Charcoal House

dont waste your money! the premises smell like mold. interior is dated, we were seated next to a row of fake plants full of dust. we arrived for an early dinner, there were perhaps 3 tables of patrons. my husband ordered a house salad w/​blue cheese dressing which tasted horrible.
our waitress and the other employees were busy chatting and never removed empty glasses, crackers, etc. once our entrees arrived, and never checked on us after food arrived. I had halibut, cooked ok, but no seasoning, just bland hunk of fish with lemon wedge. I’ve had better fish at Red Lobster… Hubby had filet, was very good. had to flag down wait staff for water, drink refills. The butter cubes swam in a pool of water. DO Not waste $ 100+ for dinner for 2, unless you like mediocre food, terrible service, and hearing employees talking about TV shows and personal issues. Plus, they have terrible piped in muzak and the place is WAY too cold to enjoy. Still sneezing after sitting next to the dusty fake plants. Last time we’ll ever come here. Waitstaff needs remedial training, felt like we were bothering them just asking for ice or water

I have gone to the Charcoal House for the last time. I ordered the beef tenderloin tips ($ 33.95)
and they tasted like stew meat and just as tough. I ate very little and the server didn’t even inquire why I didn’t want a to go box. I will say my friend had the filet and said it was very good — I definitely ordered the wrong entrée.

Musty smelling interior, possibly from old carpet. There was a gnat in my drink and pointed it out to the guy who brought our drinks. I removed it with a spoon and he examined it with no response. Then my husband noticed there was a gnat in his drink too. He offered no apology, only said that the ice machine had been cleaned that day. And the point of that was??? Won’t be back.

My first time at Charcoal House, just awful. Nothing was good about it. The old fashioned to start was awful. The three of us each had the same steak, all were terrible. When the bill came I could’ve paid that same bill at 10 other places in St. Louis and had a much better experience!

My review is based on a meal my wife and I ate this week. My biggest issue is the dated décor and small portions. Mirrors everywhere from the 70s. Pass. We spent over $ 90 AND LEFT HUNGRY! Neither of us are big eaters so that is saying something about the small portions. Service was very good but we are not coming back. Too bad.

Highly recommend the steak by Gorge, with twice baked potatoes and creamed spinach. If you have never been this must be your first meal, it is their signature dish. Chris our server was fabulous she always takes extra care to accommodate the kids. Gorge as usual greeted the table with his warmth and charm. Great place to have all of the family dinners.

Went here for anniversary, we got the charcoal house special. Steak was great! The baked potatoe was decent (I think it was microwaved). Two dinners with salads– $ 87.65. I will not go back due to the fact the chef doesn’t know how to sauté a mushroom, they were raw crunchy and he did not cook off the wines alcohol in the sauce. But the steak was good.
Just a note– if you are in a small empty steakhouse, and you are in thee medical profession — PLEASE do not discuss your patients medical proceduresin a loud voice!!! It makes other patrons lose their appetites!
UGH!

Classic old school steak dinner. Low-​profile, subdued atmosphere places this gem hiding in plain sight. Great place for a guys night steak and scotch dinner.

Old St. Louis County steakhouse that does it the old fashioned way which is still a pretty darn good way!
The owner is on the premises. This is a good thing as he is friendly, welcoming and appreciative. Our server was very friendly. She was very knowledgable as to the items on the menu. The saloon-​keep was generous with the pours. The service was pleasant and patient. The house salad was excellent. Tasty and fresh. The signature strip I ordered was cooked to perfection. My dinner companion loved the signature filet. The sides were good and fresh as well. All very good! My only complaint is that the restaurant is a little tight and a bit dark. But, those two negatives are not deal killers. This little place is good good!

³⁰⁰⁄₆₅
Very significant numbers. My 300^th review and I turned 65 years old. I have not written a review in two long weeks because I wanted a special review for 300.
Charcoal house is old very old. It is so old I know I have been coming with my parents 50 years ago and now with my wife and children. A little history on Charcoal House. It was THE place to go on Mondays. Why? Because the two major country clubs Algonquin and Westborough are closed on Monday. Since the clubs were closed everyone went to Charcoal House.
Nothing really has changed inside or out. Old and dark. The menu has not changed still charcoal cooked steaks, twice baked potato, creamed spinach is the mainstays on the menu.
I started with escargot then had a bowl of beef barley soup and finished with a New York strip with baked potato. Yes it is a meat and potato place and it does them perfect. Around the table my son Chip K. had the same as I Mrs. K. the older had a filet and Mrs. K. the younger had shrimp scampi. No complaints about the food from anyone. In fact it was a solid rave from our small group. My steak was cooked to order medium rare and I had it topped with roquefort cheese. Oh my what flavors!
It has been mentioned I turned 65 years old I would also like to mention that I was the youngest male in the restaurant. It is good to come to a place for 50 years and still be the youngest.
So there we are ³⁰⁰⁄₆₅.

People are wonderful, but the $$ rating is NOT accurate at all. It is $$$$. Some of the entrees were $ 30+, and would still have to add sides. They did have a few moderately priced wines.
It was crowded, which means popular, and we might try it again. But we wouldn’t take a big family thinking it was $$ and having it be $$$$.

This is not a $$ establishment. Dinner entrées were mostly over $ 20 per plate, with several near, or over $ 30. Very busy, and looked like a local favorite, but what a (bad) surprise for a family of six.

Have I seriously never written a review of Charcoal House?!?
For as long as I can remember, Charcoal House has been a staple in my family’s restaurant repertoire. Before my dad moved his practice to Des Peres, he worked in the Rock Hill/​Brentwood area, and because of his close proximity to Charcoal House, we ate there a lot. In fact, the owners of this place have been patients of his forever. Every time we walk in to Charcoal House, we are greeted with a warm smile, a hug, and a basket of those AMAZING toast pieces.
At first glance, Charcoal House seems to be a tribute to a time when my parents were young. The mirrored walls, the dark wood trim, the old, comfy chairs… everything about Charcoal House screams retro– in a good way. The owners have somehow mastered the art of retro décor that doesn’t make the place feel dingy or in need of updates. I hope it never changes.
The food at Charcoal House is always just as good as the old-​school décor. Whether you’re in the mood for a great steak, perfectly cooked chicken, or a light piece of fish, Charcoal House has you covered. I’ve had just about everything on the menu, and I have never once been disappointed. The steaks are always juicy and flavorful, and as I have recently eliminated meat from my diet, I can say that their fish is equally as good as their steak. I’ve had the Halibut the last few times, and each time, it’s been either grilled or broiled to perfection. Add a side of their fabulous Creamed Spinach and you’ve got one great meal.
For me, Charcoal House is an institution that I hope never loses its ability to serve up a great meal. The décor, the food, the service… everything is top notch. I’ve made so many wonderful memories in this restaurant, and I can’t wait to make many, many more.

Their website:

Great flavor, strong cocktails, and a service that is great but won’t smother you! This place is a local gem!

Wow. haven’t been here in years and can’t wait to go back! Karen was our server and was on top of her game! Our steaks were cooked to perfection! Really was a great dinner!!!

Excellent meal tonight, Tuesday. We had a party of five and were seated immediately. Enjoyed shrimp cocktail and fried ravioli appetizers. The waitress was excellent and very attentive to our needs. Four of us had some form of filet. Mine was the extra large 11oz. I started with the Greek salad since I had had Caesar for lunch, others had the Caesar. They were both delicious. One member of our party had the Lamb chop special and we were all amazed at the portion size. He said it was cooked to perfection and they even had the mint jelly that he liked. The Malbec was excellent and ended with a brandy Alexander. We left after a long two hours of chat, happy and pleased. This 60 year old restaurant is a must for any steak lovers.

Having met my husband while waiting tables at the original Busch’s Grove over 10 years ago, my visit to The Charcoal House was somewhat of a nostalgic experience. The décor, the menu, the clientele.. .they all looked comfortingly familiar, which makes sense considering the owners also waited tables at Busch’s Grove back in the 70’s.
The interior of the Charcoal House is very cozy, and could even be considered romantic– dimly lit, white table cloth dining, with the staff all decked out in tuxes. The menu is pretty basic– a few apps, a few salads, a handful of cuts of steak, some seafood, and some alternative protein options. We started with the fried mushrooms, which were fresh button mushrooms, hand-​breaded and fried, and served with warm cocktail sauce– these were surprisingly good and generously portioned. We both got steaks for our entrée– a 10 ounce filet and a 12 ounce New York strip– both cooked perfectly medium rare and served with a large baked potato. The filet was definitely the better of the two cuts, but both had great flavor. The staff was very friendly from the moment we arrived to the moment we left and they provided impeccable service.
While we had a very satisfying meal and experience at The Charcoal House, and I’m sure we’ll return again, I wouldn’t rate this restaurant better than Citizen Kane’s or Kreis’s in terms of their steaks. They’re good, but not amazing. And unfortunately, without a ribeye on the menu, Charcoal House just can’t compare to the others.

Steak: Extra Large Filet Mignon
Temp: Rare
Sauce: None
Sides: None
Scotch: Johnny Walker Black, Aged 12 Years
Ron Swanson, Food Critic in August of 2011

I thought about this for a week before posting a review. Two friends and I had dinner last week at Charcoal House. It was a disappointing experience on a number of levels.
The evening started off poorly when my Martini on the rocks was served in a brandy snifter. Come on! Bar glasses are specifically designed for certain drinks. You serve cocktails on the rocks in a single or a double Old Fashioned glass. I wouldn’t want a Remy Martin in a water glass either.
The strip steak was okay. It should be for about $ 30, with a side. There a number of great St. Louis restaurants that offer more, often for less.
The real issue that irked me was when the waitress miscalculated our credit card bills, which were supposed to be divided evenly. She divided the total in half and then put that number on each of the credit cards! We were distracted by our conversation and almost paid them. When I asked the waitress about it, she became defensive and argumentative, claiming that the error would have been caught and corrected later. Right! She should have asked the owner to speak with us.
Her tip went from over 20% to under 10% on the corrected credit card bills. I doubt if I’ll dine there again.