We were passing through, stopped for decent food. Quaint town of Elmira, picked the best from what we could find. We had chicken parm soup(not a typo), it was Italian soup and pretty good. We split a crab salad and Saturday only prime rib. Lucky, we got the last piece of the night. Perfect med rare, with mash potato and steamed veggies. All done really well. Cute warm dining room, other diners were friendly and we chatted about the food and life. Service was attentive. Menu was thoughtful and interesting. If we lived here, this would be our date night place. Good bar, but didn't get any. Highly recommended. read more

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Great service! The food was amazing. We had the teriyaki chicken and filet. All meals were great. The inside is very nice and cozy. The dessert was great too! read more

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Happy New Year! Food was excellent! We had the prime rib and it was delicious! Nice and tender and flavorful! read more

Charlie's Cafe - I love trying the martini flights! So much fun! - New American Near Me - Elmira, New York

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Never again - worst food ever!!!!!!! Sent the fish back 3 times - I think the cook microwaved it - yuck!!! Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse they gave my husband a paper towel to eat- when we showed the server the paper towel (in the photo) The chef came out and said "it was to keep the fish from slipping off the plank " -What?!?? can someone please call Gordon Ramsey!!!!! read more

Charlie's Cafe - a plate of food - New American Near Me - Elmira, New York

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Great food you order at the counter. AMAZING CAPPUCCINO. Friendly place. Highly recommend

Very unique dinning experience. Especially enjoyed breakfast. Now that they have expanded they have a full bar. Not slot of parking, and it seems their only open during prime time. Every time we've tried to drop in on a quiet night they've been closed. read more

We had a wonderful dinner! I was first impressed with the salad. It's not often that a house salad comes with broccoli and cauliflower. I had the Moroccan Vegetable Stew as my entree. It was delicious. Very flavorful and I liked the almonds and dates mixed in. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Great service, "neighborhood" atmosphere and terrific, attentive service. Love the German dishes.

We were visiting family in area and this was the closest restaurant. Had been here a few years back and was concerned when I read it was under new ownership. Well they did not disappoint. The food was delicious and plentiful. The salad very fresh, try the dill dressing. I had the Moroccon stew which was so flavorful and different. Surprisingly it was not soupy, but a mix of vegetables, almonds, squash, spices over cous cous. It was amazing. Good service, and very original authentic decor. Can't wait to come back. read more

Charlie's Cafe - Moroccon stew over cous cous, so delicious! - New American Near Me - Elmira, New York

Great food. I'm enjoying a wonderful salad and dinner in a beautiful environment. Ok. Stop what you are doing and get down here for the chicken teriyaki and slaw. It is THE best I've ever eaten!!! read more

Had a few recommendations to check out Charlie's and noticed a handful of positive reviews from Yelpers so my girlfriend and I came for dinner hopeful and hungry. The first 5 seconds were as bad as the last. We were greeted by the owner... Maybe I should rephrase. The owner was on the telephone and did not notice we were there until I went looking for someone. When I caught his attention, he proceeded to continue with his conversation on the phone, then without saying a word to either of us rose 2 fingers in the air, lost eye contact, walked us to a table, dropped menus onto a table, and then walked away. Warm welcome. The menu I initially thought might be a saving grace. It is short and sweet not like your New American jack-of-all trades type restaurants. Usually this says that the restaurant has a few items that they specialize and will always be delicious. False here. To start I ordered the French Onion Soup, which was nothing special and took longer than expected. I even heard my waitress yell into the kitchen asking whether the soup was ready yet. That was both unprofessional and alarming. The broth of the soup did not have much onion or onion notes in it and veered on the salty side. Croutons and cheese atop were mostly standard and not worthy of more than mere mention. For my main dish, I had the Moroccan Vegetable Stew. It was a large portion of vegetables cooked in "Moroccan sauce" over a bed of couscous The description specifically noted "spices." The vegetables themselves appeared to be fresh and well cooked. Unfortunately, what should have been peppermint undertones were awfully robust and completely overpowered any other flavors, spices, and accents that were present in the dish. Parts of the couscous were moist and well made while others parts clumped or were too wet. The service was far from exceptional. The old adage: lead by example, was exemplary. Charlie's may warrant a second look considering the other Yelpers generous scores but I am not in any rush to reevaluate. read more

upon initial inspection from the outside, I was pleasantly surprised to find what was inside. When one is not familiar with an area they plan to visit it can be difficult to weed through all of the reviews and decide which places are worth checking out. The atmosphere inside Charlie's was very nice. Not fancy but not drab. Multiple areas for dining, tables to the right in 2 rooms, booths to the left in the bar area. The place was bigger on the inside than it appeared. We were greeted and given the choice of dining room or bar and we chose the bar side in a booth. The host, waiter, and what I believe to be the manager/owner were all a delight. The food was delicious. The hubby had the Lamb Chops served with loosely mashed potatoes, and green beans and a hunk of acorn squash. I had the Haddock with Wild Rice and the same vegetables. We both went with locally sourced drinks, he had a beer and I had Wine from one of our favorite Finger Lakes wineries. The only reason this place isn't getting 5 stars is because of the service. Now don't get me wrong it wasn't bad, it was just a little slower than we thought it should have been. The place was pretty full for 6 pm on a Thursday and we had 7:30 tickets for a show. Aside from this I would eat there again if we were in the area. read more

I met a group of coworkers for dinner, and with a reservation, they made no attempt to put any tables together for us. We ended up moving tables ourselves. I was quickly served my beverage as we waited for the last to arrive. The menu looked diverse, covering everything from salads, pasta, fish, chicken, pork and beef to vegetarian. I had the pan seared salmon. It was just okay. It had a weird coating on it. The person next to me had the ribeye, and it was THE thinnest ribeye I had ever seen. After reading all of the positive reviews, I was really looking forward to Charlie's Cafe. Maybe it was being in a larger group, or maybe I hit an off night, but there are other restaurants I would rather go to, especially for the price. I was going to give two stars, but considering the good service, I went up to three. read more

This place has changed hands a few times and this time... they got it right. Vickie and Peter Appelt create a space that is welcoming and charming with the right menu for everyone. What was impressive is how well run this place is. The people who work there really know their stuff, so that even a person with food allergies or special preferences can feel confident eating any of their delicious creations. I mentioned celiac disease and when the bread came out... they had gluten free bread available. When the desserts came out, so did a double chocolate cupcake with my name on it! Now that is service! Additionally, their wine list is good. Their salads and soups yummy. Also, they have a polenta with mushrooms that is worth your trip. read more

Food has gotten better over the years. I had such high hopes for this place when they first opened, only to be disappointed with every visit in the past, vowing never to return (and yet doing it again). I am so very pleased with the change... or maybe we are more lucky these days. Attentive waitstaff is a plus. Tempted to try everything on their menu. Not tempted to visit their website, or at least with what Yelp thinks is their website. Charlies Cafe Elmira.com (no spaces of course)'s content is kinda spicy. read more

We just hosted a special event at Charlie's Cafe in Elmira. Could not have gone better! Michael managed all the details from the outset, served a phenomenal dinner and appetizers and the drinks flowed. He made every cocktail you could imagine, handled the cake, worked with the florist (conveniently located next door) and took care of us as if it were an event for his own family. The food at larger events can often be blah, not here! Both the fish and chicken main courses were full of flavor and looked great, too. I couldn't have asked for a better evening and would highly recommend Charlie's as my party venue of choice. Thank you for everything!!!! read more

Charlie's Cafe - New American Near Me - Elmira, New York

I really enjoyed my meal here! I had a salad as an entree, with spinach and mushroom and a few other veggies. Best vegetarian food I have found in the area! I was told the desserts were amazing but we were too full to try any! I'm regretting that decision now! I was also impressed by the overall character and charm, not just of the building, but the staff too. Coming from an industry insider, that's big props! read more

I have been to Charlie's Cafe numerous times. The food is of good quality and the service always prompt and attentive. Portions are of normal size. The menu is varied and is changed on a regular basis. read more

Charlie's is BACK! Charlie's used to be my favorite lunch destination in Elmira until it closed not too long ago and I learned to forget the deliciousness that it was until lo and behold it reopened with new owners. I went there for the first time in several years last week and my love affair with Charlie's has been rekindled.....except for a few oddities here and there. First of all, we made reservations since we were a party of five which can be tricky to accommodate. They sat us in the room to the far right which we shared with two tables of little old ladies playing cards! It looked like they were regulars and the conversation at times got a little heated. Every now & then they would switch tables to play with different partners. It was totally bizarre and we would have preferred to sit elsewhere but alas, the place was packed! (Good for them, bad for us.) Anyway, I had the Rachel which is like a Reuben but made with fried fish....YUM! For a side, I chose the sweet potato fries which were twice fried and served with honey....SUPER YUM!! Our server kept the iced tea flowing which was definitely a plus. The decor is almost exactly the same as I remembered it. The one drawback was that the service was SLOW....which may have been due to the ladies card tournament going on nearby, who knows. But and hour and half for lunch is a bit much in my opinion. If they could speed things up just a bit, I would happily give them five stars! read more

Love Charlie's Cafe and have gone there for years! I was so excited to be able to live within walking distance! The food is glorious, dining room is intimate, service is super, and the bar is cozy. Hidden gem in Elmira, NY. Only wish their hours were more consistent. Locals all highly recommend! read more

I used to love going to Charlies years ago when I went to college in the area. It seemed to close for a bit but is open 7 days a week now. I finally made it back there while visiting the area this past weekend and was pleasantly surprised! The menu has not changed all that much (a good thing) and the food, service and prices were just great. They had a variety of vegetarian options, a great wine list, and interesting specials. The Sunday brunch is also fantastic. Great prices for really interesting breakfast dishes. The stuffed french toasts was awesome and for $7 also a great deal. And the complimentary fresh donuts were the iciing ont he cake. read more

Was in for lunch on May 18th and ordered Eggplant Parmeson (their spelling) which should have been my first clue to DON'T order !! It was NOT good the eggplant sliced THICK and NOT FULLY COOKED chewy and not edible and a flat tomato sauce and white lumpy runny cheese. I have had eggplant parmesan many times and this was by far the worst. The dessert I selected was a sponge cake with cream filling and blueberries and raspberries you could tell that the cake had been in the fridge for a few days and not covered.....looked left over and NOT FRESH in appearance. I would go back but order something else. read more

In Elmira from out of town, this is one of my family's favorite spots. Staff was extremely friendly and attentive, the food was really good (diner food) and came out quickly. read more

Food & service were phenomenal! Best eats in Elmira! Appropriate for anyone with discerning tastes.

Charlie's Cafe was just up the street from us and we were avid fans from the time they first opened their doors back in 2002 or so. Good quality, savory, home-cooked style food with modest (read: normal) portion sizes. Typically, they've had choices for vegetarians, but probably not for vegans. The vegetables were always done nicely, if simply--not overcooked & a tasteless after thought as is often the case in Western NY. Their desserts are home made; my favorite used to be the yellow cake with orange buttercream frosting. All this in a charming little old-timey setting of chintz, old brass, and old painted wooden furniture. When I think back to the three years that I lived in the area, this restaurant is one of the brightest spots in my memories. Next time I stop to visit friends there, I'm going to Charlie's Cafe. read more

The food was good, but the service was appalling. I made a reservation for a family group of 20, and was told over the phone that they could definitely handle a group of that size. I even asked if we should pick a limited range of meals in advance and was told no, we could order off the menu. I called again the day before to confirm. We had all arrived for our 6:30 reservation by 6:40. The waitress did not take our dinner orders until 7:20. Although there was a pat of butter by each place when we arrived, bread didn't arrive on the table until 8:30. Our last entree arrived around 9:15pm. One of the children in our party found a piece of metal in her food - we were told it was a temperature sensor. Someone else found a hair in her salad dressing. At the end of the very long evening, I spoke to the owner. He blamed our group for being too large but couldn't explain why it took nearly two hours to even put bread on the table. I mentioned that I was surprised he didn't offer to discount our bill - $700 before the tip - and he said that usually he offered people a discount on their NEXT visit, but we were from out of town. He told me that if my local parents wanted to come in, he would offer them a discount. That seemed stunningly inadequate compensation for the terrible service we received and the large amount of money we spent. We did think our waitress seemed to be doing her best and tipped her 20%, but I will never go back and would definitely warn others away. read more

Lovely. Everything is delicious. Super cute inside. Nice wait staff. Attentive. Time food perfectly.

Charlie's Cafe is a charming restaurant with a comfortable vintage-feel atmosphere. We have been to Charlie's 3 times in the last 4-5 months so I feel I can write a fair review. Atmosphere: warm, somewhat casual but not "diner" casual. There is a bar area with booths which are nice - almost had a pub-like feel, and another dining area with hardwood floors, tables, and booths. There is also a 3rd dining area possibly used for private parties. We have enjoyed most everything we have had on the menu, from the Chicken Piccata to the Bratwurst & Knockwurst, but it can be a bit inconsistent. For example the Bratwurst came with a wonderful grainy mustard once (as stated on the menu) and the next time just a plain mustard version of some sort which was disappointing). Another time they asked if we minded if they served the Chicken Piccata without the capers as they had run out. 3 out of the 3 times we were there they were out of something on the menu, which we did not find out until after we ordered it, which is always disappointing. With the exception of the server not telling us they were out of items, they service is pretty good. So my verdict is that Charlie's is a good place to dine, with an overall good atmosphere, food, and service. It would not be my 1st dining choice, but I will definitely continue to dine there on occasion, and certainly not discourage anyone from trying it! Tip - ask ahead of time if they are out of any menu items. read more

I rarely Yelp. But my experience today was so great I just have to! I'm visiting from North Carolina for my mother's birthday and wedding. As a special treat, I wanted to take her to a genuine afternoon tea. Luckily, upon a quick google search, I found that Charlie's does a traditional high tea by reservation. I called and spoke to Michael, a super friendly guy. I told him what the occasion was, he asked if I had special requests (I did - scones!) and set a date and time. When we arrived, our table was set SO beautifully that we gasped! Beautiful china, linens, and a gorgeous florist-quality flower centerpiece (that was ours to take home!!!) Michael waited on us for the next hour and a half while we leisurely enjoyed our tea, delicious finger sandwiches, fruit, yummy sweets and the two biggest and most delicious scones we'd ever had. Come to find out, Michael is both the manager and the event planner... and it shows. The whole experience was wonderful and we were treated like queens. We even hugged him when we left! (What can I say... we're from the South, we hug a lot.) Honestly, we had teas all over England and this rivals all of them. I can't wait to visit again and try the actual menu food - it looks great. This place gets an A+ in my book... great service, great ambiance, great food, they've got it all. read more

Very limited menu....maybe 12-15 items tops. The prices are very affordable and service is good...the reason I gave them 3 stars is because the amount of wait time for my meal. I was 1 of only 3 other tables and it took over 30 minutes for fried fish and fries! Besides that the decor is very nice and all else seemed good. read more

I love philly cheese steaks. This was my first time at Charlie's Philly Steaks. The steak was good, the French fries was good too. I came away feeling good about going there and I wiil be going Again' . read more

Sunday brunch...omelet was fresh...yummy...homefries, however, were inedible...they had probably been sitting for awhile...dry, burnt. Toast had very little butter and we weren't offered any butter or jam. Lunch today was HORRIBLE and the last straw...neither my girlfriend nor I could eat our servings. I had the Waldorf chicken wrap; she the roast beef horseradish wrap....both were tasteless, dry. We req'd additional sauce but it didn't help. My chicken was cold and tasted "refrigerated". Very unappealing. We both decided that would be our last trip to Charlie's. The waitress was awesome; the manager aloof, unfriendly, snobbish. Also, I had sent feedback to the owner re: the Sunday brunch only to have it all come back to ME....I should have let the waitress know....I should have asked for fresher homefries.....I should have asked for butter/jam. More response is the CHEF should have served fresh, delicious food in accordance to the price required ! read more

Had brunch here once and will never go back. The service was slow, food was horrible and the price was outrageously high. I hope that the chef was having a bad day, because if the quality continues to go downhill then that place will close for sure. read more

One of my favorite few restaurants in Elmira. Food is always delicious, well prepared. A service is good. Last night I had Schnitzel, and it was delicious. read more

Great ambience, very kind staff, and delicious food!! The carrot cake is out of this world!!

I went to Charlie's to celebrate my wifes Birthday. The building is older but has character. When we arrived there were a couple of open tables but has to wait for a couple of minutes for them to clear one off. No biggie, then the girl who went to do that vanished after cleaning it? We did sit down and a different waiter came over, we ordered drinks and our meal. The salad and bread took what seemed like forever to come out. We then had a longer wait for our dinner, meanwhile our drinks were both empty and no one checked on us. Finally the dinner arrived but again a major lack of service. The meals range from $15-$30 so not cheap but yet fairly reasonable. So the service was lacking big time. The time we placed our order to the entree's arrival was a solid hour. The Food on the other hand was fantastic. I loved my ceasar salad, not sure I was starving but it tasted incredible, my wife ordered the Filet and I had a fish dish and again it was outstanding! Bottom line service stinks food was great! I guess if one had to be bad....well I would prefer bad service. read more

I love Charlie's. I think a previous reviewer put it best when they said it is "Casual, but classy." The host, bartender and waiting staff were very friendly and welcoming. Their salads and dressings are always fresh and flavorful - although I do not tend to order them as main courses. At this restaurant, I would. Any dinner item containing crab is a must eat. Try a few "seasonal items:" pumpkin soup - fresh, hearty, and not sweet, just the way I love it. The grape pie. YES, grape pie. Its sweet, fruity and not what you expect. They will heat it and add ice cream. Also, I have enjoyed the blackened swordfish, seared tuna and key west chicken. These are my favorites. The prices are decent, and the style is gourmet. In bigger cities, these dishes would cost double. read more

Charlie's has a great atmosphere and a pleasant staff of people ready to make your evening wonderful. Everytime I've been there I have enjoyed myself and I always recommend Charlie's to others. The food is great and exciting and it's menu is always changing with new items. Charlie's is a place you won't find anywhere else in the area and is especially perfect for those special meals. read more

Great local place. Food is amazing. Very tasty. A little on the pricey side for Elmira. The staff is nice.

We had a party of six including children, one who was a baby. A little confusing upon entrance about where to go to be seated, but that wasn't a big deal. The booth seating stood out because the booths were unusual... in a good way, although we didn't sit there. We were seated in a separate dining area from everyone else, which I appreciated because my youngest is not quiet and I didn't want him to disturb the other diners. Our server was thoughtful and attentive, considering the temperature of the food for my little one and helping me pick a wine. The atmosphere was nicer than a chain restaurant, but I didn't feel out of place in my jeans. The menu choices were small, however, that didn't matter to me. They had two vegetarian options which was nice and a kids menu. My entree (Eggplant Parmesan) was delicious, however, the real star in my eyes was their French Onion soup! It was killer! I would go back for that alone! Everyone at the table enjoyed their food, including the kids. The french fries were really good. We also had some of the chocolate cake and it was delicious! I feel as though their prices are appropriate for the quality of food we received. Would definitely recommend! read more