Sullivan’s Steakhouse

One of my favorite places to dine in south Charlotte. The ambiance/​lighting is sexy in the bar area which is where I prefer to eat. The wait/​bar staff are positive & knowledgable. They always have my favorite champagne too Great place to go for a date night

I’ve recently visited Charlotte NC for business. And was recommended Sullivan’s. It did not disappoint. For people in Canada, this place is a good step above the Keg and almost equivalent to Ruth’s Chris but not as expensive. I had started with an old fashioned and a house salad. Then went for their NY strip done medium rare with the horseradish mashed potatoes. PERFECTLY done. The staff matched that with a great Merlot. Finished with their house made NYC style cheesecake and espresso. The real deal! The wait staff top-​drawer. Classy, polite and ready to serve. The atmosphere was perfect for business, a date or a small party. Be prepared to pay the price. For two came just short of $ 200. Which isn’t bad if you know your steaks.

Another great meal at Sullivan’s and it just happened to be our anniversary. After being asked a couple of times if we were celebrating a special occasion we gave in and told them it was our anniversary. Well what was already a delightful dinner was made even better by the congratulations from many staff members and the complementary dessert and champaign along with a picture to commerate the occasion. It seemed a little corny at the suggestion, but we went along with it and it turned out well and they customized it with our details. Overall it made for a great time. It wasn’t our first anniversary celebration there and will definitely not be our last.

This was better than I expected– it is New Years Eve and they are offering a fixed menu but none of us know what it’s going to cost so we call the waitress over to ask– how much is it? $ 69 before 6 and 79 after. We get there before 6 but the bill still comes for the higher amount even though the check says we ordered at 5:47. Good was very good for sure and service was ok– she was a little distant as a waitress. The busboy was setting a table near us and knocked into my husbands chair a few times but never apologized. Some tables had New Years Party hats and others didn’t– what’s that about?
Will return for good food just need to iron out a few things.

Sullivan’s was perfectly decent.
We were there on a Wednesday night, and the place was packed. It was so loud, my husband and I could barely hear each other.
We both did the Prix Fixe. I had shrimp cocktail, shrimp & lobster bisque, and the 6 oz filet oscar style. Hubby had calamari, shrimp & lobster bisque, and an 8 oz filet. I also ordered a side of macaroni and cheese for us to share.
Both of our apps were good. The shrimp and lobster bisque had a really nice and complex flavor. I probably enjoyed it most of all, but it could have used more seafood pieces.
Our steaks were fine, but really nothing to get too excited about. The oscar topping flavor was too overpowering, in my opinion. I liked the horseradish mashed potatoes. The mac and cheese was actually shells and cheese… I don’t recommend it. It wasn’t bad, but I’ve had better for a lot less money.
Dessert was on the house since it was my birthday. Our server suggested the bread pudding, but I went with the s’mores cake because I wanted chocolate. I probably should have gone with her suggestion. The s’mores cake was more of a s’mores pie, and was rather underwhelming.
The service was okay. There were times when my husband’s sweet tea sat empty, which I don’t think is okay when you’re paying so much for a meal.
All in all, it was fine, but overpriced for the quality of the food and service. Next time we want to do a high-​end steakhouse, we will try a different place.

Best restaurant in Charlotte!
Bar area was packed and fun with a lot of energy… it’s a place to go at least once a week!

The steak here was very juicy and delicious. The atmosphere was classy and the service was very good. I have enjoyed everything from the steaks to the sides here. Would like to come back soon!

This 4 star rating is based on service. A friend asked me out to dinner here and I already knew I wanted scallops tonight before I looked at the menu. If they had scallops, it was predetermined that’s what I would be ordering. So they come out after about 25 minutes. Four bacon wrapped scallops. However, they were covered in a peach BBQ glaze What an awful idea. Scallops are one of those foods that needs a sprinkle of salt and to be served with a half of a lemon. God makes them naturally flavorful. Anything heavy will overwhelm that flavor, which was the case here. So I forced myself to eat these candied scallops. I have no one to blame, but myself, for not reading the menu in detail and ordering seafood at a steakhouse. It simply isn’t a smart move. So I’m not going to dock them for having a menu item that seems like a bad idea. The Roasted Corn-​Jicama Slaw was unique and tasty. Service was fine. Having been to Sullivan’s several times before, I can say there is always great service and a good atmosphere, especially in the bar area where some days there’s live music. The dining area is a bit stuffy. Overall recommended.

Absolutely loved Sullivans!
Drinks: Try their Pinot Noir that starts with an S, this Pinot had great body and I enjoyed a couple glasses. They have many options of wines, but this was the only one by the glass.
Starter: I am a lover of Seared Rare Ahi Tuna but the spicy mustard sauce was too much. Other than that, the tuna was a good option.
Salad: Split the wedge. It was very crisp, and the blue cheese was very flavorful!
Entrée: I loved the Filet Duxelle Mushroom Stuffed 8oz steak! Very delicious and I highly recommend!
Side Dishes: Ask for the Loaded Baked Potato FULLY loaded! They put the white cheddar cheese sauce on it that they use in their Mac and Cheese. This was along with the normal loaded options. Delicious! The Steakhouse Skillet Mushrooms were great too! I’m clearly a fan of mushrooms…
Dessert: Go for the seasonal Peanut Butter Black Bottom Pie! Don’t even hesitate on this one if you like peanut butter. Presentation was beautiful and I loved the salted peanuts, caramel, and chocolate shavings that topped this amazing dessert! Will be back!

I had the lobster and steak; it was amazing!
I was traveling but this meal made my trip more enjoyable.
Would have had 5 stars but the sides, lowest cost per side was $ 3, were pretty bland at times. We had 9 people in our group and 1 out of the 5 sides we got was good. The others was just okay; but that’s not okay bc each individual side is its own cost.
That being said, I will definitely go back. Although it wasn’t ordered, the MacNCheese side I was told is amazing.

I went to Sullivan’s for lunch today. The food was pretty good– but the service had a lot of room for improvement. I went in at about 12:30 PM and sat at the bar. There were a few other patrons in the restaurant. The bartender was friendly enough, but not overly engaging. But it was clear that the servers did not have their collective act together today. Here are a few examples:
1. Although sitting at the bar, the food always came in on the side with someone literally scaring me the first time they presented food at the table.
2. The bartender, from approximately ten or so feet away, called at me «do you want bread and butter?»
3. The phone must have rang ten times before anyone answered it even though there was someone at the door (where the phone was located) who welcomed persons in.
4. Even though I saw a bunch of other servers and the place was not really very busy, the bartender was serving and busing other tables instead of taking care of customers at the bar.
Don’t get me wrong… everyone was friendly, but the service was below what you would expect of a restaurant of this caliber, and with fairly high prices.
The food itself was good. I had a Caesar salad, salmon and mashed potatoes. Portions were adequate, but not overwhelming in size. But it all tasted quite good and I felt I got my money’s worth.
My «go-​to» high caliber, high-​price steakhouse in Charlotte continues to be Capital Grille. Sullivan’s could learn a lesson or two from them.

During a quick trip to Charlotte, we stopped in at Sullvian’s in between apartment tours. Conveniently located in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood, Sullivan’s appears to be a great spot to grab lunch, dinner, or a drink. We arrived on a Tuesday just before they officially opened for lunch (11:30). To my surprise, aside from us there was only one other party waiting to be seated. And, throughout our short 30 minute stay I didn’t see anyone else come in the door. We weren’t really hungry for lunch, but we each ordered a bloody Mary. I think we were both in the mood for a drink with a homemade mix, but they use the premixed commercial stuff that you can find in just about any food store. The drinks were a bit on the weaker side, so we then transitioned over to wine (which, btw, we should have ordered in the first place). We didn’t order any food as we ended up dining at the 7^th Street Market later in the day.
Lastly, one of the highlights of our time at Sullivan’s was the extremely friendly and outgoing bartender who, just happened to also be from Pittsburgh. We enjoyed talking with her and hearing about her experiences in Charlotte.
If we move into the area, we’d likely give Sullivan’s another go.

I also tried Sullivan’s during restaurant week. I would not return. The meal began as a disappointment and ended that way.
I began my meal with a Caesar salad. The salad was large but the lettuce was wilted and the croutons were soggy. It was apparent they had prepared the salads much earlier that day, croutons and all, and placed it in the refrigerator. It may have even been prepared the day before. Before our salad plates were removed from the table our steaks were brought out with no where to place them. The four of us literally had to hold up out salad dishes while they placed our steaks on the table. The steak was cooked to order but the potatoes that were served with it had so my much horseradish in them they were inedible. The cheesecake was warm and pretty much tasted like a Sara Lee purchased from the grocery store.
Our service wasn’t much better. The waiter whizzed by a couple of times and asked if everything was ok. Each time his hands were full and he never came to a complete stop.
At first I blamed restaurant week, but have been to numerous restaurants over the years and have never experienced such a disappoint. I will never return to Sullivan’s and would NOT recommend it to anyone.

After many delicious meals at Sullivan’s sister restaurant Del Frisco’s we were super excited to kick off restaurant week to compare the two. Sadly the experience at Sullivans was below expectations the entire night.
We showed up on time for a 7:00pm reservation and were told they overbooked and we would have to wait. We headed to the bar where I had to flag someone down for a wine list. When our table was ready (not a huge wait thankfully) we were escorted to our small table packed in the middle of two rows of booths. Being able to hear conversations quite clearly all around us did not provide the atmosphere of «nice steak dinner».
The Caesar salad that we both got was large, and had too much dressing for my taste, and the croutons were chewy like they weren’t cooked long enough. My filet medallions were cooked as ordered but the steak lacked anything to recommend it. The horseradish potatoes had a very strong flavor that overpowered the steak. The end of the meal was the best part — my chocolate mousse was delicious but the boyfriend said his cheesecake was lackluster.
Even with the special restaurant week pricing the meal wasn’t well priced enough for the quality of food we ordered. The restaurant was dimly lit and felt completely packed. I know that restaurant week, especially on the weekend, is a busy time for a restaurant but if the food and atmosphere are so uninspiring on a discount why would anyone return to pay full price?

So I have to say having eaten at every good steak restaurant in Charlotte, this is my least favorite.
Let me start by saying I came during restaurant week, but to me that’s the time when a restaurant shines impress me when you are slammed and I will definitely come back.
That said I am not impressed, first of all my ceaser salad had chewy croutons, not exactly sure how you go wrong with a croûton.
Secondly my steak was very mediocre, and honestly I could have had similar at Texas road house etc, honestly if i was paying full price I would probably be a lot more annoyed.
Sorry Sullivans but you could learn a lot from your sister restaurant Del Frisco, which not only remains my favorite but also is one of the best places for restaurant week.

BF and I wanted our last dinner in Charlotte to be a nice one so we came to Sullivan’s on a coworkers recommendation. I made reservations via Open Table on Unilocal about 2 hours before we went to dinner. Free valet service upon arrival (with tip, of course) which was kinda weird because some valet cars were parked right in front.
The place was almost full when we walked in. Seemed like good business on a Thursday night. The atmosphere and décor made it seem like an up-​scale casual restaurant. Service was on point for the whole night. When I asked a worker where the restroom was, he actually walked me there across the restaurant instead of pointing or giving directions.
For appetizer, we started with raw oysters which were decently alright. For entrée, one of the specials for the night was a filet mignon trio dish in which the filets are prepared with 3 different toppings/​sauces. My bf ordered the rib-​eye, medium rare. My filets were pretty yummy, but my BF was disappointed with his rib-​eye. It was overcooked and the rib-​eye that they serve here is not dry-​aged. He only ate half of his steak unfortunately.
Overall dinner was OK, but nothing too memorable. We’ll likely try another steakhouse in Charlotte next time I’m back in town for business.

Sullivan’s is by far our favorite steakhouse in Charlotte. We eat there 5 or 6 times a year as we no longer live in Charlotte and so it’s a bit of a hike to get there, but still SO worth it.
We recently dined there and had April as our server. Efficient, well versed on the menu and able to offer some great suggestions about choices of appetizers to pair with our entrees. As we are both light eaters, we typically share a side and her suggestion of one that would compliment both our meals was spot on!
During our visit the manager, Mary, stopped by to take our photo. Due to a flash/​wine cellar conflict, she asked to take it again. I appreciate her caring enough for us to have a good photo and not one with a glare spot above our heads. Before we finished our meal she came by with a lovely framed photo, the frame having been signed by the servers, hostess, chef and herself which captured the festivity of the celebration so nicely!
So now to the food…
I ordered the filet mignon medium rare. Pictures in dictionaries of what medium rare should look like need to feature the cut in of my meat. It was so perfectly done and delightfully seasoned and each bite was superb. I had a garnish of mushrooms and they were so full of flavor and yet not overdone, the perfect accompaniment to the filet!
My husband chose strip steak and it was perfectly cooked. The one negative was that it came with gorgonzola butter on it and he’s adamantly opposed to ANY blue cheese, had asked it not be included (not even on the side) and would not eat any of the pieces it had touched. More for me the next day at lunch as I LOVE gorgonzola… but not a big plus for him. I will say it was extremely good cold over a bed of spring greens the next day as my lunch and I think one test of a steak is how good it is cold, not just piping hot from the grill. This one got an A+, without question.
The shrimp cocktail – those shrimp would have jumped into the boat if they had known they’d be served in such a phenomenal cocktail! Large without being obscene and so sweet and juicy, a delight to the tastebuds! I always try my first bite without any sauce and the thoroughly chilled and perfectly cooked shrimp was spectacular! Then I tried the cocktail sauce which has a bit of chili kick to it and I added raw horseradish to it as well. It was a nice, sinus clearing heat without destroying the taste of the shrimp. Elegantly served atop ‘crunchy ice’ in a lovely dish.
We also opted for the garlic and fontina meatballs, which were nicely done, an excellent size and expertly seasoned. There was a rich mushroom sauce with them which my husband did not care for, but I thought was fabulous. The non-​bleu husband is also non-fungus…I love them both! I had the leftover meatballs several days later for lunch and they were delish after being reheated as well!
We did treat ourselves to the exceptionally creamy crème brûlée. I always prefer a shallow brulee over a deep one, to keep the crunch: cream ratio ‘correct’. The ramekin Sullivan’s uses is exactly right, several inches in diameter and about ½ an inch deep, the caramelized sugar crust done to perfection without the slightest hint of burnt sugar but smooth as a sheet of ice and the precise thickness for a nice textural bite to go with the creamy sweetness of the custard.
Already looking forward to our next dinner in the Queen City… it will absolutely be at Sullivan’s!

I had booked on OpenTable and when I arrived on time, we were immediately seated to a table even though there were others waiting near the hostess stand. Awesome.
Looking over the menu, I had made my decision from the rather expensive listing of steaks and side dishes. That changed when our waiter — Matt, who was awesome — went over the evening’s specials. Suddenly, the idea of a trio of small filet mignons was what I wanted and each with a different topping/​sauce. Massive wine list but only a small list of beers and an even smaller list of local beers. In fact, just one. OMB Copper.
All three of us started with the wedge salads. These were good portions with plenty of blue cheese to go with the lettuce and chopped tomatoes. Not a bad deal for $ 4!
When they arrived, the steaks looked perfect. Three small filets, each in a different sauce. The first two, a bearnaise and an Oscar, I enjoyed thoroughly. Perfectly cooked and with the right amount of sauce on top. But by the time I had cut into the third one, it was no longer quite so perfect. More overdone than I ordered and a bit of a tougher cut, especially since the first two were so good. Bummer.
For dessert, I let Matt talk me into the bread pudding. It was… fair. Just not that great with not enough taste and some of the topping was over done. I wouldn’t have this again.
On the pros list, no wait for a seat when we had a reservation, excellent service from Matt, a local beer choice, great salad, and great steaks.
On the cons list, the booth was a bit too tight for the three of us to sit comfortably. Perhaps another inch or two, please? Only one choice for a local beer. Most of the steaks were great and the dessert was only fair.
Complimentary valet parking is nice, as there is not much street parking nearby.
Sullivan’s is a higher-​end steak joint and works hard to earn that high dollar menu.

OMG there’s only a couple times in your life when everything just clicks. That was tonight.
I got the price fix (a 42 $ meal with 3 courses) with a ceased salad that had great dressing and flavor in every bite. Then I got the filet cooked medium rare (#amazing) wich words cannot explain. Then came our soufflé wich is inastagram heaven. (#foodporn)

I have to admit I only like this place on Wed. & Thurs. for their happy hour specials. I can get some great martinis for half price while having a cheap nosh too. The jazz music is always wonderful to relax out to (bit louder inside than out on the patio).
My one small complaint is the uniforms for the women are just awful! Being an upscale steakhouse one should not have women or any shape or size wearing short mini skirts with whatever black hose/​fishnets/​leggings/​etc that they want. It makes this place go a bit down in class for me .
Had din din here one or two times… not bad, but not the best either. Would choose quite a few other steakhouses to have an elegant din.
All in all like I said the happy hour is well worth it!