Overrated tourist trap I stopped by on a Sunday afternoon. I wasn't greeted by any staff, had to poke my head in back and ask if they were still serving. Started off with a lackluster Bloody Mary that had bubbles in it; meaning either was it mixed with something carbonated or their mix was starting to turn bad. I ordered the, "Chefs favorite" which should be renamed "the ripoff" 12 bucks for a 4 oz patty and a whole lot of Sysco accouterments. Service was meh, had to wait for my waitress to finish her onion rings before getting my bill. read more

What time does Charlie's kitchen close on weekends? 1 freakin' 45 in the morning! Sweet! This means I can venture to Charlie's for a burger, fish and chips (not bad, we tried 'em), or the $5 BLT and fries (my personal standby) even after getting out of work ass-late on a friday night. And how big are the draft pours of the Sam Adams seasonal? Apparently almost 24 ounces! I remember seeing a ginormous bottled Newcastle there once too. And there is karaoke that I haven't even hit up yet, fun music, friendly staff, and a weird Boston seafood-scene dive-bar diner feel to the place. Best bar in Harvard Square, hands down! read more

I've been here a few times. The food is not particularly great - but not bad, kinda bar-food ish. (Who would have thought?) The fries are pretty damn good! My last experience, I sat outside - not in the beer garden but the small area on Eliot Street. Service was relatively fast, and it's a great place for people watching. read more

Charlie's is reasonably priced and has great portions. Their "Beer Garden" outside can get packed very quickly on nice summer nights, but I'm usually able to find a seat inside. Last night, I had a delicious lobster meat fresh green salad and my finace had the double cheese burger. We both enjoyed the meals. read more

Very fun spot for drinks and late night food! Came here with a pretty large group of people, some of us sat in a booth and got food and others say at the bar! Food is well priced and portions are pretty good, and hey have a nice variety of options. The beer garden is super fun, it was kinda chilly when we went but I can see it being a great spot in the summer. Just a note: it does get kinda busy during peak hours, but the rush doesn't really last, if you are patient enough to wait for a seat you'll get served quickly. read more

Where to go if you want one greasy huge gut bomb of a hamburger, complete with nostalgic references to those old kitchens from the fifties hiding in the back alleys of New York. Only in this case, it was sitting smack dab in Hahvahd Squah. John took me here because he use to come here often as a child and it still seemed to evoke memories of a precious past. I ordered the mushroom and Swiss burger because I was starving. It arrived, after I had drunk 3 glasses of my ice tea (MA makes me dehydrated!) I ordered mine medium rare and am happy to report that it arrived thus. Juicy and big, it left a mess on my fingers as I maneuvered it around. The criss-cut fries were okay, I'll order the steak fries next time. Waitress was cool and laid back. John and I were in no hurry so we chatted a bit as it got more humid inside as well as outside. It felt like the summer! My hamburger was around $9 and with the tea, around $15 with tip. Will I be back? Absolutely. read more

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Charlie's is one of my favorite places in the Cambridge/Somerville area. You go here to get a burger and a beer. Having not been here for about two weeks, this review is a little post dated. However, I used to live in Harvard Square and can attest to the fact that you can not pick a better place to go get a burger and a beer while having some fun. Also, I understand it is not the Maine coast but their lobster roll special (two lobster rolls for about 13 bucks), is pretty phenomenal. Having the cheeseburger special is also an experience in and of itself. The last time I was here was in the middle of Oktoberfest - Oktoberfest. I admit that fall is maybe my favorite time of the year and also has the best beers. Charlie's Kitchen puts on quite an impressive special menu just for Oktoberfest. They had multiple bratwurst/weisswurst/wurst plates served with pretzels, kraut and mustard. Also included were potato pancakes and honestly, I can't remember the rest. I had the weisswurst plate. Pretty awesome for its' simpleness. They serve a couple real Oktoberfest brews (there are only 5), like Paulaner. Fun place for a Saturday afternoon destination to drink just a little too much at reasonable prices. read more

Came in on a Sunday afternoon and grabbed a spot in the beer garden. It was a little crowded, but a server came pretty quickly and my beer wasn't far behind that. Ordered the UGC (Ultimate grilled cheese) with chicken and avocado. It was fine, nothing to write home about but definitely hit the spot after a long morning. I don't understand why Charlie's is getting so many negative reviews on here...It's a greasy spoon, and relatively cheap. Therefore it gets crowded. The food is what you would expect referencing the previous points. Know what you're getting yourself into when you walk in the door, grab a beer, and you'll have a great time. read more

Charlie's Kitchen - Beer garden on a Sunday afternoon. - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

This has to be most bland food I've ever had. I had chicken wings for an appetizer since my boyfriend and I have been craving for a couple days and to say I was disappointed is an understatement. The wings looked an tasted like they took it straight out the packaging and threw it in the oil. Looked barely cooked, unseasoned and tastes just as such. Then I had fish and chips, the fish was sitting in grease, the Cole slaw was on the same plate also sitting in grease and looked like it was from yesterday and I would have gotten sick if eaten. My boyfriend had one of their specialty burgers, again bland af. How do you mess up a burger? I would not recommend this place and def would not visit again. read more

Charlie's Kitchen - What is this? Yes I ate it only because I paid for it.. - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Fun, outside beer garden with the friendliest bartenders in Boston. Delicious grass fed burgers, great beer selection. Lively and fun, one of my favorite stops in Cambridge. So glad they still have places like this. Hilarious people watching read more

Had amazing fresh oyster at 50 cent each!!!! Also got their tuna melt and double lobster roll special. Tuna melt was delicious and it had bacon so it was extra tasty. Lobster roll was FULL of lobster and had great flavors. Both dishes came with fries which were cooked perf. Awesome food at a low cost!! Highly recommend and would come back. read more

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If you are looking for takeout I strongly advise you to look elsewhere. If you are looking for a fully bodily cleanse and a trip to the ER, look no further. Ordered a cheeseburger and fries a few weeks ago. The bun was soggy and the lettuce was wet. Fries were complete mush. A few hours after eating this meal was writhing in pain from horrible stomach cramps, on the toilet quite literally all night getting sick. I was hospitalized the next AM for food poisoning. Literally the only time I have ever gotten sick from a restaurant. Please do not go here unless you want to get sick!!!! read more

The oysters is what it is. $1 each 5-9, 2 for $1 other times besides that. It's cool. Everything is decent priced food for a Friday night

So the food is pretty good. Don't let my review negate that. But my God. I ordered a burger, you'd think they know what that means. Bun, patties, lettuce, tomato bun. Not bun and burger. Then next to it. Another bun and burger. Then. They have the nerve to put the lettuce, tomato and pickle UNDERNEATH the fries. So now I got this tiny plate. And I'm maneuvering all of my food to make my damn burger. Oh, there go my friend. All over the place. Thanks for the experience there. Also. Inside is terrible. There beer garden is a nice touch. Just be prepared for college students and chlostrophobia. read more

I was really surprised when my vegan friend suggested coming here since I think of Charlie's as more of a burger place. The food here is definitely greasy / heavy, but there's a surprising number of options! I know some people will cringe at the idea of a veggie burger reuben, but it was seriously delicious. Be sure to order it on rye bread for the full flavor! The fries are thin and crispy, McDonald's-style. I also like that they give you a modest portion since some places really go overboard with the fries. I have no idea how our waitress managed to be so attentive and fast despite the fact that the beer garden was totally packed wall-to-wall. Maybe she can teleport? There was a mouse scurrying around the walls of the beer garden, which really shouldn't come as a huge surprise considering you are sitting in a dank pit in the heart of Harvard Square. It would be a different story if there was a mouse inside. The atmosphere here in the summer is great; it truly feels like a traditional beer garden. It's good to know you can still get a cheap, satisfying meal in Harvard Square! read more

Charlie's is always a good go to for food and a cold beverage. Waitstaff was a little slow to seat but once organized they were prompt and fairly attentive. The food was delicious but the cocktail drink wasn't. The outside ground was wet because there was still snow around that could/should of been cleared surrounding the outdoor seating igloos/houses. So once seated we were literally had feet in puddles (not cool).The waitstaff was a bit abrupt about taking the orders but relaxed when they realized that there was difficulty accessing the entire mobile menu. Once order was placed everything else went well. read more

Charlie's Kitchen - UGC Short Ribs w Onion rings - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Food was just OK, burger was just ok also Doesn't seem very clean and service was nice but just ok read more

ok sooooo I got the combo platter and some happy hour oysters ...as the combo platter was placed in front of me... i was just like ... wtf... lol why did they serve me 2 mozzarella sticks, 2 chicken fingers, 2 chicken wings, 2 jalapeno poppers...... in a salad bowl ... lol BUT nonetheless besides my high end taste/ vision everything was really good lol. 8/10 for combo platter. *random - but i would have loved the chicken fingers, which was really a fried chicken cutlet, with some spaghetti lol* ***hey charlies kitchen did u read this?? make it a special on tuesdays and name it 'v's spaghetti special, with some marinara*** as for the oysters. smh. i was not satisfied and a got a dozen for myself lol.... like it was some buffet grade shit... but hey issa dolla oysta :) (never again) would i come back? meh, maybe if they make me spaghetti w that chicken cutlet read more

Came here for a late night hangout. My girlfriend didn't get her food until a half hour later than us. Food was just ok. I wouldn't recommend this place. There are plenty of other places to go in Harvard square read more

Service leaves a lot to be desired. The server made us feel like we were the biggest inconvenience and gave us a napkin with a long hair in it. She was impatient and unfriendly. We were here for dinner early (5:00pm) on a Friday. Barely anyone here and she was so bothered that we took a long time to order. I don't know what her problem was. Really not a great vibe. Poor service. Bummer because we heard great things about the food but the service wasn't worth it. read more

Two lonely stars for Chucky. I actually didn't eat here but I was with my One, Moey, and she got the "World Famous" Double Cheeseburger. This place at least has a vibe of a deli in NYC with the lights and retro look -kinda kool. Wait staff was millennial but OK, no major probs. The burger was served OF (open face) and was deconstructed with lettuce and subterranean-grown tomatoes and picks on the side and no condiments. A DIY project. The patties were very teenie and definitely preformed frozen ones and looked (and were) dry and crud-like and grim. Hospital/Prison-grade type, legally as known as Institutional Grade. (FYI the meat grades are: Prime, Choice, Grade A, and Institutional with Institutional being the most worstest.) The buns were just cheap-O dry/crumbly round bummers. This burger was edible though, technically speaking, and came with fries that were very meh/bleh at best. Cheapo-O frozen type and cooked to an albino golden brown. All quite meh/bleh here, YELPers. Let's just say that Chucky owns a place that serves food... read more

Charlie's Kitchen - Meh/bleh ... - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Laughably bad experience! We sat inside at booths that seem to have been designed for hobbits (we literally had our knees jammed up against one another). We never received a drink menu, so I just eyeballed something off the taps. The place was completely understaffed, so we cut the waitress some slack on that front. However, the waitress was also just bad at her job. At one point the bartender put our drinks down on the bar across from us. After a few minutes, the waitress still hadn't delivered them to us. Finally, she walked by and noticed us all staring longingly at our drinks. The penny still hadn't dropped for her, however, as she asked us if "we wanted anything." "Yah, our drinks - they're right there!", my wife replied. This is why I married her. Food was OK, not great. My veggie burger's guacamole was mostly missing, since the waitress delivered it to our table with another plate resting on top of it. Giant bun, missing guac, one tiny tomato slice dwarfed by the bun, and one tiny pickle. My son ordered a burger which looked fine, came with McDonalds-style fries (he didn't seem to mind). Other son ordered a chicken quesadilla, which was burnt and watery. The quesadilla came with much better fries, however; not sure why they're making two different types of fries, but consistency didn't seem to be in the cards for us. As we left, I noticed another party actively looking for their waitress with a look of hopelessness and resignation. I felt their pain and was happy to get out of there. It'll be a long time before I even think to venture in there again. read more

I sincerely doubt anyone comes here for the food. If they do, they're doing it wrong. My friends and I had a good chuckle about the dangers of ordering seafood from dive bars. Moral: best not. I don't partake in the booze, and the only nonalcoholic options seemed to be water and iced tea. That's fine. The patio is nice--fully covered, so don't come here if you're trying to get some sun while you shmooze. Service is nothing to write home about, but again...dive bar. Don't expect much and be happily surprised if you receive more. read more

I love going here to grab a beer with friends. Since covid the beer selection hasn't been as good but they still have good cocktails and cheap beer. read more

Absolutely appalled at the service . I am currently here . Asked for a cup of ice and the server puts it down with sludge at the bottom of the glass a whole thick layer of a black liquid with ice covering the top . Did not apologize did not say sorry two servers were involved and not one apologized or offered to do anything about it ... read more

Charlie's Kitchen - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

50 cent oysters- wow! We had a great snack and beer in the beer garden. Nice spot- not necessarily a place I'd go for dinner but great for oysters and drinks on a summer day! read more

Charlie's Kitchen - 50 cent oysters! - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Charlie's kitchen wasn't bad. When we got in they led us to our table and asked us if we wanted drinks. I got the the lemonade. The lemonade was ok, only it was way too sweet. The double cheeseburger was very well done, and the grilled cheese wasn't the best. Fish and chips were ok though. The Samuel Adam's had a sour taste that wasn't good. The staff was nice read more

All I can say is the drinks were good but how hard is it to screw up draft beer and vodka? I would not recommend eating here or really staying too long. It's truly a "dive bar" so if that's what you're looking for, it's here! Food was awful. Double cheeseburger was two hard pieces of overcooked meat with melted cheese. Drinks good, food awful. read more

Oyster deal review: You get what you pay for. Warm cracked sandy oysters that looked questionable. BUT only $1.50 for 2 oysters! (We went on a Sunday at 3pm) read more

Let me preface this review and 1 star that this is not about the establishment, the food or drinks. It is about the service I had from one particular server. I am a restaurant industry veteran. I know what it's like to work a busy summer shift, things can get hectic. However, that does not excuse and poor attitude, talking back and over charging. Our waitress Christina Z was not cooperative and over charged us. I met friends who had been sitting in the beer garden. I order a drink with my father and girlfriend and we waited 20 mins and nothing. We asked and she said she had to get 2PBRs and a Corona from "Downstairs" I know for a fact that other than draft beer, every drink comes from the inside bar and everyone else was getting their drink promptly. I proceeded to order 5 draft beers from the very attentive bartender and our waitress made sure to intercept me and say she got them. It then took another 5 minutes for them to be brought over. We had just had enough, a shame because I love Charlies, so we asked for the check and made sure the drinks that we did not receive were not on the bill. She assured us that she would remove the missing items. Instead, she overcharged us and brought back the bill without the itemized list. If it wasn't for my girlfriend's persistence, we would have overpaid. She made sure to find the manager ask for the itemized receipt and point out the drinks that we never had. The manager was fantastic and the server Christina Z was incredibly sneaky as she lurked in the background watching the manager adjusted the bill. I'm not one for singling anyone out but in this case, it is necessary. read more

bad and smelly food. Horrible service.The server took out all the frustration on us just because she was working since morning 10.30am and we were dinning around 9pm. I am never going back again. read more

Good atmosphere and service. However, I don't know why they call themself double cheeseburger king when it's so basic. With the price point, I guess it's okay. The oysters are good but small. Fish and chips are great read more

Charlie's has a ton of reviews... so here's just one of my Trish + Charlie love stories.... As I sat at the counter "rifling" through my wallet, it seemed pretty useless. I mean it's Jacob's Ladder style and if there's no money when opened one way, there certainly won't be any money opened the other way. I sighed and stared into my large glass of generic beer from small town, USA that hurt my soul to drink but only cost a little over $2. Dishie was hungry. Just when my stomach rumbles had reached Garth's drum solo status, I heard the angelic voice of the bartender... "Anybody want a free veggie burger? I made two by accident." And like a 5 year old who wanted to ask the teacher for a hall pass before she pissed herself, my hand shot straight up. "Me me!" The bartender came over and placed the glorious food in front of me. "Want some ketchup?" I nodded my head enthusiastically. She laughed, "Lemme know if you need anything else." There's not much else I can say to express my love for Charlie's. I love Charlie's. I really do. I've never had a bad meal there and I always have a great time no matter who I'm with. I also highly enjoy the fact that whenever I'm there, there's some dude eating a lobster. I'd give them 5 stars, except the table service isn't always the best and the bathroom is rather narsty. But meh, when you're in love you look over such things. read more

Best burger in town. Great tunes, great service. All the cocktails are really well priced and delicious.

Charlie's is a well wicked cool place...history, atmosphere, mirrors, outdoor seats, awesome juxebox and usually a decent bunch of people. The other 100 plus reviews can tell you that. What they may not tell you are the three things to avoid... 1. Anything on the menu that is new, non-burger orientated or over 8 dollars. Just don't. Stick to what you know is good. 2. The trivia team 'Change of Venue'. You won't beat them. You don't stand a chance in hell. Another team often beats them... but it's not you. These teams LIVE for Charlie's excellent sunday night trivia. Let's just say I often see one of them wearing a Linux t-shirt. 3. Love will tear us apart girl - the waitress who I'm scared to death of. She looks way cooler than me and is very kind to go out of her way to let me know just how much cooler she is with the regular servings of cold stares she gives me for free. Pah... it's nothing personal. I even saw her smile yesterday. EDIT FEB 08: Me and my pal finally won the trivia! woooo-hoooo. Just sayin read more

Charlie's is the place to go. Outside: There is the imposing, out-of-place facade of the building, complete with multicolored lights on the sign and just weird shit and sayings all over the place. It's the only place I've seen in Harvard Square that attempts no semblance of class whatsoever. They have a patio but you can't smoke out there. Downstairs: You walk in the door on the left, past the decrepit lobster tank (GOD knows why they have that) and seat yourself. I usually don't have trouble finding a booth or table to sit at, even during busy times. Our waitress came right up to us and was extremely friendly, and I have had the same great service outside AND at the bar! Food: The food is good, strong bar food at reasonable prices. A double cheeseburger with fries and a pickle is $5.25, and it tastes like a tasty burger should. I would recommend opting for waffle fries ($.50 extra) because their fries sort of look like uncooked Potato Stix. The specialty burgers are $8-10 and there are about a dozen or more. They also have vegan, veg, and fish options, all of which are pretty good. Salmon burger in particular. Drinks: MIXED DRINKS ARE $3.75!!! Yes, they are! Tasty mixed drinks in a good sized glass for the lowest price I've found in this town. Thank heavens. Also, they have great beer, including a fine selection of Belgians. They even have a sampler for $5 where they give you 6 oz. of 4 different beers and a glass of water. I got this once and the bartender said "We're out of water, so you're getting another beer." I almost kissed her. (ps they were not out of water.) Upstairs: I associate the upstairs with ordering a gigantic Hoegaarden in a special crispy glass that I love to hold and hold again. I also associate the upstairs with kids crowding the tables and loud music. It's hit or miss up there but that beer is so good. It's a great place to hang out with friends, or even just get dinner by yourself. Fun, funny, and awesome is Charlie's. They accept cards. read more

Five Stars for grabbing a few beers at night One star for their lunch service This past Sunday I just wanted to grab brunch and sit in the sun. Since the Precinct was being a HUGE moron and didn't set up their patio, Devon and I decided to trek to Charlie's. We sat ourselves in their beer garden (Oddly enough our table was the only table in the shade) and waited for a LONG time just to get our menu's. Our waitress was acting like we were a nuisance and gave me flack for ordering coffee first, then a stella....and a diet coke. I'm indecisive - sorry. Not only did she not even serve any of the food OR drinks (she just punched the order into her handy ordering device) but Devon's order was incorrect and she didn't get a few things she requested.....like, ah water and napkins. Our waitress never came back to check on us, even when we told the runner Devon's order was incorrect. When she finally came back over to clear our tables, she "negotiated" with Devon that her Diet Coke refill would suffice for the missing items she was charged for. What? WTF is that? It took her another 10 minutes to bring our check and hey, what's another 10 to take our credit cards? I actually got up and went to the bar to be cashed out - when she saw I was at the bar, she came storming over and grabbed our bill. Thanks! I am a HUGE fan of Charlie's and come here often to grab a few beers, but the past two times I have been here the service has been horrendous. Sure, it's almost expected when you are just getting beers - a little attitude comes with the territory for dive-ish bars, but it's uncalled for when we are sitting down for lunch in their (according to them) "trendy" beer garden. Hey, you constructed it for a reason, and that does not include treating the day patrons like they are asses. read more

I was saddened to hear that a server at Charlie's Kitchen was recently let go because of one bad review on Yelp. From what I've heard from other servers in the Cambridge/Boston area, this is not a first. Some have reported that at least a half dozen individual servers have been dropped for nothing more than a single bad review on the internet. For me, this is a deal breaker. I believe it is ethically important to patron businesses that treat their servers well. Anyone who has spent time as a server knows that it is an incredibly demanding job, both mentally and physically. It takes a lot of skill to juggle the orders of dozens of customers at once. It's disrespectful, at best, and repugnant, at worst, to dismiss an employer because of an anonymous statement posted online. And let's be honest, Charlie's Kitchen, as a dining experience, has always been subpar. Their food is not much better than going to McDonald's. I only frequented the place to have a few drinks with friends and because of the friendly wait staff. But now that I know how these servers are treated, I cannot in good conscience support Charlie's Kitchen. read more

I don't know what people's problems with "art school kids" is. Maybe they can't draw? Maybe they're intimidated? There was a day, believe it or not, when the punks, skinheads, weirdos, townies and other "lower life forms" ruled this place and harvard students weren't the norm. Either way, I find it refreshing that, in Harvard Square, there is still a bastion of originality and uniqueness to counterbalance the complete emasculation and Abercrombization that has occurred. Charlies doesn't have the best food (for you) but it's hard to beat when you've downed a few. What did you expect, filet mignon? It's BAR food. Greasy and tasty and cheap. It's also got Slayer on the jukebox and probably the best atmosphere in Harvard Square. Maybe some of the naysayers should try hanging out there and become regulars and enjoy it for what it is. It's a dive bar, not some chain bar where the staff have to kiss your ass. If you don't like a little surliness with your beer, maybe you should check out some place with a line out the door that doesn't let you wear sneakers. Remember, bartenders are people, not robots. Sometimes they have bad days too. Charlies gets 5 stars for being one of the last holdouts of the old days in the sea of shit that H.S. has become. read more

I had just quit my job and I was celebrating. The first bar I went to: Me to the bartender: We are out celebrating. I just quit my job. Cute female bartender: Really, high five! (Our hands collided in a cosmic clap. It was very unexpected given the usual aphephobic nature of Bostonians) Charlie's kitchen. Me to bartender: I just quit my job. High five! (I was feeling confident and happy. My hand hung in the air like Ron Jeremy's you-know-what. The goth princess looked at my hand and rolled her eyes.) Her: I don't do high fives. My entire belief system is based on high fives. When my belief system is shattered I enter the Dark Night of the Soul. I spent the rest of the night in the corner of the restaurant rolled up in a ball, crying, pulling out my hair, drinking only my tears and singing "its my party and I'll cry if I want to" over and over again. Man, what a b-ach. The service is a bit lackluster since they seem to hire mostly depressed girls but the food and beer is cheap. I have had many beautiful nights at Charlie's and have a special place in my heart for it despite my traumatic experience. If you like stories about aphephobic staff check out my review of Johnny D's in Somerville. read more