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    Char Steak & Lounge

    3.7 (249 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 10:00 AM, 12:00 pm - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    Char Steak & Lounge Photos

    Business Info

    CHAR STEAK & LOUNGE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Char Steak & Lounge

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    Reviews With Photos - Char Steak & Lounge

    Bread and Butter for table
    Amanda W.

    First time visitor! Plenty of open reservations when I booked a few days in advance. Restaurant is located inside the Strathallan. Parking is in the back. Short walk! Reservation had an option for dining room or gallery. I wasn't sure what it meant so I booked dining room. Dining room was a small room in the rear of the restaurant with a few tables. It was cozy when we were the only ones in there, but got loud once a few tables came in. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary, and received complimentary champagne and dessert, which was a nice touch! My husband ordered 1 draft beer which was cold and refreshing, and I ordered a Jack and Coke, which was everything it should be! The garlic topped bread and butter was amazing! We skipped appetizers this trip. I ordered the New York strip. It was ordered medium and came out more like a medium well, but it was good. The béarnaise was very flavorful. My husband ordered the half rack of lamb. It was also good. For sides, we tried the truffle fries, squash, and mushrooms. All were fine. Our servers were nice and knowledgable. Our waters were always full and they were attentive. Overall it was nice evening. Everything was just "fine" and "good". Our bill totaled $219.00 after a 20% tip and I found myself wanting more than just "fine" and "good" for that price!

    Half rack lamb
    Andy B.

    Trying out new places for our anniversary dinner!! Our usual steak house was booked up so we decided to try something new. How fun! Our reservation was at 545 and it was kinda dead but got busier towards the end of our meal. Everyone was super nice and helpful and the atmosphere was great. Though we didn't get to enjoy the outdoor fireplaces on the patio they looked wonderful! As for the food... I was craving a rack of lamb so I decided a week in advanced that's what I was ordering. I decided to go with the half rack which was $40. $75 for the full. They were cooked perfectly and tasted great but I could have gotten more meat from a squirrel in the parking lot. Next time I'll get the pork chop. For sides. We ordered the roasted mushrooms. This was wild! Just a random large bowl of mushrooms. Hardly roasted at all. I do have to say they were amazing when I finished cooking them in my omelet the next morning. The potato puree wasn't ready so we ordered fries. Great fries! But for $12? I don't know. We also ordered the butternut squash. This was very good. Well with the $12. Wife ordered the ny strip steak. Looked good and also tasted good! Worth a try. Might be back might not.

    8 Oz. Filet Mignon
    pantea T.

    Amazing service and top-notch food The fillet was 10 out of 10 the NY steak was eight out of 10 and sides of fries and brussels sprouts were amazing The place is spotless and beautiful as well

    Cake pop favorite!
    Mel N.

    Food is ok to good. I would have like less choices but higher quality food. We went to Mother's Day Brunch so I guess for $67 plus mandatory 20% tip per person they needed to appear as if you were getting a lot of food for your money. The service was excellent so I didn't mind the mandatory 20% tip.

    PEI oysters. Outstanding
    Bill R.

    3.5 stars. I had high hopes for Char, but was left slightly underwhelmed. They have potential to knock it out of the park, but the new menu seems to be a work in progress and they require customer feedback to adjust. I'll start with the stunning ambiance. You really get the feeling that this is about to be a top notch experience. Really nice decor and furnishings, professional hostesses that greet and seat, excellent water and bread service. Waiters are also excellent. Steak tartare is served in traditional manor with raw egg yolk and paired with grilled bread. It was well seasoned as well. I was excited to try the pork belly appetizer, but was dissuaded by the waiter due to numerous recent complaints. I got no time for that. Opted for the raw PEI oysters which were absolutely amazing. Scallops entree really disappointed me. At $52, there were only 4 on the plate!! They were also smaller than I'd expect for sea scallops. They are paired with arugula, but the greens are dry without any dressing or vinaigrette. There's also these chunks of persimmon basically uncooked chunks that were raw and unappetizing and unappealing. I would suggest a light vinaigrette for the greens and possibly a roasted butternut squash. And there was quite a bit of grittiness to the scallops themselves. Not satisfied. Filet ordered med rare. Hmmm. Solid but unspectacular. Like it wasn't totally over cooked really but if I was guessing it was more medium than med-rare. I'm used to that shape being a little over outside but proper temp inside but the very middle was still kinda medium. Chimichurri Sauce was great but not favorite match with a steak. The cocktails are a mixed bag. They do make excellent cocktails. But the presentation doesn't represent the elevated level Char strives for. Beers are served in random branded pints like Miller Lite and Genesee like a low brow sports bar. Mixed drinks served with straw with the top paper part remaining. Just doesn't fit with the atmosphere. I would come back in hopes they work out a couple glitches with the new menu and let new management adjust to feedback.

    NY Strip w. Scallops
    Vince C.

    Char has been on my list for some time now and I've finally made my way to making a reservation here for my birthday. Making a reservation for 8:30pm, we arrived a couple minutes late. There was a note on the reservation for a booth which I confirmed in the beginning of the day. After arriving, we were told there'd be a few minutes wait as one of the booths are just now signing their check. We weren't sat until 10 minutes have passed. Usually not a good sign as I made this reservation days in advanced and my request wasn't fulfilled which luckily by chance a booth was leaving. Starting with a few starters, we opted in for the octopus special. The octopus itself was tender and delicious. The accompanying squash was okay, a few cubes were undercooked. The gnocchi was also great, no complaints there. The truffle fries were a bit of a let down. I thought the truffles were rather bitter which took away from the entire appetizer. We also opted in for the potato puree which sounds scrumptious but in reality, just an average under seasoned bowl of mashed potatoes. For mains, I opted in for the NY strip with a side of the cold-water Canadian lobster tail, and a few scallops. The NY strip was cooked to the perfect requested temp medium, and the lobster and scallops were cooked perfectly. Only thing I found odd was the amount of drawn butter that came alongside the lobster tail. This was easily 3x over the amount necessary and I'm one who's not shy for butter. For the lady, she opted in for the filet mignon, lobster tail and also a few scallops. As mentioned before, no complaints on the scallops or lobster tail. The filet was rather undercooked. Requested medium and this was closer to rare. A bit of a letdown but nevertheless, it was edible. As for our server Alison, I thought she was professional and made our meal enjoyable and I loved our small talk. 10/10 for her. This wasn't a cheap meal as it rang in above $400 before the tip. This is without dessert and just a single bottle of bottled spring water. I expected the bare minimum a steak being cooked at its proper requested temperature considering this restaurant is known for their steak. On the fence whether I would return but leaning towards looking at other options first.

    Jennifer W.

    I will start by saying that my filet was delicious. It is a steak house, and they do steak very well. However, I was disappointed with the appetizers, sides, and service. The calamari was flavorless and could have used more seasoning. We also got oysters, ahi tuna, and eggplant parm. Nothing stood out as exceptional, just very average or slightly below. Additionally, eggplant parm is an odd choice to have on an appetizer menu given it is a large portion but very awkward to share. Additionally, the service was very slow and it took over 3 hours for our dinner. I'm not sure if the server was trying to leave us alone, but it was hard to get his attention. As a whole, I would not come back for the price as I think there are better steakhouses in Rochester.

    Bagel with lox

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    2 months ago

    Seating is open and loud- little privacy for a date night. Food was ok, but for the price- not so much.

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    1 month ago

    Our service by John and Kristina at the lounge was outstanding! Very kind and attentive!

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    2 years ago

    Bar and restaurant with cool vibe and great menu. Had lobster Mac n cheese with great drinks served by our great server, Justine!

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    Ask the Community - Char Steak & Lounge

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    Char Steak & Lounge - steak - Updated July 2026

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