manners.

Walking in to the beautiful, intimate, & dark setting of Flemings, I knew this was a great choice to bring my date on.

We sat down and our server Robert would create an experience I have never forgotten, even learning from his exceptional hospitality in my own business today.

The food was fantastic. The bread was unlike anything I've ever had. The butter was elegantly plated, the steak was perfectly cooked, the chefs excellently extracted the best flavors of the Brussel sprouts, & the chipotle mac & cheese was new and delicious.

2The best part is, they fed you. There's no way you're going home hungry.

Additionally, it's nice to know what you're getting & how much it costs before hand. I was a young man so budget was a concern.

When my girlfriend (now wife) and I sat down, Robert introduced himself & let us know how Tomahawk Tuesday works. He let us know when food would come out, managing our expectations perfectly. He would spin our bottle of pellegrino toward my girlfriend, emphasizing that this was a luxury experience.

He came by & quickly cleaned up the crumbs on the table cloth, without intruding on our meal. When we tried to stack plates for him to easily grab, he demanded we take our hands off the plates, reassuring us that he was taking care of us. He was there to serve us.

He came by as we were enjoying our meal, asking us if he should fire up the soufflé, letting us know it takes a couple of minutes to come out, and that he wants us to enjoy it while it's hot.

I never felt like my young age might have intruded on the level of service he would provide. Some servers might assume we wouldn't tip as much as others. He gave me the sense that he was a professional, & creating life long experiences is what he was after.

His anticipation of our needs, dedication to letting us enjoy ourselves, & tasteful communication was unforgettable.

When I think of good service in my web design business, I think of the experience Robert gave me & how I can do that for my clients.

When I go out to eat & enjoy the service I think it's good, but not at a Robert level.

I even went to the Flemings in Anaheim, expecting a similar experience. It was not. This Flemings (and Robert) created an undeniable experience that I would pitch everyone I knew on. Everybody I know MUST GO TO TOMAHAWK TUESDAY. They...

I will start with saying..... its not what I expected! I expected a higher standard comming from the food. music was not what i expected for a fine dinning and a fairly healthy priced location. I expect my food to be cooked to perfection the first time. i understand that it can be taken away and another one given but that is not what i am expecting from a place like this and the money one is paying. the staff.... well... all I can say is... the reason I am giving two stars is due to the waiter we had. attentive and well versed in the menu. As far as the Lady who looked like a manager... well i let her know about my food and told her i liked my food more on the medium as i pointed at the piece of meat on my plate. I had the tomahak pork asked for medium. should be pink all around not rare perhaps a small layer on the outside a little over but its to be expected and it should melt in your mouth. unfortunately i got a 75% grey from the outside in with white and barely pinkish in the center, that is well done and not too pleasing. again... pointing at it to the lady and she responded with " i can take it back in and get it cooked more" i chuckled and said not that is fine..... there is no way you can put it back and make it less cooked. I enjoy cooking and I myself cook tomohak pork cuts and i am no professional but mine is definately way.. way more tender and cooked properly than my experience today! I will be going back to see if maybe they can cook the tomahak beef properly! I know that i will or may get some lash back saying, well... why didnt you tell them. ill tell you why.... I EXPECTED MORE! besides, we were paying for a baby sitter and we were praying that our baby sitter was still there since our 3 kids can be more like 6 kids. besides..... I expected a higher standard from a place like this! the entre we had the pork belly, that was great, needed some salt, but good over all. the potatos grattin, was ok, also needed some salt. the chocolate lava cake was very good, no need for the rasberries good for color but the ice cream really complimented the taste of...