Trancas Steakhouse

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I eat often at Trancas Steakhouse, since I work across the street. It is a great value. The negative review saying the steak was under cooked validates my opinion. If you want to ruin a good steak by cooking it well done, why not just eat at home?

Located on 999 Trancas Street in Napa, I think that the address may be a reversed sign of 666 meaning the STEAKHOUSE FROM HELL as I have never had a worse dining experience in my life!



My husband and I eat out once a week at various Steak Houses ranging from Outback to Ruth Chris. Every week, we eat steak and every time, I order the filet mignon.



I ordered the filet mignon Well-Done (Absolutely No Pink). When my order arrives I cut into my steak to confirm it is Well-Done and the steak is completely red, it is RARE at best. Certainly the server was appalled to see it as well since he didn't even question it, he knew immediately it was entirely unacceptable and returned it to the kitchen. My husband went a head and started on his T-Bone (the special that night) and just by looking at it you could tell it was not grilled, it was pan fried or broiled, maybe even both.



About 10 minutes later my steak came out, I once again cut into it to confirm that it was Well-Done however it wasn't. The steak was Better as it was now Medium-Rare, still very pink with some red. By this point, from experience, I know that that if they throw the steak back on the grill it will char the outside entirely black ruining the steak. I requested that they butterfly a New steak. The server says "no problem" and returns the steak to the back and speaks with the manager, Kristi. I can see this from the table as I have clear view of the kitchen. From the experience of this similar thing happening a handful of times, generally a manager will come over, apologize and compensate for the mishap. It's not usually a big deal as I understand my request takes more time to cook than most steaks.



As I assumed, the manager did come to the table, commented on how she hates to see that my husband is finished with his dinner (by the way he said it was average at best) and I've not received mine yet. She told me she saw the steak the first time but did not see it the 2nd time and that she intended to speak with the Chef to see what he wanted to do in regards to the steak and compensation. She left the table to return to the kitchen. Moments later she came back out and said "I've spoken to Victor, the Chef and he said he'll cook you a new steak, he'll butterfly it this time so that it cooks all the way through. In terms of compensation, we won't charge you for the first steak. Can I offer you a drink?".



Let me pause right here to explain my thought process as she was saying this... first of all I thought it to be odd that the Manager would be taking directions from the Chef as to how this should be handled. Who here is running this facility? Secondly, the fact that she stated "we'll not charge you for the first steak" as if that were a favor to me, is offensive. Of course I'll not be paying for something that was not cooked as ordered. Lastly, a $6.00 drink is not compensation for my husband eating dinner alone, having to wait another hour for My steak so that I too could dine alone over a 2 hour time span not to mention the aggravation of having to return the steak Three times. I then declined the 2nd steak and requested the bill. She said "I'm sorry" with little sincerity and left the table promptly without further effort.



I have never ordered a filet mignon and have it arrive being so far from Well-Done as this steak was Both times. I have never had a manager handle a similar situation in such a poor fashion with such little tact. I have most certainly never been made to feel offended when the mistake was not mine. The environment of the restaurant isn't anything to be impressed by, merely a room full of booths & white table linens. On the Only up side, our server Jit was prompt, friendly, attentive, apologetic and everything a server should be.





Clearly I'll not be returning to this establishment and clearly I'll not be recommending it.