LongHorn Steakhouse — Restaurant in Short Pump

I visited the 'Glen Allen - Short Pump' LongHorn Steakhouse location for the first time on the afternoon of Sunday, 3/5, and I have to be honest: My experience was not what I would have imagined.

I was dining prior to a scheduled event at 5:00 for which I had spent nearly $150.00 on a single ticket. As a result, I was proactive in contacting LongHorn Steakhouse at approximately noon to make a reservation in preparation of such. I was told that they "don't do reservations", but was adamantly reassured that "there should be no wait", and that I "should be fine". I was subsequently referred to the 'Join Waitlist' option on their website for realtime updates pertaining to whether or not that status might change in the immediate/near future. Up to the very moment I pulled into the parking lot, the 'Join Waitlist' option reflected 'No Wait'. Imagine my complete astonishment when I walked into the establishment to be advised by Corinne, the hostess, that there was a "20 to 25-minute wait". I immediately informed her not only of what I had been told, but also what their website reflected, to which Corinne was completely dismissive - essentially shrugging off my concerns, and responding flatly that "some people just walked in". This would probably be as good a time as any to note that, even during our nearly 20-minute wait, the 'Join Waitlist' option on their website never updated to accurately reflect such.

For our appetizer we had the Wild West Shrimp. The batter had a nice crunch, and was seasoned nicely. The shrimp were reasonably tender. The peppers had a nice flavor, and were remnant of jalapeños with a mild bite. The peppers and shrimp paired exceptionally well with one another creating a layered flavor profile which was that much more enjoyable. The ranch added a subtle creaminess which was favorable, but also (strangely) diminished the overall flavor, making the dish a more desirable one without it, in my opinion. All in all, while the dish was a very good one, it was not an extraordinary one by any means.

For my entree, I had the 9 oz Flo's Filet. The steak was cooked to my liking; however, if there was any seasoning at all, it was virtually undetectable. The steak was disappointingly difficult to cut, giving considerably much more resistance than one would expect from a filet, and, while it had a nice 'beefy' flavor, it was also considerably 'gristly' in texture.

Our server, Randi C, was cordial, but not particularly 'friendly'. She was polite, and moderately attentive, but certainly not engaging or conversational in any sense of either word.

In conclusion, while my experience was not the worst, it was, without question, far from the best. In the event that I decide to revisit LongHorn Steakhouse at any point in the near/distant future, I will most likely try a different location (i.e.: Chesterfield - Hull Street), as the 'Glen Allen - Short Pump' location unfortunately left much to be desired pertaining to both...

My husband and I decided to stop for dinner after a appointment close by. Being it was a Friday night, we assumed it would be quite a long wait! We walked in added our name to the wait list. Was told it would be at least 30 to 45 min wait. It was really crowded in the waiting area but, people were getting escorted back to their tables quickly! Before we knew it; 15 minutes flew by and we were next! Within seconds of sitting down, our waitress came and took our drink order & appetizer order. Within 2 minutes, she was back with our drinks and warm bread! We placed our order and Within minutes, she was back with our appetizer and offering more bread and refills for our drinks. When she brought our dinners, she cleared the appetizer plates. After leaving us for a couple of minutes with our dinner; she came back asking if we needed steak sauce, ketchup, or anything. Our dinners were cooked to perfection! My husband loved his steak & mushrooms! I had the salmon & rice. The flavors were phenomenal! After finished eating, our server came and cleared our dishes and offered boxes for our food and offered dessert. Unfortunately, we had to pass on the dessert. (LOVE their chocolate dessert) We needed boxes and our check. I had mentioned when we sat down, I had a free appetizer. I looked at the free appetizer offer and thought it had expired. After she brought our first check , she came back and apologized and asked if we wanted to use it. We told her we thought it was expired. She offered to try the code and came back with an adjusted check! The free appetizer went through! We made sure she was highly compensated for her excellent service!! This young lady was beyond attentive in the BEST POSSIBLE WAY!! I wish I remembered her name but she us a young slender blonde with glasses. An absolute sweetheart! She is the perfect waitress! I've been in hospitality since I was 15 yrs old! I've worked from McDonald's to managing a high end steak and seafood restaurants in the Low Country of SC! I know what a extraordinary waitress/server looks like! Every employee was doing what they were supposed to be doing! From the manager to the wait staff were all buzzing around like worker bees! The manager was absolutely great! I never once heard him raise his voice at any of the staff. He kept his composure and talked really respectable to everyone! That's extremely rare! Especially in the hospitality industry! I love Longhorn Steakhouse food! I love how they keep the "tried & true" menu items but also keep adding new delicious items! We've been going to Longhorn Steakhouse over 30 years! It has evolved in the best possible way! The whole experience from start to finish was a...

We dined on 5 December 2024, around 5 pm/et, (check #15293), right before the self-paced Tacky Light Tour my wife and I would do in our truck, starting in Glen Allen and working our way to Chesterfield, VA. We had never been to this Longhorn, but we often dine at Longhorns across the USA when traveling, and our home areas are Colonial Heights and Chesterfield, VA.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were vaguely greeted by a middle-aged Hispanic lady, and we asked to sit in a booth in the bar area. She did not like the idea that we had a preference and appeared to have a problem with where we wanted to be seated, so she reluctantly took us to Table 24, a booth in the bar area we could see was available.

Having been in customer service for over 35 years, she is not the best choice for the first-person diners to see and be greeted by as her personality is not friendly or corgeal. At any rate, once seated, we sat there for over 10 minutes before anyone came to take our order. At one point, I got up and went to the bar where a female bartender was on the register, tallying up something for some time. I asked if we could be served. She said Nate would be with us shortly; he was making drinks.

Several more minutes passed, and Alyssa A., finally came and apologized that she was in the back, tending to her horse voice. No worries; she took care of business for us from there forward. The service was Exceptional, as was the French Onion Soup, Strawberry Salad, NY Strip steak, and loaded baked potatoes. The food was to die for, and the steaks were Seasoned, Seared, and cooked to Perfection! We dined a lot at LongHorn Restaurant, our favorite, and we cannot recall having a perfectly cooked and served meal like this in a long time.

We salute Alyssa and the cook staff in the kitchen for making it all happen. After resolving an issue at a table next to us, the manager (older male) acknowledged us and said hello, clearly letting us know if we had an issue, and he was available. We had no issues except for the lady at the entrance who had a problem that we had a table preference. So, you know, we always sat in the booths in the bar area if available, and all were available when checked the bar area before asking for one.

The "ONLY REASON" we gave three(3) stars instead of five(5) stars is because of the lukewarm and reluctant welcome upon entrance, which sets the tone for the visit; initial impressions are everything and cannot usually get a do-over. Yet, I say again, the food and service simply nailed it!

v/r,

Dr. &...