Amy S.

Really beautiful restaurant and we had a super friendly server. The restaurant itself was a bit chilly inside, but it might be because it was brutally cold outside and they have such high ceilings the heating system couldn't keep up. Other than that, we began with a warm crusty bread basket, the truffle bites (yum!), the arugula salad (fresh and seasoned well), and for entrees we split the special dry aged strip steak ( very tasty and came with a killer sauce... but was cooked medium well and not medium as asked), with a side of velvety mashed potatoes and the scallops and risotto (very well seasoned and tasty but also slightly overcooked). We finished with a warm gooey bread pudding. This is also a BYOB which is nice! Overall, great place for a date with tasty food and generous portions.

Tammie D.

Second time around and service was amazing thanks to Dannie. Food also didn't disappoint either. Let me tell you if you have been thinking of paying a visit please go. Pork Chop was so juicy, flavorful and tender. Short rib gnocchi was delicious. Roasted clams are amazing and Brussels sprouts were cooked perfectly. It was the Sunday after Christmas so the decorations were still up and the place looked very festive.

Jennifer N.

Char-Kol in Freehold is such a vibe The moment you walk in, the stunning ambience grabs you -- warm, moody, Instagram-worthy from every angle. And the food? Absolutely unforgettable. Attentive service and management From the wood-fired pepperoni + hot honey pizza to the short rib truffle gnocchi, skirt steak, and halibut, every dish was thoughtfully crafted and packed with flavor. Even the sides and dessert hit every note. If you're looking for the perfect Friday night dinner spot, Char-Kol is it.

Antwaun W.

Our group of 20 had a great evening celebrating at Char-Kol. A BYOB steakhouse in downtown Freehold. The restaurant itself is beautiful with a loft/balcony style 2nd floor dining space and an enclosed, heated 2nd floor patio. Valet is $11. There is also paid parking directly behind and across from the restaurant (About $2.50 an hour) As stated above, this is a BYOB establishment which also allowed spirits such as whiskey and tequila. Our server Keelan was very accommodating and patient throughout the entire night. Service, decor, ambience and atmosphere were all above par. But the real star of the night was the food. Here's what I tried: House Made Ricotta - Excellent. A mound of whipped ricotta, surrounded by sliced baguettes for dipping. You can taste the touch of honey. Charred Octopus - Seasoned really well and garnished with fried eggplant. Tender but just a little dry. Fresh Mozz Pizza - Slightly larger than a bar pie. Very fresh. Soft dough. Good pizza. Spicy Vodka Rigatoni - Great pasta and huge burrata in the center. I was so eager to taste it that I didn't even get a photo. Brussels Sprouts - 10/10. Delicious! Seasoned and cooked to perfection. The restaurant was very accommodating for our large party. The heated patio was ok for our celebration, but if/when I return I would sit in the main dining room. Temperature is better controlled and we can enjoy the music (There are no speakers on the heated patio). You should definitely give Char-Kol a try!!

Alivia D.

Char-Kol has been quite popular on social media since its opening so I was looking forward to dining here on a date night with my husband. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the food and turned off by the overall ambiance. The greatest feature of Char-Kol is the gorgeous interior, which has potential for hosting a fine dining experience, but the restaurant had fallen way short of my expectations. 5:30 reservations on a Sunday - I was surprised to see so many tables with children dining in. Some were in baseball uniforms, there was also a toddler wandering the dining area... just weird vibes for an "upscale" steakhouse. I definitely appreciate family-friendly dining options, but it didn't make for an ideal environment for date night. I almost felt silly for dressing up, especially after seeing the very dressed down host and even more dressed down... manager? There was a man wearing a hoodie, jeans and sneakers, who was hanging out in the kitchen, bringing food out to tables, and clearing plates. I was genuinely in shock to see an employee wear such a casual outfit in the restaurant, especially someone who I believed to be in management? I also caught a server drinking wine with one of their tables. This made me audibly let out a "WTF." Our server was nice, but my husband and I had to see if either of us fully understood what he said after each time he talked to us. As soon as we sat down, he let us know that it was super busy over the weekend so they were out of the tomahawk steak for 2 and about to run out of the tomahawk steak for 1 so we need to let him know if we wanted that so special arrangements could be made? Something like that. I went with the dry aged cowboy ribeye, which tasted as unappetizing as it looked. No flavor whatsoever, and their famous "char" just tasted burnt. It was served with a tasteless black pepper bourbon sauce and roasted garlic. For $79 I was expecting some flavor. I would even go as far as saying it was one of the worst steaks I've had in my life. Prior to the steak I had their roasted middle neck clams as an appetizer, which was accompanied by a hair right on top of one. I removed the hair and went about my business (you can judge me if you'd like) so I can't say how they would've handled the situation. But hair or no hair, I wouldn't recommend the clams. I thought it would be served with the lemon shallot butter on the side, but only came with lemon slices. Definitely was not impressed. The best thing we ordered was the side of Brussels sprouts (these were actually delicious). I was between a 2- and 3- star rating for Char-Kol, but honestly couldn't find a reason to bump it up other than that I WANTED to love this place. I definitely get the vibe of "anything goes" here. Between the sloppily dressed staff and wine-drinking servers, I could see why patrons don't take this place seriously either. On our way out, a family of 5 was being sat, all of whom were wearing sweatpants. Yes, sweatpants. Hard pass on returning.

Ashley B.

We were at Artemis Brewery next door and decided to order from Charkol since they partner with them for small bites delivered to the brewery. My husband got the burger, I got the margherita pizza, and we shared the jalapeño poppers. After tax and tip, our total came to $62, which felt a bit pricey for what we got. I'm keeping in mind that there was a baby shower happening at Charkol when we ordered, which may have affected the quality and service. Our food took about 35 minutes to arrive, but luckily, we were keeping busy with a game of Uno. My husband really enjoyed his burger, especially the bacon jam, but his fries were unevenly seasoned--some were way too salty, while others had no seasoning at all. It seemed like they just sprinkled salt on top instead of tossing them properly. As for my margherita pizza, they forgot the basil, even though it's listed on the menu. The sauce was concentrated in the center instead of being spread evenly, which made the cheese slide off every time I picked up a slice. That said, the crust had a nice char and was thin but still chewy. The server also mentioned he would come back with plates for us but he never returned. Thankfully, the brewery had extra paper plates. Overall, I was underwhelmed, but given the circumstances, I'm willing to give them another shot. My husband and I plan to return for a proper dine-in experience to see if it's better than takeout.

Lawrence C.

We went there around 7:30pm on a Sunday and stayed till past closing. Our server Jeff was amazing! So much fun, cracking jokes with us all night, super welcoming. He was amazing. Gave us so many recommendations and was honest about what they had available and not due to the busy weekend but all good! All the servers even one named Fabian came and he was so caring, everyone made us feel welcomed. We were so loud and enjoying ourselves we stayed past closing but staff did not kick us out but told us to enjoy our time. The food amazing, pricey but it was such large portions easy enough to share! It's BYOB too and was just a really fun night thanks to the amazing staff.

Ashley S.

We had a great time at Char-kol. Our server, Christine, was very attentive and made sure we were good for the entire stay. The look and feel of the restaurant was perfect for date night. And the food was just as good as it looks. Note: it is a BYOB establishment and all food (apps/dinner) must be ordered at once, but still come out at different times.

Patricia Z.

Place has a great vibe, large space with an upstairs and an outside room. Food was ok. And service was ok. It was busy. It is a byob steakhouse. Valet is $11. Small menu. Tomahawk for 2 was ok. I would change the side. Not the best I had. You're paying a lot of money for a tomahawk for two people and you are giving fries as a side? lol and the filet mignon was very dry. Would probably go back because everyone has an off night. The spicy vodka rigatoni with Burrata was good

Neil K.

Celebrated my birthday with my family. The restaurant is very upscale in appearance and ambiance but it is pretty loud too. The waiter was very informative but a little hard to hear over the background music. The charcuterie platter was plenty to share for six of us, the shishito peppers were also plentiful. The bacon appetizer left us wanting for more, 2 slices for $19. The Porterhouse for 2 was big enough for 3 with leftovers. The Dry Aged Rib steak, big enough for 2. Both steaks were perfectly cooked to temp but both were over salted. The salmon was delicious I was told. BYOB keeps an expensive from becoming too expensive

Mel K.

We had reservations for dinner , been wanting to check this restaurant out as I've heard nothing but good things about it ! The staff were very friendly, and helpful when deciding to order ! We were doing a low key gender reveal and the staff was very accommodating and creative in helping us with this special moment ! I ordered seafood tagliatelle, but with no sausage! Honestly it was very good, the flavors were cooked to perfection ! We also order Mac and cheese which was very good ! The bread they brought out for the table was ehh I didn't really care for it felt like it was kinda hard and burnt for me to eat! I love the atmosphere very relaxing and such a good vibe ! The prices were fair , and not as expensive as I thought it was gonna be ! I'd definitely come back if I'm in the area !

restaurant is EXTREMELY loud. waiters check on you and are nice but we got seated next to a staircase and sinks which was unpleasant. chicken milanese was thick?? ordered s'mores cake for dessert and what came out was two brownies stacked on top of each other... the menu says CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE. it was in fact, not cake. at all. other than that, it took forever for our food to come. our reservation was at 5:45 and we got sat at 5:40 because we were early. appetizers came at 6:30 and food came at 7:20. i was absolutely famished by the time it arrived. the bread they have is good but they do not refill it. would maybe come again to try the pizza but not worth sitting in a place that blasts edm while you are trying to eat your dinner.

James F.

I've been wanting to try Char-Kol for quite some time. I really it was a pleasant experience. The ambiance is great, a real rustic but modern feel. Located right off Main Street it is easily accessible with parking near by. Food: quite good. The burrata app was fantastic and I don't normally like burrata. We also got the oysters but they didn't serve it with the normal fixings you'd get (horseradish, etc) there was a lemon and tobacco, that was about it. For entrees I got the New York strip. Cooked perfectly and tasty. Wish it had a bit more salt but nothing to complain about really. Lobster Mac was good but pricey for the little lobster we got. The garlic mash was tasty. But the Brussel sprouts were fantastic. Pros: food was quite good and tasty, BYOB, easy to get to, was not hard to get a reservation on a Thursday. Cons: very pricy. I thought the wait staff could have been friendlier and more attentive. That is why this is a four star and not a five star.