Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe

429 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA - (617) 536-7669

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Posted By Stephen Rushmore on March 18, 2003 9:39 PM

Charlie’s is a South End institution that earned a local reputation before desegregation because it was one of the few late night eateries that opened its doors to patrons of all colors. It’s hard not to feel right at home when you walk into this restaurant that looks like a cross between a coffee shop and soda fountain. It has a classic neighborhood-feel: the walls lined with famous signed photos and a counter with spinning stools filled with patrons engaging in friendly chatter. Little has changed since Charlie’s opened in 1927 (except now it serves only breakfast and lunch) – in fact it is one of the few places in Boston that is grandfathered to legally operate without a bathroom.

The specialty dish is turkey hash. It fills the plate like a giant potato pancake, topped with two eggs, any style. I prefer to order the eggs with the yolk runny and use buttered toast to mop the egg/hash mixture. The hash is a unique and filling treat that makes you feel a little less guilty than eating the corned-beef variety.

Charlie’s also serves wonderful omelets and a terrific freshly-ground cheeseburger that can be cooked properly when ordered rare.

Overall Rating

Turkey Hash

Hamburger

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Posted By Bill Homan on September 12, 2007 4:56 PM

I had read about the good breakfasts at Charlie's here on Roadfood.com and decided to give it a try when I was in Boston recently. I arrived 9-ish and it wasn't crowded at all. I liked that the place had a real lived-in feel and one could tell that it has been around for a long time; it doesn't have any pretensions.

I had the three plate-sized griddle cakes with sausage and a side of home fries. I was excited about trying the pancakes, but when they came out, they were just regular-sized and didn't look any different from many others. Normally, size doesn't matter with me, but the menu description reads as follows: "No pans used here! Three old fashioned plate-sized cakes are grilled to a delicious steaming result". I had a certain expectation that just didn't match up. Size aside, the pancakes were wonderful. The most important part, the taste, was right on the money. They were light and tender and had a sweetness to the batter that I can't quite place, but really elevated them to another level. I asked my waitress what was in it, but no luck. She said it was a secret and she doesn't even know. Lots of butter and syrup were applied to create a warm, gooey pool of goodness which the cakes readily soaked up.

Very rarely have I had sausages this good. These beauties were crusty with a bold, meaty flavor and a nice chew, just as sausages should be. The home fries looked fantastic, dark and crusty. I couldn't wait to eat them. However, they were lacking in flavor. They were good potatoes, but hadn't been seasoned; no salt, pepper, or other seasonings (onions, peppers, garlic, etc...).

I would definitely go back again to try more of the breakfast items. Many people were eating the turkey hash and it looked pretty good. The lunch menu appears pretty promising as well.

Overall Rating

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