Charlie G's

This is the second time I've been to Charlie G's. The first time, I ordered a roasted chicken dinner. Okay, so I didn't order steak, but it was so awful. You can get better roasted chicken at Ralphs. The chef personally apologized and said they were taking the roasted chicken off the menu. So, we thought we'd give it another chance. I thought, maybe if I ordered steak. We were not dressed up on a Wednesday night, it had been a hard week, and my boyfriend wanted a good steak, so I suggested we try it again. The hostess was extremely rude to us. Rather than escorting us into the area of the restaurant that was populated, she put us in an almost vacant huge dining area in a huge booth. We immediately felt she was trying to keep us out of the mainstream of the restaurant because we were not dressed up. The waiter was nice enough. The prices weren't anything like I had viewed on their promotional sample menu...but wait, they have a disclaimer about that. The "bus boy" seemed very put off, because when I couldn't finish by Chicken with Penne Pasta (which tasted good), I asked if I could take it to go. My boyfriend loved his steak, but there was a little grisle and fat on it, which he had cut off and left on his plate. This "bus boy" packed the obvious scraps of steak in a doggy bag apparently to make a point. We were very insulted. There are many lovely restaurants to eat at in So. California where being "California casual" does not promote rude behavior. I will never go back to Charlie G's. We work too hard and it's not worth it to spend our hard-earned money on the snooty staff hired by Charlie G's. Pros: Good quality cut of beef. Cons: Terrible, rude hostess, rude bus boy, snooty staff, inflated prices, much higher than advertised. more

Having read the last review posted on here before ours, we very nearly didn't go to this restaurant. However, we decided to give it a shot and we're very glad we did! We liked the dark, romantic ambience immediately as we walked in, and the live duo singing jazz quielty on the corner were pleasant and unobtrusive. We found the majority of the staff to be efficient and friendly, without any of the corporate in-your-face attitude ("Hey you Guys! I'm Sandy and I'll be your waitress tonight!"), which we simply cannot stand! I had the Filet Mignon, which was fabulous ($30 approx) and my husband had the Rib Eye (not so successful but still quite good). It's not a cheap night out, but I'd definitely recommend Charlie G's as a place for couples to enjoy a quiet, romantic evening. We'll certainly be going back! Pros: Romantic atmosphere, great food, great service more

Ok, so we've given this place it's last chance. (3 althogether) We've never gotten the right food to the table as ordered. The food was cold and lacked any sort of creative anything. The wait staff was so rude the last time we were there that my boyfriend had to hold me back when the waiter looked at our small tip and glared at us. There are too many good restaurants in this town to waste good money on this one. There's nothing good I can say about this place other than let a better one take it's place. Pros: good bar Cons: they just don't care more

The hardest thing about going to Charlie G's is deciding what to eat. The steaks are great, but the crabcakes are the best I've found on the West coast. Be sure to check out what the specials are that night, often there are delightfuly new ideas. And if you like wine, on Wednesday nights the bottles are 1/2 price. Pros: Food, Service, Atmosphere more

Beautiful restuarant, quiet and romantic. Lounge music, nice atmosphere. Service is tops. Charlie's food is a treat for the pallet. Those crab cakes are worth every dime! The steaks are cooked to perfection, tender and juicy. One of the best steak houses I have been to. Pros: Mature Crowd, Delicious Food, Top Tate service more

A hidden jewel!! Great martinis. The crab cakes are a must try, the filet mignon is cooked perfect to order, the service was great - the mgr even stopped by to ensure everything was okay. Wednesday's is 1/2 off all their bottles of wine. It's a great opportunity to try an expensive bottle you would otherwise not try. The wine steward has always recommended a nice choice for our dinner selections. We have seen a few famous people too. Pros: Parking, Taste of Food more

In my opinion the steaks offered were not even in the vicinity of actual prime cuts. I've had better cuts from the grocery store. Worse yet, both my Wife's Filet and my New York were badly overcooked. Garlic Mashed and Green Beans were bland. Frankly I suspect her Filet was not a Filet at all; the texture was all wrong, like organ meat. Wait service was slow and inattentive, although the bus staff was excellent. Entrees range in the $25-$35 range. Don't waste your time or money. You can have a tastier cut of equal quality beef at most chain restaurants. This place does not approach the quality of any of the real steakhouses in town. Pros: Music, Ambience Cons: Bad Food, Bad Service, Overpriced more

Absolutely the best prime steak in the valley. Not a chain, but a privately owned steak house that oozes New York class. Crab cakes with no filler, all crab! No rush to 'turn tables', they let you sit and really 'dine'. Good wine list and waiters that are all over you with table side service. Live music (basically jazz) 3-4 nights a week. I take clients there often, as the atmosphere is excellent for 'cutting a deal' over a good chunk of beef and a glass of single malt. Highly recomended. Pros: steak quality, ambience, service Cons: price (expensive), drinks (expensive) more