Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar — Restaurant in West Hartford

Reservation made for a date night with my wife, they specifically ask for the occasion when making a reservation. Early dinner at 5pm. Only 3 for 4 tables sat when we arrived, mostly empty restaurant. Disappointed to be sat at a communal table with a bench seat right next to a screaming baby, there were plenty of other options for a more quiet seating choice.

Food arrived quickly, the pre meal sourdough bread was ok, similar to a nice, frozen dough take-and-bake I would get from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, soft, warm, ok crust, a little lacking in flavor for a sourdough, but ok. The spreads however were really fantastic! They were the highlight of the night! I had the bone in strip, that was highly recommended, and well sold by the waiter was ok, looking back I'm pretty sure it was being pushed to get rid of aging stock in the cooler and the sales pitch worked. The steak was cooked medium rare as asked. The flavor wasn't bad, wasn't special, it was ok. Texture was decent, wouldn't have minded if they would have trimmed the gristle a bit better, Wife had a Filet with Lobster and Scallops, her meal was great. Sides of scalloped potatoes and "burnt ends" Mac and Cheese. The potatoes were really good. The Mac and Cheese was disappointing. The cheese sauce was really good, but the fake burnt ends are shameful. To be fair,, the server did mention that they weren't true burnt ends, and that he had received comments previously from other customers about them. But, being born and raised in Texas, growing up in beef barbecue culture, I was intrigued. Now I've had bad barbecue, really bad barbecue and this definitely wasn't that. However, cutting up a ribeye into bacon bit size squares, covering it in Spicy Sweet Baby Ray's and baking it in an oven and calling it anything other than a weirdly cooked steak is criminal, not to mention at their price point. Burnt ends are barbecue, beef barbecue, smokey, bold, a little tangy with a hint of spiciness. The Chef who calls this concoction their "special" should be ashamed. Honestly, I would be just as upset if I was served this at half the price at an Outback, Carrabba's, or Bonefish Grill. I'm not saying it wasn't edible, it was and I did eat some of it. I would never ask for a refund, but I wouldn't do it again, probably not even at a church potluck.

I want to end on a high note. Wife had a blueberry lemon martini which she really enjoyed, I tasted it and liked it too. The server brought some chilled truffles with the check, which I'm told by my children were really good. Left overs were packed up nicely to take home. My daughter was a big fan of the scalloped potatoes and Mac and Cheese and my Son love the steak.

The service staff was great, the kitchen was moving efficiently, I would bet none of the 4 sat tables waited long for their food, and never went without a filled drink. Having worked in the food service industry I honestly felt bad tipping only 15%, but the whole experience was being judged.

The 300 dollar bill was........undeserved, but not surprising since the prices aren't hidden. In the end, this was a learning lesson. Fleming's is essentially an oversold version of their sister restaurant's, just another chain steakhouse.

Manager note, the pile of Amazon packages left in foyer bench seat across from the Host's Desk is off-putting and makes it look like the restaurant isn't open or...

Yesterday evening my family and I went to dine at Flemings. It was my birthday and we had made reservations earlier in the week for 7:30pm. It was a larger group, but not overly large, 5 people.

We arrived and told the maître d' we were here for our reservation. She told us to wait a few moments and we would be seated. There was a party of 5 and party of 2 that were waiting prior to our arrival. Those two parties were seated and we were the last party awaiting a table.

Two other parties arrived after us, a couple, and a 7 person party. Not thinking much about it at first but I noticed the maître d' grabbed two menus and proceeded to sit the couple that came in after us. I thought to myself, OK maybe it's easier to have a table for two ready so no big deal right... Then the party of 7 that came in after us, was seated and I thought that to be strange.

Our reservation was for 7:30p and we were there promptly. It was about 8pm when they sat the 7 person party before us. I spoke to the maître d' to ask what was going on and was brushed off and not given much of an answer or explanation. After a few moments, a manager came and spoke to us saying they were getting a table ready and that it would take just a few more mins. This was probably around 8:10

At 8:20pm I decided to check some other steak houses to see if they had a table to accommodate the 5 of us. My biggest concern was not having a reservation anywhere else for a party of 5 might mean we wouldn't be able to find anything else and would have to cancel our night. I called Capitol Grille in downtown Hartford, and they offered to seat my table of 5 with no wait.

I say this all, to say, that it was very disgusting to see, what I and my party felt, was clear discrimination. I have never had reservations at a 5 star steak house and been asked to wait over 40 mins to be seated, while other parties were being seated. The wait was not the problem, it was the priority in which customers were being seated.

To be clear, I know a restaurant on a Saturday night can be hectic and can require patrons to be patient. That's not my gripe. My problem was that every other party was being seated besides us. We are a black family and, in my view, this was the only reason we were not seated timely like other patrons. My kids, kept asking, "daddy why won't they give us a table," and I have to honestly ask myself that question. We were courteous, polite, punctual, and had reservations made for our party of 5, days prior.

It was clear discrimination and we happily took our business to Capital Grille who treated us equally to all the rest of their patrons. And that's all we were asking and hoping for, from Flemings. The food may be phenomenal as all the reviewers have said, but if you've got my skin color and make a reservation there, be prepared to wait for your table, it may not be worth your time.

Just...

Recommendation: Ahi Tuna Poke Stack, Prime Bone-in Ribeye, Crispy Brussels Sprouts & Bacon, Italian Flightplan, and Dadou Vineyards (Paso Robles, 2019), Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake. . Detailed Review: It's another beautiful Thursday afternoon, great weather for going out for dinner. My reservation was at 6:45. The restaurant does not have a parking lot, but you can park on the street or near by parking lots. The parking fee is cheap. I parked my car in a parking lot across the street after failing to find a spot on the street. We were right in time. The host was busy to take a phone so we had to wait a bit for seating. Our waitress was Meagan, she was helpful and friendly. Her recommendations were good, you should ask her for suggestions. The light in the restaurant is not too dim, you can easily read the menu. For me, the inside looks great, they have an open kitchen. So we order Ahi Tuna Poke Stack for the appetizers, Prime Bone-in Ribeye to share, Crispy Brussels Sprouts & Bacon for the Side, and Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake for dessert.

Ahi Tuna Poke Stack: DELICOUS, MUST ORDER. It's refreshing and a very good way to wake up your taste. It's not too much and you will have room for your entrée. Prime Bone-in Ribeye: it's good, crispy outside and soft inside. I highly recommend that you share it with your partner, so when you finish it, it's still warm. Crispy Brussels Sprouts & Bacon: very good. Having this side with the steak is a plus. It's sweet and just a little sour. Italian Flightplan: a little bit sour for my wife, she refers sweeter. But pair it with steak is a good idea. Dadou Vineyards (Paso Robles, 2019): a little bit sweet, not to strong, good combination with Steak. Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake: it’s a bit sweet for me, but the texture is good. So I asked for some strawberries. Having strawberries with the cake will take the dish to a new level, highly recommend. . My bill total is $159.95 (excludes tips) . Conclusion: ✅Service: 5/5 ✅Food: 5/5 ✅Atmosphere: 5/5 I'd love to come...