Skip to main content

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse ~ national chain : McLean, Virginia


First visit: Dec 2023 (Marriott Courtyard)

HQ: Tampa, FL

Locations: They are located in 25 states across the nation. Denver has one as does Plano in DFW.

I seem to recall seeing the name Flemings in one of those "Best Steakhouses in America" advertisements you'd see in the airplane magazines. Remember those? They used to be in the front pouch of your seat. Old times, eh Uncle RJG? I don't recall ever eating at Flemings prior. It's been forever and a day since I ate at a high end steakhouse like this for business. I think it was Ruth Chris in (ironically) also in Tysons, Virginia, almost exactly seven years ago when I first started at the global education company (where most of my Baltimore restaurant experience comes from as documented here in the RJG). We arrived way later than my normal din-din time, but I was mentally prepared. It was a short walk to the neighboring Courtyard, where most of my peers were staying. Service was unfortunately painfully slow, so it was probably 10 by the time we ate. That's going to take a week of running to work out of my system. Their beer list was pitiful (shame for a high end restaurant) so I stuck our company with two high priced glasses of red wine as did some of my counterparts. I had a Caesar salad and a regular 11 ounce Filet. The Caesar was great - perfectly executed with the right mix of ingredients. I ordered my steak medium. Some of it was well done, other parts were medium rare. It wasn't evenly cooked. I thought it was very good anyway. Though Mrs. RJG would have despised it, which is one reason we never go to high end steakhouses. As I stated in my Ocean Prime entry, these places have to do better. They want to be at the highest price, and yet they deliver service and food below what I can get at a bistro in Great Bend, Kansas (see Page restaurant). I didn't pay for it out of my own pocket (does anyone?), and yes I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't go on my own. No chance.

12/4/23 (new entry)

Tysons, Virginia

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Five Guys Burgers and Fries ~ national chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Oct 2023 (Colorado Springs - Interquest) First visit: Jan 2007 (Reston, VA) Locations: 49 states + DC. Only Alaska is missing. There are 30 in Colorado (4 in the Springs). That's +3 from last year. Texas has 68 (our former locale of Southlake is closed, so Hurst would have been the closest). There are 123 in California which is their largest state presence. The original Reston location that I first went to is still going.  In what appears to be a recurring theme, I state each year this will be my last visit to Five Guys. Only to return anyway. This year's excuse is I wanted to try their new location, which very recently opened up close to our house. This is definitely the closest we've ever lived to a Five Guys - even the Reston location was further from my office at the time. And I thought maybe it would make a good choice for a weekday lunch while working from home, thus putting Five Guys back into the rotation. I put that idea to the test here this Saturda...
2 comments
Read more

Denver's Old School Italian Restaurants

I know, I know... I haven't posted anything in 6 months. You were checking back every week, then every month and now I've fallen completely off your radar. Sorry about that. My only lame excuse is that I've been "saving up" for a good one. I've been wanting to write about Denver's Italian restaurants since we returned part-time last year. And you all know how the RJG feels about this style of restaurant . As someone who grew up in Dallas, perhaps I've been more drawn to cities that embrace their history rather than completely demolish it. Only recently has Dallas become more acutely aware of their past. Previously, any buildings not in use have been razed as fast as possible, to make way for the next brand new shopping center - all in the latest architecture naturally. Contrarily you have cities like St. Louis that are 19th and 20th century industrial ghost towns - places frozen in time because for most everyone who could, they just up and left to ...
8 comments
Read more

Pietro's Italian ~ Dallas, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Feb 2016 First visit: Sometime in 1984 When Mr. Music told me this earlier in the year, my heart sunk. It was reason enough to stop talking and writing about restaurants. All I can say is this: We did give you advance notice. The below was published on  March 28, 2010 , so Pietro gave you a good 7 years to check it out. If you missed it, then I'm sorry to say there is no replacement. No other place like it. A part of me went with it too... January 2014 update: Pietro's is as magnificent as ever. Mrs RJG and I just had another exquisite meal here. It remains my all-time favorite restaurant even after 30 years of going here. I beg and urge you all to try it at least once if you have a hankering for Old School Italian food. I'm sure it will not be here forever. Pietro must be close to 80 now, and it's hard to imagine the restaurant without him. We try to go 3 to 4 times a year, almost always on a Saturday or Sunday because of the traffic to get to inner Dalla...
12 comments
Read more