Lord Essex - Rochester

This restaurant is located in a hotel in downtown Rochester, Minnesota. The interior gives off a rustic, old British vibe, but overall it falls short. The place was nearly empty, most likely due to CoVid 19. The menu offers typical steakhouse fare, but nothing stands out as exceptional. The server was polite but not very attentive. The quality of the meat was decent, but for the prices, one would expect better. The wine selection was mediocre at best. Overall, it's not a place worth returning to.

I ordered fish at a steak restaurant and it was overcooked. However, the rest of the dishes were delicious and the service was excellent.

We have dined here in the past, but our recent experience was both pricey and disappointing.

My wife and I always have terrific experiences at this little hidden gem. We have found that the food is incredibly consistent the times we patronize the establishment. The staff is extremely friendly and cheerful. We typically get “Kia”, and she’s a funny, energetic and attentive little firecracker. We really like her. The bartending is excellent and the drinks are phenomenal. It’s pretty rare that I can ask for my typical cocktail and that it’s made correctly the first time. At this establishment it’s always made correctly the first time. Somebody knows their cocktail history. I just love the ambience and the look and feel of the place. It’s usually very quiet when we are there and that’s how we prefer it. I typically get the surf and turf and the New York strips. I found that they are always incredibly tasty and cooked exactly the way I ordered them. The lobster tail is a little pricey for such a small portion, but then again in Rochester, it’s pretty slim pickings when we’re so landlocked. We keep going back because it’s consistent, tasty, fun and beautiful. Highly recommended especially for a nice quiet date.

Our visit to the Kahler Hotel was the best choice after a crappy night's stay at the 5th avenue Inn. The front desk lady on Saturday Oct 5 about 8 a.m. checked us in and I wish I could remember her name, she was outstanding!! The food and experience at this steak house was as good as if not better than anything the Twin Cities has to offer or Mystic lake! It was quiet, relaxed and take your time attitude atmosphere. Our server, sang a quiet happy anniversary song which was very nice. I had a couple of JW Blue's at a very reasonable price too!