While in Florida, we paid a visit to one of the top steak houses in the country, Bern’s Steak House in Tampa.
And, it was more than just steak, it was an entire experience.
The place is much bigger than I was expecting. It seemed like there were rooms upon rooms (each with unique decor, themes and names) filled with people having a great time. Yet, it wasn’t so overcrowded that the service wasn’t attentive.
The entrees here come with a lot of food: soup, salad, onion strings, vegetables and potatoes, so we didn’t need to order any appetizers or sides (however, we did order extra asparagus).
We enjoyed a pre-dinner drink and of course, I had to try their Bloody Mary:
Mix: Homemade
Chaser: No
Fixin’s: Lemon
Price: $?
Normally at steak houses, I have found that they have excellent Bloody Marys. This one was average, or even a bit below. I wish I would have stuck with wine, but now I know. So, we ordered a bottle of wine with our meal, which was quite good.
Following dinner, we were taken on a tour through the restaurant’s kitchen and impressive wine cellar:
They have a huge supply at the establishment and another warehouse full. They have a 1947 wine that is their most expensive, retailing for $30,000 for the bottle. (We stuck with a more moderately priced bottle this time.)
Then, it was up to the Dessert Room, yes you read that right, ROOM.
This was my favorite part. Located upstairs, each party is treated to their own private booth (but not in the restaurant sense, they are almost like a phone booth instead) where they can select the music they want to hear, their after dinner drink of choice and one of the amazing desserts.
I settled on a pumpkin spice coffee and this peanut butter cup treat:
I would not say that the food here is any better or worse than your typical high-end steak house, but I will say that they thing they have going for them most is the dining experience. Until we got to the tour and dessert room, I was not very impressed, but when I left, I felt like I had really enjoyed my laid-back, relaxed evening in an unforgettable setting.
I recommend you check this place out at least once, but don’t waste your time or money on the Bloody Mary. Save it for wine and/or dessert instead!
Out For Bloodies 