As a part of my Project More! efforts, I’m always looking to showcase places that offer a great experience or super value for your dollar. This experience at DC Steakhouse qualifies as great.
On a warm and breezy April evening close to sunset I had the good fortune of a little extra time to finally make my way to down town Chandler Arizona along with my woman to drop by DC Steakhouse for a meal. We had passed by the place more than a few times and had always talked about enjoying a meal there, but it seems like we never made the time. Thankfully tonight we did.
Downtown Chandler Steak House is at the center of Chandler’s historic downtown square, composed of a quaint collection of independently owned boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants, including a microbrewery and an Arizona winery. The downtown area was recently designated a National Register Historic District and the square along with its entrepreneurial tenants remind visitors about the city’s founder, Dr. A.J. Chandler, who envisioned the area as a lively mix of businesses and entertainment when he settled it in 1912.
Parking in downtown Chandler is easy on a weeknight and as we 
walked up to the corner of South San Marcos and Boston, the sound of Sinatra was our first greeting. The music wasn’t loud or intrusive but more welcoming and relaxing. We took a quick look at the place and picked outside seating to enjoy the perfect Arizona evening.
Our sneaky waitress(more about her later) stopped over to the table and introduced herself to us and asked about our drinks. After we ordered, we shared with her that this was our first time there and wanted her opinion on what the signature dishes were so we could sample the best the place had to offer. She highlighted the menu was filled with steaks and chops – delightful because that’s right up my alley. We ordered a fillet cooked medium and a rare ribeye, along with the salads and sides.
Our drinks and warm bread came promptly and we enjoyed conversation while the jazz laced with a heavy Sinatra influence continued to frame the evening. Our salads followed along in short order. Traditional dinner salads with light but nicely flavored dressings that didn’t overpower the natural flavors. Just as we were finishing, our entrees arrived with near perfect timing. Our sneaky waitress had done this before we could tell.
I’m an advocate of great dinning experiences and a part of that is 
presentation. My ribeye cut was perfectly seared with large squared markings served with sauteed mushrooms and garnished tastefully. A side of sweet potato fries completed the dish. The steak was tender, juicy and naturally flavored with light seasoning. No unnatural or heavy seasoning added to mask the taste or the very high quality cut. Cutting into the ribeye was really a pleasure. Nice marbling, wonderful flavor that still makes my mouth water thinking about it today. The sauteed mushrooms were a perfect compliment to the rich flavor of the steak. Perfectly cooked to my liking, rich and rare. 
The sweet potato fries were thin but the salt and slightly sweet flavor came out in just the right balance.
The meal was truly wonderful in every respect. Our sneaky waitress came back to check on us as we were finishing up the last few bites and to try to tempt us with dessert. Both of us were comfortably filled so we declined but we did ask her about the restaurant and the owners. She told us about the owner Dean Laplant, a Wisconsin native who relocated to Arizona and opened DC (Downtown Chandler) Steak House in October 2010 with the goal of “bringing families and friends together over terrific food, superb wine and impeccable service.”
Its clear to us he’s on the right path and while we can’t comment on the wine (yet) we did have terrific food and impeccable service. We thanked our sneaky waitress for making our first visit a memorable one and asked to speak to the manager on duty. We often times do this to complement the staff and their great work. Too often people only take time to complain and point out negatives so, when we have exceptional food and service we try to add in a little extra thank you.
When the manager came to our table, we shared our great experience with her, and she thanked us for the feedback. When we told her about how our waitress had been very attentive and knowledgeable about the restaurant she smiled and nodded before completing the puzzle. “That’s the owner’s daughter.” Confessing that she works hard to make the place run but doesn’t like the attention of being 
“the owner’s daughter” made her even more likable. Somehow as the evening came to an end, a dessert did find it’s way to our table.
So when you want exceptional food and service, at a family run local steakhouse DC Steakhouse in downtown Chandler is the place to go. I give it the highest marks and will certainly return again sometime soon.
DC Steakhouse is located in downtown at 98 S. San Marcos, Chandler, Arizona, open 7 nights a week Monday- Saturday 4 pm until at least 11 pm, and 4 pm to 10 pm Sunday. Call them (480-899-4400) for reservations or just stop in and tell them Chris sent you.
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