Useful Articles
Charley's Steak House
By James Cary Jacobson Tue, Sep 2nd, 2008
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Address: |
8255 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 33067 [Google Maps] |
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Phone: |
(407) 363-0228 |
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Website: |
http://www.talkofthetownrestaurants.com/charleys.html |
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Hours: |
5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday thru Thursday |
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Cuisine: |
American / Steaks / Chops / Seafood |
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Ambience: |
Traditional Steakhouse |
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Reservations: |
Highly Recommended |
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Cost: |
$75.00 per person |
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Credit Cards: |
All Major Cards Accepted |
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Rating: |
Food |
8/10 |
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I recently had a chance to return to Charley's Steak House with Justin when we were in Orlando for the Florida Credit Union League Convention. (Collecting for Credit Unions is one of our specialties and we've had a booth at this convention for the past few years.) I had been there several times before and had always had a good meal, but this was my first time with the intention of critiquing the experience.
We arrived at 8:00 PM for our reservation and were seated immediately. Although it was a weeknight, the restaurant was busy and people were waiting. While there was a lot of activity, as one might expect at a popular restaurant with a large bar area, I was struck by how easy it was to have a conversation without having to resort to shouting or sign language.
Almost immediately after we were seated our waiter appeared to take our drink order and to describe the evening's specials. After bringing the drinks he then brought over a tray containing the different cuts they featured so we could make a more intelligent choice.
I selected the King of the Bone Strips 2½ Inches Thick ($32.95), which came with a house salad and Charley's Smashed Potatoes. I passed on the potatoes and ordered a giant baked potato ($3.95) instead. Justin ordered a Filet Mignon 12 oz. ($32.95). He got the Charley's Smashed Potatoes but substituted the Beefsteak Tomato and Sweet Onion Vinaigrette with Crumbled Maytag Blue Cheese ($6.95) for the house salad. We shared the Chef's Spinach and Artichoke ($6.95).
The service throughout the meal was prompt, efficient, pleasant, knowledgeable, professional, and intuitive. Our drink glasses were never empty. A basket of warm bread (good but not special) was brought right after our order was taken. The salads were next. The house salad was a mix of cold and crisp lettuces, tomato, cucumber, and croutons. It was as good as you could reasonably expect for a house salad. The beefsteak tomato and sweet onion salad was big enough to share. The tomato and onion were thick-sliced, sweet, and firm and came with a huge mountain of Maytag blue cheese and an excellent vinaigrette dressing.
The steaks followed shortly after the salads were cleared. The bone-in strip was huge, perfectly cooked, and beautifully seasoned. This is not a tender steak. It's chewy. But that's a small price to pay for such a flavorful cut of meat. It needed no sauce, no salt, nothing. This was as delicious a steak as I have ever had. The baked potato was the size of a football, but when you get right down to it it's still just a baked potato. Justin's filet, which is the smallest they serve, was also huge. Unlike the bone-in, the filet was incredibly tender and buttery. I'm not a great fan of filets because they are not as flavorful as the other cuts, but this filet was perfectly cooked and seasoned and as good a filet has I've tasted. The smashed potatoes were good not great. However, the creamed spinach and artichoke was excellent. The portion is meant to be shared, and the dish is so rich that the two of us couldn't finish it.
Besides, Justin noticed Red Velvet Cake on the menu. Even though we work together and more importantly he's my son, I never new that Red Velvet cake was one of his favorites. We shared a slice. Once again it was a huge, and the two of us couldn't finish it. I thought it was very good, but I'm not as big a fan as Justin. He thought it was good but not the best he ever had.
Overall, Charley's offers first-rate food, top-notch service, pleasing ambiance, and a good value. Charley's Steakhouse is the equal of The Palm, Morton's, etc., but about 25% less expensive. Not only would I come back I look forward to it.