3. Charley's Steak House

Big Disappointment
My boyfriend has been to Charley's many times with his father and he loves the place. But when we went there in May 09 I found it to be a huge disappointment. First we were seated in a room with the most obnoxious family who were very loud forcing the rest of the room to yell to speak to their party. Then the service was horrible, the waiter rarely showed up to our table and when he did he brought us steaks that were not cooked to how we ordered them. I mean come on if you are going to pay that much for a steak you better at least have the thing cooked accordingly. This place is overpriced and if you are not going there to drop tons of money on wine and additional items then you will get ignored by the staff and be put in the crappy(loud) section of the restaurant.. I would choose Outback over this place any day of the week.

I can't believe the people who write positive reviews for this place. They must either be retired and never go anywhere decent, or they're friends of the manager. In my opinion Charley's is WAY OVER-RATED. We had a $250 meal in August 2008 and were very disappointed both with the food and the service. Especially the food. We should have paid attention to a few of the negative reviews we read before going to this place! Our appetizers, as well as both steaks were luke warm at best. When we brought it to the waiter's attention he took them back to the kitchen for "warming". Come on, even a mid-level roadhouse restaurant would offer to replace the steaks! They weren't even tender. The service was mediocre at best, the valet parking guys were not the least bit friendly, and the host or hostess was non existent. The food and service were just not anywhere near the caliber that you would expect from a good restaurant. In my opinion Charley's is one of those places that might have been good several years ago. But, if you're visiting Clearwater or Tampa today there are dozens of restaurants I would go before ever returning to this place!

Read the reviews -- for me, I have had nothing but great service and good meals at Charleys. Living in the area and working on Kennedy, I frequent many of the better Tampa restaurants and Charleys is indeed one of them (albeit there is always that "errant night"). I had to laugh though, while one reviewer had an issue with Charleys, they extoll Berns which I think is the lowest restaurant I have been too. (I have been to Berns 4 times and will NEVER return -- each visit was mediocre to bad, the last was outrageously bad; service, food, shabby ambience, noise! ALL Disgusting!)

I was born and raised in Iowa (home of the “Iowa Chop”…best pork chop in the world) and I can honestly say that the Pork Chop I had at Charley’s not only compared, but ranked in the top 3 of my life. The atmosphere was a little crowded and loud, but all together another remarkable meal. Everyone knows that their steaks are amazing, but I would recommend this alternative to anyone who loves wood grilled food…Jeremy M…

I have had better steaks at Longhorn and Outback. One of the most mediocre meals I have ever experienced. From the start of the meal, the waiter hands us the bulky wine menu, says nothing about the wines, and no sommelier comes to the table. For these prices and the extensive wine list, there should be a sommelier. Steaks come to table, and waiter asks us to cut into the steaks to make sure they were done as we had asks. TACKY!! And that was protocol for the waiters because they asked every table when they received their steaks. Do they not trust their chefs? When I ask for a medium steak at a steakhouse, why should the waiter ask me to check the steak? So, I cut into my porterhouse and it looks like it is cooked medium as I asked. Well, the steak was incredibly tough, but I didn't complain. The salad was made with iceberg (the crappiest of all the lettuces), and the side items were very plain and unimpressive. So, my dad cuts into his steak, which he ordered medium, and saw a tiny bit of pink in the center of the fattest part of the steak, and proceeds to tell the waiter that it is not cooked medium. The waiter then shines a candlelight on the steak, and says that it is indeed medium. Let it be known that my father knows his steak. So, we were a bit annoyed that the waiter was basically telling my father he was wrong about the steak. So, not wanting to make a small problem big, my dad continued to eat until he just was disgusted with the steak. He calls the waiter over, and tells him to send it back because he ordered it medium, and not well-done as the steak came out. The waiter sends it back, and comes back 2 minutes later with the same steak, telling my father that the chef said that the steak was indeed medium. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? At this point, we seriously thought we were on some sort of candid camera show or something. This was my mother's Birthday, and it was completely ruined. Anyways, Cheli, the manager, did comp the whole meal. This was a nice gesture, but we still could not get over such an unpleasant dining experience. We, most likely, will never be back there. I don't even understand how anyone can even put Charley's in the same class as Bern's. Bern's is so far superior in every single category from quality of food to service, that it would be the equivalent of comparing Burger King with Spago.

I have eaten at all three Charley's and have yet to have a less than perfect steak. I have eaten at many upscale steakhouses across the country and they are in the top 3 for sure. They are on par with Donovans Steakhouse, La Jolla, Ca as far as I am concerned.

I ordered a steak medium well and it came out cold. Not warm, cold When I sent it back, it came back well done.

I have to disagree with some of the other reviews posted here. I've eaten at many of the best steak houses throughout the US, and Charley's ranks right up there with the best of them. Last night I had their New York Strip, and it was wonderful. Yes, their meat isn't quite as lean as you'll find at some other restaurants, but its very well aged so that the fat or gristle is flavorful and easy to chew. Also, because of their wood roasting, there's a nice wood-roasted taste in the outside sear of the meat. As for price, the NY was $8 less than (other places), and I'd put the steak fully on par with, or possibly even better than (other places). I will agree, however, that the standard dinner salad's dressing was a little lack-luster. Make sure you opt for the additional blue cheese crumbles.

The best stone crabs in town.

My wife and I had our 34th anniversary dinner at Charley's and were extremely disappointed. The 2 NY strip steaks were filled with grizzle and fat and did not have a steak taste. The salad was weak on content and the sourdough was stale. My coffee, her wine and the baked potato were good. When the waitress cleared our table she saw we had not even eaten but one or two bites of each steak and didn't ask if everything was ok. This proved to me that they don't care if the customer is satisfied, just that they get paid. We left very upset and finished the night [elsewhere].

If you like the fresh wood chip grilled smell, then you are in for a treat as soon as you walk through the front doors. The steaks are wonderfully grilled and the lobster tails are fantastic. Although priced a little too high, it is a great place to go for those special occasions.

Ate there with a recommendation from Hard Rock concierge, It was AWESOME!!!! The most impressive restaurant for good steak, wine and knowledgeable staff. I wish there was one up north!!!!!