Grilled cheese and burgers at Charlie’s Kitchen
A chicken avocado grilled cheese sandwich with salt-and-pepper fries at Charlie’s Kitchen in Harvard Square. (Photo: Tom Meek)
Lots has changed in Harvard Square, and many will look at the big-dollar building sales, ever-growing battery of bank fronts and departure of old friends and tell you it’s not like it was. But there are the constants that tend to slip folks’ minds. On that surprisingly long list there’s Harvest, Pinocchio’s, Shay’s, Grendel’s Den, the Hong Kong, Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage – most of which we’ve written about here – and the elder statesman of the pack, Charlie’s Kitchen. It opened in the 1950s and hasn’t changed much along the way, while being pretty much everything to everybody. Want to drink a beer outside on a hot summer day and watch a Sox game? It’s got a beer garden with 24 brews on tap, a notable addition a decade ago. Want to listen to live punk music, play trivia or take a warbling try at karaoke? It’s got that going on at the upstairs bar, which is open till late. Charlie’s is also not a bad place for a bite. It’s basic, essential bar food, but good basic, essential bar food.
Going into Charlie’s for the first time and drinking in the general ambiance of linoleum-tiled floors, spinning bar stools and red-upholstered booths, it may feel retro; given its vintage, there’s nothing retro about Charlie’s – it’s the real deal. Gone are the lobster tanks at the front, and the offerings overall seem a bit slimmer, and new to the room are signs and materials warning patrons about drinking safe, a response to roofie spikings in the area. But you can still get twin lobster roll and double-cheeseburger specials (though I guess they’re not really special if they’re on the regular menu).
One menu section that seems more pronounced or new since Covid is an “Ultimate Grilled Cheese” selection, which is made with Iggy’s bread that’s thick but light, coming off the griddle golden brown…
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