So whats the real deal with Chops?

[hammer000]

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?

[ryano]

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?

 

It is NOT going to be what you would expect from a Ruth's Chris or Mortons simply because the cuts of meat are not Prime. The atmosphere and service will be similar but not the steak. As a big steak lover, to me there is a big difference in grades of meat and how they are aged but Im ok with the Choice cuts.

 

The steaks in Chops are good Choice cuts and the sides and appetizers are wonderful and endless. Desserts are better than in the MDR too.

 

It is just my opinion only but I compare the steak to a Longhorn or Outback and the service to what you would expect at a Ruth's Chris or Mortons. Its not a superb steak but its not a bad steak either.

 

Its worth it to try it once and the steak was good but for my steak fix, I think i will get that on land :) I dont frequent the high end steakhouses much but we have a couple of wonderful non chain places around that the steaks simply cannot be beat IMO.

 

JMHO.

[AustinCruise]

Agree with everything in the above comment. We will do it again, but the steak was not as good as Flemings.

 

I would say the filet was better then the strip.

[Rala]

It is NOT going to be what you would expect from a Ruth Chris or Mortons simply because the cuts of meat are not Prime. As a big steak lover, to me there is a big difference in grades of meat and how they are aged but Im ok with the Choice cuts.

 

They are good Choice cuts and the sides and appetizers are wonderful and endless. Desserts are better than in the MDR too.

 

It is just my opinion only but I compare the steak to a Longhorn or Outback and the service to what you would expect at a Ruth Chris or Mortons.

 

Its worth it to try it once and the steak was good but for my steak fix, I think i will get that on land :) I dont frequent the high end steakhouses much but we have a couple of wonderful non chain places around that the steaks simply cannot be beat IMO.

 

JMHO.

 

I totally agree with this poster. The steaks in Chops are good to very good, but not, IMO, excellent. They are again,IMO, much better than any steak served in the MDR. As the above poster suggested, try it and then you will know! Enjoy your cruise!:)

[Aquahound]

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.

 

Law of Averages. I'd say it's in the middle. I wouldn't liken it to an overseasoned, tough Outback steak, nor would I liken it to a Prime cut of Ruth's. Personally, I think the whole experience is worth the cover charge.

[windham depot]

What's the extra charge for dinner at Chops?

[ryano]

What's the extra charge for dinner at Chops?

 

30.00 per person :)

[setsail]

Its whatever the internet says it is or not, wither its a review or cc its still the internet:rolleyes: Go and make up your own mind

[ryano]

. I wouldn't liken it to an overseasoned, tough Outback steak, .

 

That has never been my personal experience at Outback. I would have sent it back.

 

When I likened it to Outback or Longhorn, I was more or less meaning the grade of meat served :) The steaks are very similar to the ribeye I had at Chops.

[Janet524]

Chops is only okay and not worth a $30 upcharge. Their steaks were good but not worth the extra $$ IMO. Besides, I can make a steak at home so if I'm going to pay the extra money, I want to get something that I wouldn't typically cook myself.

[ryano]

Chops is only okay and not worth a $30 upcharge. .

 

It was still 25.00 pp when I went and while I enjoyed the meal, I certainly wasnt blown away by it. The service however, was most EXCELLENT.

 

With that said, everyone says "you get what you pay for" when mentioning Carnival but from all accounts I have read, at least they DO serve Prime cuts at their steakhouse and it is or at least was the same price as Chops.

[Langley Cruisers]

Yes, this is subjective. Ask a hundred people and you are likely to get a hundred answers, but we can only tell you our own personal experiences. For me, it was the worst steak I have ever had in my life. :( I should have sent it back, I know this... but it was a special evening and I did not want to complain in front of my husband. That was my decision. Having said that, the service was incredible and overall it was a nice evening.

[reedl]

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.

[reedl]

Yes, this is subjective. Ask a hundred people and you are likely to get a hundred answers, but we can only tell you our own personal experiences.

You are correct about that. Everybody has their own opinion, and everybody's opinion is correct!

For me, it was the worst steak I have ever had in my life. :( I should have sent it back, I know this... but it was a special evening and I did not want to complain in front of my husband. That was my decision. Having said that, the service was incredible and overall it was a nice evening.

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? I always wonder whether it was something that was indicative of this single experience, or something that everyone would experience. To me if it was something that was a one-off issue, then I would probably try them again. Or I would have mentioned it to the waiter and they would have probably removed the charge from the bill.

[macruisefan]

A couple thoughts: This is definitely one area Carnival has a leg up. The prime steaks, and the entire steakhouse on Carnival is superior to Chops.

 

Now for Chops:

1. It's the best steak on the ship, by far.

2. It's a wonderful setting with exceptional service.

3. The steaks are better than your average restaurant, but would not make a top five list when compared to high end steakhouses.

4. At $30, I think it's a STEAL. As I've said before, you have to figure what you think the meal in the MDR is worth. And to me, to jump from that to the experience in Chops, is DEFINITELY worth at least $30.

[joepeka]

It was still 25.00 pp when I went and while I enjoyed the meal, I certainly wasnt blown away by it. The service however, was most EXCELLENT.

 

With that said, everyone says "you get what you pay for" when mentioning Carnival but from all accounts I have read, at least they DO serve Prime cuts at their steakhouse and it is or at least was the same price as Chops.

We've eaten at the CCL steak restaurant on our last three cruises and they were very, very good. I honestly don't know if the cuts are prime or not but I thoroughly enjoyed them as did my family. The price (last year) was $35/pp. We do plan on visiting Chops on our upcoming Indy cruise so I guess I'll be able to compare for myself.

[ryano]

 

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.

 

Im not even sure the "sirloin" I had in the MDR was Golden Corral quality and taste :o

 

I will kindly disagree with you on the Prime vs. Choice differences. The differences to me is all about how the steak is aged. There is a HUGE difference in a Prime cut dry aged steak over a Choice cut steak IMHO.

 

I WILL agree with you on the charcoal though!

[macruisefan]

I will kindly disagree with you on the Prime vs. Choice differences. The differences to me is all about how the steak is aged. There is a HUGE difference in a Prime cut dry aged steak over a Choice cut steak IMHO.

 

You are kind of blurring the lines between aging and grading. How a steak is aged has nothing to do with it's grade. You can dry or wet age any steak. Prime vs. Choice is determined prior to and independent of whatever aging process the restaurant chooses.

 

Having said that, it is more common to see a restaurant serving prime beef to have a more elaborate aging process.

[reedl]

Im not even sure the "sirloin" I had in the MDR was Golden Corral quality and taste :o

I was trying to be nice to RCCL!

I will kindly disagree with you on the Prime vs. Choice differences. The differences to me is all about how the steak is aged. There is a HUGE difference in a Prime cut dry aged steak over a Choice cut steak IMHO.

Aged meat will always taste better than non-aged meat. But Prime only refers to the marbling of the meat, not the aging. A good aged choice steak will taste better than a non-aged prime cut of meat.

I WILL agree with you on the charcoal though!

I always cringe when I see gas broilers.

[Aurora2143]

Law of Averages. I'd say it's in the middle. I wouldn't liken it to an overseasoned, tough Outback steak, nor would I liken it to a Prime cut of Ruth's. Personally, I think the whole experience is worth the cover charge.

 

That's why we're going to try it on our upcoming LOS cruise. We were bummed that we couldn't get in when we sailed on Oasis.

[alfaeric]

Stop reading and just go. $60 in the scheme of cruising on the Oasis isn't that much- worth doing once. If you don't like it, that's ok. If you do, that's ok, too.

 

 

But if you are still reading, we actually prefer the steak at Giovanni's Table.

 

And will be going to Chops for dinner in a month.

[JohnSnowGOT]

It is NOT going to be what you would expect from a Ruth's Chris or Mortons simply because the cuts of meat are not Prime. The atmosphere and service will be similar but not the steak. As a big steak lover, to me there is a big difference in grades of meat and how they are aged but Im ok with the Choice cuts.

 

The steaks in Chops are good Choice cuts and the sides and appetizers are wonderful and endless. Desserts are better than in the MDR too.

 

It is just my opinion only but I compare the steak to a Longhorn or Outback and the service to what you would expect at a Ruth's Chris or Mortons. Its not a superb steak but its not a bad steak either.

 

Its worth it to try it once and the steak was good but for my steak fix, I think i will get that on land :) I dont frequent the high end steakhouses much but we have a couple of wonderful non chain places around that the steaks simply cannot be beat IMO.

 

JMHO.

 

 

RYANO I think youre SPOT ON with this one.

[phoenix1181]

We enjoyed dinner @ Chops several times & wouldn't hesitate to go again but, we don't go just for the food. We go to enjoy the slow, easy, pace, atmosphere, fantastic service, & the better quality food. It's a very enjoyable meal without the hustle & bustle of the MDR. We can have a quiet, private, conversation without being concerned that the people beside us are going to join in or overhear. The whole experience is so much more relaxing & enjoyable that for us it's worth the additional fee.

 

That said, if we were only interested in having a fantastic meal, Chops doesn't compare to our local restaurants.

[awhcruiser]

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.

It is NOT going to be what you would expect from a Ruth's Chris or Mortons simply because the cuts of meat are not Prime. The atmosphere and service will be similar but not the steak. As a big steak lover, to me there is a big difference in grades of meat and how they are aged but Im ok with the Choice cuts.

 

The steaks in Chops are good Choice cuts and the sides and appetizers are wonderful and endless. Desserts are better than in the MDR too.

 

It is just my opinion only but I compare the steak to a Longhorn or Outback and the service to what you would expect at a Ruth's Chris or Mortons. Its not a superb steak but its not a bad steak either.

 

Its worth it to try it once and the steak was good but for my steak fix, I think i will get that on land :) I dont frequent the high end steakhouses much but we have a couple of wonderful non chain places around that the steaks simply cannot be beat IMO.

 

JMHO.

[galavant3]

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.

 

 

Agree, but that extra marbling affects the taste, tenderness and juiciness.