SydonnyLocal guide
★★★★★7 months ago
Charm Bar & Restaurant is what I consider to be cozy and small, but not cramped. The decor is inviting, the vibe is right, and the music brings a lot of nostalgia. A lot of classic reggae tunes that is sure to keep your head bopping.<br><br>I made reservations for 7:30 pm (to celebrate my sister's birthday) for a party of 4. We were seated immediately with zero wait time (a huge plus).<br><br>Dinner Service Review:<br><br>Our waitress for the evening was pleasant and kind and gave each of us an iPad to view the menu. I was excited to try the "oxtail crab rangoon" but was disappointed it was not available. Quite a few menu items of interest were not available. So, it left a limited amount of menu options to choose from.<br><br>I ordered the crab rangoon which was tasty and flavorful, but was not "piping hot" it was surprisingly just warm as if it was left out for a while. I ordered a side of sweet plantains as an appetizer which was delicious and was served hot (happy camper). I tasted my mom's Maryland style crab cake, it was soft, flaky with lumps of crab meat with great flavor. I also tried my sister order of buffalo style cauliflower chicken, it was warm not served hot. However, it was tasty and delicious.<br><br>The entrée of choice was rasta pasta with shrimp (any protein of choice added is extra) it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I enjoyed the spicy notes of the jerk, the pasta was cooked al dente (huge plus) it was definitely memorable. I did sample a piece of my mom's oxtail and was greatly disappointed. It was tender, but lacked spice and was just "too sweet." The balance of flavor was off.<br><br>I took away one star mainly due to service and the appetizers being warm. Our waitress for the evening was wonderful, but because it was super busy I did not recieve the full service attention refills of water, check-ins if everything is OK etc.<br><br>Will I return? I just might as the brunch menu items peaked my interest. I see oxtail and grits on my radar amongst other brunch items.
Response from the owner
Hello Sydonny,<br><br>Thank you for your very detailed and thoughtful review, especially as a Local Guide. We appreciate you choosing Charm Bar & Restaurant to celebrate your sister’s birthday!<br><br>It's fantastic to hear that you found our decor inviting, the vibe right, and the music, with its classic reggae tunes, brought a lot of nostalgia. We're delighted you were seated immediately for your reservation—that’s the smooth experience we aim for!<br><br>We appreciate your honest feedback on your dinner service:<br><br>Menu Availability: We sincerely apologize for the disappointment and limited options due to several menu items being unavailable, especially the "oxtail crab rangoon." We are actively working to improve our inventory management to ensure our full menu is accessible.<br><br>Temperature & Flavor: We regret that the regular crab rangoon and the buffalo style cauliflower chicken were only warm instead of piping hot. This is a clear lapse in our kitchen execution, and we are addressing this with our culinary team immediately. We are, however, glad the sweet plantains and the Maryland style crab cake were delicious.<br><br>Entrée Excellence: We are thrilled you found the rasta pasta with shrimp to be A-M-A-Z-I-N-G and enjoyed the spicy jerk notes and the pasta cooked al dente! However, we apologize that the oxtail lacked spice and was "too sweet"; we are reviewing our recipe balance to perfect the savory-sweet profile our guests expect.<br><br>Service & Quality: We apologize that the busy atmosphere prevented your wonderful waitress from providing constant attention, like water refills and regular check-ins. We are committed to providing exceptional quality service regardless of how busy we are and will use this feedback for better staff coverage and table management.<br><br>Despite these issues, we are so glad the rasta pasta was memorable! We are proud to be the Best Caribbean Restaurant in our neighborhood and strive to match our atmosphere with impeccable food and service.<br><br>We would truly love for you to return and try the brunch menu—especially the oxtail and grits! We are confident we can deliver that 5-star experience next time, complete with a drink from our exceptional Cocktail Bar.
