Le Cellier vs Flemings (high end steakhouse)

[elaine amj]

After eating at, and falling in love with, Le Cellier (we liked it so much we went twice!!), we tried our local Flemings this week to see what a real high-end steakhouse was like (For non-foodie folks like me who have no clue, most reviews say it compares to Shulas?). After reading various rave reviews, I went in with relatively high expectations I tried to tone down to give the place a chance. So for folks out there who want a comparison (which I did), I'm going to compare the two places.

To start with, I'm not much of a foodie. I mostly end up at Applebees and the like. I've been appreciating good food more and more in the last year or so and do like it when food is prepared well. In the last year, I've been eating more at upper-mid range restaurants (mostly local independent places) and been hunting down foodie places.

Bread:
LC: Le Cellier's breadsticks were good and I enjoyed them. I think my DD enjoyed them way more though. Very good, not the best I'd ever had.

F: Flemings bread was good. It came with two types of butter and they were good. Our second basket of bread was much better as it was warm. (the first was served to us cold)

I'd rate it about the same, with an edge to Flemings.

Soup/Salad:
LC: Le cellier's famous soup was very good and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

F: Their soup of the day was Potato with Brie Cheese. Very good. Came garnished with potato crisps.

We also had their house salad. It was...ok. Very disappointing, really. Tasted just like every salad we have ever had everywhere. The dressing was very blah and extremely ordinary. I MUCH prefer Ohana's salad (didn't have salad at LC, so can't compare)

I'd rate the soup about the same. I enjoyed both.

Filet Mignon:
LC: Delicious, melt in your mouth goodness. One of the best I've had (admittedly, I've not had too many). I had it twice on our last trip and it was just as good both times.

F: It was just...ok. The meat was a little tough and chewy (I ordered it medium rare). I checked and it WAS red in the centre....although maybe it was cooked more medium than rare? hard to tell in the dim lighting. I did let the waitress know - but it wasn't bad enough to send it back as it was...ok. My Dh's filet was exactly the same. The special zip sauce it came with....now that was heavenly, and I raved about it to our waitress.

Definitely prefer LC's filet. Much yummier and frankly, Fleming's filet is priced at $32.99 for the small portion (which I had) vs LC at $26.99 for the lunch portion (which was prob double the size). The portion size at fleming's was just right for us but we could easily have just split a LC portion.

Dessert:

LC: I had S'mores. It was good. A little sweet for us but it was lots of fun to eat.

F: We had a selection of chocolates and mango gelato. I thought the gelato was done well and the chocolates were definitely high quality (and I DO know my chocs...my mom makes gourmet Belgian chocolates and I've had chocs from a LOT of different chocolatiers (have to know what the competition is doing of course!).

Flemings wins on this one.

Overall, I have to say that I much prefer LC. i enjoyed my meal at Fleming's and it was a nice night, and the service and ambiance is good (even though I DID have to wait for refills of water and no one ever offered to replenish the lemon slices for my water - not something that bothered me though)....but for the price, it wasn't really worth it. I get just as nice a time at LC. Or alternatively, I really enjoy my local steakhouse (The Keg) and their prices are definitely better.

I was considering making a special effort to go to Shulas on my next trip down, but after this, I think I'll stick to LC (at lunch!!).

 

[henrylovespooh]

Do not count out Shula's! I have not tried Fleming's steakhouse yet, but I have eaten at Shula's, Morton's and Ruth's Chris. The filet at Shula's at the Dolphin is wonderful and service is great. The sides are also very good. I highly recommend it.

I was actually very disappointed by Le Cellier last week. We hadn't eaten there in awhile - I think the last time we ate there it was two table service credits on the dining plan, so maybe the drop to one table service credit affected the quality.

Part of the problem could have been that we ate at California Grill earlier in the week. Both DH and I got the filet there and it is outstanding. Our meal there was the highlight of our trip. The portion of the filet was just right, it was tender and delicious and the sides were delicious too. It came with purple mashed potatoes and brocolini. Salads and dessert were also very, very good.

We had lunch at Le Cellier. I ordered the filet and the portion was very small. It was notably smaller than the size of the palm of my hand. It comes with mushroom risotto, but since I don't like mushrooms, I asked to switch to mashed potatoes. No vegetable came with it, which made the plate look rather bare. The steakd didn't have much flavor.

My husband ordered the strip steak, and I have seen better/bigger portions at Outback Steakhouse. The cut was very thin. It came with mashed potatoes and no other vegetable. DH was not thrilled with it.

I don't think we'll be going back to LC in the future.

 

[eliza61]

I wouldn't consider Flemings a high end steak house, it's a chain franchise. I've never eaten there so I can't comment on that but most folks will agree that Le Cellier is an average steakhouse at best.
Generally I stay away from most chain restaurants as quality is really hard to control from locality to locality and can some one please teach the chain steakhouses how to make a different dessert besides chocolate lava cake. LOL sorry, this is one of my quirks.

I'm lucky that I live along the I95 corridor so between NYC, Philly and DC are tons of steak houses that simply blow Le Cellier out of the water.

I've been to Le Cellier twice and the soup was the best part of the meal, the problem with that is I don't go to a steakhouse for the soup, I go for delicious steaks. While the
meal was not bad, I had heard so many "it was the best steak of my life" reviews here on the dis I probably had big expectations.

So let me say I had the Prime rib. It was ok, I would say it was texas roadhouse quality. not very flavorful and definitely not what I would consider first cut.

Meal was enjoyable but no way would I give up 2 dining credits for it and I probably would only book it now for the convienence of staying in the park but I'd probably pick
Chefs de France over Le Cellier.

 

[D&R love Disney]

I've eaten at Flemings in Boston and Providence. Both are so much better than Le Cellier IMHO. Much classier dining experience, food and service.

Shulas is even better!

 

[minniebride]

My DH is chuckling at this review because he worked as a server at the Flemings in Boston and also in Birmingham for about 7 years.

He wanted me to ask the OP: What was the "zip sauce"? He has not worked there in about 4 years, but he did not remember the filet coming with a sauce.

I have to say that I prefer Flemings. I found the filet (and most everything else) at Le Cellier to be way too salty for my palette, whereas Flemings has a cleaner or simpler taste.

Despite being a chain though, I would consider Flemings to be a high-end restaurant-especially because of their service and huge selection of fine wines.

 

[Micca]

I've eaten at Shula's, Morton's, and Ruth's Chris and they were far superior to the food I've eaten at LC(Never heard of Flemings). On our December WDW trip I was too tired to make the LC ADR, so wife and daughter went without me. They raved about the quality of the food(they are dedicated carnivores).

 

[Missy Mousie]

I've eaten at many high end steak houses, and Le Cellier twice. Le Cellier is no Mortons. However, it is good, and was a great value on the meal plan when it was just one credit. I'm not sure we'll go back now that it's 2 credits. Both times we have had extremely slow service. The waitstaff was nice, but for some reason, our table seemed to get served slower than all around us. The food itself was very good. The maple creme brulee is awesome!

 

[elaine amj]

Hmmmm..must have gotten the name of the sauce wrong (I had a hard time hearing her and thought she said something like zip sauce - I'm probably wrong )It was a creamy sauce the waitress recommended that i got on the side as the steak did not come with a sauce. Whatever it's name, it was incredible (will they ship me the sauce?).

As for the steak quality, I was VERY surprised. Like everyone else has said, LC doesnt exactly use the best quality cuts of beef or anything. I guess maybe my expectations were too high? Or maybe it's just me Whatever it was, I was very underwhelmed with my attempt at a "good" steakhouse. It's quite possible I'm a regular mid-range steakhouse type of gal.

Just like I'm a 2-star hotel type of gal. I've stayed in 5 star hotels. I've stayed in hotels with private villa accommodations with a private butler. I've stayed in dumps and dives and everything in between. 2-star hotels like the comfort inn is perfect for me (although I must say I thoroughly enjoy starwood's heavenly beds)Just don't have uber-expensive tastes I guess.

I can see myself giving Shula's (also a chain) or someplace similar a shot again someday. Just won't be going out of my way to do it. Instead, I'll look forward to my next trip to LC and see if I can get lucky with yet another great meal my 3rd time there! Mmmmm, I can taste my filet mignon already.....

 

[goofyintoronto]

Do not count out Shula's! I have not tried Fleming's steakhouse yet, but I have eaten at Shula's, Morton's and Ruth's Chris. The filet at Shula's at the Dolphin is wonderful and service is great. The sides are also very good. I highly recommend it.

I was actually very disappointed by Le Cellier last week. We hadn't eaten there in awhile - I think the last time we ate there it was two table service credits on the dining plan, so maybe the drop to one table service credit affected the quality.

Part of the problem could have been that we ate at California Grill earlier in the week. Both DH and I got the filet there and it is outstanding. Our meal there was the highlight of our trip. The portion of the filet was just right, it was tender and delicious and the sides were delicious too. It came with purple mashed potatoes and brocolini. Salads and dessert were also very, very good.>>>> I agree 100%!!! we had the same experience!

We had lunch at Le Cellier. I ordered the filet and the portion was very small. It was notably smaller than the size of the palm of my hand. It comes with mushroom risotto, but since I don't like mushrooms, I asked to switch to mashed potatoes. No vegetable came with it, which made the plate look rather bare. The steakd didn't have much flavor.

My husband ordered the strip steak, and I have seen better/bigger portions at Outback Steakhouse. The cut was very thin. It came with mashed potatoes and no other vegetable. DH was not thrilled with it >>>> I had the same experience with my steak at LC. Not thrilled either! .

I don't think we'll be going back to LC in the future.

I agree with this. I went to LC because so many ppl raved about it like its the best place on EARTH, oh the soup, oh the breadsticks, oh the steak! Well i went and tried it all and can honestly say, im so NOT impressed. The soup, ive had far better at my local sandwich shop. Ditto for the bread sticks. The steak was hugely disappointing. My strip steak was very fatty and just not a great cut of meat, it also lacked flavour BIG TIME. There's no way i'll be back. I can make a far better steak at home.

My filet at Cali Grill on the other hand was AAAAAHHHHHMAZING!!!!!! It was so tender and flavorful. Just wow!!! Nice size and the quality of meat was incredible.

 

[GeorgeG]

Le Cellier is off our list for about a year now. It's highly over-rated. In fact, a lot of Disney restaurants, including some so-called "signature" restaurants, are off our list. If it's steak I want at WDW, I will go to Shula's in the Dolphin or even Fulton's Crabhouse at Downtown Disney. For a seafood restaurant they have a really good steak, better then Le Cellier, Brown Derby, or even Yachtsman Steakhouse.

 

[jcvalenti]

I wouldn't really consider Fleming's a "high end" steakhouse. It's a chain outfit and, at least at the Fleming's near my house, the food is about 30% cheaper than at Le Celier.

If I was to price compare Le Celier, it would be to a place like Peter Luger's or Shula's.

I have fun at Le Celier for the atmosphere, and enjoy some of the hard to find Canadian wines they serve, but as far as steaks go, at the prices they charge the food is mediocre at best, IMHO. I've never really understood how people go gaga for Le Celier on these forums - I can only assume they haven't gone to many big time steak joints before.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I wouldn't really consider Fleming's a "high end" steakhouse. It's a chain outfit and, at least at the Fleming's near my house, the food is about 30% cheaper than at Le Celier.

If I was to price compare Le Celier, it would be to a place like Peter Luger's or Shula's.

I have fun at Le Celier for the atmosphere, and enjoy some of the hard to find Canadian wines they serve, but as far as steaks go, at the prices they charge the food is mediocre at best, IMHO. I've never really understood how people go gaga for Le Celier on these forums - I can only assume they haven't gone to many big time steak joints before.

hahahahahahaha LMAO! I was thinking the same thing!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I wouldn't really consider Fleming's a "high end" steakhouse. It's a chain outfit and, at least at the Fleming's near my house, the food is about 30% cheaper than at Le Celier.

If I was to price compare Le Celier, it would be to a place like Peter Luger's or Shula's.

I have fun at Le Celier for the atmosphere, and enjoy some of the hard to find Canadian wines they serve, but as far as steaks go, at the prices they charge the food is mediocre at best, IMHO. I've never really understood how people go gaga for Le Cellier on these forums - I can only assume they haven't gone to many big time steak joints before.

I think the same could be said for all reviews on this & other boards. A review is heavily influenced by the type of food one is exposed to. If you've never experienced fine dining, your review of average restaurants will most likely be better than those who have eaten at fine dining establishments outside WDW. We all have priorities. Those who don't really care about fine dining will never understand why some people rate restaurants low. The same could be said for the opposite.

 

[GeorgeG]

I think the same could be said for all reviews on this & other boards. A review is heavily influenced by the type of food one is exposed to. If you've never experienced fine dining, your review of average restaurants will most likely be better than those who have eaten at fine dining establishments outside WDW. We all have priorities. Those who don't really care about fine dining will never understand why some people rate restaurants low. The same could be said for the opposite.

Very true. People have different tastes, some due to their past experiences and some depending on where they're from. To simplify, for comparison purposes, if you're from Chicago you tend to love Chicago-style pizza and if you're from New York you swear by New York-style pizza (they're very different) and if you're from almost anyplace else you may prefer chain (Pizza Hut, etc.) or frozen pizza from a supermarket. I've been puzzled for some time now at why people are satisfied with the current dining at WDW restaurants. I have some theories, but will let them go unmentioned (this time) to avoid offending anyone.

 

[2girlsmom]

I would agree that there are different levels of steak houses, and also that some locations are better than others. I grew up in the midwest so spent much of my life eating very good steak. I have also been to Morton's in PA and NJ, Ruth Chris, etc. I would say that LC is equal to the Morton's locations that I was at, it is definitely not as high a quality filet as many of the high level steakhouses, but it is equal to several, and the truffle butter does elevate this some. My husband, who is TOTALLY a steak person, very much enjoyed his NY Strip as well. I do agree, I wish it came with a green vegetable, this is one of my problems with many steakhouses, actually. But my mushroom filet was 5 oz, MORE than enough meat, and his strip was 10 oz, so WAY big enough for him as well, and the flavors were good, meat was tender.

 

[Albytaps]

For all the Le Cellier doubters... have you tried the mushroom filet?

I'm a big time steak person (my father is Argentine) and have eaten at many good steakhouses, but honestly I don't go to high end steak houses often...

I think the charm of Le Cellier comes from being in WDW. The restaurant is cozy and has some signature dishes that many people love (my family loved the cheddar cheese soup.) I also loved the maple creme brulee. The breadsticks were also very good.

Are there any other steakhouses in the parks? I know there are some outside the parks at resorts and such, but maybe because it's in the park that people recognize it more.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I'm always very amused by the comments people make about Le Cellier. Some absolutely love it (particularly for the 'cult' dishes like the cheese soup, maple crème brûlée, etc), some hate it (even though they've only been there once and their meal wasn't terrible, but their expectations were obscenely high). I'm in between - I like it, and I've had both very good and okay experiences there. No, it's not CUT or BLT Steak or anything like that, but I've had some food there that exceeds the quality of food I've had at Ruth's Chris, Mortons, Smith and Wollensky, etc.

So in spite of what has been theorized (and joked about) by people in this thread, I'd like to say it's very possible that someone both enjoys Le Cellier and has experience dining at upscale restaurants and steakhouses. The two groups aren't mutually exclusive. Le Cellier's not my favorite WDW restaurant, but it's probably in the top 10, and I don't think it's that bad compared to the real world (if you subtract about $5 per entree on the dinner menu to account for "Disney inflation", the quality is what I'd expect at a nice restaurant in NYC, Philly, Boston, LA, etc).

 

[GeorgeG]

Even within the same group of people, there will be a variety of tastes and preferences. I'm not a very adventurous eater, but often visit WDW with friends who are looking for something 'different' than their normal dininng fare while I like to stick with what I know I like. There were a lot of years where Disney understood that and just about every restaurant would offer something basic. While you can still find that in some restaurants, you may have to request a particular meal be prepared more on the plain side than what the resident executive chef decides everyone should like. The downside is that when a particular dish is prepared and served without the usual 'gourmet' treatment it may become obvious that said treatment disguises a lesser quality meal. Specific to Le Cellier, I point to their current burger with the maple sauce, spinach leaves, and large amount of fried onions on a huge bun hiding a less than memorable burger patty. Their original burger was a very nice patty that was the dominant feature of the meal. Marketing can be a powerful influence.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Even within the same group of people, there will be a variety of tastes and preferences. I'm not a very adventurous eater, but often visit WDW with friends who are looking for something 'different' than their normal dininng fare while I like to stick with what I know I like. There were a lot of years where Disney understood that and just about every restaurant would offer something basic. While you can still find that in some restaurants, you may have to request a particular meal be prepared more on the plain side than what the resident executive chef decides everyone should like. The downside is that when a particular dish is prepared and served without the usual 'gourmet' treatment it may become obvious that said treatment disguises a lesser quality meal. Specific to Le Cellier, I point to their current burger with the maple sauce, spinach leaves, and large amount of fried onions on a huge bun hiding a less than memorable burger patty. Their original burger was a very nice patty that was the dominant feature of the meal. Marketing can be a powerful influence.

But WDW still offers so many plain burgers (they might not be amazing quality, but there are still plenty of true burger joints like Plaza, Beaches and Cream, Sci-Fi, etc). In Le Cellier's case, many people rave about the burger with roasted mushrooms, pancetta, maple barbecue, black diamond cheddar, and fried onions - I've never had it, but it sounds more interesting (and more fitting for a Canadian-inspired restaurant) than a plain, ordinary burger.

Your same argument can be applied to various other WDW restaurants as well - it's not Le Cellier-specific. For example, in this very thread, one of Le Cellier's harshest critics (who has only been there once and hasn't experienced the post-signature menu) highly praised California Grill's filet. I've had it before, and I didn't like it - an okay piece of meat served with standard potatoes and broccoli and an overly sweet, gooey, smokey teriyaki barbecue sauce to disguise the other ingredients. I didn't like that dish, but I'm not going to use that as an excuse to challenge the palates of people who did. It's just an example of different tastes and preferences culminating in differing perceptions of the food.

Simplicity can be a good thing (Artist Point's salmon dish is an example IMO), but it shouldn't be the only thing that all WDW restaurants strive for. That's why I'm a bit confused by your argument. I've heard lots of people complain about the dumbing down of menus and homogenization of ingredients across property (I generally agree with these arguments). Your complaint is that the meals aren't plain and homogenized enough even though there's plenty of simpler food available across the property?

 

[ElizabethB]

Eliza61 is right -- Flemings is not a high-end steakhouse. So, comparing Le Cellier and Flemings is really comparing two middle-of-the-road steakhouses. Generally, I should think it would be a tie or close to it.

When at Disneyworld, if dh and I want beef, we go to Shula's. End of story. We used to also enjoy Yachtsman Steakhouse, but not since the DDP and a reduction in the menu choices to like, 5, entrees. What we used to love there was the Chateaubriand for two, which is long gone.