St Charles Place

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  I bought a Groupon coupon for St. Charles Place after reading reviews.  My husband and I went there on Saturday at 6pm to celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary. We were shown to our table by a pleasant large gentleman. He also greeted us on our way out, a very nice gesture.
  Our experience had pros and cons.  We sat in the area to the left just passed the check-in desk.  We started with Oysters Rockefeller and some champaign. Both were incredible. My compliments to the chef.  After some time the waitress came back and took our order. AND I don't know what happened after that, but it was close to 30 min. before we received our salad and rolls! It was as if we were invisible! There was a pepper mill on a ledge by my husband's head, so I asked my husband to get it so we could have fresh pepper.  As I looked over at another table about 15 min. later, the same waitress was using a pepper mill on salads at their table!  We were not even asked. We waited another 45 min. for our entrees.  I ordered the flaming duck, my husband the ribs. As the waitress brought out a tray, it was set behind us on a table.  Next thing I knew a table started conversing and joking with the waitress.  I leaned out to see what was going on, and she was preparing my duck, lighting it when needed and turning it.  Glad I gave a show to the other tables.  I would have thought the prep was part of the enjoyment.  I must say on a happy note, that after I had the duck in front of me, it was divine.  I think it was the best duck I have ever had!  Compliments, again, to the chef.  My husband's ribs, on the other hand, were very dry, and his green beans were tasteless. His twiced baked potato was very good.  At the end of the night the waitress apologized for the pathetic service (those are my words) and gave us both a free dessert when I told her it was our anniversary.  SUMMARY:  If you don't have a special event, have money and plenty of time, check this place out.  I highly recommend the oysters rockefeller and the duck.  SUGGESTIONS: Waitress needs retraining.  Would be great if when seated just an automatic, "Are you celebrating anything this evening?" was said. Not personable at all..  Overall just expected more.

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  Posted on 05.14.13 Cheryl R.

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  I think 3 stars is extremely generous.  For a drink, I like this place.  It's dark, it's interestingly decorated, and the service is good.  The food is mediocre, at best.  We visited most recently with my boyfriend's parents.  It was a Monday, and the marquee outside advertised "1/2 price burgers".  My boyfriend got a burger, I think due to the fact that their steaks etc were expensive and his dad was taking us out.  I opted for a pasta dish, since I don't eat meat and I didn't want to pick a pricey item either.  Now, perhaps our choices weren't the best since they weren't expensive, but I see a flaw in that.  Not to mention, I've never been overwhelmed by their food, any of it..so I don't think it's worth the risk to pay that much for an item at a so-so restaurant.  The pasta that I got was angel hair provencale...I actually have made better at home.  The portion was generous but the food was nothing special.  I liked my Caesar salad, that was probably the highlight of my dining experience.  Everyone else thought the food was decent but I have no desire to return for the food.  When we were leaving, my boyfriend's father noticed the marquee and said that they had not taken 1/2 off the burger.  I drive by this restaurant probably 10 times a week...the burgers have been 1/2 price for at least six months.  The responsibility to adjust the bill should rely on the establishment, not on the customer.  We didn't go back in for the price adjustment and will not return for dinner any time soon.

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  Posted on 02.10.13 Amanda S.

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  I came here with my wife and a friend of ours to celebrate my wife's birthday, and had purchased a Groupon for this event. We were early for our reservation and had asked to be seated near the fireplace. We were told they would see what could be done. No biggie, we waited in the bar.  The decor is very interesting; you can't quite pinpoint the theme of the restaurant.  We were seated near the fireplace. We sat for approximately 20 minutes before we were even asked for our drink order. I'm not sure how long we waited for our drinks to arrive, but it was at least another 20 minutes. Once our drinks finally arrived, we were able to order our appetizers, it seemed to take quite a long time for the appetizers to come out. By the time our appetizers had arrived, we had been at the restaurant for over an hour. My wife and I were very irritated because of how long it was taking for the different components of our meal to arrive. We ordered our main entrees, which again took forever to arrive - over two hours of waiting since we arrived at this point. I had ordered the prime rib, which was over-salted. The manager said it has a salt crust but that is not listed in the menu. He took it away and trimmed it down when I brought it to his attention. My wife (extremely irritated at this point) had ordered the ribeye, which she had ordered medium rare, and it arrived well done. We brought this to the manager's attention, and he offered to replace it and said that it takes a while to cook which is why it took so long the first time.
  
  I'm sorry, but almost 4 hours for drinks, appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert???? I enjoyed my appetizer and prime rib but we won't be coming back. We also enjoyed our conversation with the manager, but the wait time was inexcusable for the evening over all. Our friend also wrote a review based on the same experience and the manager wrote a defensive reply. I'm sorry, but that just put the nail in the coffin.

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  Posted on 02.09.13 Melanie G.

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  So I ate here tonight to help celebrate a friend of mine's birthday. We were early for our reservation, but we're sent to the bar. There were plenty empty tables to be seen. Took to long for drinks, then our appts took just as long. We had salads coming, but the time between the appts and salad again was long.
  When our dinners came, the Ribeye was over cooked, but the owner was fast in replacing. I had the Lobster Club, looked good, the bread really wasn't a good match. But there was plenty of lobster.
  
  The decor was all over the board. You really couldn't figure out what they were trying to say.
  
  It was my first time there. Don't think it will be on my list for a second dinning. Disappointing experience from the moment we walked in he door. Hostess who we later found out was the wife of the owner. Was less than welcoming when we walked in. First thing out of her mouth was "Do you have a Reservation?"  A more welcoming would have been "Welcome to St. Charles Place" or " Good Evening, How many in your party"

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  Posted on 02.03.13 Robert M.

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  We have been going here for our thanksgiving day meal for 12 years and this has been the first time that our meal was under par the turkey was very good as it has been in the past but when it came to the desert sorry to say the pie was still frozen!! as for the waitress she never asked how the meal was so a bite or two of the pie and that was enough for us.check please!!! can't really complain too much we both think that the food is very good but getting up there in price $80 for two turkey dinners.

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  Posted on 11.23.12 Ed B.

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  I have been a fairly regular customer of St. Charles Place for many years.   Living a few blocks away it is close and convenient.  We have spent many Christmas Eve dinners with our daughter there as well.  Last Christmas Eve we had our usual 5:30p reservation and had to sit in the bar waiting until 6:20p only to be told that too many customers arrived WITHOUT reservations and were being seated as well.  There has always been a limited menu with jacked up prices on CHristmas eve but we tolerated it given the atmosphere.  Extra tables are added around the bar for dining.  My neighbor got stuck eating in there commented to me he wouldn't bring his family back.  Who wants to eat in a bar area with kids on Christmas Eve.  We decided not to go back for Christmas eve but still go other times.  My husband is entertained quite a bit and he usually chooses St. Charles Place for dining.  I had a Group-on that had expired and attempted to use the face value of $25 for our bill last evening.  The manager would not allow it stating that it did not include 1/2 price burgers on Mondays.  I understand if it was the full Group on discount, but he would not accept the $25 that I paid for as partial payment.  This was not a discount but hard cash that was left.  His comment, "complain to Group on."  This was a total embarrassment to me in front of the guest I was hosting.    Knowing that I have been a fairly regular customer he still would not allow it, had my bill revised to charge full price for the burgers and then take the $25 off.  Total poor customer service to a regular customer that lives in the area.  He had no regard to the customer for loyalty to his establishment.  Our daughter is getting married next year and St. Charles Place was one of the top choices by us as it was the venue we were looking for.  Working for the owner of three hotels in St. Charles, not only have they lost my recommendation to our guests but also my business personally.  We would never treat a guest to an experience as this.  Shame on you for poor customer service.   I'm spreading the word!

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  Posted on 11.13.12 Terry R.

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  After purchasing a Groupon my husband and I decided to drive from Chicago for a nice Saturday "date night" dinner.  The atmosphere was nice, the chairs were comfy...the food was awful.  Everything we ordered tasted like bad wedding food, which is ironic because they do host wedding banquets there.  Our meal tasted like it was made from prepackaged ingredients and not made fresh.  It was a sodium feast! We ordered their signature shrimp appetizer, which was 4 jumbo shrimp in a garlic sauce with breadcrumbs, way overpriced and just OK.  I ordered their signature Filet dinner and my husband also ordered a Filet and shrimp special (which our server had no knowledge of).  My steak was cooked well but the brandy sauce that my steak was drenched in tasted like a poor sodium rich beef broth base.  The mashed potatoes were pasty and piped onto the plate.  My husband didn't have any better luck with his Steak and shrimp special.  When his plate arrived I thought that there was shrimp and a small portobello mushroom on it.  His special filet was no more than 1.5  - 2oz.  When the waitress asked if there was anything else she could get us I almost said "yea, the rest of my husbands steak!"    Both of our dinners cost near $30 each.  I expected the food to be on par with Wildfire or Ditkas because their prices were certainly the same as those steak houses but this place is not even in the same league.  Our bill totaled $100 for an appetizer, 3 glasses of wine and 2 steak entrees.  Thank god we had that $50 groupon and still felt it was a waste of money.

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  Posted on 09.04.12 Monica M.

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  I purchased a groupon for this place as I have driven past many times and thought i would give it a try.  The first thing you notice when you walk in his the atmosphere.  The place feels like an old world steakhouse, and was the highlight of our experience.  Once we received our food, however, things went downhill.
  
  Nothing we had was horrible, but it was all very mediocre.  I had the crab cakes, and my fiancé had the pepper stake.  Both tasted bland and, in a way, stale.  Again, it wasn't gross or anything, just very bland.  Normally that would be OK, but the price is outrageous for what you get.  Everything tasted like it has been made that morning, then heated in a microwave.
  
  I understand expensive steak houses, especially older themed ones, serve food a little different than many contemporary restaurants, but the quality was just not there, and certainly did not justify the price.  Instead, go to The Bank, Ivy, Coopers Hawk or Morgans.

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  Posted on 08.23.12 John F.

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  Eh. over priced for somthin i can make at home. good service tho.

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  Posted on 08.19.12 Eric A.

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  I really wanted to like this very interesting restaurant but there were many issues during our dinner. The good things first: really unique ambiance, great busboy keeping the water glasses full & plates cleared, tasty bread & baked French onion soup. My husband also enjoyed his Steak Au Poivre. Here are some issues that we had: Our server "number 11" never introduced herself, disappeared for long periods of time & never brought us our appetizer. Also, when my ribeye came out medium well to well done & very overly seared, she didn't seem to care after I expressed that to her. I ordered it medium  (for $46, it should have been cooked to that specification). The Caesar Salad was bland also. I think the service has a lot of room for improvement & the Caesar Salad recipe needs to be changed completely. I've had seared steaks at Morton's in the past & loved it. Even though this ribeye was described as " fire grilled", I believe it shouldn't be served with such a thick, black layer of charr & it should also be cooked to the customers request. If I ever come here again, it will only be with another Groupon & I will likely not order steak again here. We really liked the atmosphere & it is very unfortunate that we didn't get good service & that the food quality was totally inconsistent.

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  Posted on 07.30.12 Remaining A.

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  I do not write Yelp reviews often.  I believe in writing quality and not quantity.  As a Restaurateur, I also only believe in writing Yelp reviews for places that I am moved by in some way.  St. Charles Place (SCP) moved me.
  
  True Story: 1 American, 2 Italians, 2 Swiss, 3 South Africans, 1 Dutchman, 1 Belgian, 1 Turk, 1 Mexican, 1 Austrian were in the city of St. Charles for the next few weeks and wanted to celebrate an occasion - they looked online on Yelp and found St. Charles Place, to celebrate and made RSVPs.
  
  Prior to arriving, I reviewed the web-site and was so pleasantly surprised that SCP catered to a variety of tastes.  The menu was fairly extensive in my opinion and had some very classic offerings for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
  
  When we arrived at SCP, I was impressed at the sheer enormousness of the place.  The current web-site does not do justice to the size of this place.  If you are looking for a place for any-sized celebration, SCP can definitely accommodate.  My group was greeted by a friendly man, by the name of Thomas - came to find out that he was the Executive Chef and Owner.  Very down to earth and funny, with a little bit of Chicago moxie mixed in.
  
  We walked through a crowded main dining room at 8:00 pm, to the back of the restaurant, with our own private dining area.  Then appeared the goddess Athena herself, as our waitress.  Our waitress, was very friendly and commanded a very pleasant demeanor which was great for our unruly international contingent.  Owning a restaurant, I was impressed, that only 1 waitress was assigned to our table, as I observed a full team in action at the vast restaurant.
  
  We put in our drink orders, a couple of red wines, some martinis, imported beers and a coca-cola classic for me, the party animal.
  
  Then came the really fun part - ordering.  I ordered 5 appetizers for the motley crue.  Didn't really need too, as SCP serves so much food.  Warm bread and butter is delivered to the table and the main entrees usually come with a house salad or soup and a side.  Seriously, SCP, is not frugal in anyway.
  
  For starters, I ordered the Coconut crusted shrimp, Goat cheese bruschetta, Maryland crab cake, Calamari and Garlic Bread.  I was so in love with the dipping sauce that the Coconut crusted shrimp came with, that I practically confiscated the sauce and told everyone that if I couldn't have all of it, that I would start an international incident at the restaurant - the look in my eyes meant that I was serious; hence, my international team allowed me to eat most of the sauce - it was phenomenal - a raspberry reduction with a hint of wasabi or horseradish.
  
  I need to pause here to comment on the decor.  I loved it.  High vaulted ceilings with a woodsy lodge theme, with trees growing inside the restaurants, that were decorated with tiny white lights.  Gave it a rustic romantic charm.  Perfect for a date or a very nice evening with a bunch of hooligans like us.
  
  For main entrees, the ladies ordered their demur dishes, like vegetarian pastas or fish dishes; however, for most of us, we ordered carnivorous dishes.  I ordered the Canadian Baby Back Ribs.  When my order came out, I thought, that they were surely mistaken, because my dish was huge - enough for two people and only at $23????  Surely, there was some mistake; however, the person across from me got the same and hers was just as big.  We could not stop laughing in awe on the portion size.  And the most memorable aspect of my dish was the sauce.  What is it with this place and the sauces???   They are phenomenal.  I am not ashamed to say this, I ate very primitively and with my hands and had sauce all over my mouth and literally licked the shot of sauce that came with my already drenched ribs - the sauce was that good.  I woke up this morning still thinking about it.
  
  After dinner, the crew ordered desserts and coffees as well as after dinner drinks like Frangelico.  The mousse and turtle pie were good.
  
  What made the experience really memorable was the hospitality.  I told the waitress how much fun we were having and she liked hearing that.  Later, I can't remember how it was disclosed, but it turned out our waitress was part owner and the sister-in-law of Thomas, the Executive Chef.  Shortly before we closed our tab, Thomas came over to our table and chatted with us briefly.  I thanked him for a wonderful time and told him his food was awesome.
  
  Being a restaurateur, I know what it takes to run a restaurant.  It is not for the faint hearted.  The glamor, glitz and lifestyle that you think we restaurateurs have, is just a very nice romantic allusion.  The truth is, that it is a lifestyle that we have chosen and one that we are committed too.  Thomas and his team are obviously committed as well, given the top notch non-elitist service that we were afforded.
  
  We closed the restaurant down and Thomas chatted with us while we were waiting for the taxis.  2 words - Magnanimous & Charismatic.  Will be back

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  Posted on 07.08.12 Nick K.

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  About 8 ounces of meat for $60.
  
  We ordered the Chateaubriand special for two at $30 per person. This entre was served in a huge canoe shaped dish with loads of vegetables including parmisian stuffed tomatoes, roasted red and green peppers, mashed potatoes, whole green beans and asparagus.
  
  We each had eaten one slice of meat when I realized there were only 2 slices of meat remaining. I discovered the meat was resting on several slices of french bread which I assume was to absorb the excess juice or possibly mask the small meat portion. By then it was too late to discuss with management.
  
  Also, there was nothing noteworthy or creative about the preparation of the Chateaubriand. I could have done at least as well at home.
  
  We liked several other aspects of St Charles Place: linen table cloths, quality utencils, decor and ambiance, room between tables. The Maryland Lump Crabcake at $13 was very tasty except it was not lump crab, unless it was shredded lump crab. Our search continues for extraordinary crab cakes like The Capitol Grill in Lombard.
  
  My Hendricks martini at $10 was very good with large bleu cheese olives. (I know I should be asking for cucumber with Hendricks, but I like bleu cheese olives.) Only 2 Cabernets were offered by the glass. the top of the line was only $10, good wine and a generous pour.
  
  We will go back but wiser from our first experience and alert for management slight of hand.

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  Posted on 06.30.12 Clifford B.

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  Nice place, great food, friendly staff.  Had the ribeye for 2 and was perfect.  Comes with two salads and a side each.  Good wine list also.

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  Posted on 05.31.12 Lee S.

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  The decor is just so over-the-top crazy and random...kinda like Z Gallerie opened a Steakhouse and Family restaurant in the 90's.
  
  Very surreal...like you're having dinner in an old school casino on the old Las Vegas Strip.
  
  The food was okay, but the decor of this place is just so awesome.
  
  You have to give it 4 stars.

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  Posted on 05.20.12 Max M.

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  The food was bland and as I expected, the average age was in the upper registers.  Perhaps that is no coincidence.  So, if your an older suburbanite who wants a large hunk of meat and a potato for supper, this is probably your place.
  I had a soft shell crab for an appetizer.  It was alright.  I had the chicken club as my dinner - I was expecting sliced chicken breast but it was the actual whole chicken breast.  Very bland.  I guess a chicken club is supposed to be bland?  My wife had a special that was filet mignon with a cognac sauce tossed in rigatoni.  I don't think she really knew what she was going to get.  It was very rich and a waste of filet if you ask me.  The filet was tender, but again - super bland.

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  Posted on 05.17.12 Mark K.

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  I visited this place about 2 weeks ago to use my groupon.
  Decor / interior of the restaurant was quite nice (classic american steakhouse) and all but I wasn't happy with the service or the food.
  
  We got there around 5pm and there was only 6-7 customers.. The Host was no where to be found when my party arrived. Waited 5-6 minutes to be seated, which wasn't a big of deal.
  
  Food:
  St. Charles Signature Oysters Rockefeller was pretty good. I enjoyed it. However, it went downhill afterward. Salad was old and tasteless. It was not fresh at ALL.
  I had $50 ribeye. One of their signature dish. Although the meat was decent quality, they over cooked the hack out of it. The outside was BLACK and burnt. I felt robbed and dissapointed. If you cannot cook a thick cut of steak, do not offer it to people... Def not wroth $50 if the steak is ruined. Prime rib was pretty good though. Properly cooked
  
  Maybe I was unlucky on my first visit. What's more funny about the place is that they  hiring "experienced chef" on their business billboard / sign.. Now I'm wondering if my steak was cooked by inexperienced chef or worker....
  
  I see that they offer another groupon deal at the moment. I may give the place 2nd chance but overall, this place wasn't impressive and was a huge let down.

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  Posted on 03.09.12 MB P.

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  Only stopped in for a drink but I will be back for dinner! Great Place!

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  Posted on 03.07.12 Jeff J.

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  Went here last night for Valentine's Day with my husband and some old and dear friends....my husband and I hadn't been here for quite some time - probably 10 + years and it will probably be much longer before we return....the service was TERRIBLE!!  Waiting an hour and a half for dinner is unacceptable and as one diner commented in a previous review - our server disappear for several minutes at a time and was no where to be found....the food was OK, but definitely overpriced for the quality/quantity we received.  Bummed that we didn't enjoy our experience - I was really looking forward to it.

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  Posted on 02.15.12 Stephanie M.

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  I like this place because the food is very good, but I've had some rude service here. The owner can be very nice, but you never know. I've gone in a few times and been treated badly.

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  Posted on 02.10.12 Martha M.

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  Driven by this place for 8 years and finally stopped, by myself on a Tuesday night, and ate at the bar.  I came not for seafood, ambience, or fawning service, but for one reason - to see if they cooked a good steak.  The answer, sadly, is no.
  
  I ordered a $45 charred bone-in rib eye covered in mushrooms, spinach, and cesar salad.  The steak was huge, and cooked perfectly to medium rare.  It was also tough relative to what a rib-eye should be, lacked flavor and was clearly devoid of that rich, awesome taste and mouth-feel that should accompany such a fatty cut.  The mushrooms were cold and clearly, by size and taste, came straight from the can.  I order out or cook a steak a week, and I find it impossible to believe this was either prime or top-grade choice meat, as this place claims.  Granted, a prime steak  of this size at a Morton's or other top-end steakhouse would be $60 or more just for the steak.  But for $45, you should get a great-tasting steak.  And canned mushrooms?  At this price?  I would gladly have had a quality piece of meat, half that size, for the same price.  As an aside, the sautéed spinach was good and salad OK.  I will note that the bartender, who had two other customers, had to be reminded to bring the glass of wine I ordered.
  
  I really wanted to like this place, but can't recommend it for those seeking a really good steak.  It has a great, supper-club feel, but the price point was far too high relative to the food quality.  Outback serves a better steak.

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  Posted on 02.09.12 Scott C.

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  St. Charles Place is located on North Ave.  This makes it fairly convenient for me to get to from Bartlett where I live.
  
  From the outside it looks like a classic steakhouse with the covered dropoff area in front.  I suspect there was a valet at some time in the past, but that no longer seems to be the case.  I like parking my own car anyway and they have a private lot that is plenty big.
  
  Walking in you are treated to a good old fashioned steakhouse decor.  There is lots of wood and dim lighting.  This is no chain restaurant and I was thrilled to find it.  To the right of the entrance is a bar.  It features a full size concrete tree replica with branches to the ceiling.  To the left is a wide hallway where the banquet rooms are located.  The restrooms are also down that way.
  The main dining room is subdivided into three large sections.  I have always sat in the middle by the huge stone fireplace.  There are four person tables as well as the wrap-around booths that I associate with this type of place.
  
  The service is fair.  My server has always been nice and generally helpful, but they tend to disappear for long periods of time.  This is usually when I am looking for another bottle of wine or more bread.  I don't know what the manager has them doing, but it is something that I noticed.  On the bright side, my water glass is always kept full and plates are cleared efficiently by the busboy. (Is that still the accepted term?)
  
  The wine list is not extravagant, but I always find something good to go with my meals.  I tend to splurge a little on the wine when i am here because I am already in a spending mood when I know I am going out for steak.
  
  The food is delicious.  I have had various forms of beef here.  The giant ribeye is what I usually get.  I think it is 36 ounces.  I always take some home to eat the next day.  The lamb chops are tasty and grilled to perfection.  My wife likes the filet mignon.
  The only thing I wouldn't recommend is the lobster... or at least not the small tails that they pair with steaks.  They are not very tasty and just not worth the additional cost in my opinion.
  
  The desserts that I have had are good.  I often go with the key lime pie or the creme brulee.  Unfortunately, they do not do the dessert tray presentation that used to be common at places like this.  I kind of miss it, but it is probably wasteful.
  
  Overall, I like St. Charles Place.  It represents what a steakhouse looked like before corporate America told the masses that Saltback Steakhouse was the way to go.  I even took my father here because he is the one that introduced me to several good steakhouses and he approved of it.  It is not cheap, but it is still reasonable for good quality meat.  When I am thinking steak, this is where I am going.

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  Posted on 01.01.12 Don Z.

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  I'll reserve my 5-star rating for a second visit to confirm :-)
  
  We tried this place for the first time the other day based on a friend's recommendation and of course, all those Yelpers!  We'd passed this place many times before and completely overlooked it.  So glad that has changed.
  
  We loved the decor and they had quite a bit of holiday decorations mixed in as well - but not in a tacky way.  It blended well and looked very festive yet elegant.  The big fireplace was crackling, twinkle lights above with exposed beams...just lovely.  The perfect location for date night or a special occasion.  They have at least one private room for larger parties or events.
  
  The only thing I felt they could improve upon (and partly why I'm holding back that 5th star) is the music.  The music simply didn't fit with the ambiance of the establishment.  I love Classic Rock but based on the type of restaurant it is and how it's more of an upscale place it just didn't go together for me.  The place seems more like they should have some Dean Martin supper-club-esque type of music playing rather than CCR.
  
  Our server was Bill and he was such a pleasure.  Just the right amount of graciousness and fun with humor.
  
  The food did not disappoint, either.  We both had the special, a steak dish (I forget the name), and it was so tendy and delicious.  Plenty of mushrooms & sauteed onions in the delicious sauce as well...and the mashed potatoes!  Oh the mashed potatoes!  The creamy, buttery, heavenly potatoes were so elegantly presented piped around the platter with a large star tip.  It looked too pretty to eat but of course we devoured it!  The portion was also large, we both took leftoevers home and will get at least one more meal each out of it.  Even the calamari we ordered was enough to feed at least 4 people as an appetizer.
  
  We will definitely be going back and just may become our new fave for dinner!

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  Posted on 12.29.11 Rose D.

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  Our first time here in a long time.  The host was great, and stopped by a few times to check on us.
  
  The ambiance is very nice and we where promptly seated which is nice on a Friday night.  We ordered soft-drinks and the Saganaki.  
  
  The alcohol was actually too much and once put out it left a puddle on the serving dish that the cheese was sitting in.  It left a very strong taste and my wife didn't like it at all (and we usually really enjoy Saganaki).
  
  I had the soup, clam chowder which was very good.  My wife had the salad.
  
  For the main course we both ordered the London Broil (which was the special).  It and its sides where very good.
  
  We where a bit surprised that there where not free refills on soft-drinks at a restaurant where the average price of a meal is $30+.  As my wife put it penny wise/pound foolish.

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  Posted on 11.11.11 Brian W.

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  To be honest, I've only been here once and I don't think I'll be coming back anytime soon. I only came here because I had an expiring groupon that I needed to use. I've driven by this place numerous times and never knew it existed. It looks so old school and dark from the outside. Should probably revamp the place up. But I guess they are going for the old school feel since the inside atmosphere makes you feel like you're going back in time. The lighting is so dim though, and that was so annoying.
  
  Food was crazy expensive. For 2 people with no drinks, just 2 meals, the total ended up being $75....whoa.  My steak was alright, not worth the 32 dollar list price. My companion got the 32 dollar scallops, and yes they were big, and I understand it is seafood, but there were only 4 of them. That equates to about 8 dollars a scallop. 7 maybe if you include the mashed potatoes in there.
  
  My biggest complaint had to be about the service though. No offense to the guy that was waiting out table, but he was so slow. Like crazy slow. He gave us bread and never asked if we wanted more. Maybe they don't give you more, but who knows, I wouldn't since he didn't say anything. I barely got my water refilled, and that was even through a different guy, bus boy type person. The waiter gave us our food, and never came back to ask if we were doing fine or needed anything. Maybe just one time throughout the meal when obviously I was short on water like the whole time.
  
  Then when we finished( I literally timed this part since we were trying to catch a movie at the nearby theater), it took 40 minutes from when I asked for the check to us leaving. Like I'm just speechless. The place was not packed, so what could he have possibly been doing.
  
  He came back when we were done and  I said we were finished and if we could have the check and a take home container. 10 min goes by, he comes back with a take home container. Another 10 minutes go by, he comes back with the check. Another 10 min goes by, he takes my credit card. Final 10 minutes go by, he gives me my card back. Ended up missing the beginning of the movie too. Not too happy with that.

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  Posted on 09.29.11 Thomas T.

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  I love the Film Noir atmosphere of this restaurant. It is a great place to impress a date. I got the steak and stuffed shrimp special and it was delicious. The steak was cooked to perfection and the presentation was fantastic. The only aspect that was lacking for me was the service. If the waitress was friendlier, it would have made my overall experience much more enjoyable.

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  Posted on 09.04.11 Priya G.

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  The food here was above average and the ambiance was good. However, the pricing was on the high end, and the service was acceptable.
  My wife's entre was outstanding, but she was really disappointed that a choice of vegetable described in the menu was not offered to her. Instead, she was given an overcooked baked potato. My entre, pan fried scallops, was good, although the double baked potato seemed to be old, and suffering from being kept warm too long.
  The menu was adequate, but lacking any imaginative dishes.
  The owner stopped by our table twice, which was a nice touch, but our server did not refill drinks at all.
  Overall, my expectations based on the previous reviews i had read were not met. This is an average restaurant for food, with rather high prices.

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  Posted on 07.16.11 Bob S.

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  Our party ordered the steak au poivre, broiled tilapia, and the fancy salad. The salad was refreshing, the dressing was tangy and size was great. I felt it was worth more than the au povre in quantity heh. The chef made the steak just right and the sauce was really good. The tilapia was fresh and was cooked to perfection without that fishy smell when you try to broil at home. The service was quick and very attentive.

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  Posted on 04.30.11 MeLissa M.

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  Over Rated!  Overpriced and wine list is not all that great.  The food is good but certanily not great and not worth the price of admission.  The decor is nice and the place certainly has nice ambiance.  
  
  The bar is nice and they have some nice jazz band that play there as well.  Very good Martnis.  
  
  I would say go there and expect good food, but not great.  The owner is nice and accomadates the customers as best he can.

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  Posted on 12.28.10 Paul K.

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  I'm often asked by co-workers and business aquaintances to reccomend a resaurant in Saint Charles, as i've lived here most of my 60+ years.  I might hesitate if there were diners in the group who are not BIG MEAT fans, but even then, there are alternatives.  This is a family-run business that shows the pride a Greek-American family can bring to the dining experience.  Two sons of the man who purchased this place, some time ago, I'm guessing 15 or 20 years, operate the place from day to day with the help of their wives and a loyal staff.  There are busboys here who have been with them for 8, 10 years or more!   Even if you only visit once or twice a year, you're recognized as an old customer, and treated with respect and welcome.
  And the food...you'll drive a long, long way to get a better steak and even then you might not find it.  Nothing second rate here, nothing skimped.  The prices are not cheap, but it is not cheap quality.  Rare in steak houses today, the potato and salad are included in the dinner price, not seen as ala carte extras, so there is value here.
  The service is absolutely the best.  Even when they are very busy, they are fully staffed, and attentive.  I'm not all that demanding, but I might as well be, because the staff at St. Charles Place have always gone out of their way to make certain that everything was to my liking.  And yes, I am one of those customers who has dinner here once or twice a year, I'm not getting treatment any different than every other customer in the place.
  
  Oh, and I can't finish without this.   Out wandering for dinner one night, I noticed on their Marquee, "Worlds best burgers."  Ok, so I gave it a shot.
  You know what?  I haven't traveled the enitre world yet, but so far, the burgers here are the best I've ever had.  But go on Monday night when they have been half-price lately.

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  Posted on 10.07.10 Mike L.

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  It's heartwarming when an older restaurant can still outperform the new trendy places. St. Charles Place gives you PLENTY for your money, with succulent steaks (the prime rib is incredibly tasty; the Filet is done to perfection), pasta, seafood and more. Service is impeccable, and the bar is a great place to have a drink before or after you dine. The interior is big, but cozy. Vaulted wood ceilings and a lovely fireplace. This is the place to be this winter!

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  Posted on 09.15.10 Mary S.

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  I had my weddin here. Good sea food and good for banquets.

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  Posted on 03.04.10 John O.

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  Steak and seafood restaurant.  Had the prime rib and it was pretty good.  What was really good was their double baked potato.  A bake potato with the insides carved out, mashed and rebaked w/ all the goodies (green onions, chives, sour cream, cheese).  Its f-ing delicious.  So be sure to try the double baked potato there!

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  Posted on 10.31.07 Heman A.

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