text: My family and I moved to Scottsdale over years ago and I have always had a place in my heart for Don Charlies We used to go there often for birthdaysanniversariesgraduations etc It was my birthday this week and my parents wanted to take me out so I said Let us go to Don Charlies I have not been there in I do not know how long Sadly after having eaten there I believe that I made a mistake with this suggestion The restaurant itself has not changed since the last time I was there it is still got walltowall memorabilia it still has the same oldschool steak house ambiance but the feeling that I got during and after the meal was really one of a restaurant that is resting upon its laurels and not doing much to deliver a quality product My Caesar salad was made with lettuce that was obviously old it was not wilted but it was very soft and floppy with no crunch to it whatsoever My father ordered the creamy coleslaw which bore a great resemblance to cabbage soup so high was the dressing to cabbage ratio My mother greatly enjoyed her house salad with a balsamic dressing but this was mostly because she thought the balsamic was the best that she had had in a long while All three of us ordered baby back ribs for dinner my parents just had the ribs I had a combo with the ribs and a filet All three of us remarked that the ribs were passable the meat was tough and fatty not at all what I remember in terms of quality from when I used to eat there I have honestly had ribs that I found more enjoyable at casual restaurants like TGI Fridays or Ruby Tuesdays When you are charging for a rack of ribs they REALLY need to be better than acceptable which was the highest grade I could offer on these While ordering our entrees my mother asked which ribs were more tender and our server informed us that the beef ribs were the most tender but they had sold out of their entire stock of beef ribs already Our reservation was at fairly early in the evening so my mothers reaction was Really His response Oh yes they were actually sold out at PM This speaks to a lack of organization and knowledge on the part of management if you are running out of a popular item by PM on a weekend before proper dinner service even begins then that indicates a serious problem My Filet was better than acceptable it was not as good as I remember but still very good Unfortunately my disappointment in the ribs was such that it overshadowed any feelings I may have had about the steak Our server was professional and courteous and I did not notice any of the issues with the hostesses that some others have reported but I really have to say that I am disappointed in Don Charlies It is one thing to go back to a place you have a fondness for and find the experience lacking in relation what you remember we all have a tendency to look at the past with rosecolored glasses I think This was a case of going to a place that I have a genuine fondness for and find the experience lacking in relation to what I consider acceptable for any high end restaurant I believe my grade of Meh I have experienced better is completely accurate I have experienced better at other steak houses at other casual dining restaurants even holeinthe wall eateries where I used plastic utensils to eat my meal I say this as someone who has nothing but fond feelings for DCs you guys need to improve because a wall full of signed baseballs and dim lighting will only take you so far