After a disappointing meal a few weeks ago we returned to this establishment for another try. The club sandwich and the burger dip were excellent. The fries and the jos were really good also. The service was good. Not much can be said about the ambiance, this business is a tavern, but am going back for another burger dip! read more

Ate lunch there today. Ordered halibut fish and chips for $25 and was given a fish stick like substance. Pre made fish in poor tasting batter. Fries were equally not good. read more

We have been coming here and ordering food to-go for 10+ years. The vibe is cool. The food isn't as good as it used to be, and this time we ordered our usual (a bacon bleu cheeseburger to go) and it didn't have anything on it! No bacon, lettuce, tomato, or onion like it usually does. Just a burger patty with bleu cheese on a bun. Gross! The cashier argued with us over it, too. Not coming back! read more

Extremely friendly staff and great service. This place deserves your business and I couldn't ask for better ambiance. read more

Character's Corner - Bar area, pool tables - Lounges Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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Went with about 12 people. We all ordered something different from the menu. I myself ordered the Chicken on Jo Jo's. Service was great. Kept checking on our drinks. In no time the food was delivered. It all looked good and everyone said theirs was fantastic. I was only able to eat half of the chicken and Jo's.....there was so much food. Pricing is very reasonable. Place is very clean. Service is fantastic. Would definitely go again. read more

Deep fried mushrooms are amazing! Quesadilla is amazing! Halibut Burger amazing! This place is a hidden gem! And Heather is AMAZING read more

this last trip was disappointing. not many people in the place. those sitting at the bar are top priority. we did get our initial service pretty quickly, but once food was delivered we never saw a waiter again. it was probably 35 minutes before anyone came back to the table. my sand which had not one, but two long hairs in it. ewww. so sad. read more

The inside looks great since the remodel. Drinks are always strong, sometimes too strong if that's possible. I've had to ask for more mixer. The food is pretty basic bar food. I enjoy the garlic parm wings and the chowder is good. They have specials as well. There are pool tables and several big screens for sports. The music selections are usually pretty good. There is a small section with a back entrance that allows minors. Service is hit or miss, but usually good. read more

Wait staff keeps you waiting with attitude witha smile. Foods okay and the place is clean.

Nice people (even to non locals) decent burgers and onion rings. We wouldn't say it's a destination exactly but it was good!

First trip since under new management. Much cleaner, quick service, breakfast was great - I had the veggie omelet and my husband has the biscuits and gravy. Will be back. read more

One for ambience and great food really enjoyed the fries and chicken burgers. It has unique decor, and the real feel of a great local pub.

Food was good but for the price you got little to nothing in quantity. So disappointed. Used to be better than that. Bergers, strips, etc not even served with fries or such. And portions so small. Won't go back! read more

On vacation and was looking for a place to grab a quick bite. Staff was friendly. Got a cheeseburger and fries and they were both very good. Would recommend a stop here if you're looking for a quick eat! read more

We've really only been in a few times but this last time was definitely our last time. I sat down and waited for about 10 minutes. No one even said a word to me so I got up and got a menue. The place was far from crowded. When the waitress came by, she waited on the neighbor tables first and walked right past us twice after taking their orders. We asked her to come by and then she swung by on a second round and told us so wait a minute. On the third round, she came and took our drink order, and we also tried to order food, but she wouldn't have it. When we asked to order, she said we had to wait. We ask her to take a minute and let us explain what we needed, but she did not and would not. When we let her know that we've been waiting for 10 minutes, she went on talking over us...telling us it was her shift change...that it wasn't her fault..and thar we still had to wait. When I write this out, we sound really impatient, but I assure you we weren't...she simply escalated and interrupted over and over- louder and louder. I paid for the drinks we left on the table and went down the road to Shipwreck for a wonderful dinner. read more

Stopped by for the first time to meet a friend for lunch. Casual atmosphere with most patrons being workers on lunch break. The server was friendly and attentive. Stopped by several times to check on us. Food prices were reasonable. Cod and chips was surprisingly good. BUT 4 hours later I had food poisoning. Tartar sauce. Pretty much killed any reason to go back. read more

Terrible food and terrible service. Was not busy so expected a lot more from this place. Not sure what happened but they used to be good.

Place has been completely remodeled it's absolutely beautiful inside. Although I hate to see a shuffleboard not being used the fact that they made it into a table is awesome. The owner was very friendly just stopped and had a drink and it was excellent. I would highly suggest stopping. The outside patio is going to have a couple TVs in some heaters and it's covered great place to spend an evening in the winter. read more

Was on the peninsula for an appointment and when I wrapped that up my customer recommended I try the place. He told me it has been around for like 60 years or so and suggested I check it out. Not wanting to do the fast food place, I decided to give it a go. When I drove up the exterior it was getting a fresh coat of paint and a bit of a facelift, which is always good to see that owners care about the outside as well as the inside. I assumed it was a typical local tavern, it was huge inside and well kept, not the dive bar I was expecting. Full service lounge meets tavern kind of vibe. Very friendly, a lot of locals. Sat at the bar next a guy that looked like he was ZZ-Top band member. Was told the daily special was fish tacos. Looked at the rest of the menu, nothing really jumped out at me so went with the tacos. Ordered a Coke, because I still had one more appointment to go to so skip to the cocktails and beer. Tacos showed up and I've got to admit they were awfully big. Not that I'm complaining but I barely made it through the two of them. Very generous serving, but I'm not a huge fan of deep fried fish in a taco, kind of like kissing your sister, ya, it's a kiss but it just ain't right. But I'm guessing gourmet food is not what you come here for. Thought the price of $8.50 was a pretty good deal for two tacos that were that big. Probably my only complaint, was that my 20 ounce glass of Coke, was $4.50, a bit much for a fountain Coke. Made me wish I would've ordered a beer anyway. I'm all for making a profit, but this is a bar not Seahawks stadium. All in all though, a great place to hit if you're passing through. Next time I'm in the area I will stop in again, try a cocktail and spend a little more time. read more

Character's Corner - Fish - Lounges Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Stopped by about 4:35 pm on a Thursday after a motorcycle ride with my boyfriend. First visit. Wasn't sure how the place operated, so I stood at the bar to get us a couple drinks. And waited. I'm somewhat shy, so I don't tend to make issues, but I stood there and waited and the two ladies behind the bar never said peep to me and avoided eye contact at all costs, though they helped everyone else sitting around the bar. So rude. So my boyfriend and I sat at a table and proceeded to play a game we brought. Finally at 5:05 pm, when the next shift employees had arrived, a (nice-ish) waitress came by to see if we wanted a drink. We ordered one each and left. Won't ever be back. It was a nice-looking place and food prices seemed okay, but that was a horrible first impression. read more

Love this place! Great service Amazing prawns, clam strips and oysters. Very friendly and attentive staff. The cheeseburger is one of the best I ever had. Throw your peanuts on the floor and nobody cares. Old school shuffleboard table and two pool tables. Love this place! read more

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gave this place a few tries. Bad food is one thing but bad customer service is another. Usually a drink will cure a bad attitude but that's not the case with Michell. Looking forward to the good customer service the before the "good boys" ol mentality and service. #bringcharactersback read more

Total let down. Waited well over a hour for food. To go orders were priority over our dine in order. Food wasn't even good. Everything is pretty much frozen then deep fried. No way we would ever return or recommend. read more

What a great spot. We walk in and the bar is mainly full of the 50+ crowd. And all of them are belly up to the bar. The bartender is clowning with all of them and it generally seemed to be a real friendly place. Perhaps even a corner filled with characters. Drinks were about the right price. We didn't have any food or try out the pool / shuffleboard tables. The dartboard, however, whoa. The display screen is shot, so there is an old computer monitor straight out of the early 90's above the dartboard that displays the score. This bar is a gem. read more

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New renovations are great. Very clean nice atmosphere. However the service was terrible, we waiting 50 minutes for wings and the waitress was very unprofessional and didn't care about her job at all. Very disappointed overall. read more

I would have probably given this place a 3, but we felt very unwelcome by the waitress. We had to go to the bar to get waited on, which isn't a big deal, but then she couldn't even say hello or smile. Very unfriendly in an industry where a simple smile can go a long way. We were there on a Thursday, which is their peanut night - free peanuts. That was enough snack for us and we just had a couple drinks. Full bar and several beers to choose from. Typical bar menu as far as the food goes. Shuffleboard for entertainment is fun! Overall we will try it again as it is close to our home and maybe on a different day the service will be better. read more

Bar food. Fun new decor. Good selection of beers. Hoping the new owners can take the food up a notch.

If the owners are't the staff, there is no excuse. Slow service and mediocre food. Put in some AC for Pete's sake. Walked in with the best of expectations, not sure I'll go in again. Bartenders in their 70s should have retired by now. read more

It's essentially a diner with a bar, where tradesmen and other blue collar local guys hang out after work to drink beer and talk smack at each other. Customers are fairly quiet and the atmosphere is calm. Staff is at best a bit indifferent. Frozen food, but decent portions. Cooking is about what you'd expect. Nothing special in any respect. read more

What a great place! Having moved from Madison, Wisconsin and the incredible Willy Street-Marquette neighborhood (home to Mickey's, Crystal Corner, Weary Traveller to name just a few), I knew that I would have to settle for the neighborhood tap. However, the only area that I have had to settle involves the distance. Where I was used to having to manage less than 1,000 feet to hit all three aforementioned spots (let alone having another half-dozen in Schenks Corners), Characters is close to three miles from home and the only spot for about a 6 miles in any direction. Great fried chicken dinners (along with the Monday special) and bar food that would compare favorably to the competitive scene in Madison. I prefer the traditional fries over the jo's but that is a Midwestern thing. Real shuffleboard, friendly regulars (unlike Madison which is a treat) and a great bar staff (and they provide good service to the tables). The owner still tends bar and is super friendly and relaxed. The jukebox is web based (a plus and a minus) and a bit on the expensive side (in my opinion). I'd probably go here regardless given the location, but it is a pleasure that it is also a wonderful establishment! read more

I've only been there once! Service, TERRIBLE! Bartender "what do you want"? No smile nothing! Ordered gizzards because a friend said they were good (only so so). Bartender never came back to see if I wanted another beer. The guy next to me was friendly, so much better than the bartender! There were 5 or 6 people at the bar! I talked to people, at another bar, and until they bought a place on Steamboat Boat they weren't really welcomed. Too many other places to spend money for grumpy servers. When it's that bad and other people tell you the same thing, spend elsewhere. read more

My son and I had to take a jaunt up to Shelton this afternoon and we decided to stop somewhere on the way back and watch the rest of the Mariner's Game. Since we were looking to drown our sorrows and maybe get a bite to eat we stopped at Character' Corners at the Steamboat Island Road exit off 101. Somewhere I had gotten it in my mind that they did a deep fried burger, so on the drive there my son and I decided to split one of those. Much to my dismay, they don't do a deep fried burger so as we sat grumbling and looking over the menu we ordered a couple of drafts ( I went with a Widmer Hefeviesen and David had an IPA) from a really decent selection of 8 or 10 draft beers. We finally ordered a four piece chicken with jo's to split and settled in with the game, our beers and the quiet ambiance of a neighborhood pub. We were both Very Pleasantly surprised when the chicken arrived that it wasn't chicken strips like we expected, but a whole half a chicken sizzling hot from the fryer with a bunch of jo's that were obviously cut from a fresh potato and dredged in the same covering as the chicken. I don't even want to say the chicken and jo's were breaded because the batter was so light and crispy as well as extremely flavorful. The deep-fryer was obviously set on the perfect heat because the chicken was crispy on the outside but not burnt and the meat was moist, tender and juicy on the inside while not retaining any noticeable amount of grease. The jo's were also well done on the outside, while being moist, HOT and fluffy on the inside and served with a couple of dipping containers of sour cream and ranch dip. This was without a doubt the BEST chicken and jo's I have ever had!! Altogether a very nice way to watch the end of a Mariners loss. read more

I expressed an opinion that was not popular with two people. I apologized. I was allowed to stay until I apologized to them which I didn't want to do but was trying to be the bigger person. So banned for 2 months for trying to be nice. Basically, sit down and shut up unless you've been a regular for years. Anyways, that's the times we live in. Don't say anything about anything you may think folks disagree with or you will get the 86 too. read more

I hadn't been here in years - the food was always typical tavern fare but tasted good and seemed fresh. Today I got hot wings and Jo's takeout. It all tasted old. The wings were very thickly battered and the meat inside was dry, the Jo's were greasy. Everything went into the trash and I don't think I'll try anything there again. read more

Judging by the previous posts I feel like I went to the wrong characters corner or caught them on a bad day.. I went here with my brother for lunch. I wasn't impressed with the menu at all. It was limited and everyone told me they had such great food, like chicken wings and deep fried pickles. Neither of which I saw on the menu. I ended up getting the fish burger, which was good but the fries I got with it tasted old and cold. Such a shame, I was really hoping to love this little place. read more

Excellent bar and better than average bar food. The blue cheese burger is great. Seafood platter is great too. They have karaoke once a month. The jukebox plays loud enough for a festive party and the shuffle board is tons of fun. Great owners and friendly staff. read more

Good drinks, and good service if you sit at the bar. Most of the food we have had has come out of the freezer, but reasonable prices. Nice crowd, not to rowdy. We have been here 3 times since moving to the area last year, and do not have a lot of luck with service at the tables. Overall decent value, and my wide says the drinks are nice and strong. read more

Fun local bar hangout. Everyone knows each other. Service is friendly and the food is really good! To top it all off the prices are unbelievable! read more

We are from out of town but have a cabin nearby, and we LOVE coming to this little eatery! This is a GREAT place to have a brew, eat some local food (we really like the prawns and oysters) and visit with friends! The bartenders and cooks are really outgoing and fun! This type of "mom and pop" tavern is a bit of Americana that is becoming rare. In addition to the great tap brews and food, they have shuffleboard, two pool tables, a juke box, pull tabs, free Wi-Fi access, and a spot for family dining. One suggestion, we think they COULD raise their food prices a buck or two if they needed to, and without guilt; daily specials are typically only $4.50-$6.50. Sunday breakfast is currently only $5 and includes chicken fried steak with gravy, two eggs, potatoes, and toast. How can a business make money on that? We eat here whenever we can! read more

It's just a dive bar, but the food we had was delicious. Name another place around Olympia where three people can have dinner and drinks for $30. (Hint: Unless it's fast food, you probably can't.) This isn't gourmet dining, but the fish tacos were plenty tasty and we left full and satisfied. Note that, although this is a bar, there's a small family dining area where minors are permitted. If you have young kids, though, be warned that you're within eye- and earshot of the bar as well as right next to the dart board. It was pretty quiet when we were there, but colorful language and a drunk or two aren't out of the question. read more