Awesome dive bar in downtown Montpelier! I always stop in first a pop and a slider or 2. Bottled beer is cheap and the music is on point. Pool table if you wanna shoot some stick The sliders are great and filling, actually I ate 2 of them and I was full, they are 5 bucks each. A must stop if you're in Montpelier for sure. CASH ONLY read more

Horrible. Wicked judgement. If you are from out of town you are not welcome!!!! We were cut off after only 2 drinks! We went to another local bar and they confirmed that is the overwhelming consensus that this bar has a wicked bad policy & attitude toward friendly guest from out of town. Do not go here. They do not deserve 1 penny! I am going to look into legal option to stop this place from being so intolerant! The bartender was Brandy! Zero stars!! Her attitude flipped without reason! We have never been cut off from a bar before! read more

I've gone from full time regular to part time regular because I'm old, but this place will always be my favorite. It's cozy and homey, and has some real characters behind the bar, and bellied up to it. I've thought about this and if I were dangerously dehydrated and could either stay home with all the cool, refreshing water I wished, or walk to Charlie O's, I'd probably walk to Charlie O's. Also, anyone posting a negative yelp review about a self proclaimed dive bar probably shouldn't be in a dive bar. O's is across the street from the police department. If you act like a drunk-ass (even if deep-down, all the rest of the time, you are lovely person), the bartenders are legally obligated to cut you off. It's not random, it's not personal, and it's more unpleasant for the bartender than it is for you. And when you make a massive scene in response to a bartender suggesting you've had too many, you are proving their point. Keep it cute and have a modicum of class; it's a dive for nice people, not for a rude, drunken-ass. read more

It's THE dive bar that all are compared to! Cash only and make no mistake. You will find the atmosphere deplorable, the crowd unruly, and the smell undistinguishable. Fun if your in the mood for a bar that holds you unaccountable. read more

This is the coolest bar. It's practically hidden on Main St. in Montpelier. The building is 150 years old and just fades into the background. But once you get inside, the place is clean and cozy. It has 2 pool tables, a couple of pinball machines and a nice bar area. The bartender, Wolfie, is a super friendly guy. He pours a great IPA, tells you the history of the building upon request and makes change for the pool tables and game machines. The walls are covered in old photos and memorabilia, which gives the place a chic, dive bar vibe. It's a fun, welcoming place with reasonable prices. My husband tried the sliders, which I think is the only food they serve here. He says they're good. I also know they have trivia night weekly and live music, but I haven't been back for that yet. I definitely recommend this place. read more

Charlie-O's - Charlie O's in the 1970's when it was a biker bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Montpelier, Vermont

Started off great. Just my kind of place. I was in town by myself for the night and found this bar. Got a beer and a shot, tipped two dollars then I got the same order again. Tipped another two dollars. Was nothing but friendly to the bartender and all the other nice people I met there. I WALKED to my hotel literally two blocks away to grab something and came back twenty minutes later only to be told I've been cut off for absolutely no reason. Then the bartender just walks away. Then one of the locals just said they do that here like it's a normal occurrence.... Especially if you aren't from the area. Needless to say I had no more reason to be there, so I left. I went to the Bent Nails down the road where the bartender literally kept the bar open longer just for me being the only one there. He had zero problem serving me and couldn't have been any nicer to me by the way. Before I could finish telling him where I had just come from he said "and you got cut off"... So if that doesn't tell you about the reputation of discrimination you get from charlie-o's for being non-local or whatever other b.s. reason they can come up with. Avoid this place and go to Bent Nails instead. I would give this place zero stars just for that awful bartender and her attitude. And if you haven't noticed by all the other one star reviews on here or Google that they only reply with a very condescending tone and won't apologize for anything. I'd like to reiterate one more time that I was WALKING to my hotel, not driving. Screw this place. read more

Fantastic spot for a cocktail, beer, or whatever else you would like. The sliders are also worth the pull. Can't recommend enough.

This place is exactly what it is and who it is. Is it the cleanest? Nah. But it's not dirty. Are the bartenders going to tell you how awesome you are while you are sh1tfaced and stumbling through the door? Nope - but you aren't. But the people are awesome, the vibe is cool, people know each other and welcome those they don't know (like me), and sometimes the band will be good (and most likely loud). It was all of those things when I was there. It is one of the most inclusively awesome bars I've see if you want a local dive bar. read more

Oh man. So happy I stumbled upon this bastion of a long lost property dive bar. I have traveled around this globe, searching for the best genuine bar experience and this spot hits the spot. Highly recommend the Switchback Ale paired with the cheeseburger slider. It's great that it's no smoking also. read more

Worse dive bar I've ever been too. By that I mean, the bartenders were absolutely horrible. Cannot believe this place is still in business . Wouldn't come back here because of people like this! read more

JJ is the most considerate and friendly bar tender I have ever experienced. Expect and amazing choice of music when he is working! Great place! read more

Charlie-O's - Excellent service! - Dive Bars Near Me - Montpelier, Vermont

They refuse to serve randomly it seems. Or depending on how the server feels about how you look‍

This place has everything. They even sell cigarettes behind the bar. If you are looking for the assurance of security of safety from deadly viruses that could kill you and everyone you know, you can rest easy at Charlie O's. They have a sign on the front door prohibiting the unvaccinated entry without a mask. And vaccinated people are welcome to wear one. No one cares if you wear your mask between sips of your favorite draught or cocktail. No precaution is too extreme at Charlie's. They even have pool! In all my years of bar going, I have never been to a cooler LGBT bar in my life, and it's definitely the gayest bar in Vermont. Don't wait another day. Check out this local treasure! read more

The blonde bartender is a total B****. Refused to serve us because we were a little different and didn't conform. That's discrimination. I think there could have possibly been a gender issue she had with us too which is sad considering it's 2022. Close minded. Disrespectful. Dirty. Avoid this place if you're different. Note: until we were kicked out from the discriminating bartender, the Patrons in the place were very nice. So sad they have to put up with that bartender. read more

Yep Pretty gooood Atmosphere was spooky enough for the average person but otherwise everyone was very friendly including the bartender. Nice guy. Cash only is a bit dated but that's okay. Chill vibes place for a cool cat and also for posers with unwashed beards. Yahoo read more

I love this bar. It's a tiny little dive bar like you see in movies where all the locals hang out for cheap drinks. The atmosphere is super friendly and super laid-back for it being a bar. The staff is amazing; every single one of them is friendly and diligent about keeping bar fights or obnoxiously over intoxicated people from causing a disruption, making sure their customers have a drama free experience as much as possible. There is karaoke night, bands playing on the weekends and various other events like comedy shows and bingo that occur on a regular basis. It's a great place to come and enjoy a drink and a couple games of pool was some really nice folks the only reason it doesn't get five stars is because the size of building makes playing pool a minor hassle, other than that I love this place. read more

Charlie-O's - Outside the bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Montpelier, Vermont

I find Charlie O's to be totally hit or miss. Points for having live and local bands. Another thing is the crowd, all types are found here from VT politicians, culinary students, to back woods rednecks. They have pool tables and good local microbrews on tap. A good way to kill an hour or two on a Friday or Saturday night in "Mont -Peculiar." read more

Have you been to the World Famous Charlie-O's? Wait you haven't? It's World Famous I don't understand! Charlie-O's is the perfect local dive bar in Montpelier, VT. They are a bit run down, have cheap drinks, pool tables and corn hole are available and odds are good someone has made a bad decision in here after a long night of drinking. But it's Charlie-O's, there is no reason to not have a good time. The staff is friendly, the prices are more friendly and you have the option to try out some local brews from around New England. Is it cash only? Of course it's a dive bar. Does it have a distinct smell but you are unsure as to what it is? Definitely, but I will say it's a staple to anyone and everyone who grew up/lives in Montpelier. They do have live bands on different nights with different styles of music that come through there. The staff is welcoming and exceptionally nice. If you are in Montpelier and unsure what to do, hit up this staple and it will make you feel right at home. read more

I remember when this was a real biker bar. Like Hardly-Ableson, they've gone "boutique". Hard rock used to be de rigeur. Today, I had to leave after hearing one too many disco cuts. Tomorrow night, Drag Review. Biker bar? Think Village People. Poseurs. Sad. For a real thrill, go in wearing FULL leathers. Watch the crowd cringe, and twitter. This was IT. I won't be back; Even Ahhrnold would swish. Update: In spite of my previous comments, they let me back in... on Drag Show Night... with pro camera gear! This is a HOOT! read more

Charlie-O's - Dive Bars Near Me - Montpelier, Vermont

They're the real deal. They are what they say they are, and aren't shy or embarrassed about it either. They wear their badge with pride, as it should be. This is a real dive bar. If you want an upscale bar, don't go here. You want a good wine selection, go to a vineyard. You want good pub food, this isn't a pub - it's a dive bar. Yes, some people love dive bars. So if you're not one of those people then you have zero business going here and writing bad reviews criticizing it for being what it is - a dive bar. They take no credit cards because it's a dive bar. Lastly, even though it's a dive bar, the bartender was real nice and down to earth. She was real sweet and kept saying, we're not know for our food but we are known for our beer and the good people. She was right! Everyone there was mellow, down to earth, nice and good company to talk to and everyone enjoyed their beers. I love this place. read more

Charlie-O's - Hilarious. - Dive Bars Near Me - Montpelier, Vermont

This place sucks. 1. The pool table is too close to the wall 2. They play crappy music, weird folk crap 3. Smells like body odor... putrid 4. Can't have more than 3 beers in an hour, like seriously ?! 5. Caters to a specific group of people.... Montpelier needs a better bar ! For real... read more

Terrible- based judgement on "people who have" been to the bar before but we've never been. Bartender was just not interested in serving us. Ridiculous! read more

"Good Drinks & Bad Company" The bar by which all others shall be based... for better or worse. This is the one place in Montpelier where all walks of life converge - students, hippies, rednecks, politicians, businesspeople, bikers, artists and plain old normal folks. No other is more inclusive or diverse. Staff and patrons are generally friendly to those who are themselves friendly and respectful. Visitors or newcomers to the area who tend to be of a natural rude, abrasive or critical nature, however, can expect fervent unwelcome. Verbally then physically. This typically goes for regulars who are there every night as well - if they behave, they get to stay. If they don't, well, all staff are on first-name basis with the cops at the police station just across the street. Though the era of big bar brawls spilling out onto the street are probably behind it, Charlie-O's would never be considered "safe". As unlikely as it is, it is still the one place in town where if it was going to happen, this would be the place. I can not disagree more with other critics' assesments of Charlie-O's as racially inhospitable, however, and find it disingenuous to call it so. I have no doubt that 25-30 years ago that may have been the case but the bar, town, state and even the country were all very different places then too. Though the racial makeup of the area has basically stayed the same (as a state Vermont remains one of the least racially diverse in the country), people's ideas and perspectives as a whole have shifted greatly over the past few decades. Frankly, most people in this area would have zero-tolerance for such nonsense nowadays and even casual bigotry could likely result in a beatdown. That being said, people here have always been welcoming but wary of outsiders in general, while showing outright scorn and hostility towards people from "The City" who do not leave their city attitude at the door. Whether that city be New York, Boston or even Burlington, leave the 'tude at home and you will be welcomed. Always tip your bartenders. read more

It's a GREAT place! Nice people from all walks of life. Congressmen to bums, (if you can tell them apart...) I fall somewhere in the middle. Cheep well-made drinks and beer, Cider on tap too. When I moved here they were very welcoming. I have met many good people in there. "A dive for Nice People" is their perfect motto! I just wish all the HOT bartenders would stop hitting on me. It gets embarrassing... read more

"You're like a dream and an ounce of coke" - Nearly toothless man at the bar to my friend and I. For that experience alone this bar gets 4 stars. read more

my 1st night in montpelier so i didn't to go have dinner and then hit the dive bar. It was pretty crowed and very dark. They had a man play his musical instrument. I meet a few young local's and start downing a few shots and then i shoot pool with them but beside that I have a completely backout sleeping in front of my dorm door until the RA(staff) pick me up and the next morning i got a lecture from the head of the dorm. I didn't know the rules plus they say u can't brinh alcohal in the dorm but never say anything about drinking outside LOL oh well, guess i made a great 1st impression hehe read more

Nice spot to have a few drinks outside during Covid. Great prices, friendly service, and a solid playlist. What more can you ask for?

One of my favorite and rare experiences is stumbling upon a legendary restaurant or bar. I stopped in Montpelier on a trip to Sugarbush and Yelp led me to another local establishment for dinner. My partner in crime and I wanted another drink before heading back to our hotel for the night and the street seemed promising enough so we just headed out into the bitter cold. The first place we came upon was Charlie-O's. It was pretty busy inside and as others have mentioned was filled with a diverse crowd of bureaucrats, hippies and pool sharks. The bar turned out to be the definition of "Dive" and in the best ways possible. Credit Card accepted? Absolutely not. Top 40 hits on the stereo? Ha! They did have great beer at great prices and the bartenders were all very cool; willing to chat and "shot the $hit" with whoever walks through the door. The night we were there was the annual beach party which involved about $17 of beach decorations, old Hawaiian shirts (worn over normal clothes because it was -6 outside) and leis for all those who dared to ask. Turns out Charlie-O's is world famous and I can understand why. read more

It's a must to have a great dive bar in every community! Being a Southern New England transplant I'm thrilled to find this little gem, with it's pros & cons. PROS--- I love it as a great after dinner drinks place when out on a date. (Or just a meeting for drinks date.) To check out the guy's comfort level with dive bars being one main reason lol! I also love to just pop in for a quick beer when running evening errands downtown; the staff is always so cool. Friendly. I've witnessed them doing some really nice things for people (myself included!). It's simply a very laid back, welcoming joint. CONS --- It stood out to me that a couple reviewers felt the bar was, "busy" or even, "too crowded" when they visited. I have never found this to be true, in the almost 6 years I've lived here. I have WISHED for it to be true!! Lol For this bar and another bar that's local. I miss the regular crowds. The regulars after work filling up every stool and more. The weekends being wall-to-wall with regulars (community!) and visitors. So fun. Thus, this is my huge con. Going out to socialize, and finding it impossible. Additionally, the patrons of this bar will often, but not always, appear to prefer to stay to themselves. In their own little groups, twosomes, or even singles. I definitely have struck up a few conversations in the past, with single men sitting near me (I had to initiate), but trying to float around, socialize, meet new people.... I've just never felt welcomed in that respect. So it's a great dive bar - you just have to BYOF! ;) read more

Most disgusting bar I've ever made the mistake of stepping into, just shy of Gustos. Words of advice, drink only out of bottles here, you'll probably wind up with Hep-C or something. read more

Chill dive bar. Mixed crowd, a coupe pool tables, fair prices. Bathrooms surprisingly tolerable. read more

Charlie-O's - Music - Dive Bars Near Me - Montpelier, Vermont

Yeah, bizarre dive, theyll shut you down having one drink an hour over 2 to 3 hours, when walking, just weird and rude as an adult guy.

So this continues my reviews around New England! It is a dive bar, and makes no qualms about it Thats an A+ in my book - dont try to be something you are not. $2 PBR pint? sweet a nice bartender? sweet Lots of local brews on Tap - even better If we had stayed later (we had to get up at 6 am to bike), they had Tuesday night Karaoke... that could have been fun! Nice atmosphere, lots of interesting signs, a little run down, but in a nice dive bar way. For some reason, me at 34 did not get carded, even though my 36 year old sister, her 44 year old friend, and everyone else did! (the other two in our party were 26 and 27, that I understand - I guess I look old!) Carded is relative. She pointed at everyone and said " how old are you" awesome! There is not a lot to do in Montpelier - anyone there knows this. There are a couple other bars , but they are a little more upscale and/or have food. For a dive bar for some drinks - this place hits the spot (and the Sox game was on - Bonus!) Some of the interesting sights in the bar that night... A guy walking around with a two foot tall bobblehead devil - interesting... Another guy walking around with little paper mache looking things he had made.... (I have the feeling a lot of locals meet here for their 'hobbies' or what not.) A toothless guy (yes, completely it looked like) sitting at the end of the bar - on a laptop all night. just seemed out of place, but its all good! If you want a drink and possible entertainment, want to shoot some pool, or even just people watch, check this place out! read more

Was visiting my sister in Vermont and stumbled into this little dive bar. Reminds me of Cheers the local neighborhood hang out where everybody knows your name, lol. So cool vintage, pool tables, darts, juke box and good drinks 7 days a week. I felt right at home after 10 mins! read more

Charlie-O's - Good games of darts - Dive Bars Near Me - Montpelier, Vermont

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Tom Waits--"Shore Leave" Well with buck shot eyes and a purple heart I rolled down the national stroll and with a big fat paycheck strapped to my hip sack and a shore leave wristwatch underneath my sleeve in a Hong Kong drizzle on Cuban heels I rowed down the gutter to the Blood Bank and I'd left all my papers on the Ticonderoga and was in a bad need of a shave and so I slopped at the corner on cold chow mein and shot billards with a midget until the rain stopped and I bought a long sleeved shirt with horses on the front and some gum and a lighter and a knife and a new deck of cards (with girls on the back) and I sat down and wrote a letter to my wife and I said Baby, I'm so far away from home and I miss my Baby so I can't make it by myself I love you so Well I was pacing myself trying to make it all last squeezing all the life out of a lousy two day pass and I had a cold one at the Dragon with some Filipino floor show and talked baseball with a lieutenant over a Singapore sling and I wondered how the same moon outside over this Chinatown fair could look down on Illinois and find you there and you know I love you Baby and I'm so far away from home and I miss my Baby so I can't make it by myself I love you so Shore Leave... Shore Leave... read more

Charlie O's has never been a racially hospitable place. I went to college in nearby Plainfield 30 years ago, and I quickly learned that it didn't take long before the n-word began circling the room. Did I leave? Is Dick Cheyney arrogant? Montpelier has a good number of places where one doesnt have to check one's life at the door. This is not one of them. read more

For Central Vermont, this small, dark dive bar is the best. I've only been once, but the bartender was really cool and the crowd was relaxed. I really liked the super low ceilings and decor. Nice and grimy. read more

Didn't notice much because I was buzzed from Julio's wonderful cadillac margaritas lol. Played a few rounds of pool ~ $1 tables...good because I didn't want to spend much money. Band that night was excellent. Cool memorablillia and sayings all over the place. Very dark though. Would go back for very same reason as what drew me, the music from down the block. read more

I was made to feel very much at home when I visited Charlie-O's over the holidays last year. It combines the best elements of a dive bar with the finest aspects of a high school reunion...and I didn't even go to high school in Vermont! Everyone was very nice to me, the locals were friendly, and the prices were right. I hope to wind my way through Montpelier again someday, and, if I do, Charlie-O's will be my first stop. read more

A true dive bar. The bartender is a lot of fun. They have Enrique Iglesias songs written along the wall. Tons of games you can play. Best option if you're in Montpellier. read more