Steak lovers: what do you think of Chops?

[bassspanker]

Trying to decide whether to book a reservation for Chops or not. I love a good steak, but with an endless supply of other (free!) food to try in the MDR & buffet, I'm not particularly inclined to drop $50 on dinner for two unless it's something special. Honestly, I can't imagine how a cruise ship could produce a really good steak while cranking out food at this speed and quantity. I guess I have it in my mind that this is probably more like a "Sizzler" steak that just tastes better to most people because of the unique environment and presentation.

 

So, any reviews from steak lovers? Is this as good, worse, or better than a middle-of-the road $25 steak at home?

[John Henry on CC]

Trying to decide whether to book a reservation for Chops or not. I love a good steak, but with an endless supply of other (free!) food to try in the MDR & buffet, I'm not particularly inclined to drop $50 on dinner for two unless it's something special. Honestly, I can't imagine how a cruise ship could produce a really good steak while cranking out food at this speed and quantity. I guess I have it in my mind that this is probably more like a "Sizzler" steak that just tastes better to most people because of the unique environment and presentation.

 

So, any reviews from steak lovers? Is this as good, worse, or better than a middle-of-the road $25 steak at home?

Chops is a made-to-order restaurant. It has its own kitchen right there; it is completely separate from the cooking facilities for the Windjammer buffet and the main dining room.

 

Is it worth $25? "Worth" is a very personal evaluation.

 

To me, it is. Of course, I also think that the filet mignon at Portofino is just as good, if not better, and Portofino is only $20 pp. ;)

 

Unless you are on the Enchantment, you will have your choice.

[dudeoutthere]

MUCH better than a run of the mill steak house but less than a higher end steak house like Morton's....

[verbal]

What is the grade of their specialty steaks? Are they certified beef, CAB/Black Angus or anything like that?

[dudeoutthere]

What is the grade of their specialty steaks? Are they certified beef, CAB/Black Angus or anything like that?

 

I cant remember if it advertised as "aged" or "prime" or "angus" but it was damn tasty! The sides were awsome as well along with the desserts.....Im not a lamb eater but have been told the chops are amazing...well worth the cost to us.....Portofino....ehh not so much..though I would return

[chef_christoph]

I am a steak lover and have been fortunate enough to have eaten in some fine steakhouses across North America.

 

The steaks I have eaten in Chops (and Portofino) have been good, but definitely not the best I have ever eaten.

 

However, I think it is an unfair comparison to take some of the best 'on land' and compare it to what you might receive on a cruise ship.

 

For me, the comparison has to be between what I would receive in the MDR to what I would receive in a specialty restaurant.

 

Using that criteria it is a no brainer for me. Chops and Portofino are well worth the additional money, in my opinion.

 

More than just the quality of the meat, the atmosphere and complete dining experience really make it worthwhile to me.

 

As everyone's tastes and expectations differ, it is hard to say if it would be a worthwhile expense to you but I wouldn't hesitate to at least try it and make that decision for yourself.

 

Happy Sailing,

[DON M.]

Trying to decide whether to book a reservation for Chops or not. I love a good steak, but with an endless supply of other (free!) food to try in the MDR & buffet, I'm not particularly inclined to drop $50 on dinner for two unless it's something special. Honestly, I can't imagine how a cruise ship could produce a really good steak while cranking out food at this speed and quantity. I guess I have it in my mind that this is probably more like a "Sizzler" steak that just tastes better to most people because of the unique environment and presentation.

 

So, any reviews from steak lovers? Is this as good, worse, or better than a middle-of-the road $25 steak at home?

 

From one steak lover to another, you will not be disappointed with this meal like you

will be if you order the sirloin steak in the MDR, which is the "sizzler" steak or worse.

 

With the wholesale prices of Prime beef today, I believe the Chops steak is a very good cut of "choice", good thickness and great flavor. Can it be compared to Morton's or Ruth Chris? Not quite, but pretty darn close for a dinner at about 1/4 the cost.

[verbal]

From one steak lover to another, you will not be disappointed with this meal like you

will be if you order the sirloin steak in the MDR, which is the "sizzler" steak or worse.

 

With the wholesale prices of Prime beef today, I believe the Chops steak is a very good cut of "choice", good thickness and great flavor. Can it be compared to Morton's or Ruth Chris? Not quite, but pretty darn close for a dinner at about 1/4 the cost.

 

So if cruises are choice I would guess they are lower 1/3 choice. There is a good price break and quality difference between slight and moderate marbling.

[dougp26364]

Trying to decide whether to book a reservation for Chops or not. I love a good steak, but with an endless supply of other (free!) food to try in the MDR & buffet, I'm not particularly inclined to drop $50 on dinner for two unless it's something special. Honestly, I can't imagine how a cruise ship could produce a really good steak while cranking out food at this speed and quantity. I guess I have it in my mind that this is probably more like a "Sizzler" steak that just tastes better to most people because of the unique environment and presentation.

 

So, any reviews from steak lovers? Is this as good, worse, or better than a middle-of-the road $25 steak at home?

 

It's better than the MDR but it's not going to be equivelent to a higher end steak house or even a chain steak restaurant such as Morton's or Ruth's Chris. The "sizzler" steak would be the MDR. While not high end the steaks are cooked to order and are of very good quality. I don't believe they're prime cuts of beef but are of the higher end cuts. For the record I am particular about my cuts of beef and can easily recognize a prime cut of beef and a "select" or choice cut that's been hit with tenderizer.

 

Is it worth the extra $25? IMHO, I'm to the point I don't think so. We use to eat that the specialty restaurants at least once, sometimes twice each cruise. Our last couple of experiences we didn't feel the service or the food was worth the extra expense. Our last experience was with Portifino's and the services was definately lower than what we expected. One entire course was skipped completely and they didn't notice until I pointed it out at the end of the meal. They told us they'd remove the charge but, that didn't happen either. I didn't argue about the charge because, for the most part, we ate all that was placed in front of us. On the other hand it was also probably the last time we'll ever take in a meal at one of the specialty restaurants.

 

If it was one not so great experience I'd chalk it up to just the luck of the draw. But the previous expernience just didn't meet our expectations either. Granted our expectations may be a bit higher than the average person for this type of atmosphere but, that's the way we view it.

[Cruising Forever!]

Trying to decide whether to book a reservation for Chops or not. I love a good steak, but with an endless supply of other (free!) food to try in the MDR & buffet, I'm not particularly inclined to drop $50 on dinner for two unless it's something special. Honestly, I can't imagine how a cruise ship could produce a really good steak while cranking out food at this speed and quantity. I guess I have it in my mind that this is probably more like a "Sizzler" steak that just tastes better to most people because of the unique environment and presentation.

 

So, any reviews from steak lovers? Is this as good, worse, or better than a middle-of-the road $25 steak at home?

 

Best Filet Mignon on the seas, imho! Always incredible food and service.

[BND]

Thanks Mike for your esteemed opinion, oh I mean cruzendude, no wait that's right it is now dudeoutthere, thanks dude.

 

Don't you ever get confused with the multiple names you have here on CC? Oh that's right most of them are banned. So dudeoutthere is just the lastest name. Cool.

 

You only have 13 posts so how would you have a clue who someone might be? LOL

 

I had the filet in Portofino and it was pretty good, but IMHO not as good as Ruth's Chris. The best steak I've probably ever had was at Mesa Grill in NYC and that was a lot better than the filet in Portofino. I'm expecting better than MDR, but not a $40 steak like I can get elsewhere. We want to try Chops but haven't been on a ship with one yet.

[Bakincakes]

The meals in the specialties are a cut above what is served in the MDR. And usually the service is much better as well.

 

I guess it is worth the upcharge to eat in them especially if the MDR continues to dumb down their menus and the service suffers.

 

It still annoys me that pax have to pay extra to get meals that were part of your ticket price, not that long ago.:(

[tip]

We never dined in the specialty restaurants until our TA provided us with a gift of one several cruises ago. Now we make it a point to go to the steakhouse such as Chops on the first so-called formal night of the cruise. We went to Chops at the end of February on the Crown. Why?

 

• We just don't care for the whole aura of the MDR on those nights (and yes I do wear a jacket and tie in Chops). To those who do enjoy the formal nights, they are welcome to it as far as we are concerned, it is just not for us.
  
• Chops is much quieter with softer lighting.
  
• You can have the service moved along or linger over your meal (we choose to linger).
  
• The waiters do not dance and sing and no one waves napkins in the air.
  
• The food is indeed superior.
  
• It is just an enjoyable meal with my wife and me.
  
• We cruise to relax, not to impress anyone, and we find it more relaxing.
  

[MAZANDSTEVE]

Great steak, well worth the extra money and a calmer environment.:)

[patseacruiser]

I was on the Independence over spring break and the MDR was so disappointing I ate in Chops 4 of the 6 nights. I thought the petite filet was very good. They cooked it blue which was great and the service IMO only was very very good. One of the nights the Captain came in with a full table and I thought our service would suffer but because there are only maybe 20 tables or so I don't think anyone noticed a difference in service. I think it is well worth the $25 per person. But that's just my opinion.

[yknot13]

The meals in the specialties are a cut above what is served in the MDR. And usually the service is much better as well.

 

I guess it is worth the upcharge to eat in them especially if the MDR continues to dumb down their menus and the service suffers.

 

It still annoys me that pax have to pay extra to get meals that were part of your ticket price, not that long ago.:(

 

And the price of tickets are similar or less now than we were paying 1-2 years ago. I am booked on 8 night Feb 2011 LOS for $300 less per person than 7 night Feb 2009 FOS. Same category/Same class ship for both cruises.

With the savings one could pay to eat at chops or protifino every night with the $300 savings and still be ahead.

[PattyG12]

Chops is wonderful. I prefer Portofino. It's not that expensive, give it a try!

[Aquahound]

What is the grade of their specialty steaks? Are they certified beef, CAB/Black Angus or anything like that?

 

This comes up here on CC every now and then. RCI doesn't advertise the grades of the meat in Chops, so on my last cruise (Radiance), I asked. I was told by both my server, and the head waiter that it is Prime. I don't doubt it. We have a prime steakhouse at home, and Chops is just as good, if not better.

[Seatravelers]

We eat in either Chops or Portofino's at least 1/2 the cuise. DH really enjoys the filet in Chops and I enjoy the lamb the most. Portofino's filet is better inmho than chops. Both restaurants have great salad choices and appetizers and the small pasta servings are wonderful. The wine dinner in Portofino's is fabulous (with the right staff) and not so much in Chops. Can't wait to return to them in 3 wks, lol. Enjoy.

[KreiderCarter]

We are Chops regulars, the steak is very good but the best part of it is the service & ambiance. We've never been in there when it is full and the service is always top notch...it is so much quieter than the MDR. I swear those big potatoes are like a small football--I did learn one thing though the potatoes are bigger on the cruises based out of the US as compared to Europe.

 

I only wish they would add some more desserts...a nice warm apple pie would be great, but thats a minor complaint. They are accomodating though, one time we reserved Chops for our Anniversary and it just happened to be the night they were serving the warm chocolate cake in the main dining room (our favorite dessert they serve) and I called down and asked if Chops would do us a favor and make it available for us there, they were happy to oblige.

[momofmab]

I thought the meal at Chops was one of the best I've ever had - and we frequent lots of high-end steak houses. Certainly well worth the $25.

[klingoncruiser]

I like chops. They do not have one on the Voyager and that keeps me out of any of the specialty restaurants. They only have the Italian one and I did NOT like it at all.

 

Tried the one on the Norwegian Spirit at Spring Break, but it was not very good. Chops was MUCH better.

[B-52]

MUCH better than a run of the mill steak house but less than a higher end steak house like Morton's....

 

 

Like Morton's their baked potatoes are HUGE, Asparagus enough for 2, salads are excellent, as are the other appetizers. I have spent $100 for 2 at a place like Mortons. Wine and dessert included.

Is it as good as high end steak houses on land? Probably not. Although better than most.

For what Chops will cost you on ship, it is definitely worth it.

We always give a additional tip.

[MrPete]

This comes up here on CC every now and then. RCI doesn't advertise the grades of the meat in Chops, so on my last cruise (Radiance), I asked. I was told by both my server, and the head waiter that it is Prime. I don't doubt it. We have a prime steakhouse at home, and Chops is just as good, if not better.

 

If they're not advertising that it is USDA Prime, I would gather it is not. Any place that serves the best, proudly advertises and shouts about it.

 

The answers I have gotten about grades amazes me ("Oh, it's Angus." "Oh, it's CERTIFIED Angus". HUH????)

[Marie51]

Well I have to disagree with the others. I just got off the Liberty and my meal at Chops was not any better than the meals in the dining room. Waste of $25.