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| - Update 5/7/08---
I had no choice but to bump this down to 2 stars. While it was nice, again, to be on the winning side of the day's golf and therefore receiving a free meal I didn't walk out feeling like a winner. The service is still very attentive and the place is cool to see but the food is at best average. The cuts of meat were marginal, not bad but nothing special at all, and were cooked inconsistently and not always to order. In general it just came across as a novelty experience - lots of sports memorabilia eye candy with food as a secondary consideration. We were a big group last year and an even bigger one this year but I'm pretty sure there won't be a next year for us at D&C.
First posted 5/14/07---
This is a 3.5 star rating. At times I find myself adding points for one aspect only to deduct some for an entirely different reason. I guess that makes this place a bit of an enigma to me. I am left thinking of it as a classic throwback blue-collar sports bar B.B.Q.-joint diner steakhouse with an interesting atmosphere.
I was in the Scottsdale area as part of a group of 12 guys on an annual golf outing and this was the third and final dinner of the trip and served as the high priced ($40/guy) loss for the losing team (of which I unfortunately was a member).
The food was good - they definitely know how to cook meat. I had the 12 oz. filet and it was cooked exactly as the waitress described medium rare - pink and warm in the middle. The guys sitting on either side of me each ordered different steaks cooked to different levels and both seemed equally satisfied. I also really enjoyed my iceberg wedge salad - it was huge and fresh - but that shouldn't be hard to get right. My double baked potato was fine and desserts were at best average. I had the flourless chocolate cake which was fine but the banana cream pie was essentially whipped cream on top of banana pudding.
The atmosphere was not exactly what I expected although I didn't really know what to expect. When I think 'steakhouse' I think two things. First is a somewhat dark dining area with booths and a sort of intimate feel to it and second is a menu that features various steak/prime rib cuts along with token chicken, fish and pasta selections. Don & Charlie's is none of this. Then again it is not strictly a steakhouse. The dining area is essentially one big, brightly lit room with no booths and a fairly loud din. It, along with virtually every part of the building, is covered with sports memorabilia. The menu is broad enough that you actually have to look for the steak section. Being there for the reason I was made these variances a positive to me but on other occasions they could just as easily have been a negative
Random notes: The service was great in a very straightforward way. With such a large group it is almost inevitable that when the food comes out there is some confusion about who ordered what. But we experienced none of that. People were served what they ordered and without any chaos. Bud Selig, of "Chopped Steak a la Bud Selig" fame, or is it Commissioner of MLB fame, was there. Valet parking at $5 was expensive and an out of place option given the rest of the experience.
The main thing that made me round down to 3 stars was the price. It's just too expensive for what you get. I didn't see the final bill but it must have been $45+/guy without drinks. I have no problem paying that kind of money for a meal but I have had many better meals for that kind of money. It was fun to see the sports stuff but ultimately it is about the dining experience and, on the whole, for the price it really was average.
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