Charcoal House Bar and Grill was hands down one of the worst experiences I've had at any lounge or restaurant. The hookah was terrible--harsh, flavorless, and clearly rushed like they didn't care at all. For a place that offers hookah, this was embarrassing. Service was painfully slow and disorganized. On a packed, busy night, they were severely understaffed, which is not the customer's problem. We waited forever for basic service, and staff looked overwhelmed and unprepared. No urgency, no communication, no apologies. The place was crowded, chaotic, and poorly managed. If you know you're going to be busy, staff accordingly. Simple. Overall, bad hookah, bad service, bad management decisions. Definitely not worth the time or money. I won't be coming back and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. read more

We recently celebrated my husband's 50th birthday at Charcoal House, and we had such a wonderful experience! From start to finish, Suha was incredibly helpful with everything from A-to-Z. She made the planning process so much easier and even recommended amazing dessert vendors that turned out great. Nabil was also so kind, welcoming, and always willing to help with anything we needed. We truly appreciated all of his help and hospitality. The food was delicious, the ambiance was fun and lively, and our guests had a great time. Thank you, Charcoal House, for helping make this celebration so special and memorable! read more

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yesterday was the second time this place, charge you an extra charge please be careful I bought one drink I paid for it they charged me for the drink and also they charged $100 on my credit card. I called them nicely. They keep saying no problem but they didn't do anything about it. It's under review. It's under investigation but a credit is not issued yet. Very, very bad read more

Huge shoutout to Suha! She went above and beyond in helping us plan this event. We had our daughter's college graduation celebration at the Charcoal House and our experience was exemplary from start to finish. The staff were welcoming, attentive and made us feel taken care of the whole time. The appetizers and dinner came out fresh, flavorful and well prepared. You can tell they put care into the quality and presentation of the food. The ambiance was lovely...warm, inviting, stylish and clean. Everyone had an awesome time! Thank you Suha for making our night extra special!! read more

Food was ok but overall, kebab meat from the mixed platter was a bit under flavored. The chicken needed more salt. The sambusas were ok when hot but solidified with cooling. It's very loud here, especially as there was a performance. No surprise that the waiter misheard our order and we never got the beef sambusas we asked for, but instead, another set of cheese sambusas. Too much smoke in this hookah lounge. Was glad for my mask and eat plugs to block out the loud music and strong smoke smell. The show was pleasant and free with dinner, so on the whole a nice experience. Free valet parking. Reserve ahead of time to get a spot on busy nights like show nights. A Syrian singer sang covers of middle eastern songs. The concert aspect was fun. read more

Charcoal House - American Near Me - La Mesa, California

It's closed. Has been for. Few years. New owners added a room and renovated without building permits

First time here at Charcoal House came for Deejay Al and it was such a latge place, great seats, bar was nice, hookah and food was great, drinks were delish!! We ordered the Chicken Tikka Plate, Fattoush Salad, and Mixed Shwarma Plate. The Cosmo was great tasting too. Food was great and seasoned well!! Service was a bit spotty. It was hard to track down a waiter for little things here and there. The First DJ was great!! Great mix of arabic, old school, house. Deejay Al of course was amazing and made people get up and dance. It was an awkard set up for a DJ not to have a dance floor! Persians break the rules, we made a dance floor and had a blast!! I would definitely return!! read more

From my understanding they're under new ownership and they are now open for lunch. At first site I was rather confused at the entrance because no one is there to greet you and there are 2 huge gray doors that don't exactly communicate "come in". However, I am so glad I peeked in because I was greeted by very friendly people and a beautiful atmosphere / ambiance, where you can have a conversation, and the music isn't overpowering nor are other people's conversations. Good for a couple or groups. They have more than enough seating. We ordered as an appetizer Jajeek (see pic). We've never had it before but dang it was very good. For the main course we ordered the lamb shank and the mixed beef plate (see pics). Delicious doesn't begin to describe what we were eating.. All the different spices, textures and flavors were a thrill ride for the taste buds. I drank a Diet Coke (my go to) and Omar had an iced tea (see pic) which wasn't even on the menu but the waitress, Rowa (awesome), made it from what she had available and Omar says it was delicious. There was a LOT of food. So we had to take some home but that was just to make room for dessert...kunafa (see pic)...yummers!!! Are we coming back? HECK YA and you might want to give it a try too. Reasonably priced for these days of inflationary pressures. read more

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over all excellent!!! by far the best place at night in San Diego!! not to mention the most amazing food! we visit multiple times in each month from Bay Area . consistency is the key ! they got it all ! staff and management beautiful people literally love them all ! smiles in their faces always, Top it off with a great chef , thanks all for making our nights there very memorable... read more

It was an amazing experience. Everything was good, food, music and the service. It was a great ambience read more

I had my son's baptism party at the banquet Alu and Crystal were amazing people, they helped me a lot planning for my party also everything at the hall was amazingly professionally done, the food was on point, appetizers were delicious and the staff were very nice by providing great customer service. I would definitely go back again for any of my party. read more

I went to Charcoal House last Friday with group of friends to attend an Assyrian comedy show, Ramina. The event was not ver organized in my opinion. We had an assigned table, but they put us on a different table next to it, not a big deal. The chairs were very uncomfortable. We ordered the Maza platter for appetizer which included tabola, hummus, baba ghanog, and chacheek for $35 and it was good. For dinner, we ordered Tray one which has mixed grills for $99 and it was advertised to come with rice, but it came with out it. When we asked about the rice, they said they were out, but they will bring us more fries. The fries never came, they were out of that too. They added 25% service fee which I didn't mind because the waiter was really nice and always checking in. They offered free parking. read more

Charcoal House - American Near Me - La Mesa, California

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For those of us who have always known this place as the "Wrinkle Room" (old dive bar with Karaoke) this place has been TOTALLY revamped!!! Take a look at these pics (attached) Went for lunch with a friend last week. BEAUTIFUL venue perfect for receptions or large parties! No afternoon Hookah (only at night), but food and service was AMAZING! My friend ordered waaaay too much food but it gave me an opportunity to try everything. The appetizer plate had four dips (hummus, Tabbouleh, Tzatziki, and one more?) all of them DELICIOUS! Then the chicken / steak / Kabob, rice and salad came out and it was SO good too! The service was 5 star! The hostess / waitress were SO attentive and even made me a drink based on what I told her liked and it was PERFECT! There are beautiful leather booths that offer each party a semi private area and the bar is GORGEOUS! Hopefully the pictures I've attached do it justice. Follow up: Went for Shisha (hookah) and drinks the other night. It was packed (they had a special guest singer performing) and it was a PAAARRTY!! Tried smoking with a grapefruit bowl (see photo) for the first time and it really added a great touch!! I don't know what they are called on the menu, but we had these little chicken appetizers that came out with tinfoil on the leg (to keep your fingers clean while eating?) and they were SOOOOOO delicious!!!! You gotta check this place out!! read more

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It was good restaurant, the food was delicious, highly recommended The entertainment program was nice read more

Disappointing Experience with the Host (this place is large and have lots of employees which most are very nice, but the blonde/silver hair host is very rude) I've been to this restaurant a few times and have generally enjoyed the food and the atmosphere, but my recent experience with the host which I believe she is new, left a lot to be desired. When we arrived, we were greeted with a cold attitude, and there was no attempt to make us feel welcome. The host didn't acknowledge our reservation and seemed uninterested in providing any assistance. The host has also asked us to spend a minimum of $300 which was not addressed anywhere. What really stood out was the lack of professionalism--it felt like we were a burden rather than valued guests. While the food remains good, it's hard to overlook how the host made us feel. Hopefully, the management will address this and ensure a more pleasant experience for future guests. read more

Food is great and priced fairly, service is good, cool setup. Hookah is decent. It's a good place to come with group of friends.

Entertainment good. Service not good. When asked, waitress gave inconsistent prices. Food was okay. The appetizers were better than the course. read more

Good hookah and great food! I love their lounge-y yet private atmosphere. I always try to grab a seat on their couches since they're somewhat private or enclosed. If you want to sit with the crowd or you enjoy people-watching, then I suggest grabbing a table in the middle. The service can be slow, but it's not difficult to grab someones attention to come change out the coals for your hookah or place an order for food. There is plenty of parking nearby, so that is not an issue. Overall, a really good spot for hookah. read more

This was my first time visiting Charcoal House and boy was I pleasantly surprised. The place was spacious, clean with outstanding decor and soft music notes playing in the background adding to the already serene ambience of this beautiful restaurant. I was served by Rowa, who was outstanding and explained the menu options in detail. Based on her expert recommendation I went with the Mixed Grilled plate and it was absolutely delicious. The fillet mignon was bursting full of flavor and the beef tikka was tender and juicy. I have been to quite a few Mediterranean restaurant and the quality of the food and service here was the best I've ever received by a mile. I would highly recommend and would most certainly be returning. read more

The food at Charcoal House is incredible! The service is excellent and the staff are so friendly and on top of it. I've gone to a couple events recently and it gets better each time. The DJs and singers each weekend make such a fun evening. I highly recommend checking them out for lunch, dinner or a fun night out. They have many events throughout the week and weekend. read more

Charcoal House - Mixed tray - American Near Me - La Mesa, California

Do not go here if you are l... Horrible hospitality and rude beyond expectations. We walked in for a drink and they said we were not dressed appropriate with a bunch of dude in t shirts and sneakers. Give me a break we were at the bar. What is the deal with this place? What's the sense of community? Who is this place welcoming if not everyone? Whatever. read more

Do not let the l location fool you. I went there for lunch and the food was really good. The customer service was superb. The atmosphere is great. read more

Charcoal House - Good food - American Near Me - La Mesa, California

We were really looking forward to trying the new menu. I called at 11:35 to order takeout for lunch. They told me it wouldn't be ready until 1:00 (!!!) In actuality, it wasn't ready until 1:15 (!!!!) An hour and 50 minutes seems like a looong time to make 3 plates and an appetizer platter ; thank god we didn't go to the restaurant and have to wait that long. Also, the appetizer platter did not come with any flatbread, which seemed weird (nor was it a menu option as far as I could tell). Are we just expected to eat the hummus etc with a spoon? The food itself was delicious, but this restaurant is definitely not-ready-for-prime-time when it comes to takeout service. Oh, and it's not like they were super busy; when my husband picked up the food he said he only saw 2 customers in the restaurant. read more

Last day for brunch! Not kidding, because we unknowingly came on the last day they were planning to serve brunch. The brunch cost $9.95, and when we arrived, we were told that they would not have the food laid out, but rather made to order because they did not have all the ingredients to set up their regular brunch. We were given a oral list of items, that we could order unlimited for the said price. It was kinda strange, but workable. We settled for a variety of foods including: Mini Fruit bowls (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/charcoal-house-restaurant-la-mesa?select=0Eqjt54KPklmWTsly9ltyQ#0NviSqF-V1Q03l1bvqh0kg) okay Biscuits and Gravy (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/charcoal-house-restaurant-la-mesa?select=0Eqjt54KPklmWTsly9ltyQ#OWCIaplNZxSeCyFzvqK1VA) not that good, very generic Salad (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/charcoal-house-restaurant-la-mesa?select=0Eqjt54KPklmWTsly9ltyQ#xK-Dn_bQ7DcznwdBvwMbTQ) Yummy! Scrambled eggs, hash browns, and bacon (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/charcoal-house-restaurant-la-mesa?select=0Eqjt54KPklmWTsly9ltyQ#l2h9wvDYirp2rrtOCZ5avw) Okay, bacon was the best part. French Toast, bacon, and house potatoes (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/charcoal-house-restaurant-la-mesa?select=0Eqjt54KPklmWTsly9ltyQ#0Eqjt54KPklmWTsly9ltyQ) Good. Pancakes were very good! The scrambled eggs lacked seasoning and the bacon was good, but some of the strips were limp and some was perfectly crispy. The pancakes and salad were the best part of the meal I thought. The service was good, but upon arrival the place had a very strong scent of bleach. I mean I like to eat at a clean place, but that took some getting use too. Eventually the scent was aired out. Our server was great. She was very apologetic about the brunch mix up and did what she could to make us comfortable and make up for the lack of brunch items. Overall the food was okay, but very simple. I would say a 2.5 stars, because I have to honestly say, I have had better, and with the mishap with brunch, well enough said; but once again, kudos to our server that did her best to make it happen with what she had. She deserves a raise! I would recommend they update their on-line menu and website because it still says they serve brunch at 10 am., but no more as of today.... read more

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$7.99 for melt-in-your-mouth Prime Rib? Yes! No, not the dinner, but an appetizer with enough chunks of meat on the plate to constitute a dinner, and a couple of perfectly seasoned and flavored pieces of garlic bread to go with it. I had enough to share a few bites with others so they could see how good it was and still make up for my lack of dinner and get totally full myself. I would order this again in a minute. The La Mesa Lunch Bunch group chose this place to come to for our second evening event. It was a good choice. Some of the Karaoke singers were so good I forgot it was amateur music and thought I was listening to a hired live band. It was a bit loud for talking to anyone who wasn't sitting right next to you, and you had to talk pretty loud even then, but not ear-splittingly uncomfortable. I asked the waitress if they had any purple drinks and she recommended the grape vodka. Not my usual cup of tea but in this case it was quite good, grape vodka with seven up or something. Very refreshing. I had three of them with no after-effects the next day. The service could have been a little better. The waitress didn't really come around after we got our initial drinks, but when I turned around and looked there was a bar not far from us so people just went up and ordered directly. The waitress was very nice, though. Just overwhelmed by the number of people, maybe. Charcoal House can't take credit for the wonderful company I was in but I'll mention it anyway because it was part of why I had such a nice time. JC, our organizer, Tina C. and Pattie C., Warren, Tina's old boss, Ben (or is he your new one?), Ron the Rev, did I leave anybody out? Let me know, I can edit. Anyway, a good time was had by all! read more

Favorite hookah lounge in San Diego hands down. It's so nice and clean inside. The atmosphere and vibe is very good. There is always live music playing in the hookah lounge. They also have a restaurant(steak house) and a bar Separate from the lounge. If you are smoking hookah you can order from the restaurant or the bar which is very nice. The waiters and waitresses are very friendly. Nick and Andy were very helpful and respectful in our time there. I usually get the phill cheesesteak or the buffalo chicken tater tots. 100% guarantee you won't be disappointed at this spot. read more

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Not a steak house any longer, should not be listed as such in search. Yelp needs to get on the ball

Ate here on a Friday evening about 745pm and found the place fairly busy but nothing crazy really. I was seated quickly and already knew what I was going to be getting from my review of the menu online. I also had a livingsocial deal of $40 to use up so this was gonna be a nice big meal! I got the 6 oz congac fillet with sauteed mushrooms and onions, dinner spinach salad with added chicken, side of seasoned asparagus and then the normal entree side of baked tater and green beans. A hefty meal indeed but recall folks, I am a competitive eater after all.....this is how I dine! Pictures of all of these are in the photos section so do check them out for full effect. Everything was pretty average or a bit better then average accept the congac fillet.....this was AWESOME! The fillet was cooked perfect, for me thats medium rare. The mushrooms and onions with congac sauce come out bubbly hot on a skillet and you can just smell the deep sweetness of the sauce topping! I even used my potato which I like plain myself.....to chop up and soak up every last drop of the sauce from the skillet! My whole meal was $46 without a drink but I paid a whopping $6 after the livingsocial deal was applied to not a bad price at all! Granted not a price I would pay for in full without a deal like this but I did and so there I was and I was satisfied with everything in this case. My waitress was helpful, kind and patient with my specific order needs, kept my water full, got my check promptly when asked and kept a close eye on me during my whole dining ordeal. Overall this place was a positive and delicious experience. Again for the price of what I got without the deal I doubt I would come back to pay that much but hey, you be the judge and go try them out yourself! read more

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Had to hunt down a waitress as no one was in sight in the restaurant side! We sat ourselves down and was later greeted by a very nice waitress. We ordered ribeye and prime rib. The side of lentil soup was ok and the house side salad was not as fresh and plentiful as past times. We had to remind the waitress for the bread and came late after the steaks were served. The steaks were fantastic as always! U could cut them with a fork! The house Pinot noir was ok. The dinner was a little pricey at over 100.00 for 3....the steaks definitely made the difference! One more note...they need to improve keeping the smoke from the hookah bar from co read more

Charcoal House - American Near Me - La Mesa, California

The atmosphere, service and the food is great here and whatnot. They have a strict policy of no Shorts allowed on the weekends. They refused to let me in so I had to go back home and change because I wanted to meet up with my party. After a while I saw a couple of men getting in wearing shorts!!! Total hypocrisy and will definitely not come back here again. read more

A million stars for the Charcoal House! A friend and I went for dinner just to try it out tonight and we're so glad we did. The food was amazingly deeeeeelicious and beautifully presented. In addition the service was top notch. Our waiter was gracious, efficient and full of fun which added to the experience. Also the cost was more than reasonable for what we got. We left really impressed and are looking forward to going back! This is an excellent restaurant that I highly recommend. read more

Okay 5 months ago I was invited by a friend to her birthday party ,,the food Buffett she had ordered was very good and delicious,,,, there was kababs and different salads ,, However I went last week for a special Ladies event and it was a different and food was DISGUSTING !! They did put baba ghanouj on our tables and it was decent as well as small salad and flavor less tabouleh,,, when it was time for main buffet ( and I was starving) omg they had 2 proteins a chicken breast that had Nothing on it at all you could tell it was frozen pieces that were previously defrosted and just placed in chafing dish ( I passed on it ) then another chafing dish that looked like it was beef or some kind of meat , it was Gray colored and had a mushroom sauce on it to cover weird gray color,,and for vegetables they were from a frozen bag defrosted probably boiled and put on a plate ,, Mashed potatoes had a bad funky smell so I could not eat it, Niw I tried to cut a piece of meat to eat it and OMG OMG a huge piece of fat is what I got I had to Spit it out quickly and it was disgusting,,,,,, So bottom line Food was terrible and I left hungry ,, I'm not even discussing their lack of knowledge on alcohol drinks or mixed cocktails,,,, it's too bad if these are new owners then they screwed up quality of food ,,,,, the singer was great it was Danny ashkar read more

" Not What It Used To Be " I used to go to the Charcoal House all the time when I was younger but the other night I gave the new Charcoal House a try and was very disappointing. They cater now to all middle eastern people as they have Hookah Pipes and the decorations are old school. The place is all closed in and dark and the food was so so ! Not like it used to be. The way everything is closed in and buttoned up it is a little scary going into this place for a meal. We will not be back. read more

Consistently serving fresh and delicious food! Service is always on point as well. I recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for great Mediterranean food. read more

Visited for the first time since their second remodel/change of ownership. They removed the Moroccan vibes but kept the cabanas with a more modern flavor. Overall decent food, good hookah, and a live DJ Friday nights. read more

This place still has wonderful food. But...their main focus is not on dining. It's on the hookah bar. Do not go here for a date night, or an evening of fine dining. That ain't gonna happen. Go somewhere else. Sadly, a once really nice restaurant has declines precipitously. We got stuck on a rickety table next to the exit in the bar. Our server was nice by really unorganized. The food as I said was good, but the overall experience was a real let down. I've been coming here since the 1970's and it was always a real treat-no longer. Won't be back, read more

My family and I have been going to Charcoal House for about a year straight and have had really big celebrations here. We've spent thousands of dollars thus far. Safe to say we loved this place. Two nights ago we went to celebrate my aunts birthday and we had probably the worst experience ever. We arrived during happy hour and ordered 4 hookah and appetizers. Throughout the night we ordered more hookas, meals and more appetizers. The service the whole night was terrible. It took 30 min to get appetizers and believe it or not, another 45 min to get utensils. How does one eat a salad without utensils? And not to mention, the price of all the food has doubled. A simple cucumber salad for $11???? My boyfriend and I ordered meals and it took 45 min for him to get his... mine never arrived. So after an hr I told the waiter that they could keep the meal.. They still brought it out and looked at me like I was rude! The guy who serves charcoal cane every 30-45 min... our charcoal would be completely dead before he came back so we couldn't even enjoy our hookas. To top it off, they charged us gratuity ( for terrible service) and didn't honor any happy hour prices. It was awful. read more

I went into your bar area on Friday after work for a drink before heading home and the bartender Amy was amazing! Friendly and prompt service. However I did not stay long because the young lady that came in to take over for her was a different story. She was constantly on her phone and never even looked at me or asked me if I wanted another drink as I sat there with an empty glass and my wallet our ready to order. I gave her like 10-15 min and finally gave up and left. Very disappointed as the visit started out great. read more

Charcoal House - Night bartender. - American Near Me - La Mesa, California

Extremely unprofessional staffs. I made a reservation for 12 people with Noor. Confirmed with Noor multiple times over the phone but when we went there we saw there was a private party. I had guests who were visiting us from Dallas, and it was so embarrassing. Horrendous service, I cant forget this. Noor should be fired immediately. On top of that it was late and it was hard for us to find another restaurant. Thank God Ali Baba Family Restaurant took last minute reservation. read more

Great food and atmosphere! The chicken, kabobs, hummus,salmon, were amazing. The owner was really nice and we will go back for sure. Live music every Sunday evening too. I'm Italian, only had this type of food a couple times, and this was SO good! I do t do Hooka, but my group did and it was pretty cool to watch. read more

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