Charley’s Steak House

Wonderful service.
Disappointing food.
Really disappointing considering the cost.
Items complained about were removed .
However, for the expense, why bother to go.

Seven of us were guests of a couple who had just been promoted to president of a major US company. There was also a birthday & an anniversary to celebrate. It was a major family celebration. Five had previously been there, but not my husband & I. We had heard so much about «Charley’s Steak House»!!! When the reservations were made, we requested a round table. When we arrived we were informed that they have no round tables. The seafood tower
was beautifully presented and tasty. The staff was very attentive and great. However, the New York strip steaks that my husband & I ordered at $ 29 were so full of grizzle that we were unable to eat them. We took them home only to find that we were unable to cut away enough of the grizzle to eat them. We were totally disappointed with Charley’s. We can not recommend this Steak House — better steak at most any other restaurant!!!

This was my 2^nd time visiting Tampa.
2^nd time enjoying charleys wonderful food and will make it a point anytime I come back. We started with the scallops wrapped in bacon. They were so delicious, we almost ordered another, however knew there was more deliciousness to come., bread garlic
rolls amazing and served hot. Main entrée I ordered was plank cedar salmon. This salmon was the best. I ever had. Moist, cooked perfectly with a white sauce. (im salivating just remembering last night)
My husband ordered the filet mignon which melted in your mouth. Both dishes came with house salad. We ate at the bar, since restaurant quickly filled up on Friday night. Nathan, our bartender/​server was the ultimate kind, professional and took care of us like no other.
Definitely returning soon and highly recommend this wonderful restaurant with such amazingly scrumptious food.

We came here again twice before moving away from Boston. We finally decided to try the Kansas strip steak, it is so flavorful with perfect charring. The roasted salmon is also cooked perfectly, still soft at the middle. The red onion aioli is the bomb, compliments the salmon really well. We also tried the creamsille, licor 43 with orange honey ice cream and orange soda. It was so delicious, we was worried bc I dont like too much alcohol but it was perfect, no bitterness, just lots of orange flavor.

We held a major business dinner here and while most people enjoyed themselves, I wouldn’t say we were particularly impressed. We were in a back room but they gave us a long thin table, rather than a nice round table. So, it made socializing a bit more challenging than I would have preferred.
The service was extremely professional and they let us take our time chatting while they described appetizer options. The seafood towers with king crab, blue crab, stone crab, etc were well presented and flavorful. Our out-​of-​towners were quite happy! Throw in some tuna and calamari and fried shrimp and the appetizer course was a meal in itself!
Then, we moved on to the salad course. The salads were drowned in dressing and full of soggy iceberg lettuce. I only could stomach one bite and others at our party felt the same way.
Then, we moved on to the steak portion of our meal. The prices are actually pretty reasonable but steaks, while cooked properly, didn’t seem to be seasoned. Once of our guests ordered the wagyu steak but it turned out to be to tough (?!) for her liking and she had to send it back. The manager came out and they did everything possible to make it right, hovering and watching while she took a bite of her replacement steak. It was a little uncomfortable actually but they tried.
Overall, we had a successful meal but the flaws took away from the experience.

After giving Charlie a second try it’s for sure that I will not return there. People say not to compare it to Burns and I’m not going to compare it to Burns because there is no comparison.
The Ambiance is nice, nothing overdone or overly outrageous or stupendous. The service was lacking on both occasions and when I spend that kind of money or the person I’m with those I expect a little bit more.
After trying several appetizers, drinks, steaks all I can say is I’m disappointed. The appetizers in general were clearly lacking but I did enjoy the crab cake it didn’t seem to have more filling than crab which was a welcome relief. The cocktails were quite good and I can’t complain about them at all.
The entrees now that’s a different story. I can see being disappointed on one occasion and that’s why I went back for the second. I find the marinade they used to be a bit overpowering and it lingers in the back of your throat while you eat your meal. The six themselves are they Prime grade-​a not in my humble opinion. I have had much better steaks at a variety of restaurants they didn’t even specialize in steaks.
On both occasions both parties ordered steaks, so I have experienced the t-​bone, porterhouse, New York strip and filet mignon. To me a filet mignon should be fork tender it just it just failed miserably. As far as the sides go I thought they were mediocre at best with the exception of the loaded mashed potatoes which I thoroughly enjoyed. I think one of the things that I enjoyed the most was the desert being crème brûlée which is one of my personal favorites and was quite delicious. All and all I’ve heard so many opinions that they love to Charlie’s and I can see it, I just guess it’s not for me or 2 times I got poor steaks. I love the fact that you get to pick out your own steaks because when I do my own grocery shopping I’m very picky about the meat that I purchase so it wasn’t the cut of the meat or too much fat it was what was inside the meat that was the issue.
I’ve spent far too much money to return for a third try and why would I? Throwing good money away after bad is just, guess what one would call insanity.
What’s a girl to do? Keep trying new places but if you really want a good steak go where you know you can get one and be satisfied and not pissed off when you pay the bill.

Worst steak for the money, I’ve had in years. This was my first venture to Charley’s Steak House and it’s likely to be my last. We attended a small gathering of friend to send one off to Afghanistan for six months, and I had great anticipation of a superb steak. Everyone I spoke to about Charley’s had raved reviews, which was not my wife and my experience. The night started a downward spiral with one of the members of our party ordering the special, I think it was a New York Strip with Prawn with a Truffle butter sauce. Sounds fabulous, until his medium rare steak was served beyond well-​done. Of course they corrected the order and he only had to wait another 15 minutes for his dinner, meanwhile everyone else was finishing up their supper. Not what you expect from an award winning restaurant.
My wife ordered the Cedar Plank Roasted Salmon $ 27.95, an Atlantic King Salmon topped with a light parmesan red onion aioli and cedar plank roasted over our custom citrus wood burning pit. Well the «light parmesan red onion aioli» was not so light, the salmon was smothered with cheese and raw onion, so much so you could not taste the fish. I scrapped the cheese back on the salmon and it was approximately ¼″ thick. So, if you like parmesan and raw onion this maybe your «E» ticket. I ordered the $ 43.95, heavily marbled, Angus Bone-​in Rib eye 100% USDA Prime. Now rib eye is my steak of choice and «bone-​on» is my preference. I have eaten rib eye steaks at all types of steakhouses from Golden Coral to such fine restaurants like Smith & Wollensky’s in Washington, DC and Emeril’s Delmonico in Las Vegas. So suffice it to say I’ve had a few rib eyes. This 24oz rib eye was the worst steak I call recall. When you order rib eye, you should expect some fat and even some gristle. However, this steak was beyond normal and excided expectations when it came to fat and gristle. As a matter of fact when I had finished and the waitress (Suzi & Zoe were outstanding by the way) said, «Sir you left a lot of that steak would you like me to box it?» When I informed her is was all fat and gristle, a member of our party remarked that it was as much crap as his entire steak.
Why didn’t I send it back, I should have, but again you should expect some, just not 8oz. of it, I kept thinking it would get better, it did not. When I’m paying nearly $ 50 for a steak I expect it to be right the first time and I’m not that guy that sends food back to the kitchen (I’ve seen the reports).
As for the atmosphere, it’s exactly what you would expect from a high-​end steak house. The wait staff was on it and with two servers per table you’re never for want, but I still cannot move past the quality of the food coming out of the kitchen. Maybe I got the one bad steak, my friend got the one bad cook, and my wife got an over zealous cheeser. I’m thinking not likely and I will not be back again, there are too many fine steak-​houses to take another chance in dropping $ 125 bucks for supper.

We haven’t been to a Charley’s Steakhouse in quite a while. They have two on the Orlando area, and have been to both and both were very blasé.
Thinking the one in Tampa would be different, seeing it wasn’t in the «Tourism Capital». It was not!
Worst thing about the meal? All the sides we ordered were not appetizing at all. A whole head of cauliflower baked with parmesan cheese and some mayonnaise type sauce, which the menu made no mention of, was absolutely gross.
The Pittsburgh prepared steak my daughter ordered was about the only good thing. My Kansas City strip had a weird flavor, I only had two bites.
I guess if you go there for drinks it might be good, seeing that the bar was quite packed and loud.

Charley’s hands down has the best steak in the Tampa Bay area. My boyfriend and I went there for his birthday and everything we had was perfection. We ordered the 50 oz porterhouse, the lobster mac and cheese and the whole roasted cedar plank cauliflower, all to share. The steak had a distinct depth of smoky flavor and was cooked flawlessly. Each bite of steak melted like butter in my mouth. The mac and cheese had an adequate amount of lobster and was served drowning in a bath of additional cheese sauce. My personal favorite dish of the night was the cedar plank roasted cauliflower. Whatever they slather all over the exterior while roasting is seriously one of the best things I have ever tasted. I have had other whole roasted cauliflowers at restaurants, such as the cauliflower dish at Haven, however it pales in comparison to the cauliflower dish at Charley’s .
Overall, Charley’s really impressed me. I have been to Berns on several occasions and while the overall ambiance and dining experience may be better at Berns, Charley’s food definitely takes the reins for the best steak and side dishes in Tampa Bay.

This place that boasts amazing steak should stop. In my experience it did not compare not even close to Ruth’s Chris and sadly Iv had outback steaks which were better. The server neglected our table too much, so much so it put the whole table in a bad mood. The Décor is cool that’s the only reason for the two stars.

This review is a bit of a mixed bag of good and bad!
First the good. My Martini was absolutely outstanding as were the other cocktails and wine we had. The Steak Tartar was also very good. The side dishes (Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, Mushroom with Onions and Broccoli) were all excellent!
Now the Bad! This is a steak house not a bar, appetizer and side dish house. My daughter ordered a Filet which was properly cooked but room temperature. My son and I had decided to try the «Wagyu Steak.» We took the waiter’s suggestion of ordering it Medium rather than Medium Rare. My son asked the waiter why «Medium» was the recommendation? He explained that because of the nature of «Wagyu Steak» it needed to reach the right temperature to cook properly.
When our «Wagyu Steak» arrived we split the steak to share. It was warm but not hot and once we started cutting into it we realized that it was «Very Rare!» When a floor manager stopped and asked about the meal I explained the «Waygu» was warm and very under cooked. To be fair he said he could re-​fire the steak but we had already cut off the bone and split it in two … so I did not think this was practical.
My mistake was not checking this steak before I split it for proper cooking.
Charley’s mistake was serving their signature $ 90.00 steak warm and under cooked! Maybe this is why some Steak Houses will ask you to cut into your steak when it arrives to ensure the proper cook.
When I paid the check i just happened to notice a «Customer Satisfaction» credit of $ 13.00. But no one ever commented to us on this or let us know what their decision was to fix our steak problem! I guess changing the $ 90.00 steak to a $ 77.00 steak solves everything!
Now I will finish by saying the flavor of this «Wagyu Steak» was fabulous. I will come back to Charley’s and try this experience one more time and I will be much more careful. It will be interesting to taste a «Wagyu Steak» that has been properly cooked!

Stopped here while we were visiting from Virginia.
This place is beautiful inside and the steak is delicious! I got the ribeye, it’s huge and my husband got the porterhouse. Mine was delicious but his was the best steak I ever tried. We also go the bacon wrapped scallops as an appetizer. The food was delicious! Only thing that would’ve made it better is a glass of red wine, I’m pregnant so it looks like I’ll have to plan to come back again later. Definitely worth a trip. They also have complimentary valet parking.

First of all, let me start off by saying fuck this place. This is the worst steak house I have ever been to in all of my life. I came to this shit hole to get my boyfriend and I a nice juicy grade A steak like my boyfriends dick. I was already pissed because we took my bike to the restaurant and they didn’t have any bike parking so I had to leave my bike underneath a tree.
Once we got in, I ordered a big t-​bone and it tasted like shit. I was expecting it to taste like Subway’s steak but it actually tasted like shit.
I asked the manager if I could have another steak and he told me to fuck off and get out of his restaurant. I pulled out my dick and slapped that son of a bitch across the face with my meat and my boyfriend and I walked out of the restaurant.
When we walked out of the restaurant, a black guy was stealing my bike. I tried to stop him but he pulled out a knife and shanked the shit out of me. We ended up having to call a cab and drive home that way.
Anyways the place sucks never go here.

Soooo many good things to say about this place. The service, the drinks, the food, oh man the fooooood, everything. Everything was great about my recent experience here.
We ordered scallops, they were perfect (I finally convinced the boyfriend to try them and he liked them!). We ordered the salmon, wow was that amazing. We ordered wine. We ordered broccoli, even THAT was great! We ordered extra bread, man was that bread good. We ordered the lobster mac and cheese. We ordered the tuna. we ordered steak. We ordered too much food and considered ordering more, all so we could enjoy it again.
Places like this don’t have ‘off nights’. They are consistent. They are delicious. They are worth every dime. They are worth every calorie. Nom nom nom.

Got the porterhouse steak and my fiancé got the new york strip. We both loved the steaks. This place is our number 2 favorite steak place to number 1 berns. The salad and rolls the meal comes with was also excellent. The atmosphere is very nice! Service was great.

We have been coming here for years ever since we discovered this place! The first time we came… we came back monthly! Love the steaks here! We always order the surf and turf for two and upgrade the steak to a chateaubriand! Never disappoints! Drinks are strong here! They used to have a peanut better pie with an Oreo crust. It’s gone so we skip the dessert now. :-(haven’t really tried anything else. I’ve also dined at the bar. The bartender makes great drinks… I’ve asked for something spicy and it was good! He put peppers in them. For the sides… they are family style size! The baked potato is pretty big… we share one. We also like to start with the lobster bisque but nothing to rave about. I miss having it at circles south Tampa (they are now on north dal mabry) and Bella’s with the puff pastry top.
Let me just say my now 6yo loves this restaurant! She learned to eat her steak med. I believe her first time here was when she was 4yo. This restaurant steak taught me to eat my steak with no sauce. I use to lather my steak with A1.
Definitely a must try! I’ve been to Bern’s many many times, Ruth Chris, capital grille, and ocean prime to compare. But this steak is that flavorful! I’ve also been to Charley’s sister restaurant Texas something… but don’t remember the steak as good as it is here. This place definitely isn’t easy on the wallet. I think bern’s has a great deal since your steak comes with sides, soup and salad?

The food and ambience were superb. Had it not been for the service I would have given 5 stars. In a word the service was terrible. I was with a large group of 13 people and it was clear the server — let’s call her K — was totally overwhelmed. I’ll spare you the sordid details but from start to finish our experience took nearly four hours. K was supposedly backed up by «A» but I am not sure that A ever stopped by, except when the food was delivered. Some orders were incomplete such as missing side dishes. There are enough choices for high-​end steak restaurants so I see no reason to return when we are back in town.

The food was very good. However, the service was so miserably slow I wanted to stick a steak knife in my eye. Granted we had a large group, but it took over 3 hours to finish our meal. I just came back from a cruise to Jamaica that didn’t last that long. The worst part about it was they made no effort to speed things up. If you’re in a hurry, do NOT go here.

This was my fiancée’s first time here, and my second (although the last time was about 7 years ago). Let me preface this review with it was Valentine’s Day. However, I feel that a restaurant such as Charley’s, which has been here a very long time, should have this day down to a science. Our reservation was at 5:30 and when we checked in with the hostess, we were told they were running about 20 minutes behind. So we went to the bar and were helped by a very nice bartender. We got a beer and a sangria (which was DELICIOUS!). We were not sat until 6:15…luckily, we were in no rush, but we definitely did not expect to have to wait 45 minutes when we had a reservation.
Our server was fantastic! Her name was Lori (or maybe Tori?). She was knowledgeable and well versed in the menu. She was able to make quick recommendations and suggestions based on her experience. Very enjoyable. The reason I am giving this restaurant 3 stars is not because of the waitstaff service. I am giving 4 stars because of our initial wait, and because the main food items were not up to par.
Our steaks came out luke warm, as well as the broccoli. I expect my food hot! or very warm at least! The lobster mac n cheese had cold spots in the middle and we had to send it back. Very disappointing for a $ 16 mac n cheese side! The bacon mash was the only side that came out hot enough. Our steaks were good, but as I said, lukewarm. My filet was medium, but seemed to be a tad bit overcooked. I was hungry, so I ate it anyway. But again, for a $ 160 meal, I expected a better presentation.
Overall, we will come back one day in the future I’m sure. But our favorite is still Ocean Prime, followed by Bern’s, and then Charley’s. Hopefully next time will be a better experience!

We came upon Charley’s Steak House by accident when looking for a good restaurant for our farewell dinner before heading back to Chicago after our vacation. What a treat we were in for! Even though it was a Tuesday evening, the place was hopping but we were seated promptly. We were greeted by our fabulous waiter, William who proceeded to tell us all about the restaurant and even gave us a very informative «steak presentation»! We thought we knew what we wanted beforehand but after the presentation we changed our minds and just knew that we HAD to try one of their fantastic steaks! I choose the T-​Bone and husband choose the Porterhouse. Both were cooked to perfection and very tender and flavorful. We opted for no a la cart sides as the chopped salad & bread that come with dinner was plenty. Our waiter, William was a joy. He was professional, attentive & funny!
We will definitely go visit him and Charley’s again when visiting Tampa in the future.

First time here with my wife, Everything was marvelous.
Haven had a T bone steak like that since NYC
My wife had the Porter steak, Delicious.
Well recommended.
We will back soon.

After going to Bern’s and being turned away because we didn’t have a shirt with a collar, we landed at this place.
It was busy for a Wednesday night.
After eating I can understand why. I did the ribeye it was perfect.
My boss got the surf and turf, she loved it. Another co-​worker got the NY strip and he enjoyed his.
The lobster mac was great.
Those bacon wrapped scallops were the perfect starter.

Love. Can I go back again today?
Joseph was our incredible and knowledgeable server. He brought us several wine samples, because we couldn’t decide. He made some very thorough recommendations and helped us pick a bottle. We started with the smoke Caesar salad, and added the bacon, which was unreal. These ain’t no bacon bits. A huge piece of bacon came served on a separate plate and it was like butter. So good! Oh, and the bread?! Yes.
For my entrée I chose to go with the bison ribeye and it was spectacular. Cooked absolutely perfectly. My husbands fortune with his steak wasn’t quite as good, but in the end he was thoroughly pleased. He Initially ordered the Kobe ribeye and he had to send it back because it wasn’t cooked enough. When they brought it out the second time it was completely well done and chard… Very disappointing for a $ 90 piece of meat. Joseph offered to bring him something else and he chose the bison ribeye as well, because mine was so delicious. Of course, the manager came by to apologize, which was appreciated. For my side I chose the lobster mac & cheese which turned out to be freaking amazing. My husband ordered the mixed vegetables which I thought would be kind of boring… I was wrong. It was also delicious!
Because we were celebrating our anniversary our server offered to complimentary glass of sparkling wine as well as a dessert. We couldn’t decide on a dessert so we chose two: chocolate cake and carrot cake. Both were great. The chocolate cake wasn’t life changing (which is what I was hoping for) but it was very good.
In the end the Kobe dish was taken off the check and the bison he ordered in it’s place was comped, which was certainly appreciated. Definitely loved the experience and will absolutely be back.

Perhaps the news that the deal to sell the land under Charley’s and the Doubletree Hotel next door to the local government for a transportation hub gave us incentive to go in for a drink tonight.
We had not visited in awhile and found the experience as good as ever. And we’ve been coming here for years.
While the bartenders said it would likely be awhile before the restaurant was closing and possibly moving to another location, I’m guessing it will be sooner rather than later.
Besides, these deals normally are very lucrative for the businesses because the government generally overpays with our tax dollars to get what they want. So, I cannot blame Charley’s for taking the deal… I would too.
I’m sure we’ll make it in for more drinks, wedge salads, crab cakes and steaks before this wonderful location ends its run at this location.
We do miss Steve, the best wine guy in Tampa, since he took a job in Ybor City. However, Erik the bartender took good care of us tonight.

Loved the place. We had a party of 6 and we all but one had a steak. They were all cooked to perfection and the service was outstanding. Got a seafood appetizer that was delicious as well. One thing to keep in mind is that it’s not a quiet and intimate setting, it was quite loud and there were many bigger parties. Not something I would sing the restaurant for but we were there for a working dinner and it was a bit loud. The food made up for it. The sides we ordered were very good as well and were comprised of mashed cheesy potatoes, mushrooms, lobster Mac and cheese and normal potatoes.

Was it the best? Not by a long shot. There are better steakhouse than Charley’s. But for a good Christmas Eve dinner it was a rock solid choice.
Waited for a bar seat on a very busy night where every seat was taken. Thanks to the kindness of a wonderful couple relocated from the state of New Jersey where I grew up who were waiting for their reservation table and deferred to me, I sat toward the end of the bar along side a supposed former scout of the NY Yankees. Claimed he signed Don Mattingly.(More on that later).
Bartender was great guy. Made an awesome Makers Mark Old Fashion.
Ordered at his recommendation the bone-​in rib eye.
The side salad accompaniment was tasty as was the bread. Out of this world delicious!
Got a side of au gratin potatoes.
Steak was tasty — a little more fat than I usually like but it was very good. Had a glass of Cab that was so-​so. The side lobster tail was mushy and he took it off the bill.
Now back to Mr. Yankee. Ate his meal than claimed he had to go to his car and get his phone. Scum bag dined and dashed — sticking the bartender with the bill. What a crummy thing to do on Christmas Eve. Hope they catch him.

After so many years of living in Tampa Bay, I finally made it to Charley’s!
Food:
— Cedar Plank Crab Cakes — chunks of crab, though the cakes were a bit too soft, almost runny
— Fillet Mignon Oscar style (8 oz) — so tender and just the right size
— Angus Bone-​in Ribeye (at least 20 oz) — seasoned well, crunchy on the outside, tender and perfectly medium rare inside
— Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions — simple but so yummy
— Crème Brulee — topped with 151 rum and lit on fire tableside, very creamy taste, though the sugar on top was too soft to make that crack sound
Drinks:
— Raspberry Breeze — the best cocktails I’ve had in a while
— I don’t remember the cocktail the bf got, but I know he liked it a lot too.
— Cappuccino — good beans and well made
Service:
— Our waiter was informative, professional and funny. He checked on us once in a while and I noticed he looked at our table a few other times to see if we needed anything or looked for dishes that can be cleared.
It wasn’t a cheap meal, but well worth the money. Hoping to be back real soon.

One of the best steak I’ve ever had. Came here last year for a bday celebration and it was amazing.
And after a year I was able to come back and have a dinner with my mom once again. Ordered the escargot for appetizer and my mom ordered the lobster bisque. The escargot was amazing and my mom likes the lobster bisque but wasn’t able to finish the small bowl. The server came and explained the different steak that they have and after looking at their menu I’ve already decided in what to order.
My mom ended up ordering Atlantic swordfish and I ordered porterhouse. While waiting for our order the house salad and bread.
The steak was great but wasn’t able to finish it coz I’m full with the appetizer, salad, and the cheese bread. The place was cozy. And the service was great. No special experience set by the place as they advertise it with the emails received from Talk of the Town. And to tell you honestly I wanted to try it again because of that email I received. I should it to our server in the end and did not even get any special experience after the dinner I guess thats how there Talk of the Town works.

3.5 is about right for Charley’s. Had an anniversary dinner here and it was a delightful experience. The service was good, nothing over the top like what you get at a Capital Grille, they took a while to get the food out but offered good service overall, the Steak presentation was a nice touch. For our anniversary, there was really nothing extra just a nice welcome, one of the managers brought out a spoonful of a meatball on marsala sauce. That was ’bout it.
The food was a bit pricey as you would expect but enjoyable nonetheless. The Cheese Bread was nice and warm, you’ll love it. Just go easy, save room for the steak. For Starters: The stone crab and the crab cakes were favorites for me, both were tasty and filled you up just right, ideal starters IMO.
I was not crazy about the side dishes, roasted veggies and the mushroom & onion. Expected a better portion and choice of vegetables and I would’ve preferred caramelized onions on the mushroom dish, that would’ve given the dish a little more character.
Last but not least, the steak… I got to try the cowboy ribeye (cooked medium) and the porterhouse steak (medium rare). If I had to choose between the two, I’d go with the ribeye. Both were good, not great. Thought my porterhouse was a bit chewy. It actually tasted better the next day. Glad I brought some back home, steak and eggs in the morning was a good call.
Overall, it was a good experience. I’m glad I got a chance to try it. Still, for the money I’d rather go to capital grille.

To understand and appreciate Charley’s and where it is positioned on the steakhouse totem pole, one must map out the area’s competition. I see it in grid format.
Restaurant | Steak Quality | Steak Price
1. Bern’s | 5 Star | $$$$$
2. Council Oak | 4 Star | $$$$
3. Charley’s | 4 Star | $$$
4. Grill 116 | 3.5 Star | $$$
5. Malio’s | 3.5 Star | $$$
6. Fleming’s | 3.5 Star | $$$
7. Iavarone’s | 3 Star | $$
8. Flamestone | 3 Star | $$
9. Ruth’s Chris | 2.5 Star | $$$
10. Long Horn | 2.5 Star | $
11. Outback | 2 Star | $
So the cheaper the steak, the lower the quality. No surprises there, but what I do is carve out the center cut of the grid, where quality and cost are the closest, relative to each other.
3. Charley’s | 4 Star | $$$
4. Grill 116 | 3.5 Star | $$$
5. Malio’s | 3.5 Star | $$$
6. Fleming’s | 3.5 Star | $$$
And of these, Charley’s is the best steak for the price.
Where it seems Charley’s might struggle is with consistency, based on the reviews below mine. If they get quality control under wraps, this could be the best and most affordable top tier steakhouse in the area. I certainly wish everyone’s experience was as good as our this past Saturday night. The Manager, Mr. Appt and our server, Richard, were both great. Customer service perfection is definitely their goal, and it showed. All of the food was amazing as well. All 3 steaks were cooked as ordered, and the sides were fantastic. Here is the breakdown.
KANSAS CITY STRIP — NY Strip with a bone and some extra meat. I actually ordered the NY Strip, and they brought me this accidentally. Best mistake EVER. Don’t waste your time with the creamy cognac sauce for an extra $ 2.50 though. It does not enhance the steak at all.
LOBSTER MAC — Order it! It’s delicious, and feeds the whole table. A lot of restaurants have lost their way, and their freaking minds when it comes to mac n cheese. This is a simple country food item that people all over America are screwing up by trying to fancy it up. Condensed milk, butter, noodles and freaking cheese, people. That’s it! Keep it simple, like Charley’s.
WOOD GRILLED CAESAR — Quite possibly the best CEEZ in town. House-​made sauce and croutons and served with some cheese crustinis.
PORTOBELLO APP — Not bad. Problem is, after the salad, steak and bites of mac n cheese, I found myself looking back on this app as a waste of valuable stomach space. My recommendation? Skip it.
So there it is. My assessment of the best steak in town, considering «bang-​for-​the-​buck.»
Sign up for the birthday club too. You get a $ 25 gift card, plus a free steak on your birthday. You have nothing to lose, and weight to gain.

Great spot in Tampa that rivals the Berns experience. Good food great service a long wine list. Well worth the visit.
Salads come with the entrée and there is an option to upgrade. The regular salad is great. We also shared some scallops wrapped in bacon which were delightful. Not such a huge scallop fan but these were great. The Pan seared calamari with peppers was great too. Lighter than the deep fried variety and much more tender.
Entrees were steaks of course with the KC strip snd the bison. The strip was extremely tasty but was served almost cold. I did not want to send it back for warming as it would have overcooked. The staff offered that but I declined. The bison was superb.
Great spot.

STEAK! YUM!
I had the pleasure of visiting Charley’s for my birthday and was not disappointed at all. The staff was friendly and accommodating to my party of 12. almost a little too much because I did feel as though the waiter hoovered a little. The venue is nice but the ‘low lighting ambiance’ was more on the side of out right dark so watch your step. Of course the star here is the steaks and red smashed potatoes! I wanted to just sit there and nibble like a lover on my porterhouse all night long. Between Charley’s and Bern’s I would recommend Charley’s any day due to having a bigger flavor profile.