Beautiful restaurant, but the food could've been a lot better and the service was average

We went last night using a gift certificate we received. We loved the ambiance as soon as we walked through the door. The hostess greeted us and sat us after a minutes wait. Our waiter, Leif, welcomed us and was very pleasant. Leif was very accommodating in opening our wine, it is a BYOB, and informed us on the menu, as they were out of 2 types of steak, which is no big deal because of their variety. We ordered a dozen roasted little neck clams which were out of this world. For dinner we ordered the tomahawk steak for 2. It was cooked to perfection, medium rare, and perfectly seasoned. It came with French fries, which were great. We couldn't decide on a side vegetable. Leif suggested the Brussels sprouts, they were excellent and we thanks him for his suggestion. Overall, while we don't usually go to steak houses, we will definitely go back. They have a very good menu that would make everyone happy, even if you didn't want steak. While some may consider it pricey, what restaurant instant any more, especially steak houses. But Char-Kol is worth it! Looking forward to our next visit! read more

Where to begin? I held off on writing this review for a few weeks just to gather my thoughts. Do I recommend the restaurant for the food? I'm going to have to say for the moment "NO." Do I recommend the restaurant as a venue to get your drink and party on? I would have to say "YES!" The restaurant is BYOB and has plenty of space for large parties. There is also a private room on the second floor available for events but the room is encased by glass so it's really not all that private. The music is extremely loud so if you want to throw a rave like party this is the place for you. If you are looking for quiet sit down dinner this is definitely not the place for you. If you want to have a romantic night out this is definitely not the place for you, the restaurant is so loud from the overbearing rave like music and the extremely loud and mostly drunk patrons you'll have to text your date to communicate with one another. Parking, they have their own private lot but it is valet only. There is plenty of public parking that is a short walk from the restaurant. If you suffer from respiratory diseases I wouldn't recommend this place it lacks sufficient exhaust fans to effectively ventilate the overbearing smoke that permeates the entire restaurant. Those seeking gender neutral bathrooms there is one on the second level. Onward to the night, we were there for our anniversary and I booked ahead via their website. We were seated in what is probably the smallest bistro like table I have ever sat in next to the stairs against a railing on the second floor and extremely close to some booth seating. We ordered a lot of food and kept asking the waitresses are they sure all this food is going to fit? They kept saying it would all fit. It was completely impossible for the meal to fit on the table the staff didn't want to move us to a bigger table until they stop taking patrons in, saving a booth for potential incoming diners but refusing to move 2 paying diners who have already ordered a meal well over $300. They get dinged for poor customer service for this, the waitresses actually argued about moving us because one didn't want to move us. Meanwhile there were other diners in there just drinking the wine they brought in being seated at booths without any fuss. Onward to the food review! Let me begin with informing everyone this restaurant will give you a little rundown that all their food is "charred" which we were aware of but there is a huge difference between charred, burnt and inedible. We ordered 2 starters: the Charred Octopus and the Grilled Caesar Salad. The Charred Octopus dish had a very strong fishy stench but did not taste fishy. The octopus was not overcooked, the flavors weren't anything exciting to rave about there wasn't really any strong flavors from the espresso beurre blanc I was expecting to be wowed. The fried oysters that accompanied the charred octopus were very light and fresh but once again lacked some flavor a little salt could have been added to the entire dish the charred shishito peppers also lacked flavor and was overly greasy. My husband said he thought the charred octopus dish was bitter. The Grilled Caesar Salad was a bit too salty for me but my husband said it wasn't salty enough for him so there are mixed reviews about it. The main course we ordered the Dry Aged Tomahawk For 2, it comes with french fries, black pepper bourbon sauce and a roasted garlic bulb. The black pepper bourbon sauce had zero taste we don't know if our tastebuds were just ruined from the overly bitter char or if it was just bland. The char on the steak ruined the nice cut of meat good char is supposed to add smokey flavor profiles to the meat and fat if done correctly but this just tasted bitter. In addition, we added side dishes: the Garlic Mash Potatoes, Roasted Vegetables, and Blistered Shishito Peppers. The garlic mashed potatoes were extremely gummy and the portion was probably enough for a baby the texture was so unappealing we didn't eat it but I did taste it the flavor wasn't bad. The roasted vegetables were mostly severely burnt and inedible almost entirely bitter. The blistered shishito peppers lacked flavor and was overly greasy. I will commend the restaurant on the fries! The fries were absolutely amazing and are basically the only reason I gave them 3 stars instead of 2. The dessert, the ice cream was bland and underwhelming the chocolate dome was very hard. Would I attend this restaurant and give them another chance? Maybe. read more

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The ambiance was wonderful, very pretty place.. The food was delicious and while our waitress was sweet, she put the wrong order in for my meal so my husband got his and was almost done before mine arrived because they had to begin cooking it at that point. I never complain about anything but it was my birthday and I was kind of disappointed that this occurred. And... the manager came over and told me twice that my food was just about to come out but never offered anything for the inconvenience which would have been nice... We go out often and are well versed on etiquette so it would have been a nice gesture. Will we go back?? possibly... read more

This past Saturday we went to Char-Kol in Freehold. We had made a reservation back in early January and we were a party of 6 for a seating at 7:00 pm. We were all there at 7:00 and were told just a few minutes. We were finally seated in a booth (they said it would work for us but it was very tight for 3 men and 3 women) at 7:50 pm. One of us got a sprite which he sent back as it was flat. We ordered our dinner and my husband and I both got burgers and I wanted mine well done and he wanted it medium well. We got our dinner approx. 1 1/2 hours later and the burgers were both rare. Two ordered steaks and both again came rare which neither one wanted that way.When I cut my burger and saw how rare it was, I sent it back only to have it come back still rare and now my fries were not even warm. I took about two bites out of it and was done. Kaitlyn the manager did visit our table and heard our complaints. She did take some items off the bill. We were in the place so long, two people had to go outside and put more money in the meter for their cars. At one point we asked to see the owner but he had already left. I have to say our server was excellent. Needless to say, I will never go back nor recommend the place. read more

Visited Charkol for an earlyish (6) Sunday dinner without reservations and was quickly seated. It's BYOB and they don't serve alcohol. Overall the meal was great but could use a few improvements that would make me come back. For the appetizers, we ordered burrata pizza, ricotta, oysters and the shrimp. The ricotta is an absolute must order closely followed by the burrata pizza. The pizza had a nice crispy crust and the combination of sauce with burrata was chefs kiss! The shrimp was overcooked but edible and the oysters were fresh and tasty, but not particularly special. For entrees, we ordered the scallops and skirt steak. The scallops were delicious - seasoned well and cooked to perfection. But, the risotto was a huge miss - tasted like play doh, not sure that anyone tasted it before it left the kitchen because it was horrible! We ordered a side of lobster Mac and cheese which was fine but I wouldn't order again. The steak was delicious but sauces could have been more flavorful. Dessert absolutely hit the mark - yummy bread pudding with the perfect portion of ice cream. One suggestion - Nutella as the topping over chocolate syrup. read more

Char-Kol - Bread pudding - Steakhouses Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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this place is absolutely amazing for big groups we came on a friday night and the vibes were just AMAZING! all 10 of us said the service was fast, they were also attentive to the very minimal mistakes made, and super nice/all around great personalities the food was cooked to perfection. we all got various dishes and it was impressive the way they got all of our food out in a decent amount of time will 100% be coming back. it's also a BYOB so you can vege out on soo much food! read more

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Hubby and I had a lovely dinner here with friends on Friday August 12th We were seated downstairs and I can see what fellow Yelpers mean when they say it is loud- it is incredibly loud, you can barely hear your dining partners, because everyone is talking loudly to be heard over the other diners and the over the top club music being played- vying to be heard is an Olympic race here. We brought our own spirits since there is no bar. Nor do they have even basic mixers that you can buy, if you bring hard alcohol. Appetizers: We ordered two orders of the pork belly, 1 house made ricotta, both were delicious. Now, we ordered everything at one time as instructed- so how did our ordered get so royally screwed up? Our friends ordered the Dry aged Porter 40oz ($150.00) for two obviously to share: they were served before us- It was not cooked correctly they requested medium well- it was rare and it was cut. They asked for it to not be cut. So our friends requested it to be taken back to be cooked a bit more, so the waiter, took it, but during this Jax took a bite and the steak was very cold. So he asked - how can it be ice cold? it was literally just cooked. Their Porterhouse was all in all - sent back twice- so he asked again, the second time- -- "At $150.00 wouldn't you want it cooked correctly and served as requested, why is this not being done? the Man helping our servers from the kitchen, could not answer this- our friends were very very disappointed and no one came to talk to them about this, they ate it, but were not happy. When looking at this Porterhouse- all four of us agreed- this may say 40oz-but in reality, this really is, a single person Porterhouse- and more like a super big T-bone, but not a two person Porterhouse, and sides are not a filler, they are a accompaniment. We have all eaten at other steak houses and, upon comparison- definitely this is a 1 person Porterhouse. After they received their steak back the second time- my hubby and I were finally served our meals... why? so long? I ordered the New York Strip (Prem hand cut at $55. ) med rare and I was served the (Dry aged $77.) Cowboy rib eye well done. Frankly it lacked seasoning, it was cold as well and tough, I boxed it to go. Hubby ordered the Filet 12oz at $64.- it was supposed to be medium rare and it was welllll done and by well I mean well done! he boxed it to go as I did mine. All steaks needed seasoning at least salt and pepper. Our sides were two of mashed potatoes, one roasted root vegetables, one brussels sprouts- the mashed potatoes were pretty much the highlight of our entree's. The sprouts were hard and burnt- I think there was supposed to be a balsamic reduction but it just tasted like vinegar. We didn't bother taking them to go or the root vegetables. For dessert we ordered the 1-Peaches and crème dessert- no great shakes, the peaches were hard and the crunchy candy was good. Also the 2 dark chocolate mouse dessert was ok. We skipped coffee, paid and went on our way. At almost $500.00 for our food - it was s serious disappointment. I can't for the life of me, go back to Char-Kol until the kinks are worked out, I think it's just still new and working out the kinks. It has huge potential. But I cannot give 5 stars or say it was mind blowing fantastic, because that was not our experience and my reviews have to be 100% true and honest. Food & service is what makes a restaurant, not lighting, décor or ambiance. Hubby and I agreed to give this another go, next year once the kinks are worked out. read more

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Uhh.... Tldr: * Wrong pizza. Although they offered to bring the right one. * Second dish ( seafood tagliatelle) was never delivered. * For the price I was expecting way better quality food. * Waitress did not acknowledge the pasta goof. The little longer version: Hostess took us upstairs and outside which was the only open spot for walk-in. It was nice since it wasn't too warm. They brought water and bread for us while we looked at the menu. We eventually chose the pesto pizza, the seafood tagliatelle and the octopus. The octopus was over cooked or old as it wasn't very tender. The pizza was delivered to us but it was the wrong one. They offered to correct it by letting us keep the margherita pizza and then making a pesto one. However we thought that is too wasteful and just kept the one they had made already. It was nothing to write home about a bit blend. The other house special was supposed to be the seafood pasta which must have been eaten on the way to the table. All kidding aside though, the waitress didn't even acknowledge she forgot when we mentioned that we no longer wanted the dish she simply said ok. Nice ambiance. Hopefully they figure out the seasoning issues and well the service. read more

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All around pretty great! The food was tasty. Meat cooked perfectly.. nice vibe. It's expensive! So be prepared for that!

Ambience is great. The steak was cooked to perfection. For appetizers we had the octopus. I love that you can BYOB.

Our first visit to this restaurant and I was looking forward to a tasty steak. For starters we ordered the octopus and tempura shrimp. The octopus was well cooked and tender. It came with some grilled peppers which unfortunately did not have much flavor. Some long hots would have been better for my taste. I didn't try the shrimp but they disappeared so I assume they were tasty. For my main course I ordered a dry aged cowboy ribeye, medium rare. The steak was cooked as ordered. There was more of a char on the steak than I liked. It did not have the flavor I've come to expect from dry aged meat but it was tender. One of the people in our party ordered the skirt steak but was served the strip steak. The waiter referred to his notes to defend the error but he obviously just misheard person. He did offer to bring a different steak but said something a little funny. He said " I can bring you different steak because I can resell this one" I thought that was a weird thing to say and hopefully not the policy of the restaurant. My wife ordered the filet mignon sandwich. She asked for it to be cooked medium rare but it was served closer to medium well. She wasn't a fan. We ordered two sides, the Brussel sprouts and garlic mashed potatoes. Both were good, I thought the potatoes were delicious if not overpriced at $14 for a small portion. As far as the service I would say that our server needs to be given some training. Twice he leaned over the table to serve food but his armpit was right in my face as he leaned across. He should be taught to walk the extra steps and place food directly in front on the patron. Not happy with that. Overall the food was not bad but given the prices I would expect better. They charge premium steak house prices but didn't offer a premium steak house experience. I saw no reason to return given the price/quality equation. read more

Food, server and atmosphere!! Amazing!! Definitely recommend Char Kol And love that it's a BYOB! Since when is a steak house a BYOB?! Keep up the good work! read more

Gets an "a-ok" in my book, let's go! Likes: - Scratch kitchen/high quality food - Salad (caesar) was solid/excellent! - Loved the sides (creamed mushrooms + mashed potatos) - Service - Atmosphere Dislikes: - Small details that miss the mark for what (I think) they are targeting/aiming for, which is a high-end restaurant (ie- "hostest" wearing her flip flops) - Odd steak portions, specially most options were 20oz, however- no way I could eat that much steak, and no- the waiter played down us sharing one Ok: - Our steak we had for our main course Would I be back? Ehhhhh- probably not, as overall the night out/experience was just "ok" in our book. read more

Went the other night, food, service, atmosphere was top notch. Will definitely be back and bring more people next time.

We had previously gone here a little over a year ago and could not remember why we hadn't gone back. When returning tonight we figured it out very quick. The service here is awful. The servers bringing out the food have no idea whose table the food is for and don't hide their confusion. Our server, Jack, must've apologized to every table in our section for timing. Just to get water it took 15 minutes. Food is overpriced, and not impressive. Not to mention they stuck us outside and blasted the heaters to the point of breaking a sweat. It's safe to say we will not be returning! read more

Nice ambiance good service. My ribeye was 81 bucks. Good but salty. Wife had skirt steak for 64 bucks. Food was good but not great . Dropping 200 bucks for 2 steaks and a side , I expect better. read more

We went there for Easter Brunch. Though the food wasn't awful, it was far from good for the price paid. Food was served buffet style. chicken and Salmon were very dry. Steak was just OK, lamb was OK. eggs were scrambled like you would find at a Hampton Inn. No shellfish, no made to order omlettes. Again, if this was $19.99, perfectly acceptable. For their price, an embarrassment. The worst thing that happened was desert. They presented us with a dessert menu with no prices on it. We naturally assumed it was included in the buffet. I never order dessert but figured why not. Guess what? not included. Not a big deal, but they automatically added 20% gratuity. We would have left that any way, but is insulting. Our waitress came to our table twice. Once to bring water, once to bring soft drinks, which by the way were not included in the price. Positives is it has a very cool industrial vibe. That's about it. read more

went here the other night for my friend's birthday we got a reservation. It's really nice inside. The atmosphere is great. The waiter was awesome. I got the chop burger was really good with the fries is also a BYOB here so we got some wine steak is on the little expensive side but you expect it because it's a steakhouse. Definitely a good spot for a date and a nice dinner. read more

Char-Kol - char burger - Steakhouses Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

Cute spot in Freehold's little downtown. They have a shared parking lot shared with other businesses that you have to pay for later in the day. We came for lunch so there was free parking. We were a bit confused walking it because they were hosting a baby shower on their first floor which has a few of the baby shower decorations in the front and there wasn't a host. So we were standing around wondering if they were closed for the event. Someone finally came around and We asked if there was seating for two and a baby. We were seated in their second floor loft. The inside is very nice and vibey. Definitely good for date nights or a nice night out with the girls or friends. They had a good selection on their lunch menu. We decided to get the Short Rib Gnocchi and the Ricotta, prosciutto, pesto, cherry tomatoes pizza. They were both so filling and delicious. We were tempted to get dessert but after looking at the menu there wasn't anything that made us want to get it. We agreed though that we would come back to try more of the lunch menu and to try the dinner menu. read more

Char-Kol - Gnocchi - Steakhouses Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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This place definitely is a vibe. Ordered the pizza, it was delicious. Quite disappointed when I was informed they were out of the ribeye. It's was my wedding anniversary and having a good ribeye is a staple with us. Got the porter house, it a decent but not a ribeye. Also had the brussel sprouts, delicious!! Was also informed they would not cajun/blacken the steak, another disappointment. When time to order dessert, I asked for the bananas foster but the waiter quickly told me that it really is not a bananas foster. Thought that was odd but her definitely talked us out of it. Hence, no dessert. The waiter was a bit of a turn off, can't remember his name but will stay away from his section if we go back. And with it being our anniversary, I noted in my reservation, first time restaurant did not acknowledge it. These things held me from giving 4 stars. read more

I am so happy I picked this place for my birthday dinner!! The food was AMAZING!!! The service was AWESOME!!! We will be going back! And I highly recommend you go as well read more

Overall good experience. Waiter was very nice and helpful. My only complaints were the brussel sprouts were terrible. They were not cleaned properly and all the hard ends were left on. They were also extremely sweet. I would not spend $12.42 on these. My only other gripe was when they take the order for your steak, they say would you like some chimichurri sauce on the side and some truffle butter.. so i said yes.. only to find out each item was nearly $10! For 2 tablespoons of sauce. They should let you know this is going to be an add-on charge. It was presented as if it was included. Other than that. The mac and cheese, the house fries and the octopus appetizer were fantastic. The steak and short rib were excellent as well. The braised short rib bad a sauce all over it which was similar to a basic gravey taste which was ehh.. but the Polenta and the meat itself was fantastic. 28oz Premium cut porterhouse was med rare and cooked perfectly. Potentially a tad too much salt on certain pieces. Next time i would just ask to go slightly less on the salt. Would come back again for sure read more

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The food, service & vibes are Char-Kol are 5/5 every time. The steaks are always divine and the salmon was crispy & the potato purée was flavorful! The truffle fries are a must order. read more

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Thoroughly impressed. Great decor and vibe for a table full of friends or a date night. The staff was professional and helpful. The kitchen is rockstar status. Its open design is something to be seen. The head chef and line are exactly who you want to see back there for this experience. Hardworking putting out food at a 5 Star level. Now to the food. Blown away. Started with the House Made Ricotta with brown butter, vanilla and honey. It was simply awesome. Also the 1/2 Charcuterie. Everything on it was top notch. The quality of the product was amongst the best we've ever had and better than other top rated Italian places we've been to. For dinner was the dry aged NY Strip. Bone in and it was cooked to perfection blowing away any steakhouse in the area. Oh and it's wood fired. Got to see it being cooked in the open kitchen. Side of brussel sprouts were perfectly favored and done. There is also a separate old school domed wood fired pizza oven. So we got the house made burrata, with marinated tomatoes. It was crispy, chewy and fantastic. We'll be using CharKol for take out pizza also. For desert we got pretty much a bit of everything. No matter what you're in the mood for after, they have it. Everything was perfect. Ice Cream, a s'mores creation that was insane, bread pudding (creamy cake consistency), and a peanut butter ice cream wrapped in a chocolate shell. All of it was great. Usually I'd write that we can't wait to go back, but in this case I already made reservations for next week to try more. A job well done by the owners and staff from top to bottom. read more

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Burnt steaks at NYC prices. They warn you they char their steaks, but I didn't expect it burnt to a crisp. They ruined an $80 dry-aged, medium-rare Ribeye. I had to cut off the burnt outside of the steak to eat it. When I asked the waiter if I could have ordered the steak less charred he said "No, that's how we cook them." The appetizers, sides, and dessert were delicious. My wife enjoyed her Halibut. And the wait staff are very attentive. Hence, why I'm giving it 3 stars. Decor was nice but they played loud club music, which I didn't expect from an upscale steakhouse. And when people are spending over $100+ per person on dinner, charging $11 for valet is tacky. True steak lovers should go elsewhere. Or order their seafood, pizza, or pasta. read more

Top notch service and amazing food. I had the scallops which were tender and tasty . Husband and son shared an aged steak made to perfection. The bacon appetizer was crispy and flavorful. Ambience oozes cool vibes. read more

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Great steaks with good flavor, always cooked perfectly. Loved the garlicky mashed potatoes. The best service with the friendliest waiters, and a beautiful interior. The chocolate hazelnut bomb is to die for. read more

Great ambiance. Enjoyed date night with the Mrs. Service was good but it was quite crowded resulting in a bit of delay. read more

Went here with a few friends recently. As a foodie, and someone who tries new restaurants often, I think (friends agreed) the food was mediocre, and flavorless. My friend got the scallops, but was totally turned off by them paired with vanilla brown butter risotto. Just a weird combo. Service was decent, ambiance was beautiful. But I personally do not find this restaurant to be worth the hype or the price point for what it is. read more

Char-Kol - Short rib gnocchi - Steakhouses Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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You should always count on a high end steakhouse to produce certain sensations at every meal. There is the insistent smell of broiled dry-aged steak that hits you the minute you open the door and sometimes sooner, producing a raised pulse, a quickening of the senses and a restlessness familiar to anyone who has seen a tiger that has just heard the approach of the lunch bucket. There is the hiss of butter and melted tallow as they slide down the hot platter, past the sliced porterhouse or rib steak and their charred bones, to make a pool at one end. This was not really the case at Charkol The service was great, but the food was average at best. After I paid, there was an unshakable sense that I had been scammed. Other restaurants, and not just steakhouses, buy beef that is tender, richly marbled and deeply flavorful; at Charkol, you get the first two but not the third. Other restaurants, and not just steakhouses, age that beef to make flavor grow and intensify and double back on itself; dry-aging at Charkol still results in a tender steak, but it rarely achieves a hypnotic or compelling or even very interesting one. Listen, it's worth a try, but don't have the highest of expectations and prepare to forfeit a pretty penny. read more

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First time I've been there and the food was fantastic. Everything was cooked exactly how we wanted it, app and sides were delicious as well. Christine was our server and she was great. Loved the atmosphere. Will def be back! read more

Sadly, this place will get one star from me because the pesto pizza was okay. This place has so much potential, it's so nice, aesthetically is beautiful but sadly the food doesn't live up to the hype. The food was terrible, I ordered salmon with risotto and I gotta tell you, my risotto was sweet and no taste at all, the salmon had zero seasoning or salt, asparagus were good though. My friend couldn't even pass his second bite of the shank dish he ordered, and my third colleague was having a hard time eating whatever he ordered. If this is some sort of a Steak house or whatever they call it, they should get people with more experience in what they are taking about, especially if you are paying $70 for a ribeye. I should've payed attention to the red flags, especially when I asked the waiter "which one is the most popular pizza or dish?" And he just started reading the entire menu, followed by "I haven't tried that yet" to every dish he mentioned. Last, just when I thought some dessert could have saved the night and save them from my negative review, they decided to add more insult to the heavily insulted injury by telling us that they did NOT have desserts available, not even ice cream. What the FUDGE?!!! I've never been more pissed off, given that I drove ONE AND A HALF hour to try this place with my colleagues. According to the waiter, all they had available was one dried bread pudding. Shame!!! We had to go to the American hotel for desserts. Almost $200 bill for a terrible experience with no dessert. Will not come back. I'm not taking any more risks, rather than paying attention to google reviews, I should've read Yelp first, I guess this is how I payed the price. read more

Char-Kol - Dinner with the colleagues! - Steakhouses Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

Beautiful space with excellent service. however the food was disappointing, especially for the price of the meat. Overcooked & bland. Need I say more? read more

Food was very good but the service was atrocious. The waiter was a complete ass and the food took an hour to come out and the waiter couldn't care less. Unfortunately will not be back because of him and the service. read more

Revising my prior review now that the place has been up and running for some more time. I gave a higher rating on my prior review based on the fact that they were newer and probably didn't have the time to work out the kinks. I took my fiancé here to celebrate a special day and left wishing we went somewhere else. After we were seated and placed our order, the complementary bread was provided to tables that arrived after us, but not to our table. Our appetizer arrived and other tables that arrived after us got a second round, since the kitchen was slow that night, and we still weren't served any. We had to flag down our waitress and point this out. After a while, my pizza arrived but my fiancé's pasta didn't. We ended up starting to split the pizza because it was over 10 minutes later and his food still hadn't arrived and mine was getting cold. We again had to flag someone down about this issue. His food was decent. My pesto pie was dry and many spots had no sauce at all. It seemed like they over extended seating for what the kitchen could handle. Main dishes for one table shouldn't be delivered over 10 minutes apart, especially if they're charging prices of a more high end restaurant. Food was ok and not necessarily worth the price. The complimentary bread and butter is probably the only thing that I really enjoyed in the meal. Something else to consider is a serving utensil/knife for the ricotta, especially when order as an appetizer for the table. read more

Char-Kol - Slice of the Pesto pie- dry with not much pesto - Steakhouses Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

very popular location in downtown freehold so allow time for parking. municipal lot has hourly parking or Char-Kol does have valet at a cost. We had reservations for a large party made like a month in advance and they sat us on time right on the dot. Server was very friendly and attentive. they have you put apps and entres in all at once but they do a good job spacing out the service so you don't feel rushed. for apps we had margheritta pizza, tempura shrimp, house made riccotta, grilled ceasar salad and their special truffle gnocchi. it was all amazing! BYOB and an overall trendy vibe! if you are a meat lover, you will love it here read more

Char-Kol - shortrib gnocchi - Steakhouses Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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Was happy to hear of a steak house close to home! The decor is really great and done very well! The place is big, and the staff was welcoming from start to finish. Didn't know it was byob but now we do which is great. We started off with the Caesar salad and the pasta appetizer, both were great and delicious. The Pasta appetizer is like something we've never had before so we really appreciated it and our waitress did a good job explaining her favorite items. I don't remember her name but we do remember her telling us she went to school in Virginia, and I hope that gives her credit because she was wonderful. For our entrée We Shared a ribeye cooked medium rare and cooked literally to perfection, we were super happy with the cut and the flavor it was delicious. We also got a side of truffle fries and the peppers both absolutely delicious, the fries were just perfect. For dessert we shared the tres leche, this was not a recommendation but we wanted to try it anyway, and it was just ok, not the best we've had, but next time will go with the recommendations. All in all we had a great dinner and can't wait to go back! read more

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the restaurant is extremely loud. We didn't like the mac & cheese. It was like soup, also my chimichurri sauce which they charged an $8. The waiter took off the mac & cheese, but not the sauce off the bill. We were paying with a Charkol gift certificate and cash. The bill had a price one for cash and one for CC. We were informed we would have to pay the high price because we were using a gift card. When questioning him he walked away from our conversation. I called the restaurant and left I message requesting one of the owners to call me, which they never did. A few days later I got a manager and she said they would give me the difference from my previous bill plus an addtional $30. Went again for dinner and asked for the mananger Emily. She never came to our table and they took 1 $27 entre off our bill. I will never go back to to restaurant. The lack of service was terrible. read more

Homemade Ricotta was incredible. Tasted like caramel. Wedge Salad could use bleu cheese crumbles, but was passable. Porterhouse was excellent as were the fries, Mac and cheese and brussel sprouts. Server Kelly was amazing, attentive, helpful. read more

Char-Kol - Aged Porterhouse for 2 - Steakhouses Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey