Charley's is your quintessential college bar -- that being said, for those looking for a good eat in Ann Arbor, Charley's has some solid All-American food offerings as well. When you walk in you immediately get hit with a "college bar" vibe with a bit of a grungy vibe, but still a solid atmosphere -- about par for the course for Ann Arbor college bars. Their food can also be a bit pricey, but if you go on Thursday nights they have a $5 burger and fries special that's pretty worth it. Service can be hit or miss depending on when you go and how busy Charley's is, with peak hours during games or weekend nights. All in all, the food is decent but pricey, service can be hit or miss, and you get exactly what you'd expect from a college town bar on the corner of campus. read more

Good Time Charleys - $5 burger and fries special - Pubs Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Music oddly cuts off making you acutely aware of all conversations going on in the vicinity. My friend holds their cider strangely. They brought us 8/8 orders correctly. I'll be back read more

Good Time Charleys - 9/10ths finished Blue MotherF'r Would rate 4.5/5 - Pubs Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Great location, big restaurant, great drinks, great food. You have to keep in mind that this is a college bar, so the ambiance will be loud and college-y. For us, this was the experience we were looking for, since my husband is a UM grad and we were feeling nostalgic. We came here after the UM game after we had dinner at another place. We easily found a place to sit outside, although the table was still dirty as some people had just left. I just moved the dirty dishes to another abandoned table with dirty dishes. No biggie. We obviously wanted fishbowls and our waitress recommended the Danger Dane - it was delicious!!! Not too sweet and wasn't overly strong - I can see why this is dangerous. We also ordered the Call me Cupid, but we all liked the Danger Dane the best. We got top shelf fishbowls and they were still only $15! Super cheap for a high quality 64 ounce cocktail! For a late night snack, we ordered the famous Pizza Sticks. Half cheese, half pepperoni with a side of marinara and a side of house sauce (aka ranch mixed with marinara). They were, of course, delicious and exactly what we needed. Don't expect super speedy service here if you are coming at a late hour of the night as this place is crowded. The waitresses don't seem to mind if you flag them down though. If you come here, please tip your waitresses well. I feel so bad for them dealing with cheap, drunk college kids. They really are doing their best and are very nice. We will definitely be back to Charley's any time we are in AA! read more

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Still waiting for waiter to order our drinks it's been 15 minutes.. We ended up going to the bar and still after 45 minutes was never acknowledged. It wasn't even that busy... Bad Time Charley's read more

**The service has gotten much, much better. I think it truly depends on who you get as a server and how long they've been there. My two recent servers have been fantastic. They've taken care of me well. Because of this, and the fantastic products they put out, Charley's has a regular in me now. I will be back again and again. I'll just make sure to sit in my favorite servers sections when possible** The service here is remarkably bad. I was shocked over and over at how bad the service is here. It's like they just hire pretty blonde young women who have no experience in waitressing and put them on 8 tables. I mean whether it be the hostess taking us past 4 open tables, to have us sit where we can't see the game, then have another patron move her purse from a chair while she was in deep conversation with someone... was just bad. We ended up moving from that table anyways, and the hostess had just inconvenienced two parties. Ridiculous. Or how it took a while to get noticed. Not only us, but it seemed like a theme. There were two separate parties that came in during my time and they had to whistle and yell for a waitress. It was so ridiculous. Or how a waitress was leaving and made two tables near me close their tabs out instead of just introducing their new waitress. The couple next to me sat with empty cups for over 20 minutes. They had closed their tab with the one waitress, but I don't think another came to ever check on them. It was basically a way to end their night early. I've never seen a restaurant or bar where operating like that is okay... But no one seemed to question it, especially not this waitress that did it with a smile and expected a tip after she did that to them. The reason for three stars is because the drinks were really good. The fishbowl drinks were delicious and tasted like there was no alcohol, but once I stood up to leave, I felt it. They were sooo good. For the fishbowl, I will be back for the drinks. I got the nachos, and although there wasn't enough chips at first, they were delicious. We scarfed them down. I was genuinely impressed by how delish they were. So, although the service is terrible, I know I'll come back for the product. I think this is what makes this place what it is. The people putting in work to make products in the kitchen and behind the bar bring in the customers, but the girls out front aren't doing too hot. I know I'll be back for their products, and I'll just have to deal with the bad service unfortunately. read more

Good Time Charleys - Queso fries are incredible! - Pubs Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

We met a friend here for lunch while we were in Ann Arbor. She is a student at Michigan and this is her go-to place when guests come to town. GTC is not fancy, but in a college town, there is not a whole lot of need for fancy. We started with a sampler because we were starved and it had artichoke dip among the offerings. Our server did not balk when we asked for all the dressings rather than just pick one. The flatbread was very good. Burgers and chicken sandwiches were not gourmet but they were tasty. The 1/2 pound of fries was crazy but they were good and cooked to perfection. Service was not the fastest but we were never neglected and our food came out hot. read more

The waitresses are rude and are so entitled I don't know why because it's not like they own the place it was so annoying

One of my most favorite places to eat in Ann Arbor. They have the BEST drink/shot menu!! They have these Pepperoni Stix that are incredible!! I also suggest the fried mac-n-cheese and the jalapeno poppers (they are made with cream cheese and are to die for). Your visit won't be complete unless you try one of their famous drinks/shooters!!! read more

Great place downtown for good drinks and food. The waitstaff is amazing and prompt, and are extremely welcoming. They also have karaoke!

Meh. Not impressed. Not that great of a beer selection. They didn't even have the one craft on tap that I wanted (they were out). Food-wise, maybe we just didn't order the right things. I got the Georgia Reuben and my boyfriend got the Club sandwich. We split the two sandwiches. I really enjoyed my Reuben, but there was hardly any turkey on it. Slaw was tasty. Overall not bad at all. The club sandwich, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. The bread was dry, crunchy and basically evaporated into crumb form after biting into it. The sandwich was very dry overall, and the bacon was undercooked and fatty. The fries were good at least. Service was very sloppy and didn't seem to care or pay thorough attention to tables. I'd give it one more shot, but definitely nothing to write home about now. read more

Maddie was the best waitress ever, she knew so much. Kasia and lia and chad and Mano are the goat

This place is the best. My boyfriend loves the pizza sticks and twists. Only complaini is that they used to have a dang good grilled cheese and the replaced it with a shitty panini grilled cheese on sourdough. Great place to watch a game. Would recommend the Jamaican Long Island fishbowl. read more

I've been going to Charley's for four years now and will probably continue to go for as long as I am in Ann Arbor. Just went there this afternoon for the happy hour, and it would appear that all of the prices just went up by about a dollar. :( Boo. At least they put the veggie plate back on the appetizers menu. Unfortunately, the ones I got today were in baaaad shape. They were dry and looked as though they had been sitting out on the counter all day, and all of the grape tomatoes were wrinkly. The burgers are pretty tasty and so are the nachos. The pub fries are also really good. The sloppy joe's there is tasteless/bland, but it might have been taken off the menu. Their attempt at Vietnamese "bánh mì" (which they misspell every time it appears on the menu...) is pathetic and they shouldn't have bothered--the pickled vegetables they use range from either too salty to eat or too sweet. If you plan on getting dessert, ask your server at the beginning of the meal if any are even available. It took me 3.5 years before I successfully ordered a milkshake because they never had ice cream on hand. A few visits ago, none of the desserts was available except for milkshakes. 3 stars because the waitstaff is friendly. [Edit: 01/21/12] It's probably time to update some of the info in this review. GTC has since removed the travesty of a sandwich that was their "bahn mi" [sic] and any instances of "Vietnamese-inspired" pickled vegetables *gag* from the menu. Pub menu items *are* still a dollar off during happy hour (yay!), and they have been better about having ice cream on hand. I'm thinking 3.5 stars now. [Edit: 10/23/13] They recently revamped the menu because there is a new "chef," and most of the prices went up! Sorry, but the burger & fries are not worth $9.99! It is really hard top ignore the obvious price-gouging going on in Ann Arbor since the advent of all the luxury student housing. read more

If I overlook the guy that threw up on the people next to me, this place was...interesting. It's definitely a dive-y college bar, which is expected as it's located on the U of M campus, but it welcomed us "slightly older than college folks" as well. They have wine...it is in individual containers and is $5. It's not great, but hey, it's not that crappy either. The beer comes in huge glasses (which apparently caused the vomiting next to us) and you can also get a nice large ball jar of some mystery beverage. It's not dirty, which is a plus and has a pretty big bar and the staff is helpful. I even saw them turning away some underage kids. Overall, if I have to visit a dive bar on campus, this spot was pretty good. The drinks were cheap, it was relatively clean and service was good. An interesting spot to visit in campus (p.s. there are some better spots for those of us who don't like getting barfed on, but even so, this spot was fun). read more

Good drinks with funny names. The outdoor patio is pretty nice when it's warm out. Nice selection of long island iced tea based drinks, and you can get it in a huge mason jar. read more

Poor service charleys... so disappointing. After making many stops here over the years I have had one of the more disappointing experiences ever at a restaurant... ever. While over the years when we stop on we come in with an expectation of being in a college bar where we know that The service will be focused more on the young coeds vs a group of middle aged white dudes. Yup. We get it it is fine. But never, and I mean never, have I felt as if They didn't give two poos that we were there at all. We were not a large group, 8 top, and we are not that demanding. However, after putting in a drink order putting in a food order, and then waiting for our drinks for 20 minutes, half of us had drinks. After another 20 minutes half of us had our meals. An hour later we were still missing half the food, and were still awaiting drinks for many of us. During this time we flagged down multiple people and asked for our drinks. Each person said they would send our waiter our way... big surprise, he never came. We then stood there waiting for tabs, and at the point it was time to bring us tabs, he asked what all we had ordered and had no idea what anyone had ordered. After we were honest and told him what we had ordered, he came back and STILL had the tickets wrong. 15 minutes later half of us had our cards back. At this point I made a comment that my food wasn't hot, or even remotely quick to be served. My fries, wings, and drinks came to me separately over a two hour time frame. All I was looking for was an honest apology and the server to admit he had forgotten about us. Instead I was told that it was busy and he had a whole section and another section to himself. No apology, just excuses. Man up and admit you lost track of us and "I'm sorry". At this point he says go talk to his manager. After tracking him down, I asked if they were understaffed and if our waiter was the only one actually working. He "apologized" then said it is busy and it would be stupid of me to not see that there were other people working... he then took my bill and told me he would come talk to the table(where we were all VERY frustrated). Nope, never came out. Instead sent waiter out and took off one of my drinks. I paid, it ( as I wasn't looking for a free meal) and then gave the waiter some life advice... don't make excuses to the people that are paying you... be honest, be sincere, and man up and admit you screwed up. I'm sure that the waiter will walk away thinking I am a jerk, and forget it ever happened, but I couldn't walk away without leaving him a tip. So tldr; food was cold when it finally made it to us, wasn't that great (atomic wings were not even remotely a spicy" and had hardly any sauce, the fries were cold as well as the "queso"), fishbowls were 90% ice (after you finally got it delivered to table), and the staff were either understaffed or poorly scheduled by management, and no one could man up and own the situation. If you are a girl, are able to flirt with bartenders and excessive doormen standing around, sure go ahead and drink the coolaid. If you like food, like to drink, actually be treated as if you are PAYING for a service and need to EARN their tips, find something better. read more

Had a girl's night out here last night and it was amazing! The food and service were awesome! Jenny was the best waitress we've had in a long time! For starters we ordered the spinach dip and cheese and herb flatbread...AMAZING! So much so that two people in our party ordered some to go! The entrees we ordered consisted of: Classic cheeseburgers - yummy! Nachos - perfect! Fries - top fave! $3 for 22 ounce cocktail! Will be back monthly for girls night!! read more

Good Time Charleys - Spinach Dip & Flatbread - Pubs Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Charley's is a U of M staple. This is the place to be to watch a game. In recent years, they've added a heated patio to Charley's, so you can enjoy more fishbowls outdoor. There's lots of seating inside, at the bar, and on the patio. On Wednesdays, they have trivia night, and on Thursday, they offer a burger special - base burger is $4 and then each of the toppings is extra. The burgers are just okay, but you get what you pay for. I got the Ms. Parker fishbowl - it's my go-to. The Pink Cadillac and Mad Tea Party are really good. I haven't had a bad fishbowl at Charley's. The service tends to be a little slow, but it's always busy. They're always nice though! read more

Terrible staff that after 25 min wait was nasty and after complaint told us to leave, management never called after leaving my number. Save your self the hassle and go just about anywhere else read more

GT Charley's is THE place to go on the Eastside. I mean, what else is there? Rick's? Forget about Rick and go with Charley! I like that GTC can roll up pretty good food with an awesome atmosphere and THE best drink menu around. Other places have cement floors and dollar beers. If that's you're thing, then go somewhere else. If you're looking for something special, then come here! I've had all of their burgers and they're all great. I've never been able to finish one - they're like Fudrucker's portions! - but have never felt bad about having to bring the next day's lunch home with me. I'd suggest trying some of the spicier stuff they do. And definitely check out the "Shooters" menu, either to order or just laugh at some of the drink names. My favorites are "Piss behind the urinal wall" (just for comedic value) and the Armageddon (for consumption value!). This menu is huge - there has to be a couple hundred different kinds of drinks on there, so you can assured that the bartenders here are top notch! Also, peek at the Long Island Ice Tea and the Margarita menus. They have a dozen and a half of them, and they are so tasty. Honestly I don't know why there's all the lukewarm reviews of GTC. I've been to just about every bar in town, and for the price, atmosphere, and the expertise of the bartenders, very few places in Ann Arbor can stand up to GTC. read more

Good Time Charleys - Pubs Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Visited on a Saturday afternoon with some friends & I was extremely disappointed. All we ordered was drinks and it took our server about 20 minutes- and the place was empty. If they were busy then I wouldn't mind, but there were only a few other tables. Extremely disappointed & I will not be returning. read more

Now I know why I never came here in college. The crew from Animal House would, if they knew of this place, descend upon it, so thick with frat/sorority drunkenness is it. Ugh. The managers were bad. They say a fish rots from the head, and now I know why some of the servers were staring into their cell phones rather than paying attention to me. Blue Leprechaun, Amer's, and Pizza Bob's have great managers, where I also went, and their service reflected it. This place must have an owner who wants his property on State Street to depreciate in value -- well, he probably makes money just for being there, and confuses that with business acumen. If you want servers who are more interested in their cellphones than your meal or drink, go here. One manager clearly knew he had employees going out back and getting high while on the job. My server disappeared for 10 minutes and, when I wanted to cash out, they had to be tracked down. If I knew the person was getting high, it had to be public knowledge. Then I found out the next day that in fact a bartender had been arrested for getting high while working, by the Michigan police. Given all that, it seems (now that I am an adult) that the State of Michigan ought to target these folk The manager who did trivia was a trip. Too young, too arrogant. Saw him argue with a customer. A bartender complained to me about him, and it seemed to have some resonance. I'd predict that the young man is no longer there soon. No wonder all the faculty I was visiting went to Brown Jug for lunch. I suppose if you are 19 and want to get underage alcohol, you'd go here. If you have a life, don't. read more

This place is known for the drinks! I definitely recommend coming here if you like fruity drinks and want to get a buzz quick! The fishbowl drinks are HUGE and delicious---they will sneak on you. However for the food they are okay. It's basically bar food nothing out of this world. read more

Great food and drinks. Our server, Lily, was phenomenal. She was so attentive and sweet. Thank you Charley's!

Good Time Charleys" HA. More like "The Worst Time Charleys" I'm 25 years old and visiting from out of town. Showed my ID at the front and was let in. Then, the waitress asked to see my ID, okay no problem. She stared at it for a while and refused to serve me because it was "damaged" Well.. it's damaged because it was issued to me 4 YEARS AGO when I turned 21. Funny that I had no problem with my ID at the airport or ANYWHERE ELSE EVER. I showed multiple forms of identification to help build my case.. didn't help. You'd think after covid, bars would be thankful for any business that comes their way... guess not. This is clearly a place for locals only and out-of-state business is not welcome. Walked down the street and spent my money elsewhere. read more

This was our last bar in a bar hopping adventure! We had a seat at the bar and were greeted right away! I ordered a drink and got their nachos! Their nachos were very good, piled high with all types of ingredients. They dont skimp on that, or the alchohol in your drink for that matter. our bartender was very friendly and we enjoyed the conversation about their alchohol and what makes them so unique. They have signs all over the womens restroom informing you if you feel unsafe on your date you should order a certain drink and the bartender with either call the cops, call you a ride, or escort you to your car. Very cool! When in Ann Arbor I'll be back! read more

I think that Charleys is pretty underrated. It's one of my favorite bars on South U because they offer surprisingly good food and a fun atmosphere. I love sitting in their booths or outside on the patio. I was super excited when they renovated recently and added an extension to the patio seating. There are nice big TVs outside too, so it's the perfect place to watch a game! A friend introduced me to the pepperoni styx last year, and I've gotten them each time I've visited since then. They're generously stuffed with cheese and pepperoni, and they always come out piping hot, just the way I like it! I've had both the Hightower and South U Jay Walker burgers, and they're both good. They come with a huge side of thick cut fries. You're guaranteed to be stuffed if you order one of those burgers! I also really like the chicken bacon avocado sandwich. I can't speak much about their drinks, but my friends enjoy the fishbowls! read more

Went here off a whim of my brothers recommendation. I loved the mason jar aesthetic as much as the bar food that was to offer along with the experience. Will be back for round two and a jar to go! read more

I don't want to go lower than three stars because this is a college bar and you get what you get, but it was just an "okay" experience. We had a reservation for a larger group, and then they seemed very confused about reservations and didn't have a table for us. They also messed up two orders at our table and one order came out late because "the chef dropped your plate and has to remake it." That said, it's decent foods and prices, and it's a pretty typical college bar. read more

This place has never really been my scene. The patio is lively, and the drinks are cheap -- so it's popular with the college crowd, and I understand why. It's also sorta unique that they offer up about a million different kinds of shots. I admit I've been here a time or two for a few doses o' alcohol before heading to the sober shows down at the Half-Ass (aka Halfway Inn) down the block. I met someone for lunch here the other week and was pleasantly surprised that it was a decent place for a mid-day meal. The servers were all really nice, the buffalo chicken wrap was tasty enough, but the best thing? They make their own potato chips! I never would have expected that, but for someone who loves taters as much as me (mmm... starchy!), that's a big bonus! I'm not about ready to join the undergrad mob on a night here, but GTC is perfectly a-ok, and the kind staff and fresh chips are appreciated pluses! read more

Location must mean everything in restaurants, because other than its position on the corner of South U and Church, there's little justifying Charlie's existence. The food is awful. About once a year I get tricked into eating here and in the 14 years I've been in A2, I've never enjoyed a meal at Charlies. Its disguised as upscale bar food, but it tastes like failure. The drinks are obscenely overpriced. Over the years I've ran into a decent happy hour special or two, but never one good enough to justify coming back again for it. The crowd generally seems to be composed of people who met at a study group and don't know each other, but decided to go have a drink after their cram session anyway, at which point they realize they have nothing to say to each other. Oh yeah, that and two groups of drunken assholes who think they are hilarious. Guess what? They aren't, despite this place being a colossal joke. read more

Haiku #45 Undergrad Heaven Along with Rick's and Blue Lep Save yourself and run! Let's get things straight--if you are an undergrad student at U of M, you might just like this place. Hell, you might love this place. But if you are over 21 and actually like to drink good tasting beer and alcohol, this probably isn't the place for you. On top of that, it's always too crowded, the service is typically mad slow, and the drinks are weak....my suggestions for going out: try anywhere West of State Street and you'll be fine! (PS: they don't have live music of a DJ ever, and there is no space to dance...that said, trivia night is actually a good time) read more

Not like this place needs another review, but since I'm well past the age of their demographic, I figured it might help someone. Like many of these college bars, the lavish reviews are made by people who have fond memories of hanging out with their friends, and have little to do with the bar itself. It's been many years, but this place hasn't changed much... average in just about every way. Depending on what you order, the food is maybe even a little above average. The service is hit or miss, depends on how busy it is. The interior is dated and dumpy, and while I know what I'm in for when I come to a place like this, they should probably sink a few bucks in to cleaning it up just a little. A coat of paint and removal of the stained ceiling tiles would go a long way. Full disclaimer: Your experience will be directly or inversely proportioned to what's going on in the bar that day. If it's crowed and full of students, don't expect any kind of service. The biggest lesson of this place might be that students at a decent college don't necessarily behave any better than those at a community college. Two stars seems to low- it's not a BAD place- 3-stars seems to imply I'd favor this to some extent over a some of the other places in the area.. and I don't. Split the difference. 2.5 stars seems right. read more

I came to eat here around dinner time before there were a lot of customers. I ordered the buffalo chicken wrap. The food was decent, nothing too overwhelming, and the prices were reasonable. However, the service was very slow. Even though my friend and I were one of the six people in the restaurant at the time, the food took a while to come out as did the check. Would not go again because of the service. read more

Good Time Charleys - Buffalo chicken wrap - Pubs Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Exalted food at bargain prices :) Haddock: nicely beer battered. Macaroni salad was uncommon and delicious.

Me: Where's the bathroom? Brother: Hmm. I feel like I should know. I puked in it the last time I was here. This pretty much sums it up. I was put off by waiting in line (how do kids do this in a Michigan winter???) and then the clownshow of a crowd once we got in, but there's a solution for that--a 64 oz. Mason jar of Long Island. Known as the Fish Bowl, there are a handful of variations on Long Islands--all delicious and guaranteed to make you forget your sorrows, whether it be a hard midterm, or the fact that your old self waited in a long ass line to relive college. If that doesn't do the trick, Charley's Mind Erasers are fantastic. I would write more about it, but I guess it did its job... read more

We came here for happy hour and the drinks came out quickly! The food also came out fast and orders were correct and came out hot. Our server, Anna, was attentive and pretty much awesome. The food will not change your life. It's bar food at bar food prices. Go for the Dublin Ice Tea in a fishbowl and thank me later. read more

Good Time Charleys - Fishbowl drinks in Tokyo Ice Tea and Dublin Ice Tea - Pubs Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

One of my friends who has visited Ann Arbor once or twice, accidentally called this place "Sorry Charley's". She actually thought that was the name of the restaurant! I could not stop laughing!... but I thought it was a suitable name for this place. The food is not good. However, I suppose it might be a good place to go out with a group of friends for drinks. I hope it is true that the owners of Big Ten Burrito are buying Good Time Charley's. There is hope. read more

their fishbowls are AMAZING! so many options as well. I usually get their burger with onion rings and its always really filling and flavorful. the mural outside too is really cute! :-) read more

CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS HERE. TIP CHARGED INCORRECTLY AND NEVER FIXED AFTER CALLING! I have been to Charley's twice, both times the food, drinks, and atmosphere were on point, but the service has been absolutely horrendous. The reason such a low rating is you wait over 30 minutes for your drink order to arrive and you should probably ask for the bill when you order because it won't arrive until an hour later. The final sticking point of Charley's getting a low rating is I wrote a tip on my receipt, 22%, not lacking at all. The tip was entered incorrectly into the computer, I visited on April 25th, called about the discrepancy on May 4th, nobody was available to talk, but they took down my information and said they would process the correction. It is now May 15th and they have not processed my correction, so I will be filing a dispute. Would not recommend due to shady business practices of scamming college students and not following up on a complaint that I voiced. read more