Char Steak & Lounge — Restaurant in City of Rochester

My recent experience at Char Steak & Lounge in Rochester, NY has left me profoundly disappointed and frustrated. Sharing my grievances is not an outlet for venting dissatisfaction but a call to arms, urging others to steer clear of the evident lack of professionalism and disdain for customer satisfaction that I encountered. Through my recent interactions and observations, it has become strikingly evident that Char's claim of providing a fine dining experience is a mere façade. However, what truly unveils the extent of Char's inadequacy is their management's inaction. The lack of apologies for their repeated blunders underscores a disturbing absence of accountability. Being made to bear the repercussions of their mistakes, which were entirely of their making, reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of customer service and basic decency. Over the span of a week (three visits in total), I found myself returning orders on two occasions due to their glaring inaccuracies. Astonishingly, the manager managed to shift the blame onto me, implying that my dissatisfaction with their mishandling of orders was my fault. A recent encounter on August 8th, 2023, reached an absurd climax when security was summoned in response to my legitimate grievance over a poorly executed burger and my desire for appropriate compensation. Their disproportionate reaction to a minor concern highlighted their ineptitude in managing customer issues with tact. Perhaps the most egregious example of this was when security was called because I questioned a charge for a burger with burnt cheese and a plate that bore no resemblance to my order. Neither the management nor our waiter extended any gracious compensation, apart from remaking the burger—no apologies, no acknowledgment. This oversight persisted even after a substantial 20-30 minute wait for a replacement, while my friend enjoyed her meal—a meal that also deviated from her order, which she silently endured out of fear of being banned from the restaurant. This bullying response to a valid concern showcases their disregard for customer feedback and their failure to gracefully rectify their errors. Their skewed interpretation of professionalism is evident, making their purported fine dining experience a mere illusion. Furthermore, the security personnel displayed shocking indiscretion by divulging an employee's termination—a testament to their lack of respect for sensitivity. This employee, who exhibited exceptional dedication to the fine dining experience, subsequently earned respect in a more esteemed Rochester establishment and beyond. Efforts to undermine the significance of her contributions reflect misguided judgment. While a fine dining establishment should epitomize sophistication and refinement, my experience at Char was far from that. Instead, I endured humiliation as the kitchen and waitstaff repeatedly mishandled orders for both me and my friend. Amid this chaos, the only individuals to demonstrate professionalism were the bartender and assistant server, who offered a rare apology for the ordeal. As someone who's explored fine dining across the nation, I firmly affirm that Char falls drastically short. It's not solely the culinary missteps, but the overall absence of an environment conducive to an enriching dining experience that leaves a lasting impression. Their failure to grasp the essence of customer service and fine dining is an exemplar of their glaring incompetence. I've resolved to discontinue my longstanding patronage of Char. My loyalty was misplaced, and I feel compelled to spare others from enduring the humiliation I faced. In conclusion, I fervently hope Char Steak & Lounge embarks on transformative change. This should involve a new manager who grasps customer service and fine dining principles. The saying, "the fish rots from the head down," rings true here. An extensive reevaluation of management and staff attitudes toward patrons...

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 were also great, no complaints there. The truffle fries were a bit of a letdown. 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...

We have been fans of Char for years. Many dinners with friends have been enjoyed there and my husband often utilizes Char for business functions, from meetings with colleagues to interviewing potential new employees. He is a steak aficionado and Char is quite simply his favorite restaurant.

When he was going to be celebrating his 60th birthday, and our son, his 20th, Char was the logical choice for a great evening out with the family. Two of our daughters came in from Boston, and we were really looking forward to having everyone together. I called ahead and let the restaurant know that we were celebrating two birthdays, and also asked about bringing a cake in from outside. I also requested that we be seated outside, and was told that while this could not be reserved, considering the time in the evening that we were arriving, most likely this would be possible.

We arrived promptly at 7 for our 7pm reservation and were kept waiting for 15 minutes. We were told that we could not sit outside because there wasn't a table large enough to accommodate 7 people. Then we were led to our table.

Back room. My back against a utility closet. Tables that look like the tables at restaurants that serve hot turkey sandwiches and meatloaf pieced together. Empty room. No atmosphere. Even in that room there was a better table but for some reason we were relegated to the table against the wall. I felt like I was at a business meeting.

There were wonderful tables in your restaurant that could seat 7, but they were already occupied. Even in the character-less back room, there was a better table where we could have sat. But us and our celebration clearly were not important to Char. That is exactly how it felt and still feels to us. It may seem like a small thing, but that celebration was very important to us. Char was a restaurant that we loved for years; we believed that if we went we would have a great meal in a great atmosphere. Now neither my husband or myself have any...