Food was very good (short rib was a bit dry overall very tasty). We choose to go on this night because there was no one performing in the restaurant. We love music and performing arts but when anyone is there playing/singing it is impossible to have a conversation over dinner - we usually check the website before heading over to be sure no one is performing. Of course if you like music and don't want to have a conversation with your other diners then go anytime :) We will be back.
P Thompson
Great neighborhood restaurant. Went with 9 other people. Mexican chicken bowl was delicious! The short ribs looked fantastic as well. Music bingo was a blast along with some dancing. Great vibe too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Oleg
Fod was expertly cooked and very delicious, service was very prompt and servers were friendly and very attentive
James
The Charles is a high-quality culinary experience with warm, friendly service hiding in Reading, MA. Menu items come out of the kitchen looking like the finished product from a Gordon Ramsay TV Series. Not only are they beautifully plated, the flavor lives up to the looks. We have really enjoyed almost everything we have tried there. My only hope would be that they would offer a special Steak occasionally. Their Short Rib is exquisite but just too large and too rich for a night when you feel like trying a little of everything. The mix of local musicians playing in the front corner adds a quirky and fun ambience without overwhelming the ability to converse over dinner.
Roger
First, they couldn't find the reservation. The teenager receptionist told us “luckily there is one table left” . We had another teenager coming as a server and took a good 20 minutes for the drink to arrive. Not back to take our order for the appetizer. The bartender then showed up and told us about the specials... 1 hours later we haven't place our order... then a DJ arrive for a music bingo night... extremely loud. Was time to leave, hungry...
Barbara
I dined in a party of 6. Everyone enjoyed their meals. I started with a Mistletoe Martini which was rather nice, and then I had the seafood scampi: mussels, 4 shrimp and a piece of codfish served in a creamy garlic sauce over linguini. It was very tasty. Service was on the slower side. There was a musician making good music but the place is small and the music was loud so that made it difficult to converse with anyone not sitting right next to you. Overall a good experience!
David Wolniewicz
Food not good and not much of a craft cocktail menu. Music was horrible
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Pam Long
Last night (Saturday Nov 2) we made last minute plans to go to dinner and originally had planned to dine at Bunratty's, (which I had only dined at once) The wait was long so they suggested their sister restaurant The Charles next door. What a happy change of plans. It was my first time here and it didn't disappoint! I ordered the Mexican bowl with chicken. When it came out it was plated beautifully, (I wish I had taken a picture) and tasted as good as it looked. It was delicious! If it was polite to lick my bowl, I probably would have! The staff was welcoming and accommodating (two young men and the bartender) and the owner came over to check on us as well, which I appreciated. An unexpected surprise was at 7:00 when a DJ came in and set up for Musical Bingo. I know a few other tables may not have appreciated it, and I understand their annoyance if they came for a nice meal in a smaller place with quiet atmosphere, but I thought the owner as well as the DJ were responsive in the tables requests to turn the music down a bit. (We were sitting at the table next to the DJ) It didn't bother me a bit, as I love Musical Bingo. And yes, I was one of the ones who was out on the floor dancing (with my reluctant husband) to Love Shack at the end of the night. 😂 Needless to say, you made a wonderful first impression and have gained a new customer! Please pass my compliments on to your staff as they helped to make our night enjoyable. Thank you!
Parking: There is street parking, and I believe there is a lot behind the building that you can access. Whenever I'm in that area, I usually park on Haven Street just around the corner, or the small lot in front of the Bank of America. It's just a short walk from there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mike Barry
The food and the Charles was great. Two got the beef ribs and they were a very healthy portion and very tasty, as was the gravy on the mashed potatoes. Two got the scampi, it was very flavorful. The sliced zucchini with the pasta was a nice accompaniment. The side of bread was warmed/toasted and was the perfect combination of crunchy & chewy yet just soft enough. Service was good and attentive, but the server could have know more about the menu. The sound level was high and there was a sort of music bingo going on which while perhaps a local tradition seemed a little out of place in a finer restaurant on a weekend night and was a minor distraction for our group. Cost was an excellent value for the quality of the food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Micahel
The food and the Charles was great. Two got the beef ribs and they were a very healthy portion and very tasty, as was the gravy on the mashed potatoes. Two got the scampi, it was very flavorful. The sliced zucchini with the pasta was a nice accompaniment. The side of bread was warmed/toasted and was the perfect combination of crunchy & chewy yet just soft enough. Service was good and attentive, but the server could have know more about the menu. The sound level was high and there was a sort of music bingo going on which while perhaps a local tradition seemed a little out of place in a finer restaurant on a weekend night. Cost was an excellent value for the quality of the food.
First time at The Charles The food was great (one pan chicken!) and The Getaways acoustic duo was outstanding!! I'll be back!
Jim
The music was very very loud! I couldn't hear my guests who were sitting across the table. The music that was being played would have been more enjoyable as background music. The loudness spoiled our first experience at The Charles. Three out of four meals were very good, the Chicken piccata was tough and rubbery. Seemed like the wait staff were young and learning the routine.....
Redsoxfan1964
We have been here before and we will be back again - food is great; nice variety, all well prepared and delicious. We had a wonderful meal with a fantastic waitress. Cannot wait to go back. Next visit I am getting the short rib - someone in our group had it and looked amazing and he ate it all so I am sure it was great.
Sharon Barone
My mom and I recently co-hosted a medium sized gathering with friends and family after my dad’s funeral mass and interment. Bunratty Tavern was one of his favorite restaurants and we were so glad we could hold this private event at the Charles. Ryan was an absolute pleasure to work with in making preparations. And the entire team was exceptional during the gathering. Everyone enjoyed the food, service, ambiance and drinks. We couldn’t have dreamed of a better experience despite the difficult circumstances. Thank you so much Ryan and team for everything!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
KimB
Everything about this restaurant is great. Atmosphere is co for table and friendly. Staff are professional, personable, and helpful. Live music group was awesome. The food and drinks were phenomenal as always! Thank you for another wonderful evening!
Food was very good (short rib was a bit dry overall very tasty). We choose to go on this night because there was no one performing in the restaurant. We love music and performing arts but when anyone is there playing/singing it is impossible to have a conversation over dinner - we usually check the website before heading over to be sure no one is performing. Of course if you like music and don't want to have a conversation with your other diners then go anytime :) We will be back.
Great neighborhood restaurant. Went with 9 other people. Mexican chicken bowl was delicious! The short ribs looked fantastic as well. Music bingo was a blast along with some dancing. Great vibe too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fod was expertly cooked and very delicious, service was very prompt and servers were friendly and very attentive
The Charles is a high-quality culinary experience with warm, friendly service hiding in Reading, MA. Menu items come out of the kitchen looking like the finished product from a Gordon Ramsay TV Series. Not only are they beautifully plated, the flavor lives up to the looks. We have really enjoyed almost everything we have tried there. My only hope would be that they would offer a special Steak occasionally. Their Short Rib is exquisite but just too large and too rich for a night when you feel like trying a little of everything. The mix of local musicians playing in the front corner adds a quirky and fun ambience without overwhelming the ability to converse over dinner.
First, they couldn't find the reservation. The teenager receptionist told us “luckily there is one table left” . We had another teenager coming as a server and took a good 20 minutes for the drink to arrive. Not back to take our order for the appetizer. The bartender then showed up and told us about the specials... 1 hours later we haven't place our order... then a DJ arrive for a music bingo night... extremely loud. Was time to leave, hungry...
I dined in a party of 6. Everyone enjoyed their meals. I started with a Mistletoe Martini which was rather nice, and then I had the seafood scampi: mussels, 4 shrimp and a piece of codfish served in a creamy garlic sauce over linguini. It was very tasty. Service was on the slower side. There was a musician making good music but the place is small and the music was loud so that made it difficult to converse with anyone not sitting right next to you. Overall a good experience!
Food not good and not much of a craft cocktail menu. Music was horrible
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Last night (Saturday Nov 2) we made last minute plans to go to dinner and originally had planned to dine at Bunratty's, (which I had only dined at once) The wait was long so they suggested their sister restaurant The Charles next door. What a happy change of plans. It was my first time here and it didn't disappoint! I ordered the Mexican bowl with chicken. When it came out it was plated beautifully, (I wish I had taken a picture) and tasted as good as it looked. It was delicious! If it was polite to lick my bowl, I probably would have! The staff was welcoming and accommodating (two young men and the bartender) and the owner came over to check on us as well, which I appreciated.
An unexpected surprise was at 7:00 when a DJ came in and set up for Musical Bingo. I know a few other tables may not have appreciated it, and I understand their annoyance if they came for a nice meal in a smaller place with quiet atmosphere, but I thought the owner as well as the DJ were responsive in the tables requests to turn the music down a bit. (We were sitting at the table next to the DJ) It didn't bother me a bit, as I love Musical Bingo. And yes, I was one of the ones who was out on the floor dancing (with my reluctant husband) to Love Shack at the end of the night. 😂
Needless to say, you made a wonderful first impression and have gained a new customer! Please pass my compliments on to your staff as they helped to make our night enjoyable.
Thank you!
Parking: There is street parking, and I believe there is a lot behind the building that you can access. Whenever I'm in that area, I usually park on Haven Street just around the corner, or the small lot in front of the Bank of America. It's just a short walk from there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food and the Charles was great. Two got the beef ribs and they were a very healthy portion and very tasty, as was the gravy on the mashed potatoes. Two got the scampi, it was very flavorful. The sliced zucchini with the pasta was a nice accompaniment. The side of bread was warmed/toasted and was the perfect combination of crunchy & chewy yet just soft enough. Service was good and attentive, but the server could have know more about the menu. The sound level was high and there was a sort of music bingo going on which while perhaps a local tradition seemed a little out of place in a finer restaurant on a weekend night and was a minor distraction for our group. Cost was an excellent value for the quality of the food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food and the Charles was great. Two got the beef ribs and they were a very healthy portion and very tasty, as was the gravy on the mashed potatoes. Two got the scampi, it was very flavorful. The sliced zucchini with the pasta was a nice accompaniment. The side of bread was warmed/toasted and was the perfect combination of crunchy & chewy yet just soft enough. Service was good and attentive, but the server could have know more about the menu. The sound level was high and there was a sort of music bingo going on which while perhaps a local tradition seemed a little out of place in a finer restaurant on a weekend night. Cost was an excellent value for the quality of the food.
Restaurantji Recommends
First time at The Charles The food was great (one pan chicken!) and The Getaways acoustic duo was outstanding!! I'll be back!
The music was very very loud! I couldn't hear my guests who were sitting across the table. The music that was being played would have been more enjoyable as background music. The loudness spoiled our first experience at The Charles. Three out of four meals were very good, the Chicken piccata was tough and rubbery. Seemed like the wait staff were young and learning the routine.....
We have been here before and we will be back again - food is great; nice variety, all well prepared and delicious. We had a wonderful meal with a fantastic waitress. Cannot wait to go back. Next visit I am getting the short rib - someone in our group had it and looked amazing and he ate it all so I am sure it was great.
My mom and I recently co-hosted a medium sized gathering with friends and family after my dad’s funeral mass and interment. Bunratty Tavern was one of his favorite restaurants and we were so glad we could hold this private event at the Charles. Ryan was an absolute pleasure to work with in making preparations. And the entire team was exceptional during the gathering. Everyone enjoyed the food, service, ambiance and drinks. We couldn’t have dreamed of a better experience despite the difficult circumstances. Thank you so much Ryan and team for everything!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Everything about this restaurant is great. Atmosphere is co for table and friendly. Staff are professional, personable, and helpful. Live music group was awesome. The food and drinks were phenomenal as always! Thank you for another wonderful evening!
Loading...