LongHorn Steakhouse

1434 S. Alma School Road
Mesa, Arizona 85210

(Preface) I don't usually like to evaluate chain restaurants, but with more and more people eating at them it seemed proper to evaluate this one. This is part of the Darden chain, which also includes Olive Garden, etc.
I arrived at 6:15, and though told it was a 10 minute wait, I was seated in 3 minutes. My waiter brought a drink and warm bread quickly and handed me the menu as well as explained the specials of the night. The waiter, Tim, was extremely attentive and honest when asked about items on the menu. How refreshing! I was originally going to get the Rib Eye Steak, but Tim suggested that I get the larger Rib Steak on the Bone. He wasn't pushy, but offered good reasons to get it - an excellent job of up-selling for a restaurant. I also ordered a Baked Potato with lots of butter and a salad with Honey Mustard Dressing. Of the Bread, I can only say it was warm. I didn't care for the flavor of it, and it almost seemed to be under baked and lacking in flavor. The Salad was a nice portion with a good dressing, though I didn't care for the diced tomato on it. Diced tomato is a way of a restaurant saving money by not using premium tomatoes. Not a good idea.
In due course my steak appeared. I had ordered it rare, and it came medium. My waiter immediately took it back, apologized, and had a new one cooked properly with a new baked potato in minutes. Great service. The steak was perfectly cooked this time, with perhaps a touch too much of seasoning, but that is an individual preference. The potato was properly presented with lots of butter as I had asked. My biggest criticism is the same one I have in many steak houses - I hate being given oversized knives with serrated edges. If the steak is as tender as steak houses claim, a sharp, plain edged knife will easily do the job without tearing up the meat. My steak had a bit of silver skin still on it, which should have been removed by the butcher.
My waiter kept checking up to make sure my drink was full and I had everything I wanted. I was quite full, and my waiter promptly brought a take home box and even brought a small cruet to put some horse radish sauce in. (I like horse radish on more than just prime rib). Most places make a big deal out of my ordering it, but my waiter didn't bat an eye and even brought extra. Even though I was full, I wanted to try dessert. While many of the desserts are brought in from the outside, I was told that the Caramel Apple Goldrush was made in house. My only comment about it would be to describe it as comfort food. Warm, gooey, comforting apples in a rich sauce with lots of cinnamon and caramel sauce, topped with a very smooth vanilla ice cream slowly melting over it. I could have made a meal just out of this dessert! It's a real winner. I have eaten in some of the top restaurants of the world, from those of the Iron Chef's to the Flagship of Mortons in Hong Kong to Elements in Paradise Valley, and the service I had tonight was right up there if not better than any of them. Service can make or break a meal, and service was absolutely tops tonight. Kudo's to Tim, my waiter, and I hope my tip showed him just how much I appreciated him. 3 1/2 stars for the food, and an extra 1/2 star for service and cleanliness for a total of 4 stars. I will definitely evaluate this restaurant again in the future to see if the service stays up to standard.