Charter Oak - SAINT HELENA

The Charter Oak is located in the heart of St. Helena and is a must-stop destination if you 're in the Napa Valley area. We dined at The Charter Oak on our first night in Napa, and it was a phenomenal start to the trip. I recommend making reservations in advance as it can be busy and it 's a pretty small restaurant overall. Reservations can be made in advance through Resy. The Charter Oak has a private parking lot with an ample amount of free parking. We entered the restaurant, just look for a large wooden door to the right after you leave the parking lot. We missed it at first and walked right past it, lol. We entered the restaurant, and were greeted warmly by the host and also were congratulated about our 1 year anniversary that was noted on the reservation. We then were seated and the server also recognized the special occasion as well and provided us two glasses of complimentary champagne to celebrate the occasion as well. The server came back a few minutes later and offered to answer any questions we had, and we placed our order. For drinks, we ordered a bottle of red blend wine I don 't remember which one, I think it was around $70 for the bottle and was really tasty. I don 't think there 's a bad bottle of wine on the menu. For food, we started with the Salad of Little Gems $19 , and it was phenomenal, very fresh I think it was probably from their farm just up the street . We also ordered The Cheeseburger $25 and it included a small side of fries. The burger was also very tasty and was absolutely outstanding! We also ordered the side of Garden Broccoli $13 and it was also all very fresh and tasty as well. We ended the meal with the Jersey Cow 's Milk Soft Serve ice cream $12 which also came from a nearby dairy farm, and it was also really good. We didn 't have a single bad thing on the menu and service was great! Definitely stop in if you 're in the area!

Charter Oak has improved. Before, there were no women waiters they only worked as hostesses, and all the servers were men. Diversity has greatly improved. Having said that, the management still has an obsession to get the entire order upon sitting (appetizer main) they say it's because it helps the kitchen, but the reality is that they want to turn the table as fast as possible. Feels pretty greedy, uninviting, unlike Napa Valley.

When we parked and walked up to the gate, it felt like we're entering someone's estate. We were greeted by a friendly hostess and was quickly taken to out table. We opted to sit inside since the day was getting pretty hot. The surrounding area and the outdoor dining were very pleasant and would be very inviting on a cooler day. We all love the good ambiance and the atmosphere as we walked in. The setting is very much a farm to table bbq with high ceilings. We can actually see the bbq pit from our table, but it wasn't smoky at all inside the restaurant. Will done! We sat down and and ordered The Charter Oak bread $16), raw vegetables from the farm $25) as our starters. We then ordered the dry aged ribeye steak $140), Petaluma chicken full size $55), grilled Koji eggplant $22), and McFarland trout $34) with sides of zucchini conserva $14), grilled corn $8) and grilled cucumber $16). The dry aged ribeye was a bit disappointing. For the price, I expected a lot more than what was served. The meat's texture and flavors were just like a regular ribeye from any good steak place... not much different or better. However, the fresh veges from the garden were excellent! I would definitely come back for the atmosphere and the great food. I need to remember to stick to more veges and to sit in the garden next time I return...

It 's quite of a drive, but it 's worth a try if you haven 't yet. Their Raw Vegetables and fermented Soy Dip is one of my most all times FAvV!! I still think about them till this day. There 's something about their dip... drools Aged Beef Tartare; you 'll either love it or dislike it. It 's more on a savory side. The bread can be a bit charred because of the hearth. Burn baby burn~ Fries; better eat it when they 're pipping hot! They 're more on the fatter side. It smelt so good. IMO, I wouldn 't get it again. Too fat. Chicken Wings; nice and tender. Well seasoned. Stuffed Chicken (Half); a hit or a miss; tender or dry. Niman Ranch Pork Chop; it 's okay, pretty good. Garden Broccoli; very very salty. Maybe ask for lighter salt? If you are a salted cameral lover, I 'd recommend getting their Jersey Cow 's Milk Soft Serve. That is, you 're not allergic to pecan. Overall, this place is very romantic for dates~ Great for lunch/dinner celebrations! Service is good. You may need to grab their attention from time to time when you need something.

Came on a week day for dinner with friends. Had reservations for group of 6. Arrived around 6 pm and was seated fairly quickly. We sat outside and it was nice weather. Ordered couple items from menu to share with friends. Everything we ordered tasted good. Thought price was little pricey in my opinion but guess that's Napa.