So whats the real deal with Chops?

[ryano]

True, but Ruth's Chris costs most more than $30pp. DH and I ate their once and he did not think it was worth the money.

 

True! 30.00 wont even buy the steak at a Ruths Chris :o Im not a fan of the a la carte pricing.

[MMOMOM]

I'm considering booking a res at Chops on my Oasis cruise, but after reading some of the reviews, I'm not so sure about it. Is the steak there actually good or not?

I know that food is subjective, but the range of opinions is really odd. I've read some say its as good as a Ruth's or Morton's, and then others claim its no better than an Applebee's or Outback.

For anyone who knows the difference between good and bad steak, whats the deal?

 

I know you said food is subjective and I agree. However, having said that, I have to tell you that Chops was WELL worth the $!! I think I know steaks and to be honest with you, Ruth Chris & Morton's included, I very seldom order steak out. Mostly because I know what a good cut looks like and my husband and son cook it on the grill perfectly .... so many times, it's like why order it out when it's so good at home for 1/2 the price? I've been to some Ruth Chris where the steak is good, others not so much, and I think it's way overpriced. I did enjoy it at Morton's the one time I went tho. Again, all that being said, the filet I had on the Oasis you could cut with a fork! It was thick, juicy and cooked perfectly. My husband felt the same. All the sides were exquisite too. The atmosphere, service, the whole experience was one that was EXCELLENT on all counts. I highly recommend it. I know for a fact, we couldn't have gotten the dinner we had, appetizer, entrée, sides and dessert for the same price at either of those other two places. What I find with reviews on anything is, I always need to weed thru the comments and see a little beyond and then go with my gut feeling. Good luck to you and hope that if you try it you like as much as we did. :)

[misty57]

We have been to Chops several times and have not been disappointed in the food ( the baked potato is large enough to feed a family of 4!) I always order the filet and each time it has been very good. We have very few high end steak houses near our home so we end up at Texas Roadhouse most of the time and the steak is hit or miss there ( not paying for a filet there). As long as it isn't cooked to death or over or under seasoned, I'm ok. We will probably go to Giovanni's a few times and I will make a point of trying the steak. Ok now I'm hungry.:D

[ryano]

I guess it really just boils down to who is cooking the steak. Like I said, my bone in ribeye was really good, perfectly cooked and I enjoyed the meal. The HUGE baked potato reminded me of a small football :eek: the shrimp in the shrimp cocktail were JUMBO and delicious and the REAL cheesecake was MUCH better than any dessert in the MDR.

 

With that said, all these wonderful filets everyone is talking about must be much better in Chops. Ive ordered what is supposedly the same thing in the MDR and paid the 14.95 upcharge 3 different times and was not impressed at all. They were overcooked and tough and resembled more of a hacked off square piece of meat than any filet I have ever tried on land. I will not be doing that again. On Monarch our wonderful Head Waiter (I forget her name) even took notice and apologized for it and comp'd both steaks.

 

Im not putting Chops down and highly recommend you give it a try OP. Whether or not its worth it will totally be up to you. No one else can answer that question. As you can see there are many varying opinions on specialty dining and Chops specifically. Go try it and come back and tell us what YOU think.

[Robinola]

To me the prime versus choice issue is almost a non issue. The only difference between choice and prime is the amount of marbling in the meat. In fact with a good fillet, there is so little difference between choice and prime that I would find it hard to believe that given the same preparation methods that someone could taste the difference.

 

To me the difference between chops and a great steakhouse is the method of preparation. On a cruise ship they simply cannot prepare the steaks over an open fire of great hardwood charcoal. They have to use contact grills since open flame on a ship is not a good idea at all as we all know.

 

In fact I always purchase full choice grade tenderloins, rub them with olive oil, chunk salt, and fresh ground pepper and grill them for around 8 minutes per side over a high hardwood charcoal flame. Then I move the steak to the other side of the grill, drop some hickory wood on top of the charcoal, and in effect bake/smoke it indrectly for around 30 minutes until the internal temp is around 110 degrees. I then take it off and wrap it in tinfoil for around 20 minutes, and then slice it as steaks. It is very easy to do, and much better than any steakhouse I have ever been to.

 

I have been to Flemings, and Ruth's Chris, and a few of the others, and have been disappointed. To me cooking a steak under a gas broiler just does not do it for me. The only correct way to cook a good steak is over a hardwood charcoal flame. That way it adds to the flavor of the meat. There are very few places that actually cook meat that way.

 

But I will be partaking in Chops on my next cruise. The meat is much better than the MDR, and the service is top notch. Plus the sides in Chops make it worth the meal. The difference in the caesar salad is worth the upcharge for me.

 

I ordered the regular steak in the MDR once, and was very disappointed in my meal. It was one step above Golden Corral in terms of quality and taste.

 

Better yet, do not put the olive oil on the steak. Instead, brush the grill directly with the olive oil. Put the steaks on at a slant, cook about 3 mns., lid down, then turn them three quarters, and cook same side about 3 mns., lid down. You will get those cool cross marks on the steak, searing it and making it very yummy. Same thing other side 3 mns, turn, 3 mns. for medium to medium rare. Shorten one minute for more pink inside. Perfect every time!

[reedl]

Better yet, do not put the olive oil on the steak. Instead, brush the grill directly with the olive oil. Put the steaks on at a slant, cook about 3 mns., lid down, then turn them three quarters, and cook same side about 3 mns., lid down. You will get those cool cross marks on the steak, searing it and making it very yummy. Same thing other side 3 mns, turn, 3 mns. for medium to medium rare. Shorten one minute for more pink inside. Perfect every time!

 

That would work if I was cooking steaks. I cook a whole tenderloin all the time. In fact I have one of them in my freezer ready to bring out and cook whenever the moods strikes me.

 

The price for a whole choice tenderloin is under $9 a pound here, and it feeds a good 8-10 people.

 

Or if you are feeding less, you get great steak to use for steak sandwiches the next day!

[Langley Cruisers]

My wife would have sent the steak back if it was unacceptable. In fact I would have been disappointed if she did not. What was wrong with the steak? ...Or I would have mentioned it to the waiter and they would have probably removed the charge from the bill.

 

I explained that this was my decision not to say anything. I'm not complaining in any way; I was just relaying my experience as asked for by OP. The steak was tough and flavorless, IMO. Plus, I'm not sure the service charge would have been removed at all; they more likely would have offered me a replacement entrée as opposed to halving the bill.

[Lionesss]

We did Chops once on the Freedom.

It was a nice dinner, not great.

Haven't had desire to do again.

Sea Ya

[Galveston Cruiser]

That would work if I was cooking steaks. I cook a whole tenderloin all the time. In fact I have one of them in my freezer ready to bring out and cook whenever the moods strikes me.

 

The price for a whole choice tenderloin is under $9 a pound here, and it feeds a good 8-10 people.

 

Or if you are feeding less, you get great steak to use for steak sandwiches the next day!

 

Whole tenderloin is fabulous.

 

I coat an entire, trimmed tenderloin with Adams Lemon Pepper, then roast in a 450 degree oven for 45 minutes - Awesome:D

Even better cold with Dijon mustard:)

[Zigggypup]

I'm considering booking a res at Chops on my Oasis cruise, but after reading some of the reviews, I'm not so sure about it. Is the steak there actually good or not?

I know that food is subjective, but the range of opinions is really odd. I've read some say its as good as a Ruth's or Morton's, and then others claim its no better than an Applebee's or Outback.

For anyone who knows the difference between good and bad steak, whats the deal?

 

Give it a try, what do you have to lose? You might love it and want to go back another night. Personally, I love Chops Grille and Portofino. The food and the service is excellent. Much better than the MDR.

[Rick-n-Lisa]

We've done Chops several times and always enjoyed the whole experience. The food was very good, the service excellent, the atmosphere much more intimate than the MDR, which we do all the other nights and the Mississppi Mud Pie is worth the $30 IMO :o. And we've done it on Mariner ('06 & '07), Freedom ('09), Allure ('12). Very consistent across the ships too.

 

Based on most of the responses statistics are in your favor. :p

[hotdog647]

Is Chops the best meal on Oasis? Probably not. Would I rather spend $30 for Chops or for a bottle of Royal's cheapest wine? Chops by a longshot.

[04cruises]

I'm considering booking a res at Chops on my Oasis cruise, but after reading some of the reviews, I'm not so sure about it. Is the steak there actually good or not?

I know that food is subjective, but the range of opinions is really odd. I've read some say its as good as a Ruth's or Morton's, and then others claim its no better than an Applebee's or Outback.

For anyone who knows the difference between good and bad steak, whats the deal?

Since you will be on the Oasis,a couple of suggestions.Ask for a table to the left of the entrance as we sat in the middle area and the wait staff was always flying by.We have always enjoyed the atmosphere in Chops on the other ships but would not do it again on the Oasis.Reason:on the other ships you are on the outside of the ship and get a beautiful view of the ocean, on the Oasis, no such view.

[TheGaDawgFan]

To me the prime versus choice issue is almost a non issue. The only difference between choice and prime is the amount of marbling in the meat. In fact with a good fillet, there is so little difference between choice and prime that I would find it hard to believe that given the same preparation methods that someone could taste the difference.

 

To me the difference between chops and a great steakhouse is the method of preparation. On a cruise ship they simply cannot prepare the steaks over an open fire of great hardwood charcoal. They have to use contact grills since open flame on a ship is not a good idea at all as we all know.

 

In fact I always purchase full choice grade tenderloins, rub them with olive oil, chunk salt, and fresh ground pepper and grill them for around 8 minutes per side over a high hardwood charcoal flame. Then I move the steak to the other side of the grill, drop some hickory wood on top of the charcoal, and in effect bake/smoke it indrectly for around 30 minutes until the internal temp is around 110 degrees. I then take it off and wrap it in tinfoil for around 20 minutes, and then slice it as steaks. It is very easy to do, and much better than any steakhouse I have ever been to.

 

I have been to Flemings, and Ruth's Chris, and a few of the others, and have been disappointed. To me cooking a steak under a gas broiler just does not do it for me. The only correct way to cook a good steak is over a hardwood charcoal flame. That way it adds to the flavor of the meat. There are very few places that actually cook meat that way.

 

But I will be partaking in Chops on my next cruise. The meat is much better than the MDR, and the service is top notch. Plus the sides in Chops make it worth the meal. The difference in the caesar salad is worth the upcharge for me.

 

I ordered the regular steak in the MDR once, and was very disappointed in my meal. It was one step above Golden Corral in terms of quality and taste.

 

You sound like someone who owns a Big Green Egg like we do.

[Blue Line]

It's definitely worth trying. The steak is not that of RC, Morton's or Flemings, but it is better than your outback, black angus, etc....

 

The service is great as well as the overall experience.

 

I will say that our first waiter when we sat down was the worst waiter we experienced in a long time (cruising or non cruising)... After asking the manager he switched waiters for us. I am sure it was a fluke, maybe he was having a bad day- I don't know... In the end, we had a great time and I would go again. (It was my wife, son (13), his cousin (13) and I.

[RubyDog08]

What's really at stake (pun n e one?) here is a chunk of your wallet for a chunk of their meat. I find my own prep methods to be much better than any restaurant I've ever visited, but I still go. What you're really paying for is the experience. Since you will be in close proximity to Chops, why not give it a go? I mean, seriously, do people visit amusement parks and leave wondering what it would have been like to tried out a ride or two? Not many. My personal take on Chops - decent food, atmosphere & service...what's not to like? :p

[Merion_Mom]

Since you will be on the Oasis,a couple of suggestions.Ask for a table to the left of the entrance as we sat in the middle area and the wait staff was always flying by.We have always enjoyed the atmosphere in Chops on the other ships but would not do it again on the Oasis.Reason:on the other ships you are on the outside of the ship and get a beautiful view of the ocean, on the Oasis, no such view.

 

If you are eating dinner after the sun goes down, which is most people's experience, being near a window isn't really "all that".

[wmp.dll]

The shrimp in the shrimp coctail are huge, and they can put pretty much an entire stick of butter on your baked potato if that is how you like it. I thought it was decent for the $30 charge.

[monkey_wants_banana]

FWIW, the very first high grade steak I had was some wagyu steak, and at the time my taste buds hadn't matured to the level they are at now - and it tasted no different to me than an Applebee's steak.

 

7 years later and no more medium well orders, I realize that I truly love all steak.

 

Comparing it to Morton's, Ruth's, Flemmings, CarneVino, Delmonico, Peter Luger, Cut - is pointless. The deal is you get $30 for a above avg steak + unlimited desert/appetizer combinations + the great ambiance for your date/S.O. At any other steakhouse you would easily pay over $200+ assuming you get some wine + desert. You either think that $60 is a great deal or not.

 

I personally will take that any day of the week.

[PLEIKU68]

I'm considering booking a res at Chops on my Oasis cruise, but after reading some of the reviews, I'm not so sure about it. Is the steak there actually good or not?

I know that food is subjective, but the range of opinions is really odd. I've read some say its as good as a Ruth's or Morton's, and then others claim its no better than an Applebee's or Outback.

For anyone who knows the difference between good and bad steak, whats the deal?

 

 

When Chop's first appeared on the ships the steaks were prime, as good as Morton's, Chris , Bern's. In recent years they have have gone down hill. On some occasions I would not even say it was as good as Outback. IMHO :eek:

[ryano]

 

Comparing it to Morton's, Ruth's, Flemmings, CarneVino, Delmonico, Peter Luger, Cut - is pointless. The deal is you get $30 for a above avg steak + unlimited desert/appetizer combinations + the great ambiance for your date/S.O. At any other steakhouse you would easily pay over $200+ assuming you get some wine + desert. You either think that $60 is a great deal or not.

 

.

 

It may be pointless to compare Chops to those places you listed but you just did anyway :p

 

I have NEVER paid 200.00+ for a steak dinner for two "at any other steakhouse".

 

In fact, my favorite steakhouse (its not a chain) has a special on Wednesday nights "steak for two for 27.95" That includes two very delicious wet aged ribeyes or ny strips, side, salad and dessert and it is far better than the steak I had at Chops so not all of us think the 60.00 is such a wonderful deal :) My bone in ribeye was decent at Chops but it was far from "above average" :)

 

I do agree though. The OP needs to go check it out for himself and decide. I enjoyed it but I wont be going back unless its a gift. Im perfectly satisfied with the MDR food and will just get my steak fix before I board the ship :)

[reedl]

You sound like someone who owns a Big Green Egg like we do.

 

I have three grills.

- A Weber gas grill for cooking quick things like burgers that do not need the extra taste.

- A cajungrill with the smoker attachment. http://cajungrill.com/

- A traditional smoker that I do not use since I got the cajungrill

 

I like the Cajun Grill since it does a great job cooking. You can raise or lower the flame and there is plenty of room to move the food away from direct heat.

 

The only negative is that there is no smokestack like on my smoker, so I cannot control the amount of smoke let out. My smoker allows that, but I can control it with the input to the firebox quite nicely.

[Let'sGo!]

To the OP: We ate at both Chops and Giovanni's on Oasis a few months ago. For what its worth, my husband and I both preferred Giovanni's Table over Chops. The food, the service and the whole experience were much better there.

 

Ann

[pspercy]

You sound like someone who owns a Big Green Egg like we do.

 

Can't believe the price of those things now. I've had a kamado pot for over thirty years and wouldn't trade it for anything. However it's earthenware not glazed so have to be careful with temps (600F max).

[RevSmith]

OP, you answered your own question. Food is subjective. The steak is good, you will not be disappointed. You and your significant other will get a nice meal, for and excellent price and fantastic service. Enjoy.

Rev