Charlie’s Kitchen

I love a good dive. There is nothing like a really laid back place where you can kick back, relax, AND eat good food and drink good beer at low prices. I don’t know how I missed it up until now, but I found a new-to-me favorite last week in Charlie’s Kitchen.

It was after the Red White Boston tasting crew event, and I was hungry. My husband was working late again and just on his way home after 8, so we decided to rendezvous in Harvard Square for an easy dinner. Charlie’s Kitchen is a Harvard Square institution, with busy neon signs in the window and some great outdoor dining space including sidewalk seating and a beer garden. It was a little chilly out, so I grabbed us two seats at the bar.

It didn’t feel like the kind of place that I wanted to whip out my camera and take photos. That would have just been uncool, so you’ll have to imagine the rest.

Charlie’s Kitchen has a fabulous selection of beers from all over, and I had a Saison of some sort. The hubs had a Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout. When it came to food, we browsed Charlie’s very extensive menu, and I actually got a little craving for an all-American beef burger with some of Charlie’s creative toppings, like jalapeno cheddar. However, I very very rarely eat beef and had an interview the next morning, so I decided to hold off. We started with an order of pickles which were out of this world. My husband got a burger of some sort with onion rings, and after a lot of back and forth, I went for a black bean burger Ruben.

Bliss ensued.

The onion rings were crispy and hot, not the slightest bit greasy, the fries were crisp on the outside, soft and piping hot on the inside. The black bean burger was all black beans and spices, really solid, quality ingredients and delicious, topped with Russian dressing, Swiss cheese, and coleslaw, pressed between two slices of buttery bread. It was sandwich perfection. For $8. Our entire meal came to less than $40, and it was far better than some of the more expensive, “fancier” burger meals we have eaten lately.

I have heard great things about Charlie’s beer garden, and since there are so many different menu items and beers I would like to try, I look forward to returning.

Do you have a favorite dive (in a good way!) bar or restaurant? I also love Anchovies in the South End. Yum yum!