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Posted on 3/13/13 at 8:33 am to JasonL79
quote:
How can it have bad service straight out the gate. Doesn't make much sense.
Actually, that's when service issues are most likely to occur as they work the kinks out and the staff becomes more accustomed to the place.
This place has certainly gotten mixed reviews. I'll give it a couple of more weeks before I try it.
Posted on 3/13/13 at 8:37 am to JasonL79
We just thought it was funny they spent all that money and are not ada compliant
Once they work out the kinks it will be cool. But just too expensive for me. The burgers are damn good though... but not $17 burgers
Once they work out the kinks it will be cool. But just too expensive for me. The burgers are damn good though... but not $17 burgers
This post was edited on 3/13/13 at 8:39 am
Posted on 3/13/13 at 8:51 am to VOR
quote:
Actually, that's when service issues are most likely to occur as they work the kinks out and the staff becomes more accustomed to the place.
Yea but it doesn't take long to realize where your issues are. I ran a new restuarant(although a small one) before and figured it out pretty quickly. I'm pretty sure the owners aren't new to the restuarant scene either. The complaints I heard from my friends are the layout, the order process, and the staff. The order issue should be able to be fixed the easiest.
Staffing is a different story though. It is hard to find a good staff.
I'm going to go in a couple weeks. Don't think I want to fight that St. Patrick's day crowd.
Posted on 3/13/13 at 9:08 am to JasonL79
Why go there when you can get 2 delicious burgers from Lee's for 10 bucks!!
Posted on 3/13/13 at 9:23 am to JasonL79
quote:
The order issue should be able to be fixed the easiest.
I saw the menu posted. Basically, it's got EVERYTHING on the burgers as far as options besides meat and bread as ala carte type choices (and even those are separate choices -- with various meats and breads, I believe). It seems like they should probably have a few pre-set burger combinations, and that would likely expedite the ordering process.
Posted on 3/13/13 at 9:29 am to JasonL79
quote:
Staffing is a different story though. It is hard to find a good staff
This is true.
I'm going tonight, FYI.
If service is slow, that is one issue I can live with as long as food is good.
If service is rude or inconsiderate, that is another issue I would not put up with.
Have any of you who have had a bad service experience there commented to the manager or attempted to email the owners?
I would certainly do that in your situation. They should value fair and honest feedback.
Posted on 3/13/13 at 9:46 am to Y.A. Tittle
quote:
It seems like they should probably have a few pre-set burger combinations, and that would likely expedite the ordering process.
They added that a week or so ago. There are 4 or 5 "already customized burgers" so to speak posted on the wall above the cash register.
Posted on 3/13/13 at 9:51 am to Wooly
quote:
We just thought it was funny they spent all that money and are not ada compliant
2010 ADA regs are less than 3 stories or less than 3000 sq. ft. per floor and I think you can get an exemption on the elevator, unless you are a shopping center or shopping mall, or a professional office of a health care provider. That said, without knowing what went down in the design process, either the architect or client should have spoken up and lobbied for an elevator. All new construction should be universally accessible.
Posted on 3/14/13 at 8:23 am to BottomlandBrew
Going to provider a bump since my wife and I went last night.
First, I asked about the weird downstairs/upstairs setup. Apparently, food waits were too long at night if both sections were open. So they limit the downstairs at night for only takeout. Lunch during the day. And I figure, in order to ADA compliant, they'll serve someone downstairs at any time.
Oh yeah, the food. If you build your own burger, it's not really not out of line price-wise with the other upscale burger places, imo, depending on what you put on the burger. The house specialty burgers are a tad higher, I guess, for a couple of items (i.e. the "Kobe").
I had the bison burger and it was damned good. Cooked just the way I like it.
My wife had the turkey burger with guacamole, jalapenos and something else I can't remember. But it, too, was juicy and tasty.
The house made chips are fine. Didn't try the fries. Did try the onion rings, and they just aren't the style I like (I think of them as Yankee onion rings
)
It won't be one of my regular places (actually, I don't eat burgers more than once or twice a month anyway), but I'll definitely be going back from time to time.
First, I asked about the weird downstairs/upstairs setup. Apparently, food waits were too long at night if both sections were open. So they limit the downstairs at night for only takeout. Lunch during the day. And I figure, in order to ADA compliant, they'll serve someone downstairs at any time.
Oh yeah, the food. If you build your own burger, it's not really not out of line price-wise with the other upscale burger places, imo, depending on what you put on the burger. The house specialty burgers are a tad higher, I guess, for a couple of items (i.e. the "Kobe").
I had the bison burger and it was damned good. Cooked just the way I like it.
My wife had the turkey burger with guacamole, jalapenos and something else I can't remember. But it, too, was juicy and tasty.
The house made chips are fine. Didn't try the fries. Did try the onion rings, and they just aren't the style I like (I think of them as Yankee onion rings
) It won't be one of my regular places (actually, I don't eat burgers more than once or twice a month anyway), but I'll definitely be going back from time to time.
Posted on 3/14/13 at 9:01 am to VOR
Thanks for the review VOR. Sounds like we are starting to get a general consensus of the place. My buddies went last night. Think he's going to post a review on here today.
The Yelp reviews are mostly positive, but the place isn't getting a bunch of glowing reviews. Some say it's bad, some say it's good, few say it's awesome, few say it's terrible. Read the reviews if you get a chance; they're pretty good.
here's one little nugget from a typical Yelp type:
The Yelp reviews are mostly positive, but the place isn't getting a bunch of glowing reviews. Some say it's bad, some say it's good, few say it's awesome, few say it's terrible. Read the reviews if you get a chance; they're pretty good.
here's one little nugget from a typical Yelp type:
quote:
Today I had the delight of trying the new burger place in town: Charcoal's. As soon as I heard about the unique menu, I was in. I couldn't wait to try it out. Among some of the items besides the basic beef are antelope, elk, bison, salmon, venison and veggie.
Being the adventurous spirit I am, I decided to try the antelope burger. I got it topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mayo on the brioche bun. You can get all kinds of fancy ingredients on it like bacon and avocado and grilled onions, but I decided to keep it simple.
Posted on 3/14/13 at 9:05 am to Rohan2Reed
You gotta run like an antelope, out of control!!!
Posted on 3/14/13 at 9:09 am to Rohan2Reed
quote:
antelope burger. I got it topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mayo on the brioche bun.
Ugh!
Review coming today. FYI
Posted on 3/14/13 at 9:23 am to Rohan2Reed
quote:
Today I had the delight of trying the new burger place in town: Charcoal's.
That colon totally sets the tone for what's to come. quote:
fancy ingredients
And no mustard on a burger?
This post was edited on 3/14/13 at 9:25 am
Posted on 3/14/13 at 9:41 am to Rickety Cricket
quote:
And no mustard on a burger?
nah man! ketchup and mayo!
Posted on 3/14/13 at 10:35 am to Rohan2Reed
I finally tried Charcoal’s last night with a few friends.
I’ll start by saying the entry way is uncomfortable, it’s shielded by glass from the downstairs dining area and the upstairs dining area, Burger Purgatory. Upon entering, a hostess asks if we are dining, in which I respond “as opposed to what?” It’s my first time and I’m unaware of a to-go option. We’re lead upstairs into a mouse maze like dining area, with high tables that are so close you have to zig and zag while squeezing past other tables on a ½ full night. I found the atmosphere somewhat bleak, in what is suppose to be a modern concept, it comes across spartanly.
My party starts with a round of drinks, Irish Channel Stout for me, Cote du Rhone for lady friend and Nola Blond for buddy. These were the only drinks for the night.
As we peruse the menu, we notice only 1 other table (a 6 top) in eye sight, yet they sat us towards the corner of the restaurant. You would think they would try keeping us closer to ease their access to our table. When you see the set up and difficulty of navigating this dining room you will scratch your head.
We finally get around to ordering our meals,
I order the much ballyhooed preset $15 bison burger on brioche with an aged goat cheese, spinach, tomato, boar’s bacon, and spicy mayo. I added jalapeno which cost me $.25 but shouldn’t have; ordering this burger with toppings ordered separately wouldn’t have incurred an up charge. They need to figure this out. They gave me the chips (didn’t ask for), and I also ordered the sweet potato tater tots. Mid-rare.
Lady friend ordered, regular burger $11ish on lettuce (gluten allergy) with aged cheddar, lettuce, tomato, regular bacon, and caramelized onions. She ordered the regular fries with her meal. Didn’t ask her how she wanted it.
Buddy ordered, $18 Kobe burger on regular bun with no cheese, and I forget what else he dressed it. Mid rare
The food arrived fast enough for me, roughly 15 minutes, it all looks good upon initial inspection. The tater tots I ordered, mentioned coming with several sauces, it arrived with none, so I asked the waiter for sauce. He asked what kind I wanted, after reminding him I’ve never been, he suggested some garlic aioli that I added crystal sauce for a nice bite.
I uncovered my burger for a quick analysis, it fell victim to one of my greatest pet peeves. Terrible bun to burger ratio, I must have had 4-5 bites with no meat. The burgers were not very big for the big price tag, if you arrive very hungry, order a side. The cheese was pretty good but added very little in terms of taste, it was more to moisten the burger. IMHO. The boar’s bacon amounted to a few sprinkles, no full strips and barely detectible in any bite. The spinach, tomato and spicy mayo were well proportioned to my liking and added nice flavor to the burger. Now to the beef: as stated, I ordered the bison burger medium rare, it arrived somewhere between medium well and well done. I would have been well within my rights to return the burger, but it was nearly 10 pm and I was tired. There were bites that were inedible due to extreme dryness, and at some point I gave up. The chips were fine, and the tater tots were very good. The tot’s had a very nice crispy exterior and the inside was sweet, shredded and very delicious. The garlic aioli with a little crystal is a nice pairing.
My lady friends burger looked good considering it was between lettuce leaves. She said it was cooked to her liking and appeared quite juicy. The caramelized onions were left on the side of the plate and after she tried them remained there. I believe she said they were too sweet, that was her only complaint.
My buddy the burger Maven enjoyed his burger and fries as usual. He did mention that he was unable to detect much flavor difference between his Kobe and the regular burger he ordered on his previous trip. I’m not judging one way or another, but he isn’t a food connoisseur.
After eating, we waited about an extra 15 minutes to get the bill and finally leave. That was aggravating but inconsequential after eating the food.
I would say, currently they’re staff could use a refresher in being polite. Our waiter wasn’t rude but was somewhat disinterested in our experience. We were a group that was looking to be shown the ropes, asking his opinions and he dropped the ball. Good service would have gone a long way to expedite my return. Never once were we asked what we thought about the food or any aspect of the place.
The food, I once had a friend who couldn’t cook a hamburger correctly…. He works in the movie industry, not a kitchen. Overcooking a burger is The Cardinal Sin!!! This can’t be allowed to happen if you are interested in staying in business. If a new place makes mistakes, I understand, but if the waiter picks up my plate with ¼ of a burger left. You have to ask what I thought; you can’t let people leave your restaurant believing you can’t produce a properly cooked hamburger.
Truly, I’m not a lover of hamburgers, and for a $30 meal I will choose other options. That said, I will return to Charcoal’s at some point, it’s close to my house and deserves another chance. You should go with tempered expectations, and a big burger budget.
I’ll start by saying the entry way is uncomfortable, it’s shielded by glass from the downstairs dining area and the upstairs dining area, Burger Purgatory. Upon entering, a hostess asks if we are dining, in which I respond “as opposed to what?” It’s my first time and I’m unaware of a to-go option. We’re lead upstairs into a mouse maze like dining area, with high tables that are so close you have to zig and zag while squeezing past other tables on a ½ full night. I found the atmosphere somewhat bleak, in what is suppose to be a modern concept, it comes across spartanly.
My party starts with a round of drinks, Irish Channel Stout for me, Cote du Rhone for lady friend and Nola Blond for buddy. These were the only drinks for the night.
As we peruse the menu, we notice only 1 other table (a 6 top) in eye sight, yet they sat us towards the corner of the restaurant. You would think they would try keeping us closer to ease their access to our table. When you see the set up and difficulty of navigating this dining room you will scratch your head.
We finally get around to ordering our meals,
I order the much ballyhooed preset $15 bison burger on brioche with an aged goat cheese, spinach, tomato, boar’s bacon, and spicy mayo. I added jalapeno which cost me $.25 but shouldn’t have; ordering this burger with toppings ordered separately wouldn’t have incurred an up charge. They need to figure this out. They gave me the chips (didn’t ask for), and I also ordered the sweet potato tater tots. Mid-rare.
Lady friend ordered, regular burger $11ish on lettuce (gluten allergy) with aged cheddar, lettuce, tomato, regular bacon, and caramelized onions. She ordered the regular fries with her meal. Didn’t ask her how she wanted it.
Buddy ordered, $18 Kobe burger on regular bun with no cheese, and I forget what else he dressed it. Mid rare
The food arrived fast enough for me, roughly 15 minutes, it all looks good upon initial inspection. The tater tots I ordered, mentioned coming with several sauces, it arrived with none, so I asked the waiter for sauce. He asked what kind I wanted, after reminding him I’ve never been, he suggested some garlic aioli that I added crystal sauce for a nice bite.
I uncovered my burger for a quick analysis, it fell victim to one of my greatest pet peeves. Terrible bun to burger ratio, I must have had 4-5 bites with no meat. The burgers were not very big for the big price tag, if you arrive very hungry, order a side. The cheese was pretty good but added very little in terms of taste, it was more to moisten the burger. IMHO. The boar’s bacon amounted to a few sprinkles, no full strips and barely detectible in any bite. The spinach, tomato and spicy mayo were well proportioned to my liking and added nice flavor to the burger. Now to the beef: as stated, I ordered the bison burger medium rare, it arrived somewhere between medium well and well done. I would have been well within my rights to return the burger, but it was nearly 10 pm and I was tired. There were bites that were inedible due to extreme dryness, and at some point I gave up. The chips were fine, and the tater tots were very good. The tot’s had a very nice crispy exterior and the inside was sweet, shredded and very delicious. The garlic aioli with a little crystal is a nice pairing.
My lady friends burger looked good considering it was between lettuce leaves. She said it was cooked to her liking and appeared quite juicy. The caramelized onions were left on the side of the plate and after she tried them remained there. I believe she said they were too sweet, that was her only complaint.
My buddy the burger Maven enjoyed his burger and fries as usual. He did mention that he was unable to detect much flavor difference between his Kobe and the regular burger he ordered on his previous trip. I’m not judging one way or another, but he isn’t a food connoisseur.
After eating, we waited about an extra 15 minutes to get the bill and finally leave. That was aggravating but inconsequential after eating the food.
I would say, currently they’re staff could use a refresher in being polite. Our waiter wasn’t rude but was somewhat disinterested in our experience. We were a group that was looking to be shown the ropes, asking his opinions and he dropped the ball. Good service would have gone a long way to expedite my return. Never once were we asked what we thought about the food or any aspect of the place.
The food, I once had a friend who couldn’t cook a hamburger correctly…. He works in the movie industry, not a kitchen. Overcooking a burger is The Cardinal Sin!!! This can’t be allowed to happen if you are interested in staying in business. If a new place makes mistakes, I understand, but if the waiter picks up my plate with ¼ of a burger left. You have to ask what I thought; you can’t let people leave your restaurant believing you can’t produce a properly cooked hamburger.
Truly, I’m not a lover of hamburgers, and for a $30 meal I will choose other options. That said, I will return to Charcoal’s at some point, it’s close to my house and deserves another chance. You should go with tempered expectations, and a big burger budget.
This post was edited on 3/14/13 at 12:42 pm
Posted on 3/14/13 at 10:40 am to Wooly
I've heard great things. I haven't tried it, butI heard it makes you forget about Company Burger.
Posted on 3/14/13 at 10:41 am to Rohan2Reed
quote:
Who plans "burger outings?"
<-------
Because, I like a good burger.
Posted on 3/14/13 at 10:43 am to TigerGrl73
quote:
but would have rather had Phil's Grill.
Phil's is underrated, It's very good and the prices are great.
Posted on 3/14/13 at 10:48 am to Napoleon
quote:
forget about Company Burger
Bold statement
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