Seriously, the BEST Mai Tai I've ever had and I'm pretty much an expert. Run don't walk to Catalina Charlie's and get your Mai Tai and top-notch Mexican food.! The service is amazing and extremely friendly. It's home away from home. read more

Catalina Charlie's - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

We had lunch (party of 5, 2 children) on Saturday. It was off season and the place was empty. Service was prompt and friendly. Prices are reasonable. The food was abundant and pretty good. the loaded fries were a big hit. The biggest drawback IMO is the noisy "sports bar" atmosphere. Even though we were the only customers, the TVs were loud and chairs scraping and other noises echoed. I would get their food again, but order to go. read more

Tried this place for the first time. It was great. Their smash burger is the best I've had. The server....wish I could remember her name...was great. Super friendly with great service. The place is clean and has a good atmosphere. read more

Was on a weekend trip to the island with a couple of friends and their daughters. Came here on a Saturday evening. Plenty of tables open. We got seated quickly at the back. Staff was friendly. Menu had options to satisfy everyone in our group. Placed our drink and food orders. Drinks were good. Food was okay. Between our orders of burgers and a chicken sandwich they looked exactly the same. I'd come back for the bar. Place closes at 9pm. read more

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Steven the bartender was amazing! He recommended great drinks for my husband and I. 10/10 highly recommend! read more

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Super slow. And there is no crowd--we are the only ones here. Ordered an Aperol Spritz, a pretty easy drink to mix, but that isn't what he served. I dunno. Maybe they just need to get slammed to start operating. It's 1:20 on a Thursday. read more

Catalina Charlie's - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

I love this place!!! Stephen was incredible and went above and a bond to make our experience incredible!!! Highly recommend it!!! read more

We had a very large group (12) roll in on a Thursday afternoon and we were starving. I so SO happy we stopped in! Ryan was the best host/server/bar tender. He was a bit short staffed, but it did not show! And we loved it so much we came back the next two days for breakfast. Mimosas, breakfast burritos, scrambles! It was delicious. Our last day there we sat on the patio from 10am- 2pm enjoying people watching, great food and good conversation with Ryan. I would highly recommend stopping in for breakfast or lunch you won't regret it. read more

Catalina Charlie's - Churros dessert - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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4 people, ordered 4 drinks and 4 meals. Brought 2 drinks, had to chase them down for the other 2. Then brought 2 meals, didn't bring the other 2. Terrible service. Used to be great. read more

really wanted to like this place, but the food was just disappointing. The shrimp tacos were just okay -- nothing memorable. My son and I came in craving burgers, but both missed the mark. He ordered the "smashed burger," which wasn't really a smash burger at all, and I went with the bison burger, asked for bacon, but it didn't even come with it. For the price, I expected much better quality and attention to detail. I don't mind paying for good food, but this place just didn't deliver. Unfortunately, we won't be back. read more

Stop in for happy hour for an appetizer and drink. Highly do not recommend the pretzel bites! The sauce tastes like it's out of a tube and the pretzels bread is like cardboard. The bar keep was great and the cocktail were a good price and well made. Will definitely come back to try food at this place to update my rating. read more

Catalina Charlie's - Menu - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

Needed a place for a party on Friday night, daughter was getting married on Sunday and we were hosting Friday. On Thursday I won't mention the restaurant (Topside) cancelled on us. Some how got Megan's number and the rest is a party for the ages on Friday!! Thank you Megan,Jorge,Steve, Ceilly and who ever else was involved!!! Oh by the way great food, great atmosphere! Did I mention their tacos? Some of the best I've ever had!!! And that's saying something!!! Thank you Catalina Charlies!!! read more

Love this place and I'm guys amazing with Santa. Come out and make your wish with the kids. First time at Carolina and this place made our Christmas. Santa was so sweet and conversational!!! Love you for making this place so beautiful!! read more

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"Don't judge a book by its cover" essentially describes this restaurant. We came here during the Christmas season and the decor is beautiful . It looked straight out of a movie with the seats decorated with Santa outfits, Christmas tree, and lights everywhere. There were fake gifts lined up around the side of the walls and inflatable animals sitting outside. We wanted to check the food out as the menu looked kind of interesting. It's mainly serving bar foods. However, when this place finally opened, the vibe was so different. When we arrived, the first thing the waiter said to us is that there's not a lot of workers so the service will be slow. I believe there were only two people working there. As such, it took us over 30 minutes just to get drinks. Because of such a long time delay, we didn't even bother ordering food. Regardless, this restaurant was probably the most beautifully decorated on Catalina Island during the Christmas time so we got some good photos. read more

Wish I took a picture but this was very disappointing. Spent 55 dollars for two sandwiches and two drinks. I would be fine spending these island prices but my Shrimp Po' boy had literally three tiny shrimp nothing like the previous reviews showing a full burger. Do not get the Birria Grilled cheese. (Did not come with the consomé in picture) Very white washed cuisine. Needs lots of salt added. Pink lemonade in the picture tasted like water. Our server was kind but never gave us our churros. "Under new management" ??? Might need some more work still. read more

Catalina Charlie's - Pink Lemonade - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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First time in Catalina. We stopped by because of the view and a yummy beverage. Apparently they just reopened after a 7 month closure. Everything was delicious! Jorge was awesome. We had some Paloma's and super delicious nachos. Not your basic nacho sauce over flavorless beans. Def hope they will be here whenever we come back to the island. read more

After being in the cold wind and trying to get into a few (very crowded) restaurants, we looked up to see this relaxed looking place with open tables. We received prompt and friendly service, and were really glad we got there when we did since it started filling up! The cornbread was dry, but the honey butter was very good. Buffalo milk was a tasty treat, the polish sausage (husband's choice) was the best I'd ever tasted, and my bison burger was VERY good with goat cheese and arugula. The photo of my burger doesn't really justify how delicious it was! Served with such large portion of fries we had them with our grilled steak the next night. Usually fries don't heat up well in the microwave but these actually did! Wonderful job, and the chef who was delivering the food actually offered to refill my husband's Arnold Palmer. Either he's part owner and/or very enthusiastic about seeing Catalina Charlie's succeed! read more

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We enjoyed sitting at the tile counter people watching with a view of boats & paragliders. Food was good and they had some fun drinks. Recommend the Painkiller and the Blackberry Mojito. read more

Catalina Charlie's - Tile bar eating view. - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

Haven't had this bad of service or a meal my entire life. It was crazy. Just finished the Catalina trans trail, and my freeze-dried dinner was WAY better than this was. Sat here for an hour and a half and was ignored until our meals were brought out. Got steak... 5 tiny chunks of meat and cold rice. Salsa was frozen gel in plastic containers. Inside Christmas decor is cute tho. read more

I'm writing this review with the hope that management will take the feedback and make adjustments for a better experience for others. The food was mediocre to poor in quality. The pretzel bites seemed fried, which was unexpected. The cheese didn't seem as freshly made as claimed but was edible. The Mexican dishes were bland except for the salsa. The taco tortillas were greasy, and the meat was dry/tough. The burgers and birria grilled cheese were edible but nothing special. A few of us did not finish most of our food, unfortunately because it was unappetizing or unsatisfactory. The service was equally disappointing. The host/server seemed disinterested. While he checked on us from time to time, he wasn't super friendly or especially helpful. For example, we finished ordering but our menus stayed on the table. As we finished items, like the appetizer, the empty dishes and dirty napkins were not removed. The bartender was friendly in the couple of brief encounters. Our order took a while to arrive despite it not being busy, and the food was served in dribs and drabs. The restaurant was fairly empty, which should've been a sign. There are a couple of small t.v.'s behind the bar that are on. There are larger t.v.'s in the dining area but they were not on. The outdoor area is nice with a view of the beach/ocean. Overall, this was an unsatisfactory experience, and I would not recommend the restaurant to others based on this. read more

Catalina Charlie's - Carne asada and Al pastor tacos - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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If you want the best you have to find the best, we did. Megan the Manager at Charlie's was so hospitable and professional. Great food, great people watching, you must try. Thanks Megan. read more

Come here for the location, stay for the food. The po boy was delish but a bit on the leaner side (more shrimp please). We also tried the buffalo milk (super yum and refreshing)! Just words of advice.... go easy before the brain freeze hits! My BF had the buffalo burger complimented the staff at cooking it to perfection. We enjoyed sitting at the bench for great people watching and fresh air. Super place! read more

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Food was great! Carne Asada tacos and homemade hips and guacamole were fantastic. Highly recommend. read more

Catalina Charlie's - Catalina Charlie's menu - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

We stopped here after missing breakfast before the boat ride over. The bowls are delicious and very flavorful. Our cocktails were well prepared and helped cool us off after a hot day. We also ordered the corn salad which was good. I might suggest the staff consider adding more corn and cutting back on the romaine. Overall, we found Charlie's dishes to be fresher and more flavorful than any other restaurants we went to. The staff is great too. It seems there's usually only a few people working at a time. With that in mind, the service was a little slow but not unbearable. Plus, the patio area provides a nice spot for people watching. :) read more

BEWARE: their hours are wrong. Says they close at 9:30PM. We went got there at 7:55PM and they turned us away. We were all bummed! All four us were looking forward to having some burritos for dinner and were stuck trying to find something else since everything else closes at 8:00 too! read more

Catalina Charlie's - Beware of their wrong hours, you'll get turned away. - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

Atmosphere: From the front it looks like a nice restaurant, but there are definitely some serious issues that need attention. It should have been a red flag that they only serve bottled water. They said the water isn't good to drink. When we went to use the bathroom after we ordered, it was so disgusting. It's like they remodeled the front and didn't finish the rest of the restaurant. The carpet was half ripped out of the stairs on the way up and so old and dirty looking. The upstairs where the bathroom is located is so run down and dirty. Should have known then not to eat there. Food: Ordered the street corn salad because it sounded good and there actually is a photo of it on yelp that looks delicious. Not at all what we got. It was lettuce soaked in something white that had zero flavor. There wasn't even corn on it! And although I didn't order mine with chicken (my friend did), mine came with chicken as well. The chicken looked old and disgusting. I didn't even eat it. I had a few bites of the lettuce. I was exhausted from camping and just waiting for the ferry back. So didn't feel like making an issue about it. I just didn't eat it. When the waiter took it, he asked how it was. I said "eh um there's not even corn on it" it's literally called a street corn salad. Everyone else I was with, aside from the person that got the same disappointing salad, ordered things like the burger, potato taquitos and chicken sandwich. Although none were as gross as the salad, they all said it wasn't that good. read more

Great spot to eat and have some cocktails! The burger and the Po' Boy was really good! heather was so nice always checked in! Stopped by later in the evening for a night cap and it was even better drinks made by Sam! There's a spot where u can eat and people watch too which we love! Ben was friendly and welcomed us so we will definitely be back when we visit the island! read more

Catalina Charlie's - Espresso Martini and a surprise Vodka drink - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

We liked the Elote street salad and Catalina street dog. Waffle fries were also great. Service was fast & friendly. Great play list & prices were on par with the area. Now they just need to get upstairs and clean their restrooms. Ick read more

Catalina Charlie's - Catalina street dog - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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Hadn't been to Catalina in almost 20 years and popped into Catalina Charlie's on a trip this week. VERY quick to get us seated, and the service was awesome throughout. Awesome menu, and very reasonable prices given the location. We flagged in several groups off the sidewalk that stopped to eye the menu and highly recommended. The staff mentioned they were recently opened or maybe (re-opened?) but either way, we had great food and service both. read more

Catalina Charlie's - Menu - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

Wow was this place a disappointment. Our cruise ship stopped for the day in Catalina on August 16th 2023 . This was our first stop on our vacation. We saw the reviews and decided to eat here. Later we wish we hadn't. My group ordered some beers and asked what was available. Our server couldn't say what kind of beer was available so the guys ordered Modelo. I asked if they could make a spicy margarita and then was given a Mango Margarita with a Tajin Rim. It was good so not a big deal. We all ordered. My husband got the Bison Burger, the deviled eggs for an App and I tried the jalapeno Mac N Cheese. The Deviled eggs were bland, no flavor, just a plain egg. So gross. The Bison burger was delicious and was very juicy. The Mac N Cheese had no noodles and was hominy, with cheese sauce and fat slices of canned jalapenos. No spice, no flavor, extremely bland and tasted gross. The server did say it's different but didn't go into detail. What they should have said is, "it's Trash and get the Bison Burger instead." So we get the bill. I ask for the Trash Mac N Cheese to be taken off the bill. I had two bites and decided against continuing to eat it. My husband gave the server his debit card. The server came back with the new check and someone else's credit card! I got up and went back to the server and said, "You gave us the wrong credit card." The server looked around and then at an empty table with the check presenter and looked and the bill receipt was there but no card. The server gave my Husbands debit card to another table and they took his card! I asked if they charged us and they said they didn't. That was a lie. The server just looked at me and said "Sorry" and disappeared! No manager came out to help resolve the issue. To see if maybe the card was in a different check presenter... Nothing! So at our first port of our vacation we didn't have a debit card. The server promised me they didn't charge us. So we just left. I called the bank and closed the card. About 45 minutes later on walking around the island I got a notification from the bank that the closed card was trying to charge money from that restaurant. Which only means they did charge me before we left, or the card was returned and they went ahead and tried to charge it. Either way I was so upset that we just got back on the ship. Now as of today August 29th the new debit card has arrived. My husband was inconvenienced everyday by not having a debit card since August 16th! Because of that servers carelessness and utter disregard for someone else's personal property someone else had to be inconvenienced. Hopefully they will be more careful but by their response it's doubtful. read more

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Food was decent but service and food wait time was terrible. Should have told us food was slow before we sat read more

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Super cute when decorated for Christmas. Menu was a bit limited, and they were out of a few things, but that's not unexpected on an island. Food was good, and service was very good. read more

The staff is very attentive and ready to make your experience a great one. If you looking for food with great flavor, and a delicious drink so parner, give this place a try! The atmosphere is peaceful and perfectly matches the ambiance of being right on the water, and the prices are well worth the amount of food you get. Recommend 100% read more

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The Good: The service was personable, but.... The Bad: Everything moved slowly, from taking our order to getting our meal. It started with the waiter not writing down our group's order, but committing it to memory. I always raise an eye brown to those who don't, but who am I to say, "please write down our order". The food took forever to come out and when it did, it came out one at a time with pauses in between. It made for an awkward eating experience. Not knowing when our last dish was coming, we finally asked where it was. Sure as the tide, the waiter forgot. By the time it came (which took a long time again), everyone was finishing. The Ugly: A tiny piece of metal from a scouring pad was found in one of our meals. Though they apologized, made a new order and comp'ed it (which again took a long time to come out), it was hair-raising. It could have torpedoed our cruise had we not caught it. At the end we were done with the experience and simply wanted to move along with our vacation. Maybe the crew was green, there was a posted sign that said, "under new management". Regardless I'd say keep sailing and ignore the sirens. As always, let me know what you think. read more

Great food and drinks, and very responsive to the needs and desires of their clientele. Thank you!

Ridiculously good. Such a cute little place, great for people watching. The food is absolutely incredible. The deviled eggs are the best I've ever had, and the pretzel bites were delicious (and plentiful!) Staff is kind and helpful. Strong recommend! read more

Catalina Charlie's - Deviled eggs and pretzel bites on the patio. - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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Honestly was not expecting much as there seemed to he only one employee (not counting the cooks). I thought service would be slow because he was seating/greeting people, taking orders, serving, AND making drinks behind the bar. But he did an amazing job!! He was so attentive and extremely efficient. Honestly I was most impressed by him and his work ethic/organization. I wish I got his name but I'm sure if you've been, you know him. He has a tattoo wrapped around his left arm. Besides the service, the food was pretty good as well. I got the Al Pastor Bowl and it was really tasty and filling. Both of the salsa options were also great. For four of us we paid around $90 which is pretty good for being on Catalina Island. Would definitely recommend! read more

Honestly extremely disappointing. My friends and I were looking for a nice place for dinner and found this one had no wait time compared to everywhere else (we'd later find out this was for good reason). Upon getting seated, we were told that all they were serving was tacos and burritos more than an hour after they were scheduled to close at 9:30PM. Since we were desperate and hungry we decided to take a risk - that not only didn't pay off but left us in debt and culinary bankruptcy. We ordered five burritos (1 carne asada and 4 quesabirria - one without guac). Once we received our food, the shock in our faces upon seeing the sorry excuse for Mexican food. Visiting socal, we assumed Mexican food would be top tier but the standards at this location were on the floor. Sad mush of ingredients amateurishly wrapped in hard tortilla. Our quesabirria without guacamole was served 30 minutes after all the four other orders (which after inspection literally all five didn't even have guacamole to begin with even tho the menu stated otherwise). We told our waiter, Benjamin G, about the forgotten order to which he curtly said it was being made still (the same burrito with one less ingredient??). After 15 minutes he updated with the chef is finally making it. Next 15 minutes we were presented with two separate orders of the missing food which means staff communication is not a forte here. Our friend didn't even receive an acknowledgment or apology for the whole ordeal to add insult to injury. Everything was served on paper plates that had been soaked through with moisture halfway into our meal. We were also informed that the bar allegedly was a full bar that they can make anything in. That too was a disappointment when we asked for a Melon Ball or Midori Sour. Go to Coney Island West and Palm Restaurant across the street instead. 10x better for half the price. read more

Catalina Charlie's - Sad non-authentic Quesabirria burrito. - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

Tasty bison burger. Good fries. Poutine was pretty good, but not great. Service was a bit slow, but very friendly

Just open in Avalon with Avalon bay right across the street. Full bar and great restaurant. Expect great service and a up close view of the beach and all the people. We will be back for sure. read more

Catalina Charlie's - Current Menu - Bars Near Me - Avalon, California

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