I had heard good things about Charkie's in general, but didn't realize that it wasn't just about the food: these guys are sooooo nice! A friend and I met up for lunch (with my two under 2 kiddos in tow) and provided not only friendly service, but were kind towards my rambunctious toddler. They offered us complimentary soup with our orders (yes please!). And not just a cup, mind you, but a GIANT BOWL of the stuff! I forget what kind it was, but it was delicious. My son LOVED IT and couldn't get enough, requesting "more!" I had the gyro and fries, and kind of inhaled the huge plate (don't judge)! I hadn't had a gyro in the longest time, and it truly hit the spot! I am so thrilled that such a great restaurant is so close to home! I will definitely be a repeat customer! read more

Good food - Good fast Service - located in min strip next door to walgreens on Schamle. A lot of greek foods to choose from plus your regular and frequently ordered like burgers ribs fries etc. Enjoy !! read more

Charkies is still hit or miss sometimes quality wise but typically it is pretty good. They have great chicken kabobs, gyros, burgers and a Chicken Caesar pita sandwich I've more recently discovered that's really delicious. If you dine in they give you a complimentary soup of the day which is a nice touch and you definitely get your money's worth as the portions are huge. read more

Italian beef sandwichs were good, now the size is inconsisted in size, and they always have different bread. Also they could use fresh potatoes instead of frozen crinkle cut if they want to charge so much read more

Years ago, I visited Charkies, but only got a burger. It wasn't bad, but I'd never come back because you can get a burger anywhere. This time, my husband and I were craving gyros. After Googling gyro restaurants we came upon Charkies. I'm so glad we came back! I ordered the gyro sandwich without tomato, meaning I got a soft pita, the lamb meat, tzatziki sauce and sliced white onions on top. It was fantastic! I ate the whole thing...which I swore I wouldn't do. It was so good I couldn't stop. They give you so much meat that you really can't fold up the pita and eat it right off the bat, so I eat some of the meat off with a fork first to make it smaller. The sauce made it messy, but oh so good!! My husband ordered the gyro plate, which is basically everything I got, plus freaking amazing Greek potatoes. I almost finished them off after eating my sandwich, because he'd had so much food that he couldn't finish the potatoes! He's a pretty large man, so you know that's a lot of food! Also, we loved that we got so much food for so little money! I mentioned to him how it cost us less to eat at Charkies than it does when we go to Culver's. We spent just over $17 for the two of us, when we usually spend around $19-20 at Culver's! Whenever we have a craving for lamb and tzatziki sauce, we'll be back again and again! Just one tip for the restaurant... please don't let people open the back door and let all the winter air in. Or maybe put the heat on a little higher. It was so chilly inside, which made it uncomfortable to feel cozy eating my delicious meal. read more

I love Gyros, and Charkies does a great job. They are always juicy fresh, never dried out, and they do NOT skimp, I take half the meat off the sandwich, and still have a big one! But the biggest surprise here is the fresh home made soup included with any dine in meal. AWESOME! The soup is served in a real bowl, and you even get a real spoon. Love it. Every time I go I think I will try something new (they have a great looking menu) but then I see "Gyros" and I remember how good they are. Oh well, maybe next time..... read more

We stopped in to Charkies on a recommendation from a friend and had a decent lunch. There isn't much to this place, it's a relatively standard "Chicago-style eatery" if you ask me. They have hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches, and gyros. I guess what sets them apart is that they have video slots? haha. Anyway, there are a lot of tables inside and they have some outdoor seating too (which we partook in). Order was a bit of a chore as the cashier girl was the literal embodiment of tuned-out. She was smiling, listening to the first one or two words we'd say, and then would have no clue what was going on... example: "I'll have a Gyro meal w/ no onion, and a hot dog... Chicago-style." "Ok... Char-dog?" "Um... yeah, sure, Char-dog." "Ok... so nothing on your gyro..." "No, just no onion." "Ok... and... hot dog." "...Char-dog, Chicago-style..." "Ok... haha... um... so I'm blanking... does that have ketchup?" Or another example, "I'll have the Cheesy Combo... I think... that's a Philly Cheese steak sandwich, right?" "Cheesy Combo, got it." "... well, what is it?" "It's a combo, fries and a drink" "Ok, but what is it? Is it an Italian Beef or...?" "Yep. Did you want soup with it? We have free daily soup!" Anyway, aside from her the food came out relatively quickly and it all tasted good. Now, I was told that this place has "the BEST gyros around" and I must say that I really cannot agree. They're fine, they taste good, but they are nowhere near being "the BEST." That honor still goes to Chiggy's. Additionally, they should work out a system for their beef sandwiches like Portillo's: "Dry, Wet, or Dipped" because the sandwich was nearly bone dry. I mean, it tasted decent it was just too damn dry! The prices were ok... a little high actually for what you get. But the place was rather clean and the people cashier was very nice (even if she was 75% tuned out). All-in-all, we'll be trying other spots prior to returning here again in the future. read more

Best sit down restaurant soup and your meal omg you need go try it and ppl in there super friendly go go try it now. I need come back. Have good one guy I need come back asap. read more

Service was great and food selection was great also. I would recommend the chicken sandwich it was great! I took mine to go but has lots of seating. read more

This was great after a sporting event. My family enjoyed a variety of menu choices: meatball sandwich, chicken kabobs with garlic bread, and three gyros. Everything was tasty and enjoyable. The soup was tomato risotto something..... I'm sure I won't get name correct but it was piping hot deliciousness! Two beers and $62.00 we were out the door! Quick service- the cashier was very nice! Well done all-around. read more

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I was in the neighborhood Sunday night with a friend, and stopped in for a quick bite. Immediately, we were greeted by the friendly woman behind the counter. Very warm and courteous, and made us feel happy and welcome. When ordering our food, she even offered us free chicken noodle soup, which she promised was delicious, and boy, was she right! The portions for the soup are great, and the chicken noodle is filled with tons of noodles and chicken. Not salty at all, just perfect. For my meal, I had the chicken kabob sandwich, which is a skewer of chicken kabob on top of a pita with tomatoes and onions. Now, I've had chicken kabob from countless restaurants and I have to say that the chicken kabob at Charkie's is one of the best I've had. Extremely soft and tender, juicy, well-marinated and flavorful, and cooked perfectly with just a little char on the outside. And, I believe the price was only around $6.25. I wish I lived closer so I can have this sandwich more often! You need to try it! It's THAT good. Also, I'm a little bit of a tzatziki snob, and know good tzatziki vs. the not-so-good and I was really happy with the tzatziki sauce at Charkie's. It's thick and has the perfect amount of garlic. It complimented the flavors of the Greek chicken perfectly. My friend ordered the skirt steak and although I didn't try it, it looked delicious and he thoroughly enjoyed every bite. Will be back soon to try additional menu items! read more

Charkies is located next to a Walgreens in a small shopping strip off of Schmale Road in Carol Stream. When you walk in you immediately notice TVs on the wall, newer seating and a very clean inside. Upon walking in you'll see their menu board which contains a wide variety of items including Gyros, Club Sandwiches, Hot Dogs, Burgers, and even Pasta. At Charkies I decided to try the hot dog, in fact I tried two variations of it. I got one regular hot dog and one char-dog. The regular hot dog came on a soft but plain non-poppy seed bun. The hot dog itself was well boiled and still had the skin visible over the tip. The condiments were all evenly applied with a nice amount of mustard, relish, onions, and a dash of celery salt. The pickle was cut a little too thick for my liking but wasn't too sour. The tomato slices were small and fit on the dog nicely. The skin had a nice snap when I bit into the dog. This was a pretty solid hot dog with my only complaints being the non-poppy seed bun and the thicker than preferable cut of pickle. The char-dog was prepared much in the same way with the ends split and some noticable charring on the sausage itself. This tasted a bit better than the boiled dog. With both being the same price I'd recommend it over the steamed variety. I also got their french fries, these are a crinkle cut style of fry with a nice soft middle, not too crisp, not too much salt, and a nice soft potato inside. I liked the fries as well. Overall I would recommend Charkies if you're in the area and looking to try a char-dog. I would definitely visit again. read more

This place is literally a stereotype of a friendly neighborhood blue collared fast food place. The owner is nice, energetic, and hard working. The place is always clean, neat, and simple. The food is classic "Chicago" fast food. Hot dogs, gyros, greek chicken and potatoes...etc. One unique feature about this place is that they give you a bowl of free soup when you dine in which is very nice. Most of you who read this are probably thinking "yeah buts it probably a cup of crappy, cheap out of the can/bag soup as a sales gimmick." Guess what? its actually a good quality bowl of soup! (See picture) and its FREE! This is my go to spot for gyros and it should be yours. I love Kronos gyros and this place has it down perfect. When you order it you literally get a giant mountain of meat and toppings. (See picture) I usually have to eat 1/3 of the meat out of the sandwich so I can actually fold the pita. The tatziki is tangy and delicious and house made. If your in the mood for some fast, high quality, fresh, delicious food this should be you're place. It wont let you down! read more

Charkies - A great FREE bowl of chicken noodle! - American Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

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The place was busy during lunch but I'd guess it's because people in the industrial area have nowhere else to go. Look at the picture I posted. This is what $7.25 gets you: 3/4 of a burger patty, 1 3/4 slices of cheese and some store bought fries. We also got a hot dog which was about as ordinary and forgettable as you can get, chicken fingers that were super thin and dry, and a gyro that I am told was good. If I owned the place I'd be embarrassed to give someone a burger that only covers 3/4 of the bun, especially for that price. The only reason it got two stars was the burger tasted decent enough. Completely underwhelmed, stay away. read more

Charkies - This is what you get for $7.25???? 3/4 of a burger? Wow....moving on.... - American Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

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Food is fantastic and staff are really friendly! They always get my order right and the atmosphere is very relaxed. I highly recommend this place! Love it. read more

Went back on a day with the cream of chicken rice soup and had a beef sandwich with fries. I am sorry that I found the soup on the watery side and the beef was kind of bland. read more

We love this place!! Everything on the menu is good! We use to go there twice a week when our boys were home. My husband loves the Greek Chicken dinner on Sunday when I don't cook. They give you plenty of food! We go every once in a while now that it's the two of us. read more

Picked up orders there many of times there Gyro & chicken outstanding large sitting area and if you eat there you get free soup with your order very friendly staff. read more

Excellent gyros...authentic and great flavors, comparable to what you can find in Greektown.

Great food and service but when charge a credit fee when people battling Covid -19 and carry only credit card or debit card. You will never see me again EVER!!! a credit card company charges one flat fee for using their machine. You don't charge each customer that uses it a fee so you're making thousands and thousands a month for this service to pay your bills. You'll never see me here again great food but but I'll pass. read more

Great food, fast, and at a very fair price

Went there for lunch after being dragged shopping . It was here or Agostinos but figured the line was shorter here. Glad we got there before noon because the line was out the door at 12:01. Anyway, for lunch split a gyro, a greek chicken dinner with roasted greek potatoes and each had soup. The soup of the day was cream of chicken with rice - pretty standard greek family restaraunt style - a little thin, but good enough for the price (free). The gyro was a good sandwich but the cucumber sauce left a bit to be desired - it was a bit thin. Now the greek chicken was the star of the meal. The chicken was done perfectly and the potatoes were the best rendition of them I've ever had. Definitely will repeat. Service was good - they helped me take my trays to the seat. Prices were fair. Maybe a tad on the high side, but not outrageous. read more

Great value and fantastic service! Also allowed me to bring the dog out front which is always a plus! The complimentary soup was very good, feels great to support good local business! read more

Good food and friendly service. Good menu selection. Dining area not as clean as it could be.

Gyro sandwich is very good here. Fries are crinkle cut which are good. When you dine in, you get a free bowl of soup. Prices are a little high in my opinion but the food is satisfying. read more

I have done take-out from here twice and from everything I have read I should have ate in and tried their delicious soups. That aside this place is really good and the menu is very large. I have only gotten the gyro dinner and it is extremely large. Enough for two people I think. My suggestion is to ask for another pita with it, you will thank me later. It is nice to actually hear the sound of them cutting the meat off the spit to order. It makes me feel better that the meat hasn't been sitting in a pan for a couple of hours. The food was all very fresh,not greasy, and super tasty. As noted before it is a little more expensive than the normal hot dog/gyro/burger place but is well worth it. Next time im going to try something new and definitely dine in. read more

I've driven past this place many times and I've made many mental notes to check them out. My mental notes always seem to get lost, I always forget this place. Earlier this week I was out running errands and at noon realized that I had not eaten anything yet. As my stomach was rumbling I drove past Charkies and all of a sudden my mental notes came back to me. I walked in and it smelled delicious in there. They offer many choices, so many that I couldn't decide what I wanted. I finally decided that I wasn't going to worry about calories and went with the gyros plate. I ordered it with fries and got it to go. I waited about 5 minutes and my order was called. I grabbed my white paper bag and got into my car. The 5 minutes it takes to get from the restaurant to my house was pure torture! The smell coming out of the bag was amazing! I get home and unpack my meal and I was so surprised, pleasantly surprised. This gyro plate was no joke! An insane amount of meat, a pita, a generous amount of tzatziki sauce on the side, fresh cut slices of tomato and plenty of onions. Oh and can't forget my bag of fries. The meat was cooked perfectly, so full of flavor, the sauce was great, and the huge portion was great. I had enough to have some for dinner. I was extremely satisfied with my meal. I've found that some places offer the gyro meat and it's hard and over cooked, not Charkies, their gyro was perfect! With this being only a 5 min drive from my house I can guarantee I will be back. If you choose to dine in they have plenty of seating and the employees were nice. read more

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The Charkies Salad with grilled chicken and a pita is my favorite. I always get that, but my husband has tried a number of different items and he liked all of them. read more

Great local place for burgers, beef, gyros and chicken. The meatballs are fantastic! I'm in here weekly, sometimes twice and they never disappoint! read more

This restaurant has lots of delicious options! My husband loves their gyros. The cheeseburgers and fries never disappoints! I tried their Philly cheesesteak and have to admit that it wasn't the best. Too much bread and the steak/veggies were too thick for our liking. Still a great place to get a quick bite. The Service is always great and we never have to wait too long for our order. read more

I love this place. Used to go in for lunch when I worked out of Fullerton. Food was always delicious. Service always great. All around enjoyable read more

Charkies is the perfect fast food place with home cooked meals. They have everything from sandwiches to full plated meals. There is an area to eat there or you can carry out. The service is always great and it has a cafeteria type character. read more

I've been coming to this place for years now and I recommend it to all my friends! One of my favorite items to get is the Gyro Plate but I will say for not even being a burger place they have my favorite hamburger. Just get a hamburger meal with everything and you won't be let down. Friendly service and the first place to recognize me as a regular and know my name! 10/10 read more

Their gyros were undercooked and soggy. I asked for cheese fries and gyros to go. The cheese fries were soggy bc they failed to mention that the cheese would be already all on top rather on the side. Definitely would never recommend this place. read more

Excellent, top notch food at a great price. I could eat the chicken kabob sandwich every day. The way the flavors from the chicken mixes with the roasted veggies and sauce is the best. It's huge, filling and healthy. And they're consistently good. When I worked in the area, I ate here pretty much every day for a year and a half so I have had literally everything on the menu. The homemade soups that come free with a meal if you dine in are also great. And I love getting their baklava pastry. It's loaded with nuts and honey so it's also pretty healthy. It was cool to see the same friendly faces coming back and the new younger girl did a good job getting my order at the counter. They're really speedy with the orders. I used to only have half hour lunch breaks, but I could drive here eat and get back with plenty of time left over. read more

Charkies - Charkies Chicken Kabob Sandwich! - American Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

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Been coming here for years, usually for a cheeseburger or greek chicken with potatoes or rice. Their soup is really good too, particularly the cream of chicken with rice. The gyros plate should really come with more pita bread, however. The plate comes with a very generous portion of meat but only one pita which is not nearly enough, and I don't see pitas listed on the menu to purchase separately, although we'll ask next time. read more

Sorry I have been a customer since they opened but not the same food and service anymore. We slowed from ordering once a week to once every couple of months due to bad customer service, waiting in person and being told to wait to order so they can take phone and online orders first which puts our order behind those. Today went in and they were not busy but one person at the counter was busy wiping the counter and the other was watching a show on her phone and we stood there waiting to place our order. Found out they cut meatloaf from the menu, okay things change, I ordered a gyro. It was a little short on the meat and not cooked to hot and only just past cold. Sucks this this was a great place with great food but not anymore. read more

Got a cheeseburger and fries Meal comes with free soup All was very delicious and the owner very nice read more

Outstanding Greek food! Amazing price to stuff your belly! I'm sorry I found it on my last day in town!

Our favorite place for soup. I have never had one restaurant have every soup taste as good as it does here.