the award-winning Atlanta-based steak and seafood restaurant recently opened a Boca Raton location, located in the renovated section of Royal Palm Plaza near Mizner Blvd., and i had the chance to check it out. i had been to the Atlanta location many moons ago as a kid, but i do not really recall the experience. for all i know i might have tried to order a hamburger.
onward to the review...
from the service to the food, the place is top drawer. they offer 30 varieties of different seafood and 15 varieties of steak.
appetizer:
signature lobster tail - one of their specialties, "flash fried" and served with a signature honey mustard. the tail was a generous proportion and was consistent. i am on the fence about the fried approach, it adds a different flavor, but the tail meat itself was good enough that i looked past that. the honey mustard was only a good compliment when used very sparingly, it packed some punch. i think the honey mustard only works at all because of the fried aspect. without it, lemon alone would have been preferable.
entree:
barrel cut filet - a divine piece of meat. couldn't have asked for anything more. perhaps a little on the "seasoned" side for some, but if that floats your boat, as it does mine, it was a home run. it practically melted in my mouth.
crisped hash browns - "swiss style". basically little pieces of diced potato with some flavor thrown in. nothing too fancy, but a solid side item choice executed well.
signature corn mash - the gem of the side item menu, recommended by the waiter. picture mashed potatos, but instead with corn. sweet, and served piping hot. loved it.
dessert:
chocolate soufle cake - i might have had a chocolate souffle AS good as this one before, but i'm pretty sure i can't recall ever having one that was better than this. rich, yet light. served at the perfect temperature with a side of pistachio ice cream. as a sidenote: the dessert menu was brief but looked like it covered a wide range of tastes.
other notes: the service was excellent. my glass was never empty and the food came out unbelievably fast. i watched the hostess automatically swap out a white napkin for a black one when seating a woman wearing dark pants... first time i've ever seen that. i can't comment on the wine list as i did not see it. the only gripe i can nitpick is (other than the stereotypical "Boca" clientel) that the table i was at was not very sturdy (and it was not the only one like that), which should not be the case in a joint like this. they also have a bar area that caters to the drinking and nibbling crowd with some live music.
their website claims Food & Wine magazine has regularly rated the Atlanta location one of the top 10 steak houses in the country, and i'm in no position to argue that.
2 forks up!
Chops Lobster Bar
101 Plaza Real South
Boca Raton, FL 33432
http://www.chopslobsterbar.com/