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Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Harvard SquareHarvard (Red)
Mon-Wed. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Thu-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
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Good place to get a pub food meal late in the evening at Harvard. The staff are friendly, though they can be a bit harried when it's crowded, so it sometimes takes a while to get their attention. Not the best selection of beer in the area, but broad enough that I've always found some good choices.
I've only gone here so far when I was in the mood, and hungry, and nearby. I'd say it's well worth going under those conditions.
My bf and I are debating between 3 and 4 stars and we went with three.
It would have received a four due to their Guiness Burgers - it got a three because their stools are bolted to the floor and just a few inches too far away from the bar. Seriously! I'm a short lady and it's awkward to eat at the bar!
Oh, the only other downside I can think of is in the winter, eat upstairs. The downstairs is freezing.
My biggest suggestion is to order the waffle fries. They are just a bit spicey and a thousand times better than their regular fries. Their regular fries are battered and crispy, also good but missing that extra zing.
The staff is great and doesn't try and rush you out, sometimes we'll go in the middle of a Saturday when it's quiet and do the cross word, as long as you aren't taking tables from other guests they don't mid. Beer selection is middle of the road, but you're sure to find somethng to wet your taste buds.
I've never been, but I've heard great things about their trivia night.
Charlie's is fun, sometimes over run by hipsters, and full of flashy neon lights. Check it out.
"Good food, good drinks, awesome people, awesome waitresses, D-head managers" Yup that's charlies in one crappy sentence. I've lived in Somerville for most of my life and have been drinking at Charlies since I got my first fake id (if the cops are reading this, I'm just kidding you dumbasses!). Its a fun place to just chill and meet new faces. The beer selections is average, the food is pretty good but the best part are usually the waitresses who are all college level girls working part time and all have great down to earth attitudes. It's an atmosphere that's not too over done and easy to enjoy.
The only issue I have with Charlie's is its manager(s). On several occasions they have enforced strange rules that just kinda leave you feeling awkward / dirty inside. The worst part is that they dont come and speak to you and explain things but just send a waitress to relay a message about a policy they know nothing about WHILE the manager stands 10 feet away. Why can't he just come over and talk to the customers themselves... instead of just standing there like an evil overlord or future nazi party leader. I work in marketing and customer communications and that kind of stuff is the dumbest Sh#$#$%T you can do and makes things feel unfriendly at Charlies.
In Conclusion:
Beer Selection - B
Food - B
Waitresses - A+
Customers - A
Managers - D-heads
The one and only. Charlie's has a vibe that's not for everyone, but if you get it, you're hooked. Good & greasy menu. Flirty waitresses. Tom Waits on the jukebox. I'm there.
I am giving Charlie's 4 stars in context to how it should be used; Charlie's should not be a destination so much as a jumping off point or an anchor to your night.
It's a perfect place to grab a quick double cheeseburger before a night of heavy drinking. The food is mediocre but makes great pre-drinking or post-drinking ballast as the portions are satisfying but not humongous. One double burger puts you in a steady frame of mind, ready to take on as many beers as the night throws at you. Alternatively, that same double burger can give you strength to make it home after you've already fought and lost the battle with your vices.
They do have a few decent beers on tap, and for the most part they won't break the bank, but I wouldn't stick around here too long. The decor is charming at the beginning of the night and comforting at the end, in a dinery sort of way, but all through the middle it can be a bit underwhelming. Better by far as a torrid and unexpected love affair than as a long-term marriage.
The only thing that made my experience at Charlie's Kitchen in any way good was my friends I ate there with. The place itself though? *shudders*
First, the service. The server seated us then wandered off forever. We had to literally wave him back over to us after waiting just so we could place our order.
The food tasted alright, but it made me sick later that night. I'm fairly certain they use MSG, and I have no idea why a pub would need to use MSG!
They also brought my friend the wrong fries. She asked for waffle fries and got straight ones.
Finally at the end of the night I had to literally go find my server to get him to let me pay. He had left us sitting shivering in the beer garden after eating all our food for around 20 minutes.
Don't hit up Charlie's. There are plenty of other food options in Harvard Square.
Charlie's Kitchen remains the only place I have ever been cut off from. I'm still not sure why.
Before I get into that, I'd just like to say that I actually kinda used to like this place. I had probably been there for food + drinks at least 5-6 times before that incident. I could have done without the downright shitty attitude of pretty much all of the American Apparel black hoodie uniformed waitresses. Though I guess you could argue that it is part of the magic of going there. Oh and the absolutely disgusting bathroom. It was easy to overlook with the decent food and cheap drinks for some reason though.
I don't know why, after some god awful decision making my boyfriend and I ended up hitting this place up on St. Patrick's day.
It was packed inside but the beer garden was open, and we wanted food anyways so we decided to brave the cold and eat and have a few beers outside. It was nice out back, and there was a fire going so we had a good time. The bartender was nice, she messed up my order but I was still ok with it and didn't complain. My boyfriend and I had 2-3 beers each.
It seemed to clear out a little inside so we closed our tab there and moved inside and managed to get two seats at the bar. The bartender up there was one I recognized from before, not entirely pleasant but par for the course. I couldn't blame her tonight though, with the throngs of absolutely shitfaced college kids filling the place. I think we both ordered one gin and tonic each. At this point beer was being spilled on me by people walking by, most people were wrecked.
She rushed up to us really quick and asked us what drink we wanted next, and my boyfriend hesitated because he was caught off guard and said ".....um...I'll take-----" and she literally walked off mid-sentence to take someone else's order.
Ok. whatever.
So, she comes back a minute later, and we are prepared to give her our order, and she says "UM I'M SORRY BUT I CAN'T SERVE YOU ANYMORE LET ME GET YOUR CHECK THEN YOU CAN LEAVE"
I have absolutely no idea what made her think we were shitfaced. I had barely a buzz on. I hadn't even really been able to leave my seat and walk around.
I would understand getting cut off many of the other several times I've been over served at bars to the point where I'm barely coherent.
I didn't tip her. I NEVER not tip anybody. I always tip a dollar per beer, more for a mixed if it's a little more involved than a liquor and one mixer, 20% for meals. But fuck that shit.
On the way out she yelled "NO TIP NEVER COME BACK" at us and honestly she was doing me a favor.
Have fun getting tips out of your mostly cheap hipster clientele who is more apt to spend their change playing "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel on the jukebox than tip you.
After browsing the internet for the best clam chowder in Boston near the Allston area, my roommates and I grabbed our coats to catch the next bus to Charlie's Kitchen. Having previously enjoyed the ambience at the beer garden, we expected quite a bit from the self-proclaimed double cheeseburger king.
My roommates and I ambitiously each ordered a soup as well as an entree. Everyone was extremely disappointed with the clam chowder. It had huge chunks of potato and did not see thickened at all. It was very watery and got better with the addition of oyster crackers, but not by much. Also, our bowls did not have much clam in them.
I had the lobster roll and although it could never compare to the perfect roll at Neptune Oyster, it was pretty enjoyable for half the price of Neptune's. It's just a lobster salad in a roll but I'm a sucker for cheap food. Two roommates had the double cheeseburgers and
were just disappointed. I definitely won.The fries were great.
Our server ghosted in and out of the restaurant every 20ish minutes. We could never find her and she seemed disappointed we didn't order beers. Maybe she was having a bad night.
All in all, it's cheap, fun and kitschy but definitely not the best clam chowder. I had better chowdah at Quincy Market. Much better.
I went to Charlie's on a Monday night for a couple drinks and a burger since I've heard good things. I left very unimpressed and still a little hungry.
I sat outside at the bar and ordered the bacon double cheeseburger (medium), and after waiting 20 minutes I received a just over luke warm well-done burger and a pile of maybe 10 waffle fries. The food tasted OK, but come on... it's a burger and fries. If you can't do that right, why bother putting it on your menu.
The bartender was friendly enough, but knew entirely too little about the beer selection to be helpful. I'm by no means a beer geek, but I could at least help out the customer sitting next to me who was asking about a couple beers, while the bartender flat out guessed (incorrectly) what the beers were like.
Overall, I could see how Charlies could be fun to go to in the summer for a couple beers outside, but I doubt I'll be back anytime soon.
Heed the words of this townie: your Charlie's experience will depend on when you go, where you sit and what you order.
I never venture to Charlie's Kitchen when school is in session - too many H-bags crowding the tables, oozing slime. However, when summer comes and the Square is mine, I make a beeline upstairs to sit at the bar with the other tattooed freaks (sit downstairs and you're just asking for an ill-tempered, table-in-your-gut booth scenario).
With that in mind, my 4 stars for Charlie's are derived thusly: 1.The stellar and copious beer selection. 2. The punk-filled jukebox, when it works. 3. Twin lobster rolls for $12 are pissah, despite the celery. Also, Charlie's double cheeseburger is diner quality - if that's the taste you crave, you'll be happy. And the waffle fries render me ecstatic.
4. This is the important one: on a summer Sunday when the Sox are playing, Charlie's is the place where I can sip Chimay Red and get day-faced before hopping on the T to get home. Plus, the bartenders are usually laid-back and appreciative during the empty-school months.
I'd add half a star for Charlie's Monday night live punk shows and their Tuesday Karaoke. However, that half-a-something gets rescinded when the bartenders yell "NO DANCING" during said musical stylings. Charlie's doesn't have a "Cabaret License", so one can't do more than wriggle in a chair on Monday and Tuesday nights. That's more a blemish on the Republic of Cambridge than on the establishment in question.
I wish Charlie's Kitchen was my neighborhood bar, but it's not; it's smack-dab in the middle of H-bag-Square. So, plan accordingly.Trust me - I live here.
All this being said - the more recent reviews make me concerned for the bad food people have claimed to have been served. Consider my review contemporary as of June 2009
Charlie's is like a safety school -- it's there for you, a reliable fall-back when you need a go-to place in Harvard Square. (And who doesn't? I've always found the square a little lacking for good all-round watering holes.)
The beer selection is very good, and very reasonable. I'm pretty sure the food is only there for people who skipped dinner, to make sure they don't get fall-down drunk. (I just had the pulled pork, and hey, it actually tasted ok, but it looked like refried beans on a bun for some reason.) Though, as previous posters have said, you can't go wrong with the waffle fries.
They have stepped things up a bit with the beer garden -- drinking outside is always a treat. And their waitstaff and bartenders have been super friendly on my past two visits -- which is an absolute 180 from the days of yore. The three stars are based on my composite experiences over the years. If they keep it up, I may have to give them a fourth star!
wow, not ever sure where to start. It has taken me many years to finally realize this place is the absolute bomb. As a Boston to Cambridge transplant 3 years ago, I never felt like I had a go-to place. That never-fail perfect hang-out. Well as a Harvard Square resident now, this has to be it.
Always a solid beer list, spanning a range of moods from Miller high-life to Chimay. Liquor too! Food is always good, but not great, which is great by me. Can't beat the double cheeseburger for $6.
Things couldn't have gotten much better, and then they added the beer garden. Probably one of the better al fresco drinking joints around. Woot!
Ok, I was in Cambridge and asked around the hotel for a local spot and was told Charlie's Kitchen.
Let me be blunt - the food is horrible. My husband asked the waitress if they make their own onion rings and he was told no - so fair enough, he ordered the fries as a side. I asked the waitress if the mashed potatoes were home made and she said yes. Well, WTF - they were spuds from a box.
I had the beef tips and needed a chain saw to cut through them and my husband had the burger - let's just say McDonald's does a better job!
Basically, the only thing good about Charlie's was the beer. It was cold.
Wait staff was nice but have they ever tasted the food? The waitress recommended the beef tips!
This place is a greasy spoon diner plus lobster rolls. The burgers are pretty good and the lobster rolls are great considering the price. It is dark and the staff has an Emo thing going on, but they do the job. It is a good place to get something quick and to move on with your life. Avoid Bartleys and come here.
They have a good beer selection, but not the type of place where you will meet anyone, it is strictly BYOB. I wouldn't suggest bringing a date here, unless she was Emo or already intoxicated.
Fried green beans are glorious but the wait staff...not so much...
the waitress didn't want to be there - it was totally evident. If you don't want to be there - get a new job and stop serving me food! The other waitress looked like she had smoked a little crack before she came to work also - she tried to serve two other tables food a few times...gee wiz! come on now! Basic waitress 101! HELLO!
I won't be rushing back.
This is the first place i went to when i arrived in boston. I was starving for anything and this place definitely hit the spot. It is kind of like a dive bar/restaurant. It is pretty tiny inside but they do have a lot of variety of food. They have draft specials which was great and since its boston they actually carry Sam Adams Octoberfest on draft. I had a lobster burger which was tasty. The food on the menu was priced pretty moderately for a seafood burger.
Oh, Charlie...
As far as "dive bars" are concerned,this one is top notch. If you want something "classy" or you are not on a budget, then don't come here.Yes, there is no waitress here. Find a seat and plant your ass. The double cheese burgers are stellar when soaking up your beer. And their draft selections are just fantastic and cover all sorts of bases. From your fruity-beer lovers to your hop heads, someone is bound to find a brew they like here.
The juke box deserves its own Yelp review and it just might be one of the best juke boxes in town.
A tasty way to get a little tipsy for under 15 bucks.
If you're looking for artery-cloggers, this is the place! And I don't mean that in the negative sense. They're selection of (cheese) burgers is abundant. The single burger may be a tad smaller than you'r expect, that's why I recommend a double or even a triple. Good luck! Oh and great selection of draft beers on tap too.
Like Jimmy Carter, Eliot's Middlemarch, and few other things in life, Charlie's is great. Some may think it average; sure, if you're seeking something relatively exotic, like Afghani or Thai, it may fall a little flat. But let's get real. If you've ever lived in Manhattan, London, Shanghai, or basically anywhere else besides Harvard Square, you've probably have had better anyway. But have you had a better lobster melt and a UFO Raspberry for cheaper that $13? I rest my case.
My family was in town and my brother is very picky so I was looking for a good burger place in the Harvard Square area. I didn't care if it was touristy, but people kept telling me not to go to Mr. Bartley's, so we went to Charlie's instead.
The burgers were good, but not amazing. I asked for jalapenos on mine, and what I got was some sort of jalapeno slaw with mushy jalapenos and onions--not the fresh jalapenos that I was craving.
I also thought that it was a bit overpriced for what you got. I mean the burgers are a good size but for $10 I would expect more than 5 waffle fries on the plate.
Also definitely don't get anything but the burgers. My dad got a chicken wrap and was very displeased.
I might have enjoyed it more if I was going with friends to hang out in the beer garden, but for a lunch like mine, it didn't really have what I was looking for.
The meal I had at Charlie's last night reminded me that I'm getting old. I had a double Guinness burger with the beer battered fries. Everything was delicious, even though the burger was cooked medium rare instead of medium well, as I had ordered. The fries were so crispy and tasty. It was the combination of the food and the raspberry beer perhaps. Afterwards, I felt like there was a huge rock in my stomach and had a lot of gas. Probably mild heart burn. My friends had the seafood and seemed to be fine. Maybe next time, I'll do what they did and forget about the sign that says they're famous for double burgers or whatever. I'm only 36!
The other reason (besides undercooking my burger and having it feel like a rock in my belly) for only three stars is that my group was there on the second floor having a pleasant conversation as we were eating. After about half an hour or so, they started cranking the music so loud that we had to scream at the top of our lungs to talk to each other! Oh my god. Yes, music is ok but it really does not need to be that LOUD! It's not a night club you know! So, we left after a while and went to Algiers and will probably not return for any future group gatherings.
Things have gone downhill here in the last year. Not sure what happened, I am not here nearly as often as I used to be. It just makes me too sad.
Those stupid handheld devises are the worst idea EVER!
If the waitstaff can't remember an order for 5 minutes it takes to walk over and enter it in you MAY not want them to wait tables at all. Just sayin'
One of the only places I was a customer, an employee then remained a regular visitor. I love this… Read more »
Charlie's! I had two really bad dates here 2 years ago but Charlie's has been growing on me again since then. Right before I went tonight, some friends were saying that they don't like the food and the service is horrible. But I defended you, Charlie's! You have charm and burgers. We went on a pub crawl in April and your beer and bartenders downstairs were pretty great!
But today the waitress decided that anything I asked was way too much work and that she simply could not figure it out without sighing and/or ignoring me.
1. I ordered a beer but changed my mind to get a chocolate frappe while she was still collecting drink orders at the table. That should have been fine but she was all confused and said that she'd already sent it in via her handheld thingie and that she wasn't sure it could be changed. I ordered it a minute before so I knew it hadn't been poured yet. I told her like the confident grown woman I am that I was sure it could be switched and she looked confused and put out and scurried away.
2. It then seemed like she abandoned our table as another waitress came to take the food order. The first girl brought the frappe and it was.. well.. something. Very chalky, very powdery, did not taste like chocolate. Everyone agreed. So I nicely told the 2nd girl that it was unfortunately not right. (Note: I never send things back. Maybe once a year or two). The girl said she'd have to ask the 1st girl and a manager or something -- I HOPE the lost little first waitress was not a manager). I said that I would like a beer instead. No immediate resolution, just more "I'm not sure..."
3. BOTH waitresses ignored me and all eye contact for more than 20 minutes. I'm not sure if it was because I was a troublemaker, scary (I'm not), or because they didn't want to fix the problem, but they acted like I didn't exist.
4. After everyone got their food, I got the courage to bring my frappe TO the waitresses at their stand where they were ignoring me. I shyly approach. Waitress 2 points me to talk to Waitress 1. Waitress 1 is engrossed in filling water glasses. I say "I'm not sure if she told you, but the frappe just tastes very chalky, powdery, just not right."
5. Her response, "Well, they're all going to taste that way," in a bitchy tone of voice. Not "sorry". Not,"Oh, really?" Not "Would you like something else?" Because those would be polite things to say to someone you are serving.
6. I realize at this time that my grown up girlness needs to come out. I told her that I unfortunately need to send it back and would like a raspberry UFO instead. She acts dumb like she's never heard the word beer before as well. I sit down. I eat my hamburger.
Charlie's: I may, may come back. I even tipped your waitress appropriately despite her bitchassedness. But part of your charm has worn off for me. I see what they're saying about the customer service now.
You were put out by a simple request.
You were huffy and snippy.
You blatantly ignored me.
And worst of all, you made me feel bad that your frappes suck.
Fix the frappes and fix your attitudes.
Sorry, Charlie. You gave me food poisoning the other day. I ordered a medium rare burger and two hours later it came right back. Guess it was just too rare.
You lose two stars. I was puking for hours and all I could eat for the rest of the night was Scooby Doo fruit snacks and ginger ale.
I just watched Food Inc. and that's just the kind of e-coli shit the movie told me to be cautious of. Makes one want to go vegetarian.
I'll give you another chance in the future but certainly won't be ordering any meat.
Great NYCish atmosphere minus the NYCish prices. Hip decor. Friendly wait staff and really awesome… Read more »
Fine by me.
I can think of bars that are better at all of Charlie's specialties than Charlie's. Better burgers at the Burren; better beer selection at Bukowski or Cambridge Brewing Company; better karaoke at the Asgard; etc.
But Charlie's does well enough at all of those that it's still a good place to go. And once you've made it to Harvard, you don't need to be The Best. Just good enough at everything you do.
I love this place. When I'm in the mood for the thin patty style hamburgers and a beer, this is where I want to go. The prices are right, and the beer selection is great!
I absolutely love the vibe in this place. I always eat upstairs because it's a bit more my style. It can get a bit loud, but it's a fun place to be in Harvard.
the only reason I don't give it 5 is because sometimes it's hard to find a table, and the service is a bit inconsistent.
This is one of my favorite bars in Cambridge. The upstairs is where it's at. Great selection of beer, awesome jukebox and CHEAP! The only complaint is this place gets PACKED on a Friday or Saturday night so be prepared to wait for a drink or a place to sit!
The facebook message my roommate left on my wall after a drunken food pitstop at Charlie's kitchen explains it all.
Begin Message:
Only a true friend would retrieve leftovers from a sea of technologically-inept married men with harvard mbas, pictures of their twenty something daughters in their wallets, and cell numbers in their relaxed jean pockets. it was a battle zone in there and you really pulled through. i guess now we are even after i went all feminazi on those south shore d bags that loved them some laura. you should meet up with us after summer session... i secretly want a repeat.
I came here with a couple of friends to check out the new beer garden over the weekend. We got nice service here - a waitress that met us at the beer garden said sweet things about my friend's and my outfits :-) And when we wanted to move into the restaurant to watch the hockey finals, another bartender actually left the bar and carried our half-finished drinks through the back into the restaurant so we won't have to carry them out into the street ourselves.
I got the grilled kielbasa with mac and cheese - huge portions for ~$9. The mac and cheese wasn't super cheesy, but the kielbasa's saltiness made up for it. My friends got the buffalo wrap and Guinness burger, and enjoyed them decently, but agreed that the food wasn't anything to write home about.
The pomegranate white ale on tap is gross, so don't get that.
Cresting below 3 stars for any reputable establishment that didn't make me sick or late to something awesome is not something I enjoy. But my meal here was pretty disappointing. Maybe the reason people like this place so much is for a night of drinking with friends and not dinner for two?
There was no hostess, so we didn't know whether we had to wait for a table or just grab one. I suppose that was our inexperience, and there was a sign high up on a wall, but who sees that in a restaurant bustling full of people?
Our server was visible upset when we didn't order drinks. Bogus because I was still hungover as fuck from the night before, and I don't need a knucklehead giving me stink-eye because I wasn't going to pad his tip. I ordered something like a double-guaco-salsa burger. Admittedly, it came out pretty quick, but the plate was pretty sad looking. Whereas double-burger in my mind means bonus meat, in this case, it was two tiny li'l paddies. Guacamole to me means a festive mix of ingredients. Here, it was straight green goo with little flavor. The salsa was bland, and the bun was sogged out. I'm 95% sure the chips that came with my double dimmu-burger were tostitos. If the components were a little higher quality, this would have been worth the $10 but I can whip up better burgers on my tiny propane grill from the hardware store.
I'll come back another time soon and go with the flow and just order drinks and fries with friends and will re-review at that time because I'm sure this place can perform better and maybe earn a star or two more.
Five Stars for grabbing a few beers at night
One star for their lunch service
This past Sunday I just wanted to grab brunch and sit in the sun. Since the Precinct was being a HUGE moron and didn't set up their patio, Devon and I decided to trek to Charlie's.
We sat ourselves in their beer garden (Oddly enough our table was the only table in the shade) and waited for a LONG time just to get our menu's. Our waitress was acting like we were a nuisance and gave me flack for ordering coffee first, then a stella....and a diet coke. I'm indecisive - sorry.
Not only did she not even serve any of the food OR drinks (she just punched the order into her handy ordering device) but Devon's order was incorrect and she didn't get a few things she requested.....like, ah water and napkins. Our waitress never came back to check on us, even when we told the runner Devon's order was incorrect.
When she finally came back over to clear our tables, she "negotiated" with Devon that her Diet Coke refill would suffice for the missing items she was charged for. What? WTF is that?
It took her another 10 minutes to bring our check and hey, what's another 10 to take our credit cards? I actually got up and went to the bar to be cashed out - when she saw I was at the bar, she came storming over and grabbed our bill. Thanks!
I am a HUGE fan of Charlie's and come here often to grab a few beers, but the past two times I have been here the service has been horrendous. Sure, it's almost expected when you are just getting beers - a little attitude comes with the territory for dive-ish bars, but it's uncalled for when we are sitting down for lunch in their (according to them) "trendy" beer garden. Hey, you constructed it for a reason, and that does not include treating the day patrons like they are asses.
Charlie's is reasonably priced and has great portions.
Their "Beer Garden" outside can get packed very quickly on nice summer nights, but I'm usually able to find a seat inside.
Last night, I had a delicious lobster meat fresh green salad and my finace had the double cheese burger. We both enjoyed the meals.
My previous review was flagged (I mean, really?) for whatever reason.
Seems like this place has some passionate fans that love terrible service, and subpar food.
Keep flagging if it makes your miserable lives feel better, all of you chubby Goth Geeks.
It doesn't change the fact that this place is terrible, and NOBODY should have to wait ONE HOUR for their order at ANY restaurant.
Stay away from this rathole.
This is my GO TO place. Great for a small group of friends (4-6), with the girlfriend, or by yourself. I feel totally comfortable going here by myself with a book and eating/drinking for cheap.
The gf and I come here often and almost always get the same thing: The double lobster roll and Steak Tips. The double lobster roll has a bit too much mayo, but has the most amount of lobster you will get anywhere in the city for 11 bucks. Buns are perfectly toasted and ask for waffle fries: awesome! The steak tips are marinated in something sweet like brown sugar. If you like sweet things, and you like steak tips, these are some of the best around: 11 bucks.
The beer garden is always crowded, but nice. I recommend Charlie's if you like good food cheap!
Who goes to Charlie's for the Food? LOL! You go to Charlie's to get loaded, fill up on decent grub and rock out to the best juke-box in town.
As for the food, they make decent Lobster rolls, have great fries and it's all CHEAP. Stick to that kind of standard fare, it's what they're good at and it washes down just fine with that Beer or Bourbon you're all really there for.
The service has always been great every time I've been there but don't go in there expecting to be worshipped like some obscure sheik's third cousin or anything like that. If you're one of those finger-snapping pricks in designer jeans that every bartender and waitress on earth hates you can be damn well sure your satisfaction is at the bottom of their list.
Oh Charlie's, you had me at Chimay on tap. Then you told me you had Tom Waits on the jukebox. Way to steal a girl's heart.
This is a great place to linger over a beer and a $5 sandwich. The food is consistently good and the beer selection is top notch. The waitstaff, while always pleasant, does seem to disappear for long periods of time, so not the best option for pre-Brattle dining. But come by after the show, grab a table out front, and make fun of the hipsters passing by. Good times.
I actually really like this place, but I have to give it a 3 because of a few things. First, it's really dirty. Second, it's always crowded. Third, the jukebox upstairs is waaaay too loud. And fourth, it's really dirty. I don't pee there, because I can't physically bring myself to those restrooms. Shudder...
So that's the bad, but there are a lot of redeeming qualities, too. First and foremost, GET YOURSELF A DOUBLE CHEESEBURGER RIGHT NOW. Soooo good. The patties aren't huge, so the double is completely doable. It's a simple burger, but it's done really well. My husband always gets the salmon burger with waffle fries (except for the one time they brought him a tuna burger by mistake).
The beer is relatively cheap, the clientele is interesting and varied. It's a decent place to start or end the night.
If you are reading this, buy me a plane ticket so I may be reunited with my old friend Charlie. One of the only things that is a stand out in good memories of Boston.
Eat down the street at Border Cafe, then come here, sit upstairs in the corner and kill a few tall Hoegardens.
Worth stopping in! The outdoor seating is amazing on a gorgeous day, but don't expect to be wowed by the service.
We lucked out and snagged a table as people were leaving. The staff was pretty quick about getting out drink over, but they were rather disorganized about who had what tables. Even when they did figure it out, we had to repeat our food order several times because she was having issues.
What really struck a cord in me was that our server did not tell us until the end of the meal that they were not taking credit/debit cards that day - cash only. So, I went to the ATM down the block and got cash - not a big deal. However, when I needed to break the $20's I got from the ATM to pay our bill I went up to a group of servers in the corner by the bar and they were all standing there running credit/debit cards. Seriously?!?! I was so annoyed.
Moral of the Story: The food was good. The drinks were good. Service was shady.
Charlie's has class...
It's in the heart of Harvard, it's cheap, and it's a great getaway form all those other fru fru bars...
Food's cheap, the juke is on. You don't get much better.
Midnight Madness Buffet!
Neighborhood: Allston/Brighton
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Newton Center, MA
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Central Square
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
Category: American (Traditional)
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