The name, "Charcoal Grill House", brings images of large hunks of meat sizzling on a grill in a sweet, smoky environment...at least that's what I pictured. But names can be deceiving...
Instead, this Charcoal Grill House is a small, friendly, comfortable niche that features primarily a variety of beef, lamb or chicken kebobs (Khorovats) and a range of complementary Armenian fare which is as exotic as it is flavorful. I mean, really, where else have you found authentic Armenian fare in Springfield or elsewhere?
I took the advice of a previous poster on the Tomato Salad. The name says it all because it's ALL tomatoes - no lettuce, no croutons...all tomatoes. After getting over the starkness of the plate of seasoned, split cherry tomatoes, my mouth exploded with the flavorful seasonings. I later asked the kindly, generous owner about this seasoning but couldn't wrangle the ingredients out of him. It was wonderful!
My wife ordered a beef dumpling dish that was similarly stark, appearing like a bowl of bare tortellini with accompanying dollops of dipping sauce. But when I sampled one, the flavor was amazing. This theme continued throughout the meal: Stark presentation but wonderfully diverse flavor.
We also shared an order of meat-stuffed pastries in a phyllo dough wrap which was flaky & spectacular.
I would actually classify this as an Armenian Tapas restaurant as it is perfect for two or more to order the different menu items and share them as appetizers, saving the kebobs for the main entrée.
The owner brought each table a sample of Armenian fare as a bonus: a salad, dessert or something else to entice them...all on the house. This is NOT a Mediterranean restaurant as Armenia was a part of Old Mother Russia originally. However, if I had to compare it to another International cuisine, Russian or Greek would be the closest.
This is an exceptionally unique restaurant to keep in your pocket for your friends, family or associates who claim they have "eaten it all". Expand their horizons while watching their eyes widen in appreciation when they sample fare from the Charcoal Grill House. Just don't let the name fool you... read more