CHAR Steakhouse & Bar

Five stars you bet, and I don’t give those out easy. While traveling I often look at reviews of places to eat along the way and Char Steaks had some nice things said about them. I made them my dinner stop on my first day of vacation last year, I was very happy I did. The staff were very nice and on thir game, and what the chef did with my flat steak was really memorable. The atmosphere, whole staff and good food was so good that nearly 3 weeks later on my way back from New England I made Char my final dinner stop and they did not disappoint. It a few minutes off of I-​40 in a quaint downtown area, and very worth the trip. Enjoy!

Prime rib awesome as usual. Cheese plate is always great and the ultimate seafood platter was superb.

We wanted steak. With a name like Char, you expect it to be good, and it was. The staff-​at least our waiter-​left something to be desired. It was to the point where the lack of service was comical.
We came in with reservations and were seated right away. The waiter came over to get our drink order and I asked about the bourbon selection. He literally rolled his eyes and said, ‘a lot.’ When I waited for more, he said he wasn’t really sure what they had and named every whiskey and bourbon and scotch he could think of; which wasn’t many.
Char has a fantastic cheese plate of local cheese. Don’t ask me what they are though; our waiter dropped the plate off without telling us a thing about them. I can say that Cookeville area has great cheeses. The plate was done right with various crackers, and dried cranberries, and walnuts.
At this point we decided it was time to make fun of him by wondering if he even knew what the cheeses were.
When our steaks arrived they were on the fatty side, but good. I got the ribeye, which was a huge hunk of meat and done to order; medium rare. Disappointingly there was never a bread basket brought to the table. It would have been nice to sop the juices up with a hunk of crusty bread.
Our waiter never came by to see how it was. At that point we made a bet on if he would ask us if we wanted deserts.
You guessed it. He didn’t. He brought the check.
I asked about desert. He looked annoyed.
I got cheese cake because that was about the only thing he could remember them having.
Funny, he didn’t look stoned.
All in all it was good food. The four stars are for that reason. Our service was laighable and our tip reflected that.

This was recommended by co-​workers for lunch. We swung by on our way out of town for a business lunch. The food was good, lots of options… Too bad it was just lunch and I was hungry enough for dinner options. The crab cake BLT was good and so was the service. Would go back and recommend.

Try the steak burger: so juicy it drips down your arm! Worth the extra $ 2. We enjoyed the atmosphere and can’t wait to come back for live music. This place makes the Cookeville dining scene look good. Check it out.

Awesome steaks!!! My husband’s exact quote «in the top three steaks I’ve ever had». Wish I knew the ‘secret’ seasoning the chef uses… anyways I have been here twice for dinner and both times excellent food. Nice atmosphere. other side of the restaurant is a sports bar.

The décor needs to be lightened up. The seats and booths are not comfortable, and the atmosphere is more hard rock than restaurant. That being said, they are the best and most consistent kitchen in Cookeville. The food is OUTSTANDING! The PRIME RIB is just too good to be believed! And it’s always good, every time. No consistency challenges here. Try the Ultimate Seafood appetizer. Huge scallops, Lightly Seared Ahi Ahi Tuna, shrimp, more, try it, worth the $ 32 dollars and then some. The service is usually quite good as well. They have a very good selection of beer and wine, and several selections from local brewery Calfkiller.

I’ve eaten here twice — lunch and dinner. The lunch I had was very good and reasonably priced. The dinner however, was a different story. I had steak (ordered Medium-​Rare). I was very overcooked and tough. They are also pricey for what they offer.

I was skeptical walking in 30 minutes before they close but I was wrong! Taylor was awesome she treated us like we were the first table of the day. The food was good and I personally love the atmosphere. If I lived in Cookeville this would be the date night spot for me and the wifey. The only reason I am giving 4 stars and not 5 is cause of the table it was terribly wobbly.

AMAZING!!!
This was our first time here, and it was «date night,» our server recommended the wings (which were very, very good– they make the ranch in-​house by the way.) My hubby got the filet and I got the mahi mahi… we recommend both!
Definitely can’t wait to come back! :)

Kind of disappointed that a steakhouse doesn’t have a steak on the Sunday brunch menu?! I had the Philly cheese steak sandwich and was not disappointed, it was delicious and had a great flavor. Also, the fries were cooked well and had a good crunch and taste.
We had the potatoes skin appetizer and I would definitely eat here again next time I’m through town.

I have been coming to this restaurant for over three years and I’m still in love. I’ve recently discovered their salads, so incredible! This place is like a second home. The bar is big and everyone that works there does a fantastic job. Everything I have tasted on the menu is delicious. I can go with my daughter during the day or early evening and we both have a great time or I can go in the late evening with friends and have a blast as well. They have great bands that come and play and they have amazing events! For me, this place is the heart of Cookeville.

The first few times I went here with my brother the food was great, service was friendly and the décor… Well, it’s crap. The food was good enough that we could ignore the dark, dank décor. But the last time I went was one of the worst dining experiences of my life. And I’ve lived and traveled all over the country and the world. This place now ranks in my top 3 of the WORST places I’ve had a meal at. And it’s not even the food. The food is good. There’s nothing on the menu that is horrible. It’s the service that will keep me from returning. Our waitress was rude, unprofessional, slow, and ignored us for a good 45 minutes. We had to share a menus and no drinks were offered. The place had 5 tables filled and a few people at the bar. Two waitstaff and one bartender. That’s it. After being ignored for so long, we finally just left. We got our food to go and they gave us the wrong meals on top of all that. I cannot recommend this place. Go across the corner to The Cooke House and you’ll get a great meal in a pleasantly decorated dining room with friendly, timely service.

I have been waiting to write a review for this place hoping that the next time I would be more impressed but unfortunately that has not been the case. The last time hubby and I went was this past Sunday around 2pm and they were dead. There were 2 servers there and they cared more about folding their silverware than giving attention to their customers. Their food has always be meh to me and I have yet to be impressed. After reading other reviews I agree the restaurant does seem a bit dark and my husband and I have only gone during the day so I couldn’t imagine at night time. I would recommend going to a different local restaurant in cookeville… say down the street on broad st… hint hint ;)

Local favorite for my wife and I. Food is always good quality. Nice relaxing environment with outside seating available.

Their food is amazing and their lunch specials are fabulous! Go there! You will not regret it!

We went for a Mother’s Day dinner for the first time at Char’s. Make a reservation as seating is limited especially on weekends and prime time dinner hours. Our seating was fairly prompt although there is not much of a waiting area in front of the door so going in and out can become cumbersome. The atmosphere is minimalist, yet pleasant. Service was fairly good seeming it was fairly busy with many tables having large parties of Prom kids. Ordered Steaks and a Seafood Platter. Steaks were wonderful my husband stated he would have liked his a little more blackened, and at first it appeared slightly greasy, but being a ribeye sometimes marbling causes a more oily appearance; other than that he said his meat was SENSATIONAL one of the BEST steaks he believes he EVER had. (He even bragged on it to his father that called us on the way out of the lounge). Scallops were cooked perfectly and had a wonderful sear and flavor! Will definitely come back again. Wishes they had more of a drink menu and possibly a signature mixed drink!

Very average food. Way over priced. A restaurant that wants to be upper tier but in fact does not do the necessary attention to detail to be little less than average

From the outside Char looks like a highend lounge but the inside looks like a restaurant with a cool bar area. There is a lot of history to this place, Just ask the locals. Thier happy hour is fantastic. The $ 5 shrimp is excellent and the drink specials are phenomenal. The timings suck. Thier happy hour ends like at 6 or something. Happy hours should go on tlll atleast 7pm.
If youre deciding to have a busines meeting, this would be an ideal place. The food is good and thier lunch specials are OK. I would spend the extra couple of bucks and order from the regular menu rather than thier lunch one. The service is very good… or atleast thats how it was everytime I have been there. The bartenders are friendly and they are always willing to have a conversation with you. The waitresses are nice and while the service isnt super awesome, I had no problems.
As a date place I think this should be good. I have never taken a girl on a date here. Its quiet and there is some sort of a band playing here almost everyday. I would definitely go here again.

Char is a pretty cool place to go. They have a chill atmosphere, and live music is a great addition. It’s definitely different from what Cookeville usually offers.
I’ve been here twice, and both times the food has been excellent… but the service hasn’t been. Even though the restaurant wasn’t busy the first time I went, the waitress was very slow, and our table outside was covered in water and not ready for us.
If you’re not a steak person, I highly recommend ordering the salmon with asparagus.