CHAR Grillhouse — Restaurant in Wausau

When we walked in there was a group of 4 employees at the hostess stand. Not one acknowledged us and they continued talking. After a minute one very nice dark haired lady in a black and white dress helped us to our table. She and the drink were the only redeeming factors of the evening. She sat us and we waited, and we waited... and we waited. About 15 minutes into being seated the waiter showed up and told us he apologized for the wait he was being spoken to in the back by his manager and it held him up. We got water and ordered a drink - which he didn't submit to the bar for another 15 minutes. There were only two other tables with people who had already been served and seemed like they already had separate waiters so .. not entirely sure where he went. Finally got the drink which again was good, Strawberry Rubarb Gin Fizz was a solid choice it turns out. When we finally got to order food he acted surprised we were ready to order - granted we were never told there were specials or anything because he hadn't actually talked to us at all really at this point. We both got Umami Burgers because they sounded really good. They were not and it took a long, long time to get them. It was supposed to have crispy mushrooms and Jalapeño tomato jam, along with the other ingredients mentioned. However those two specific things that sounded great - weren't there. It was just mushrooms and jam but super fruity jam absent of any pepper or Jalapeño like hint of any kind. It was one texture of mush and one flavor of sweet the whole way through. It was also supposed to have a cabbage slaw which we got some pickled radish thing instead I think? Certainly was not cabbage of any kind. We would have told the waiter but he was gone.. like forever. So long infact he never came back to refill drinks, ask how things were or even say hi. We tried to pay the bill at the bar when we were done and no one could find him so we had to wait for quite a while just for someone to figure out how the hell we were supposed to pay and how much. Keep in mind we were being super nice the whole time because we didn't want any issues.. we just no longer wanted to be there. As we were leaving that same lady at the host station apologized for the wait on the bill and I said thank you but it's not your fault and she just looked sad. She and the drink were the only positives and I hope she gets credit for being a good employee. I would list the waiters name but I honestly don't know if he ever even said his name. This came recommended and we were going to go for date nights if the quick burger before a movie was a success. It was not. Do not recommend. The poor couple next to us only had drinks and no food order by the time we left and we got there at like 4:30 maybe a bit earlier and left around 6 they probably got there around.. 5? How is that...

This place is way over priced for the food offered, and the food itself was... not great. I ordered the walleye fillet and my girlfriend ordered the half-rack of ribs. We had bruschetta for the appetizer.

So first of all, I've had bruschetta at many places, and i know the amount of food and plating can vary widely. But this was probably the most basic and uninspired version of the dish I've seen. The amount of food was small for the price, and they were very sparse with the ingredients. I like that they offered the dish, but they need to go the extra mile to make it memorable, not just put the bare minimum on the plate.

The walleye dish given to me was terrible. Strawberries and pineapple should NOT go on a fish fillet. The walleye was pan fried and crispy, but it was not seasoned AT ALL. The white rice had more flavor than the fish. I was eating it, and the texture was there, but it was not enjoyable. However, because the fish was covered in fruit, I couldn't just put salt and pepper on it. Eventually I did and it tasted better. But salty warm fruit mixed in with fish is not a good combination. The roasted vegetables were good though.

The ribs we ordered tasted like they were microwaved from a big box supplier, not anything that would have come from in-house. They were on par with what you might end up with at Denny's or Applebee's as a filler item on the menu. No offense to either of those places, but for a place with "grill house" in the name, and for being charged the higher price, we were expecting the ribs to be more of something from a grill and charred.

Overall for two disappointing dinners and the appetizer we spent nearly $100. Our whole reason for choosing Char Grillhouse was to experience higher-end food and dining experience. I used to love coming here when it was the City Grill, but things have...

I was excited to try this place out for the first time despite the prices on the menu. It was girls' night out at the Grand Theater and we agreed to dine close by before heading over. Disappointed is an understatement.

There were barely any guests, so we did get our food quickly. Although our server was a nice, young kid, he had the memory of a goldfish. He came to our table twice to as us: how are the first few bites? As he approached to fill my friend's water glass, I took my last few sips to have him fill mine too. He cluelessly just walked away. He didn't know what types of vodka were available or what types of juice. I've made better drinks at home. I will admit, my girlfriends were pleased with their meals (one had the NY Strip and the other Ale-Braised Beef Short Rib). And the presentation of all dishes was exceptional. But my Scallop Wild Mushroom Risotto was gross. The risotto tasted old and the mushrooms were slimy (reminded me of the texture of boiled okra). Compared to the same dish at Ciao, this dish left much to be desired.

Lastly, for such a classy place, I'd expect the host to acknowledge not only the guests coming in, but those leaving as well. This lad was perched on a stool behind the stand surfing his phone. He didn't even look up as the group in front of us, or my girlfriends and I exited the front door.

As a server for many years myself, I tend to be critical of service... especially when the price of an entree is reaching $50. It was frustrating to tip 15% for what I consider bad service on a $200 bill. Other reviews cited long wait times for food and bad service. Perhaps this is the reason there were only 4 tables occupied and one patron at the bar on a...