This place would get five stars easily if it was easy to get into the place on a weekend/Friday. I'm a huge fan of their gigantic Long Island Iced Teas. They come in old pickle jars and taste fantastic. One will get you drunk... Two will get you arrested. Their Pepperoni Styx (lol Mr. Roboto) are awesome too. Get them from the bar menu after the main kitchen is closed, and you won't be disappointed... So long as you don't get stuck waiting in line, Charley's is an Ann Arbor STAPLE. GO THERE. read more

Yesterday, Charley seems to have gotten up on the right side of the bed, and indeed provided a Good Time for one and all. -We knew we wanted to sit outside (which automatically raises the rating by half a star) and one of our party called ahead to see if we could make a reservation. Couldn't, but the hostess was friendly, on top of things, and let us know that things were slow and it should be no problem getting a seat. -Same member of our party was the first to arrive, and reports that when she and some others did, the staff was fawning--"We know you! You were here last week!" Um....what? And the week before, and the week before....but OK, we'll take it. -When I arrived, confirmed that the on-top-of-it, cheery hosts were in place. Excellent. -Server Nicole L. was wonderful....checked in on us often, brought us everything we needed--including change for a $20 when she was already in trouble with the bartender for bugging him for change. Even had a cute (and pragmatic) sense of humor: one of us asked for a "giant" glass of water, and she brought him his own pitcher with a straw in it. He drank the whole thing. -I always forget that I love Charley's onion rings, but I do. -Every week at least one of us orders a club sandwich. This week, I don't know why, that thing looked SO GOOD. Extra golden toasty bread and nice presentation (in a pile of onion rings) -The only downside was the mysterious horrifying smell that kept wafting through. I don't think the smell was coming FROM Charley's, but it was in Charley's airspace. Yuck. However, after eating on the GTC patio weekly all of last summer, I can safely say that this was an isolated incident....one that we hope will not be repeated. Charley's, you're stepping it up, and we appreciate it. Thanks! read more

I am not a big drinker so I can't say much about the alcoholic beverages. I love the stix mix or whatever they call it. It's so good. The service isn't always the greatest, but the company always is :) Their happy hour specials are priced wonderfully and their food is really good. read more

I went to Charley's for trivia, handed the bounce my ID. He bent it back a number of times until it snapped in half (mind you this is my completely real state issued ID). I ask him if he cracked it and he said "huh, it broke" and then admitted me. He would not engage in conversation about it and I now have to order a new ID for $30 and go to the DMW. I won't be coming back anytime soon. read more

Sometimes I feel like Charley's is overrated. It seems like the place that everyone goes, but they don't have the best drink specials and you can't even dance there. However, I love karaoke on Tuesdays and summer is a much better time to go to this bar. It's nice to be able to sit and chat with your friends sometimes, and you can always run into people you know here. But like I said, I love to dance when I go out, and there's no room for that here. Some other upsides to Charley's are the patio, the huge fishbowls, and the biggest variety of shots I've ever seen at a bar. They also have some good food options (the fried macaroni and cheese is my fave), and pretty awesome ranch. :) read more

What happened? My recent visit to Good Time Charley's was like meeting up with that ex from college and realizing they've changed, and not for the better. First off, the layout is crazy. Entrance is now right at the bar with some seating on the sides. We came during the summer so it was pretty dead, which I would think equates to faster service. We still waited a bit for our server to come up. I'm sad to see that most of the frozen drinks are gone, but the selection of cocktails is still large. I went with the 64oz Long Island Iced Tea and will say it was nice and strong at a good price. The biggest problem with Charley's is that they don't care about their customers. The music, which is blasted, is played from one of the staff members' iPod and they don't have a jukebox or take requests. So you better like the music that the bartender likes. I also came with a group of six and we spent over $100. One us wasn't brought a drink one time, no big deal, and actually it worked out b/c he actually wanted to try a different one. When the bill came we were charged for both, again not a huge problem but we wanted to get it taken care of. The second we bring it up we're called liars and the server throws our bill on our table with the adjusted amount. More like Shitty Time Charley's. read more

Assigning a star rating to Charley's is almost as hard as staying sober there. As a graduate student, I loved this place. Cheap, potent Long Island Ice Teas competed with cheap pitchers of shitty beer for space on my table. Even after seeing many friends get sick after a meal at Charley's, I'd eventually fall prey to the chicken nachos. From what I can remember, they are awesome during a Long Island Ice Tea haze. At some point, Charley's introduced the fishbowl sized Long Island, also super cheap. This was a bad idea for all involved, and yet I loved it. Charley's was pretty much a five star when I was in grad school. As a working professional, I am too effing old for this place. One star, and four Advil. read more

OK, I love Charley's. And I always have a good time here. Always. On my most recent trip, I had a Bangporn fishbowl, a chicken avocado sandwich, pizza stix, and a few other drinks (food and Bangporn were split). As with all the fishbowls, it was quite sugary, but it definitely got the job done. The chicken avocado sandwich and fries were pretty mediocre, but that's not why you really go to Charley's. But we needed to eat. And so we of course got the only thing on the menu that's truly a must - pizza stix. Pepperoni and mozzarella baked into pizza dough rolls and served with marinara dipping sauce. Mmm mmm good! I had a few more drinks in my time there with the whole group just catching up and reminiscing about old times. It was, truly, a good time. read more

Went here before heading to a UMich. football game. Ordered nachos for an appetizer and there was a piece of hair in my salsa and ketchup stains on my plate....nacho chips were stale... Service was nice and I liked how they put descriptions of every mixed drink and shot on their menu.... Ordered the chicken, bacon, avocado sandwich and fries and that was yummy! Great place for drinking, but not so much for food... read more

Always a good time. The drinks specials are good and the burgers are good for a bar. Also, you get a free cake with your birthday! Don't get their wings though (they say it's extra large, but actually it's finger size). Don't get too drunk before, though. They'll make you take a walk around before entering (not from experience, of course, haha). Overall, a good place to catch up with friends during off hours. Too crowded during peak hours. I would recommend going here for your 21st or during off hours. read more

An Ann Arbor institution, Charley's has lasted this long for a reason. Between their inexpensive drink specials and their awesome food, this is the place to catch the games. Probably the biggest reason I love Charley's is the Stix Mix which is their cheese and pepperoni bread mix and it's incredible. If you're in town, definitely check out Charleys read more

Charley's fits the bill for the term "college bar". If you're 25 or older, you can feel a little out of place :) The food here isn't anything to write home about. They have a huge selection of drinks, but outside of the beer most of them are too sugary. Service here isn't that fantastic. Was with some friends on the outdoor patio last night to have a few drinks. It took about 20 min for us to get our drinks after ordering. I know the place is busy on weekends, but waiting more than 10 min is a little ridiculous. There are better bars on South U. read more

A fantastically large array of shooters, pitchers, fishbowls, beers; you name it, and they probably have it and it'll be in a glass larger than you expected. This is a perfect student bar to come on nearly any night. After coming here a few times, I've had a bit of a mixed bag of experiences. One night a few weeks ago we got free drinks, sunglasses and the whole side of the bar to ourselves because it was a Sunday and the manager of the place was serving us. However, when I went on a Saturday we had to hunt down a waitress to serve us as we were sat outside and went unnoticed for a good 20 minutes or so! (However, after this she was very lovely and everything else was done quickly.) Overall, this is a cheap friendly place that is definitely for students and is of the level that you would expect from this. Although I would definitely say this is worth going to, and is better than other bars. read more

This place used to be so popular when I was in school at Mich back in the day. I went back there Wednesday night, and it sucks. The "cheese twists", the house special per the waiter, are horrible. It looks horrible and tastes like $hit. I had a veggie muffulata and it was probably the ugliest dish I've ever seen in my life. It was some pita-looking bread that someone messily ripped open (not cut given the uneven surface) that they threw some frozen veggies that had been blanched in hot water/steam. Topped off with a little bit of mozzarella cheese. Ick. It looked like something I made at home with leftover food. To top off the whole experience, I think my waiter was stoned or something. I was there with 2 of my coworkers. One of them asked for steamed veggies instead of fries (he got fries) and the other requested a garden salad (never came). A second round of beers never arrived. But he did come back and say "Oh, I forgot to give you the ketchup" !? The highlight of the horrid evening was the 200 pound lady in the next booth who was complaining to her girlfriend about catching her boyfriend in bed with her best friend and how she wanted to try having a peni$ for a day?! I've been out of undergrad too long. The only person who enjoyed our trip was probably our waiter. Since, we were on business, we left a 20% tip anyway. read more

The aesthetic of this bar is perfect. I love the seating area located close to the bar. Our service was fantastic: quick, responsive, and thoughtful. If anything was every needed they helped right away. We got a fish bowl, the price of two drinks when you get the equivalent of three drinks. Very tasty and large menu that will definitely keep me coming back to try! The food is great as well. We ordered nachos, and while the first round came out cold, the manager noticed this without us even complaining, and gave us a new, warm one on the house. read more

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

The other reviews are pretty spot on as the food is generally good and the atmosphere is as college-y as you can get. I am here to talk about the one thing that seems to have not been reviewed: the Thursday special. The scene can get quite packed with drunken Greeks, but if that's not to your fancy, definitely go for the Thursday special. This time every week from 5-10PM is the $3 burger & fries special. This comes with a half-pound burger (you can add toppings for small prices) and a half-pound of fries for, $3...that's right, 300 pennies (you can finally empty out the piggy bank for a pound of food!). The burger is always well cooked and juicy, and the fries are crispy and have good potato-like flavor. The meal is worth way more than $3. By the way, the line will be out the door during this time but it's totally worth every minute of waiting. The restaurant is an overall 3 1/2 *s. read more

Pros: Great atmosphere, expansive shooter/fishbowl selection Cons: Poor service, pricey, meh food I went Saturday March 21 around 8pm. The seating was about 85% full, but we were able to quickly get a table. Ambient atmosphere with a lot of TVs showing sports. Once we sat down in our group of 7, we waited 10 mins for a the waitress to come by. She gave our whole group one menu, and then we in return asked for more. She then came back about 5 mins later with only one more menu! I got the South U Jaywalker Burger. It was messy (but I expected that) but tasted overly greasy and fell apart. The caesar salad side was doused in dressing, which defeated the purpose of the salad. Half of our table needed cutlery with their food, yet they did not acknowledge to bring napkins or cutlery, and had to wait a couple minutes to get some before just getting up and finding where they held them. Finally when we were waiting for a box to take food home, the server came back three times and each time she acknowledged she forgot the box, but continued to serve other tables. Eventually we just got up and found the boxes. In summary my experience would've been better if the service was up to par, as we spent half the dinner waiting for the waitress to return with simple items. I will probably go back because it is a college hotspot, but I was disappointed in my experience. read more

Make no mistake, this is the quintessential college bar, but that isn't a bad thing. The bartenders are friendly (just be patient when they're being slammed), and the drinks are fairly priced. I highly recommend the Timbo Slice! If you happen to be around when I am, maybe I'll buy you one! read more

Strong drinks. Hot, friendly waitresses. All service people are friendly and courteous. Best burgers in town. read more

This is a great place to go for drinks. They have lots of different mixed drinked, which are all good. It's not really a place for beer though. read more

Imagine me making a Homer Simpson drool face so pronounced that my drool is seeping out of your laptop screen, onto your keyboard and fingers. (Mm, hello.) That is how I feel about the Count Twists here. On a recent car trip from Albion to Flint, I made my husband drive half an hour out of our way just so I could indulge. The rest of the menu? Ho hum. No matter what you order--salad, nachos, whatever--it will taste as if assembled from Giant Food's aisle of deli meats and canned beans. They put all their genius into their count twists. But they alone are worth the visit. read more

Our burgers were not good.. like the flavorless frozen patty type burgers. My burger was literally rubbery ! We didn't order beer or drinks because they seemed pricey unless you wanted to buy a pitcher. Service was slow but the waitress was nice so I'll give it that! I wish the quality of the food was better because the place has a nice vibe. read more

SOON TO CHANGE IDENTITIES. The stars are given on spec that the many lovers of Big 10 Burrito are right. Details according to today's Ann Arbor News: "The owners of popular burrito chain BTB are buying Good Time Charley's on South University Avenue and plan to re-open the first floor restaurant by Easter and turn the second floor into a Mexican cantina. "Good Time Charley's, a restaurant/nightclub that's been in business since 1979 at the corner of South University and Church Street, closed somewhat unexpectedly in late December. "Business partners Adam Lowenstein and Justin Herrick will spend nearly $500,000 to buy and renovate Good Time Charley's and build BTB Cantina on the second floor. The pair own two BTB Burrito stores - formerly known as Big Ten Burrito - in Ann Arbor and one in East Lansing. " read more

Went to Charley's yesterday for lunch. I got the Chicken Bacon Avocado Sandwich and it was SO delicious. It came with a macaroni salad and lots of fries. It was reasonably priced for the amount of food that came with it. Also, our server was nice. read more

The manager and server at the take out window had horrible customer service. So disappointed and shocked at the mistreatment that was entirely unwarranted. Refused to serve people of age after we had already prepaid for our order. I'm embarrassed that I have previously given this place business. Don't waste your time. safe to say will not be returning. read more

When it comes to drinks at a good price and drink choice, GTC might be one of the best in the area. You can get pitchers of beer, long islands (at least 9 different flavors), shooter, etc for cheap, if you go there, you must try at least one big fishbowl, and Tuesday night karaoke here is probably the best in the area. The only reason why i give it 3 stars is the food. Outside of the fries, pepperoni styx, and Philly sandwich, the food here is not good to me (although i will admit this is a good place to go to for your birthday because they do give you a free meal). All in all, a god place to go to. read more

Overpriced and understaffed. Appears to be a decent restaurant, but looks are deceiving. Didn't tell me they had to change order and just brought food I didn't want. Charged us for it after was sent back. Food overcooked. Would not recommend. Still tipped 20% because we're not assholes, but $60 for 3 basic sandwiches? Uhhhh. No. read more

An Ann Arbor classic. Nothing is great about the food but the drink menu keeps it interesting! If you're looking for something fruity and strong with an outdoor patio, this is the place to go! Service is just okay...tends to be pretty busy most of the time. One of my favorite long islands is the "purple rain"! read more

Good Time Charleys - Fruity drinks ! - Pubs Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

I give this place 4 stars because it hits close to home. I recently graduated from Michigan and if I want to go to a bar with my friends when I visit, Charleys is the place to go. It is honestly your typical college bar..dirty bathrooms, dirty floors, not enough table space, loud, obnoxious, some rude and busy wait staff, but what more can you expect? I usually always order their fishbowl (Ecto Cooler is my favorite, but it is pretty sweet), and sometimes their shots. I have tried a variety of their shots, including Jagerbomb and liquid cocaine (gross, but gets you buzzed quickly). Their food is also pretty good for a bar. They have really juicy burgers (and they have $1 burger specials from 5-9PM on Thursdays), and their fries are generally fresh and fat. I'm never disappointed at their portion sizes. Overall, I recommend you try out this bar if you are a visitor, or just recently moved to Ann Arbor. It is pretty "frat-y," but remember you are in a college bar with a whole bunch of college students. After 10pm it is 21+ only and Sunday nights is karaoke nights. Fun to watch drunk people sing their hearts out. read more

No service at all. Finally decided to walk out after waiting 50 mins with no waitress approaching us at all. I get you all busy and could care less about our business.... not the greatest approach to business. read more

Most memorable time? It was after an MSU v. UM football game (MSU lost), and my MSU buddy hit his head continually on their glass trim and then got swiped out by a bouncer. Prior to that we were being rowdy, doing jagerbombs and guzzling drinks and beers. It's tired and cliche to say "I'm not a fan of this scene", but I won't hate on Charley's too much because a friend of mine is a bartender here and she's cute. Jodi will pour you a mean drink, I know it. I did love this place when I was an undergrad, I will admit. It was in a great location and when I was drunk, all of the food tasted good to me. Even my mom liked it, and she never gets wasted. When in doubt, just order the cheese fries. Simple, easy, tastes great with a drink special. It's a place you outgrow, however, and then you venture out into the weird world of... the other side of State Street! Gasp. read more

Charley's is good stuff. The honest truth is that if Charley's was located anywhere else than on campus during my undergrad years, I would probably never really like a place like this. It's got a large food menu, with some really good items, but the best things are greasy and heavy and more fun to eat when also drinking lots. It's got a large drink menu, and larger shot menu, but if it weren't for being an undergrad, I know wouldn't really appreciate all the drinks this place has to offer. But none of these ifs really matter. The fact is, I feel in love with Charley's, as do most Wolverines, for many reasons. Some reasons I've already said, some I probably couldn't put into words, and I'm sure there are reasons I don't even know about that contribute to my love of this place. There's nothing like getting a group of friends and heading to Charley's for drinks, maybe some food, and more drinks. It's got a good atmosphere, and it's in the best location. Anything you could want is within feet of you when you leave this place... that's really something. I'm sure it helped Charley's that Mitch's decided to shut down shortly after my friends and I turned 21, and stayed closed til after graduation, and that our friends worked at Charley's, so we always saw familiar faces. But still, Charley's just has an appeal. Now I have to admit that since I've graduated, I've only been back a handful of times. While it's not at all the same, the nostalgia always kicks in. I think we each all had our 21st birthday dinners at this place, oh the memories. Plus it's the kind of place where you can chill with your friends, so quality bonding time happens at Charley's, the kind of bonding you can't do on the sweaty dance floor of a club. read more

Good Times taste like nostalgia and pepperoni styx. When I was a student at Michigan, it always seemed like the best thing Charley's had going for it was the insanely long shooter list. They have cornered the market on disgusting potables you only consume on your 21st birthday. (But they also have a decent beer list and the ingredients for cocktails that won't make you throw up) The food seemed markedly better on a recent return. Stick with the "bar food" - the pepperoni styx are stellar, the salads will just make you sad that you didn't order more pepperoni styx. read more

Charley's is great-- IF you are a college student, preferably in the Greek system, and need a place to sit down for drinks with friends for the night (otherwise, I would probably pass). I happen to be all of the above, and I love Charley's! The food is nothing to marvel at, it's typical bar food (meaning, nothing impressive), but the drink menu is very extensive. Their signature drink is the fishbowl-- a 64 oz mason jar of pretty much any drink you can imagine. My favorite is the Ecto Cooler (it's like grown-up Kool-Aid-- a completely artificial looking color and so sweet that it hurts). The shot list is very impressive- there are probably over 100 different shots you can try. There is even a section of gross combinations for those celebrating their 21st birthdays (and have mean friends). Go at least once if you are a UMich student....just do it. read more

Fantastic cocktails and drinks! And they're a bit cheaper than most of the other bars ice been to on campus. If you're up for it, the fishbowl is a pretty good deal! Typical college bar - crowded on weekends and a bit messy, but better than a lot. Tends to be a good time! read more

This place isn't really a 4 star place, but I guess for bars it is? The drinks here are pretty good and they have a huge list of mixed and unique shots. I've only had the burgers here and they were pretty average quality. Big and a lot to eat. The fishbowls are really good and I like how you can get a fishbowl of any drink. The crowd that it draws can be pretty annoying which sorta makes you question if you wanna go out. The servers are about the same. They seem miserable and unhappy. I think the place needs more servers cause the service here takes forever and it makes sense, they have like 2 people for the whole place. read more

Good Time Charleys - Fishbowls, a drink, and a shot. - Pubs Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

This place is more like 4 stars but I think the old people bias is bringing down the rating way too much. Had lots of great times here in my undergrad (2002-2006) If you're actually an undergrad and are looking to hang out the atmosphere is fun. Celebrated many friends' birthdays here. Lots fun b-day freebies here. Great memories. read more

The check comes 10 times faster than any of the drinks. Not a fan! Sure, this place was pumpin on a Friday night, and a perfect energy level to celebrate a friend's 21st bday party, but the service was AWEFUL! Two bartenders were making drinks for THE WHOLE BAR, making my friends have to wait 10-15 minutes to get 4 shots. In a town of aspiring bartenders, it's time to hire some more help, Charley. Plus, with 6 ppl, our waitress "assumed" we would all be paying on 1 bill, and was not willing to split it up. And yes, the bill came instantly, unlike any of the drinks. Have to say, this is the bottom of my bar list. Will I go back? Only if friends want to go. I recommend going down the street to Blue Lep instead. read more

Get the nacho's for food and obviously get a fishbowl. ALWAYS GET A FISHBOWL. always. The fishbowls are what makes this my favorite college bar in Ann Arbor. Purple rain or California Beach party are among my favorites. But I have yet to order a fishbowl I didn't like. It's crowded at times but Charleys is just the place to go for daytime or nighttime shenanigans. read more

This place was really chill and full of characters. We walked in and waited at the bar for a table. There was a guy who was about 60 sitting there in a flanel shirt, suspenders and these thick glasses. He was doing the word jumble and sat there with a tall glass full of ice, a bottle of bud and a small glass of grenadine. Then the fun started. He poured the bud into the glass full of ice and started to drink it. I immediately grabbed my mich friend and asked her if that is how they roll in AA. It was disturbing. Then we got the table and more madness. They have this cheesy bread with amazing sauce. It was heart attack city, but tasted great. The next morning though your stomach might not thank you. I also had a veggie wrap with fries. Yes, I eat a lot, I get it. We tried to watch the baseball there, which was cool as they had a lot of screens with HD service. The table next to us was full of fratastic individuals who kept pounding on the tables, perhaps in some sort of hazing or bonding ritual. They got kicked out shortly after for puking somewhere. Good times! Smoke free also won some points here read more