Charcoal

Review summary

1. M

   Meredith

   VIP

   Hawaii

   8 reviews

   3.0

   8 reviews

   Dined today

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   Disappointed on our NYE experience. We’ve been to Charcoal before and had several great meals and always enjoyed the food (the salmon is a favorite as well as the halloumi and pickled veggies)We thought it would be a great place to celebrate New Years Eve. The food on 12/31 was not what we had experienced before. Gougères were flat and seemed smashed like pancakes rather than being light and fluffy. Super bland. I selected the seared ahi and it was nearly cooked all the way through with the smallest touch of pink. It was grey and cut small little cubes. There was no discernible flavor at all. It was tough and didn’t even taste like it had any seasoning. My husband’s steak tartar was great. Nice portion size for a stater with great flavor. I selected chicken for my entree and was less than 2 oz. It was well seasoned and cooked but less than a third of a chicken breast. It was two incredibly small slices on the plate. I would serve my small children more than that for dinner. Potatoes were fine but tasted like burnt oil and couldn’t taste the duck fat as described in the menu. My husband had the steak and it was smoky and well cooked. We added the lobster to the meal and it was just ok. Desserts were nothing to write home about. Tiramisu was better than the hazelnut chocolate tart. Tart was a little gluey and gritty. It almost seemed like it was melting from sitting out. Our server was pleasant enough but seemed like she didn’t really want to be working that evening and while the food took a long time to arrive, I don’t feel like we had much attention at the table at all. We added the wine pairings and couldn’t hear what we were being given or any details about the wines. Food/beverages were just placed on the table and whoever brought them quickly walked away. Overall pretty disappointed in the food and service for a $400+ meal.
   

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2. E

   Elaine

   Seattle

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent service and food . The food came out steaming hot which is really important to me.
   

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3. S

   Susan

   VIP

   Seattle

   31 reviews

   5.0

   31 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Our first time at Charcoal. We were greeted and warmly invited in. Our table was ready but we chose to have dinner at the bar. The excellent bartender Brielle, also our server, was attentive and made great cocktails! The truffle fries were the best anywhere, anytime! Crispy and flavorful and irresistible! The pork tenderloin was perfectly cooked over cabbage and carrot purée. The scallops were also perfectly cooked served on golden beet puree topped with lardons. Delicious! Something else great about this place is that the tables are not on top of one another! There is space to breathe, talk and enjoy your meal.
   

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4. r

   rob

   Portland

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 23 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Our 5th time back - consistently fantastic each time - the service is top notch and highly recommend the Whisky Sours. And the wine list is one of the best in the Northwest. Even on a busy Sunday night, Charcoal always exceeds our expectations..... Keep up the good work Charcoal...
   

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5. L

   Linda

   VIP

   Philadelphia

   16 reviews

   4.0

   16 reviews

   Dined on 22 December 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   We like Charcoal very much: reliably good food and wine, friendly service, and pretty decor. However, their bar either needs to become "a full bar" or the restaurant can focus on their already good wine selection and forget cocktails. We've now been told twice that the bar was unable to make our requested cocktail: no fruit juice for a French martini (and in the summer, no blender for a frozen daiquiri or a pina colada). One other small negative: the front door bangs shut, jarring the tables next to windows near the door; it should be fixed.
   

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6. T

   Tony

   Seattle

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 20 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The black cod special was perfectly prepared! Jin’s cocktails are tasty and the service was excellent.
   

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7. D

   David

   Seattle

   11 reviews

   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on 17 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Our second time visiting Charcoal and had an amazing experience. Service was impeccable and food was exquisite and unique. And as one of the nicer restaurants in Edmonds, I found the prices relatively affordable.
   

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8. C

   Christine

   Seattle

   4 reviews

   3.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on 9 December 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   We have been to charcoal several times and had excellent meals. Last night was not the case
   

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9. R

   Raymond

   Vancouver

   12 reviews

   4.0

   12 reviews

   Dined on 2 December 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   The ambiance is great and inviting. The food is good; however, the portions were small for the price they charge. The location is excellent.
   

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10. c

    curtis

    Seattle

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 28 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4

    Great food, service was great, noise was high for a not too busy night. Will return in the future.
    

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