Char Grille in Oxford has made some changes recently, as the steakhouse now has a different name and a new location. The restaurant, which is now known as Oxford Grillehouse, has moved to the Oxford Square from its previous Jackson Avenue location.
During its time on the corner of Jackson Avenue and Hathorn Road, Char Grille shared its kitchen, and on some occasions a dining room, with neighboring Tacky Shack. Some Oxford residents see this as a huge upgrade.
“It was good seeing Char move to the Square,” said Joe Wolf, a business student at Ole Miss. “I’ve heard stories of people having to sit in Tacky Shack because there were no seats in Char, it was too small.”
Oxford Grillehouse is now located in what used to be the first floor of Rooster’s Blues House.
“Now that it’s on the Square and in a bigger and better location, I have heard nothing but positive things about it,” Wolf said. “I’m anxious to see what it’s all about.”
Oxford residents aren’t the only ones excited about the change. Employees of Oxford Grillehouse are noticing the difference that came with the move.
“We have very loyal regulars, and people kept telling us that we should move,” said Oxford Grillehouse manager Ben Thames. “The biggest thing was space. Since we moved to the Square, we can seat a lot more people without making them wait like we did before. It‘s nice to have a table of eight walk in and us be able to seat them without trouble.”
Even though Oxford Grillehouse had a loyal following at their previous location, moving to the Square gives the restaurant the opportunity to reach out to more customers.
“We consistently put out a good product, we just needed the space for more people,” Thames said. “Now with our new location on the Square, more people can see that we make one of the best steaks you can buy.”
Being able to seat more people is not the only thing the restaurant wanted to accomplish with the move. With the new location came a full sized bar, something that was absent in their original location.
“Having the bar is nice and new,” Thames said. “We’re now able to attract a late night bar-going crowd, something we couldn’t do before. That‘s big for us.”
The Oxford Grillehouse isn’t the only establishment that is benefiting from the move. Rooster’s Blues House, which is right above the restaurant, is seeing an increase in traffic.
“Having the restaurant downstairs is good for us,” Rooster’s manager Zach Colinger said. “We catch overflow, whether it’s people who are waiting for a table and want to come sit on the balcony or people who want to watch our live music after dinner.”
It’s clear that Char Grille’s move to the square has been beneficial for all involved.
“We get a different crowd that has started to come in here now,“ Colinger said. “There’s been nothing but good things that have come out of it.”
