Chart House Restaurant

11/10/08

Great experiences at the Chart House

by jpeterson55

My wife and I have been enjoying the Chart House for the last 2 years now, and we are rarely disappointed when we visit them. We've chose the Chart House for everything from a drink with friends to a full sit down meal to a private party to celebrate a special occasion in their dining room. Our experiences always seem to be nothing short of spectaculiar. I would recommend trying the Prime Rib on the weekends, and definitely make it a point to experience the Sunday brunch, champagne is included!

• Pros: Location just off I-35, beautiful outdoor patio scenery with seating for dinner

07/26/08

Hidden gem in the South Metro

by TigerJC

My wife and I have become big Chart House fans since we moved to Lakeville 3 years ago. When we?re in the mood for casual food, we get their outstanding burgers and appetizers (my wife says that the nachos are clearly prepared by nacho-lovers). However, we also go there for fine dining. When relatives visit, they always rave about the seafood, though my wife and I really enjoy their great array of steaks and the champagne chicken.

We like that we can bring our kids there, yet we can avoid imposing on adult couples or groups. When the weather is nice we walk the kids around the lakeside lawns and gardens while waiting for our food. We also love that when the weather is nice we can always find outdoor seating on their patios (which we?ve found is very rare in the Twin Cities?).

Even though it?s in Lakeville, we?re still able to get friends to meet us there because the food is great, the lakeside location is excellent, and it isn?t too far out in the suburbs (it?s close to Buck Hill and Burnsville Mall).

It is also worth noting that the brunches are as good as it gets ? especially the holiday brunches. My wife loves the breakfast-type food and I?m always very happy eating their plentiful dinner-type options on the buffet. We used to live in the West suburbs and would go to the nice lakeside brunches in that area. We haven?t gone out there since we discovered the Chart House.

• Pros: Lakeside Location, Outdoor Seating, Excellent for both Fine and Casual Dining, Outstanding Brunch
• Cons: Service has been inconsistent, but is improving

04/09/07

Poor service, bad food. Should close or sell.

by bve43

Went to Brunch for Easter and was very disappointed. Our reservations were for 10 AM, the time when Chart House opened. Most Sundays they have a champagne brunch but they don't supply ANY beverages on holidays. Even coffee was extra. For $27.95 per person I expect a beverage. No wonder the place was not full. Food was way below par also. Roast beef and ham on the carving table (no au jus for the beef). Servings were luke warm to cold. Omelets were okay but I've had just as good at Perkins for a lot less. The rolls and desserts weren't fresh. They were frozen and thawed causing them to be dry and stale. The desserts were so bad you couldn't identify what they were. Carrot cake with a lime sauce sprinkled across was just bad. I had to ask the waiter what one dessert was because there was no taste. He told us it was banana cake! Apparently someone forgot the bananas or when they thawed it out, the flavor went with the ice. Our waiter forgot my coffee and had to be reminded and again when I wanted a refill. This restaurant has went so far down hill that I don't think they can be saved. A huge waste of money. This is one of those Twin City restaurants you hope goes out of business. I'll do my part to help that happen. I won't be back.

• Pros: This is a pretty restaurant with great views and good parking
• Cons: Poor service, bad food, drafty

12/03/06

the worst service ,prices , food

by tgflange

We went for my wifes birthday and it was a total disaster! Our waiter could not rember his name let alone all of our orders and did not write any thing down.We ordered prine rib and got a huge tastless piece of meat .The augraten potatoes were uncooked and terriable,the deep fried asparagus was cold and greasy.This place has gone to the dogs and the food is not fit for one.We are counting the days and can not wait for this place to be taken out of its misery!

• Pros: none
• Cons: every thing is awful

08/14/06

Wilting Laurels

by mzee75

Allow me to begin by stating the Charthouse has been a family favorite for an age. My wedding was held on their lovely grounds. For better or worse, the Charthouse came under new management/ownership a few years ago and I believe that has led to its decline.

The Patio: For the last year the outdoor patio has been chronically understaffed. Without fail, the service starts out cheerfully promising, then degrades into a slow, chaotic experience. Our most recent visit lasted almost 2 hours... for burgers and wraps. Our waitress took almost 20 minutes to get drinking water on the table. Our orders weren't taken for 40 minutes. After well over an hour when the food finally was ready, our child's mac-n-cheese was left in the kitchen and it took another 10 minutes to retrieve it. (She's very patient for 3-1/2, but was about at the end of her rope and our food was getting cold.) We felt like we were a constant imposition on the waitstaff, but we couldn't seem to get anything with our first request (including drink refills, silverware, etc...). Sadly, this over-stretching of the staff (which results in poor service) seems to be the norm now rather than the exception.

The dining room: The decor remains the same as it's been for 20 years -- a classy, upscale dining room. Unfortunately, the menu, which once was rich with a wide palate of offerings, has been reduced to just a few selections under each heading. There is virtually nothing in the way of dish descriptions - ie: one will need to ask what type of pasta/rice/veggies will be served with each dish. (This led to 2 of our 4 party members being disappointed with their meals.) Our wholely unspectacular meal (pastas and steaks) totaled over $120 for four, and that did not include any specialty beverages. Service in the dining room, while (again) slow, was superior to the patio.

With service waning and an over-priced, over-simplified menu, I can no longer recommend the Charthouse for enjoyable dining.

• Pros: Lovely grounds (great for strolling), classy ambiance
• Cons: Slow (and frequently) poor service, unspectacular food for the price

08/01/06

Fabulous Sunday Brunch

by tabeln

I showed up for Sunday brunch on a tip from a friend, what a great experience! Plan on calling ahead, it was plenty busy at about 11:00 AM. I had a custom designed omelet made right in front of me, as well as a couple of glasses of complimentary champagne.

The restaurant and bathrooms were clean, as well as a very pretty outdoor patio right on the lake. We enjoyed a casual stroll through the garden and along the coi pond.

The staff was attentive and very polite,

in short - we'll be trying this place again!

Clubby atmosphere, scenic locale and a fabulous brunch spread keep folks coming back.

by Contributor

In Short
Dining at the Chart House is a bit like going to a wedding at a festive country club. Combine the clubby crowd with the unobtrusive lounge band and you might find yourself looking around for the bride and groom. Escargots, baby beef-liver stir fry and roast duckling share space on the menu with less adventurous fare such as shrimp Alexander (coated with bread crumbs, shallots, butter and garlic) and crab-stuffed Rainbow trout.

01/22/03

Full Steam ahead

by avatar

The chart house is quite possibly the only upscale non-chain eatery south of the river.

The food is excellently prepared and fantastically presented. Cuisine styles range from Steak and Chops to Seafood and poultry. All dishes come with sizeable portions, but not so much that you can't finish.

The decor of the dining room is a bit average. Just a big restaurant with lots of tables. The bar/lounge however has a nautical theme and even has aquariums in the porthole windows. If you have an opportunity to dine outside take it. The restaurant is right on a lake, and the atmosphere will improve dramatically.

Servers are quite professional and friendly and are able to recommend dishes with credibility. The dishes can be a bit expensive compared to other restaurants.

• Pros: Good Quality food, compentent staff
• Cons: expensive