Corner Chophouse — Restaurant in Winter Park

Dined on the first official night open in Winter Park. Yes, there are many options for steak in the city, many different levels of dining regarding quality and atmosphere but I can tell from being greeted at the door through the meal and dessert options, this place takes the fine dining steakhouse experience into a friendly and inviting lane that few if any offer. Part upscale with a perfect twist of comfort and just a little touch of neighborhood bar. As my wife and I were seated for dinner the first thing we noticed was a refreshed and polished upgrade to the previous restaurant’s that have occupied the space, feels very thoughtful warm and comfortable. Second, the music certainly set the vibe, great selection of some jazz and standards that give the room a great feel. Meeting our server, Kendall was pure joy, seriously by the end of our night we had great conversation and really feel like we learned great things about the ownership, history and quality of the organization. Kendall was also incredibly attentive and gave us great advice and responses to our random questions, highly engaging in a friendly and caring way. First up was drinks, great selection and our were straightforward wine and non alcoholic beer (Athletic Brewing, first try and hit the mark beautifully). I also didn’t see it on the menu, maybe overlooked it, but I asked for a hot tea as well, Kendall didn’t even miss a beat and asked what type of tea I like, served up without any concerns. Appetizers, far too many that we want to try, all sound remarkable, so with our servers recommendation we tried the Blue Crab stuffed Pasta with a light cheese based sauce and grilled corn. Perfection could have eaten this dish twice on the spot. Very light creamy cheese sauce, nothing heavy here because the star of the dish was the incredible flavors inside the stuffed pasta with crab and beautiful blend of spice in the sauce with perfectly cooked corn. I would return just for that dish alone. Bread service was a very nice addition, milk bread served more like Parker house rolls with salted butter, another hit and perfect size for two. Entrees were now on the table, (please know that we went into the night being open to any first night open hiccups, there really was only one completely understandable delay in food reaching the table. This is not a complaint by any stretch, this spot is on their game and it’s obvious this was simply an effect of all the random that comes with a full first night open, no negative for us at all). Entrees hit the table, two right off the grill filets at the perfect medium temperature as requested. I added bone marrow to mine and my wife added the steak sauce made in house along with side green salad. The steak sauce had a wonderful rich initial flavor with a hint of spicy at the end, great combination on the steak. The salad quickly became one of her favorites and the bone marrow was cooked and served piping hot full of flavor and rich goodness. I had also asked if I could have a side (not listed on the menu as such) of the potato gnocchi with mushroom sauce. Kendall pulled some kind of magic in the kitchen and bam, there was a side of gnocchi for us both to try. Steaks, perfect as I mentioned, salad was very much a favorite side for my wife, bone marrow on point!, gnocchi was perfection! We’ve had meals similar to this that cost much more in other large cities, we’ve had similar meals that were also less expensive which equated to lower quality. The Corner Chophouse is an ideal combination of quality food, great atmosphere and engaging service that adds up to an outstanding overall impression. Left us eager to return, soon. We’ll try desert next visit, they truly sound amazing. Since there is no such thing as perfection, you have to find a way to stand out by being Excellent, this checked every Excellent box we could find! Congratulations and welcome to the neighborhood Corner Chophouse, so happy to have a new favorite high end spot with a warm and...

Cutting Corners Chophouse

We came for a high-quality steak meal and instead received a cold, underwhelming steak—leaving us only really enjoying the side dishes, which on their own aren’t enough to bring us back. My friend thought the cut resembled ribeye, and I suspected it might have been Select grade (certainly not Prime, since that wasn’t advertised). The 20 oz Dry Aged KC Strip ($120) was lukewarm, lacked flavor, and was inconsistently cooked—one side medium-rare, the other closer to medium. This isn’t just a mistake; it reflects a bigger problem. They don’t use sous vide or high-heat finishing, just a grill, and it shows. To their credit, the steak was comped, but that doesn’t solve the core issue.

Appetizers were hit or miss: garlic shrimp (just three small pieces, though flavorful), scallops that varied in size, and asparagus with a tangy sauce that was easily the best part of the night. The Super Tuscan wine, though heavily marked up, was another highlight—but again, not enough to save the meal.

The room itself is pleasant, open, and inviting, with a nice touch in the refreshed dessert case. Still, with so many excellent steakhouses nearby (Christner’s, The Palm), it’s hard to justify returning. Their wet-aged steaks deliver more flavor for half the price. Corner Chophouse’s “dry-aged” offering wasn’t bold or rich—it was just cold, inconsistent, and disappointing.

Furthermore, both Christner’s and The Palm not only serve superior steak, they also have far better atmosphere and long-term, impeccable staff. If Corner Chophouse had launched with a home-run dining experience, maybe it could eventually boast that kind of loyalty.

As a side note: I sometimes come in dressed down or in a way that might elicit average or below-average treatment, just to see how the experience plays out. That way, what you’re reading here is genuine and authentic, written for fun—not for pay. So as you browse other reviews, keep in mind that many are likely bought, boosted, or fake. This one isn’t.

I do this to either encourage or discourage someone to go someplace as a valuable use of time and resources out of my own desire to call out the undeserving ones, and reward the deserving ones. Why? I value my own time and resources and why not help others, or...

Stepping into Corner Chophouse in Winter Park is rather like stepping into a paradox — the sort of delightful contradiction life itself is made of. On one hand, it’s a temple of sensory indulgence — where a New York strip arrives with the kind of precision that reveals a chef who has made peace with both fire and flesh. The sear is crisp, the interior sings with pink reverence, and the flavor… well, it reminds you that life is not a problem to be solved, but a steak to be savored.

The martinis here are staggering — and not merely in the sense of potency. Each sip dances somewhere between clarity and chaos, a little Zen lesson in a chilled glass. The cocktail sauce, too, deserves its own philosophy: bright, bold, and balanced — the sort of thing that convinces you all is right with the world, at least for the duration of a shrimp.

The scene is another meditation entirely — a living theater of Winter Park’s “who’s who.” Around you, flirty moms twirl their hair like philosophers pondering infinity, their designer handbags perched upon undersized chairs like smug totems of domestic liberation. Laughter rings out like wind chimes in a Florida breeze; heels click upon the floor as if to remind us all that pleasure, properly embraced, is a serious matter.

The atmosphere? Warm, inviting, and unpretentiously elegant — a place where conversation feels as natural as breath. The service flows with genuine ease — attentive without intrusion. And yet, alas, the furniture offers its own gentle koan: why must the most sumptuous meals be taken from the least comfortable chairs? The tables are charmingly compact — perhaps to keep us close to our companions, or perhaps as a quiet reminder not to stay too long in any one pleasure.

In sum, Corner Chophouse is a delicious contradiction — sensual, thoughtful, and ever so slightly uncomfortable. Just like...