I love Chop House food, presentation and service superb! You are paying for quality just enjoy your “occasional” celebrations 🎉

Can't believe anyone would order a "special" without asking the price, especially on a high dollar entree like grouper.

I once knew a restaurant in Sarasota where the server announced the "Specials of the Day". If you asked the price and said "I'll have that $39 Grouper Special", you got charged $39. If you didn't ask the price, the charge on the bill was $43. (Just an example of DUAL pricing). After customers complained, the state shut them down for that AND for adding an additional item to your bill AFTER the bill was presented to you. The original bill said $71.35 but the charge slip was now $79.90. When you asked the server for the original itemized bill back to check, they would say they throw it away. "Get me the manager!" The manager intervened and took the $8 off and blamed the server for "hitting the wrong key". !NOT! It was the manager that was doing all the billing and HE was the one changing the prices on patron's checks. And you thought the server was guilty. NO! The restaurant was forced to close by the state, I hope the manager got black-listed and fined. It went on for years before enough people complained.

Sad! Always ask the price (and write it down) - even on the cocktail menu. You don't want $11 Manhattans on the Rocks plus $1 for the Ice!!! One of our Country Clubs was doing that for a while, charging extra for ice!!!

Another trick is $10 off coupons, They total the meal with tax, then subtract the $10 from the grand total. That's wrong and the State Revenue Department should be notified. You only pay tax on the money that changes hands. The coupon comes off first. Tax is charged on the net amount.

Skip

Communicating prices for Specials follows the Wine model. If you ask for a recommendation on a good wine you will receive many options but rarely pricing. Right or wrong, this is a common strategy by most fine restaurants. The burden is on the consumer to ask for this information before making a decision. I understand your frustration but I think it is harsh to forever penalize a restaurant for a mistake you made. Easier to ask the price up front than to argue the bill at the end.

This is about the only quality restaurant in the villages besides blue finn and Lopez. All others are run of the mill. It’s nice to finally have fine dining here. If you want good food you have to pay for it

Well, for those of you that are jonesing for fine dining, and the prices that go with it, then look no further, the Chop House is for you.

BTW, growing up in Arkansas as poor as a church mouse (but, no more), I’ve always asked what the price was. $43? That’s 11 McDonald’s breakfasts for me......

I find it laughable that anyone would complain about a price without asking what the price is. But Villagers hate to spend a nickel. :blahblahblah:

What should the price of the meal in question be? This place isn't the snack bar in a Bowling Alley. Anything I've ever ordered that say's Market Price is usually $50 and upward. I really don't know what your meal is worth. I've never had Grouper.

I'm sorry for the OP getting hammered by so many about an observation they made about their meal. Probably should have asked first about the price but not a mortal sin committed by not doing so. Maybe getting seated and socially distancing was more important than asking for the price.

Happy Anniversary! Know that you are not alone. I had a problem with my first meal at The Chop House. It was a piece of Chateaubriand that was like Alpo. To be fair it was a blip because I never had any other problem there again that I can recall. My replies from others ranged approximately as yours did. Someone even told me that Chateaubriand wasn't even on the menu. People have Beer Muscles, I've never had anyone give me a rough time in person around The Villages. Just when they are typing. Sorry for your troubles.

I wish we could stir up tomwed or Chatbrat for their opinions on this issue.

After looking at The Chop House menu online, I have to agree that the OP has a very valid complaint. At $43, the "special" grouper entree would be more expensive than any other priced entree on the menu. And, it would be more than $10 above every entree, except the rack of lamb. So, in this case, the term "special" means that they purchased the highest priced entree on the menu. I think that the restaurant clearly deceived them by not telling them the price of the grouper entree, and by referring to it as a "special".

Price
 

The prime meats that are Market Price are in the mid to upper $40s. The 9 0z filet mignon is $33. I eat there frequently and they have had lobster specials with good size lobster for $60. The food, service and ambiance are excellent.

Yes, but no entree has a listed price close to $43. Market price is different from special price. Who would think that a special price means a higher price?

Grouper
 

Grouper is not on their menu. It was a specially prepared entree' for last evening. ChopHouse does not do reduce prices on their menu as specials. Grouper is an expensive fish. In the fish markets it runs around 26-27 per pound.

The good news is you had a wonderful meal.
The bill is always bad news.

I'm not arguing about the price of grouper. But, The Chop House made a customer unhappy by not disclosing that they were ordering the most expensive entree on the menu. Obviously, the customer was disappointed, and the restaurant may have lost a customer, just to make a few quick bucks. Not a good business decision, in my opinion.

$$$$$$$
 

My wife and I and two other couples went to NYC for the weekend back in 1974 after seeing a play we were walking the streets and saw a sign that said free topless ice skating show so we went in. In small letters it said 2 drink minimum we said how bad could it be.The show was great but after we paid our $120.00 for out drinks not so much.I was telling my father in law about it and he said son NEVER BE TO PROUD to ask HOW MUCH.
Bob