Start with a lavender margarita! Subtle and refreshing with a punch. Need two! Then the alote dip says comfort and satisfaction. Tacos delivered, but the Diablo Shrimp couldn't be stopped. Taste, Spice and a search for a spoon. Great addition to the River food scene! read more

Super sad to write that Char is now called "Avo"......??? I came here last year when it was Char Whiskey Bar and LOVED it! Atmosphere was a wood, rustic, whiskey barrel feel and the food was great. Came back this year, and it was probably the most brutal restaurant experience I've had in a while. So Char is now called Avo Mexican, but they didn't change the atmosphere to replicate a Mexican place. It's still whiskey themed- with signs slapped on the old logo. They still have some of the old menu items from Char- which is so confusing too. When we walked in I asked the host if the bar was open seating. He said "oh I don't know" and walked away. We just sat at the bar since he didn't come back. We asked the Bartender what happened to Char and he said the owners wanted a rebrand. But it looked like a whiskey bar still....they didn't rebrand anything. I got a marg and my guy asked for a Mexican beer they used to have. Bartender said we haven't had that in a year. So they got rid of all their Mexican beers....? Even though they are now a Mexican place? So he ended up getting a Coors Light. My Marg lacked any sweetness or Agave. It was tequila and lime juice- poor bartender was struggling with 4 bar guests. It was kinda sad. I got a taco salad and my guy got a burger. He used to get the burger with fries, but now that it's Mexican, they only have chips. We had chips and guac for an app, so that was super annoying. Fries used to be really good. And who wants a burger without fries? Place wasn't busy, but our food took 35 minutes. Bartender kept apologizing and saying the kitchen was slammed. It clearly wasn't, I'm sure the cooks were adjusting to a new menu. Food was okay. Used to be really good, but I wouldn't recommend anymore. I guess they close at 8pm some days, because around 7:40 when we just had gotten our food, the bartender said it's last call. We were kinda laughing that they did a last call during normal dinner hours. My fiancé was considering getting another beer after dinner, but I guess they were closing...so weird. I've never seen a place close at peak dinner hours. No idea why they rebranded it. Confusing signage, food is not good anymore, drinks are bad, atmosphere doesn't make sense, menu is lackluster, service and kitchen are lacking, hours are bad. Sucks to write this, but I 100% will not be returning. read more

Char Whiskey Bar + Grille is essentially whiskey meets barbecue in the heart of Rocky River. It's in the family of restaurants with Avo (Ohio City). I was in the area and asked a friend about good eats around. Char was one of the recommendations, so I stopped in for lunch. My experience was not memorable. AMBIANCE: The ambiance is rustic and moody. Exposed brick walls, gorgeous wood bar, and ambient lighting. The main hues are calm browns and earthy tones. The feel is modern and intimate. Barrels and barrel tops add extra touch of whiskey expertise. Mark Twain's whiskey quote adds to the refined mood. Plenty of seating is available at the bar and at tables. Few groups were dining in during my visit. Leather-ish chairs make it a comfy seating experience. FOOD/DRINKS: The bar is known for whiskey, over 300 types. You'll find some local Ohio and rare pours at Char. Aside from whiskey, you'll find craft cocktails, mimosa bar (during brunch), Bloody Mary, wines, beers, seltzers, and drafts. It was Dry January, so I couldn't experience any of the boozy selections. I was disappointed to not find any mocktails and very limited N/A options - coffee, sodas, iced tea, Pellegrino, and two N/A beers. Feels like a big miss considering current trends. Plenty of food was available during my visit. It was the in-between of brunch and lunch. I had two menus to select from. Refreshing to see so many choices. I ordered Char burger ($18) and did not enjoy it. Char means that it comes charred or black. Plenty of problems with this burger with the main one being dryness. The bartender mentioned that the burger comes with housemaid chips. Instead the burger arrived with fries. Plenty of them, but the fries were cold and dry like they sat out for a while. The burger barely had any cheese or onion straws. The pretzel bun was extremely dry. Short rib was dry and lacked sauce. Meat (local grass-fed beef) was really good and tasted like something from the market. Excellent meat but overcooked. I asked for medium and it was well done. I separated burger meat by itself and ate it, but only accomplished to eat half. Good value for high quality meat, but impossible to eat due to ingredient proportions and dryness. I was disappointed in this burger. SERVICE: The service was bland. There was one waitress serving the entire restaurant - bar and dining room, so I get it. The mood wasn't especially inviting. I wasn't greeted, wasn't asked if I need a box or whether my food was good. It was just very minimalistic interaction that I didn't enjoy. It seemed like regulars got a warm welcome so that's a plus. VALUES: The restaurant advertises weekly specials and happy hours. Whiskey Wednesday and Tuesday Burger night seem the most exciting. PARKING: Private parking lot is available behind the plaza. Plaza gets very lively during daytime. I really wanted to love Char but it was a disappointment for me. The restaurant decor was my only favorite. Perhaps it's a good place to savor whiskey. But between mediocre food and service it was a one-time visit for me. I'd rather go to other restaurants in the area that focus on food quality and hospitality. read more

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Nice to have a brunch spot that opens at 10 instead of 11 on Sunday. The brunch burger on an everything bagel was humongous, filling, and satisfying. The patty is huge so you'll be full for sure. I loved subbing in the chips for a fruit cup (it was full of fresh berries instead of the usual cantaloupe and grapes in cups). The only thing I was surprised to see was house black coffee was $5. It was just average coffee you get for free at a diner so I wasn't expecting the cost but at least it was free refills. read more

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Service, food (flavors are amazing) and drink (lavender margarita was excellent!). Thanks for a fun new tradition to RR!

This restaurant is one of our favorites! Every time I go, I have a wonderful experience. The workers are all very nice and helpful. The food is always amazing. I love sitting on the patio in the summer. I usually order something with lobster or beef. This place has yet to disappoint me. Both their dinner and breakfast menus have great options to choose from. Highly recommend!!! read more

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Breaks my heart to have to change my rating from 5 to 3 stars. I know, how will they live on Server was nice and they are clearly short staffed (wonder why they can't keep servers?) but it was almost 20 minutes to take a drink order. Then another 15 to get our food ordered - not ideal. After waiting 35 minutes for our food, the manager (? She didn't introduce herself as that) said that our order of Mac and Cheese is actually not available and would we like to order something else? Ummm, ok, not intentional but it had been 35 minutes and they just discovered this? So my daughter orders something else and while she waits our food shows up. So we wait... Nothing is comped nor even offered to be comped. The lobster rolls are good but we won't be back. For almost $200, I'd expect a little better. read more

The food was ok. Really nothing special. Their issue for me is the menu is too rigid. If you want a vegetable over fries. You cant do it. Plus they never assigned a server so we sat for about 20 mins in a table we made reservations for. read more

First time here and we will be back! We only went for drinks after dinner but the menu for food looked amazing! As well as the daily deals they have. We sat at the bar and the bartender helped right away and was able to provide recommendations. It was super packed too which we didn't expect! It wasn't loud though so you could still have a conversation. read more

Avo - Char Whiskey Flight and a Specialty drink - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rocky River, Ohio

Everything was really good and the all-day happy hour on Sundays was a great deal! Apps we had meatballs, pretzels and cauliflower. The cauliflower was solid, would've loved a little more sauce, meatballs nice and tender, wish they had been topped with sauce instead of sitting in it. The pretzels were UNREAL, so delicious and a good portion size. Entrees at the table included the mac and cheese, lobster roll, fried chicken and some salads. I had the berry salad which was very good, nice and fresh with really good quality fruit. The mac and cheese was great but very rich, the lobster rolls were super tasty, not chock full of meat but pretty impressed with the serving. Garlic parm fries on the side with that were great. Drinks were all really good, especially the key lime pie martini! Service was really good, fast with great recs, and the vibe inside was solid, nice elevated sports bar feel read more

I went to lunch yesterday at Char with my brothers and my sister-in-law around 2:30 PM and we were surprised to find that it was still brunch. My sister-in-law and I were craving more of a lunch, which is what we expected but we were all satisfied with our meals. They have brunch on Saturdays & Sundays from 10 AM - 3PM. My brother ordered the Brunch Board which was an assortment of different breakfast foods which we all picked from. I ordered the avocado toast which was very delicious. I liked how it came on a bagel and the goat cheese was a great touch to make it even more tasty. Our server was very kind and bubbly. She was also very attentive and helpful. I love the vibe of Char as well. It's very dark and rustic. It would be perfect for a unique meal if you are craving to try something new. read more

Avo - Brunch Board - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rocky River, Ohio

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The atmosphere is very relaxed and rustic feel yet still enough spacing to maintain privacy. Good music not overly loud, definitely a place you could just relax at. The food was absolutely amazing, cooked to perfection and plated very professionally. Meals were priced very affordably...the servers were spot on, Mariah was our bartender and our server and her service was excellent as was her mixologist skills. Will definitely return again and tell all of the wonderful experience. read more

The service was fantastic, the Lobster taco was delicious and Hey Jealous is my favorite drink of all time! I would highly recommend Avo In River, they kept the best from Char and added a Baja flare! read more

Everything was hard to eat here. The French onion soup was in a kettle too small, couldn't break up the hard chewy pita in there with the spoon, it was overflowing on the plate. The salad lettuce was chopped very long, as well as just legit big rings of onion and long cucumbers. Having to use a knife the whole time to eat a salad is a bit much. The creme brule was completely burnt on top, tasted awful. All this for 80 dollars on top of that, feel completely whacked over the head. Server could care less. read more

Fun cocktails with friendly service. Clean environment. Food is tasty. Nice place to meet friends.

Always a great experience here. Great food options and best part is the drinks. Great atmosphere as well. read more

Avo - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rocky River, Ohio

Time after time, brunch, happy hour, dinner or late night cocktails, inside , at the bar or outside on the front patio...all of this adds up to fantastic service and dishes full of flavor. Where to begin, the cocktails are unique and Smokey with a little whimsy if you order a little waffle on the side! The scallops were cooked to perfection, the burger perfectly seasoned all worth the wait. If you prefer, brunch is always a good way to start at Char, Saturday and Sunday are open, just be sure to make a reservation unless you don't mind sitting at the bar. Either way it's a great experience. The yogurt bowl is always part of my brunch order, along with the special Benedict, lobster or crab, delicious. So make a reservation and enjoy. read more

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We had a great dinner visit to Char! Our server was fantastic! Great drinks (cocktails & selection of liquors) and they even make mocktails for those who do not partake in libations. I thoroughly enjoyed my server's recommendation of a Blackberry Smash mocktail -- beautiful presentation and refreshing! The food was also quite good. The pomme frites with garlic aioli were addicting and the Char Wedge was huge! My husband loved the mango rice that came with his halibut and everyone enjoyed the short rib poutine. I would definitely come back! read more

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This place is a MUST go to. Number one the inside of the restaurant is amazingly decorated with fitting decor for the place. The lighting and wood aesthetic fits perfect. The service is so friendly and kind. SUPER fast I asked for a refill of a drink and instantly he came back with a new one. He was so helpful with what is good on the menu and what he recommends. The side of poutine was amazing everything was fresh and SO flavorful nothing tasted bad. The Char burger was amazing so flavorful and was dripping in flavor. So delicious and I am coming back to Char. If you are In the area or want a place to go eat Char is a must go to read more

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Went here for the first time and absolutely loved it. They told us the were short staffed and we may experience a longer wait for food but we did not and the service was excellent. The wedge salad was my favorite and I recommend adding chicken. The berry salad was also very enjoyable. read more

Avo - Wedge salad with chicken - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rocky River, Ohio

Food was sub par Over priced $18 burger not worth it Poor service Took a long time to get some drinks Salmon ok but not great Issues w the bill read more

So, my bestie & I booked a table for brunch on Sunday. Arrive and place is freezing cold inside. Why? Mention to our server & he responds "yeah, I'm loving it"! What about the freezing customers who I've noticed are all still wearing their coats as they dine? Oh well, guess we freeze & shiver? Moving on... our server is clearly stoned and hungover by his behavior & him sharing that he was up until 5am. Ok great. This guy moves at less than a glacial pace. SO SLOW. Place wasn't even that busy. I waited nearly half an hour for my FIRST cocktail. Admittedly, upon it finally arriving it was delicious! Highly recommend the "Lavender Morning". Finally ages later, our food arrives.... The hash I ordered was good, very flavorful. Definitely artery clogging. Lol The steak my bestie got was very fat/gristley. Ick. Had to finally go to bartender for our tab because server was MIA, again. Overall, the service was absolutely ATROCIOUS, drinks were great, music was great, but food was good. Would I return? Perhaps. Forgot to photograph my cocktail....apologies! read more

Wow wow wow!! Made a reservation for 4 people but then needed to modify to 6 and they kindly accommodated our request. The hostess was a pleasure to deal with so we had a good start as soon as we came in. It was a little loud but I understand the March Madness craze. We ordered 4 apps - goat cheese, pineapple, guac, ahi poke, and buffalo cauliflower. The goat cheese was the best out of all of them!! Not a fan of pineapple in guac but it was pretty good and the ahi poke was good but could have used a little something (maybe more wasabi creama or sriracha aoili would have been nice). Not a fan of buffalo styled stuff so I'm biased on the cauliflower! Forgot to take photos but they have a great selection of apps I got the short rib mac and cheese and SO DELICIOUS. I also added in some of the leftover goat cheese and my world = rocked. Highly recommend this spot for dinner! Others got the char burger and a berry chicken salad and they loved. They enjoyed the chips and the rosemary truffle frites read more

Avo - Short rib mac and cheese - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rocky River, Ohio

Wife and I came here on a recent weeknight for drinks and a meal. Service was great and the dishes we sampled were really tasty. My wife really loved her Fall-inspired Maplehattan cocktail with bourbon, walnut liqueur, sweet vermouth maple syrup and a freshly made waffle hanging from the side of the glass as a garnish, wish was a really unique touch. The bibb salad was full of green leafy lettuce, sliced cherry tomatoes, red onions, chunks of blue cheese, a balsamic reduction drizzle and topped with creamy blue cheese dressing. The buffalo cauliflower had lightly breaded chunks of the veg, lightly covered in a buffalo sauce and served with the same creamy blue cheese dressing for dipping. The lobster rolls were served two ways...first a warm buttered version with an entire lobster claw meat on top an then a cold version served with mayo for a creamier style. Both were served atop a typical grilled split top bun and the dish came with homemade criss-cross cut chips sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning. Each plate was well presented and the flavor combos really hut the spot. With a huge selection of bourbons, we will most certainly be back. read more

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Wow, what a pleasant surprise! I absolutely LOVE brunch, and Char did NOT disappoint. Our first time visiting Char, and definitely not our last. My daughter and I visited around 1:00, on a Saturday afternoon. The dining room was probably half full, with a steady flow of customers, in and out. We were greeted and seated, right away. Our server, Brandon, approached, and walk us through the menu, at a high level, since this was our first visit. We ordered a number of dishes to share. We ordered, the eggs Benedict, no prosciutto, the breakfast hash, the waffle, and yogurt with granola. Our entrees arrived a short time later. Our favorites, were the hash, and waffles. The hash was delightful, a mix of white, and sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, nicely seasoned, and topped with a sunnyside up egg. The waffles, were warm, almost funnel cake like, reminded me of a liege waffle, just a little but crunchy on the surface. The yogurt with homemade granola was nice, and our least favorite was the eggs Benedict, but it was still tasty. We don't eat beef or pork, so I think by ordering without the prosciutto, the dish was missing the "salty" component. The Benedict was well composed, soft English Muffin, lightly toasted, topped with spinach, a perfectly poached egg, and homemade hollandaise. The portions were generous, the service was great, and we left full and happy. I do wish there were some non-pork/beef meat options, a homemade chicken sausage, perhaps (hint, hint:-)), We will definitely return for brunch and looking forward to trying the dinner options, as well! read more

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ok, Char has been our go to place for Sunday brunch for a couple of years. absolutely the best burgers I have ever had. I'm writing this because today the breakfast burger was very sub par. dry, no flavor, no where near worth the $17 price tag. I don't know what happened. did you change the beef? new chef? so disappointed because I really love this place and have recommended it to so many people. we spent $87 today and for that we expected the amazing meal we have gotten used to. please Char, if you have changed something to save money or whatever, go back. read more

Drink 5 stars, food 5 stars and service 5 stars. We were a group of 6 and we're not able to get seated at a table on a random Wednesday even though there were plenty of open tables (maybe due to lack of staff? But we were told they were reserved. Weird) anyways thankfully we had space at the bar so we took over and had a great experience! read more

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Love their craft cocktails! We usually go for drinks and heavy apps. Love that the menu changes seasonally. Great cozy place and definitely make a reservation. read more

Don't get the cornbread. $12 for the smallest piece. Pen in pic for reference. We used to frequent this place quite a bit, but portion sizes are smaller and they got rid of some of our favorite entrees. Whiskey prices are overpriced as well. read more

Avo - Very small piece of cornbread - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rocky River, Ohio

I come here when I want a good sip of bourbon. Not so much for the food. I ate here before, I was unimpressed. Service was great. read more

Paid $23 dollars for a Wedge Salad to go.... If you still don't know my opinion after seeing the attached photo than me elaborating any further would be useless. read more

Avo - $23 wedge - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rocky River, Ohio

Decided to stop here with my siblings for a happy hour / early dinner. They had various cocktails, drafts, and starters for $3 off. There was no shortage of fun cocktails to pick from that suited every persons taste! It was nice to sit on the patio and watch the traffic on Detroit Rd pass us by. There is parking behind the restaurant so you don't have to worry about finding a spot (score!). I ordered the steak salad and it was UNREAL. Very generous portions and so filling - made my mouth water! So excited to come back and eat more steak salads here, best I've found in Cleveland! read more

Avo - Steak Salad - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rocky River, Ohio

We ventured to Char through a recommendation of a friend and it was phenomenal. We enjoyed the Char burger that had a nice touch of short rib and a great sauce. The wings and pomme frites were excellent too. Great service and atmosphere at the bar! read more

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Whoa! This place is insanely delicious. First of all great customer service. Our waitress was super attentive and great with suggestions. She seem to know the menu in and out. We started with some drinks. A little bit a honey was amazing. I also tried the Keylime pie martini which was delicious too. But I could drink that little bit a honey all night long! First we ate the seafood chowder, it was delicious huge chunks of different types of seafood and potatoes. This is definitely a crowdpleaser. We also tried some oysters, I was not a fan but I have never had oysters before so I will not hold it against them. For my entrée I got the lobster carbonara. Oh my goodness how delicious! I can't even explain how good the food here was. Everything was like stupid delicious. I would go back here all of the time if it weren't so pricey. This place is great for a special occasion, definitely check it out. Period read more

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Always really good and creative drinks. Had the Char burger with no bun this last time around with pomme frites and it was perfect!! Buffalo cauliflower appetizer was delicious as well. read more

The place is nice, there's parking in the back which is great. The service was pretty good. My friend had the French onion soup which was not hot enough but they heated it for her. I had the mussels. To start with if you had told me it was crumbled sausage in a cheese sauce with mussels I probably would have said no. But actually it was fantastic. The mussels weren't meaty, but they were fresh. My major criticism is that you really want some soft French bread to dip. And instead you get garlic bread that they make in batches and it's hard as a rock. Not good for dipping - not going to absorb sauce at all. I asked for bread, and all they had was sliced white bread. Because they make the garlic bread so far in advance. Also not a great sign for a restaurant. But still the meal was good. read more

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Underwhelming restaurant. The good: I loved that this spot had plentiful parking in their lot and was dog friendly (and pretty empty) on a Monday for lunch on their patio, but sadly these were the only redeeming qualities about this place. The not so good: I've seen Char on a bunch of good eats in Cleveland lists so was eager to try it on my recent trip. First warning sign of the lackluster meal to come: This place advertises itself as a whiskey bar with hundreds of whiskies to select from. But when I asked my waitress what to recommend for a cocktail (which I try to do when I first visit a restaurant), she suggested a gin/vodka drink (the hey jealousy.) A little weird that a whiskey bar's go-to suggested order wouldn't actually have whiskey in it, but I have a fierce belief in the recs of servers, so went with it. The drink was okay, a bit sweet for my taste. It comes with an ice cube with chopped flower petals, so as the ice slowly melts, you are constantly picking out little pieces of flower petal out of your mouth. Not a pleasant drink experience and I did not finish the drink encouraged to try anything else from the bartender. Took me awhile to decide on food. They don't have a lunch-specific menu, which is a bit disappointing because I wanted to try multiple smaller things. I settled on the lobster rolls because they looked popular on Yelp photos and, having lived in Boston a long time, I love me a good lobster roll. I asked the waitress if I could only get 1 instead of the 2, because I don't personally care for the cold lobster salad version of lobster rolls, but she was pretty dismissive of any alternatives and generally seemed like she wanted to me to get finished with my ordering as soon as possible. I should have known better than to order a lobster roll in Cleveland. This was nothing near the warm buttered roll of my many years in Boston, and quite frankly, had no business calling itself a lobster roll. It bizarrely appeared as if the lobster had been pan fried? Altogether unpleasant texture, and at $31 was pricier than any lobster roll I've had in New England before. The lobster salad version was only marginally better, perhaps because slathering the lobster in Mayo covers up the most egregious mistakes. A stupidly expensive and disappointing meal later, I was ready to get out of there and won't be returning any time soon. Dismissive service, mediocre drinks, truly "meh" food. Not worth it for me. read more

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This has easily become one of our favorite places to eat. The wagyu meatballs are so tender and flavorful, by far my favorite appetizer on their menu. The atmosphere is nice and the service is great. I tried their lobster roll. It was sweet and very tasty, but it's not something I would eat again unless I had a craving for it. But please, try the meatballs! read more

Avo - Lobster roll - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Rocky River, Ohio

We are new to the area and don't know our way around. As it turned out we had guests coming, last minute, on a Sunday-as a birthday surprise. We were able to make reservations online for the time we needed. And although it felt like we were taking a chance, Everything was amazing: ambiance, service, food! CHAR accommodated special dietary needs, made thoughtful recommendations, and made our spontaneous birthday celebration a real celebration! We will be back! read more

Lobster Rolls - amazing Bartender: caring and really GREAT service Ambiance: nice tonight on a Thursday evening. I decided to give this place another chance, on a whim. I'm so glad I did. The bartender was really helpful with helping me choose something. I chose Lobster Rolls against my better judgment. They were amazing. I got one cold, one hot. I recommend the hot but the cold was good too. I don't know how much extra Lobster would be but next time I'm going for it. I'll be back - SOON!! read more