Charbon Steakhouse

The food was excellent. My family and I enjoyed our meals, the steaks were excellent., cooked very well. The service was good until the end. It was our first time in Quebec… And had been to various places throughout the week, and were tipping generously as we would normally. A restaurant we had visited explained to us earlier in the day that the tips were included in the bill and showed us the abbreviation. Anyhow., at the end when it was time to pay my husband with the understanding that the tip was on the bill still tipped above that as well but not by much. The waiter took it upon himself to be very loud on insisting on more of a tip, not explaining to us nicely but very loudly this part goes to the government. My husband then apologizes says ok it was a misunderstanding and hands him more money. We leave thoroughly disappointed a lovely meal ruined. Could he have been nicer. Yes most certainly

I’ve come here several times and it’s only for one reason; their steaks!!!
I have never had a bad experience with the cooking of their steaks, the sizes or even their service. They’re always on point! I usually order the 8oz fillet mignon and after every visit I swear that next time i’m ordering the smallest size.
If you’re getting appies, plan to be satisfied, and full by the time your main meal arrives.
The only reason I’m taking away a star is because i was extremely disappointed by the appetizer I ordered last time, the tomato salad with pita bread wedges. The tomatoes were soggy and seemed like they were prepared too far in advance (probably mixed the dressing early in the afternoon in anticipation for faster service). The pita wedges were SO stale! And they were deep fried! Yikes!
I find that their patio/​terrasse is badly/​barely decorated and considering the strong décor of the interior plus the location of the restaurant, they could have definitely invested a bit more on the outside.
Other than those two points, I’m a fan and will definitely keep coming back!

Very disappointing! Ordered 6 oz filet mignon medium, it came out rare. Sent back and it came back 10 minutes later as a new 4 oz steak with wrong sauce and missing steak knife. Took 10 minutes to get waitress to bring out correct sauce. Never got steak knife back. This was supposed to be the best steak place in Quebec but it was pretty mediocre. Expensive as well.

During our visit to Quebec this past weekend, we knew we wanted a serious, spurge-​y steakhouse experience which is exactly what we received at Charbon.
First of all, it is in the old train station which is worth visiting on its own. You’ll continue being impressed once inside – it really does have that «classic but modern steakhouse» vibe going on. Tablecloths, napkins, silverware, glassware – it is all very classy.
We started with cocktails (martini and Manhattan) and both were excellent. The drinks menu won’t disappoint. From there we went into a salmon tartar which was to die for. Don’t miss this if you like raw salmon. (Technically there was bread, pickles and coleslaw before and that was all good on its own). From there we had salads. My Caesar was excellent. Finally it was time for the main act: for me, the 14 oz. ribeye that is aged 45 days. Incredible. Full of flavor and cooked perfectly – every now and again, a $ 45 steak makes sense when it tastes this good. Fries (not dressed up) were the best I had that weekend and the broccoli and mushrooms were delicious. The sauce (on the side) is not to be missed no matter how good your steak is on its own.
My GF was as impressed with the 4 oz. tenderloin.
For dessert we shared the one with the odd name – it has a number and is kind of like their take on the volcano cake. Excellent! An espresso for me rounded things out.
I forgot the half liter we shared – the wine list won’t disappoint unless you are some kind of super wine snob – or pretending to be. There are about 8 selections if you are looking for the half liter and lots if you just want a glass.
A special note needs to be made on the service – it was beyond excellent. Our glasses were kept full the entire time and all of the food was prompt but never rushed.
To be fair, it should be noted that we were here on a Sunday night in the «off» season for tourism. But the place was not empty – clearly locals know to come here too.
Price? Expensive and worth it! Actually, I found the price to be right where you’d expect for steak and service this good.
Rant: Linda W., if you are ordering soda in a steakhouse of this class, you clearly need to get yourself to a Keg or something – this is not the place to ruin your pallet with pop! $ 100 per person, if enjoying wine/​dessert/​app is what fine dining costs at a minimum.
If you are only enjoying one meal in Quebec, seek steak, and want to splurge, this is your place. Don’t miss it. My mouth is watering as I remember our meal.

I was recommended this place by a friend from Quebec City and decided to give it a try when I actually went there.
The place is right next to the train station, minutes away from the old town in a beautiful building (actually it is the same building as the train station, which speaks to how classy Quebec City is).
Because it was a Monday night there was no crowd. Arrived 30 minutes before our reservation time but they accommodated me right away. Nice décor, dimmed lights which give it a romantic intimate feel, but lit enough to see what’s happening and not feel like in an underground lounge.
The place is on the expensive side, but nothing unexpected from a higher level steakhouse. The recommendation is to have the Table D’hote (basically choose a main and for an additional $ 5-​$ 15 you get an appetizer, dessert and coffee — which is fully worth it). The Table D’hote for the NY Striploin is only $ 5 extra. So had the escargots, NY strip as main and maple crème brûlée for dessert. Nice pinot noir to top it off.
The steak was amazing. Arguably the best steak I had in Canada (better than the likes of Ruth Chris or even Moishe’s) — only eclipsed by the steak I had in Chicago. The escargots were delicious as entrée and also the pickle and coleslaw that are flowing endlessly (a Quebec staple that you don’t get anywhere else — worth it!)
Lovely experience — lovely location and city. For two people, the table d’hote and half of litre of wine cost around $ 160 including tip and tax. A bit pricey but totally worth it for a full meal and an awesome steak!

This was the most overpriced meal I have ever had! Will never go here again. Don’t let the prices posted fool you. Every sodas is 5 and a side dish can run you another 15 on top of the 40 for a steak. Cost 100 a piece to eat there

Excellent food. The prime rib was cooked perfectly. The veritable soup was outstanding. The caesar salad had a little too much dressing. The baked potato was excellent. Service was generally good. Kids meals were free which was a great surprise

Que c’est bon un steak. Et au Charbon ils connaissent ça.
En entrée, ma blonde a pris la fondue au parmesan et moi la poëlée d’escargots. Les 2 étaient délicieux.
Comme plat principal, ma blonde a pris le tartare de boeuf et moi bien sûr le steak de côte vieilli 45 jours à sec.
Le tartare est très classique, mais très bon.
Le steak de côte était délicieux. J’ai peut-​être eu les yeux plus gros que le ventre avec mon 20oz. Mettons que 14oz auraient sûrement suffi. Mais je m’en fous j’ai tout mangé pareil, j’ai ma fierté.
Tout cela accompagné d’un Valpoliccella (quand même 62 $ la bouteille, alors que je l’aurais sûrement payée 5 $ en Italie, mais bon…)
Pour fini deux allongés, pas de dessert (plus de place !).
Total: 230 $ plus pourboires.
Je continue de penser que ça coûte trop cher manger au restaurant à Québec. Rares sont les places où le prix est raisonnable. Peut-​être que je suis un peu trop exigeant?

Nice atmosphere, great service. The clam chowder was add with canned clams and was overly salty, even for a salt fiend like me. The prime rib is only served one way — medium rare, but it came out practically blue. They offered to cook it more, but why wait til the customer is disappointed?
The dirty martini (grey goose) was prepared well but I didn’t like their olives…

Being something of a steak tourist, I didn’t know what to expect when visiting Quebec. The concierge at Auberge St. Antoine recommended Charbon, and I couldn’t be happier. There was a heavy downpour of snow and I wound up walking about a mile in sub-​freezing temperatures, but I’d do it again in an instant. The location and décor are great, as is the service. The meat is action-​packed, and the wine list is nothing to sneeze at either. Not exactly inexpensive, but this isn’t Burger King, and you get what you pay for. I’m looking forward to going back to Quebec and Charbon is at the top of my to-​do list.

Before I review I want to give a brief explanation of my system. I award «Swansons» rather than stars when it comes to steak, in honor of the ultimate steak lover Ron Swanson: Nick Offerman’s character on «Parks and Recreation.»
I do not consider for review anything that does not claim the title «steakhouse,» as anything else is just a restaurant. Okay, a «chop house» qualifies too, as the emphasis is meat.
Steak: 1 Swansons (I had the 20 oz Rib Steak, medium rare). I cried and I laughed and just about got a woody. It was cooked with fire and iron grates.
Atmosphere: 1 Swanson (it’s in a remodeled train station. It’s got steel girders and horns and lots of wood and brick and you can see the steaks in the meat case).
Value: 1 Swanson (I had a good beer and Apple Tart and coffee and got out at $ 60)
Service: 1 Swanson (waitress was very nice and allowed me to practice my French and switched to English when I got stuck).
Overall, a great place. You will not be disappointed if you go here when visiting Quebec City. Oh, and why not five Swansons? I never give any non-​US steakhouse five stars, as it would not be in keeping with Ron’s patriotism.
Good eating.

Après un 5 à 7 réussi à l’Aviatic, rien de mieux que de traverser à la table d’à côté pour une bonne grillade. Le Charbon Steakhouse est vraiment l’endroit rêvé pour la cuisson sur charbon de bois. J’adore leur immense steak Boston de 24 onz. Maintenant, il y a le service de boucherie Charbon où l’on peut acheter leur viande pour faire cuire sur le barbecue à la maison. À essayer prochainement.

Je suis allé là avec ma famille pour mon anniversaire. Une bonne adresse pour les mordus de viande rouge! Pour l’occasion, je me suis gâté avec une bavette, avec les frites. Une excellente portion, la bavette était, et bien… sans bavure. La cuisson était parfaite et je me suis régalé! Les frites étaient un peu molles, mais très bonnes malgré tout! Le serveur était très sympathique et j’ai eu droit à un dessert offert pour mes 22 ans. Une belle expérience, qui né se renouvellera pas trop souvent cependant, car les prix étaient proportionnels à la qualité de la viande, assez mirobolants!

Bön service efficace, courtois sans être empesé ou prétentieux.
Steaks bien vieillis et cuits à la perfection (réellement saignants…). Les entrées étaient excellentes également.
Seul bémol: un d’entre-nous avait commandé des frites et elles étaient plus que bof (molles). Les pommes de terre au four étaient parfaites cependant. Mais bon: on né va pas dans un steak-​house pour les légumes !

A fine steakhouse in a great location. Service is bit slow but that helps you slow down to enjoy your meal. The steaks are top notch in every way and the details of the meal were perfect. Sit back. Relax. Enjoy. And savor.

Our restaurant experience here was tremendous, made possible by a very cool (or rather, heat-​inferno-​inspired) environment, an outstanding waitress, and well-​prepared, delicious food. The waitress brought us a tray with the various types of steaks they grill and a mini-​course in the differences between, for example, a New York cut and a Boston cut. She was attentive, friendly, engaging, and pleasant, and was able to answer any question we had and made the evening extraordinary.
It’s a little pricey but meets my expectations in the ‘value equation’.
One tip: the non-​descript parking garage is to the left of the front door. Use it, Charbon will validate free parking for 2 hours; the lot in front uses timers and you could end up with a ticket.
C’est un endroit idéal — l’essayer, vous l’aimerez!

Top carnivore, ambiance et qualité, viande incroyable

This is the place to have an authentic steakhouse experience in Quebec City. Red leather banquettes, professional service, open kitchen, etc. I’ve dined there two times and the steaks were always perfectly cooked over maple charcoal and were terrific, but too expensive for me. In a restaurant, I prefer to pay that much for something else than steaks. They do sell them to go so I prefer to buy it and grill it at home.
For those who usually like their steak medium-​well, tell your waiter as they tend to cook it a little less than average. I like it rare so it’s not a problem for me.

With a prior reservation of 5 PM, the four of us showed up a few minutes early and were asked to wait, so we waited at a table outside. We asked to order drinks, but no one showed up until we were being taken inside.
When we were finally seated closer to 5:30, the hostess informed us we had to leave by 7:30. I’ve never had a timer put on any dining experience; a good restaurant will ensure that the second seating time allows the first seating ample time for dinner. Not at Charbon!
At $ 45 for a table d’hote 3-​course steak dinner, my expectation was for a superb meal. Our fiends ordered the table d’hote, we ordered a la carte. The first course was quite nice, but not spectacular.
However, when I asked for the sommelier (being a former award-​winning sommelier, I was sure that I could easily describe the wine I was looking for), up stepped a young man who immediately reassured me how great and special he was. I described that I wanted a specific region, described the taste and feel of the wine I wanted, then had to experience an upsell which did NOT deliver as promised. The wine wasn’t bad, just not what I had described. STRIKE ONE!
Then the main course arrived. My wife had wanted a small steak; we were reassured that the Boston Cut was top sirloin. What arrived looked, tasted, and had the shape of an end corner of tri-​tip. STRIKE TWO!
I had ordered the Osso Bucco. It looked OK, but had been held in a cooler, then rewarmed. The meat next to the bone was still very cool and the marrow was tepid. STRIKE THREE!
BTW, the waiter had his heart in it, but definitely lacked the training necessary for a fine dining experience.
Because we had a timer on the table and because we were taking some friends out to thank them for their courtesies, I did not send the food back.
But I promise this: I would rather spend the rest of my life in prison than give this restaurant another penny of my money. There are many better restaurants for the same price in Quebec City; do yourself a favor and STEER FAR AWAY from Charbon.