Charley's Eating & Drinking Saloon
Categories: Nightlife Restaurants Nightlife, Restaurants [Edit]
Chestnut HlNewton, MA 02458
(617) 964-1200
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
14 reviews for Charley's Eating & Drinking Saloon
14 reviews in English
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Review from David F.
Boston, MA
3/1/2011
I'm here to show some love to a place that is hated on a lot. As a chili connoisseur I have tried chili's far and wide and the chili at Charley's was REALLY GOOD. Their original recipe was really meaty plus it came with some really good tortilla chips. The service was good and the atmosphere was pleasant.
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Review from Patrick B.
Somerville, MA
1/26/2007
CRASH! BOOM! KA-BAM! No, not TV's Batman. Welcome to Chestnut Hill Mall's Charley's! Within seconds of being seated, the clang of falling silverware rang out, and a hurried waiter dropped a wine glass. Rather than stop to clear the debris, however, he raced to get an order to a table, kicking said glass across the room to land under a table where a couple was just being seated. Warning, patrons, broken glass may be sharper than it appears!
I've never seen waitstaff move so quickly. It was like they were all hypercaffeinated or hooked up on goof-balls. Still, it took forever to get our order in. Our waitress kept saying she'd be right with us, and was, but only to repeat that she'd be right with us. This happened 2 or 3 times.
The bread is what saved us. Served fresh and warm, it was so hearty, slurped up the whipped butter we offered, and started to make everything better until the meals arrived. Her Asian Chicken Salad ($11.99) was large and satisfying, though I tried a bite and choked on the nasty wasabi dressing. Only 4 of my 7 tepid Sirloin Steak Tips ($15.99) were medium rare as I'd ordered and were a sour and salty let-down, though the waitress was nice enough to give me extra onion rings (the plate came with a measly 3) and gravy for my mashed potatoes.
We were kind of in a hurry and expected a mall restaurant to be an in-and-out experience. Not so with Charley's. Plus, any time waitstaff themselves complain about a place, and how the kitchen won't keep orders warm but leave them out on a counter to get cold, and how they pine for the good ol' days at the restaurant they used to work at, well, it inspires as much confidence as the continuous sound effects of falling and shattering accoutrements. -
Review from Jason B.
11/12/2009
Another pinnacle of corporate mediocrity in the Charles Sarkas empire, Charley's Eating and Drinking Saloon has two things going for it: an extensive menu, and a name with "Saloon" in the title.
Seriously, we don't have enough Saloons anymore. We could also use some more Dragoons, jackanapes and folderol, but that's beside the point.
Our server was the brightest spot in our experience here. Attentive and available without being pushy, he came across as simply wanting to take our orders when we were ready for them. That was nice to see.
Their menu prices are absurd for the level of food they are putting out. Granted, you do get 3/4 of a gallon of food for that price, but who wants to pay for and take home that much food?
I ordered their "famous meatloaf club sandwich" since I believe the litmus test of any restaurant is the level of quality found in anything "famous". After eating half of it, the only thing I felt it could be famous for was "not tasting like meatloaf". Seriously, what I got was a patty melt.
Reviewing their wine list, again, absurd prices. Everyone knows that there is a 200-300% markup in wine prices at a restaurant, but $11.00 a glass for Concha y Toro? When Steph B. ordered "a glass of sauvignon blanc" we probably should have taken a look to see what the house selection was, but neglected to do so...to our regret.
They got some good farm-raised catfish, which tasted great, but decided to hide it by putting it on a caesar salad and dumping salty anchovy dressing all over it. Question mark.
The only other sit-down restaurant in the Chestnut Hill mall is another Sarkis gem. Do yourself a favor - remember that "hunger is the best sauce", and hit the road to find a better dining option - there's plenty out there. -
Review from David B.
4/19/2009
Being relatively new to Commonwealth, we made out first foray to the Chestnut Hill Mall to check it out. Hunger called so we wandered over to Charley's. Perhaps the Back Bay location is more 'on the mark', but our experience was disappointing.
I enjoyed my meatloaf club (great fries and good sandwich). They also offer 'real' ice tea, not the gross powdered stuff. My partner's entree brings the rating down, significantly. He ordered the Spinach salad with steak. The steak was ordered medium rare. Two thirds of the steak came back rare with a few bits actually raw in the middle. Disgusting. Additionally, their 'sangria' tasted like Welch's grape juice. What gives with that?
Might give the other location a try, but will be hard pressed to come back. -
Review from Allison R.
Somerville, MA
8/11/2008
Dropped in for Sunday brunch on the patio because, not gonna lie, everyone needs a mimosa before work if they have the misfortune of working on sundays. Aaaand, I was amazed and astonished to see that brunch entrees($9.99-21ish dollars) include a cocktail! How had I not known about this before?
There we are, sitting on the sunny patio, with a $25 gift card that should cover said three eggs(scrambled), bacon, toast, hash browns, and -- oh yess -- adult beverage, when no one comes to serve us.
A couple minutes go by. A waiter takes drink orders at the opposing table.
Then, another waiter collects the bill from a table a few feet from us. More time passes. At one point, a waitress walks outside, passes our table, makes eye contact with me, smiles, and goes back inside. 3 different waiters covering maybe 15 tables, and no, "How are you? I'm going to feed you now" from any of them. Gross.
Upon our departure, we express our displeasure to the manager, who quickly scribbles a voucher for two free entrees on the back of his business card.
Sadly, it will be awhile before I venture back here, even for a free meal. -
Review from Lindsey O.
Arlington, MA
5/2/2011
I would NOT recommend Charley's. I went there on a Saturday for brunch and was initially a little surprised because we were met by the manager at the door and led to our table by fancy-clad hostess. The ambiance is quite upscale, so it is a little strange to me why the menu is that of a pub and the name includes the word "saloon." Nevertheless, we were starving and determined to have a good meal.
Unfortunately, that did not happen. We waited a while for someone to come take our drink order, which was a tad off-putting considering we were sat immediately next to the wait station where we witnessed multiple servers standing around and talking about their Friday nights. When our server finally appeared and our drinks were ordered, a different server showed up almost immediately after asking for our food order (strange, but we went along with it). I ordered the eggs benedict and my boyfriend ordered a burger. We waited quite a while for our food, and during that time, our first waiter came by three times to ask if my boyfriend wanted another drink. The first time, he left as I was about to ask for another glass of water. When he returned with my boyfriend's second drink, he asked the waiter if I could have more water, to which the waiter said he would get me some. As our food arrived, I still had no water and I noticed there was less than a table spoon of freezing cold hollandaise sauce on each of my eggs, I had about 4 freezing cold home fries, and what resembled fruit salad from a jar on my plate. My boyfriend's burger was extremely overcooked, but cold, and the taste was comparable to cardboard. The waiter never came back to ask us how everything was (had he come back, I would have sent mine back and asked for water YET AGAIN). We barely touched our food (with good reason, I think) and had to go to the hostess to ask for our check. The hostess asked how everything was while we were leaving and when I replied, "Not very good actually," she didn't even bother to ask why. We will NEVER go back to Charley's again, and I would NOT recommend it. -
Review from James L.
East Walpole, MA
7/15/2007
Let me preface this by saying I really don't like giving bad reviews. I actually like the food and ambiance at Charley's. That being said:
The guy who seems to be in charge of the "hosting" is an old guy with big glasses and a reeeeaaaaalllllly bad rug. He seems unusually rushed and no one, including the staff, seems to care for him very much. The last (emphasis here) two times I've been to Charley's, he's seated people not in the order of their arrival, but in order of who he thinks should be seated first. One of these times even included an unmistakable and quite emphatic protest from one of the hostesses who insisted that we, and even another party, should be seated before the people he was showing to a table.
Ok bottom line... their food is good, the restaurant is a bit dark but nice, the table service is a bit slow, and I think their prices are fair. Their rug-adorning host is a complete stooge and I'm sure has ruined the experience for more people than just me.
Try another (any other) Charley's location first. -
Review from Dan M.
Boston, MA
10/30/2007
an overpriced Joe's American Bar and Grill (do they own this?) I feel like the two restaurants have the same menu.
The night I went was crowded, table was dirty and the food was not good. Nachos are pretty hard to mess up, but they managed too. They were soggy and the cheese was not evenly distributed. I am not a picky person by any sense of the word, but I really did not like my app or meal here. Blahhh. Come here for drinks, get a buzz, and drop $$ at the mall. -
Review from Chris M.
Salem, MA
11/30/2007
Hostess was an absolute biaaatch.... Drinks were decent, I was not overly thrilled by them. The ice was made out of tap water, which usually whatever , but here the chlorine taste was stronger than the vodka in my drink which is never a good sign... The glasses were also spotty.. Bartender was really nice, which is why the 3 stars.. I stopped here with friends for a mid-Christmas shopping drink.. I will not return. Can't vouch for the food, we were kind of grossed out by the drinks so we left.
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Review from Joanne R.
Chestnut Hill, MA
Updated - 5/29/2009
Stopped at the bar after the gym with a couple of friends last night...I haven't change my earlier review re food in dining room, but I must say the atmosphere in the bar for a Thurs night took me by surprise. The bartender was attentive, pour a great martini and was prompt. Was somewhat crowded for a Thurs night, although probably caused by the depressing weather!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/21/2008
This place is degressing each time I visit. The food is hit or miss and yesterday was a miss.… Read more »
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Review from Colin G.
Reading, MA
10/30/2008
Decent bar food. it is good or best for lunch. nothing special but not bad.
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Review from michael p.
Boston, MA
2/1/2009
decent joint. one small step above a chain like TGIF or applebees. The staff is generally pretty great, and the food is decent. not so much on healthy options. the brunch is nice though, cause it comes with a cocktail, and runs around $11 so its a pretty nice deal. the bloody mary is inconsistent though. I've been there around 2-3 times for brunch, and today's bloody mary was sub-par, although i remember in the past enjoying the bloody mary. alright place if you just want regular old boring american food, or if you work in the mall and get sick of everything here.
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Review from Matt L.
Boston, MA
2/28/2009
This grill is located inside the Chestnut Hill Mall and is part of the chain restaurant group of the Back Bay (Joe's Grill) partners. It is like any other sandwich place trying to be trendy (not sure why it is in this hip upscale mall) and just another burger joint. Its menu serves the typical meat and potatoes dinners and burgers and trying to be creative sandwiches. I went here right after the holidays and had a meatloaf sandwich (awfull) and a cup of clam chowder which was chunky and had a weird taste. It was the run of the mill lunch in a over crowded lone spot in this area. About an hour after the lunch, I came down with severe stomach cramps and nausea and was sick into the next night which was New Years. I have never been this sick from any food before and couldnt eat anything but dry toast for days. I will called a doctor and they summed it up that I had a case of food poisoning from bad clam chowder. I will never eat at this place or recommend it to anyone much less allow anyone to eat here on any occassion. It is bad food and who knows what problem you may walk out with!
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Review from mark e.
Woburn, MA
9/15/2008
ok, seated quick, bread was nice and warm, salad was great -she loved blue cheese dressing, the burgers as we always do ,order well done were over done-fries were very good, drink was awesome, its not the best, nor the worst, would we go back??? maybe.
