OK OK I gotta bump them up a star. (Although I still find it tacky that one of their employees felt the need to make an account on Yelp to chastise me for my previous review. Ahem, yeah. I'll just brush that under the rug for now.)
Went back this past weekend with a girlfriend to get some drinks and chow and maybe dance a little. Â We got there around 8:00pm and it wasn't super crowded (confession: we had tried to go to prasino but it was slammed and we were too starved to wait!) so that was nice that we didn't have to wait for a table. Was mildly awkward when manager and waitress showed up but stood on opposite sides of the table (waitress was 'in training' still) so I didn't really know who to direct my conversation to. Manager(?) asked to see our ID's and for whatever reason decided to take my friend's away (guessing cause it was out of state?) and was gone for a long time so that was mildly awkward but I guess due to their location and the fact that Lindenwood kids like to go here...I guess it's a necessity, lol.
But yeah, IDG why the manager was there at all because our waitress totally knew what she was doing. In fact, it was her first night on the floor and it was the best service I'd ever had at the Q. Granted, I have a tiny sample size, but still!! She was super sweet, personable, answered our questions, recommended a great wine, and overall did a smashing job. I wish I could remember her name..I wanna say it was Jamie. So yeah, ask for her.
Food-wise, I'd previously knocked them because I didn't really care too much for their food. Truth. But this time I ordered the stuffed mushroom caps and the lobster ravioli. The mushrooms weren't bad but they were kinda insanely greasy. I probably wouldn't get those again. But the ravioli kicked ass! Seriously so good. I was bummed that I got drunk and forgot my to-go box because the portion size was sooooo big that I could only eat half of it and wanted to eat the rest for lunch the next day. Alas. The sauce was so rich and creamy and tasted of either vodka or sherry that they cooked into it. So perfect. I am drooling just thinking about eating it again. I don't want to think about the caloric content, however, but it was so good. lol. There was actual lobster in there too, which surprised me as most places with "lobster ravioli" on the menu usually just use crabmeat/shrimp/misc seafood so it's usually more of a "seafood" ravioli. So it brings me great joy to say that theirs is legit.
After we were full and mildly intoxicated, the place turned into a dance club and we went upstairs to get our freak on. I actually had a fantastic time...I guess dance clubs are really what you make of them. I liked that they had live acoustic music for dinner and transitioned to the dance music at night. Well done. The bouncers weren't rude and everyone was generally quite courteous. I liked that there was a mix of both younger and older in the crowd. A+
I'd probably come back again especially for the ravioli and the dance part. Oh and their drinks magically didn't suck this trip. Must be the bartenders. $10 minimum on cards though which is mildly obnoxious but I can live with it. I shall return!
Wow! Was this place yummy. Â I was at a lunch in downtown St Charles. Â I guess the town is busy on tourist weekends but slow during the week. Â Food was really excellent--I had the smoked duck salad that was fab, and could not resist a side order of fantastic fries. Â HOWEVER the seating is very uncofrtable on the high stools that are difficult to move close to the table. Â I will be back! Nice service.
Review Source:A group of my friends went here for a friend's birthday and it was the perfect place to go with a big group. There was a fun dance floor, multiple bars to get drinks, and a fun atmosphere. The prices for the drinks were a little high though. Just an fyi, they allow smoking inside in the upstairs portion, so if that bothers you stay downstairs.
Review Source:I took the wife to Quintessential for a fairly early dinner on Sunday evening. Â This review is based just on our experience for dinner, since we didn't go for the club. Â Besides, at 5:30 pm on Sunday, there was no club going on. Â The lower level was rented out for a wedding reception, so only the rooftop (covered) patio was available. Â That was fine, since it was such a beautiful night with pleasant temperature and a slight breeze - actually the ideal weather to be up there. Â Too bad the singer/guitarist turned every song into the same lounge/folk rendition. Â One other odd thing was that when the lower level is closed off, you can only access the rooftop from the far back and a long walkway.
Anyhoo, it wasn't crowded so we could sit anywhere we wanted. Â Our waitress was friendly, helpful when I asked for suggestions, and attentive throughout the meal. Â It was actually a bit funny regarding my green beans - They didn't come out with my entree, and deliverer said she would be bringing them right up; I told this to the waitress when she checked on us and noticed they were missing; a few minutes later she looked over, but didn't see them and got a worried/horrified look on her face; fortunately for her I lifted up the dish to show her, so that some relief could come back on her face. Â The other workers appeared to be equally adept. Â I'm not sure why some other reviewers had problems. Â Perhaps it's due to meal time vs. club time.
We started with their Q-dip appetizer. Â It was pretty good, you certainly got a good volume of 'dip' and a large serving of tortilla chips, but it was actually the most disappointing part of our meal. Â The Q-dip is billed as a mix of chorizo, green chiles, mashed potatoes and cheese sauce baked together. Â However, it presents and tastes like mashed potatoes with a bunch of other stuff mixed in. Â I suggest more cheese sauce and less potatoes to take it up a step to an excellent dip.
My entree was their "q" Cakes. Â This is actually an appetizer, but also available as an entree. Â They were fairly large (2 of them), flaky, and served with a flavorful "tomato ginger chutney" on top. Â Pretty good. Â Since there was no side included, I added a side of green beans. Â They were okay - fresh and full length, sauteed in a light oil.
The wife ordered Quintessential Chicken. Â That was a homerun. Â The bed of mushroom risotto added some nice heft to the volume, while the breaded & grilled chicken was moist and tender. Â The mushroom+onion+sundried tomato compote on top was what really sealed it for us. Â And there was a head of the sundried tomatoes. Â I loves me some of them for that condensed burst of flavor.
We then topped it off with the Creme Brulee sampler - three small servings of different creme brulee flavors. Â Hard to go wrong with that at any place.
Wound up with a truly enjoyable evening meal with a pleasant night on the rooftop.
I went to Q for my birthday As I have been there several times before and the food is normally pretty good however this time was a disappointment I ordered the curry scallops. The scallops work cooked well and the flavor was pretty good however the rock scallops were Sandy and the Risotto was overpowered With cilantro. And the general manager was walking by yesterday have the scallops were I mentioned to him that they were sandy and the risotto  was overpowered was cilantro at which time he walked away. You can draw your own conclusion as to how much the general manager cares about his customers
Review Source:I'd heard good things about "Q" but wasn't impressed when I checked it out for myself. Â I didn't go there to dine, but rather to hang out with friends on the rooftop patio. Â The atmosphere was fine, but not sure why I paid a cover charge to hear canned music (no band or even a DJ). Â What really put me off is when one in our party wanted to order food, was told the kitchen was closed and that he could bring in outside food, and then our party was scolded by management for doing so. Â The place has potential for atmosphere and location, but the attitude of the management is a bit pretentious for my liking. Â I'll spend my money elsewhere.
Review Source:Very disappointing Mother' Day experience. Â They did not seem prepared for a crowd yet they obviously had numerous reservations. Â The food was okay at best, what there was of it. Â Before being seated we asked if the empty platters would be refilled and we were told they were constantly replenishing. Â We saw perhaps two new trays come out in an hour's time and they dismantled the omelet station leaving behind only the mess. Â I felt sorry for people arriving after 1:00 thinking they were bringing mom for a nice meal. Â The manager-type in a suit was pretty arrogant and obviously didn't care that chafing dishes were empty since he did nothing when they were brought to his attention by many people. Â Bottom line, it seemed like they only had a brunch to cash in on the opportunity and they were ill prepared for it. Â They had to have let a lot of people down. Â I would never recommend this place based on this visit.
Review Source:Quintessential is an example of everything good and bad about Main St.
The good- the restaurant and bar is fantastic. Â I have eaten there a few times and it has always been delicious. Â Some people may say that it's "overpriced" but I think they're mistaken for upscale. Â They're trying to portray a classier, more sophisticated restaurant than their competition and their food and decor reflect that. Â
We went for a early lunch to celebrate my mother's birthday (party of 6 plus baby). Â All our food was great and the waitress was attentive and efficient. Â I had a hard time choosing between several menu items, everything looked yummy. Â
The bad- the ridiculous attempt to be a club. Â Ever since Home closed at Ameristar, Quintessential (aka Q Bar) has been trying to replace it. Â I think for their location (St. Charles MO on a street that includes craft shops and dive bars) it's extremely annoying they try to milk every dollar out of 20 somethings. Â
Call me old but I enjoyed Main St. so much better when you could roam from bar to bar without paying a cover at every door. Â So pretentious as to have roped off seating for groups wanting table service is enough to feel sorry for the people that fell for it. Â Save your money for Vegas. Â
This place is great for eating and having a drink at the bar (when it's not Saturday night). Â Will definitely go back again.
I have been out to Q a few times for the nightlife and have always enjoyed myself. Â I especially like that rap is usually on the bottom level and on the top level/rooftop some sort of dubstep mix is playing. Â Love that I can dance & party to two of my favorite genres!
While searching for a wedding reception venue, I came across the Foundry Art Centre off St. Charles Main Street.... Â The Foundry has a preferred list of outside caterers and Q is on that list! Â Who would've known!
I contacted Q for their details, menu & pricing and have been working with Erin. Â She is uber responsive and very thorough in her responses. Â When the time was right, I set up a site-tour at the Foundry and invited Erin to accompany me. Â I can't say all Catering Planners would take the time out to do this, after all, she is not selling the Foundry! Â She not only accepted my invite but she also arranged a tasting with her General Manager Eric BEFORE a contract was signed!!
Upon arriving at Q for the tasting, Erin had arranged a private table with a great window view of Main Street. Â Eric joined us shortly and discussed my custom-menu proposal in detail. Â He is very knowledgeable and makes appropriate suggestions to fit my needs. Â He actually listens to what you want.... The tasting dishes started flowing out and the #1 thing I liked about the presentation was the clarification of portions in reference to the tasting portions vs. the actual serving portions on the wedding day. This is a huge misconception at tastings..
Boy oh boy, the Caesar Salad was incredible! Â Lots of dressing MADE RIGHT, it was so thick & creamy. Â The Salmon & Beef were incredible too (see pictures). Â As our conversation progressed, more ideas & tastes surfaced. Â Eric literally went to the kitchen on four separate occasions to get sauces for me to try. ALL were unique and tasty. Â
I haven't decided if we will use Q for our wedding or not, but what I do know is that their blatant hospitality is appreciated and surprisingly refreshing in the wedding industry... :)
Nothing to write home about. I ordered the jambalaya and let me tell you....well first of all I can make a mean dish of jam. So to me, I was looking for something similar or close to how it's prepared in New Orleans. Well... not even close. Its too dang busy,!!! It had so many ingredients in it that I could hardly taste the rice! Over spiced. But Vince said his dish of chicken Florentine was good. The creme brulee was good. I may come back because they have live music. I may just try a different dish next time.
Review Source:It's an odd name seeing as how it doesn't match to their menu. Quintessential means the essence of something. It means that it represents the ideal of something. Unfortunately this restaurant is not that. More like "jack of all trades and master of none." From nachos,to steak, to classic American food the menu is all over the place. Â Don't get me wrong...the food is good...but it's not the quintessential of anything. If they picked a theme and was the best at it they would go from A-OK to Woohoo.
Review Source:Stopped here for drinks before dinner one weeknight in September. Â The weather was great for a patio, and quintessential has a great one. Â It is partially covered, and lots of seating is available. Â We heard the live music from the street, which initially sparked our interest. Â There were some drunk St. Charlesan's up there, which was a bit of a turnoff. Â The drink specials were great. $5 martinis and $2.50 beers can't be beat. Â It was a Weds night, but still... Â I can't comment on the food, but overall it was a great place for drinks. Â Oh, they have a TON of TV's too, which doesn't exactly fit the personality of this place.
Review Source:This is one of my favorite places in the Greater St Louis Area. I have always had great experiences here, and last night was no exception. We were celebrating my husbands birthday and had a pretty large group, so I made reservations in advance. We walked in right on time for our reservation and were promptly seated at our table.
 Our server was out quickly and took our drink orders as we waited for some others to join us. We ordered "The Feast" which is a huge platter of all their appetizers. It did take a bit to get out to the table, but our waiter made sure to tell us the kitchen was a little behind. The feast includes Tempura Green Beans, Cheese Curds, Toasted Ravioli, Q Dip, Spinach Dip and more.
 The menu is very diverse here. I've tried several different entres and have never been disappointed. I ended up ordering the Cuban Sandwich. I grew up with a Cuban grandfather making me authentic Cuban sandwiches so I have a high standard for them. While the sandwich was good, it wasn't what I was expecting or hoping for. They used a smoked pulled pork rather than a spanish marinated roast pork. For me, it threw off the balance of the sandwich, so I didn't eat much. The waiter noticed and asked me about it and I explained my issue. The manager promptly came over to ask me about it. I explained that I didn't think it was a bad sandwich, it just wasn't what I was wanting. He understood and offered to take it off the bill, even though I didn't mind paying for it. Excellent customer service.
 We also ordered dessert. I had the Creme Brulee Trip Sampler. It was awesome. However, the Cheesecake my husband ordered was even better.
 All in all it was a great experience, wonderful customer service and a fun friendly atmosphere. This is definitely must try in the greater St Louis Area!!
Had both dinner and drinks downstairs and then went for the dancing upstairs. Â The dinner server was great and made for an enjoyable experience. Â He had a great sense of humor and made us laugh during our dinner and was able to offer good suggestions for our taste of beer. Â Food was also good here.
Upstairs during the night hours there was a beautiful dance club experience with an outdoor setting. Â Loved it! Â It was mostly a younger crowd and some great dancers here the night we went. Â Would definitely recommend!
I've been here twice and it's a nice place. You have the option of upstairs or downstairs. Came on a Saturday night both times and the crowd was decent downstairs but upstairs is crowded.
This place is more for the college crowd...considering the college near by but it doesn't mean you can't have fun dancing! The music was ok.
Could just be that I'm spoiled (by other clubs) but I thought it sucked that women have to pay to get in. The bartenders are generous!
This place was GREAT!! We chose it by accident as my wife has a problem with smoke and as a bar/restaurant Missouri does their smoking laws by county so we started to go into another one and saw the smoke and left. My wife spotted the No Smoking sign and we decided to give it a try.
Although the menu looked very good-(both variety and the interesting dishes) I was anticipating glorified barfood in the delivery and quality of ingredients. WRONG!
This place DELIVERS EXCELLENCE!
My wife had the Cajun Beef Tortellini, a DELICIOUS sauce and EVERYTHING about it was great.
I had the Seafood Tutto Mare which was also GREAT! It said it had shrimp, clams and crab with Linguini--and by Joe, by Cracky! it DID! Real crabmeat, good fresh clams and good shrimp.........Kurt our waiter and I figured out what sauce--there was 3 options and I wasnt crazy about any, so we "customized" and it was an excellent sauce to go with everything else.
Iced Tea good, (hey I know its only Iced Tea, but when you get not so good, not so fresh, you notice it and it was both--good and fresh-ha!
I noticed 3 interesting looking "concoctions" in ready to tap liquid dispensers on the bar--I am sure there is better term for the dispenser, but I cant think of it right now-) and our waiter said that was the Chocolate, Citrus and Pepper infused Vodka that they use in their Martinis. Well!!!! even AFTER dinner I had to have one-I had the Chocolate Martini, and sticking with the theme it was EXCELLENT!
Desserts-The damned dessert had 3 of our favorites on it which sucks because we were quite full from the pasta dishes,.
They were a Creme Brulee Trio sampler....Bananas Foster--I knew St. Charles reminded me of New Orleans a bit--and a crepe with raspberries with a sweet flavored mousse on the side etc etc. We went with the Crepes..This was good, but not great, in our opinion too sweet and werent crazy about the raspberry mix, but cest la vie.We will absolutely do the Creme Brulee Sampler next time
Overall, it was great--in execution, quality and menu choices.
Down here on vacation like us from Chicago --riding the Katy trail--or locals, check it out-You WILL be happy!!
The Q is alright. A multilevel club that offers Dubstep and rap/hip hop music for the college crowd of St. Charles.
I liked coming here for the most part. It literally had a melting pot of all different people. You had guys coming in with golf shirts and penny loafers, and then standing right behind them would be guys you would swear were straight off of Jersey Shore. Eclectic indeed.
Bathrooms were nicely kept. I appreciate that about the club. Plus get this -- they have 2 toilet paper rolls on each side of the stall! Don't fret if you run out on the left side, just turn to the right and you're ready to go!
The music had a solid mix of old and new school. My only complaint is that we were there for almost 3 hours, and even with a DJ they were starting to repeat stuff. Laaaaame.
Is it worth a $5 cover and a 35 minute commute from the city? Hmmm, maybe sometimes, but I don't think I would make a special trip out to St. Charles just to come here. It just happened to be conveniently located to us while we were in the area. It definitely seems to have more pizazz than a lot of the other 'clubish-eque' bars down there though.
We came here for drinks and creme brulee, they have a sampler you can get. Â Here is the problem, my girlfriend is allergic to bananas and one of the creme brulee dishes contained them. Â We wanted to have one of them substituted and they would not do this. Â I was pretty shocked at this and was surprised that they would not substitute one of the three for another of the sampler. Â In fact, there solution was to just order the sampler and not get the banana dish. Â SO, buy two for the price of three? Â
This place was pretty loud as well, the acoustics are not that good.
I am scared to go to a club that is not downtown STL. Â I don't know why, I just don't like trying new places where people dance. Â Probably my lack of rhythm and terrible white girl dancing techniques...
Anyhow, for a fun place to get a few drinks and hang out while listening to really loud music, I highly recommend Q. I felt that there was a good age range of people and did not feel old! Â
I did see a sign in the bathroom that said, "We do not accept <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivingsocial.com&s=2456932cd5ebcc60ad30944e723e56ffdb2706564dcfac90fbf2e821a2c1c821" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://livingsocial.com</a> coupons" Â something about how they had been burned by <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivingsocial.com&s=2456932cd5ebcc60ad30944e723e56ffdb2706564dcfac90fbf2e821a2c1c821" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://livingsocial.com</a>, so note that if you are headed out there, since you would never know if you did not step into the ladies restroom!
I have been to Q many times, and for many reasons. Â Q offers a nice place for Dinner and on the weekends a very nice club scene in old town saint charles. Â Generally speaking the food here is very good and I really enjoy it. Â I highly recommend the Q cakes, as they have not disappointed yet. Â The roof top club is a lot of fun in the warmer months however I am not a huge fan of the lower level club. Â They have a HUGE selection of beer and wine here as well as a fully stocked bar. Â I am not a huge drinker however so I do not remember how much these cost. Â I know my friends love ordering random beer names just to see how it tastes and laugh at the labeling. Â The nightlife at Q is some of the best on Main Street however I will hesitate to say it is the best food on Main Street as there are a bunch of really good places around.
Review Source:First, let me say that I have only been here once and it was at lunchtime on a Saturday. My experience was wonderful, but I have no idea what it is like if you are looking for nightlife or dinner.
The place was pretty deserted when we arrived around 12:30 with just a handful of tables filled on the main floor and upstairs. We went upstairs and I absolutely love the open air covered seating area. You get the advantages of eating outside without the sun in your eyes. It would be a great option for a rainy day if only they had a parking lot...which of course they don't since they are on Main Street.
I ordered a BBQ burger, minus the bacon. I like my burgers fully cooked and rarely can find a restaurant that can produce a burger that is juicy but not pink. Q did it. The sandwich was wonderful, drippy juicy and topped with some BBQ sauce and a ton of thin crispy onion straws. You get a bunch of side choices. I ended up with the brightest orange sweet potato fries I've ever seen.
My friend got a turkey club wrap...and it looked ok but mine looked a lot better.
We got great service from a very friendly waitress.
I also love the decor of this place. Trendy and stylish. And plenty of TVs for  those wanting to watch the Cards game without it overwhelming the place.
I wasn't all that impressed with "Q". I went here for a bachelorette party. We had a little reserved area. The couches were a little deep for girls in party dresses and not lit at all. We couldn't see to eat. We had a few of our things stolen from our area while we were on the dance floor. Which don't really understand the little reserved areas. First they were expensive and second you had to buy two bottles of their liquor . Don't wear skinny heels they will get stuck in the deck like floors. I had some nachos and they were okay. I won't go back willingly. There are better places to go.
They should just make a nice restaraunt out of the roof top area. It could be romantic if it weren't for all the "clubbing" going on.
"Q" as it's known is really a nice little place hiding on Main Street St. Charles.
The best part of this place is with no hesitation the rooftop terrace. Summer or winter it's the place to be and although I have not been in a few months I would say that for a trendy place to grab a drink and a snack head for Q. The parking garage right behind it is a better reason to visit Q when on Main Street!
The shrimp bruschetta is really rather awesome and the flat bread pizza's. The bartenders have a fully loaded selection and when they have promo nights it's never a dull moment. My first taste of Wild Turkey American Honey was at Q and sheesh that was a night to remember!
My boyfriend and I came here with a bunch of friends since they said the place was really good. This place has 2 floors and live music on both floors; it turns into a club afterward. We got here around 730pm and found tables for 8 people right away on the 2nd floor which surprised me since it was a Saturday night.
For appetizers, my boyfriend and I ordered the fried ravioli; it was good but nothing wonderful. The marinara sauce for the ravioli wasn't that great; it tasted like mashed up tomatoes...totally bland! His friends ordered the Breaded Pepperjack Cheese Bites; they loved it but I seriously didn't think it was great. I thought Pepperjack cheese is suppose to taste a little spicey or have a kick to it; these bites really didn't. They taste more like fried mozzarella cheese.
For our entree, I ordered a Thick Crust Hawaiin pizza and my boyfriend had the Grilled Kabobs. The pizza was AWEFUL. The bread tasted like cardboard; it needed some kind of salt to enhance the flavor or something. The sauce on the pizza was the same Marinara sauce they gave me to dip my Fried Raviolis in; it was soooo bland!!! The pineapple and the Canadian Bacon totally didn't help the pizza taste better at all. It seriously tasted like cardboard and the only thing that made it a little better, but not much better, was putting red pepper flakes on it. The kabobs were ok to me, at least what I tasted, but my boyfriend loved it. When I ate the meat, it was way too salty but he loved it.
Now, the drinks were pretty good and the price isn't that bad. I had the South Beach Diet Tea for $6. They give it to you in a huge glass (I think it was a 12oz).
On to our waiter and decor. Our waiter was great so he gets 4 STARS! He was very friendly and quick. He got us our drinks and appetizers pretty quick and checked on us occasionally. The upstairs was suppose to be outdoors but I guess since it's Winter they make it into an indoor thing. It was pretty cold where we were sitting, they should have had those heaters that a lot of restaurants have, plus I felt like there was an echo everytime we talked so it made the room louder and made us sound like we're screaming at each other,. There's live music before it turns into a club. The guy sang beautifully.
OVERALL...I might try this place out again and order something else. DO NOT order the pizza because that was the worse pizza I've ever had in my life!
So, I have to admit that I'm a fan of Q, although like many people on here I'm a bit torn about the restaurant vs. dance club aspect of it. Â However, I've come to terms with that as a necessary evil as I'll explain below.
My wife and I have been to Q many times for a drink or dinner, and although the food isn't first rate, it's as good better than much of what you'll find in Old St. Charles. Definitely a cut above the usual fried mozzarella sticks, toasted ravaoli, and limp sandwitches (aka. repugnant bar food). Â We usually come in after a day of walking around Old St. C and just grab an appetizer or two and a glass of wine. Â I'd suggest the hummas, which normally I'd avoid like a plate full of plague, but in this case I actually really like their vesion. Â The tempura fried green beans are also a nice switch-up because the batter is actually light instead of being 90% breadding like most fried stuff in the midwest is. Â The sauce that comes with them is a fairly ordinary soy sauce based concoction, but it works nicely with the beans.
Now, I will warn anyone coming here for dinner that you don't want to be here on a Saturday night past 7:00 or so. Â The place does turn into a dance club and the last time we were there on a Saturday night we ended our dinner smashed up against a wall (so that they could create a space for dancing) watching people step over a woman at her bachlorette party who was passed out on the dance floor. Â Neadless to say her husband-to-be is probably in for a wild ride.
Anyway, I'm not wild about the place straddling the line between resturant and club, but I'm willing to live with it and here's why... Â Q is a nice restaurant with some real ambiance and they made an honest effort to create a modern, upscale establishment in St. Charles. Â Just that alone means that they're swimming against the current in the area and deserve my patronidge. Â With quality establishments like the Baja Beach Club just a few doors down it's obvious that the average clientelle isn't interested in a quality meal with a modern aesthetic but I am, so they're going to get my business.
I don't blame them for going the "club" route to keep themselves afloat. Â I just wish that having a classy restaurant with modern trappings would have been enougn to keep them in business. Â However, I know better than that. Â Unless you're selling turn-of-the-century schlock with spinning wheels and ox yokes for decor, you're going to have a hard time of it pretty much anywhere in St. Charles county. Â Suffice it to say that I can't believe that restaurants from hillbilly hell like "The Cracker Barrel" stay in business but places like Q have to go the club route to make sure they can pay the rent.
God, I've got to get out of this place... Â Maybe I can move to Europe...
I was here for a comedy night (some were decent) and the food was mostly decent. Â The service could have been a bit better but I attribute that to the setting of the night making it harder to take care of. Â The house salad was just okay, the potato skins pretty good, the chicken salad sandwhich (very good) and the trio of creme brulee ... (decent and interesting but not the greatest). Â I do like the setting so I will need to try again maybe on a weekend night.
Review Source:With a name like Quintessential Dining and Nightlife, I was already leery of the place. Quite a pretentious name, dontcha think? Then, I saw the restaurant marquis and almost laughed. Their giant "Q" sign is just humorous. This "club" is trying way too hard and seems really out of place in quaint old town St. Charles.
We just went there for dinner and found a table on the upstairs "dance floor". The live entertainment was nice (guy singing and playing guitar) and the food seemed good but nothing special.
Behind us were the VIP tents that were blocked off with lighted rope. Basically little pop up tents with some mediocre outdoor sofas and lounge chairs. By the way, there is no great view from this rooftop area. Just other buildings.
OK, so we finished our dinner and were having a great time with some drinks when a guy in a suit interrupted us to ask, with a pained look on his face, if we were enjoying ourselves. I guess this was the manager. It just seemed really odd. He gave me the creeps with his sleazy sales guy/mafia demeanor.
The sun went down, and the area got dark. So dark we could barely see anything. I don't know what kind of lighting they have for the "party", but they didn't turn anything on before we left.
Just some advice Q - Be a restaurant or be a nightclub. Not both. And if you have your waitstaff wearing short shorts, perhaps the manager in a suit is a little overdressed, unless you're also trying for strip joint as well. Let me guess, wet t-shirt contests are already on your list.
I have not been here to eat, so I can't review on that aspect. But, the nightlife is fun! I love the rooftop dance floor. The DJ's are fantastic, and they keep the party going. When I was there, both the upstairs and downstairs was packed with people dancing. There are bars on both levels, so you aren't forced to order on just one level.
The downside is that there is not many places to sit when you get tired of dancing. The drinks are a little pricey, but on the flip side the bar is more upscale.
So I can only rate this place based on nightlife, but I would say this place is St. Charles' "club" to be seen at. It is more upscale than most if not all of the other bars on main street. It's a bit pricey in comparison as well. However, the rooftop area and bar are awesome and is huge! Dance floors and DJ's with plenty of people dancing the night away on both the rooftop and on the first floor indoor area.
If you're wanting a place to chat or just hang, this place is not for you after 9pm. If you're looking for a place to get drunk and dance the night away and can take the crowd, this is the spot!
I would like to come back and see what the restaurant is like.
Went with my wife last Saturday Night aound 9:00 so we could grab a bite before the cover starts. Â At the waiters suggestion, we had the mushroom flatbread pizza (not a big mushroom fan) with a couple glasses of wine. Â It was absolutely fantastic. Â I will be back just to have this again.
Once the dance crowed came in, the DJ spuns some decent toons, and we had a good time.
Decor is nice. Â Can't wait to go in summer.
I like this place to party during the summer. Great dance floor on the roof. Yep the ROOF!! I don't come here in the winter because I don't like the inside part. Too crowded.
It usually gets pretty packed too so come before a line starts but not too early. About 1030ish on a Saturday is ideal. Don't go here expecting good food because it is HORRIBLE! It is on the Main Street in St. Charles so if you don't like it just walk down the street to Tony's on Top or one of the other little bars.
I'd been hearing a lot of buzz about Quintessential, (or "the Q" as apparently the locals call it), on various St. Louis foodie forums and decided to check it out with a few friends. It's the hot new St. Charles restaurant/nightclub with a chef that's supposed to be pretty good.
We got there at 5:30 for happy hour. Well, we kinda just assumed it would be happy hour. 5:30 should be a pretty safe 'happy' time by even the stingiest of definitions. Plus, any place with the name "quintessential" would surely have a happy hour, right? Wrong.
Honestly, we were really just after some good appetizer specials. We tend to be a lil picky on the booze, so well-drink specials do nothing for us anyway. But, 1/2 price apps is always a winner. Alas, we paid full price for the spinach and artichoke dip.
It was good, but not outstanding. I'd read some great reviews about the how the dip was taken to the next level by the addition of roma tomatoes. There were a tiny handful of itty bitty little diced tomatoes floating in the dip. Next level? They didn't even bump up the presentation. But, for spin dip, it was not too bad and the crostini, while actually baked pita slices, was tasty.
For dinner, I had the poached pear spinach salad with optional salmon ($4 extra for a 6oz piece...nice). The dressing was not on the side as I had ordered, but at least the salad wasn't swimming in it. Actually, they have a pretty light hand on the dressing, which while appreciated by me, might not be enough for someone else. The salad was supposed to have spinach, poached pears, blue cheese and pine nuts. Yes, the pears were delish and of course there was lots of spinach, but it was like a scavenger hunt trying to find the minuscule amount of blue cheese and pine nuts (I think there were 5 nuts in the whole thing).
The salad was good, but the salmon was terrible. It was dry and overcooked to the point of even being burnt on top. I'm all for grilled salmon, but I like the top pink, not black. My friends split a bbq chicken pizza and said it was good if a little spicy.
We didn't try any entrees, but they looked pretty good. The biggest problem was the service. There was exactly one other couple at a table in the entire place and two more people sitting at the bar. There is absolutely no excuse for having someone other than the server bring the food when there are 7 people in the whole restaurant.
It seems to me like this place is not exactly sure what it wants to be. On the one hand, the decor is lounge-y and very swank with lots of long black leather couches, draperies on the wall, and  a big granite bar. I could definitely see this working on like Washington Ave, but it seems really out of place in St Charles, especially on historic Main St. I've seen photos of the roof-top patio which looks pretty awesome, but it was raining so we couldn't check it out. From the photos, it looks like a cross between Vin de Set's and Moonrise's rooftops, which would be a great place to pass a lovely spring night.
On the other hand, though, it seems to want to be a fine dining establishment, but the food was honestly kinda underwhelming and the atmosphere is a little intimidating and not very inviting. Plus Main St. has a bad track record with the foodie scene. There are dives and sports bars every few feet, but no real good restaurant has made it. Maybe that's why the chef is hedging his bets with both hamburgers and polenta on the same paper menu.
At best, I can see this place giving Home a serious run for its money as the hot new nightspot in St. Chuck.
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