Charley's Steak House

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Family Legacy Built on Fire and Beef

Charley's Steak House carries the name of Charley Woodsby, co-founder of Red Lobster and the driving force behind Talk of the Town Restaurant Group. After selling Red Lobster to General Mills in 1970, Charley and his son Ron turned their full attention to building a steakhouse rooted in a single, uncompromising idea: that the quality of beef and the method of cooking it matter above everything else. The Tampa location on West Cypress Street is part of that multi-decade tradition, led today by Operating Partner Peter Herranz.

The Method Behind the Flavor

What separates Charley's from most steakhouses is a process that begins long before anything reaches the flame. Only three-year-old USDA Prime and Choice Angus Steers are selected. The beef is aged on-site for four to six weeks, hand-cut daily by managers, and seasoned for 30 hours. It then meets a custom-built open pit burning at 1,200 degrees, fueled by a combination of Florida citrus and oak wood — the citrus lending a mellow smoke that works equally well on steak and seafood, the oak maintaining a consistent, intense heat. This is the formula the restaurant has held to for over 40 years, and it earned Charley's a place in the Top Ten Steakhouses and Seafood Houses in America.

That commitment to the cellar matches the kitchen: Wine Spectator recognized Charley's with its Best of Award of Excellence, a distinction that speaks directly to the depth and quality of the wine program available to pair with the wood-fired menu.

What's on the Plate

The Tampa menu is a serious document. On the steak side, options range from an 8 oz Center Cut Filet Mignon to a 50 oz Porterhouse, with Heritage Ribeyes in 100% Black Angus and Wagyu (8+ score), and a selection of 21-Day Prime Dry Aged cuts — bone-in strip, bone-in ribeye, and porterhouse. The Wagyu Tomahawk Ribeye for Two is carved tableside and finished with truffle or garlic butter.

The seafood side of the menu is equally considered, with Wild Alaskan Halibut, Cedar Plank Faroe Island Salmon, broiled Australian Lobster Tail, and the original hand-breaded Colossal Gulf Shrimp that has been on the menu since 1974. The Colossal Seafood Tower brings the freshest available shellfish to the table in one dramatic presentation.

Starters include Gulf Coast oysters, tableside steak tartare, bacon-wrapped diver scallops, and cedar plank crab cakes with pineapple-mango salsa. Housemade desserts — among them a Key Lime Pie on a macadamia nut crust and a Redemption Bourbon Salted Caramel Brownie — close the meal without compromise.

Private Dining and Events

For groups, Charley's Tampa offers private and semi-private dining rooms suited to business dinners, social events, and catered gatherings, backed by more than four decades of hospitality experience.