Charlie Was a Sinner

Excellent drinks, very cool/young vibe, and staff that knows what it's doing with alcohol. 100% would come
Back and recommend to anyone in the area. If
You like whiskey go for the mark Twain. If you don't like whiskey try the "waiting for the barbarians" -- refreshing and balanced despite its bright pink/girly exterior. Next time we will come for that fabulous food menu as well!

Cute spot to grab some yummy vegan eats and fun drinks. I forgot to snap a pic of my drink, but it was delicious. We grabbed two seats at the bar around 9:00pm on a Wednesday and the place was packed.

The bartender was so attentive and kind, which has been our experience with everyone we've encountered in Philly. The seating is super cozy and they have some outdoor spots as well. The eggplant bao was so delicious and our waitress kindly added an extra bao so the 2 of us could have the same number of pieces.
I would definitely be back!

This is a swanky, low-lit and narrow bar serving semi-ritzy vegan dishes. It's a good spot to take a date. The food was all good, but not amazing.

First, the drinks were all tasty. The Pink Moon ($14) is made with fennel shrub and strawberry and is enjoyable; I thought the Untold Story ($14) was even better, with tea-infused gin and chili (go figure).

Food-wise, the mac & cheese ($16) tasted fine but didn't wow me. The Mama's Meatballs ($14) is just Beyond meat, but the freshness of the tomato sauce and greens made this dish overall a good one.

The spring heirloom carrots ($13) were good but felt like less than the sum of their parts.

The potato gnocchi ($16) was the most interesting dish of the night and I liked its freshness and array of textures, though the basil puree was too intense.

Lastly, the lemon cake ($11) had perfect texture, moistness and flavor and rounded out the meal.

Stop by Charlie Was a Sinner for a great drink, nice ambiance and decent food.

I was pleasantly surprised by this spot. Nice and cozy. Great service and the food was pretty good. They encourage you to get a couple of portions as the portions are more like mini appetizers. I thought the portion size was just right. I may go again...there's just so many places on my list to still try tho

Met my cousin here for dinner..

Parking: metered street or a lot. Pack patience because outdoor dining has taken up street parking. Take the train! Take the train!

Atmosphere: We were seated outside and the area was setup cute!!!

Service: Eamonn was nice and gave his opinion  when I made my selections.  

Drink: non alcoholic. No Regret. Very refreshing

Food:

Caramelized Eggplant Bao Buns sweet hoisin, pickled slaw. Delicious! The sweet with the heat brought the two together perfectly! My favorite!

Spring Heirloom Carrots macadamia nut puree, dandelion salsa verde, fried chickpeas. Carrots too hard. Sauces ok.

Grilled Asparagus mediterranean couscous, charred leek aioli, piquillo pepper emulsion. Cooked just right. Loved the couscous and I'm not a fan.

Mama's Meatballs fra diavolo, our ricotta, broccoli rabe, red pepper flakes. Not good. I would have liked them to be moist. They were tight.

Zucchini 'Crabcake' Slider $5.00 each: brioche, old bay remoulade, butter lettuce. Least favorite. No taste. I was at least looking for Crab seasoning flavor.

Overall, we enjoyed our dining experience. My cousin already likes it here. I will be back. Looking forward to trying other things on the menu.

COVID report: Charlie Was a Sinner has some fancy outdoor cabins, which I imagine you have to reserve, as well as curbside tables and chairs (no coverings) with heat lamps for walk-ins. They also have a QR menu.

My boyfriend and I walked in at around 7:40 on a Friday in mid-April and got one of the tables outside. I tried:

+ The metamorphosis cocktail
+ Road less traveled cocktail
+ Caramelized eggplant bao buns
+ Potato gnocchi
+ Banh mi
+ Zucchini squash blossom
+ Untold story cocktail
+ Off menu mezcal drink called The Nihilist

My favorite dish was the gnocchi, and my favorite cocktail was the nihilist. Definitely would recommend for awesome drinks and vegan eats!

Am I a vegan or vegetarian? Absolutely not but it doesn't matter for several reasons. The first thing that attracted me to Charlie was a Sinner? The  announcement of the wage increase to $15 for its frontline staff. I am pro worker, I am sure this decision
didn't come lightly or without a lot of thought. This a moment  for ownership, management and teammates to feel proud and strongly about. The second reason unexpectedly for me the food was delicious.
Tofu is not my thing but I do like Korean style cuisine and creative 'spirit' options.

To start the outdoor seating is creative and comfortable if you're seated in a 'chalet'. I enjoyed everything after being seated. My server after questions suggested a spirit 'Divine Hammer', nice job'  I don't recall his name as he did not introduce himself. Things shouldn't be that fast paced. The Korean Style Crisp Tofu is a must even if Tofu is not for you. The crispness, flavor and pickled vegetables are a winner for sure! The classic burger is not firm or similar to an impossible burger but the plant based meat and added condiments set of off nicely. Each portion was fair, plated pleasant to the eye and closer to served hot than warm, better than most places.

Again I AM NOT A VEGAN OR A VEGETARIAN but I like Charlie's Sinful ways.

For the first day post mask mandate, this was a good way to celebrate! I'd never been here before the pandemic but was always dying to try. My boyfriend and I got the Korean Style Fried Tofu, Potato Croquettes, Sliders, and  pot de creme, and all were surprisingly good! We're not strictly plant based but we do appreciate good food and this did not disappoint. I would LOVE to come back and try everything else on a bit less crowded late-pandemic day

Artichoke Frites were delicious- not over fried or greasy. Carmelized Eggplant Bao Buns- 3 to an order spicy and wonderful? Potato Gnocchi-Toasted with small ant of veggies, zucchini blossoms were good but wish we had more than two. All I'm All our waiter Hunter was delightful. We sat in a small booth outside. It was a fun first time.

Solid vegan place with amazing cocktails

We've been here quite a few times with our picky vegan family members and CWAS never failed to please.

Everything on their cocktail menu has been great, fair warning on the strong side, and the bartender can make it to your own specifications. One day I felt like refreshing drink, and was in the mood for elderflower and gin, he whipped up something that I've never had before and regret that I forgot what it's called.

Their menus change every so often with what available that season but our consistent Fav dishes are classic burger, mushroom on toast, Mac and cheese, mom meatballs.  

A little on the pricier side but you and your guests won't be disappointed.