Enjoyed a wonderful dinner tonight at Char with my wife and good friends. The food was served beautifully and was excellent. Our waiter,Namir (sp?) was very helpful with the menu and made some excellent suggestions for each of us. Very friendly staff and a shout-out to the General Manager, Tom Hubright, who took the time to speak with us and apologized for a miscommunication between the kitchen and our waiter that to us was not an issue. Fine dining with the ambience of a New York City steakhouse on East Ave in Rochester. Thank you. Scott Anthony read more

I was a guest at the hotel and decided to book the char after a long day. I had 7:45 reservation. We were not seated until 8pm, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. We came here as a graduation dinner (I recently graduated from law school) so it was supposed to be a celebration. We were greeted by Laura (whose role was to do waters) and Laura was the best part of our night. Our server Desiree took our orders and we thought it was going to be good experience, but was surprised when we didn't hear much from her (I'm not sure if her section was too big but I saw her most of the time at the bar). It took over an hour to get our entrees and when we didn't get them, they were not great. The steak was undercooked, the salmon was also undercooked, the mushrooms were over cooked and I never received my soda. When we escalated that it was a poor experience, Desiree just asked us if we wanted them to cook it more, but we were starving by that point and she didn't so much as apologize. Then someone else came (didn't catch her name) and she offered to take only the items we hadn't touched off the bill. They offered dessert but we told them no because we have to get up early for graduation. They sent us home with some anyway. Needless to say, would not recommend and won't be back. read more

I've only been here for drinks and breakfast while staying at the hotel. The dinner menu was both out of my budget, and as a non-meat eater, very limited. In the evenings, it gets pretty loud, particularly for a hotel restaurant at that price point. The bartenders are always friendly and the vibe down here is fun. It's a nice place to grab a well crafted cocktail. I like the Smoke and Spice, a slightly sweet whiskey based drink. We both enjoyed our breakfast as well. The service in the morning was a little slow, but still attentive. Again, the menu is fairly small, so I had a bagel, eggs, and fruit from the ala carte menu. Nothing overly exciting, but not bad! read more

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

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! read more

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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. read more

Char Steak & Lounge - Half rack lamb - Steakhouses Near Me - Rochester, New York

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 read more

Char Steak & Lounge - 8 Oz. Filet Mignon - Steakhouses Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Most of the Food was good but one order was missed. Fries were cold but were replaced with hot fries. Service was substandard. Water was provided immediately then no waitress for over 20 minutes until we asked where our waitress was. Drink order took another 15 minutes and one drink was wrong. For the price you pay I expected more. read more

Here for our anniversary. Allison was an amazing server. If you're lucky to get her you will have an awesome experience. The food , drinks, and desserts were beyond perfect. I will definitely be coming back. read more

Char is a cosplay of a "nice restaurant" that overcharges you for ambience but delivers only average food. I went here with a larger group for a special occassion and was thoroughly underwhelmed. The most exciting part of my meal was when the prices raised my blood pressure, giving me a brief dopamine hit. I had the duck breast. It was fine; I could've made it at home, though. My dining companions similarly reported their mains were "good" (with a friend's risotto getting the highest praise, perhaps), but none said it was "outstanding" or "WOW." I'm sorry, but for a $50+ steak, you kind of expect more than just "good." I came away feeling I had been ripped off. I wouldn't go again, and would perhaps opt instead for one of those bougie yuppie-packed eateries along Park Ave. The clientele there might grate on you more, but your dollar will definitely go farther. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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The menu items have little symbols next to them that determine whether something is vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. Unfortunately, the gluten-free items aren't all actually gluten-free. I had researched the restaurant ahead of time and looked at their menu, and was impressed by the alleged options, including the truffle fries. The fries aren't gluten-free because they are fried in the same fryer as other gluten-containing items. We found this out thanks to our amazing server. This is at best misleading and at worst deadly. We also encountered a similar issue with the Brussels sprouts; however, our server offered to have them roasted instead of fried. I called so that the situation could be rectified, and was told I would get a call back. They never called back, so I'm inclined to believe that their manager or food director has poor customer service skills to at least acknowledge the issue and reach back out for something that is this serious. I'm not one to write reviews, but I was genuinely shocked that a restaurant of this caliber could advertise something like this with certainty. This was supposed to be an anniversary dinner that would allow my partner to enjoy something she rarely gets to have, and we were met with this. On top of not getting a call back to rectify the situation in any way, shape, or form, they proceeded to update the menu and seemingly disregard my complaint. I have a picture of the menu I used, and you can clearly see the labels I've mentioned. Sadly, I have to write this as I really thought that the atmosphere and the service were good. If you or someone you love has a dietary restriction, don't come here. read more

We were recommend this steak house from a buddy who lives in Rochester so we made reservations and came as a party of 5. The restaurant vibe was kinda bland in all honesty, cheap table clothes and weird open spaces in the restaurant. We sat down and only ordered salads to start, they brought us the waters and silverware and that was the first thing we noticed was they were dirty and the plates still had a "crust" and "crumbs" on it you could feel it and scrap it off the plate. We told the wait staff and they gave us a passive aggressive and stormed off and all we did was ask for clean plates and silverware? Then they brought out the bread and we all took a piece and one of my colleagues found a long brown hair in his bread he was eating... we immediately notified the staff and they had a lackluster sense of care. They brought back a fresh hot loaf and one on my colleagues joking said "check it for hair again just to be sure" and crazy enough there was another price of long brown hair in the bread. We received our salads at that moment and didn't eat anything else. No apologies or sense of care from the staff to the management team. I do not recommend this place to anyone. Filthy silverware and even dirtier wait staff who don't care about anything when they're serving up $100 steaks... We will never be back and I will let everyone I know about my first and last time ever going here. We left and went to Black and Blue instead and our experience there was the exact opposite of what we dealt with here. read more

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. read more

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We stayed at the Strath and made reservations on Open Table for brunch. I had the bagel and lox which was perfect. My husband had the 3 egg omelette which he enjoyed. The food came out fast but the service was a bit clunky. The night before we had an awesome berry meringue dessert in the bar and it was outstanding. Overall a nice spot for brunch. read more

Char Steak & Lounge - Bagel with lox - Steakhouses Near Me - Rochester, New York

Per a recommendation from a relative....we were suggested to attend....so due to special occasion--- but we decided to go. Let me first say the staff was overall terrific good attention, good honest recommendations and kind. Justine and Lilly were terrific. Drinks were good along with delicious wine in the single serving glass section. The food was a bit different story... The eggplant parmesan small plate was ok...good sauce, 4 slicees of eggplant, thin a bit overcooked ( in my opinion)... Okay tasting, not great. The variety of dishes we ordered included chicken and fish dishes.. The Salmon was ok... A bit fishy... But well cooked. The swordfish was triangular shaped ( about the size of a piece of quiche. 1/2 inch thick.) it was ok swordfish----.with no wow factor or flavor. Meh. The chicken was a bit dry. The shirt ribs were a hit and well liked. So all these dishes are on their own with a small side accompaniment. Other " sides" are family style dishes to pass. We tried the mushrooms and brussel sprouts --side items to share. The brussel sprouts were ok.. they were supposed to be with honey and lime. No lime was tasted, a bit of honey ( side note best brussel sprouts ever are at Tombos in Columbia SC) . Overall-- split decision of the group. The mushroom side dish was ...just not good.... honestly they tasted canned . This was the table consensus not just me Coffee and desserts were good...great tasty lemon curd cake and chocolate cake was dense and rich. I also want to mention the music....it was peculiar.... somewhere between club music and rave music. Not the best for dinner....I understand but at least find a better middle ground. So my take.--- go for a cocktail or dessert and coffee. . read more

Had a party of 6 last evening. Bill including our bar tab & tips was nearly $1,000. That was fine and we expected to pay for quality food. "Eventually", the food was of high quality - but it took a while. Specifically, four of us ordered steak but of the four three had to be sent back. Two had ordered medium-rare and they came clearly medium to well-done. A third steak was done a perfect medium-rare (which I had ordered), but it was "room temperature". Really. . . ? This was very surprising for a restaurant that likes to see itself (and I used to see) as a quality steak house. The waitress (who was wonderful) called the manager over and he overwhelmingly agreed, summarily taking the steaks back - and they "eventually" were returned done as ordered. The problem was that half of the party had to wait some 15-20 minutes while the other half enjoyed their meal - the scene reversing later when the "new" entrees arrived. Yes, they comped us a couple of sides (not exactly a steak) for the inconvenience - but what would have been more appropriate would have been an actual apology from the manager. Had he taken "ownership" of the mishap and said something like: "sorry, we goofed, it was a Sunday and/or we have a rookie chief" it would have helped a lot. Just sayn'. read more

First re-visit since the pandemic and I'm happy to report that the steak is still excellent! They've put plexiglass at the bar and have also spaced the tables out. So overall it feels like a safe environment. I think their menu is a bit more focused, but all the popular dishes are still around. They still have a decent wine list / drink menu. The service is excellent. It was nice to see that Paulie is still a waiter there. The only potential downside is the loud and impersonal atmosphere. It's not exactly quiet and cozy, but the food is good. I got my favorite Delmonico Ribeye. A friend loved her filet. The beef tartare was excellent. My wife thought her salmon was just okay. The side Brussel sprouts and potato purée were decent. Definitely come here for the steak. read more

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Normally I would be outraged by feeding expensive steak to a pet but in this case it was so bad that there was a lot of leftovers and only My cat was interested in eating them. read more

Char Steak & Lounge - Very expensive, overcooked and under seasoned steak that only my cat liked - Steakhouses Near Me - Rochester, New York

My fiancé and I went to Char last night for our date night and we LOVED it. From the atmosphere to the food to the service, everything was amazing! We started with the oysters and fried calamari, oysters were a good price and delicious. Fried calamari is our thing and we devoured it! And the bread that was complimentary my fiancé just couldn't get enough of! Then we both had a strip steak cooked medium rare to PERFECTION! They delivered to glasses of Prosecco because we were on a date night celebrating 5 months until our wedding--so sweet and thoughtful of them. I got the cream brûlée for dessert and it was the perfect temperature, exactly the way it should be served. To top it all off, our server, Namier (I hope that's how you spell it) was delightful! He was super kind, attentive and remembered everything about our meal without writing it down! Needless to say, we will be back!! read more

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Our experience was nice there for our anniversary. We were given complimentary champagne, the food was good, and the waiter was helpful. Can't wait to try other items on their menu. read more

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Food was really good. The server, Allison, was funny, engaging and attentive. The kitchen must have been backed up. It took a while for each course. We ended up taking a lot of leftovers with us. We really enjoyed our experience. We were celebrating a birthday and chose this place because of the reviews. It did not disappoint. The restaurant was medium noise level; which was good for what we were looking for. Upon being seated, we even got a little impromptu singing from another guess across the room. He actually sounded pretty good. Toward the end of our dinner, the lounge area started filling up quite a bit (as this restaurant is located inside the Strathanallan Hotel) but the music was acceptable. No complaints on that. It was rather entertaining. We were able to hear each other speaking at normal volume. On to the food... Everything was really good. We ordered a few sides for the table to share. I have to mentioned the brussel sprouts w/ the fermented garlic, honey & lime....very delicious! The steak was tender and melted in your mouth. Salmon was good, but could have been cooked a tad longer for my taste. As mentioned Allison was great. She brought to the table complimentary glasses of moscato wine for us to toast the birthday girl. It was a great night with good food. Will definitely visit again if ever in the area. read more

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We had a fantastic meal at Char over the weekend. I usually get a steak here, but I wanted to try something different, so I decided to get their asian Seabass special. It was delicious! It was served over a bed or risotto. We also tried their alligator special, which was a bit fatty for me. It was something different to try though. Service was a 10/10. We also celebrated a birthday while we were there and they let us bring in our own cake. They were supposed to charge us a $2/spice cake cutting fee but they waived that charge. Very enjoyable experience. read more

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Omg this place is amazing. Service was great.. and the food? Absolutely outstanding! We had calamari, shrimp and steak tartar for appetizers. If you never had tartar before I highly recommend it. I had the filet mignon and it was cooked perfectly. No complaints from our table of 4. Waiter gave great recommendations on food and drinks. Nice atmosphere. Definitely recommend. read more

Cool, classy ambiance. Char is one of my favorite restaurants, although lately the items I've been trying have been hit or miss. Meal starts with warm bread and whipped butter, always nice to have warm bread. Most recently had the two bone pork chop which was very good. Char corn side - very dry and not flavorful, would not recommend. Baby octopus appetizer with little fried potato nuggets - this was good except for the potato things which had an oxidized oil taste to them. Creme brûlée was excellent! The decaf coffee I had with dessert was also nice. read more

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Been wanting to try this place out for awhile and so glad we stopped in! Little snafu with check in as the hostess was a bit grumpy and off her game. No greeting, just "what's the name." She said we were early and would be sat closer to our reservation time. No problem, I get it! But then we waited 15 minutes after the reservation time and they were seating walk-ins ahead of us. My partner went up to inquire about it (different, more friendly hostess,) and we were immediately sat. Everything from that point was perfect. Kenny was fabulous with his recommendations and gave perfect service- not bothersome, but made sure we had everything we needed. We started with the mixed greens that exploded with flavor and freshness. The bread was warm, garlicky, and delicious. I struggled a little to find a wine I liked, because I love red blends and red zins. They did have one blend but it was like $25 a glass so I opted out. The Cab was ok- I would have liked more body. I ordered a strip with Bordelaise and he got a Filet with bacon blue cheese. We also got a side of the mashed potatoes and the asparagus. It was amazing!! First bite into my steak and I almost melted through the floor. That char on there is so delicious and the sauce was just magical. Asparagus was the best we've ever had. Potatoes were creamy and delicious. For dessert, he had the creme brûlée and I had an espresso martini. Exquisite!! I cannot say enough about the food- best steak we've had in Rochester to date. Service was impeccable, food was outstanding, ambiance was romantic and fun. We had a GREAT time. I wanted to go back the next day for brunch haha. Yum!! read more

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The restaurant is in the hotel if you guys didn't realize. It is a FYI. They have a large parking lot in the back of the hotel. The servers were very nice and very patient with us as we ordered a bunch of food. These food was so delicious!! The chef cooked the filet mignon perfectly like I wanted. Thank you for perfecting my steak!! The dessert I had was maple creme brûlée and it was fantastic!!! It is worth to have amazing meal at late night. I would recommend you to make a reservation because this restaurant is very busy due to all dishes are so delicious!! Thank you for amazing night! read more

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The food here is amazing. The drinks are amazing. The staff is amazing. I think everything is absolutely amazing. The d assistant GM is super personable and made our experience great. I love it here so much. I could come for lunch and dinner every single day. The bartender Jon and Joe are super awesome too!! They sling drinks like no other. The environment is just lovely :) read more

Char Steak & Lounge - Poached Jumbo Shrimp - Steakhouses Near Me - Rochester, New York

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My husband and I went to Char Steak and Lounge for my birthday dinner. We were greeted by the host, George, who was very pleasant and seated us quickly. We weren't in the main dining room, which was full, but seated in the very nice booths in the bar area. Our server, Glecey, was so very nice and upbeat the whole time. She gave us the specials but we ordered off the menu. I had the 8 oz. Filet with bernaise sauce and a baked potato. My Filet was cooked medium well and it was perfect! The bernaise sauce was so delicious and paired well with the Filet. My husband ordered the slow roasted salmon with red Himalayan rice, potatoes puree, and glazed pears. He enjoyed the salmon and the potato puree but was not a fan of the red Himalayan rice or the glazed pears. We shared a dish of the creamed spinach, and once reheated, it was quite good. They also give you fresh out of the oven bread with garlic butter. Unfortunately, we did get the dessert I wanted, but as it was my birthday, they gave us a slice of the flourless chocolate cake with homemade whipped cream. I'm not a chocolate fan, but my husband and I agreed it was delicious. The atmosphere is nice and I love the decor. They also offer seating outside where there's a fire pit. It is pricey but for special occasions it is perfect. read more

Char Steak & Lounge - We didn't go outside, but the fire pit is off the main dining room. - Steakhouses Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Nice ambiance, attentive serving staff, well thought out menu. My friend and I enjoyed a few spicy Magee drinks prior to sharing the wedge and burrata salads. Unfortunately we needed to return the strip steak as it was over cooked, but staff was polite and we were promptly provided with a lovely medium-rare replacement. Salmon entree was excellent and the side of lobster mac 'n cheese hit the spot! Make sure you plan ahead for reservations on the weekend. read more

Char Steak & Lounge - Steakhouses Near Me - Rochester, New York

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

New chef, and new menu. Onion rings and steak fries are gone. Bison burger was delicious. Fries are Sysco quality. You can do better. Will be trying the steaks on Wednesday. read more

Back at Char again, some friends insisted on going for drinks and share some food. I was reluctant but went and sure enough nothing has changed, we ordered a few apps and a few entree's and shared all. Now Char is suppose to be known for its steaks and ribeyes and advertise an 1855 brand? Well I think what we ate was butchered in 1855. The Cowboy ribeye came out looking like a frisbee and was cut by somebody who had no thumbs, when we went to cut it to eat it was like cutting leather with a butter knife and did I mention it was 85$? The Chef needs to go back to the original purveyor for the beef hands down. We also shared the short rib and scallops and were not to bad but not a lot of flavor. We did get the tuna app which was ok and some oysters which were fantastic. But to be honest for the outrageous prices that Char is putting out there the food should be much better. I will say our server was fantastic and very honest, when he asked how everything was we told him the ribeye was not real good and he even stated they have not had a lot of favorable comments. This place is a first class property with a second class kitchen, you need to make a change. Sorry to be rough but for those prices it needs to be said read more

We came here for a business dinner from out of town. The hostess adjusted her seating chart to allow the 5 of us to sit at a nice round table vs. a booth which we very much appreciated. Sam waited on us and this was nothing short of white glove service. The smiles, laughs and expert advice on the menu and available wine bottles made us feel so well taken care of. The food was perfect from start to finish for all patrons present. A slight mix up at the end of the night with a take away lost for our guest of honor resulted in Sam securing us an extra short rib and mash potatoes of course to close out a perfect evening. Sam is the best! Thank you to the Char team for a wonderful evening! read more

The staff at Char (and Hattie's, their rooftop bar) are always so charismatic, warm, engaging, and inviting. They make the experience there and are fun to be around! read more

We were seated about ten minutes after our reservation. Excellent server throughout the dinner. Bread was excellent. Calamari was pretty good but have had much better locally. All the meals were about the same, very good but think the food is better at Black and Blue. BnB is also less expensive... $22 per glass of house chardonnay? Come on, this isn't Manhattan or Boston. read more

Always great food, one of the best locations in downtown Rochester! Nice people, solid service. read more

Char Steak & Lounge - Sea bass and risotto, very VERY good last night! - Steakhouses Near Me - Rochester, New York

I've been here a few times for cocktails and appetizers and we've sat outside by the fire pit. Everything was good and tasty and I had hoped to come here to try other food. I made a reservation as we decided to do a progressive dining experience as we went to another restaurant prior. Just an FYI if you did not know Char is in the StrathAllen Hotel,,when you walk in it's on the right hand side and it's basically part of the bar, they also have long tables and a room in the back. If you don't want loud conversation when you make a reservation ask I'm thinking to sit in the other room. We were given a long table. We ordered some sparkling water and some sparkling rose'. We came here for that Waygu Beef Tartare it did not disappoint and that hit of the briney capers was lovely. I just wished they gave us one more toast point. They also brought out some lovely whipped butter and hot bread. We than also ordered and shared (I brought it home cause we were stuffed) the Chopped Brisket Burger with that Bacon Onion Jam and Onion Rings. You may say $23 for this is ridiculous. It was absolutely fabulous.. cooked to my liking (medium it was the right amount of pink) the bun was tasty and soft and when you grabbed it it all melded together. It was luscious truly... YUM Service was good but I got the feeling (although a Tuesday) they were short staffed as it seemed to take forever to get our food? When all was said and done our server asked me about desert I was gonna pass but I said it's our Wedding Anniversary and he said you need to order something. What I would find out is when he brought it he said it was in the house a very nice touch and so kind. We shared the Banana Creme Brûlée'.. it has candied walnuts on it.. the custard was perfectly made and it was one of the best Brûlée's I've ever had. This place is not inexpensive but they have good food.. a nice wine list, I saw a table ordering a bottle of Orin Swift The Prisoner. They have a lot as they are part of the hotel or valet for $5 or Uber/Lyft. I'll be back again to be sure. Our server was on it and friendly as the wait staff were on it. Cheers! read more

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