Food was terrible and overpriced. Staff was incompetent. Got yelled at by a homeless individual on the way into the building. I will never go back. Scary neighbourhood, scary prices and awefull full food. P&S coffee was excellent as usual, and Sidewalk citizen was great as well. Maybe stop in for a coffee and cookie, if you can find parking that is. read more

Not impressed at all with our corporate experience. We hosted our company retreat at Charbar. Firstly, there were no proper tables/seats provided for our private party of 20+ despite this being a carving station event (meat cuts, large heavy plates, cutlery). When asked about it, they told us that people get by and figure it out. Secondly, there were unauthorized charges on our corporate account. When we disputed this to the manager, we were told that we were bound by contract to accept these charges and they would not do anything about it. The food may be good, but the service and follow up are lousy and untrustworthy. As a medium sized organization, we understand business and service excellence. If you're looking for service excellence for a corporate social setting, do NOT go to Charbar! read more

Cool place. Amazing coffee! I had the crab salad which was excellent. My server Matt did a good job taking care of our party. The lunch menu was good, but a bit small. I would have liked more vegetarian options. read more

Excellent food and service and even better view on the rooftop. Make sure to try the Riblettes!!

Thoughtful food, great energy, and very friendly staff. The burger was cooked perfectly & was juicy. The chef came over knowing I was from out of town and made me feel so welcome. Will come back my next visit to Calgary! read more

Neat place. The burgers were great although very big. Fries were very good. Try them with the spicy aioli. Fried sour dough balls were yum. Good service. read more

Stopped in for a late evening drink and snack. Beautiful venue, very good food although very expensive. This could be an awesome hotspot but they got to get their service sorted out! Roof top closed when we got there and it was 25 degrees outside. They appeared under staffed for the few people there . It's still stampede week! Here's to hoping our bad service is just new restaurant growing pains. read more

This is for the patio dining experience. I wish I wish I wish I wish I could give this place 5 stars, but the service was just lacking. Our server was not at all interested in putting on her interested in helping us face. However, we managed to get everything we needed and the food and location is superb. Get the burger!!! I am now on an endless hunt for chorizo bacon :) The menu is the smallest I have ever seen. Only a few items to choose from, but those few seem to be excellent. We didn't eat anything we didn't like. Hopefully they can have just a couple more offerings that are easier to share and that server has a better day. Until next time, Char Bar read more

Great atmosphere and great food, very good wine as well, chef is a very nice girl. Will certainly go again.

Went for my birthday dinner and it was amazing. The dry aged porterhouse was one of the best steaks I've ever had. It fed 3 of us.

We went on a busy Saturday night for my husband's birthday. We had a table for two next to the open kitchen and despite the music and packed room, we were able to watch the dinner service. We started with a wilted cabbage salad and eggplant chips. Both were tasty. I had the pizza and hubby had a 7oz inside round. All sides are extra so he ordered a medley of tomatoes and other vegetables. The pizza was so so and the steak was ok, he said. Don't know if service is always this slow or 'paced' but it was about 75 minutes from when we sat down to the entree delivery. This is a pricey place but it was full and kudos to them. I didn't feel the price was answered in outstanding food. Very open and noisy but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees. read more

Having the best roof top patio in town is a good start. menu is creative and the food is delicious. Service is impeccable. Definitely a great place to enjoy a summer's evening. read more

Waaayyyy overpriced. I had three martinis, nothing special, and it cost $60. Mind you the drinks were half the glass, two sips, unacceptable. The "squid" was over salted and the meat portions were enough for a child. 4 small plates later, including 2 of their "char meats" and we paid almost $200. And we are not even large people or people with big appetites. This place is just another new hipster/millennial want to make something out of nothing place. The only thing worth mentioning is the decor and the river location. The rest is a bit shameful. read more

Based on good reviews from friends & family, we made the choice to have my husband's birthday dinner at Charbar. I made reservations for 4 people (using Open Table) six days prior, and made note that it was a birthday dinner. The morning of our dinner, I received a call from Charbar confirming our reservations. When we got to Charbar that evening for our 7:30 reservation, were taken to our table, seated and given menus. Our waitress then disclosed that there was a wedding going on upstairs and "were we okay with that?" As we had never been there before, we didn't realize the upstairs area was open to the downstairs restaurant. We could hear music, and our waitress thought that "it shouldn't be any louder than that." Given the time of evening, a birthday celebration, four people, paying for parking, and looking forward to this dinner...our chances of finding another restaurant that night was not really an option. Needless to say the ambiance for the night was terrible. This included: the wedding MC on a microphone, overhearing wedding speeches over the microphone, clapping, whistling, music (that progressively got louder as the night wore on), kids crying, and live bagpipes playing. There were times we couldn't hold a conversation with each other due to the noise. We were all very disappointed - especially given the price point of this restaurant. The restaurant was not busy that night (perhaps others knew about the wedding??), and although it took a very long time for our friends to get their drink orders, the food was very good - no complaints there. Our waitress waived our corkage fee, which she said was because it was my husband's birthday - nice touch. My irritation is due to the fact that when the restaurant called to confirm our reservation in the morning, they did not disclose the fact that there was a wedding going on. That definitely would have changed our plans for the evening, but we still would have tried Charbar another time. This experience, despite the outstanding food, left us in no hurry to go back again. read more

It took over an hour and 45 minutes for my table of three to receive two pops, a pint, 1 pizza and a burger (that was served lukewarm). Our order was forgotten about, multiple parties arrived, were served more complex dishes and had settled up before our order had even arrived. The server was apologetic and said he would be taking care of some of the bill. Unfortunately that did not happen, so we payed our check in full as we could not locate the server and really needed to get back to the office. read more

Menu looked good but the location is pretty sketchy. A little confusing to get there too. Service was great though.

I was very much looking forward to Charbar opening as I very much enjoy Charcut. Had the opportunity to try it out a few days ago. I love the space and what they have done with it. but....I think they need to work on the food. Overpriced for pretty "simple" fare. Short ribs were well, short ribs on a plate. I understand the concept of "no sides" but I think they had better rethink and add a little something to their mains. The ribs were fine but not "excellent". A pizza was ordered which was pretty mediocre for the price. And, we tried the combo plate of meats. The high point was the blood sausage. But again, it was a pretty "naked" dish. For top notch creative chefs surely they can come up with something more on the plates. read more

Went here with a group of 8. Placed seemed pretty busy so good thing we booked ahead of time. Note though that they will require a credit card for bookings of 8 or more and at least 48 hrs notice to cancel without penalty. Dishes that the group enjoyed: pistachio avocado bruschetta, eggplant and quinoa milanese chips, avocado mint salad, porterhouse Things that weren't so great: margherita pizza (so bland), asador platter (blood sausage tasted alright but it was visually unappealing so most of us didn't touch it, other meats were meh) Overall, food was good but price for the portion size was too much. I mean, $14 for maybe a cup/cup and half of steamed beats with a dash of blue cheese? Delicious, yes but too expensive. Also, the meats really needed the chimichurris as some were a little dry and not that seasoned so to charge your customers $2 for an ounce of sauce, it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth to be so nickel and dimed when the dishes are already on the expensive side. read more

Great interior ,m! Probably the coolest architecture in town. Super hipster and trendy. Their food is above average we had a set dinner menu for larger group served family style Their foods were juicy and interesting However the dessert was waaaay too sweet Maybe it was my personal preference But for a special night or cool hangout place ,, River ! Rooftop! Vintage building with luxury furniture and open kitchen YYC do not have any cooler place than here period read more

Epic and the service was fun and engaging. Porterhouse for 2 was amazing. Great wine list too. Our server had picked the wine for the menu, we picked it for the meal. A good Canadian cider too. read more

Went there during a visit for patio drinks in the summer -no food. The drinks are a bit pricey but the view is very nice. What I found extremely unprofessional however, is that when the bill came ($32), I placed $40 on the table (2 $20 bills) waiting for the server to get it and bring me change. The server approached, clearly seeing the $40, and asked loudly "Can I bring you some change?". I answered "yes thanks". The server then asked the second question "how much change would you like?" - In what establishment is that considered proper, ever? How about you bring me all the change, then I can decide what to leave you? Please train your overly entitled serving staff.. read more

I honestly expected more. The eggs on the avocado bread was over cooked and dried out. I couldn't cut through the toast at all. I asked for a better knife and all they said was that they only have butter knives in the restaurant. When the waiter went to go talk to the chef, he was unprofessional and didn't want to hear out the issue with the that. We were sitting right in front of the kitchen so we heard him say "I don't know what's going on so quit complaining". The eggs with empinadas was totally disappointing. My eggs were soggy and wet and was very undercooked. And on top of that on the menu, it said "beef fat fries" and I expected fries with beef or SOMETHING BUT I JUST GOT REGULAR FRIES I COULD HAVE GOTTEN AT BURGER KING. There were flies everywhere. And it was just so uncomfortable. Having flies fly around your food and face and table. And we got a side of seasonal fruits and it didn't specify anything additional on the menu that it came with anything else but to our surprise it was minimal fruits with a bunch of yogurt on the bottom of the bowl. read more

Charbar - Argentine Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

We went there to celebrate the birthday. Booked for 5:00 pm. During the dinner, the waitress told my daughter that the next booking for this table is for 7:00 pm. WTF? She made us feel like we are part of some expensive food conveyor. I'm almost 50, I travel extensively, and go out a lot - but I was never told in a restaurant that we have to leave by certain time. Very bad approach. Especially taking into account that it was a birthday dinner. I left a tip, but we won't be back. read more

This location should yield great things... However, they are currently disorganized, with lines in two different directions due to the coffee shop attached. They were not serving food the day I arrived there, and while there I was bit not once, but twice, by bugs crawling all over the chairs. Shorts wearers beware! read more

We loved this place. We were skeptical because of the 3 star review here - but were blown away by the level service, the totally delicious food, and the warm and very cool decor. We ordered family style a steak, burger, avocado mint citrus salad, and snow crab salad. Of course we saved room for dessert - dolce de leche crepes. Everything was totally delicious. The server was really informative and proud of the restaurant, and when we asked about the building and the renovations arranged for the manager to give us the full tour of the building after our meal - they've done such an amazing job of blending old with new. Looking forward to going back. Tip: get the green sauce for your steak! read more

The food was fine, nothing amazing. My experience there was overall poor due to feeling rushed and generally unwelcome. When a staff member called me to confirm the reservation they also added that they would need the table back by 7:15 and would that be enough time for me. I thought that was a bit strange and I was turned off by the abruptness of the question. Upon approaching the hostess when we arrived at the restaurant we were told "we need the table back by 6:45" - I wasn't a huge fan of being told what time I need to leave the restaurant twice before I even sat down. Based on this experience I will not return. read more

My wife and I were excited to try out the Rooftop Bar @ Simmons but we unfortunately never got the chance. When we got to the Simmons building, we made our way to the patio. There appeared to be many open seats. The hostess asked us if we were looking for a table for two and we replied yes. She then asked us if we had received a text. I told her that we had not and she informed us that we needed to return to the main level and check in. We proceeded back to the main level and checked in with the people in the lobby. They asked me for my cell number and told me I would get a text when a table was ready. I asked how long the wait might be and she said it would likely be over an hour. I was a bit shocked about this as I had been on the patio and there appeared to be many available tables. Not wanting to wait for over an hour my wife and I got an Uber and went to Cannibale in Bridgeland (EXCELLENT SPOT BTW). About 10 min after we had left, I received a text telling me that the table was ready. Not sure if it was a lack of communication between the patio and the main level but it was not a great experience for us, and I don't think I would go back. read more

I can see the atmosphere being great on a busy night, the room is beautiful. The service was good, recommendations solid, the food was average, more seasoning, I ordered the steak, please do not cut it, all of the juices will leak away as it rests, so you end up with a dry cut of pricy meat. read more

I thought the food was absolutely fantastic. However, a huge blindside was when our bill was more than $40 than what we expected. We ordered the steak for two, listed as $50 for 2lbs. Apparently it was meat per lb which was not listed on the menu. The waitress agreed that the wording wasn't quite clear and the team had gone back and forth between wording. It wasn't clear. We were pretty upset but we weren't about to argue or cause a scene, needless to say we won't be back. read more

I arrived at 11:15 to secure a table on the rooftop patio for sunny lunch. I was advised that the rooftop patio did not open until 11:30. I approached the hostess at 11:30 to be seated and left after I was advised that I would not be seated until my guest arrived. Be sure to arrive all together to be seated ( On rooftop...second floor no prob...just rooftop...saving wear and tear on elevator I guess) suggest that they look up Customer Service in dictionary. read more

Way below average service. For a $300 dining experience (and no booze because they did not have liquor license at the time), the wait staff was a joke. Nice people but very bad training is to blame. The staff knew next to nothing about the menu, set the plates down without explaining the dish and were mostly non-existent during the meal. The food was not bad but I would have expected way more. For the price point (expensive), charbar is nowhere near where it needs to be compared to similar Calgary restaurants. The ultra-dry aged porterhouse was a good cut of meat but watch out for the 'got you' on the price (it's a per person price not the whole steak... So times it by two). The print on the menu is about font size of 6 so bring your reading glasses to catch this ridiculous way of doing business. When we brought this up with the staff the manager came and had to explain it to us like we were school kids getting lectured for not reading a test correctly... Way to go on the customer service front. I'm not sure I understand the concept of Argentinean steak house as I've been to steak houses in Argentina and their version of the concept is about as far away as Canada is to Argentina... I think there were two steaks on the menu. I may try charbar again but I will give them a while before thinking of going back. Also, reading the other reviews (at the time of writing this review) it seems to me like some insiders have written these... Attending pre-parties, naming the owners / chefs in the reviews and reviews where people have obviously not attended the restaurant. Hopefully yelp will take these down. Way to game the system... Maybe you should focus on really good food and great service... Usually gets you places. read more

We were extremely disappointed in our dinner experience tonight. I've been to Charcut before and loved it there so this was a huge letdown. The food was not up to the calibre you'd expect from their price point and the service was pretty awful. While our waitress was really nice and had very good intentions, it was clear there were major training deficiencies as she didn't know the ingredients in the dishes or how they were prepared. The menu was also very misleading - we ordered the porterhouse steak where the menu says "Porterhouse steak for two" but the price was per person ($49 each totaling $98 for the item). When we brought this up at the end of the meal with the waitress she looked confused and didn't even realize that the price was per person. After she went to check she then brought over a manager who brought a menu and pointed out exactly how we were wrong. At least two other restaurants in the city that I know of offer a similar item (ie. porterhouse/tomahawk steak for two) and the price is listed for the ENTIRE item as opposed to half (Mercato and Chicago Chophouse). We were not offered anything for the misunderstanding and paid full price. While the quality of the meat itself was really good, the rest of the dishes were just ok (tripe chips were bland and oyster had pieces of shells in them) and the terrible customer service really soured the experience so we will not be coming back. read more

I really thought this review would be two thumbs up but I think Charbar was more interested in opening before Stampede than making sure they were actually ready to open their doors. From the moment of walking in, the restaurant felt like chaos. Drinks not being available, only a partial menu available on the rooftop patio, each floor not knowing what the other 2 floors are doing. I had such huge expectations only to be completely deflated with substandard cuisine and to add insult to injury paying $100 for a steak I thought was $50. Apparently it's per pound if you share with your spouse. Extremely disappointed with the food quality and presentation. read more

Extremely pricey! Calamari was mediocre, steak was lacking seasoning, burger and sausage were average, and $12 for 4 half slices of bread? Cocktails we around $15! Service was great and decor is beautiful but spend half the money and go somewhere else. read more

great concept. great service. great cocktails and great food. such an exciting addition to calgary. congrats on the opening.

This new place in Calgary's burgeoning East Village has apparently figured out the service side of the good-food equation. After reading reviews that raved about the food but panned the service, we were anticipating required patience during our first visit here. We were more than pleasantly surprised. After enjoying an appie and a pitcher of sangria on the roof-top patio overlooking the bow and the Calgary skyline, we moved down to the restaurant where we lucked out in getting Cassidy (our sassy ginger waiter) as a server on his second day at the restaurant. The 28-year-old veteran of the food industry seemed to have an amazing handle on the food and we trusted him with making our choices for us, with the caveat of no body organ meats. His choices were outstanding. The tomato/tuna salad (bagna couda) was outstanding, followed closely with a ceviche and some garlic shrimp. The beat salad, broccoli is much more and better than it sounds. Short ribs, fries and then we hit the wall. Taking a large doggy bag home. Have to mention great conversation with support staff Anna, who regaled us with tales of her home country Jamaica. Lovely experience. Highly recommend. read more

Avoid at all costs no matter what you may have heard........Alright. I've read most of the posted reviews on Charbar. Am i missing something? We met a friend there for dinner, who i might add had eaten there a few days earlier and had the same experience as we did that night. I don't know where to begin. The service, plate presentation, portions? All of the above. Must say the avocado salad starter was good. That was the end of it right there. A tasteless butcher steak,except for the chimichurri sauce, of which there were 8 thin slices and tough ones at that. A sturgeon plate that was bland and tasteless as wwll with a colour and presentation of an over cooked Denny's omelet. Desert consisted of an upside down ice cream cone dropped into a bowl with a microwaved clumpy chocolate sauce as a side. All in all a bad experience. This restaurant is trying to get by solely on its exorbitantly over priced menu items ($39.00 for steak slices and $ 12.00 for a veg side) to make up for its poor quality, bad sense of cuisine and taste. Pretentious and condescending. Save yourself a bundle of cash and go to the Keg. Seriously, no I'm not kidding. The Keg. Better steaks, service and price. Oh ya and you wont have to stare at an elevator running or have it in your peripheral vision running up and down all night in the center of the dining room as a distraction. On second thought may be a plus. Takes your attention away from the pending gouge at the end of your meal. I don't mind paying $$$$ for a quality dinner in a good restaurant. But I so hate the herd like mentality in dinning out that is believing some where is wonderful, exotic and great tasting just because its new in a great location and in vogue. read more

I have been to Charcut several times and it has always exceeded my expectations, so I had high hopes for Charbar. With a group of friends, we decided to go as a part of the Big Taste. I was somewhat disappointed by the portioning of food and I was completely appalled by the terrible service. Though the restaurant was not busy the service was extremely slow. As a person with celiac disease it is important that I can communicate with, and have confidence in the staff. Three of the four of us decided to try the tasting menu. I inquired about gluten and made the server aware of my dietary restrictions, he ensured me that he would check with the chef and get back to me. When he returned sometime later to take our order, I asked if it was safe and he responded with a terse, "I already told you, I checked." Yes, he may have checked but he did not follow up. Another server brought us the wrong drinks. Yet another food runner brought out part of our meal and was not communicative about the gluten issue when I inquired he did not seem aware. Generally speaking our main food runner was abrupt, flippant and odd. The last straw was dessert. They arrived in a staggered fashion, the food runners could not indicate which ones belonged to the taste menu and which ones were safe for me. Because of this miscommunication one of my friends inadvertently ate the one intended for me. When I tried to ask our server which one was meant to be mine, he responded with, "I don't know, I didn't put the order in." (THEN WHO DID?) I asked him to find someone who knew and explained again that I am dealing with an allergy/disease and not a preference. His lack of knowledge and communication left me wondering if any of my meal had been safe. The tasting menu was not sufficient for 3 people, the only member of our party that did not leave hungry was the one who ordered a burger. I had no dessert and received a somewhat condescending apology (and bill reduction) from the manager. You shouldn't leave a place like that hungry, afraid for your health and patronized. So completely disappointing and frustrating. read more

To be honest, I read several negative reviews about charbar but decided to try it anyway as I was curious. Well...everything was excellent! Perhaps they also noted the previous reviews and have taken steps to correct matters. They've only been open nine days, so there are bound to be growing pains. The service was prompt, attentive and professional. My server, Kristin, was very knowledgeable, friendly, and charming. From what I could see, all the servers were focused and busy. They had their eyes on the tables and were hustling to keep things going. My food came in about 5minutes and my glass was refilled by at least three people. The executive chef, Jessica, visited each table to ask how things were and seemed genuinely interested in the responses. Communication between management and all staff seemed to be fluid and productive. I had the chicken sandwich with fries, which was delicious. Piping hot, tender, juicy, flavourful. Fries are cooked in beef fat...need I say more?? I was 100% happy with charbar and will be going again. Hopefully next time to sit on the rooftop patio! Another bonus is that you can visit the two other businesses for coffee and dessert! I had a lovely Danish from Sidewalk Citizen and coffee from Phil & Sebastien, both onsite. Again, terrific service and food. I think you can also have those items served to you at charbar, but it was nice to walk around. read more

This is an incredible restaurant in a fantastic building with such a beautiful view. The food is fantastic! The staff very helpful. I had 2 small children with me and they helped so much. The pizzas are terrific but the cerviche is to die for!! You must drink the 'tigers milk' left in the bottom of the bowl. read more