Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Houston

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is a chain of fairly high scale steakhouses in the US.  I've heard about Fleming's Prime for years, but somehow never visited one myself.  I have a friend who is a huge fan though, and is always posting photos from her epic meals there (I think she has visited probably nearly every location ... and they have like 75!).

I still haven't actually visited in person, but when I was recently in Houston, I did order delivery from there two nights in a row, the first night just testing the waters and ordering sides to go along with my leftover bbq, the next night, going for a full meal.  Ordering online was easy with Door Dash, although they don't allow any notes to be added to the order (e.g. sauce on the side, etc), but they did that kind of thoughtful packaging anyway.  My orders were prepared quickly, packaged well, and sealed for security. 

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Delivery Feast.

I realized after I ordered that cheese seemed to be a theme for me.  For my starter?  Cheese (burrata).  For my main?  Cheese (mac and cheese).  Side?  Cheese (Fleming's potatoes, which are cheesy au gratin).  Dessert?  Yup, cheese (cheesecake).   Yes, I had asparagus and a side salad in there, but, uh, wow, yeah, cheese.  There are some lighter dishes on the menu, but, mostly, this is a steakhouse, with classic steakhouse indulgence all over the menu.

I really enjoyed my food, and I had relatively high expectations, and they were exceeded.  I'd definitely order from any Fleming's location again in the future, and would love to visit in person of course sometime too.

Starters

When you dine-in, there are quite a few starters to choose from, but for takeout, there are only two, in addition to salads.  That said, both sounded good to me, either crab cakes (my current obsession!) or burrata (how can you ever go wrong with burrata?).  I was really tempted by the crab cakes, but I had an incredible crab cake two nights prior from Goode Seafood Company, and I didn't want to be let down.  The roasted red pepper & lime butter sauce that came with them sounded fascinating though.  When you dine in, there are all sorts of chilled seafoods like an ahi tuna poke stack, a chilled seafood tower, or shrimp cocktail), or hot items that they rightly realize won't work well for delivery such as seared pork belly or fried calamari.

Salads are pretty standard: caesar, a steakhouse wedge, or the signature "Fleming's Salad".  Dining in adds a couple soups to the starting lineup as well.

Bread + Spreads (Champagne Infused Brie, Pumpkin Butter).
(Complimentary).

I was surprised when my takeout orders both times contained the complimentary bread and spreads normally served at the restaurant.  When you order an adult entree for delivery, there is an option to "include complimentary bread and butter course", but I ordered only sides the first time, and a kid's meal the second, and didn't have the option, and yet they included it.  Although I'm not much of a bread person most of the time, I was quite interested to try the spreads, which change out regularly, generally featuring a compound butter and an infused cheese.

I wasn't sure what the two spreads were when I got my order, as they weren't labelled.  Reviewers talk about a sundried tomato one, but I thought the orange one sorta seemed like curry butter.  When I called the restaurant later to ask what they were, I was told it was pumpkin butter.  Aha!  Yes, lightly spiced and fairly savory pumpkin butter.  The other I was at a complete loss as to what it was.  Some people talk about a feta spread, but I wasn't getting feta vibes from it.  It clearly wasn't just butter either though.  The answer, as I found out later: champagne infused whipped brie.  Definitely a complex and hard to figure out taste!  I ended up using it later on celery sticks, like you'd use cream cheese, and it really elevated my little snack.  Anyway, both spreads were clearly high quality, and I enjoyed them on other things as well.  Above average spreads.  ****.

The bread was a pretty generous loaf, cut in half, each with three slices.  It was just french bread, lightly crusty, soft, fresh, but seemed to have some sourdough going on.  Which made it not a winner for me.  Not mind blowing, but I suspect if you like bread, and if you had it warm with those spreads, it would be great.  ***.

Fleming's Salad. $14.
(Included in kid's meal).

"Walnuts, tomatoes, dried cranberries, red onion, lemon balsamic vinaigrette."

Of all the salads, the namesake "Fleming's Salad" is the one that sounded the least interesting to me (I'm definitely a sucker for a good steakhouse wedge or interesting Caesar, which theirs sounded like it might be with fried capers and crispy prosciutto chips), but I ordered a 3-Course meal that had only this salad as the salad option (there was another starter option, but I didn't want that).

The salad was a reasonable salad - fresh mixed greens as the base, a single half of a fairly ripe large cherry tomato, and very deliberate other toppings - dried cranberries for a bit of chew and tartness, red onion for sharpness, and walnuts for crunch.  The ratios of everything made sense, and although I'd never pick dried cranberries on my salad, and would have liked to have some large shards of parmesan or blue cheese in it, it was a well composed salad.  The dressing came on the side (thank you for thoughtful packaging, Fleming's!), and was a tangy slightly sweet lemon balsamic vinaigrette.   Not my style of dressing, but I had no choice.

It also had a single garlic crostini, crisp, flavorful, and I broke it up and used it like croutons.

So, very reasonable salad, just not exciting to me, and it does seem like an odd choice for the kid's meal menu ... wouldn't kids be more likely to like the wedge or ceasar?   ***.

Burrata with Proscuitto. $16.

"Charred campari tomatoes, prosciutto, wild arugula, toasted garlic crostini."

I also ordered the burrata starter, as I knew it would work well for delivery, and wanted to save some to have for lunch the next day (after sampling it fresh of course!).

The portion of burrata was quite large, a full bulb, and it was perfectly ripe - when I cut into it, the creamy inside came spilling out.  I think they might make it in-house?  It was definitely top notch burrata, and served at entirely the right temperature (random consequence of delivery, but, it was just perfect!).

The accompaniments all paired well - while I don't generally like cooked tomatoes, the charred campari tomatoes were incredibly flavorful, and this was like a standard tomato and mozzarella app, amped up in all - burrata is leagues above mozzarella, and the charred tomatoes considerably more interesting than just sliced fresh tomatoes.  The arugula added a nice freshness and was wonderfully peppery, and it was all lightly dressed and well seasoned.  Really, just the cheese, tomatoes, and greens would make an excellent course.  Oooh, and the roasted garlic, a few cloves, always delicious.

The crostini I think were the same as came with the Fleming's salad, were crispy and flavorful, and good to spread the burrata on, although I mostly didn't use them.  There were plenty of crostini provided.  

And finally, the prosciutto, which is actually optional (I'm not sure if they give you more of something else if you leave it off?).  It was a fairly small portion, but appropriate for a single person, particularly with presumably a big steak coming next.  It was again above average, pretty good quality prosciutto.

Overall, a nicely done version of a burrata starter, and while I wouldn't rave about it, or go out of my way for it, I'd get it again if I was there and craving burrata.  ***+.

Sides

While some may go to a steakhouse for the steak, uh, I go for the sides.  Just like Thanksgiving.   Or BBQ joints usually.  I'm there for the sides.  Fleming's has a large lineup of all the expected steakhouse sides: mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash for a healthier option, mac and cheese (with or without lobster or bacon), creamed spinach, brussels sprouts with bacon, herb and garlic mushrooms, etc.  I tried several.

Fleming's Potatoes. $16.

"Potatoes au gratin, creamy cheddar & monterey jack cheese blend, leeks, jalapeño." 

I probably went a few years without having any kind of potato gratin (it was a regular on my team dinner menus when we had catered dinner at work), but I'm not sure I'd had any since the pandemic, until a month ago when I was in Orlando, and discovered a great steakhouse (Ocean Prime) and ended up loving their potato gratin.  I knew the potatoes au gratin were a signature dish at Fleming's Prime too - named after the restaurant after all, and thus, I'll be honest, the reason I ordered from Fleming's Prime really was to try the potatoes.

When I opened my delivery bag I was a bit confused.  I had two massive containers in it, not side dish containers, but, Texas sized entree containers, and a regular side container with the bread.  I had just ordered two sides ...  why did I have such a full bag?  The reason for the large containers of course was the portions.  This slice of Fleming's Potatoes would not fit in any standard side dish container.   It is definitely meant for sharing, and could be a side for 3-4 people with no problem.  It was large in width, depth, and height.  

It was also very good.  Very, very good.   The potatoes were nicely cooked, not too mushy, not al dente, just right.  It was well seasoned, no additional salt or pepper needed.  The jalapeño added a nice kick, there was some legit heat to it.  The leeks added a complimentary soft texture and upscale spin on the classic potato and onion pairing.  Add in a ton of cheese, both throughout and on top, and, you have a very satisfying, albeit very heavy, delicious dish.  The top was nicely browned, a thick crust, and clearly lots of cheese.

I think I did like the Ocean Prime version just a bit more, as it was creamier, but this was a very good dish, and I'd get it again if I was craving cheesy potatoes.  ****+.

In case you are curious how these compare, nutrition-wise, to the other potato options on the menu, uh, a serving of this clocks in 1040 calories, compared to nearly half that, 580 cal for the mashed potatoes.  You didn't expect this to be a light dish, right?  I assure you though, this one is worth it.

Roasted Asparagus. $15.

"Herb buttter."

To balance out the heavy meal, I wanted some vegetables too, and, I had just really enjoyed the grilled asparagus from Goode Company Seafood a few days prior, and thus, the roasted asparagus called out.  It too came in a huge container, but this was appropriate given that it was full stalks of asparagus, and those are by their nature long.  The container was only half full, so the asparagus had slid all to the side.

It was good asparagus.  Not in season, but good anyway.  Well roasted, not soft and mushy, lightly smoky flavor.  Cooked with herb butter and very well seasoned.  It needed nothing added to it.  It went very well with the Fleming's Potatoes, and my leftover ribs from Truth BBQ.

I think I preferred the asparagus I had just a few days prior from Goode Seafood Company a bit more, as that was grilled and had lovely grill flavor, but this was perfectly executed, and I'd certainly get it again. ****.

Children's 3 Course Meals

Kid's get a really amazing deal at Fleming's Prime.  All kid's meals are a 3-course event, with choices for all, even though the regular adult menu is a la carte.  They are remarkably reasonably priced, and represent a great value.  When dining in, they are for 12 years old and younger only, but if you get takeout ... just sayin'.  No one was there to check that I was over 12 ...

Kid's meals feature a choice of starter (the classic Fleming's Salad or "Cheese & Crackers" with prosciutto),  one of four entrees (a smaller filet mignon, the same filet mignon sandwich on the regular menu, or chicken tenders, all served with fries, or, the always favorite: mac & cheese), and smaller sized portion of dessert (cheesecake, carrot cake, gooey chocolate butter cake, berries & cream).  For reference, the filet mignon sandwich, is literally exactly the same as served a la carte for adults, and is exactly the same price, but includes the starter and dessert for kids.

Mac & Cheese (Kid's Size). $16.

"A Fleming's favorite, topped with crisp bacon." -- Kid's menu

"Cavatappi, smoked cheddar, chipotle panko breadcrumbs." -- Regular side

For the kid's entree, I picked the mac and cheese.  I called the restaurant to ask if it was the same as the regular side dish mac and cheese, and even specified, "with the chipotle breadcrumbs and everything?", and was told yes.  As you can see, it did not have said bread crumbs.  The kid's version does optionally come with bacon though, which I included (adults can pick lobster instead, but not bacon).

It came in the same ridiculous large containers as the sides I had ordered, and I think it was essentially the same size as the regular side dish (based on calorie counts, the difference is 70 cal, so I think the breadcrumbs really are the difference).  At least it was relatively shallow, but it would still be a lot of mac and cheese for a kid to eat in one sitting.

My mac and cheese arrived rather cold, but, that was easy to remedy.  I was really impressed with it, and wasn't expecting it to be quite as good as it was.  It was remarkably creamy, remarkably cheesy, and I loved the smoked cheddar as the base.   Some of the best cheese sauce I've had in mac and cheese in a long time.  I also really liked the pasta choice of cavatappi, and I'm sure kids do too as its twirly and fun.  The pasta was cooked well, not mushy, not al dente, just right.  The pasta was well coated, sauce clung to it, and there was plenty extra in the container too.

Really, top notch mac and cheese, and I'd gleefully get it again.  ****.  The regular side dish is $14, which makes the inclusion in a kid's meal at $16 mean the salad and dessert were just $2 total?!

By the way, this is no light little kid's dish: the mac & cheese alone is 1200 calories (add on 330 cal for the first course salad, and 580 for the cheesecake (or 970 for carrot cake), and some bread and butter, and your child has just exceeded the 2000 calories for an adult in a day ...).

Dessert

I'm obviously a dessert girl, and basically the entire dessert menu from Fleming's appealed to me, although none are all that revolutionary.  Just the classics: carrot cake or key lime pie, molten lava cake with ice cream or chocolate gooey butter cake, creme brulee or cheesecake, or for a lighter choice, berries and chantilly cream.   Most, but not all, are available for takeout (not the warm molten lava cake nor creme brulee).

New York Cheesecake. (Kid's size).

"Classic preparation, strawberry red wine sauce & fresh mint."

Kid's meals have 4 options for dessert, all drawn from the regular menu: cheesecake, carrot cake, chocolate gooey butter cake, or berries and cream.  Of the takeout offerings, only the key lime pie isn't a choice for kids, presumably because it just isn't what kids go for?  I honestly would have been happy with any, but somewhat randomly opted for the cheesecake, as I'd had a lot of cake the past few days (red velvet that afternoon from Truth Barbecue, a chocolate hazelnut muffin from Common Bond that morning - basically cake, right?, Italian Cream cake from Truth two days prior, etc).  

The desserts are one area where Fleming's does size down the portions for the kids.  Using the calorie count as a metric for portion size, this was just a tad bit bigger than half-size of the adult one.  It was also a totally reasonable size slice of cheesecake for any human, adults included.  The down sizing for kids isn't consistent between desserts though, for example, the carrot cake is much bigger, 3/4 the size of adult version, and the berries and cream is full size.   I'm curious why they size them so differently (particular when the cost is the same ...).

Anyway, it was a good cheesecake.  Very smooth, very creamy, very rich.  Sweet but not too sweet, good cream cheese flavor.  Basically, exactly as advertised: a classic NY style cheesecake, done very well.  The texture in particular was noteworthy.  Definitely better than most generic cheesecake, perhaps made in house and not a frozen mass produced item?  ****.

Then there is the crust.  This is where sooo many cheesecakes go wrong for me.  But Fleming's did not go wrong!  The crust was buttery and sweet, not too crumbly.  I liked the firm texture, not sawdust or sand like many can be.  I am not sure if it was graham cracker based, I don't think so?  It seemed more like a cookie crust.  Better than average crust too. ***+.

The toppings are where this cheesecake got interesting.  The child's version is exactly the same as the adult version, just smaller.  Which means, it has the same strawberry red wine sauce.  Now, I'm sure it wasn't alcoholic as it had been cooked down, but, it did have a red wine flavor, which made for a fairly elegant dessert once it was drizzled over the cheesecake.  It was fruity and sweet too, really quite complex and enjoyable, to me, as an adult.  I don't know of a child who would appreciate this sauce though, and I think many would find the flavor odd (hopefully they wouldn't identify it as wine, but, they'd know there was something going on there).  It also had one slice of fresh strawberry (and no fresh mint that the menu said it would have).  I thought the sauce was very interesting, and elevated the dessert.  ****.

I'd definitely get this again, as it was very good.

The full size adult version is $15, the other adult desserts are $14.  If you wanted to maximize value, the berries and cream, served full size, is certainly the best bet - you'd be getting a salad and mac for just $2!