Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

We went for dinner for my wife’s birthday. We we’re given a sizable gift card (otherwise we would have broke the bank). From what I understand, Fleming’s is a chain, and it certainly felt that way given our wait time between drinks. The steak and salmon were both incredible and the price reflected the quality of the meat. Still, was looking for something a bit more singular for the money.

Having been here on a few special occasions over the last couple years, I’ve seen enough to witness the deterioration of this place. We followed a hostess to a raised booth on the outskirts of the middle dining room, and moments after a waitress familiar approached.
I’ve surmise that Fleming’s promotes the establishing of relationships between their waitstaff and guests in hopes that their guests will order more and higher priced items when they feel at ease. Although being able to request your waitress may be nice, this adds yet another layer of control that takes the spontaneity out of the experience for me.
In any restaurant of an echelon like this, that creates its image of being the fanciest of the fancy, where they do such proper things as crumb your table, you’d expect certain things to be in place. Not that crumbing is bad, it’s just kind of awkward for most of us.
The crucial elements that have alarmed me at this fine dining establishment have been their choices for setting and ambience. It’s a trendy thing to do now, the dimming of the lights. Fleming’s choice to incorperate red lights to enhance the romantic and passionate moods of their guests might be tolerated. Except… Except when these lights are combined with a relentless mix of popular top 40’s music, that’s being played on a stunning volume. It was so loud in the restaurant that it was nigh impossible to carry on a conversation, even short ones. Consider that most of your guests are there for some sort of celebration, and these situations tend to bring people together who haven’t been together for some time. Therefore conversing is a significant part of their experience. I guess that this musical choice is about making the place seem casual and fun, and Fleming’s hopes this will increase the variety of their guests. However, one should also note that the faster the tempo the faster the tables turn. Noise fatigue… So maybe it’s about profit after all. But popular music so loud it turns your mind to mush, really? How about some classical music, or some jazz? There are more fitting selections of music for a fine dining situation.
The menu is set up as being a la cart, so it’s unsurprising as other’s have stated that you’re pricy steak is presented alone on a plate. That’s a la carte for you. A garnish of chopped parsley wouldn’t be unappreciated. Or, for instance if you get a dry rub of Porcini mushroom on a steak how about a few very nicely grilled mushrooms cascading off the steak? These adaptations would be efficient from a cost perspective, and the entrees would look so much better. We eat with our eyes first, then the nose, and then the mouth.
A tell of a declining restaurant is the quality of their sides. The first couple times their mushroom side was outstanding. Various mushrooms roasted nicely with dried herbage and and a few garlic cloves. The last couple times I was here, it was just a bunch of buttons mushrooms roasted with a lackluster enthusiasm. A clove of garlic might have just been lucky enough to sneak in. In a establishment like this never mind the price point, everything should be quite delicious.
My last issue with Flemings is their lava cake desert, which they have pushed every time I have been there. It’s all well and good to inform your guest of a specialty item, and the time it takes to make. However, I feel that this should be mentioned along with any specials that might be going on. This should be done first time a waitstaff engages with their guests. Brining this up between courses, after your guests have acclimated and are enjoying themselves, feels to me like an unnecessary intrusion and a form of peer pressure. It’s all about being so impressive. By the way the lava cake is a minimal part of the desert. It’s hidden by a vanilla cookie with a petite scoop of ice cream, nuts, et cetera et cetera…
Maybe I’d suggest stopping in once and have a drink to soak in the frivolity, but don’t go unless otherwise compelled.
— Late Bloomer

It was a busy graduation Saturday night. But that’s no excuse for a drink put into a heavy glass with a lot of ice to make you think you’re getting more than you are. I know of no other expensive steak houses where (according to the manager), they have a 1 ounce pour. In fairness, when I questioned it, our drinks were comped, Additionally, the mussels were overlooked and flavorless, And the other’s meal’s were not worth it.
On the plus side, our server was well trained, attentive and competent, handling the drink issue by having the manager come to our table.
Not returning any time soon. MADISON has so many other really wonderful choices.

Way over priced. French onion soup terrible.
Steak was very good. Shrimp with it very average. Drinks way over priced.

The medium prime rib special dinner is really good. I highly recommend you tried the chocolate lava cake. The waitress is very nice and environment is good. In a total, a good place for dating and special event.

Fleming’s was great! Although, we weren’t in the mood to drink we were handed an iPad as a drink menu. I ordered the prime rib, my dad had the ribeye, and fiancé had the filet mignon. Everyone was more than satisfied with their meals! Our waitress was so kind and patient with us as I’m extremely indecisive. We had cheesecake for dessert, which was pretty good.
I do plan on returning to Fleming’s!

We’ve been to Flemings in Madison twice, once when it first opened, and again this past weekend. The first time we decided we wouldn’t go back: It was so noisy you couldn’t carry on a conversation, a sporting event on the tv was on in the bar area, and the music was awful. To be honest, I don’t even remember if the food was any good or not that evening.
This weekend we went with another couple because we’d been given Flemings gift cards for our birthdays. They offered a prime rib special that made dining there almost affordable. The service was good, although the last thing I need after a day staring at a computer screen is an iPad on the table (the wine list is on an iPad). The food, however, was mostly pretty poor. The wedge salad was fine, but the prime rib was tough and flavorless. The mushroom side was good. I ordered carrot cake for dessert, I like carrot cake very much; it came with about two parts frosting for one part cake. I scraped a half-​inch of frosting off the top and found the small amount of cake beneath, but it could only be described as «wet», also without flavor. Considering the regular prices in the menu, it’s astonishing they’re still in business.
The atmosphere is more like a fancy sports bar putting on the ritz than a fine restaurant, even though their prices are certainly ‘fine restaurant’ prices. Flemings management apparently has confused pretentiousness with true class. We will request no gift cards in the future!

We had a great Valentine’s dinner here last night. My Chilean sea bass was perfectly cooked and my husband’s prime rib, while a bit fatty, was deliciously seasoned and cooked. Our server Malcolm was extremely attentive and friendly without being overbearing. I will say that the music was definitely too loud and definitely not really Valentine’s kind of music… some techno, some unidentifiable crap. Lava cake was awesome, but the homemade burrata really stole the show for me.

I’ve eaten at a number of fancy, expensive steakhouses well worth the price. Fleming’s in Madison is not one of them. For 2 small steaks, 1 side dish, 1 split salad, 1 appetizer, and only 1 glass of wine, the bill was $ 150 (before tip). Usually, I find the value made up in the service, but our waitress was not paying attention to us. We ordered our appetizer with sauce on the side, which meant we had to send it back when it first appeared, because they ignored that simple request. They also forgot a side item with the steaks until they were reminded.
We had a seating issue with the table we were shown to, so we had to rearrange the settings to make it work for us. This was a solution we came up with. The hostess just stood silently and watched us struggle.
Our waitress rarely checked on us when we needed her, but she was great at appearing just after we’d taken our first bites. I got the feeling we were part of an assembly line, not valued guests. Perhaps that’s our fault for going on the Saturday right before Valentine’s Day. The food taste was just ok, nothing wrong with it, but nothing outstanding or special either, and the presentation was sloppy. For our next special occasion, we’ll go elsewhere.

Simply a chain experience that just does not hold up and this price point in the Madison area. No local beers. High volume pop music playing in the dining area. Obligatory TV’s at the bar. Cheesy feel that screams faux fancy. Consistent service and food preparation, but far overpriced for what you get.

This place is solid.
Service is top notch, if not leaving you feeling a little «I don’t know what to do with my hands». i.e. scrapping your tables off with crumbs and shining the wine glasses in the dining room in view of the patrons.
We were promptly served with the bread basket with not one, but two specialty butters. On this day, it was garlic and the other one was champagne infused (?).
Everything is a la cart, we got the petit filet with baked potato and dry-​aged ribeye with creamed spinach. The cuts of meat are exquisite, they cut like butter. There is a deep flavor to the meats that is consistent throughout each bite. Both orders were cooked to perfection, very rarely as described in the exact way you pictured. The baked potato was pretty standard, although it could have very well been double baked as the skin had a nice crust to it. The creamed spinach was an attention-​stealer, it was light, without the taste of a heavy roux, with a nice balance of garlic and onion.
As we waited for our coats to be unchecked (yes, this is a service they provide!), we overheard that there was a 1 ½ hour wait for Tuesday dining room service.
Tip: If you’re in a hurry or just want a more casual dining experience, eat in the bar area. There are about three booths, and a dozen or so stools around the bar. They have their own menu for usually ¹⁄₃ of the price. You get the same fries they serve in the dining room a la cart in the bar with your Prime Burger meal!
Pro Tip: Flemings is owned by Bloomin’ Brands, which means if you have an Outback gift card, for example, you can use the gift card here.

We were sat almost immediately in a booth that was not only comfortable but also big enough for 6. There were two of us (my husband and I). We were sat with Theresa C and she is BEYOND amazing! Great food knowledge, fantastic table presence and so friendly.
We each did their Monday special which is an appetizer entrée two sides and a dessert for 49.95 + tax. After a wine flight tasting where Theresa brought out multiple samples my husband and I each chose one.
The steaks we ordered were cooked to perfection the wine paired beautifully and the French onion soup was very good too.
My husband and I were celebrating my graduation from my masters degree our anniversary l, his birthday, our new jobs etc etc.
Flemings made it a wonderful experience, from the greeting through the rest of the meal. It is an experience we aren’t sure to forget for a long time.
Thank you Flemings for making our night memorable. A big shout out to Theresa our server who was also incredible!!!

Good food but it didn’t dazzle us (which it should for this price). We also hated the iPad-​driven ordering system, it struck us as a pretty cheap gimmick. I would much rather have the waiter tell me what’s up rather than have them instruct me on how to use their iPad system. This computer-​based ordering system made me feel like I was getting hosed on the service. I also felt like the space inside felt cavernous and cold.
If you need free parking in front of your fancy steakhouse, this might be the place for you. I’d rather go to the Tornado instead.

Apps and dinner were FABULOUS! Steak was cooked to perfection and Lobster was exquisite! Service was awesome… We’ll be back SOON!!!

I’ve had the opportunity to eat at lots of nice steak houses and this place can certainly hold its own with many of them.
We called last minute and was able to get a 7:30 reservation on a Saturday night in August. The place wasn’t very busy when we arrived despite the hordes returning to the campus fro move in day. We were seated at a table in the center, warmly greeted and served a special «appetizer» (aka warm bread with some flavored butters) and presented with the iPad wine list. While on the one hand it’s nice to be able to drill down into their broad selection of wines and wines by the glass, the tech side needs some filtering capabilities to be more useful.
I ordered a glass of prosecco and crab cakes and my son a spotted cow beer and Cesar salad. We each ordered a petite (8 oz) filet and decide to share an order of steak fries-​the steaks, around $ 45 each don’t come with anything except a knife.
The steaks were cooked and seasoned to perfection and the fries hot and crispy. All in all, tasty food.
So, you might ask, why only 3 stars? Well two reasons really, the generic suburban atmosphere of the place and the price. I had an additional glass of wine with my steak and my son a second beer and the bill was almost $ 200. I just think that is too much.
I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to commend the quality and taste of the food but probably wont be back. For me the tornado room has equally good food, and is a much better value.

40 th anniversary dinner. Service good, food average, but too expensive.
8 oz filet $ 41.50, salad $ 11, potato $ 11, dessert $ 13, couldn’t afford drinks. Total bill with tip $ 154 for 2 people, each having petite filet, 1 side, split one dessert, no drinks, no soup or salad
Had just as good a meal at Applebys for ¼ the price

Shout out to Mat T. for being an awesome server! He was knowledgeable, accommodating, timely, personable, AND had a sense of humor.
My boyfriend and I went here on a whim for a date night on a Tuesday. We were a little caught off-​guard by how fancy it really was (service-​wise, especially). You can check your coat at the front desk, they will label your table by «party name,» and there’s a fancy iPad-​like device you can use to order all the wine you want. So overall experience – 5 stars.
The food is where I’m taking a few stars away. Disclaimer: when I go out to eat, I expect the food to be something that I can’t make at home, and something that I haven’t had on just another day. The food at Fleming’s is good, but it’s predictable and over-​priced. If you’re into that, then I would definitely recommend it! To start, the bread and flavored butters were pretty awesome. A highlight of the meal. We also got the scallops, which were perfectly cooked – another highlight of the meal. (Though, they were very small.) The burrata salad was very underwhelming. There wasn’t much flavor aside from tomato, greens, and milk. For our main course we ordered the dry-​aged prime ribeye with an add-​on of king crab. That combo was wonderful, but our steak was tough and over-​cooked. For $ 68 (for the steak plus crab), I would have rather gone to Merchant or another restaurant. Finally, we ordered the lava cake. This takes about 20 minutes to bake, so if you’re going to want it at the end of your meal then order it with your entrees. It was a very delicious, fun experience. I would recommend a bite with a little bit of everything in it.
So overall, a nice date night – we didn’t have to cook! Service was great, but the food will break your bank.

People — come here for their happy hour! $ 6 burgers can’t be beat. We were celebrating, so we also ordered lobster tempura. Another fabulous dish. Along with great drinks, and the deconstructed smores dessert, the meal was awesome.
But the service was a little… slow. It wasn’t overly crowded in the bar, but our server was a little flighty and needed a few reminders.
Will definitely be back.

As always, giving poor reviews is not something I relish. The staff and service were superb. Spot on there. My disappointment is due to the price vs perceived quality. I could have easily reproduced a much better ribeye for $ 10 and my propane camping stove then the $ 50ish I paid. Also a $ 90 seafood appetizer listed as ‘market price’ was a bit steep though that does not necessarily impact my rating.
Regarding that appetizer, it did have a couple shrimp that were absolutely incredible. Easily the best shrimp I have ever had… I never knew shrimp could be so scrumptious. Dreams are made of shrimp like that.
Will I be back? Probably not, but perhaps my steak was anomalous… As always, take into account multiple reviews, but in the end you’ll never really know if a place suits you until you give it a try!

It’s places like Fleming’s that make me really miss Madison.
Fantastic service, delicious food, pretension-​free environment and a kick-​ass happy hour to boot? Sign me up! In fact, sign me up for your monthly subscription, cause this kid’s about to become a regular!
$ 6 for refreshing cocktails? Yes please! Pro tip: get a debonair martini and feel like James Bond.
2/​$ 6 Summer Shandys? Gimme 4.
$ 6 for Thai Chili Calamari (crispy pieces of paradise), braised pork belly (with a mouthwatering berry purée) and delicious burgers? Get in ma belly!
Honestly, happy hour just got taken to a whole, new level.
Oh, and they give you complementary, delicious chips. Just don’t get too full off them so you can actually enjoy your dishes.