We had an excellent experience here!!!! The service and the food was outstanding !! Our waiter was awesome !!! Didn't get his name but he told us he was a teacher. Big thank you to this fabulous waiter !! We will definitely be going back. So you know this review is recent , we were there last night 9/23/2021. read more

What a great place for a nice dinner date. Great food wine, and service. Will go back to try a new dish, maybe split the tomahawk steak yummy. read more

Flame Grill & Bar - New American Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

One of the best restaurants in carbondale! Everything is great but the ribeye is out of this world. The place is great give it a try.

Very good. Went twice with my mother and sister while in town and both were good experiences.

Outside patio lunch was perfect. Great food and great ambiance--will def be returning. The lemon chicken was perfectly seasoned and the bourbon cherry cheesecake was super delic! read more

Flame Grill & Bar - Bourbon cherry cheesecake - New American Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

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This is the second time I have been to Flame, the first time I ordered the smothered chicken which was juicy and delicious. The second time I tried something different which was a disappointment, the prime rib was over cooked and not flavorful. The atmosphere was nice and service was fairly quick. read more

This place was awesome!! Daelia was our server and was fantastic!! My wife n I both had the prime rib . I'm from Chicago and have had really good prime rib ; this place may have the BEST prime rib we've ever had!! The sangria was excellent as was the raspberry lemon drop martini. Don't get the Thai rice pilaf- do get the mashed potatoes or baked potato. Maybe try the specialty potatoes. Save room for dessert- Death by chocolate- it's outstanding!! Definitely eat here read more

Dessert first means a lemoncello drink with whipped cream Elderflower martini is perfect delectable blend of light floral with a hint of lemon Dark and stormy to wake up Bruschetta has a good blend of tomatoes and onions topped with blue cheese Mains are ahí tuna seared with a nice tender raw center and scallops topping risotto (very creamy but mushy). Came with a side salad or a soup (mushroom bisque) and honestly I could come here just for the soup and salad they were so good. Got a side of lobster mac and cheese. The hot herbed bread and butter topped out a good meal read more

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Sad to say it was the worst place I have ever eaten, & I'm not a picky eater or ever leave bad reviews! But I'm sorry, the meatloaf tasted like Alpo dog food, the chicken breast my son ordered was so dry he couldn't even cut thru it, & my baked fish was so burnt on the bottom I had to scrape it off to eat it. Gordon Ramsey would have fun at this place!! read more

We waited over an hour for our $70 2 steak meal. It never came. They at least comped the drinks and appetizer, but only after we complained.

We had a family birthday dinner here last night. The service was excellent! There were 4 in our party and we ordered ribeyes and New York strip strips. By far the best cooked steaks in this area. We've tried the high end restaurants in the area and I'm not sure how Flame seasons and cooks their steaks but they were delicious. Great cuts of meat and seasoned to perfection. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for quality food. read more

What a relief to find an amazing gem of a restaurant near SIU. The appetizer pretzel was unlike any we've seen. The mushroom soup was amazing. All steaks were perfect. Terrific service as well. We will eat here every time we visit. Four satisfied people, including a toddler and college student. read more

We thought this restaurant was fabulous! Priced just right, awesome food! The special was a petite filet and potato for $12.99. Cooked perfectly! I had a key west Martini and the fried bread pudding too! All amazing! read more

The flame has consistently great food. We go there often so that we can sit outside in their court yard while enjoying their bread pudding, which is amazing! This is one of our favorite places to eat in southern Illinois. If you're going to go here on the weekend during dinner time, make sure to have a reservation if you don't want to wait; sometimes it can be hard to get a table. read more

I can for sure say that this place was FLAME. I actually went to Flame a couple days ago for the first time and it was so pleasant. Not many restaurants have bathrooms that smell good and there's did! So when I first walked in I was like, "OOO, OK!" My friends and I actually ate outside and that was really nice! They have a lot of plant life, cozy furniture, and the mood lights which I LOVE. It's just very aesthetically pleasing, the inside and out. I had ordered their Sangria and Plain Jane Burger and they were both really great. I would of made the Sangria sweeter, but it had a nice strength and taste. The burger was succulent! So juicy, so delicious, I ate every nook and cranny of that burger, I swear. Of course eating outside comes with bugs so that was unpleasant. The prices are wild, so I got something cheaper off of the menu. This place is great for a celebration of some kind, not for a random dinner... unless you have money to do so. Overall, a knockout restaurant! read more

This spot served me a reheated order of lemon- asparagus risotto informing me that it is pre-made. Yes rice can survive being reheated it's not the reheating that caused the problem, but the way that the rice was stored before it was reheated. When I woke up the next morning my whole abdomen was cramping and hurting very bad, I had cold sweats, I threw up and felt dehydrated and very fatigued all day. I had to have assistance getting to the bathroom because it felt as though I was going to black out before I got that stuff out of me. At home we eat 100% Non-gmo I have had zero problems and don't eat leftovers and Although I have no proof I can only believe this is what made me sick. Another note they slabbed thick shavings of Parmesan to cover the top, had this meal countless times before this incident and have never seen them layer cheese on top of my risotto. I had ate only a couple bites before I noticed it was making me queasy. read more

Had a great experience here tonight for my boyfriend's birthday. Ashley was our server and she kept on top of things very well. Had the pork chop and the New York strip. The soups were very good and homemade. Had the lobster spinach dip as an appetizer, I would order it again. His jack and Coke was only $2.59. Overall I'm giving a five out of five because experience was wonderful and the atmosphere was beautiful. The picture does not do it any justice read more

Flame Grill & Bar - New American Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

Ok, so I live in LA, which automatically makes me a food snob, so pay attention to what I'm about to say. The Flame has to be the healthiest, tastiest restaurant in Carbondale. I say this because everywhere else is full of bread, cheese and buttery fried-liciousness and here you can get VEGETABLES!! Vegetables that didn't come out of a can, are not fried, frozen, creamed or otherwise adulterated OR EVEN OVER-COOKED!! Dude, this is amazing for Carbondale. We went for lunch last Friday when I was in town to watch my dad blow off a bunch of explosives in the backyard. My grandma, who moved to C'dale a few months ago, though my dad's lived there 25+ years, loves the spinach salad and I think she was a bit chagrined when I ordered the Montego Bay instead but I HAD TO KNOW if I could get a good piece of fish that was not fried in Carbondale - AND I COULD!!!! Dude, I'm telling you - the asparagus was crunchy, the salmon was just a bit crispy on the outside and moist on the inside AND THERE WAS F#@KING GOAT CHEESE in the little lettuce-olive-balsamic vinaigrette accoutrement. And it cost like $10 or something. That's NOTHING, you spoiled land-of-affordable-restaurant-food brats! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD PAY FOR THAT IN LA??? $25, easy. More if you went somewhere fancy. Keep it up, Flame! My grandma Arlene loves your spinach salad (do me a favor and give her a free spinach salad lunch next time she comes in since I wrote you such a stellar - albeit truthful - review! - it will tickle her pink!!). My only complaint is that this SUPER WEIRD middle-aged country-bumpkin with a walking stick, who came in about halfway through our meal and was sitting in a booth with his family, would not stop STARING AT ME. Like to the point that I would stare straight back and give him the "come-at-me-bro" and he would just keep staring and start stroking his walking stick. Dude, super creepy. On the way out, I wanted to tell him to take a picture, it would last longer, but I didn't want to confuse my grandma. Maybe post "NO CREEPERS" on the front door and that might take care of it? ;) read more

This is a real, adult restaurant. They are going to make it, the place is full of adults eating dinner every night. The food is good, high quality and priced as such. There are table clothes, quality wait staff, and nice decor. It isn't quite as good at Mary's in Herrin, or Tom's Place, but it isn't quite as expensive either. Best place to have an outdoor meal in this town. Not a student place, not low end, not cheap, not running a chemistry set in the kitchen either. If you like Salmon, it is good here. They get real wild salmon, and it tastes better (and is better for you) then farm raised. At it's heart, The Flame is a steak house, and the steaks are quality meat, properly prepared, and well seasoned. I think any sweet sauce I've tried on the steak has been too sweet, but that could just be me? I like their assorted other sauces. Know going in the door that the cheapest thing on the menu is $13, without drink, before tip. The steaks at dinner are in the $20+ range. You get a salad and bread with most dishes included. It is the best place to take a date for a high end meal in Carbondale. The new restaurant training issues have been ironed out. Best steak house in Carbondale? Certainly. Expensive compared to Chili's? Yes, that too. Worth it? Depends on who you are. read more

I wish we would have come here sooner!! I am big time into restaurants with a warm atmosphere. This had that in spades. The food itself was pretty great. I had the chicken Madeira, it was first time having this dish. From the description I was expecting it to be similar in taste to a Marsala. It really wasn't at all though. It was still good, just not what my taste buds were expecting. The sauce was a very basic mushroom sauce that reminded me of a gravy more than a sauce. I should have tried adding salt to see if it brought the flavor up a notch. The chicken in the dish was fabulous though. It was very thin and tender and cut easily with a fork. It came with mashed potatoes and a few pieces of aspergus. None of it was especially noteworthy and if the chicken hadn't have been cooked as perfect as it was I would have not enjoyed the entree portion of the meal. The entree was the only downfall to the experience though. We started out with cocktails, I ordered the "give it to me" a d my boyfriend has the "bourbotini" both were mouth watering delicious. We ordered a lobster spinach dip app, and it was great. Had an interesting kick in the aftertaste, just a hint of spice. We had a bottle of wine with dinner, a white blend from the dry side of the menu. Which!!! They set up there wine list in a fabulous way. If you are unfamiliar with wines and what is dry and what is more sweet, their wine list t is tailored to you. Now.. On to the best part of the evening.. Desert. Holy crap. Oh my goodness. We had the ice-cream brownie thing. It was crazy intense grand. The best desert I think I have EVER had. I was nervous because I don't like nuts a lot if times in my brownies, but this... Wow. It had the brownie pieces in the ice-cream, not just topped with ice cream. Carmel delicious sauce, creamy orgasm I'm your mouth ice cream. The perfect salty, sweet, creamy dreamy treat. It's worth it to just grab the desert to go. I've never done take out desert before, but for sure will be placing a to go order of this sometime soon. read more

Flame Grill & Bar - Best desert.. EVER. - New American Near Me - Carbondale, Illinois

Terrific meal to celebrate Mother's Day. I had the grilled salmon and mushroom soup. Hubby had Captain's Plate and cheesecake. All was delicious and very nicely presented. read more

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Was in town for business and thought I'd give it a try. Im extremely satisfied with my meal. I got the ribeye with side skewer, plus Mac and cheese and a salad. Everything was excellent. I ate the entire thing and just wanted more, it was so tasty! Portions were perfect, flavor was on point. Will definitely come again! read more

I have been craving a good steak for months now. I decided to give this place a try on a Saturday evening at 8pm seeing how it looked like the best steakhouse in this little college town USA. I was the only person waiting to be seated. I must have waited for about 5 minutes until I flagged down someone and asked to be seated. Very nice place with a tasteful decor. It didn't look busy at all. Maybe 10 tables at most were occupied. I ordered a small salad as a starter with the 14oz ribeye medium, backed potato, and the green beans as the main entree. Here's where it begins to suck. It took about 20 minutes to get my salad. The lettuce was wilted and turning brown. About 45 minutes later.......I received my meal. The potato wasn't all the way cooked. It was cold and hard in the middle. The cheese on the green beans was hardened and the beans were cold. The steak was very well done, luke warm at best, and it was like eating show leather. I was so pissed. I told the server that the meal was terrible and what the issues were. She did ask me if there was anything she could do but I told her no and that I wasn't willing to wait another hour for another meal. I was so hungry that I only ate the steak and that's it. I have had better steak at the Cracker BarreI. Seriously! I was looking forward to a really nice meal in a very nice restaurant but instead I got a really shitty meal in a nice restaurant. It was one of those places where the servers are running around looking busy but not really doing anything. The perception of looking busy. I hope that you have a better experience and a better meal. The 2 stars are only for the decor and the friendly server. read more

We popped into for lunch at the Flame Bar & Grill while in Carbondale. It was Sunday so I felt a Bloody Mary was in order. It was on the cocktail menu and believe it was made with Sriracha vodka and a house made Bloody Mary Mix. Let's just say either my taste buds weren't there or it wasn't the greatest Bloody Mary, but I digress. We both went for the hearty boneless crispy fried chicken. It came with sauteed squash and zucchini and mashed potatoes. I could've done without the vegetables (not a fan of squash), but the mashed potatoes and gravy were delicious. The chicken was ok - had a few weird pieces but overall moist and crispy. The place looks like a fun location to go to for drinks and dinner. It was pretty quiet being that it was a Sunday late morning. The server was cordial and on the ball. No complaints on the establishment. Would consider visiting again for dinner service in the future. read more

Very clean with a cozy, warm supper club atmosphere. The dude who greeted and seated me was not friendly at all! However The rest of the staff made up for it. Super friendly and sincere wait staff, especially Jennifer, she knows her stuff. Treated me like they've known me for years. Nice! Beautiful wine cellar with a large selection of reasonably priced wines. I started with the Bruschetta and it was sooo good! My entree was the flounder with a REALLY nice champagne sauce! (UNDER $20.) Everything was served in a very timely manner. Small town prices with big city panache! DELICIOUS! What a Gr8 meal! Gr8 background music! read more

Paleo steak salad is awesome. If you go between 2-4 you can only get appetizers and they seem to higher a lot but have good healthy great tasting options read more

My girlfriend and I went to Flame for a date night this past weekend and we loved it. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. The decor and ambience were very well put together and quite sharp. The food was delciious. I had a flatbread which was absolutely wonderful. My girlfriend had Fettucene Brocoli Alfredo, which we also loved. We devoured our food. The drinks were again, top notch. I tried a PB salted caramel which was bold and yet incredibly smooth and tasty. My girlfriend loved the Spanish Fly and 57 Chevy with Florida Plates. They both were citrous-y and both balanced the variety of liqours in them. We would highly recommend Flame to anyone who wants a high class experience without the price tag. (Our food was only ~$8 and ~$14 respectively) read more

We have been here twice n the last 2 months. First time with another couple. The food is fine, but the service has been lacking. The bar is very slow at filling drink orders. Got our drink refills after our meal was over. Never had our water glasses refilled at either visit. At the second visit, my companions water glass was taken for a refill and never returned. For the second half of the meal we shared one glass of water. We complained to the manager prior to leaving and he shrugged and said "I'm sorry about this." No compensation, no real concern. Ruined our evening. I will eat elsewhere for this price. read more

Great place. Asked our daughter to pick best place I c dale. She had never been here. Neither had we. Being from Chicago we are blessed with great food and restaurants . This place is very good!! We all ordered a different dish. Pasta chicken and steak. All good. Check it out parents!! read more

The best Carbondale restaurant! Hands down. The atmosphere, drink menu (wine menu too) and absolutely everything on the menu is amazing!

The Flame is a pretty good restaurant in Carbondale. They have taken a couple of good items off the menu recently, but they still have a lot of good stuff. The pretzel appetizer is good, but the ultimate dish is the meatloaf. I highly recommend it. read more

Excellent place to get steak. Great indoor and outdoor seating. Food and service is always great!

We've been back several times since my first review. The fried catfish is very good. I've had prime rib 3 times. Twice it was really yummy. The last time, it simply had no taste at all. The French Onion soup was delicious. The bread is oh, so good! I could make a meal of it! The fried bread pudding is delicious, but much better when it's served hot. A solid choice for dinner. read more

Definitely a decent place to get a good dinner! Carbondale doesn't have many options when it comes to fancy dinners, but this place suffices :) read more

I've heard good things about Flame and decided to try it for my self. My friend and I were disappointed to say the least. Besides the service, food was sub par. The beef vegetable soup was WAY TOO SALTY as well as the white cheddar mashed potatoes. I ordered the steak and shrimp kabobs and that wasnt bad but not worth 21$. I couldve made my own at a much cheaper cost. My friend ordered steak, shrimp, and lobster and that was disappointing as well. He ordered his steak medium rare and more than half of it was raw still. We both went home and ate left overs because our food was not that big in portion and didn't even finish it because how salty and uncooked it was. read more

I really appreciated the service here at the Flame - we were allowed to dine at 9:15p (despite closing at 10pm), and our server never made us feel rushed and was very considerate. It's reasonable prices for a steakhouse, but don't expect fancy dry-aged stuff here. My SO's favorite is the bacon wrapped meatloaf, which is served on top of mashed potatoes with side of bacon-seasoned green beans and carrots. I ordered the sirloin, and it was grilled to temperature and served with a choice of potato. The mushroom bisque is one of their top sellers, and it had a luxurious cream base with blended mushrooms (but enough to still have a little texture). I felt it was a little overseasoned and needed the fresh black pepper to compensate. All of my food was extremely salty that evening - which is impressive because I'm usually the one to add extra salt to my dishes, but almost to the point of being inedible. I could not eat my vegetable side dish since it was too salty and ended up just eating a plain baked potato with my steak due to the salt. I highly recommend the bread pudding though - it was crisp, buttery, and custardy, probably one of the best I've had! read more

Sadly, our family celebration of our SIU graduate was negatively impacted by the poor cookery on our steaks. Two of our steaks were very under cooked and my sons steak was BLUE! For goodness sake this is a steakhouse...BLUE steak could've landed my son in the hospital on his graduation day. Pathetic read more

Excellent meal and beautiful patio with a great selection of cocktails and steaks! We were visiting Carbondale and I managed to leave my denim jacket on the back of my chair. By the time I realized it was missing, it was Sunday and the restaurant was closed. On Monday, I called from my home in St. Louis and Ashley (the Manager) offered to mail it to me!!! I received it two days later! Any restaurant that hires staff with that type of class and integrity is a place that I will recommend. It's one part that the food and drinks are great; another to be provided great service, even after the meal is done! read more

Downgrading review. They have gotten rid of so many items. Feels like all creativity is gone from this place.

Another great meal at the Flame. The sesame crusted tuna was delicious. I also liked the fresh dead at salad. The fried bread pudding was good, but not the most flavorful bread pudding I've had. But I admit to being a bread pudding snob. read more