Char 631 - Coquitlam

We passed by the Char 631 while enroute back to Vancouver from Harrison Hot Springs. We both enjoyed surf and turf and New York cheese cake for dinner. Our repast was enjoyable however the fillet mignon was a tad overcooked to our liking. I suppose we'll return again when we're in the neighborhood.

I had purchased a voucher from a coupon site for a three course pre-fixe meal for two, which was valid for any day. The coupon site was actually having a sale, so the voucher only cost me $15 (normally, the voucher would have cost $45, and the regular price without a voucher is apparently $92). At the actual restaurant, we ordered some drinks, so with tip, I paid another $25. So all in, it cost me $40 for dinner for two.We arrived right when the restaurant opened for dinner, and we were the only ones there. Only one other person came in while we were still there, and it sounded like he was a hotel guest. It was quiet, but then again, it might have been a little early...We were able to choose one appie, two mains, and one dessert. We chose the artichoke and spinach dip, one steak dinner, one salmon and risotto dinner, and the cheese cake. The dip was not bad, and the cheese cake was pretty good. Unfortunately the steak was very thin, chewy, and seemed... gray? The salmon was dry and overcooked. The actual taste/flavour was good for both the steak and the salmon. However, the risotto that came with the salmon was not good at all. It tasted funny... it almost tasted like... (if I had to guess) mold? Though I must stress that I did not see any actual mold.Also, a comment on the drinks. My husband asked for one of the items listed on the drink menu - it was unavailable (no stock). I kind of think that if you're going to have something on the menu, it better be available. Especially since we were there early in the evening. It's different if we come later at night, like near closing time. Then it makes sense that a restaurant would run out of inventory, and we would be more understanding.Anyway, the restaurant was decorated nicely enough, and the hostess and the servers were pleasant enough. The restaurant is conveniently located, and there is plenty of parking.Unfortunately, the food does not encourage us to come back. Regular price would have been $120 (the $92 plus tax plus the other $25 I paid for drinks and tip). That's too much considering the food quality was hit or miss.

Nice atmosphere . Good meal. Good service. Would highly recommend this restaurant. Certainly will go back

We were happy to see the restaurant listed by a trade exchange we belong to as it's only a few minutes drive from our home. It's at the Coquitlam Ramada Inn location, on the Lougheed Hwy just east of Coquitlam Centre. It has its own dedicated entrance with ample parking.. On our first visit we were impressed by the friendliness of the staff and the ease of parking. Food is served both in the mid-sized restaurant and the adjoining bar. We have been back there for dinner several times a month as it is so convenient for us. The restaurant is not open for lunch - just breakfast or dinner. We have only been there for dinner - usually mid-week. It's usually about a quarter full with the diners being mainly guests of the hotel. We are surprised that there are not more locals enjoying the restaurant. Their steaks did not impress us. Their appetizers, pasta dishes and hamburger selection, however, have been of good quality and are reasonably priced. The chef's daily special is not always available. Wine is sold by the bottle or a by a 6 ounce or 9 ounce glass The decor and layout is pretty well hotel restaurant standard. The cutlery and dishes are of a better quality than found in most restaurants. Their staff is far superior to the usual hotel restaurant, and the reason why we keep returning.

Cruising the area, we noticed the huge Char 631 STEAKHOUSE sign from the highway and made the 'impromptu' decision to dine there. Thinking this place 'specialized' in great steaks,...... wrong!(It was my Albertan companion's Birthday and he needed a good steak!)Upon entering, the sole server (no name tag) asked if we had reservations and what coupons (?) Told her we were just passing by and do we need them. (Reservations? The place was near empty. Unbeknownst to us there was rampant use and availability of vouchers/coupons for this place!?Anyways, after lengthy wait and lukewarm coffee, the steaks arrived.What a disappointment!!! Mine was "gristly", so full of cartilage that the steak was mostly unchewable/unswallowable! Most was spat out into napkin.My partner's 6 oz. steak had so much untrimmed fat that more was cut off and discarded than eaten.Adding insult to injury/disgust, when the server came around to ask "How is it? Is it good?" I told her my steak had lots of gristle, with that she only said "Oh, I'm sorry about that" and walked away!!!(Earlier also mentioned it was a Birthday dinner and if there were any perks with that,... she replied "I could sing you "Happy Birthday, but I'm not a good singer")What a bad experience there, we were not satisfied, respected and left still hungry.What poor management, business practice, what horrid served steaks!What a mistake to try out this so-called steakhouse!Should have drove pass this establishment,.... and fast!