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Charlie's Flame Broiled Burgers
Category: Restaurants Burgers Burgers [Edit]
1006 S Lake St(between N Lake Washington Blvd & S 10th Ave)
Kirkland, WA 98033
(425) 828-1000
- Hours:
Mon 11 am - 8 pm
Tue-Thu 11 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- Yes
35 reviews for Charlie's Flame Broiled Burgers
Review Highlights
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"The pastrami really good." In 2 reviews -
"We were already intending to try it out." In 3 reviews -
"Plenty of napkins." In 2 reviews
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35 reviews in English
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Review from Sheyda M.
Kirkland, WA
5/15/2012
Although located in a somewhat shady establishment, Charlie's burgers is a hidden gem. After our first take-out meal, we were very pleasantly surprised (it's just shady enough to be awesome).
The burgers are by no means gourmet - but that's not the niche they're going for. This place gives you the staples: simple sesame buns, large and thick patties, shredded iceberg, a dab of sauce (probably thousand island), american cheese (try subbing it for pepper jack!), and the bacon just completes the ensemble. Their fries are red robin-esque: big and thick, but fresher.
We've tried the kitchen sink (the hot links are an awesome addition), the manly burger (humongous - a little too large in my opinion), and now order the Charlie burger every time (the hot pastrami on top of the patty is soooooo good). We live a few blocks from this place and get burgers from here at least once a month. Best burgers in Kirkland hands down. -
Review from Theopolis B.
Seattle, WA
5/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
I never heard of this place when it made my radar about a year ago. The location appeared amazing and how hard is it to mess up a burger?
The reviews weren't that great, but above all it just appeared that most people refused to show this place any respect. Some said too salty, others said not flavorful enough.
Here is my mini review. If you sat me down with two burgers, one from Charlie's and One from Red Robin, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. It was a solid burger, no doubt. I could have used some more fries, but who doesn't cut corners somewhere in the restaurant biz.
The place was empty, probably post lunch rush. It wasn't dirty, but not clean. Matter of fact my girlfriend complained about the cleanliness, but I didn't think it was worth arguing about. I'd say about 25 people could sit inside and the patio holds about another 30.
If I lived here, it just might be my burger of choice, but I wouldn't drive three cities again to get here. Crazy cool location, limited parking, but I'd recommend it to anyone in it's zip-code. -
Review from Derrick O.
Bellevue, WA
5/6/2012
Standard Burger, non-toasted bun.
But, they have nice outdoor seating and serve beer... -
Review from jimbo c.
Maricopa, AZ
Updated - 5/11/2012 2 photos
We've decided Charlie's is just too inconsistent for us to return. During our first visit everything was great but we noticed reduced quality on our second visit. The jalapeno poppers were not made the same and didn't have the same tasty breading. Check out the original review for the details on how they used to be. Also, on our second visit the burger was way under cooked. My wife had them heat it up a bit more, but after that the burger just isn't the same because it falls apart. I just dealt with it and hoped I wouldn't get sick later one (I didn't!). The fries are O-rings were just OK.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/30/2011
Wow, after reading some of the previous reviews I feel like I ate at a different restaurant. The… Read more »
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Review from Rashida S.
Kirkland, WA
5/14/2012
Great place to have a burger on a sunny afternoon and watch the parade people, cars and bikes cruising down Lake St. Service is solid and burgers are impressive (I haven't met one I wouldn't eat again) plus points for the yummy sweet potato fries option.
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Review from Tim P.
Kirkland, WA
5/12/2012
Food here was very good. Hamburger was juicy and fresh. Had the onion rings which were cooked perfectly. Service very good as well.
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Review from Zan F.
Bothell, WA
10/15/2011
In honor of my new nephew Charles Alexander (and a Groupon my girlfriend bought) we decided to check out Charlie's Burgers in their new location in the 'Pretty-K'.
The place is small, but I'm sure during some nice weather the side deck really opens the place up. And decor/menu/atmosphere makes me think that they can't decide if they want to be a 'Chipotle' or a dive'y Biker Joint. It's comfy though, w/an interesting mix of tunes on the speakers and friendly, family-like service.
The food came out hot and fast and the burger here is big...very big. I'll always order a 'signature' dish as a first (or ask the waitress if there is a signature dish if it isn't blatantly obvious on the menu) meal to judge by. The way I see it is, if you're putting your restaurant's name on it, it better represent the place as a whole. 'Charlie's' burger is a big, tasty, gluttonous mess, which was about what I was hoping for. Here are the drawbacks...1. American Cheese...weak, some nice sharp cheddar would have been perfect 2. even though they asked me how I wanted it cooked, my medium was more like a mid-well to well 3. I wanted the pastrami to make the burger 'pop' unfortunately the taste of the American Cheese stood out more than the pastrami.
The good news is, if you're a Red Robin fan, you should give this place a try and tell me this food isn't a Red Robin w/better flame grilled beef. From the burger structure, to the bun, to the toppings, to the delicious steak fries....the food was eerily similar to the 'Dirty Bird' but w/an oh so important flame grilled exception.
A pretty good burger experience over all. Oh and one more thing...get your liquor license! If you advertise beer on the menu...you better serve it, especially in this beer crazed city! -
Review from Bao N.
Seattle, WA
11/22/2011
Four stars might be a little high, but the food makes me bump the score up.
Came here on a $9 for $18 Groupon, and that was a good deal. Somebody on Yelp compared this place to Red Robin, and I'd say that a decent comparison. There are very distinct differences between the two, so I'll run down a list of categories and specify the winner/loser of each category.
Food: Charlie's
We had the BBQ wings, the mushroom swiss burger, and a strawberry milkshake. The burgers are big, well cooked, and full of flavor. I'm a medium/med. rare guy when it comes to burgers, and Charlie's cooked it to a perfect medium. Meat and toppings are packed with flavor... maybe even TOO much. What I mean by that is the sauteed onions and mushrooms had so much seasoning that I could hardly taste the meat. The wings aren't anything to write home about. The shake was awesome. Real, fresh strawberries, and it was obvious. No thawed, strawberry jelly.
Ambiance: Red Robin
Charlie's is just a small little place with few flat screens and kind of non-cohesive decor. The red, black, and brushed metal look wasn't doing it for me.
Service: RED ROBIN!
Don't get me wrong, the mom and pop feel of this place is nice; but if it's real food "service" you're looking for, this ain't it. Charlie's staff is neither rude, nor welcoming. They're just there to take your order, give you food, and ring up your check.
Price: Tie
The price is about the same. $10-$15 for a burger with fries. $5 for a milkshake. I'd even give the edge to RR since they give you unlimited fries - Charlie's does not. However, Charlie's burgers are higher quality.
Worth a try if you're in the neighborhood and want to try some genuinely good burgers... or if you have a coupon. I would say not worth a trip out to Kirkland otherwise. -
Review from Gary F.
My experience wasn't as bad as some of the others, but it was nothing I'm in a hurry to repeat. My adult son and I went. He had a burger, I had a fish taco. The food was quite good. But yes, a new waitress was learning on the job and it showed.
Reading all the reviews the take-away seems to be that Charlie can cook pretty well, but may be somewhat cavalier in regard to child labor and liquor control laws.
As a Kirkland resident I've seen numerous restaurants open and close at that location, some in as short a time as 30 days. They didn't get the traffic Charlie's has enjoyed - so if the place folds he won't be able to say people didn't give him a shot. -
Review from Dusty P.
King, WA
8/11/2011
Charlie needs to be careful, because if he doesn't watch it he'll be out of business by next summer.
A few months ago when me and some co-workers came here on a nice sunny day during their soft opening, we had a blast! The bacon burgers were delicious, fries were well cooked, service was cheerful and attentive, and the beer was cold.
I have been there 3 times total now and every time I have had to drop a star on this place each time. It SHOULD be a 2, but I will give them a 3 because one of the biggest drawbacks of this place is apparently being rectified --
THEY LOST THEIR LIQUOR LICENSE. How does that even happen?
Being of the male persuasion, do you even realize how much of a nut-kick it is to ask for a Corona on a sunny day while seated on and outside deck and have your waitress tell you twice in the span of 2 months "Sorry, we lost our liquor license and it's still pending". So take it off the menu! It really takes the wind out of the sails if you decide to have a nice cold afternoon beer and be told you essentially chose the wrong place for that.
Also, and this is a recent thing AND the reason why I am writing this review. I consider this an open letter to Charlie himself. Dude, do NOT have your 9 yr old (??) son waiting tables, ESPECIALLY when you have an obvious waitress doing stuff in the back. It's really off-putting to have a child wait a table. I don't take a lunch break to help you teach your kid the values of money. I take it to enjoy a nice respite in the day with a NORMAL server who is hopefully nice and deserves a tip. I feel like I am paying for this kid's allowance by tipping and it's weird.
It also makes me feel bad to say this, because after all he IS just a child, but THE KID SUCKS. HORRIBLY! He's shy and awkward. He didn't bring us water while we waited for our food. He had to be told to bring us napkins and ketchup (honestly...table-side napkin dispensers Charlie! This is basic stuff!), and it's just WEIRD. Is that even legal? Obviously, he can't be on any kind of payroll and must be in some loophole where it's okay for your offspring to work at your family business, but I don't like it one bit.
What if you did have your liquor license intact, he definitely couldn't take my order for beer...that much I know. Plus, I wouldn't want to be asking beer questions to a child in the first place!
So Charlie, for the sake of your business...get your liquor back pronto. Keep your kid to busing tables ONLY if you must insist he help out, and hire a staff that knows how to serve tables! Also, hire someone to help you out in the kitchen, because stuff is VERY slow.
I say all of this and give the place 3 stars because the burgers ARE good. That's the biggest shame. I would hate to see it go down in flames because of dumb decisions. -
Review from Adrienne R.
Mercer Island, WA
On the really hot evening in Seattle a couple weeks ago, we did not feel like cooking whatsoever. Off we headed to try out yet another place while looking for good burgers - Charlie's Flame Broiled Burgers. The area around the burger place was really hopping.
For the downsides: Parking is limited. They use the same restaurant parties everybody uses. The turkey burger is pretty plain. The fries were overcooked. The staff was a little slow on refills.
There is no air conditioning, which would not be a big deal usually, but when we went I specifically wanted to go to a place with a/c due to the heat. Inside was warm, so we sat outside. Unfortunately, all tables with an umbrella were taken. However, after one table left, we moved their umbrella to our table and the staff kindly helped.
We ordered a plain cheeseburger and fries, a turkey burger with fries, a kids cheeseburger meal (drink was full size), and the kitchen sink. The pastrami really good.
The best part of the meal is they have the fun hole-y ice cubes.
We'll go back, although only one of the family seems really thrilled about it. -
Review from Jim W.
King, WA
2/23/2012
I was worried after reading the many less-than-stellar comments here, but we had a fine experience today. The burgers were great and the service was friendly and efficient.
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Review from Todd P.
Kirkland, WA
8/12/2011
HORRIBLE! If I could give this ZERO stars I would.
We showed up Thursday Aug 11th at 11:30, and were the first and only couple in the place. Music was cranked up. Owner ignored us to swap stories with the Sysco Food guys. Tables were sticky/dirty from night before. His shy and impersonal 11 year old son waited on us AND cooked our meal. Took him a while to get his act together but hard to blame a young kid. We had to ask for silverware, napkins, and condiments after the food arrived. Food was avg and overpriced with that being said. Burger was way over cooked and laid in a pool of grease in the basket.
After we finished no bill came, so we stood at the register for 10 minute waiting to pay. Other people were walking around looking for napkins, silverware, and condiments by this time as well. You could hear everyone in the kitchen telling stories. If that wasn't bad enough I used an $18 Groupon and was ripped off. If anyone can explain how (2) $9.99 burgers and ice water add up to $23.xx, and then after the Groupon I owed $6.58 please chime in. It's hard to argue with an 11 year old with no concept of basic math skills. He kept saying he had to add in the tax. Wasn't that the amount over $19.98.
The entire time this was going on the owner was camped out behind the scenes talking a female employee, Not once was he over seeing what his kid was doing or even getting involved with the customers. Even while others started filing in during lunch while the kid did all the work.
The scarey things to think about here is food safety. Does an 11 year old really get it. Remember kids this age rarely brush their teeth, wash their hands, and certainly don't know much about cooking. It was obvious by the owners comments about the new going Social coupons that all he cared about was cash flow, and wasn't thinking about return business.
Bottom line this guys a joke and obviously thinks that he can duplicate a Red Robin and it's prices. At least I know I'm not going to have an 11 year old wait on me AND cook my food there... -
Review from Jonathan B.
Issaquah, WA
2/1/2012
I'm a wing-snob- I'll admit it. As a matter of fact, I'm on the verge of not ordering wings out again. It seems that every time I go out to get a wing fix, I'm dissapointed. In my opinion, wings are a snap to make properly, so when a restaurant misses, it really is a shame.
There are two key components to what I feel makes a good wing:
1) Seasoning on the wing itself. This is crucial- many, many places fry or grill them "naked" and then rely on the sauce to carry all of the flavoring. This is a big mistake- the wings should be appropriately seasoned so that the sauce is a bonus, not a requirement.
2) Crispy wings. What I've found is that many/most places under cook their wings. Not that they're unsafe to eat, but that there isn't enough of a "crust" on the oustide of the wing. When the wings aren't crusty, the sauce doesn't soak in and bond with the wings nearly as well, resulting in spotty sauce coverage. Also, wings have a significant amount of connective tissue and fat in them- it they're cooked just until done, a fair percentage of this doesn't render, resulting in meat that is pretty tough close to the bone.
Suffice to say, Charlies committed both of these mistakes. They also didn't have blue cheses dressing (which is absurd for a place that sells wings). Overall, the wings were kind of tough and didn't have a consistent flavor due to the lack of sauce bonding and pre-seasoning. The fries were okay. I'd be willing to try their burgers next time, but I'm going to skip the wings and just make those at home. -
Review from Nessa E.
Bellevue, WA
6/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
The bad reviews for this place make me sad!
Short & sweet:
Friendly, attentive service
Mammoth burger
Fresh ingredients
Great flavor
Piping hot burger & fries.
My Kitchen Sink burger was so large that I couldn't get my mouth around it! It was so well wrapped and stacked, though, that I had no problems with it siding around and falling apart while I ate it. Or while I ate half of it, rather. The burger was so big that I could hardly finish half of it. And I'm no skinny Minnie! I'm a fat girl! A fat girl who's fat because she likes to eat. And I sure did like to eat here!
Oops! Short & sweet... If you have the chance, try it. Go with an open mind and don't let the bad reviews stop you from having a delicious burger. -
Review from Jason S.
Kirkland, WA
1/11/2012
Definitely a decent burger. The price was fair but with Kid Valley just a bit down the road, I can't say I'll stop at Charlie's again.
I had the "Kitchen Sink" burger. The ingredients listed were enough to make me laugh out loud, so I had to try it. My buddy had the bbq burger. We also ordered the "jumbo" wings a la spicy.
Kitchen Sink burger was as hilarious and unreasonable as it's name suggests. It barely fit in my mouth and it has such a mix of flavors, each bit was like a new burger. haha. It was good though, I enjoyed it and I'm painfully full right now. The fries I give an official "meh". I'm not a big fan of steak fries. Red Robin's are ok only because I can bath them in their seasoning salt.
My buddy said his burger was good as well.
The "JUMBO" chicken wings... think of something you feel is "jumbo" and imagine the opposite of that. Now you're on par with Charlie's definition of JUMBO. They were on the low side of average for wing size and the meat was sparse. The "spicy" sauce , which i think was made in house, left much to be desired.
Funny thing, I ordered a Fat Tire and he brought me an Orange soda. I'm thinking, what in the hell is this. Then I realized it's Fanta, so either I mumbled or he misheard me, either way, it was a nice surprise :). I hadn't had orange soda in a decade, easily, and I dug it haha.
So if you're not a fan of Kid Valley or the parking lot is full over there, drive on by and hit up Charlies. It ain't bad, but it ain't great. -
Review from Kat C.
Seattle, WA
10/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Before I came to realize the power of Yelp, i blindly purchased Groupons based on their cheap offerings. I didn't do my homework when I bought a Groupon for this place but I figured.. Hey- can't be too bad considering it's a dirt cheap deal and this place is situated in the upscale neighborhood of downtown Kirkland. Well, well.. Let me tell you otherwise.
We arrived at 11am (opening time) and was told by the waitress that the cook had not arrived yet, but would be there shortly. She didn't come in until 11:15. We finally ordered one grilled chicken club and one veggie burger. Waited and waited.. the 2 of us were the only ones in the restaurant the entire time. Food didn't come out until 11:45 and the grilled chicken club was missing the bacon.
I don't know if I just came in on a bad day, but I hope their service is typically better than this because their food is quite delicious. -
Review from Trudy H.
Kirkland, WA
9/27/2011
I went into Charlie's on a Tuesday evening after a long and grueling day at work; there was nothing more that I wanted than quick quick service and a delicious bite to eat, and Charlie's managed to satisfy in both respects.
I ended up bringing in a Groupon I bought a few weeks back for two burgers and two sides of fries. I ordered the Salmon Burger. The place was virtually empty, so the waitress took care of us quickly and before long, I was stuffing a Salmon Burger down my gaping maw. It was absolutely fantastic; salmon tasted fresh, and the burger was loaded with avocado. A lot of places scrimp on the avocado, but not this one; there was plenty of it to go around. The fries were fresh and hot and tasted fantastic with a side of Charlie's sauce. The waitress checked in on us a few times and was quick with the check and a to-go baggie.
Service was great, food was great. Plan on stopping by again the next time I feel the hankering for a good burger. -
Review from Mandy S.
7/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am disappointed with my group on purchase for this place. I was expecting it to be a decent burger place since it is their specialty but all I have to say was my burger especially my bun was COLD!!!
It tasted like something thrown together out of a college kid's fridge..the patty wasn't seasoned and the bun was not toasted. I can't even remember if the fries were decent. Red Mill is still the best IMO. -
Review from Dicky L.
Seattle, WA
11/21/2011
I went here for the very first time with Groupon Now coupon. I came during lunch time and the restaurant is half-full. I waited in front of the cashier for about 5 mins until they can take our order (the guy come back and forth), it seems to be he's the only cook, cashier and waiter in there. When we ordered, I mentioned that I have the Groupon Now coupon and my friend has the 20% pirq. He acknowledged, tell my friend to scan the pirq barcode and pay afterward. After he took our order, we sat on the table and wait and wait (I went back and forth like 4 times to make sure that the food is not left on the cashier table unattended).
Finally, after 30 minutes, the food is ready. Our order finally arrived. I get my swiss mushroom burger and my friend get the Charlie's burger, my friend mentioned to the server that he ordered the Charlie's platter not the burger. At that time, there's another lady that work there, I believe it's the cook's mom, she told my friend that they don't have the Charlie's platter, so why did the cashier took his order when he literally point the Charlie's platter on the menu when he ordered. That's really disappointing but my friend just don't want to argue more about it so he accept the Charlie's burger. The swiss mushroom burger is actually okay, the steak fries can taste better. I didn't finish the steak fries where I usually order more if I dine in Red Robin.
I asked for a small container for the ketchup, there's another lady in the cashier that told me that I should just pour the ketchup on the burger and fries. I said, I want to have the small container so I can dip in my fries in the ketchup instead of making a mess on the platter. She said they don't have any small plastic container, I said I saw the cashier guy gave it to someone earlier. She reluctantly grab the small plastic container and gave it to me and told me that it's supposed to be for to-go only. I don't know what the big deal is especially I remembered that the cashier guy gave it to the dine-in customer not to-go.
Here's the worst part, when we want to pay, we pay separate and I use my Groupon Now coupon that worth $10. The swiss mushroom burger is $9.99. The total comes to $1.36, I'm not really sure where that figure came from but with tax of 9.5% it should be less than a $1. But I'm not arguing about that and simply pay, of course he didn't give me a receipt afterward. Then when it comes for my friend to pay, the cashier guy told him that he cannot accept more than 1 coupon per table and he "forgot" to tell us before. To be honest, the fine print for Groupon Now is 1-per-table while the pirq offer is 2-per-table which I believe it should be allowed. Even if he doesn't allow it, he should mention it before when he told him that we have Groupon and pirq offer, not after we finish up our food and ready to pay. It's just not cool at all. Again, my friend pay full price for his food that comes to almost $15 after tax.
The reason I gave 2 stars instead of 1 star is because the swiss mushroom is pretty good but I don't think I will be coming back due to its shady business practice and the service I received. It's really inefficient for me to go back and forth at least 3 times: order, get our food, and pay instead of just order and pay at the same time and get our food. I still have the $9 for $18 worth of food item that I purchased from Groupon last september which I will ask for a refund from Groupon. -
Review from Suzanne O.
Kirkland, WA
6/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ok. This is my first review ever on yelp. Hopefully you guys find it helpful.
So this visit to charlies was strictly a result of a random trip through downtown Kirkland. There not being that many off chain burger joints in Kirkland we decided to give it a shot.
When we (me and my bf) first arrived the decor felt really "thrown together" and it seemed like they were using the same furniture as the previous restaurant. Pretty shabby looking and Kind of a turn off.
But we were there for the burgers. So we grabbed a seat outside and ordered a classic cheeseburger, some hot wings and a grilled chicken sandwich. The waitress that was serving us was friendly but you could tell this was her first job as a waitress. Smoking a cigarette right by the front door in front of all the customers was not a good look either.
Again we were there for the burgers lol. Food arrives and I can tell already tell that its something im not gonna like. The grilled chicken sandwich was truly gross and the ranch it was topped with tasted like a ranch packet from jack n the box but worse. My BF on the other hand really enjoyed his burger. I actually had a bite and it was really good. Good size, juicy, and the toppings seemed fresh.
Overall, if your looking for a decent burger, then you'll probably enjoy some of the offerings here. However do not expect much from the service or something out of the" ordinary" from this place. -
Review from Bob G.
Bothell, WA
I have been back four times. The third trip, they weren't open on time. Turned out they had tripped circuit breakers and the girls didn't know a thing about how to turn them on. I showed them how to fix the problem, but didn't have time to stay for a burger.
On my last trip I got the pastrami burger with the pastrami. All I could say was OMG! Loved it!
They are still working out the kinks so be patient, but definitely give them a try! And for the snobs that think their burgers are too expensive, go to downtown Kirkland and get you food off the Wendy's dollar menu, don't come and whine because you got a burger worth the extra bucks!
For those that are not sure, look at the Urban Spoon reviews, 9 there and close go a 5 star rating!Listed in: Cheeseburgers In Paradise, Top Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/3/2011
Finally, a new and great burger place in Kirkland. They have only been open 6 weeks. Looks like… Read more »
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Review from Bill W.
Kirkland, WA
7/11/2011
Delicious food. Funky (shabby? sure) atmosphere. Marginal service. We were already intending to try it out. The Groupon made it easier.
I had the Green Pepper Burger - Green-chile Cheeseburger anywhere else. It was juicy, delicious, and not overly spicy. The patty was nicely cooked and veggies were all fresh (except, of course, the grilled green chile). She had the Avocado Burger, which was also well made and cooked as ordered. Plenty of napkins. No complaints.
The french fries - steak fries - were very good. Hot and just the right amount of crunch. The onion rings were OK. Too much breading and the onion was not quite tender enough - a few rings were even chewy. The soft drink portion was generous. I had an Alaskan Amber - served in a bottle - it was cold and went well with the spicy burger.
They've made a valiant effort to make the place over from its very seedy-looking predecessor. But the fresh paint and steel panels don't quite mask the aging structure enough. It's still not very attractive. Service was friendly enough. But it turned out to be a fairly busy Monday night and one cook and one waitress just didn't quite cut it. The booming music didn't help.
They get 4 stars for food. But down at least 1 star for the lack of any sort of ambiance and sparkling service. Even Kidd Valley has them beat on those scores and KV's burgers are about as good.Listed in: Burger Bash
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Review from Lynette W.
Kirkland, WA
3/15/2012
I would give Charlie's a high 3 star. We went there with a Groupon so it was a good deal. I was taken back a bit eating there since it is in the old Lakeside Cafe location which was such an awesome lunchtime eat. Was so sad to see it go, anyway, back to subject at hand. Fries and tartar sauce are good, really liked them. Water, skip the water. Should have known by the plastic dispensing bucket next to the cash register from which it came, but wasn't observant enough to see that before ordering. I got a basic bacon cheese burger. I thought it could have been cooked just a little less. The sauce on it was wonderful. Old sort a coo-coo hippy sort of couple next to us asked for "Charlie's Sauce" for the fries, I think I will too next time. Drew got the BBQ bacon burger and was happy with it and didn't think it was over cooked as I did with mine. Next time I think I will try one of their chicken burgers with some fries and Charlie's Sauce.
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Review from Michael X.
Bothell, WA
9/10/2011
It is very hard for me right now to not give this place a 1 star. The food is pretty good, but the service will absolutely deter me from coming back and I will tell the same to everyone considering it.
We showed up a little after 1:20PM and both my girlfriend and I were pretty hungry. I ordered a western bacon cheeseburger and she got a cheeseburger.
The waitress didn't really seem to know what she was doing. She took a long time to get back to us and wasn't terribly friendly or courteous but that sort of thing doesn't bother me too much.
What did bother me is that we and several other patrons waited *over 45 minutes* for food. We got no updates from the waitress, nor apologies until it finally showed up. The place is small and wasn't busy. I cannot fathom what could take a restaurant over 45 minutes to produce 2 hamburgers.
The waitress didn't ever offer to refill our drinks, and when we asked she put no ice in it.
By the end of the ordeal, my girlfriend ended up with a sunburn on her back from waiting outside so long. I hadn't mentioned the groupon that we were using to the waitress because we were paying upfront and it just seemed like a simple coupon to take a dollar amount off the meal. When I got up there, I was told I had to spend *over* the amount of the groupon. I ended up getting a mediocre mango smoothie that I didn't want to set things straight and I'm pretty sure they miscalculated my bill, but after being at this restaurant for well over an hour, I'd do just about anything to get out of there. The waitress actually got an attitude and spoke to me in an accusitory tone when the cashier asked why she didn't tell me about the groupon terms.
Long story short, an above average burger is not worth waiting over 45 minutes for. I understand that things happen but if you make a customer wait that long, you need to be apologetic or explain why. You certainly shouldn't treat a customer that waited that long like he's an idiot for not following the right groupon protocol. -
Review from Tim A.
Kirkland, WA
7/4/2011
Not worth the $10-$12 for a burger. They really need to improve service.
My GF had the Western - I had the Swiss mushroom burger. The burgers were good.
However the fired mushrooms were doughy inside, the waiter upcharged both of us for sweet potato fries when only one of us ordered it. We had an appetizer (which arrive with the meal) 2 drinks, 2 burgers and the tab came to $38. Too much for small meal.
Doubt they will stay in business long with a dumpy atmosphere and high price burgers. -
Review from Andrew V.
Kirkland, WA
2/6/2012
Food is a low end Red Robin but with way worse service. The owner is rude and sweats a lot probably in the food as well. If you want a good burger in Kirkland go to the Slip or Georges Cafe! I have a feeling Charlies won't be around for long..
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Review from Todd Ø.
Auburn, WA
1/27/2012
I decided to try this place out since they were selling a half-off Google offer, and also because it was convenient to stop here on the way north while traveling to visit a friend. I found the place to be nearly empty, as it was about midday during the week. The only one working was the owner, who was very chatty and pleasant. I decided to get the burger and wing meal to sample the menu, but was not particularily impressed with either. The bacon cheeseburger was fresh, but had way too much lettuce on it and I think the patty was smaller than advertised. It was just bland and none of the ingredients had much of any flavor except the bacon, but the portion was very small. I did like the wings more, although the "spicy BBQ" tasted more like hot ketchup. They do have good steak fries which are hard to find, but I suspect they were frozen. Overall, the food is really nothing special, but the owner was nice and it seemed like they at least were trying to provide something decent, but it needs work.
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Review from Ekatia S.
Bothell, WA
5/28/2011
I literally just went to this place because I got the Groupon for it. It was awkwardly tight, full seating so if you can't park, you probably won't be able to sit. We were serviced right away and the waitress was friendly. I ordered the veggi avocado burger, but they were out of avocado, so I got a regular veggie burger and my husband got a green pepper veggie burger. About ten minutes after ordering, we were told they were out of veggie burgers and being that we're vegetarian, we left after taking a few sips of water. So we won't be going back for that reason and now I have to get a refund on my Groupon.
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Review from A C.
Seattle, WA
9/13/2011
Sorry I even bought the Groupon.
Last week Groupon had a deal for Charlie's and since it's right across the street from the lake I thought it would be nice, even if the food was only so-so. It was awful and we didn't even get to have any food.
We arrived on a Saturday afternoon, around 1:30 or 2pm. No one actually greeted us or acknowledged our presence and it's a pretty small joint with maybe 10 tables including most of them which are outside. We asked if we could seat ourselves so we chose the only available table large enough for three people. The table was still dirty from the previous diners and even a water glass was still there.
The waitress, a young lady who seemed to be part of the family, came to our table to take our order. We asked to start with water and then ordered our food, two veggie burgers and a turkey burger. We waited for a few minutes for the waters and when she didn't bring them we interrupted her from her blank staring trance to remove the water glass that wasn't ours. We thought this would prompt her to bring us our water, but it didn't. She went back into her stare and then a few minutes later realized we still hadn't received our water and finally brought some out to us.
We were waiting for almost 30 minutes when the table next to us who arrived before us still hadn't received their food. They were talking about the lack of service and when we asked they said they had put their order in 45 minutes ago. Come on, these are burgers, not anything too difficult. Just a few minutes later the waitress approached us to inform us that they didn't "have the stuff to make our burgers". Upon further inquiry it meant that they were out of veggie burger patties. It took 30 minutes for them to even get to our order and figure that out they didn't have enough ingredients. We asked her what she was going to do for us and she just looked at us with the same blank stare and said something along the lines of "well we don't have the stuff so..." and just expected us to finish her sentence. She didn't even offer us anything else or to comp any other food.
Good thing the groupon was inexpensive but I will definitely be seeking a refund. Or maybe give it to someone I don't like so they can experience the same misfortune.
After our experience we heard from another friend who lives near Charlie's that they had experienced issues with theie credit card machine and could only accept cash but failed to post that anywhere and refused to accept check from their customers, not a way to run a business. I would be shocked if they make it through to next summer. -
Review from Wendy F.
Kirkland, WA
5/31/2011
Too expensive for what is offered. Kirkland has a high overhead. Came with a groupon $9 for $18 and still had to lay down $10 to cover meals for two and tip. Drinks $3.98 for two. Hmm. The burgers were okay but not worth a return trip. The owners were nice, the waitress was okay.
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Review from Ken E.
Kenmore, WA
6/25/2011
Burger was good. Not worth $10. Though there were only a few other people there, the service was super slow. When the food did arrive, we were told they were out of the food the kids ordered.
Maybe wait for a few months and see if they can get their act together and fix their prices. No chance they'll be in business if this continues. Burger master and Kidd valley are close and nail it every time. -
Review from Chris A.
Seattle, WA
11/9/2011
Prices a little high but the people are nice and the food is good.
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Review from Josh F.
Bothell, WA
8/8/2011
Went here for dinner last Friday. The place was half full. We ordered and waited for 45 minutes for our food to arrive, way to long. The sweet potato fries were cold. The burgers were good. Service was ok, find your own napkins. The outdoors patio was nice, but there isn't much to look at except the busy street. We won't be back.
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Review from Ginger V.
King, WA
9/22/2011
We won't be going back if we don't have to. We bought a Groupon for this place and wanted to try it out. When we first walked in it was confusing on whether we seat ourselves our if we needed to wait for a seat. So we started to seat ourselves and a server then stepped in and sat us somewhere. That was confusing. The server was obviously a brand new server and so the service was not that great. It should just be a seat yourself kind of place anyway, I mean it's just burgers. The food was pretty pricey for what you get. Then, none of the condiment holders were at any of the tables. I think they forgot to put them on the tables. So we kept having to go to the table where they all were to get ketchup, salt, and sugar for our iced teas. Then our burgers came out. The cheese on the burgers was cold and not melted, the patties were pink inside. Pink in hamburger meat is a real turn off for me. THEN, they didn't carry mayo or pickles??!! That was weird, it's a burger place! Everything in the restaurant was old and used and the table we sat at at first was very rickety and wobbly so we had to move to a different table. Other than that, the fries were good and their ranch was good so I just ate that.
