Noisy dining room, long waits and inconsistent food foul Fleming's in Chandler
By CRYSTAL PETROCELLI
Get Out

Wait: We arrived for our 8 p.m. Wednesday reservation on time and hungry. Our appetites would have to wait; Fleming’s was running behind schedule. Twenty minutes and two apologies later, we were seated in a four-person booth in the corner.

Service: The tie-clad staff darted around the room, delivering hot plates of meat, uncorking bottle after bottle from Fleming’s extensive wine cellar and checking up on their well-heeled guests. When our server wasn’t wandering off into an empty, private dining area in the back, he kept us taken care of. But after having to wait for our reservation, we weren’t happy about having to wait an hour for our entrées. It’s not a sit-and-savor sort of scene. Our server apologized for the delay, but patience is not a virtue of mine and the night was definitely tainted.

Meal: What better time to try a $24 appetizer than when it’s on the company? Beautifully displayed on a triangular black plate piled high with crispy white noodles, the tempura lobster serving was more than I expected (a tail and a half!), but the taste was much less. I prefer the light, fluffy batter used in Japanese restaurants over the denser batter at Fleming’s. If cooked right, lobster should easily fork apart and melt in your mouth. The majority of my bites did neither. Our second appetizer was much better — four plump, barbecued shrimp drowning in a cast iron kettle of fragrant, garlic-heavy sauce. An agonizing half-hour later, we move on to the main attraction — meat. My filet mignon was a bit crusty on the outer edges, but close enough to medium for me to enjoy. The pork chop, however, was hard to knife through and nearly impossible to chew. Sides to the rescue! Fleming’s potatoes (basically a spud lasagna with jalapeños and cheddar cheese) and the macaroni and cheese (big macaroni noodles in a creamy chipotle cheese sauce with a crumb-crusted top) were indulgent, comfort-food perfection. The dairy-heavy duo went a long way toward salvaging an otherwise disappointing dinner.

Scene: It’s very similar to the constant roar of conversation I hear at that other jam-packed Paul Fleming franchise — P.F. Chang’s. I don’t know if it’s the type of crowd (the hostess said it’s a popular business meeting spot), the open kitchen or the acoustics, but I’ve been to many restaurants packed with just as many diners and not come close to hitting the decibel levels I hear at either Fleming restaurant. If it weren’t for the steakhouse’s calming design (high-backed, cushiony booths, subtle lighting, dark colors, slotted wood ceilings), the raucous atmosphere would have driven me mad.

Bathroom break: Cinnamon-scented and clean.

Tab for two: $136 with tip and tax for Wicked Cajun Barbecue Shrimp ($11.50), lobster tempura ($24), Fleming’s salad ($6.50), petit filet mignon ($25.95), double-thick pork rib chop ($20.95), Fleming’s potatoes ($6.95), chipotle cheddar macaroni and cheese ($7.50) and a small sparkling water ($3.95).

If work weren’t buying: Too loud, too slow, too inconsistent.

Fleming’s
905 N. 54th St., Chandler

Major cross streets: Ray Road and 54th Street
Hours: 5 to 10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 5 to 10 p.m. Sun.-Thu.
Reservations accepted: Recommended
Health report: One major violation on Sept. 29
Kid friendly: No
Web site: www.flemingssteakhouse.com