Torch no more - Torch opened in Punta Gorda a few years back and shortly afterwards we stopped in for lunch. The decor was attractively trendy but with that it was done in mostly hard surfaces and as a result quite noisy, even with only a moderate crowd. The lunch we order (sandwiches as I recall) were very overdone (burned in one case) and although we mentioned it to the wait staff, they didn't seem to mind... Fast forward to about a year ago we stopped in again, this time for dinner with some out of town friends; six in all. Although the noise issue was not resolved, the night lighting, including real outside torches, were inviting. They had two menus in play that night, their regular dinner menu and a BOGO (Buy one get one) menu. Several items were repeated on both menus and since there seemingly no difference, we ordered off the BOGO menu and were genuinely pleased with the meals once they arrived, as the service was once again slow despite only a 50% crowed. That evening I picked up the bill and noticed the following day that we were charged 1 BOGO meal set and the other 4 plates were at regular menu prices, despite the instructions to the waitress and the fact that 4 of us got the same thing. I called Torch the following day and they couldn't explain why, but conceded only to giving me a credit for my next visit rather than correcting the bill - I was not happy. Last week, and for the last time, we found ourselves at torch for dinner, as our friends choose the location. With about a 1/3 crowed, including a table of 10 (even noisier than usual), we sat in the main dining room area where we saw one table come in after us and finish their meal before we received ours, and another get up and leave before the server could get to their table to greet them. If you are wondering if the service was slow, the answer was yes. After waiting nearly 35 minutes to receive our meals, I will say they were hot. We have no idea what took them so long to prepare what we selected, it was a pork chop dish and two dinner salads along with drinks. Then we had to wait for the bill, it finally was presented after we asked another server to locate it. A review of my charges card a few days later found 4 charges from that night at Torch, two charges and two credits, none matched my finally bill but when you added it up the amount was correct - don't ask. The "Torch" is out of me, 3 attempts and 3 failures is enough, there are simply too many other fine places in Punta Gorda to monkey around with marginal service.
(2)
Jan L.
We will definitely not go there again. We walked in and the inside looked cold and uninviting and not even particularly clean. So we asked to sit outside. Sitting outside was a mistake due to the road noise from Tamiami Trail AND the worst thing: we smelled the smell of sewage the whole time! Disgusting. Our waitress was OK, but the Prime rib was overcooked (after I was promised they had medium rare) and was sub-par. Plus they changed the price on their roadside sign on it about 3 times during the week we visited so we ended up paying $12.95 when just a few days before it was listed at $9.95. I am surprised this place stays open really.
(1)
Stephen P.
I WISH that I had READ the reviews before going. The (choice) prime rib taste like something that was frozen, reheated in a microwave then tossed on a grill for 2 minutes per side. Mine was ice cold in the middle for medium well but somehow it was cooked. Can you say partially precooked frozen? The cook was almost yelling saying medium well is supposed to be cold in the middle. WOW. Great attitude and wrong. When you bite into it the meat doesn't feel fresh and tasty. It's more like muck and yuk flaking apart. Maybe that's why the dining room is empty. I predict a failure of a place if they don't get in line and put some caring work into the food. They need to be visited by a real cook or something. It's a very nice setup, It looks elegant and the plating was very nice. But the food was lacking. I would guess it was due to trying to be cheap with product and having it over seasoned to try to cover its lacking flavor. We frequent Prime Steak in Port Charlotte on Cochran Blvd. Maybe they should go there once or twice and learn a real taste for food. For $15 more we could have had a nice meal at Prime Steak. Lesson learned! Sorry I had to leave this negative review. I haven't had to leave one yet. Until now. I feel physically ill from their food at Torch.
(1)
Jim T.
Average food, good service, and incredibly noisy! Third visit and most likely last because of noise!
(2)
bonnie f.
Would not go again. Very noisy, uncomfortable surroundings. Poor service and forgettable food.
(2)
Dan H.
Great service ...very nice and friendly wait staff and manager...good atmosphere with a piano for background ....drinks were good...food was just okay...
I wish I read 1st. Friendly staff but it was the worst food on earth . The most expensive TV-DINNERS .
(1)
Jackie G.
Great atmosphere. Outdoor seating. All five of our meals were disappointing. Ribs were ok. Pork buco was unchewable exterior skin with a texture that resembles tofu. The mashed potatos tasted like a buffett sent them over at the end of the night. The salmon was ok however the rice was like uncle Bens. Eggplant parmesan was below average. Prime rib was overcooked. Plus it was very thin. The bread was hard as rocks. They didn't have 2 of the drinks I ordered. 4 of us liked the waitress, I thought she acted like she was in a saved by the bell episode. Also when my dad asked for a fork, she asked "do you want me to fork you?" All in all it was the worst $200 meal I have ever had.
(2)
Mary B.
We had a party of 6 and tried several dishes. They were all good; the mahi mahi, pork, salmon. Good cocktails. Able to accommodate gluten free and even has one gluten free dessert.
(3)
T S.
This was my first time at the Torch. There are 2 front doors, the one that says open on it is actually not the door you go in, you can only go in the other door. I was sat quickly, my server was friendly and attentive. It was clean. The tea tasted old, which is a huge pet peeve for me. I ordered a Cesar salad and the chicken parm. The salad was underwhelming. Instead of tossing the salad as most places do with a cesar, the drizzled it on and there was not enough dressing. They bring out warm bread, which is nice. I like bread with my salad. the problem is, and I don't know if I got all ends on purpose or they are cutting tiny bread rolls in half. If that is the case they should just give you the roll because having a bunch of hard ends of bread isn't nice. The chicken parm was good, it tasted like it had fresh basil on it, The chicken was nice but very thin and a little dry. The decor was a bit 80's and didn't really look inside how I thought it would. But my server was very good and it appeared to be clean. I will likely go back sometime and give it a second chance.
(3)
William R.
I was hoping for a good experience. The decor was great nice and relaxing. We ate at the bar. I believe our bartender was the owner. She did a wonderful job serving us. I opted for the prime rib special ordered it medium. It was awful it tasted rubbery looked like it had been microwaved. I was very disappointed . In a town that serves frozen or prepackaged food this place is supposed to be all fresh. I will try again but minus the prime rib.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Mike F.
Torch no more - Torch opened in Punta Gorda a few years back and shortly afterwards we stopped in for lunch. The decor was attractively trendy but with that it was done in mostly hard surfaces and as a result quite noisy, even with only a moderate crowd. The lunch we order (sandwiches as I recall) were very overdone (burned in one case) and although we mentioned it to the wait staff, they didn't seem to mind... Fast forward to about a year ago we stopped in again, this time for dinner with some out of town friends; six in all. Although the noise issue was not resolved, the night lighting, including real outside torches, were inviting. They had two menus in play that night, their regular dinner menu and a BOGO (Buy one get one) menu. Several items were repeated on both menus and since there seemingly no difference, we ordered off the BOGO menu and were genuinely pleased with the meals once they arrived, as the service was once again slow despite only a 50% crowed. That evening I picked up the bill and noticed the following day that we were charged 1 BOGO meal set and the other 4 plates were at regular menu prices, despite the instructions to the waitress and the fact that 4 of us got the same thing. I called Torch the following day and they couldn't explain why, but conceded only to giving me a credit for my next visit rather than correcting the bill - I was not happy. Last week, and for the last time, we found ourselves at torch for dinner, as our friends choose the location. With about a 1/3 crowed, including a table of 10 (even noisier than usual), we sat in the main dining room area where we saw one table come in after us and finish their meal before we received ours, and another get up and leave before the server could get to their table to greet them. If you are wondering if the service was slow, the answer was yes. After waiting nearly 35 minutes to receive our meals, I will say they were hot. We have no idea what took them so long to prepare what we selected, it was a pork chop dish and two dinner salads along with drinks. Then we had to wait for the bill, it finally was presented after we asked another server to locate it. A review of my charges card a few days later found 4 charges from that night at Torch, two charges and two credits, none matched my finally bill but when you added it up the amount was correct - don't ask. The "Torch" is out of me, 3 attempts and 3 failures is enough, there are simply too many other fine places in Punta Gorda to monkey around with marginal service.
(2)Jan L.
We will definitely not go there again. We walked in and the inside looked cold and uninviting and not even particularly clean. So we asked to sit outside. Sitting outside was a mistake due to the road noise from Tamiami Trail AND the worst thing: we smelled the smell of sewage the whole time! Disgusting. Our waitress was OK, but the Prime rib was overcooked (after I was promised they had medium rare) and was sub-par. Plus they changed the price on their roadside sign on it about 3 times during the week we visited so we ended up paying $12.95 when just a few days before it was listed at $9.95. I am surprised this place stays open really.
(1)Stephen P.
I WISH that I had READ the reviews before going. The (choice) prime rib taste like something that was frozen, reheated in a microwave then tossed on a grill for 2 minutes per side. Mine was ice cold in the middle for medium well but somehow it was cooked. Can you say partially precooked frozen? The cook was almost yelling saying medium well is supposed to be cold in the middle. WOW. Great attitude and wrong. When you bite into it the meat doesn't feel fresh and tasty. It's more like muck and yuk flaking apart. Maybe that's why the dining room is empty. I predict a failure of a place if they don't get in line and put some caring work into the food. They need to be visited by a real cook or something. It's a very nice setup, It looks elegant and the plating was very nice. But the food was lacking. I would guess it was due to trying to be cheap with product and having it over seasoned to try to cover its lacking flavor. We frequent Prime Steak in Port Charlotte on Cochran Blvd. Maybe they should go there once or twice and learn a real taste for food. For $15 more we could have had a nice meal at Prime Steak. Lesson learned! Sorry I had to leave this negative review. I haven't had to leave one yet. Until now. I feel physically ill from their food at Torch.
(1)Jim T.
Average food, good service, and incredibly noisy! Third visit and most likely last because of noise!
(2)bonnie f.
Would not go again. Very noisy, uncomfortable surroundings. Poor service and forgettable food.
(2)Dan H.
Great service ...very nice and friendly wait staff and manager...good atmosphere with a piano for background ....drinks were good...food was just okay...
(3)Michael R.
Went here before checking Yelp. The food here was not very good & it was overpriced. I did enjoy the calamari appetizer but the seared ahi was terrible. I knew better than to order an entrée by reading the other reviews here on Yelp. The place seems nice inside and the service was very good. Spent $30 on just two appetizers and two iced teas. The name "Torch" should be about burning the menu and kitchen to start over again. Never going back.
(2)Ricky Z.
I wish I read 1st. Friendly staff but it was the worst food on earth . The most expensive TV-DINNERS .
(1)Jackie G.
Great atmosphere. Outdoor seating. All five of our meals were disappointing. Ribs were ok. Pork buco was unchewable exterior skin with a texture that resembles tofu. The mashed potatos tasted like a buffett sent them over at the end of the night. The salmon was ok however the rice was like uncle Bens. Eggplant parmesan was below average. Prime rib was overcooked. Plus it was very thin. The bread was hard as rocks. They didn't have 2 of the drinks I ordered. 4 of us liked the waitress, I thought she acted like she was in a saved by the bell episode. Also when my dad asked for a fork, she asked "do you want me to fork you?" All in all it was the worst $200 meal I have ever had.
(2)Mary B.
We had a party of 6 and tried several dishes. They were all good; the mahi mahi, pork, salmon. Good cocktails. Able to accommodate gluten free and even has one gluten free dessert.
(3)T S.
This was my first time at the Torch. There are 2 front doors, the one that says open on it is actually not the door you go in, you can only go in the other door. I was sat quickly, my server was friendly and attentive. It was clean. The tea tasted old, which is a huge pet peeve for me. I ordered a Cesar salad and the chicken parm. The salad was underwhelming. Instead of tossing the salad as most places do with a cesar, the drizzled it on and there was not enough dressing. They bring out warm bread, which is nice. I like bread with my salad. the problem is, and I don't know if I got all ends on purpose or they are cutting tiny bread rolls in half. If that is the case they should just give you the roll because having a bunch of hard ends of bread isn't nice. The chicken parm was good, it tasted like it had fresh basil on it, The chicken was nice but very thin and a little dry. The decor was a bit 80's and didn't really look inside how I thought it would. But my server was very good and it appeared to be clean. I will likely go back sometime and give it a second chance.
(3)William R.
I was hoping for a good experience. The decor was great nice and relaxing. We ate at the bar. I believe our bartender was the owner. She did a wonderful job serving us. I opted for the prime rib special ordered it medium. It was awful it tasted rubbery looked like it had been microwaved. I was very disappointed . In a town that serves frozen or prepackaged food this place is supposed to be all fresh. I will try again but minus the prime rib.
(1)