My family and I moved to Scottsdale over 20 years ago and I have always had a place in my heart for Don & Charlie's. We used to go there often for birthdays/anniversaries/graduations, etc. It was my birthday this week and my parents wanted to take me out so I said \"Let's go to Don & Charlie's, I haven't been there in I don't know how long\". Sadly, after having eaten there I believe that I made a mistake with this suggestion. The restaurant itself hasn't changed since the last time I was there - it's still got wall-to-wall memorabilia, it still has the same old-school steak house ambiance, but the feeling that I got during and after the meal was really one of a restaurant that is resting upon its laurels and not doing much to deliver a quality product. My Caesar salad was made with lettuce that was obviously old - it was not wilted, but it was very soft and floppy with no crunch to it whatsoever. My father ordered the creamy coleslaw which bore a great resemblance to cabbage soup so high was the dressing to cabbage ratio. My mother greatly enjoyed her house salad with a balsamic dressing but this was mostly because she thought the balsamic was the best that she had had in a long while. All three of us ordered baby back ribs for dinner - my parents just had the ribs, I had a combo with the ribs and a filet. All three of us remarked that the ribs were \"passable\", the meat was tough and fatty - not at all what I remember in terms of quality from when I used to eat there. I have honestly had ribs that I found more enjoyable at casual restaurants like TGI Friday's or Ruby Tuesday's. When you are charging $30 for a rack of ribs, they REALLY need to be better than \"acceptable\" which was the highest grade I could offer on these. While ordering our entrees, my mother asked which ribs were more tender and our server informed us that the beef ribs were the most tender, but they had sold out of their entire stock of beef ribs already. Our reservation was at 6:30 - fairly early in the evening, so my mother's reaction was \"Really?\" His response - \"Oh yes, they were actually sold out at 5:00 PM.\" This speaks to a lack of organization and knowledge on the part of management - if you are running out of a popular item by 5 PM on a weekend before proper dinner service even begins then that indicates a serious problem. My Filet was better than acceptable - it was not as good as I remember, but still very good. Unfortunately my disappointment in the ribs was such that it overshadowed any feelings I may have had about the steak. Our server was professional and courteous and I did not notice any of the issues with the hostesses that some others have reported, but I really have to say that I am disappointed in Don & Charlie's. It's one thing to go back to a place you have a fondness for and find the experience lacking in relation what you remember - we all have a tendency to look at the past with rose-colored glasses I think. This was a case of going to a place that I have a genuine fondness for and find the experience lacking in relation to what I consider acceptable for any high end restaurant. I believe my grade of \"Meh. I've experienced better.\" is completely accurate - I have experienced better at other steak houses, at other casual dining restaurants, even hole-in-the wall eateries where I used plastic utensils to eat my meal. I say this as someone who has nothing but fond feelings for D&C's - you guys need to improve, because a wall full of signed baseballs and dim lighting will only take you so far.
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