I'm surprised Charcoal does not have many reviews. I've heard of this place since my days in university 4-5 years ago. I arrived here with colleagues after a rather long day in the office. I was given a recommendation to try the pig tail - and got very intrigued at the idea. My order consisted of: - An order of Braised Pigtails: Braised and grilled with Charcoal barbecue sauce or sweet brown sugar sauce, apple marmalade. - A 12oz portion of the Slow Roasted Prime Rib with a side of garlic mashed potatoes I was honestly surprised when the pigtails came out. I had some naive childhood imagination that a pigtail would be small, round and curly. Instead what came out resembled more of a 'rib' in appearance/size but upon closer inspection, you realize that it is a series of connected bones. The flavour was delicious - I really enjoyed the barbecue sauce on them. In terms of texture, I would say it had a lot of cartilage - and that the meat came off the bone rather easily. I would compare it to the texture of chicken feet found in Chinese cuisine. Remember - use your hands when eating these. Forego the knife and fork. I managed to splatter sauce on my dress shirt and suit - trying to play it safe/clean. The 12oz prime rib was very nice and tender. I ordered the dish medium-rare, and it definitely came out exactly as so. The horseradish was intense and packed quite a bit of flavour to it. I really like prime rib and would come back again for it. All in all, we all had a very enjoyable meal. I wouldn't hesitate coming back again and trying some of their other steaks, or their ribs. Check it out! read more

You've gotta love it when the vendor you are visiting is a foodie, and his sales manager REALLY knows his wine. I was brought to Charcoal last week, and I still am left with the fond recollection of Brown Sugar Crusted Pig Tail... yes... the curly part of the pig. It was so succulent & tender... fall off the bone good! It was so good, that my traveling partner, a notoriously picky eater, gave it a try... and LOVED it. The Horseradish Crust on the Prime Rib was good, but probably wasn't the best choice. That being said, it was still a great steak. It was tender, & flavorful. Just as Prime Rib should be. Definitely done right. Dessert was sublime. I am an admitted Creme Brulee junkie. If it's on the menu, the other offerings become nonexistent to me. This Brulee stands among the best I have ever had. The sugar was crisp, the custard was creamy & smooth. I am wishing I has one right now. So good! All in all, Charcoal was the highlight of my trip. I shall be seeking an excuse to go to Ontario again soon!!! read more

Ambience...10/10 Service....10/10 Food...5/10 Quality for your dollar... 1/10 Reserved table for two on valentines day for the wife n i. Fixed menu which equalled up to 70.00 a plate ...might give this place another chance just not on a special day read more

We celebrated my nephew's first communion here...the service and food was fabulous. Here's our blog post about the experience: http://tipsareincluded.blogspot.ca/2013/05/charcoal-steak-house.html The Charcoal Steakhouse is a great place for dinner...or lunch...or brunch... read more

As a rule we typically don't eat something we can make better at home., such as steak, BBQ, roasts, that type of thing. Pig tails I don't make at home but the friends we were with ordered some and insisted I try. Frankly I've never heard of them and Ok perhaps not something I'd order again but surprisingly tasty and interesting.. so bonus points for something NEW!!! The steak was pretty darn good (but I've made better). read more

I recently dined here with several colleagues for a business dinner and had personally never been to this restaurant before, although it came highly recommended by my dinner companions. The ambiance was fantastic and true to the steakhouse experience, and the restaurant itself is sectioned off into different areas to allow for small and large parties. We were seated in the main dining area and for a weeknight, it was quite busy. They currently have a dinner 'special' on where 2 can dine for $60 which is a great value; however, our party was odd numbered and we all wished to participate. We were informed that we could not add an additional person on to this deal (or split it in half), thus one of us ordered off the menu and shared the dessert. We were given a selection of breads and butter to start, which were average at best. They do have quite a good wine menu and we chose to compliment our meal with a Malbec. The dinner option consisted of either the Caesar salad or the Caprese salad (which is not on the original menu), with the mains being a grilled veal chop or butter poached cod. The portions were generous and well-seasoned. My personal main course was the Togarashi Tuna which is described as a dish consisting of 'noble grains and edamame, sweet chili vinaigrette, kohlrabi, daikon and mango salad, wasabi and charred scallion cream.' Out of all of those things, the seared tuna was fantastic; however, the grains (quinoa) and 3 pieces of edamame I received not so much. The daikon and mango salad wasn't actually a salad, but just julienned ingredients, and unfortunately of the sauces mentioned, there were hardly any on the plate, and certainly no wasabi. I really would've been satisfied with the tuna alone, as the other components actually took away from the dish. For dessert, our server recommended the 'Nesselrode pie' which none of us had heard of; however, she could not adequately describe the dish aside from the fact that it was a sweet cream pie with rum. We decided to be adventurous and give it a try; however, to me, it both looked and tasted like whipped cream on an overdone crust. In regards to the service, it was 'interesting'. Our server was polite but did not offer wine or food recommendations, aside from the fact that we could not order a shared menu for odd-numbered groups and the pie recommendation. Before we were even finished the meal, she brought out my bill alone and left it on the table (as I was the odd person out that hadn't ordered the shared dinner), which was a bit awkward as I hadn't finished eating, and my colleagues hadn't even received the dessert, and I hadn't asked for the bill either. To conclude, I was quite surprised at the quality of this establishment and I can see why it has been in business for 60 years. A pleasant dining experience overall. read more

I've stayed at the Radisson on two occasions for business and eaten here at least 3 times. Needless to say, this is my go-to for a bite when I don't want to drive around town. The last time I went I enjoyed the french onion soup to start. The cheese and crostini were awesome, however the broth is very sweet for a french onion soup. I can't really recommend it. For my entree I enjoyed the blackened trout. It was seasoned very well and not overly spicy, which is sometimes a problem with blackened items. The quinoa was pretty good with it and offset the blackened seasoning well. The two wines I had were okay but for restaurant going for top-class I expected more body amongst the list. The other times I've been here for steak have been great. Truly a good place to get a steak but that was too far in the past to give a fair review of current practice. Stop in if you want a good, gourmet bite with good service. read more

One of the best if not THE best salmon dish I have ever had. Note the salmon was grilled and cooked all the way through, and I like it like this, not half cooked, with a rarer center like other people cook it. The deep fried asparagus hearts were exceptional as a accent to the dish. My husband's pizza was good, but not entirely crispy as he stated it might have been due to all the vegetables, so you might want to ask for a little more cooking time if also want a crispy crust. My daughters kid pasta dish was good with fresh pasta, chicken and cheese, but I was disappointed that they didn't include any vegetables. Desserts look yummy and unique but we didn't try anything. read more

What a delightful restaurant, friendly people and the waitress was just super. My wife and I both had the 8 oz. prime rib, baked 'tater, and veggies, cooked to medium. We both enjoyed a draft beer and the salad came within minutes, which we were allowed to split, since it is so huge. Now I've had quite a few prime ribs before this and know when it's good or not so good. Well, this is by far, the absolute best prime rib I've ever had, and cooked to perfection all the way through. Also, we both ordered the 8oz., and I accused them of bringing us the 12 oz. prime rib, (but it really looked more like a 16 oz. size). The waitress laughed and said that it was the 8 oz., but they do come big. Wow! It's a nice, clean, upscale and comfortable restaurant with an outstanding atmosphere. We thought that this would be the typical charcoal steak-rib place, but was really much more. I felt like I should have dressed up better, but I still fit in and enjoyed the whole thing. I live in the U.S., but hope to be able to return here sometime. I recommend to all my friends. read more

Ate here because it was close to the hotel, which makes it nice for travelers, but I'm reviewing strictly on food and atmosphere here. Food was so-so, I've had better seafood and steaks. The attached Italian restaurant below this place (owned by the same people I think) is in my opinion a much better deal and you get pretty decent food there made from the same kitchen. read more

I came here on Wednesday and forgot to review! I had a Manhattan as my starter drink, of course. I got the crab cakes, as an appetizer and it was Delicious! It came with some sort of aioli sauce and some lettuce and I would gladly come here for these alone. So good! I was going to get the filet mignon but I always get that cut of steak and was craving for something fatty and different, so I opted for the New York Steak! It was really good but fresh (had to add a touch of salt), besides that.. It was very tasty and I had it with garlic mashed potatoes. I tried the bbq pig tails, as an appetizer and Never Again.. But my friend Loved it and devoured it! lol (if your a fan of pig tails, you'll probably enjoy it, more then I did). He had the filet mignon and he enjoyed it, a lot. Can't go wrong with steakhouses. I'll be back again. read more

Good food and great ambiance but I think that's a given when the cost is so high but over all I'm still always satisfied with the food at Charcoal Steak House. The service was as always very good, our waiter was friendly, attentive and helpful with regards to any questions asked, and we asked alot. One thing I have to say is I miss the old peppercorn sauce they had for their steak, I beleive it was a brandy peppercorn...it was delicious!! Most everything I tried here was really good except the bruschetta and the french onion soup. The bruschetta was a little bland and tasteless which I found odd as it's not exactly a difficult dish. I've weighed the odds decided it's fine because anything I've ever ordered for dinner has been excellent and same with the desserts so from now on I will skip the app's and opt for dessert instead. If your a fan at all of chocolate save room for The Dark Side chocolate cake, it's amazing! read more

Amazing service! Prime rib was absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked. Went for an anniversary dinner and I as not disappointed.

Good food , excellent service. We have been few times there and we really loved the siting and the atmosphere . Some meals are overpriced for what actually offers. The experience was great, I love the the table cloth. For a romantic dinner or business is perfect. Staff very friendly and knowledgeable. read more

The food is great, but given the price it pretty much had to be. Excellent quality and the wine list is very good. read more

We went for a birthday dinner and the food was ok. I had the steak frites but both the steak and fries were heavily salted. Our server was very friendly though and brought us a free dessert for the birthday girl. read more

The bread and crackers at the beginning was absolutely terrible. It was cold and dry, like what you get from a grocery store. Come on. We ordered pigtails, escargot, rib eye, BBQ ribs, and wild salmon. The pigtails and BBQ ribs were dry, it doesn't seem like they're fresh off the grill. The sauce is standard. Overall taste was ok. Escargot was caked with cheese. We barely tasted the escargot because the cheese was so overpowering. Rib eye was good. This was one dish we all agreed to be well executed. Wild salmon was a bit over cooked and did not taste like wild salmon; more like farmed salmon. Wild salmon would be more pink, and its flesh would have more flavour. The waitress sounded like she was tired. She didn't seem enthusiastic. Maybe because it was a busy night. One of our water cups had a ring of cheese stuck to the bottom. Disgusting. I wouldn't come here again and I wouldn't recommend this place. Not worth the money. read more

I had special friends here from the Bahamas that were celebrating their sons competition at " THE SPOT" contest. We attended the restaurant on Sunday September the 30th without reservations. I walked up to the greeter and she Assured me their was plenty of room in the steakhouse. When I returned with my friends (who happen to be coloured), a different greeter told me the steakhouse was full but there was plenty of room in the adjoining restaurant. When I told him we would prefer the Steakhouse he told me it was booked solid. I consulted with my friends and they said they would prefer to dine elsewhere. I have attended the Charcoal for decades with my family and many business acquaintances. In all of those years I have never seen the parking lot so empty, especially on a Sunday. When I told the "Greeter" I would not be back, He Said "GOOD"! I went to the Keg in Cambridge and they were jammed full. I asked if they could call one of their other locations and they got on the phone. The manager came out and spoke with me about the wait and when he saw my visitors he asked them to have a drink while he made arrangements to accommodate us! We had a terrific meal! Yea Keg!!! Thankyou!!!! George Campbell read more

I came in here with some co-workers to celebrate a work win and was somewhat dissappointed with the experience. 5 out of 6 of us at the table ordered the 40-day dry-aged ribeye and 4 out of the 5 of the steaks were overcoooked! I ordered medium-rare and while a small portion of it was cookd that way, the majority was medium well to well. They smear a pesto-like sauce over the steak before serving - ask for it on the side - I had to scrape it off. I don't recall this being there during my last visit (couple of years ago). Any good steakhouse should let the steak and seasoning speak for itself. Unfortunately the steak was quite bland with little to no flavour. We didn't receive bread for the table until AFTER the steaks had been brought out (excuses were given at the time but again, at this level of dining, this shouldn't be happening). When it did arrive, it was good. As a side , I had the garlic mash - this was the highlight of my meal - this should not have been the highlight... Also on the plate was two hollowed out tomato halves stuffed with a goat cheese spread - this had a very strong flavour so I couldn't have it along with anything else. It had to be eaten on its own to avoid washing out what little flavour was there in the steak. I also ordered a side caesar to start - the salad was good but they drenched it in dressing. Overall, compared to previous visits, and visits to places like Golf's and The Keg, this was sub-par. read more

Great Service, food was spectacular. Ribs wow....

Had a great meal here. Baseball steak was cooked perfectly, the peppercorn sauce was excellent. We also had very good service

Amazing steaks. Awesome desserts. I've been here 3 times, everything here was always great and the staff is always fun.

I came here last night on a double date to experience what Kitchener has to offer, and I was not disappointed. The New York Striploin was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and the sides were fantastic as well. Our server was very friendly, and the courses were timed well. I'll definitely come again in the future. My only recommendation is to skip the beef wellington as an appetizer - the filling was quite dry and the dish as a whole lacked flavour. read more

Ate here with my husband. I enjoy the quiet atmosphere but I don't love the dim lighting! My appetizer was Kung Pao Calamari and it was so good I nearly licked the plate. My husband had the tuna tartare appetizer and I thought it was good, fresh tasting etc. but he doesn't love onion so he won't order it again. I had the Hunter's chicken entrée and added crab hollandaise. It was delicious; I would order this again. Perfect server; we'll be back. read more

My self and three others stopped by on a Sunday afternoon for lunch and drinks. Our overall experience was not the greatest, the only thing we enjoyed was our cheese dip and garlic bread. First off the lunch menue is horrible. The biggest steak was a 7oz, I wake up in the middle of the night and shit bigger then that, and they call them selfs a steak house? I asked to see the dinner menue so I could order something that would fill me up, after running back and fourth from the kitchen our waitress told us we were allowed to purchase a steak from the dinner menue but that was It. Our waitress was not the most pleasant and had a shitty attitude, I asked if we could go to a bigger table as our drinks and appetizers took up our whole table, she told us they were all reserved but the place was dead. The steaks were not good what so ever, we ended up going to Wal-Mart and buying 4 steaks for 20 bucks and they were much better. read more

Went there for valentine's day, they had a fixed price menu appetizer and entree were delicious but two of the three dessert options were unavailable and the grapefruit rose petal tarts that me and my date had were quite burnt around the edges. It was good but underwhelming. read more

Had a very good lunch here. Some excellent appetizers (crab cakes, smoked trout) and nice desserts (creme brulee, lemon tart, cheesecake). The menu was unusual in that it had only one "steak" main. Surely a steakhouse should have a selection of steaks, even at lunch -- sandwiches and burgers are not steaks. The steak ordered rare was more bleu rare. Excellent, thoughtful and attentive service. read more

I have been here three time over the past three months. They have their strength and weakness. Steaks, oysters, tuna tartar, GREAT! The veggie which come with the steaks were very fresh. My friends from Toronto were commenting for the same quality of food in Toronto will cost another 20% to 25%. It is worth the drive from Toronto. The only thing I didn't like was the prime rib. The drinks are supplied by Martini which is the bar next room in the same building. The restaurant down stair, del Dente, is owned by the same owner but it has its own kitchen and full service bar. read more

Ive been here a few times for special events and I loved every visit we've had! Very high class so definitely worth dressing up for! The steaks are absolutely amazing!! very tender and juicy!!! Love the fancy drinks too! The service is great too very friendly send always accommodating to our needs. All in all great place to take family, friends or a loved one for a nice special classy, private dinner a little bit of class!!! Enjoy!!! read more

I have been to all the major steak houses; Capitol Grille, Del Frisco's, McCormick & Shmick, Ruth's Chris, Shulas, Shanahans. This one beats them all. A 10 out of 10!!! Martinis were perfect, prime rib was perfectly cooked, vegetables were hot and crisp, red wine demi glas was outstanding...even the grated horseradish was amazing and fresh. The pumpkin cheesecake was light and airy, served with toasted pumpkin seeds. This establishment served me one of the top 3-4 meals I've ever had the pleasure of eating...ever. read more

I have been going to the charcoal steakhouse for over forty years when it was above the old market. I got engaged there and have been returning for special occasions ever since coming all the way from Burlington. The ribs are my favourite for sure but the steaks are great too. The atmosphere is lovely and the service is the best! My family and I are coming this Sunday, sept 2 to celebrate my 63rd birthday....can hardly wait. read more

My fiancee and I recently went here to celebrate our engagement. The service was excellent. The waiter had a very good knowledge of the wines and the menu. Will definitely come back here for any special occasion. read more

We ate here last night....again. Honestly, I think it is one of the best steakhouses around. The prices are reasonable for what you get and the staff is exceptionally good at their jobs. We have probably eaten here 30 times and I haven't had a bad meal yet. read more

I don't know what happened to this place. it used to be so good,now it was an epic failure. We ordered our food( my GF had the Ahi Tuna, I had the cauliflower steak, and our friends had the cauliflower steak, and Rib eye. My "steak was burnt, and the orange glaze tasted the way a bottle depot smelled. My GF Tuna was good, but the seaweed salad tasted like week old fish. The big issue came with the rib eye. Yes it's dry aged, but when cutting it down quality control is a key (which there was none). Half way through he bit into something that popped and was slightly creamy. He said it reminded him of a really pungent Blue cheese.. I'm pretty sure he bit into an abscess.. He went pale so fast, and b lined it to the bathroom and "expelled" what he had eaten. The waitress saw what had happened and was really quick to clear the table away before our friend came back. The manager came over and apologized. Seemed as though he was trying to make excuses rather then own up to the error. Needless to say, after the awful food we experienced, we sadly will not be going back ever again. read more

We went there for my birthday. Pig tails were chewy and the steak was tuff. We sent 85 percent of our food back, potatoes were blan. The only thing good was the garlic bread. This is twice, I don't think my friends nor I will be back. read more

This place is known for being the best steakhouse in KW, so I was really looking forward to a belated Valentines Day dinner. I can't tell you how disappointed I was! I was anticipating melt-in-your-mouth prime rib but it was tough, tasteless and chewy. And the garlic mashed potatoes that came with it were neither garlicky nor fresh...they were congealed and gritty like yesterday's leftovers. I didn't even touch them. My hubby's strip loin was way overcooked, beyond well-done. I was dumbfounded at how bad the meal was. Our waiter claimed that it had been a very busy night and the kitchen was trying to catch up. (Our food did take a long time to arrive, which was ok because we were having a nice leisurely meal.) He gave us the option of having another steak cooked or taking the cost of the meal off the bill. We opted for the latter because by that point we were so disappointed we just wanted to leave. On a positive note, the service was impeccable; hence, the 2 star rating instead of 1. A terrible shame about the food though...we will go to The Keg next time I've got a hankering for prime rib or steak. read more

This is one of the oldest restaurants in Kitchener! Ate there in the 70's, and it was a going concern then. This restaurant has been updated many times. The food is excellent and the service beyond compare. This is an upscale eatery and the prices are fairly high, but not like some of the other places. most meals run between $23-35. Per plate. We had the Short Ribs, and they were excellent, but not as described in the menu, the chef has changed the dish, but the menu was not updated. Great place for a fancy date, or a special evening out. Definitely not kid friendly! read more

Well, second chances and off to the Charcoal last night. Yes. Again. I'm just a glutton for punishment, my daughter wanted to try the venison, and i wasn't feeling well all day and didn't feel like cooking so off we went. Should have stayed home and made oatmeal. Well, in case we didn't like the venison, we decided to order one venison and one strip loin steak. The venison was tender, delicious and perfectly cooked, unlike my steak which was medium instead of medium rare. Once again they managed to give me a nasty chewy piece of meat with no marbling for flavor. (Are those "grill marks" painted on??) plus half raw hard vegetables. We shared the escargot (6 for $11.) which were delicious this time, and the parmesan garlic bread also very yummy, (4 small slices for $8.) but my $32. steak was ugly. Okay they offered to change it for another one but serously, was I going to sit around waiting for a second piece of crappy meat, after waiting a good 30 minutes for the first one? So we shared the venison dish and I decided I would take the steak home to make a stroganoff later in the week. We were still hungry after sharing only one meal, so STUPIDLY I decided to try the black forest cake (OMG!! how can they get away with it?) - it was small piece of cheap STALE chocolate cake - and I mean SMALL - a 2" square, with a few SOUR cherries and juice on it. $8.00! She decided to try the baked Alaska. It was not a baked alaska. It was a scoop of ice cream covered in RAW overly sweet gooey meringue that they torched lightly to give it some color. I just love eating raw egg whites, don't you? What a piece of garbage - $8.00. Strangely enough, we had no trouble getting a reservation, in fact the restaurant was nearly empty. Has the rest of the population gotten fed up with them? Maybe! Anyway, way too much money wasted on really second rate food. Service was awful. We were never given the wine list, or asked if we wanted wine or any kind of beverage, I had to ask for a refill on the sourdough bread which apart from having a cement like crust is very tasty. (1 half slice of bread per diner). I specifically told the waitress to ask the kitchen for a well marbled steak medium rare, NOT medium, and what I got, well, she said nothing to the kitchen obviously. Our water was never refilled, we were not asked if we wanted dessert or coffee, again we had to ask for menus... and then she served me what any idiot could see was a very stale piece of cake. This is not the Charcoal we used to enjoy so much. For a restaurant that is supposedly a STEAK house... drive to Toronto for a decent meal. This is a waste of time and money. The quality of the steaks and the way they are cooked leaves much to be desired. read more

Been loyal patrons for 16 years! Whenever something isn't to our liking due to undercooked, over seasoned etc, the server is quick to fix the situation with many apologies. In fact one time the manager just comped what I had because it left the table to the point of everyone done their dinner. I thought that was amazing! He made a new dinner for me to take home on top of that. Having said that, the food is always great and this was just one isolated incident. The only complaint we would have is the price of the Mother's Day brunch. For 4 adults was 250$ with only one beer. Wow! Kind of a shock! We know the buffet is outstanding but maybe decrease the size or remove expensive items like oysters? Otherwise we are always happy!!!! I would recommend to everyone!!!! read more

4.5 Stars actually. Terrific steaks, sides and appetizers plus excellent service. First visit they made us feel at home. Nothing we tried (two visits so far) was at all average. Highly recommend this great steakhouse. read more