I'm a supporter of mom-and-pop shops. I'll drive an extra mile and pay an extra dollar to avoid Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Starbucks and their restaurant equivalents. Still, I have to give credit where it's due when a good chain comes along, and Fleming's couldn't have come at a better time.

Dining out almost nightly for two weeks, I had somehow managed to hit five independent newcomers that were simply bad. Bad food. Bad service. Bad experience.

My luck changed at Fleming's, the new Coral Gables link in a chain of 30-some meat palaces founded by Paul Fleming of P.F. Chang's fame and Bill Allen, now CEO of Outback. The story goes that the duo undertook a national tour of high-end steakhouses in the '90s, were struck by the lack of decent by-the-glass wine selections and decided they could do better.

Smart move. As someone whose spouse doesn't drink, I've long resented being confined to mediocre house-wine selections when we dine alone. At Fleming's I was able to choose from a hundred by-the-glass options as well as a trio of samplers in a self-designed flight. The mostly American wines ($6 to $16 a glass) are augmented by a reserve list of bottles from around the world to satisfy more eclectic and expensive tastes.

The look here is pretty standard, with clubby, cherry-stained oak furnishings and lots of booths and high-backed chairs. The open kitchen and attractive young staff lighten the vibe, which is fun but not frat-house, upscale but not stuffy. Another plus: Even when the dining room is full, you can hear yourself chew.

In a town that would have Miss Manners hitching a ride to Palm Beach on the nearest Gulfstream, the real revelation was the accommodating service. When our rain-delayed party arrived nearly 40 minutes late for an 8 p.m. reservation, we were seated in a prime corner booth within minutes -- no chiding maitre'd, no fuss. On another crowded night, without benefit of reservations, we were quickly given a two-top at the bar or the option of a table in 30 minutes.

Both times, starter plates arrived promptly. Batons of celery were soggy, but the whole radishes and garlic crostini were just fine. I could do without the heavy dips (whipped champagne brie and cabernet-infused butter), but found the retro relish tray much more appealing than the usual bread basket.

A server who looked barely old enough to taste the wine suggested a surprisingly deft pairing: a crisp and grassy Cakebread sauvignon blanc with our Cajun barbecue shrimp and crab cakes.

The big shrimp were, as our waitress promised, quite ''manly'' -- meaty, greasy and just a bit spicy in a pool of garlic-flecked oil with an awkward crouton that required a knife for cutting. The crab cakes were mushy but full of crab and a hearty, sofrito-like seasoning. The too-floury red pepper and tomato sauce was pretty but superfluous.

''Caesar'' salad in a rich vinaigrette was a tasty if disappointing variation with no evidence of egg or anchovies. Our model-handsome waiter divvied up the portion my husband and I were sharing without our even asking.

We split a few of the mammoth sides, including a dry, double-stuffed potato with pancetta and smoked Cheddar that was as big as one of my running sneakers and about as appealing. Shoestring potatoes were lovely and thin, salty and hot, but not at all crispy. Jalapeño mac-and-cheese in a thick, rich sauce would appeal to fans of movie-theater nachos.

Straightforward entrees worked best. A 22-ounce, bone-in rib-eye was cooked to a perfectly pink-centered medium rare and served with nothing but salt and pepper on its blackened hide. A mixed grill of lusciously oily wild salmon and an exceptional ''bone-in'' filet mignon (the small end of the Porterhouse) was equally satisfying, though I would forgo the pineapple glaze on the fish next time.

Oversized desserts include the usual crme brlée, cheesecake, berry cobbler and a molten chocolate cake that unfortunately tasted more hard-boiled than melted. Better was a chocolate turtle pie -- a slice of fudgy brownie with a buttery crust and just enough chewy caramel and crunchy walnuts to hold it together.

Like the rest of the meal, dessert was good enough to make us consider a repeat visit. It's the exceptional service and upbeat atmosphere that will guarantee it.