Never been to Cambridge before and stopped by Charlie's Kitchen for lunch. Ordered the Bean Burger, wings and Oyster special and all three were fantastic. Love dive bars but this place really over delivered. Highly recommend. read more

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Located in the thick of Harvard Square, Charlie's is a convenient spot for bar food. Rating just the food though - I'd say it's about average. Let's start with the mozza sticks: yeah they were tasty. A little pricey maybe for 8 sticks. Their flavor and texture didn't necessarily stand out but tasted like your everyday cheese stick. The upper classic: it's a good size. Two patties with bacon and cheese always sounds great. But I think I almost recognized a watery taste in the patties? Maybe that's because I ordered them medium well... read more

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I had the pleasure of dining at Charlie's Kitchen. The menu had so many choices it was difficult to decide. My friends and I ordered appetizers and meals and shared until we were full. All the plates were empty. our waitress was adorable, friendly and was very attentive. We were told the waffle fries were amazing. They are crisp with a light spice. Drinks were made were very good. As the day turned to night we went upstairs to watch karaoke. They had a Hawaii. man with a beautiful voice singing. Drinks were made by a very knowledgeable bartender. Fun friends and entertainment keep making us come back. Go ahead try it. You will thank me later. read more

Charlie's is a Harvard square staple! I have only ever done takeout but there outdoor seating has an awesome outdoor burger and beer vibe. Anytime I am looking for a classic double cheeseburger I get carry out here. They are always fast, easy and not expensive. If you are looking for a delicious, less greasy burger that doesn't make you feel overfull and regretful after eating, this will hit the spot. I always pay the few dollars extra for their waffle fries - it is well worth it! read more

Charlie's Kitchen - Double cheese burger and waffle fries - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Not quite a dive, but quite a solid spot to catch a drink with friends if you're in Harvard Square. It doesn't hurt that they're close to the train. The first time I came here, their famous double cheeseburger was $5.50. Years later, they're up to $7. Even with inflation, it's reasonable: the cheeseburger has lettuce, a tomato AND fries. It won't change your life, but it'll soak up the alcohol. Friendly service. Credit accepted. read more

Have only been here for casual pre-dinner drinks, so this review is for that! It's a classic place. Genuine people. No frills. Don't expect 5 star food or crafted drinks. Just a good cold beer and a friendly face! Worth a stop in for sure! read more

Writing this during the pandemic, so that might have contributed to the poor experience. Like most bars with lots of beers on tap, only five of the 10+ taps were active. The place was not busy at all but the service was slow. I ordered the double burger, and the food arrived cold and the burgers were 3 once patties. We asked for water along with our drinks, but ad to ask twice to eventually get it. I am not one to leave low scores on my reviews, but this place was disappointing. read more

Thanks to a Nift gift I finally tried Charlie's Kitchen. I've seen it every time I'm in Harvard Sq catching a bus but never felt compelled enough because of the college crowds. I dropped in around 4PM and the place was pretty quiet probably because of what's been going on. I ordered a superman burger ($12) and fried green beans. It was a perfect 1/3lb burger patty medium rare with a nice char with bacon, kale, bleu cheese, and caramelized onions. Instead of kale, I noticed they gave me arugula and an extra piece of bacon. The green beans ($5) were amazing. Not many places serve up fried green beans but man they have a great onion ring batter on them. The burger came with tasty salt and pepper cracked fries as well. Great service and music. Mirrors all around. Unisex bathrooms. Saloon like feel. read more

Charlie's Kitchen - Fried green beans and the superman burgee - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Karaoke Tuesdays are fabulous! The upstairs bar is a hidden gem! Food is amazing! We came from out of town and this is truly an amazing find. The burgers are outstanding and the karaoke DJ is so personable read more

My friend who is a local told me that locals love lobster roll from this place. Unfortunately this was our least favorite lobster roll and chowder on our trip to Boston (we had lobster roll and chowder everyday!). The place is a nice little pub. I can tell a lot of students come here. But if I ever go back to Boston, I wouldn't. read more

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My kind of place but got charged $12 for a gin and tonic when the menu lists it as much less. I can pay that at a hotel bar

Visiting Boston and came here for lunch. Pleasantly surprised. 50 c oysters !! This cannot get better, right. Fresh oysters and I ordered some Chardonnay with it. Never in my life have I been served so much wine for $7. I also ordered their burger- the one with goat cheese and guac. Delicious. And that too for 10$. This place must be heaven for students. I also spotted cheese burgers were 5$. My burger came with some pepper and salt fries. The good kind of fries :) Definitely recommend and will be sure to be back here. It's a cutesy place with string LED lights and high stools. read more

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Came here for really cheap oysters!! We came here at around 7pm so the oysters are $1 each (min. order 6 pcs), but if you come at 12-5pm or 9pm-midnight it's $1 for 2 oysters!! It obviously wouldn't be the best oysters but it's definitely a steal at this price!! read more

Charlie's Kitchen - Island Creek Oysters - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

My go to spot when I went to drink some beers outside. Honestly I've only gone inside to use the restroom. The back patio area is great and has fire places and heat lamps to keep you warm. Food is solid bar food and the beers are reasonable. read more

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

One of the best outdoor indoor restaurants in "Da square" not the best but one of .. they survived ... much appreciated with more outdoor tables street level and one level below right next to CK with additional "resting rooms" outdoors . Good atmosphere service tasty food prices ambiance Bon vivant ! read more

Came here for their 12 oysters for $9 deal. They were not shucked well. Several of my oysters had pieces of shell stuck to the meat and got stuck in my teeth. Not very fun. Service was also pretty slow. We ordered 2 drinks and oysters and our drinks didn't come until half our oysters were already gone. When I asked our waiter to check on our drinks he said the machine had broken or something (?) - cool vibe overall, especially if you can get a seat outside on a beautiful day. read more

BURGERS ARE SO GOOD! Was tempted to just post that as my whole review because the burgers at this place may be the best I've ever had (and I like to say I've had TONS of burgers in my life) The general environment is so welcoming and had very good customer service! Though this place is a pub kids and teens are welcome to just come and eat! Have i mentions how good their burgers are? read more

I'm giving a five star for their burgers! It's a nice burger place in harvard square. Pretty good quality for the price. We tried almost all the burgers here and they are all good. Double burgers are juicy and fresh. I like the fries too. It's my type of fries: thin, dry but not over cooked. I also like their wings: dry and crispy skin with soft inner meat. I do like wings without thick sauce. read more

Charlie's Kitchen - Blue Cheese Burger - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I have been to Charlie's on numerous occasions and have no complaints about the service. However, on this occasion the server was rude, racist and insensitive. 1. He carded everyone at the table except for the white males. 2. When I asked for a box for my food, he informed me that they did not have any. "They were all out." When I asked for a manager the boxes appeared. In a neighborhood as "progressive" and "welcoming" as Cambridge this type of behavior is unacceptable. Thank you Daniel J for being the racist you are and offering me the low quality service you think I deserve. read more

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

Charlie's Kitchen offers the most bang for your buck in Boston when it comes to lobster rolls. Double lobster rolls for $13 with a side of fries located in the heart of Harvard Sq. +++The fries was crack. Was one of the best I've had in Boston. The bf devoured all of his fries before eating his rolls and ate off of mine as well. Hot with a crispy outer crunch. ++There were 1-2 big claw chunks of lobster per roll, however most were on the smaller/chopped end. Fresh celery and lettuce mixed. --More investment needs to be taken regarding interior decor. We initially intended to sit inside, but the dingy lighting and aged booth seats was not attractive so out in the patio we sat. Table was wobbly and the wooden wall acting as a divider between the sidewalk and the dining area had a bee buzzing occasionally around due to the presence of modest plants. read more

Charlie's Kitchen - Double lobster roll, $13 with fries - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I really loved this place. Casual and unpretentious, yet very upscale. Awesome beer selection: Chimay, shipyard ale, western Massachusetts microbrews, Harpers, Brooklyn Lager, Treble Hook, Sam's Octoberfest, Abita and Guinness. Their beer menu changes and they post it in huge chalkboards on the outside. Gets crowded but congenial. And the staff is friendly enough to talk about their beer selections and even give you samples before buying a pint. Food-wise, huge burgers and tasty fries compliment the menu. Other than that, their food tends to be more simple than their beers. Hands down, the best place is the outdoor seating inside the courtyard or on the sidewalk enclosures. read more

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

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If you are around visiting Harvard campus or the museum you should visits this place, the environment very nice and well decorated, they have and underground patio and upstairs it's a nice bar area, the fries here are tasty. We heard a lot about the wings and they were fantastic. A great experience. We didn't get to know our servers name sadly. But he was very friendly and kind. 5 stars I hope i can give more read more

Like most food treasures, Charlie's is not much to look at from the outside. But once you step in the door, you know you've found a great burger joint. The classic double cheeseburger is delicious, comes with a mountain of fries and would fill up even the biggest of appetites. Definitely will come again. read more

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

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Idk how I feel about this place.. I had a black bean burger cuz I'm pescatarian but they don't have much seafood options.. low key the burger was nice I love the black bean texture. Only thing is the waitress is very slow when calling to order. The food has a great price for sure so you can't complain much, but probably won't come another time only if my friends want to. read more

Charlie's Kitchen - Homemade Black Bean and Vegetable Guacamole Cheeseburger - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I didn't care for this place. The service was lacking. My friend is vegetarian and she asked for a menu item without chicken. I think that's pretty basic, just don't add chicken to it. They said they couldn't so she ended up getting a caesar salad. I could understand if the place was packed and making a change to an item is an issue but we were the only people here so what's the biggie?? Nothing on the menu appealed to me and the price was meh. I ended up getting a basic grilled cheese sandwich and fries. It was ok. I doubt I'll return. read more

I stopped by for a quick meal while the wife and daughter were out spending money. I sat at the bar. It has a very relaxed nice vibe. The burger had a charred flavor. The oysters were awesome. Glad I happened by. read more

Decent diner style place for comfort food. Came here at lunchtime and the vibe was quiet and homey - something from a previous generation. Simple menu (not in a bad way) with what you expect. Got a Chef's Favorite Cheeseburger and it was pretty good - mid-century style classic with no modern flair at all. If that's what you're looking for this will hit the spot. Simple flavors only. Fries were crispy and fresh. Service was fast Price was reasonable. If you're looking for a classic casual lunch place with simpler flavors, this is a good bet. read more

Charlie's Kitchen - Chef's Favorite Cheeseburger - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Has a dive bar vibe to it. The food is is alright. No real frills to it but it's tasty.

The burgers are pretty awful, buns are not toasted, patties are dry, and just overall really lacking in flavor. Would have ranked lower if not for the oysters which are a solid good deal read more

Charlie's Kitchen - $1 oysters - Burgers Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I thought long and hard about this rating and it seems 1-star is where we'll land. At the start of our Boston trip Charlie's caught our eye with it's dive-like appearance and neon colors. Due to timing we waited until the end of the trip to finally go there after talking about it for a couple of days and after pulling the trigger were left beyond disappointed. The service was abysmal. You'd think we had Coronavirus because our waitress wouldn't so much as approach our table. It started with her putting in the wrong order with the kitchen - after a lengthy wait for our food, the kitchen staff brought out our burger and a plate of wings. The waitress intercepted the staff member before he reached our table. We could hear her tell him that she had put in the wrong order. He proceeded to place the burger down on our table without saying anything to us, then walked away with the chicken wings. Out waitress did not approach us once to tell us sorry for the delay or that it will be out in a moment - no - instead it took an additional 10 minutes before they brought out the clam chowder we ordered. The food is lackluster. The burger is OK though its tomato and lettuce were mealy (Charlie's is supposed to be the KING of double burgers), fries were fine. The clam chowder is one of the worst. Under seasoned, LOADED with celery, thin and watery. Really, it was celery milk. On a positive note it has big chunks of clam and potato but was otherwise bland if not disgusting. Prices on drinks are atrocious. Atmosphere is dive (which is what we wanted) but our table was so crooked we couldn't fit another person in the bench of our booth ahead of us. It was an awful dining experience. I wouldn't recommend nor would we go back. High prices, bad tasting food, and piss poor service. Is that worth it to you? read more

Love this spot. Came back today after a long time away due to Covid. Patio was spaced out and had plastic dividers up between tables for extra safety. Staff was friendly and had masks on. This is the spot to go in Harvard square for a beer and cheap food that is tasty! The chicken tenders are super good as well as the small burgers which I like for a snack. Charlie's is a classic read more

Our go to place when in the area. Have been here many times since 2008 so I can't believe I'm only reviewing now. On a weekend early afternoon, you can almost always get a table. Food is good and CHEAP. Service is good for how busy it can get. And it has ceiling fans. Our 4 year old is always happy with that. There are 2 floors. The top floor has better seating options. The first floor has seats along one wall and the bar along the other wall. There are a few steps to get in so sadly it's not wheelchair friendly. When it's nice out, there is outdoor seating . I tend to get the steak and cheese sandwich when I'm there. But they also have a really good chicken Caesar salad. Nothing to rave about , nothing to complain about. We like coming back. And we bring our kid there so that should say something. Haha. read more

Found this cool little place on Harvard's campus while visiting my brother. The staff here is the real jewel. The doorman was really cool/helpful. He helped us find a legit parking spot and gave some tips on touring the area. I liked this place because they were open late, went in around midnight. I ordered the double cheeseburger and fries, mostly because it was $7. The burger was just okay. I could tell they were pre-packaged patties, which means they were a little dry. I did request that it was cooked "medium-well" which could also be the reason it was so dry. The fries seemed like freezer bag fries too. Long story short, this is a cool place with an excellent staff. The food is decent, I only tried one thing on the menu but the meal I had was average. I would try this place again though. read more

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

Good good food at a really good price. Also really chill to eat at. I recommend to try the double lobster rolls read more

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Best waitstaff. Cheap eats & fun. I recommend. It's a Cambridge special for generations.

I've been coming here off and on for 20 years !!! Great Bar Food and laid back atmosphere !!!

I visited on 3/23/17 and had a wonderful experience! I arrived around 5 PM that Thursday and sat on the first floor of the establishment (they have an additional floor of seats plus a bar upstairs). Many of the booths were empty, so finding a seat was no problem! I had the Veggie Wrap, which consisted of sprouts, onions, peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and a yummy hummus spread. You get to choose either french fries or waffle fries, so I went with their second option and it didn't disappoint. For a drink, I had a Wachusett Blueberry Ale. The Veggie Wrap tasted significantly better than the first time I had it (over a year ago) so I was super pleased!! The hummus spread they used packed a lot of flavor. The medley of fresh, crunchy vegetables worked so well together. It was definitely worth the price- I was so full afterwards. Charlie's Kitchen has a great atmosphere and a pretty extensive (and not overpriced!) menu that will satisfy your appetite. read more

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

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Took my parents there and my friend. Service was slow, but head of the Charles weekend I understand. The burgers were good, but two plates were served with different fries and not the home cut ones. Those were clearly better. read more

Came here on a visit to Boston, and it was a pretty good hole in the wall bar. Their selection of beers was ok; although they don't have a large selection of Boston based beers. Also I had their chicken tenders which were ok, the chicken and breading was good but the sauce selection is meh. I would go back for a shot and a beer but not much else. read more

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

Just tried $5.75 Double Cheese Burger it is very tasty and comes with lettuce tomatoes and shoe string fries it is a very good value and hits the spot. The cheese taste awesome as well. Its a wonder dive and is authentic. I recommend it. A really good slice of pickle as well . read more

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

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