Charlies Pizza & Cafe
177 Allston St
(between Commonwealth Ave & Kelton St)
Allston, MA 02134 (617) 277-3737
- Nearest Transit:
Warren Street (Green)
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Late Night
12 Reviews for Charlies Pizza & Cafe
Chicken Caesar Salad I got last night was possibly the worst chicken caesar salad in the history of chicken caesar salads. No matter how many times I type "caesar" correctly it still looks like I've made a drastic spelling error. But I digress....
Two stars for the fact that the guys behind the counter were super nice. And one star because who orders a chicken caesar salad at a middle eastern pizza place?? That's just wrong.
Technically Charlie's should get 2 stars, but I'm being generous and giving it 3 because it's within stumbling distance of J's.
I've eaten here twice now, and by the other reviews I'm reading, maybe I need to stop ordering pizzas and calzones and start ordering the Middle Eastern fare. The calzone in question was good but was greasier and less doughy than what I like. The pizza was thin and the sauce tasted kind of odd, but still edible. It goes to show how much I'll tolerate when it comes to eating pizza.
A word to the wise: if you're trying to be healthy and order a garden salad, don't do it! $5 gets you a sad little affair of iceberg lettuce (with maybe a leaf or two of actual lettuce thrown in there for color), pale tomatoes and a cursory cucumber slice.
There are certainly better choices in Allston, but when I'm looking for convenience and the least possible distance from restaurant to belly, I'll take Charlie's.
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so I've tried the Ziti (not sure why ) and the chicken fingers... and while it wasn't the best ever...it was decent and to the point and both times...exactly what i wanted. It gets 3 stars for giving a drunk girl what she wanted when she wanted it...and the fourth star for being an easy drunk walk home :)
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Let me first start off by saying that I have only had their Middle-eastern food. And let me also say that I am in no way shape or form a connoisseur of the cuisine. With that being said, there's no other place I'd rather go to eat beef or chicken shwarma, kafta kabob, and chicken kabob plates. The staff is very friendly and I would recommend it whole-heartedly, strictly for the Middle-eastern food.
As a sit-down place/restaurant, I would have to agree with some of the other reviews on the site and say that if it could improve on anything, it would be that. But hey, for me, it's all about the food.
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Oh Charlie. Whoa Nelly. You used to make the best Italian sub ever. My last one sucked. What am I to think. Are we broken up or just taking a break?
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The middle eastern food here is fantastic. I haven't tried anything other than their Middle Eastern food, so if I'm looking to get a big plate of beef shawarma, this is where I go. The hummus is fresh, the meat tastes high quality and is seasoned well, and with that on top of some rice... heaven! I really recommend everybody to try out the Middle Eastern food.
This place has a huge variety of food, and that concerned me at first. How can a place make good pizza, sandwiches, hot wraps, grinders, middle eastern food, smoothies etc etc etc. Since i was hungry and live across the street, i thought I'd give them a try. I wasn't in the mood for pizza, so I ordered a chicken fajita wrap. To my surprise, it didnt come on a standard white wrap, but actually on a pita bread style wrap. The chicken was well marinated, and the grilled onions and peppers were also really tasty. It wasn't too big, but definitely filled me up. While not too traditional of a "fajita wrap", the different wrap actually was an excellent complement. My only complaint is that it was $7, which is kind of a lot for the size.
I don't know what others were talking about when they said it was empty, there was about half a dozen people in there at 10pm on a wed night. The staff there is prompt and friendly. The sandwich was done when i got there 10 min after calling.
They also take credit cards, which is a huge plus.
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I would recommend their large cheese pizza. Its cheap and tasty. I live in the area and find myself going back for this simple pie (usually grabbing take-out). Their pizzas have a good amount of sauce on them (which I like). My girlfriend likes their grilled cheese. The calzones are worth skipping and the other sandwiches are hit and miss. The service is great and everyone behind the counter is very friendly. I would agree with the previous reviewer...for what it is, its good.
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A necissary evil for anyone living near Allston st. If you get a sub, always order the Large. The small always leaves me hungry and I don't eat very much.
Charlie's should probably get two stars but for the fact that it's the only pizza joint really close to me and it's better than Inbound Pizza, which is next closest. The pizza is adequate although a bit greasy and not completely satisfying. I haven't tried anything else on the menu but the prices seem a bit steep. The guy who runs the place is nice enough but I have to wonder how he makes his money since I'm usually the only customer in the place. I wish Charlie's opened earlier than ten a.m. Next to Harry's Bar and Grill, it's the only close food place and in 1-degree weather, the trip down to Dunkin' Donuts on Harvard Ave is more than I can bear first thing in the morning.
So three stars for the neighborhood pizza joint.
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My roommate and I ate here one night because it's close to our apartment and it was the only place open on a holiday. I can't speak to their other food, because I haven't gone back to try it, but it was far and away the most disgusting pizza I've had since I moved to Boston. The pizza is so greasy and the crust is so thin that each slice is on the verge of falling apart at any moment. The taste was too sweet, almost like antifreeze, and did not settle particularly well afterward. It fufilled a need that one night, but I'm never going back.
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While the staff is (maybe a little too) friendly, the food has always been iffy at best. Even though it's very close I never go there. The maintenance guy for my building said he wouldn't even eat there when it was the middle of a blinding snowstorm... that's saying something.
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