Fine dining awaits behind non-descript garage door

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar has the most unusual front door of any fine dining establishment I’ve ever encountered. It’s in downtown Walnut Creek and is entered on the second floor of the parking garage.

Very high marks for convenience and parking is either free or with a reasonably priced valet, but the same door that diners come through also has employees carrying out the trash bags to the garbage bins in the garage. That said, once you’re inside, the décor and seating is what you would expect. We dined on a Tuesday to celebrate our son-in-law’s 40th birthday and it was packed. Fortunately, we had a reservation.

The big crowd was probably was tied directly to Fleming’s Tuesday promotion that offers a 3-course menu for $75 on Tomahawk Tuesday. The Tomahawk bone-in ribeye is one of Fleming’s signature dishes and is $101 on the regular menu so you can see the bargain. And that’s before the sides, salads and dessert that come with the special.

Caesar Salad

The other steak offering is prime porterhouse; both are cut to be shared. The rest of the package includes a choice of two salads, two sides and two desserts. All are the regular portions so it’s plenty to eat.

The salads offered were the house salad, a Caesar, and a blue-cheese wedge. The sides were a difficult choice because there were so many good options—creamed spinach (the best dish of the night), mushrooms, three potato options, Brussel sprouts and mac-and-cheese.

Fleming’s House Salad

There are seven dessert options so you can easily find a favorite. And then there’s Fleming’s expansive wine list, top-shelf liquor and craft cocktails.

Dinner started with fresh rolls with flavored cheese spreads (red wine with truffle and champagne and brie—an option to fill up. Don’t. There was so much to eat that we took plenty of steak and mushrooms home along with my creme brulee.

My daughter, well along in her pregnancy, opted for a spirit-free mocktail. The rest of us selected one of their craft cocktails and enjoyed them. Given the special occasion, we brought our own special wine and were prepared to pay the $20 corkage. Perhaps, because we all ordered cocktails, it wasn’t charged although the total for four of us garnered an $80 tip.

Lime Tart

 Across the four of us, we tried most of the sides, salads and desserts. Quality, preparation and presentation were uniformly good. Service was a bit slow because I think the staff was overwhelmed by the number of people who showed up to take advantage of the special on a June night.

The Tomahawk Tuesday runs year-round, while Fleming’s is trying to counter the July-August restaurant slowdown with a summer three-course fixed menu featuring a choice of a filet and a crab-stuffed lobster tail, choice of two salads and a choice of sharable sides or desert for $65. Both the steak and the lobster can be upgraded for an additional cost.

The Walnut Creek location also offers lunch Tuesday-Saturday with a menu that still has beef sandwiches, but also offers entrée salads and vegetarian options.

In short, Fleming’s offers a fine steakhouse alternative to fighting the Bay Bridge traffic and fare and then paying for parking in the city. Enjoy a cocktail with your savings by dining in Walnut Creek.  

By Tim Hunt