We are near the end of our exhaustive search for the Top 10 Best Steakhouses in Tucson. So far, we have reviewed: Pinnacle Peak; El Corral; Silver Saddle; PY; Cattletown; Daisy Mae’s; Lil’ Abner’s; Tanque Verde Guest Ranch; Fleming’s; & Sullivan’s. This week we review Bob’s Steak & Chop House at Omni Tucson National Resort.
We put Bob’s off as long as we could because friends told us it was over priced and too formal. They were so down on Bob’s that they refused to join us.
So, prejudice being what it is, Ms. Karen, Ms. Sue & I arrived at Bob’s for an early Sunday dinner that we were certain none of us would enjoy and, moreover, regret the expense. Spoiler Alert! We could not have been more wrong.
For starters, Bob’s has a view. Actually a magnificent golf course view. Ms. Karen & I have played at least a thousand rounds of golf in our younger years, but have not played golf in the past 8 due to my decrepit physical condition. At the first sight of people playing golf, Ms. Karen all but swooned.
I should note here that, regarding ambiance, most of the other steakhouses we reviewed didn’t even have windows, let alone an actual view. PY; Cattletown; Pinnacle Peak; Sullivan’s; Fleming’s; Silver Saddle … not a window in the place. So, our negative attitude about Bob’s began to fall apart upon arrival.
We arrived at the appointed time, 5:30PM, and were promptly seated by the hostess. As we passed the hostess’s desk, Ms. Karen noticed a large bowl of “gummy balls”. Actually, we don’t know what they are, but she took a handful and declared them (a) sour; and (b) really, really good. Another chip in our negative attitude.
We were seated by a large window overlooking the patio and golf course. The interior decor was pleasantly understated like Fleming’s and Sullivan’s, but golf course views with tall palm trees and green fairways, plus the subtle hews of the clouds reflecting the setting sun, added a special dimension that none of the others can match. Another chip.
Dress Code
Given what our friends had told us about Bob’s being too formal, I checked their website before dressing for this occasion. It read, “Resort Casual”. Now, Ms. Karen & I are not strangers to some of the world’s finest resorts. We understand “Resort Casual”; and it doesn’t mean “Black Tie & Tails”. It also doesn’t mean “Bathing Suits”. I wore casual slacks and a nice, black polo from Costco. I didn’t even bother to wear my fancy bolo tie. Management didn’t throw me out. In fact, Manager Andrea greeted us at our table and she was most cordial.
Service
Our server for this evening was Lyla. Upon introducing herself, she delivered a big round loaf of hot, fresh-baked bread and a slab of butter. Very good, indeed!
Spoiler Alert! Lyla was excellent. Perhaps the very best server we have had at any of the aforementioned steakhouses. And we have enjoyed some really good ones; most particularly Fleming’s & Sullivan’s. She was very professional in an informal,yet polished way. Attentive, but not intrusive. Knowledgeable. Helpful. Fun. She really helped make our dining experience extraordinary. I should have tipped her more. (Next time, girl.)
How Hot To Cook A Steak?
From our recent reviews, you now know that at Fleming’s and Sullivan’s we inquired as to how the steaks are prepared. Fleming’s broils their steaks at 1,600 degrees. Sullivan’s at a measly 1,000 degrees. After inquiring of her chef, Lila informed us that Bob’s steaks are broiled at 1,800 degrees. Holy …!
By my calculation, for a standard size, medium-rare ribeye or filet, that’s about 90 seconds per side. More and we’re looking at either charcoal or ashes. I can only get my BBQ to 550 degrees and for a 1.25-inch-thick Costco ribeye medium rare to medium, that’s about 5-6 minutes a side.
Like Fleming’s and Sullivan’s, Bob’s steaks are coated with salt, pepper, and butter to create a crust that takes their USDA Prime steaks to the next level.
First Wine
Time to order our before-dinner wine. Ms. Karen ordered an inexpensive Graffigna Pinot Gregio ($8 per glass) for the three of us. We have learned that at fine dining steakhouses in Tucson, you don’t get much quantity and the “inexpensive” wines start at around $14 per glass.
As Lyla poured the wine, we immediately noticed that the servings were twice the size of Fleming’s and Sullivan’s. “One-third of a bottle,” remarked Lyla. Moreover, the wine was excellent!!! Another chip in our attitude landed on the nice carpet. If this is our friends’ idea of “over-priced”, we’re OK with it.
Pickles
While we sipped our wine, Ms. Sue and Ms. Karen helped themselves to the big jar of pickled peppers and cucumbers that were in the center of our table when we arrived. I didn’t care for them but the ladies enjoyed.
Dinner
Dinner wine: Justin Cabernet Sauvignon. Very good and, again, an extra large serving ($18 per glass).
Now came the real test. We were here primarily to sample Bob’s steak dinners. Ms. Sue and Ms. Karen agreed to share. Sue ordered a Caesar Salad ($9) and Karen ordered a 9 oz. filet mignon ($40). I ordered the 14 oz. ribeye ($39). Karen’s filet came with “lemon mash potato” and a very large, orange glazed carrot. My ribeye came with a baked potato and a very large orange glazed carrot. Apparently Bob has a thing for carrots.
Before we get into quality, let’s talk value. At Fleming’s, I had Dry-Aged Ribeye ($57), with baked potato ($10.50). That’s right. Fleming’s steaks are seriously expensive AND DO NOT INCLUDE SIDE DISHES! My Fleming’s steak dinner, not including wine, etc. cost $67.50; compared to Bob’s $39.
I imagine that had our friends, who think Bob’s is over-priced, gone to Fleming’s they would have required an infusion of oxygen when they saw the bill. By comparison, Bob’s is a delightful bargain.
OK, now we have great service and good value. What about the steak, Jim? When manager Andrea came by to inquire about how we liked out dinners, I told her, “My ribeye was excellent!. But Ms. Karen’s filet was superb!” She also enjoyed her “lemon mashed potatoes”. Of the 11 steak dinners we’ve enjoyed in the process of compiling the Top 10 List, we agreed: BOB’S IS BEST! We had inadvertently left the best for last. Silly us!
Dessert
To the degree anything we had to eat at Bob’s was not the best, we shared the Crème Brûlée. Mind you, it was OK. Just not as good as some others we have enjoyed. To my mind, having just finished an extraordinarily fine dinner, this was a minor detail.
Do we wholeheartedly recommend Bob’s Steak & Chop House to our friends & family. Indeed we do. Moreover, Bob’s is the only steakhouse to earn our 5-Saguaro rating. Great service, wonderful view, pleasant interior ambiance, free pickled peppers & cucumbers, fresh-baked bread, fine wine, very good Caesar, killer steaks, and a big orange glazed carrot. Plus sour “gummy balls”. We’ll be back.
Bob’s Steak & Chop House
Omni Tucson National Resort
2727 W Club Dr, Tucson, AZ 85742
520) 877-2377
