O?Charley?s Boasts Ambiance, Flavor (Business Lunch)

401 N. 46th St.
Rogers
4 stars

We used to not even review chains. But the influx of quesadilla-bloated, faux-bucolic burger joints and homogenized steak houses over the years has filled us with curiosity — and sometimes indigestion.

Don’t think of O’Charley’s in that genre.

We sent a family in to check out the latest Rogers restaurant and instead of another monument to suburbia we found an upscale dining experience with ambiance and flavor.

We did steaks and can’t speak about much else on the menu. But from service to taste, the experience was a good one.

We started with the “o’thentic” spinach and artichoke dip ($7), described as a “creamy blend of spinach and artichoke hearts topped with parmesan cheese and served with sour cream, salsa and crisp tortilla chips.” Despite the entrée price, it was delicious.

Our female reviewer had the steak tips Monterey ($11), which came on a bed of rice and topped with sautéed mushrooms, onions and melted Monterey Jack cheese. She raved about the fare, saying it was as good as any steak she’s had in the area.

Our big eater loved the Louisiana sirloin, ($15) a 12-ounce cut grilled with a special blend of Louisiana seasoning and topped with herbs and garlic butter. It was unusual, flavorful and cooked to “medium” pink perfection.

The meals came with a fresh salad and a baked potato, both of which O’Charley’s did up right.

We took a three-year-old along, too, and she went the hamburger route. Prone to finicky eating, our toddler was tantalized by spinach dip and didn’t even require coaxing to finish her burger.

We didn’t make it to the desserts, but the name “ooey gooey caramel pie” ($4) probably says it all. The most intriguing section of the menu that we’ll have to make another trip to try is the Sunday brunch.

Steak and eggs ($10) — a seven-ounce sirloin served with two eggs, brunch potatoes and Texas toast — sounds like an excellent weekend respite. There’s also an interesting selection of omelets (all $7.50) and about anything else a diner could want.

Like most neon-splattered chains, O’Charley’s menu tries to be a lot of things to a lot of people. What we do know though is they get steaks and atmosphere right.