Charlie's is just one of my favorite spots in Harvard Square to grab a bite to eat with a friend. It's dressed down, has a wildly mixed crowd, and there's always the double cheese crab burger, which is...amazing. The service is sometimes a little slow, but they have a good beer selection. If you're looking for a swankier joint, go across the street to Noir. If not, pull up a stool at Charlie's. Find me on Twitter: @onlyrandy read more

The fantastic-ness and wide variety of the beer and food selection as well as the prices and it's convenient location make up for the horrible service. This place is one of my favorites but I get frustrated with the servers who seem to be clueless. I've seen so many of the servers leaning on bar stools or clumped near the kitchen on their phones or socializing when I'm trying to get their attention. I've had two good experiences - the guy bartender on Sunday nights and another guy server I had in the beer garden on a Wednesday afternoon. If they had a host or a manager's presence (or any inkling of organization), I would probably come here twice as much as I do (once every 2-3 weeks). Last note, the bathroom outside in the beer garden is nicer than the one upstairs inside... That says it all. (as a lady, never accidentally stumble into the men's bathroom upstairs - you'll think our setup is a palace compared to what they have to deal with..) read more

We were at Harvard for the first time and wanted something good. We walked into Charlies because I saw they had lobster salad. I ordered mine on lettuce. My friend got his on a hot dog bun. I guess that is a thing here. My lobster salad was delicious. It was fresh with a nice low amount of mayonnaise and celery. The fries were average. The seating was great. I loved the view and the odd sense of being below street level. My ices tea was great. I really like lobser and was excited at how tasty it was. read more

Food: Great lobster roll. Delicious waffle fries. Came here because this restaurant was one of the nominated restaurants in the Boston Phoenix for having the best lobster roll. And it was very good, but dunno if the best lobster roll is different from the worst lobster roll. But the waffle fries were delicious. Service: Good. Atmosphere: Very casual college bar atmosphere with booths and a bar. read more

Delicious, juicy burgers, amazing beer battered fries. Great selection of beer. Friendly staff. Fast service. I will come back here every time I am in Boston and will recommend it to everyone I know. Charlie's Kitchen ROCKS!! Five stars! Thanks Charlie's Staff! read more

Home of the Original Double Cheeseburger! (or so they say) - well either way my parents told me the same when I was a kid so I'll just agree. This place is great, reminds me of when I was young and used to go with my parents here every once in a while when visiting the square. Definitely a divey atmosphere but personally I like that so it works. Staff is nice and is fairly quick, generally I just order a burger cause it's cheap and simple. You have a couple of choices for sides, I always get the waffle fries. Beers are cheap - if you're looking to throw a few back inexpensively this isn't a bad option. Really cool "Beer Garden" outside down side alley that is neat in the summer, nicely shaded and ample room. Lastly I would say I like this place because it's never overly crowded when I visit and it's not a tourist attraction, unlike most of Harvard Square. read more

The outdoor bar is awesome! Bar was understaffed but the bartenders did what they could.

If I could send everything back I would have. Like our neighbor who sent back his lobster roll. I thought I was going to play it safe by ordering a jalapeño burger but even that was a big mistake. We also got a mixed combo appetizer. All foods were dry with no flavor. Only two things were actually good, the coke and the pepper fries. I would choose McDonald's over this place any day. read more

Service was ok, but great beer garden/outdoor area and decent beer selection. Cool spot to meet friends

I have been to Charlie's countless times from living and having gone to school in the area. It definitely has a divey/ nostalgic charm to it. It is a great meet up spot with friends after work for inexpensive drinks/food. They also offer trivia and karaoke on some nights. The beer garden is a great offer- although it can get packed. However, the service/ staff leave something to be desired: -The service is usually poor- unfriendly, bored, etc. They don't really have any sense of urgency to get your order, or your drinks to you in a timely manner. I once had a waitress straight up ask my table for a tip. I have had a few pleasant servers, but the majority have not been. -The real kicker of this place is finding a piece of gum underneath my french fries the other week. The manager comped my meal, but I'm still cringing about it. read more

I visited last weekend, and it was my first night out in Boston. Showed up around midnight and snagged a fireside table! The servers were great, very enthusiastic and prompt. The flames made for a cozy ambiance on the patio as well. I ordered the lobster roll platter, and it was excellent! Not the most beer selection but prices were average ($6USD). I would recommend to friends and would visit again the next time I'm in town. read more

Great Beer Garden! Went here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon and was thoroughly impressed. The food and drinks were both reasonably priced, and service was quick and friendly. I got the Mexican burger with waffle fries and it was fantastic. Would recommend, will be back. read more

Waitress was maybe stoned? She couldn't get our orders right or remember anything we asked for and couldn't count our change. The food was decently priced for the quality so if you're looking for something cheap then fine but when you're in a rush and want decent food this isn't a great place. The waitress couldn't even count our change. She had to come back twice and ask to see the change she gave us ... Clearly she didn't go to Harvard read more

A fantastic dive bar at Harvard Square. We cam here for dinner on a trip to Boston. The mix was students along with construction workers having a beer after work. No one blinked an eye when we sat down in a booth with four kids. The cheeseburgers were surprisingly good and the beer list was well above average, but what you're really here for is the atmosphere. Great music on the jukebox, graffiti everywhere. The price is right. I'd go back any day. read more

An Open Letter to Certain Hipster Waitresses (Who Shall Remain Nameless), It's not that I take exception to you making out with your be-grizzled art-school dropout hipster boyfriend all night per se. Knock yourselves out, you crazy kids! You're young, you're dumb, and you're full of... (er...anyone else remember that song by Whale?). Nah, but really, in all your manic snogging and slobbering over one another, would it really truly trouble you to spare a second to actually get my burger before it gets cold, or beer before it gets warm? I realize how exceptional and possibly outrageous this request is, but it is Christmas, after all... __________________________________________________ ____ On principle alone, I should be giving Charlie's 5 stars, just for being the Last Man Standing, the last bastion of authenticity in an ever increasingly fraudulent Harvard Square. The food is cheap and greasy, the beer is cheap and abundant (and they serve Ballantine... Triple X, y'all), the clientele is eclectic and eccentric, if sometimes borderline insufferable, and the window boasts The Saddest Aquarium cum Lobster Tank in the World. And yes, Virginia, they do have the best jukebox in the greater Boston area (just be sure to start making your selections at about 8 or so if you want to hear them before closing). I guess I just need to dock a point for the wildly erratic service, which veers between sunny and exceptional to surly and deplorable - most times the former, but the latter when it seems to matter the most (like on Xmas night). I don't know - maybe it's just a rough patch of new recruits - refugees from Bukowski's maybe? No matter - I'll still be going here when the worst offenders have finally finished up art school in another eight years or so. read more

THIS PLACE IS ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. First of all, let me say that I have been a long time user of Yelp, and depend on the user reviews of various places to recommend good joints to eat, drink and make merry. I highly value the things that are written here, and hold the users who post in high regards. With that out of the way, let me say that I have had the SINGLE WORST EXPERIENCE of my entire night life here at Charlie's Kitchen. I have registered SOLELY to write this review. I have not seen the need to register save for this one opportunity to let all of you Yelpers understand the detriment to the community that this establishment serves. These are my following grievances, all centralized around Jonathan Koenigsamen, who claims to be the manager, and apparently is by Google (which makes my story even more of a disgrace upon this establishment). 1.) I went to Charlie's Kitchen at around midnight for a drink. I went into the Beer Garden, which has a decent atmosphere, but for all you smokers, does NOT ALLOW SMOKING. I REPEAT, THE BEER GARDEN DOES NOT ALLOW SMOKING. If you are looking for a nice drink and relaxing evening, I strongly recommend Shay's. It is but a three minute walk from Charlie's on JFK street, and they have an infinitely better beer selection than Charlie's while allowing you to smoke outside. Exponentially better than Charlie's. 2.) I met my friend inside Charlie's Kitchen, because they weren't outside. The diner itself was quaint, with relatively kitsch decorations, typical of a place that was trying to imitate a conventional American diner. I ordered a beer at the bar, which was spilt, and cost me $5 (way too much in my opinion for a sub-par establishment which pretends to be more than it actually is). 3.) Having purchased my beer, I walked with my friend outside into the Beer Garden. This is where stuff got pretty messy. We got outside, and sat down at a table, when JONATHAN KOENIGSAMEN promptly approached us, and did this exactly: "You can't bring beers from inside and take them out here" Jonathan Koenigsamen took our beers, without a moments notice (full beers mind you) and poured them out in front of us. I don't know about you guys, but I cannot STAND this type of service. He had no thought to ask us to please go back into the Kitchen and finish them. He did not even warn us before he drained our beers before our eyes. I can't tell you how infuriating this experience was. It was like a horror film, except instead of humans being murdered, it was beer. Beer that was full and waiting to be consumed, but cut short before a sip could be taken. THIS IS WHERE THINGS GOT WORSE Having seen this egrious act done to me, I questioned the rationale behind it. Jonathan Koenigsamen assured me that there were PROMINENT signs telling patrons that beer could not be brought from the Kitchen into the Beer Garden. After a few minutes of asking why he did what he did, I proceeded to return to the Kitchen in search of these mythical signs (because of course, I did not see them on the way to the Garden, or else I would have surely obeyed them). THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET RIDICULOUS I walked back into the Kitchen, looking for said signs, and finnnnally found a small sign, printed on 8.5 x 11 paper, which was posted on the OPPOSITE SIDE of the storm door, which was OPEN, leading out of the Kitchen. Of course, this sign was IMPOSSIBLE to see when you were exiting, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE DOOR WAS PROPPED OPEN. Needless to say, I saw the sign, and returned to Jonathan in hopes to make better the warning to future patrons. THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET COMPLETELY OUT OF HAND I talked to Jonathan Koenigsamen, and I told him that the sign was unreasonably out of sight (the understatement of the century). At this, Jonathan told me to "Get out of here" in a very rude tone, and told me that he DID NOT MIND LOSING MY BUSINESS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I don't know about you all, but this is one of the most disconcerting signals from any establishment. It is an outright F YOU to any customer who has anything so much as a complaint against the place. In short, I have has the single worst experience at this place, and I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO GO ELSEWHERE. Here are some good options: SHAY'S GRENDEL'S TOMMY DOYLE'S DAEDALUS GRAFTON STREET TORY ROW I am sorry that such poor management would taint a place like this. I can assure you that I am never patronizing this bar again. read more

"Cheaper than a McDonald's" is one way to put it. I prefer, "great place to slink into for a late night burger and beer." Indeed, this place IS cheap, but what really kills me is the above average beer selection and the funky-retro formica tables. The burgers aren't incredible, but I'm not really going to Charlie's for the cuisine. Great for people watching, and stumbling into after a bar or two. read more

This place doesn't claim to be anything but a grungy dive bar. The beer selection is good and affordable. The food menu is unexceptional but well within a grad student's price range. If you plan on making a weekly happy hour, this isn't such a bad place. read more

Charlie's Kitchen is such a colorful place! My chums and I love slumming it with the locals. It's become a weekly tradition with us to take my friend Farnsworth's yacht out in Marblehead, peel off our official Harvard Polo Club shirts, pile in my Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, head back down to campus and get some authentic Bostonian food like chicken kabobs and pulled pork sandwiches. Their prices are very reasonable, which is great since I live on a limited weekly stipend sent over from my dad in San Fran (my trust fund doesn't kick in until I'm 25 - one more year to go! To be fair, I won't even need it once I graduate with my PhD in race relations). Admittedly the food is kind of mediocre, but where else in the Boston area can you get a cheeseburger for ONLY NINE BUCKS???? They also have an exotic beer selection, like Sam's Seasonal and Stella Artois. It's really divey and quirky, which is great because I only like drinking in places where I can't see my own hand a foot in front of my face. Even the service is divey: me and my girlfriend were the only customers there one Monday afternoon, and we got the check twenty minutes after we finished our meal! I LOVE shitty service, it really adds character. Everyone here is really sassy too, especially the 30-something blond bartender with tacky tattoos. There's nothing better than being condescended to by an art school dropout who lives in a studio apartment. Sometimes, in the warm weather, me and my buddy Alfred R. like to hang out in the biergarten and discuss politics. What really sells Charlie's for me though is the staff and clientele. Everyone is so arty and mysterious! In fact, I even overheard one of the bartenders say her new year's resolution was to "make more art." SOOO cool! Hopefully one day we can get married and move down to Williamsburg together. Their jukebox is great, too. You can spot me there any night of the week, leaning against it nonchalantly in my chucks and Rivers Cuomo glasses, playing really really obscure music like Animal Collective and Dropkick Murphys (Boston pride!!!). read more

This was a great little find - the food is actually pretty decent for a bar - and cheap. The beer is also well priced, so it is perfect for a casual dinner and some drinks if the weather is crappy outside. I see it as a winter-time destination for me. read more

Pretty good burgers, fries and other pub/diner fare. There's an upstairs with a bar, and cool jukebox. More of a dark hangout place than anything else. read more

Sorry, Charlie! I first need to say I LOVE coming here. They have a nice beer garden, great karaoke, and a good juke box. It's a fun place to hang out and eat some very decent food. I can even tolerate the kinda skanktastic bathroom. Know what I don't love when I go out somewhere to have a fun outing? Crap service. As in, me ordering things and not getting them. The last few visits have been highly disappointing in regards to the customer service, or lack there of. For example-if I order a water, please bring it to me and don't make me ask again. Know what's great? Not making your customer wait for you to punch in their order into your handheld device and actually listening to what they are saying. You screw up my order or can't get me something I want? Just tell me. Also helpful? Checking back in with your customers. Know what's nice when giving credit cards back? A thank you and a sorry. It can save a lot of poor service situations. It's not in any way, shape, or form acceptible to just toss the credit cards and the customers card on their table and walk away as your final exchange with them. I truly feel like everyone who works here puts in no effort and that they really don't care about their jobs or what they are doing. It makes me sad. I'm really bummed out because I love coming here usually, but I can't handle service as terrible as we keep receiving. read more

Yes it's a dive bar but not all of us have to be seen to feel good about ourselves. During hockey season we tend to be regulars here and there is no place I'd rather be. Cheap pint-glass drinks, good service. The only time it gets annoying is when people show up just to see what Charlie's is all about. They stare, ,look out of place, and then (thankfully) leave. The other best thing: Jawbreaker in the jukebox. read more

I recommend checking out their beer garden when you are with friends/co-workers and make sure you go after work, it's not bad. Just go EARLY. Do not get the food (save for the mozzarella sticks) Do not pass go. JUST GO!! Okay. The service was pleasant (shocking, I know)! They don't have 'gansett, even though people were drinking out of 'Gansett glasses. WTF? I love that beer, why advertise it if you don't have it? I got 2 Sam Summers and probably will be back with the work folk. We did escape to pee (the gals) and another co-worker and I looked at each other and said "across the street". Yeah, we pee @ the Charles Hotel. Much better than Charlie's! read more

The upstairs is very good-one can stay there forever! The drinks are huge and for a dive actually makes decent martinis. Service is actually friendly here-totally unpretentius-although be wary of the veggie burger-I got ill from it later on in the night-vegetarians should eat something before they get here. read more

Aftah you pahk the cah at Hahvahd Yahd, throw back a few beehs with the boys - head ta Chahlie's for a buhgeh. Can't read that sentence? Head to Charlie's for an education in Boston dive, and you'll come away speaking like you fought in the revolution. As long as you understand what Charlie's is (a greasy-spoon diner that's probably best left unattended until at least 11pm and 4 stiff drinks), you'll be happy. Prices are dirt cheap, beers are served in a true pint glass, and the place has that gritty, authentic feel. read more

You'd be hard pressed to find another place quite like Charlie's Kitchen in Cambridge. With its "divey" atmosphere Charlie's isn't really a first stop for first dates. Although I can't toast Charlie's as a first date mecca, I can admit that it will quench your thirst if you're looking for a quick, cheap bite to eat, with a bottled beer i.e. PBR, accompanied by a posse of your closest friends. I've been there a few times now, and I will definitely recommend their burgers and veggie burgers. I give it three stars because of the people I was with who made the few times I have been to Charlie's meaningful. It's a rather motley crew at Charlie's with patrons ranging from college, young professional, to people in their mid 40s-not that that should take anything away from your loud, tv-filled bar-oriented burger/lawnmower beer craving. read more

We tried Charlie's on an indecisive Saturday night after 2 complete laps around Harvard Square. The hostess sneered and tossed our menus at us as if we were too yuppie for the establishment. I suggested to BF that maybe we should just head next door for sushi, but he hated to leave after being seated. It seemed like the kind of place where the cooks openly pee in the food, so I ordered in fear and I ordered raw, so that I might be able to smell the pee, should it be there. I got an appetizer sampler to balance the healthiness of my salad entree. BF was more adventurous and got steak tips. Drinks came promptly, but my diet coke had no ice and a Guinness head. The appetizer plate was small for the money and contrary to its name, not exactly appetizing. The chicken cutlets were unmemorable. I didn't touch the mozzarella sticks because I not a huge fan of fried mozzarella alone. The wings were 95% skin, and bland at that. The jalapeno poppers were bleeding ricotta, and I really prefer a more solid cheese in poppers, so I squeezed it all out and ate the empty breading shells. Can I pass this off as a fair review if I ordered foods I don't like? Anyway, the empty breading shells were terrific. Apparently, the central meaty parts of tomatoes are reserved for burgers. The salads get the tippity tops and bottoms of the tomatoes, which would, if not for these salads, probably get tossed. That's fine. I don't like tomato slime and pits anyway, but the whole salad was just swimming in dressing, a veritable Greek salad soup. One winner: The black olives were pitless. BF's steak tips were a nice surprise -- not the fat grisly blackened mess I expected, but tender and sweet, perhaps marinated in brown sugar and pee. I tried to swap plates, but BF is no chump. The total bill was a reasonable 30 dollars for everything. We requested change and the waitress took it upon herself to keep the silver. Overall, unimpressive, but if I eat here again, I'll probably try red meat of some kind. read more

Dark and a bit of a dive, but the burgers are cheap, and there is some good beer on tap. Decorated like a diner gone crazy. The waitstaff is tattooed but friendly and helpful, and the food comes out quickly. It's no gourmet dining experience, but for the price you can't go wrong. read more

best veggie burger reuben ever. I briefly boycotted this place after going for years, until they finally changed the womens bathroom toilet seat. It was so nasty that I did not even want to go there anymore. Now they have replaced it so I am back to getting my reuben. read more

Perfect for the college student who wants to taste a little Boston on a budget. The atmosphere is not quite right for a first date, but if you play your cards right and get to go on a second or third date, this is the spot. read more

Do you like apples? Go outside and you'll find one of the best beer garden's in the city. How do you like them apples?

I went here last night which sadly, was the first time in a longtime. I walked upstairs with my crew and saw an open table. We begin to sit down and a waitress who I didn't know came up to me and said that the table we wanted was reserved for a party of ten. Since when did my favorite neighborhood bar take reservations??? So I saw Robin behind the bar and asked her if my friends and I could have the table. We had to wait a few minutes before it was handed over to us, but it's nice to know that I am still known at the bar I used to go to on a weekly basis and I could get a table. We had a round of double burgers and PBR's while the party of 10 Harvard girls stood awkwardly next to us at the entrance of the second floor waiting for a table to open up. Sometimes it pays to be a townie. read more

Everything about this place is cool and completely unique to the area. It's actually surrounded by buildings so you feel like you're in a European courtyard or something. They do serve drinks other than beer, but they come from inside (I watched someone wait at least 10 minutes for a cape codder). Only downside was the ongoing anger of the bartender, who seemingly was having an awful day (I know this because she came over and said, "I'm having an awful day.") The reason? Some other patrons hadn't seen Blazing Saddles. read more

As close as you're going to get to a diner in Harvard Square, great place for relatively cheap burgers and the like. It's a good place to hang out--very comfortable with no pretense. read more

The food's not the best, but it's certainly not bad; definitely a good quick meal before, say, catching a movie at the Brattle. And the beer! The selection is good, and you can get a 23oz. Hoegaarden for like $5. You can't go wrong with that. Definitely something to consider if you're wandering around Harvard Sq. and need a quick, cheap bite to eat. read more

Around 10pm I realized I hadn't really had time to eat anything other than a granola bar all day so I figured I ought to grab something before beginning a night of drinking. My friend suggested we hit up Charlie's for a quick burger and some fries. We walked in, grabbed a table, and texted (which is still wicked weird and impersonal) the waitress for some beers and food. Now, I've been here before (just for drinks) and my experience then was pretty great. This time? Not so much. The waitress pretty much ruined the experience single-handedly. She was in an awful mood, completely bitter and short with us - we're nice people, respectful, I know it can be a tough job, honestly, who doesn't have at least one friend in the restaurant business? I hear the horror stories, I offer up my best. It was pretty evident she was having a shitty night, but holy moley, I have never felt so unwelcome. Before asking us about our order she asked us if there had been money on the table. When we told her there hadn't been she sighed dramatically and walked away... came back again after having to text her our drink/food orders.. asked if we were sure there hadn't been money on the table. Came back fifteen minutes later with the beer, and soon after with the burgers. Each time she either let out an emphatically exasperated sigh or contemptuous glare. Really? Soon after we chugged our beers, gobbled up the food and texted for the check. The waitress comes, and get this, the girl who has been sitting at the table behind ours tells the waitress that the people who were eating at the table my friend and I were sitting at went outside to drink and points to where these people are. The waitress books it outside, gets her money, comes back in, and finally... finally.. brings us our check and let's a flipping smile ERUPT all over us. What? Even as a pacifist I'm not surprised at the overwhelming urge I had to knock her in the teeth. So to the waitress: Thanks for treating us like a couple o' thieves and liars... and you know, neglecting to apologize for your crappy attitude and unprofessional behavior. Everyone has poop days, but wow, did you take the cake. Worst server ever, that's you. About the food: My double bacon cheeseburger wasn't the best, but it was better than I expected it to be, the fries were cold and literally looked like someone just picked up a small handful and threw it down on the plate, not a lot offered, but it was only about $5 and the meal was all about survival and keeping myself from tanking early on in the night. It would probably be awesome drunk food though. I won't knock the entire establishment because of one employee in a bad mood. Charlie's has good beer for cheap and I dig that. I love the crazy people who show up there, but sometimes I feel a little too low key to hang there. read more

After hearing rave reviews from friends about Charlie's classic double cheeseburger, I expected so much more. The restaurant was dark and dirty and the food was so greasy I could barely manage to stomach half my burger. I doubt I'll return. read more

Went to the beer garden at Charlies Kitchen last, and I have to say it never disappoints. The atmosphere is great, but the real stand out was our bartender Alexis. She was helpful with suggestions on what drinks to order, super attentive and friendly! She even charged my phone for me when my battery was running low! Charlies is always fun and Alexis is great! read more

why write a review for a place that already has 121 reviews and you have nothing new to add? well, because i want to add this to my burger list. it's 12:30 and obviously i'm hankering for a burger and a beer. where, oh where, does the kitchen not close before last call? here, that's where. patties are flatties. so you have to at least get a double. fine by me. plus, i don't mind shoestring fries. (chicken fingers - not so much. :| ) for that, charlie, you and your kitchen have my interminable gratitude. read more