Ocean 44 — Restaurant in Scottsdale

Restaurant Review: Ocean 44 - A Luxurious Solo Feast That Surfed and Turf-ed Its Way Into My Heart

On a recent solo adventure to Ocean 44, I opted to treat myself to the best of both worlds—surf and turf. The night began with the Jumbo Shrimp appetizer, followed by a towering 22-ounce Bone-In Ribeye topped with an indulgent lobster enhancement, paired with Crispy Brussels Sprouts. It was a feast for the senses, elevated by impeccable service from my incredibly knowledgeable waitress.

Ambiance

The moment I walked into Ocean 44, I knew I was in for something special. The sleek, modern design and cozy booths made even dining solo feel like a VIP experience. There’s a warm, inviting energy here, where you can relax but still feel like you’re treating yourself. And let’s be honest—eating a 22-ounce ribeye alone feels like a power move, as if I had just signed some big business deal (I didn’t, but it felt that way).

Service

My waitress was an absolute gem—thoughtful, engaging, and incredibly knowledgeable. She made me feel completely at ease, offering excellent suggestions, including the lobster enhancement for my steak. This woman knew her menu inside and out, explaining every detail without a hint of pretense. It’s rare to get service that strikes the perfect balance of attentive and relaxed, but she nailed it.

Appetizer: Jumbo Shrimp

The Jumbo Shrimp arrived as if they were ready to star in their own seafood commercial—chilled, colossal, and full of flavor. Each shrimp was plump, tender, and perfectly complemented by a zippy cocktail sauce that had just the right amount of heat. It was a classic done right, setting the tone for what was about to be a truly indulgent main course.

Main Course: 22-ounce Bone-In Ribeye with Lobster Topping

Now, onto the 22-ounce Bone-In Ribeye, the kind of steak that could easily have its own fan club. Cooked to a perfect medium-rare, it was juicy, flavorful, and topped with a lobster tail that could only be described as decadent. This surf-and-turf pairing was like the Beyoncé and Jay-Z of the dinner table—an unstoppable power duo that made each bite feel like pure luxury. The richness of the steak combined with the buttery sweetness of the lobster created a match made in foodie heaven.

Side: Crispy Brussels Sprouts

And, of course, I needed some greens to feel slightly virtuous, so I ordered the Crispy Brussels Sprouts. They were everything you want Brussels sprouts to be—crispy, charred, and tossed with pancetta for a little extra flavor boost. The contrast of their smoky flavor with the richness of the ribeye and lobster was spot-on. If veggies always tasted this good, I’d eat them by the pound.

Final Thoughts

Ocean 44 delivered in every way possible. From the impeccable service to the perfectly executed dishes, this meal was a luxurious solo dining experience that I won’t soon forget. The Jumbo Shrimp started things off beautifully, but it was the 22-ounce Bone-In Ribeye topped with lobster that truly stole the show. With the Crispy Brussels Sprouts providing the perfect balance, I walked out feeling like I’d conquered a food challenge—and won.

Rating: 9.5/10 If you’re looking to treat yourself, whether you’re solo or with friends, Ocean 44 is a must. Just be sure to come hungry—and maybe with...

“Our visit to Ocean 44 was as if we were greeted by Jon Gruden and he was honest about how he felt about people of color!”

Being feed up with feeling as if I was continually being singled out in this establishment, I immediately began to search my phone for the managers contact information I had spoke with regarding my prior unpleasant experience at this restaurant. Unable to find the card I was greeted by another manager and explained the situation starting with my first encounter at the restaurant on my last visit! I explained two separate situations was leading me to believe that people of my appearance just were not welcome in the restaurant because I had experienced the same type of treatment twice by two separate employees on two separate occasions and the only constant was me and my skin color. I was sure to explain that before I entered the restaurant on this occasion I was sure to had left my ball cap in the car to avoid any unnecessary responses and yet I still experience that same tone and demeanor from another employee yet again. I explain that it was no way I should continually be made to feel unwelcome by their staff and the staff should take more into account how they relay messages to customers due to them being in the customer service business and their aim should be to make all customers feel the same. While speaking with this manager I noticed Andreas walk past and informed the manager he was the managers contact information I had been look for to bring this experience to his attention yet again. In speaking with both managers I was told it was their policy to have host seat guest in the bar area and I continued to attempt to explain how I understood this but at no time did the host ever make any effort to attempt to seat us nor check if there were any seats available! The host only option was to get our to go orders so we would be able to leave the restaurant and this was the only thing he offered in accommodating us. After a brief discussion that felt more like a debate instead of upper management defusing the situation and attempting to change our experience. Andreas offered to find us a seat at the bar and then we went inside and I sat down for a much needed Manhattan. While at the bar I notice other men not of color not only wearing sneakers, T shirts and shorts and with more athletic appeal that my presentation. Maybe because it was golf attire with Nike logos was the reason that it was more appropriate. In any case I had seen first hand that it wasnt the clothing but who was wearing the clothing that determined the type of treatment you receive in this restaurant. I am sure Ocean 44 will pay little attention to my displeasure nor will they miss my business! As much as I do enjoy the Alaskan King Crab and Shrimp Risotto, I will not tolerate being treated any different than any other customer regardless of my color because clearly it wasnt...

This is the second restaurant of this group that I have visited (the other was Steak 48), and both have been disappointing in similar ways. First off, the service is more or less excellent, which seems to be consistent across the chain. The staff seems well-trained and polite almost to the point of being obsequious. The atmosphere at Ocean 44 is pleasant enough, if a bit loud. Like its sister restaurant, it is very dark. I understand you want to have a certain ambience, but when it’s necessary to use the flashlight on my phone just to read the menu, that’s too dark.

The wine list is extensive, with lots of high-end bottles to choose from. If you don’t want to spend over $100 on a bottle, your choices become much more limited. At least the markup doesn’t seem to be too outrageous.

Now to the food. It was mostly OK, and by OK, I mean the kind of OK that would be acceptable at Outback or Applebees. The problem here is that the prices are at least three times what you’d pay at those places, yet the food is not much better. Some of the dishes were good - the Hawaiian Poké and the Boursin cheese whipped potatoes were delicious, and the calamari & shrimp was good, too, but they all came with an eye-watering price. When they brought out the pull-apart rolls, my first impression was that they used Pillsbury crescent roll dough for them. The real disappointment of the meal was the bone-in ribeye. It was nicely presented, sizzling on a screaming hot plate, and it was cooked just right. However, my first taste was of seasoning - rather salty seasoning that overwhelmed the flavor of the steak. The steak itself was not particularly tender, and it had a great deal more gristle than I would ever expect from a steak that’s supposedly USDA Prime. There were parts that were too tough to eat. It was the worst, and at the same time the most expensive, cut of meat I’ve had in a long time. Certainly not worth the high-end price tag. Finally, the warm vanilla caramel cake was nothing special, and the espresso at the end was not particularly good, and was served with a sugar cube, which means that if you want to put sugar in, it’s all or nothing. I usually like to put about 1/3 packet in, but the cube gives one no choice. Are packets of sugar that expensive?

Bottom line: I didn’t register any complaints at the restaurant since the tab was picked up by another member of our party but, if I’d been paying for it I certainly would have. I would probably only dine at any of the restaurants in this chain again if it were a social occasion I couldn’t avoid AND someone else is...