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    Char Steak & Lounge

    3.7 (242 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 10:00 AM, 12:00 pm - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 2 months ago

    Char Steak & Lounge Photos

    Business Info

    CHAR STEAK & LOUNGE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Char Steak & Lounge

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    8 Oz. Filet Mignon
    pantea T.

    Amazing service and top-notch food The fillet was 10 out of 10 the NY steak was eight out of 10 and sides of fries and brussels sprouts were amazing The place is spotless and beautiful as well

    Cake pop favorite!
    Mel N.

    Food is ok to good. I would have like less choices but higher quality food. We went to Mother's Day Brunch so I guess for $67 plus mandatory 20% tip per person they needed to appear as if you were getting a lot of food for your money. The service was excellent so I didn't mind the mandatory 20% tip.

    PEI oysters. Outstanding
    Bill R.

    3.5 stars. I had high hopes for Char, but was left slightly underwhelmed. They have potential to knock it out of the park, but the new menu seems to be a work in progress and they require customer feedback to adjust. I'll start with the stunning ambiance. You really get the feeling that this is about to be a top notch experience. Really nice decor and furnishings, professional hostesses that greet and seat, excellent water and bread service. Waiters are also excellent. Steak tartare is served in traditional manor with raw egg yolk and paired with grilled bread. It was well seasoned as well. I was excited to try the pork belly appetizer, but was dissuaded by the waiter due to numerous recent complaints. I got no time for that. Opted for the raw PEI oysters which were absolutely amazing. Scallops entree really disappointed me. At $52, there were only 4 on the plate!! They were also smaller than I'd expect for sea scallops. They are paired with arugula, but the greens are dry without any dressing or vinaigrette. There's also these chunks of persimmon basically uncooked chunks that were raw and unappetizing and unappealing. I would suggest a light vinaigrette for the greens and possibly a roasted butternut squash. And there was quite a bit of grittiness to the scallops themselves. Not satisfied. Filet ordered med rare. Hmmm. Solid but unspectacular. Like it wasn't totally over cooked really but if I was guessing it was more medium than med-rare. I'm used to that shape being a little over outside but proper temp inside but the very middle was still kinda medium. Chimichurri Sauce was great but not favorite match with a steak. The cocktails are a mixed bag. They do make excellent cocktails. But the presentation doesn't represent the elevated level Char strives for. Beers are served in random branded pints like Miller Lite and Genesee like a low brow sports bar. Mixed drinks served with straw with the top paper part remaining. Just doesn't fit with the atmosphere. I would come back in hopes they work out a couple glitches with the new menu and let new management adjust to feedback.

    NY Strip w. Scallops
    Vince C.

    Char has been on my list for some time now and I've finally made my way to making a reservation here for my birthday. Making a reservation for 8:30pm, we arrived a couple minutes late. There was a note on the reservation for a booth which I confirmed in the beginning of the day. After arriving, we were told there'd be a few minutes wait as one of the booths are just now signing their check. We weren't sat until 10 minutes have passed. Usually not a good sign as I made this reservation days in advanced and my request wasn't fulfilled which luckily by chance a booth was leaving. Starting with a few starters, we opted in for the octopus special. The octopus itself was tender and delicious. The accompanying squash was okay, a few cubes were undercooked. The gnocchi was also great, no complaints there. The truffle fries were a bit of a let down. I thought the truffles were rather bitter which took away from the entire appetizer. We also opted in for the potato puree which sounds scrumptious but in reality, just an average under seasoned bowl of mashed potatoes. For mains, I opted in for the NY strip with a side of the cold-water Canadian lobster tail, and a few scallops. The NY strip was cooked to the perfect requested temp medium, and the lobster and scallops were cooked perfectly. Only thing I found odd was the amount of drawn butter that came alongside the lobster tail. This was easily 3x over the amount necessary and I'm one who's not shy for butter. For the lady, she opted in for the filet mignon, lobster tail and also a few scallops. As mentioned before, no complaints on the scallops or lobster tail. The filet was rather undercooked. Requested medium and this was closer to rare. A bit of a letdown but nevertheless, it was edible. As for our server Alison, I thought she was professional and made our meal enjoyable and I loved our small talk. 10/10 for her. This wasn't a cheap meal as it rang in above $400 before the tip. This is without dessert and just a single bottle of bottled spring water. I expected the bare minimum a steak being cooked at its proper requested temperature considering this restaurant is known for their steak. On the fence whether I would return but leaning towards looking at other options first.

    Jennifer W.

    I will start by saying that my filet was delicious. It is a steak house, and they do steak very well. However, I was disappointed with the appetizers, sides, and service. The calamari was flavorless and could have used more seasoning. We also got oysters, ahi tuna, and eggplant parm. Nothing stood out as exceptional, just very average or slightly below. Additionally, eggplant parm is an odd choice to have on an appetizer menu given it is a large portion but very awkward to share. Additionally, the service was very slow and it took over 3 hours for our dinner. I'm not sure if the server was trying to leave us alone, but it was hard to get his attention. As a whole, I would not come back for the price as I think there are better steakhouses in Rochester.

    Bagel with lox
    Alison M.

    We stayed at the Strath and made reservations on Open Table for brunch. I had the bagel and lox which was perfect. My husband had the 3 egg omelette which he enjoyed. The food came out fast but the service was a bit clunky. The night before we had an awesome berry meringue dessert in the bar and it was outstanding. Overall a nice spot for brunch.

    Chilled Ahi Tuna, King Crab and Asparagus Salad
    Arvid Y.

    First re-visit since the pandemic and I'm happy to report that the steak is still excellent! They've put plexiglass at the bar and have also spaced the tables out. So overall it feels like a safe environment. I think their menu is a bit more focused, but all the popular dishes are still around. They still have a decent wine list / drink menu. The service is excellent. It was nice to see that Paulie is still a waiter there. The only potential downside is the loud and impersonal atmosphere. It's not exactly quiet and cozy, but the food is good. I got my favorite Delmonico Ribeye. A friend loved her filet. The beef tartare was excellent. My wife thought her salmon was just okay. The side Brussel sprouts and potato purée were decent. Definitely come here for the steak.

    Very expensive, overcooked and under seasoned steak that only my cat liked
    Alex M.

    Normally I would be outraged by feeding expensive steak to a pet but in this case it was so bad that there was a lot of leftovers and only My cat was interested in eating them.

    Crème Brûlée
    Michaela C.

    My fiancé and I went to Char last night for our date night and we LOVED it. From the atmosphere to the food to the service, everything was amazing! We started with the oysters and fried calamari, oysters were a good price and delicious. Fried calamari is our thing and we devoured it! And the bread that was complimentary my fiancé just couldn't get enough of! Then we both had a strip steak cooked medium rare to PERFECTION! They delivered to glasses of Prosecco because we were on a date night celebrating 5 months until our wedding--so sweet and thoughtful of them. I got the cream brûlée for dessert and it was the perfect temperature, exactly the way it should be served. To top it all off, our server, Namier (I hope that's how you spell it) was delightful! He was super kind, attentive and remembered everything about our meal without writing it down! Needless to say, we will be back!!

    Shrimp cocktail
    Che L.

    Our experience was nice there for our anniversary. We were given complimentary champagne, the food was good, and the waiter was helpful. Can't wait to try other items on their menu.

    PORK CHOP FAÇON GRAND-MÈRE
    Cheryl G.

    Food was really good. The server, Allison, was funny, engaging and attentive. The kitchen must have been backed up. It took a while for each course. We ended up taking a lot of leftovers with us. We really enjoyed our experience. We were celebrating a birthday and chose this place because of the reviews. It did not disappoint. The restaurant was medium noise level; which was good for what we were looking for. Upon being seated, we even got a little impromptu singing from another guess across the room. He actually sounded pretty good. Toward the end of our dinner, the lounge area started filling up quite a bit (as this restaurant is located inside the Strathanallan Hotel) but the music was acceptable. No complaints on that. It was rather entertaining. We were able to hear each other speaking at normal volume. On to the food... Everything was really good. We ordered a few sides for the table to share. I have to mentioned the brussel sprouts w/ the fermented garlic, honey & lime....very delicious! The steak was tender and melted in your mouth. Salmon was good, but could have been cooked a tad longer for my taste. As mentioned Allison was great. She brought to the table complimentary glasses of moscato wine for us to toast the birthday girl. It was a great night with good food. Will definitely visit again if ever in the area.

    Eggs Benedict

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    2 years ago

    Bar and restaurant with cool vibe and great menu. Had lobster Mac n cheese with great drinks served by our great server, Justine!

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Char Steak & Lounge

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    Char Steak & Lounge - steak - Updated May 2026

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