Tee-Off, Not Par for the Course

I went to the Tee-Off Restaurant & Lounge on upper State Street in Santa Barbara. I have to say that the Tee-Off, was not par for the course! It is a neighborhood, “old style” steak house that had the potential of being a haven for treasured favorites, however their execution fell far short. Off putting to begin with, is the dining room that is so dark you can barely see two tables away from you.

Everything started out pretty good. We were seated right away and our waitress was courteous, however a bit lacking in personality. My attempt at conversation about the menu was met with short responses and didn’t offer any insight. 

Our meal began with their complimentary Relish Tray that was filled with wonderfully fresh and crisp veggies along with a tasty ramekin of ranch dressing.

 

 

 

Our next complimentary item was a plate of warm sourdough rolls with whipped butter.

 

  

All good so far…

Next, a Hendrick’s martini with blue cheese stuffed olives. So glad for the blue cheese stuffed olives as they are a fav. What is not a favorite though, is being served a martini that is not cold enough. Possibly stirred, not shaken? The difference between a great martini and one that is barely drinkable is the temperature of the cocktail. This one needed ice.

Our first menu item was a cup of New England Style Clam Chowder. It was a little thick for my liking and lacking flavor. Adding a little Tabasco made it a bit better. Next in line was a dinner size Caesar Salad. Way too soggy with too much dressing.

We’re starting to see a trend downward now… 

Our two entrees were pork chops and prime rib. The Pork Chops were center cut, seasoned and served with apple sauce. When giving the order to our waitress we discussed the way that we prefer to have our chops cooked so that they are on the “less done” side and still a little pink. These pork chops were very over cooked and dry. One bite was enough to declare them inedible.

The Prime Rib was a par cut, their smallest cut on the menu and quite generous. It was perfectly rare to medium rare which is what I asked for and very good. Not fork tender, but very acceptable and tasty. The sides (vegetables and baked potato) were nothing worth mentioning.

So for a medium price range, you get a lot of food included in your meal and if quantity is what you are after, then this might be the place for you. However, I rate my food based on quality so they missed the mark for me. (The waitress kindly removed the charge for the pork chop entree from our bill)