Charlie's on the Lake

Great food and even greater service.

This was our first time coming here. We came to celebrate my fiancé getting a new job, and we really wanted to like it... We probably would've liked it more if we were sat outside by the lake, but we were sat at a wobbly table inside. The decor and atmosphere is a cross between a nice, expensive restaurant and a cheap sports bar. I feel like it should pick one or the other. The menu and prices were also in between and just weird. To start off with, we got the chicken nachos for an appetizer. Completely smothered with cheese, but I would say 1% of it was chicken. Had more olives, lettuce, and salsa than chicken. I shared it with only one other person, and I had only 3 or 4 pieces of chicken. Then our soup and salads came. My fiancé got the clam chowder, and it tasted like baked potato soup with clam. Fiancé hated the consistency. At the same time we were given a paper bag with a little loaf of bread and a couple little cups of butter. Yes... A paper bag. Then our entrées came. I spent over $20 on a chicken dish, the chicken piccata, and I was served a small boiled chicken breast... Why would a place that advertises themselves as a grill boil chicken? Very disappointing and we're confused about how Charlie's has so many great reviews after our experience. Maybe it's because we came at 7:30 P.M. when they close at 9? Oh, and as a bonus, a picture of what was in the poster on the wall behind us. I first posted this review on their Facebook page the night we came here. Facebook later changed it to say I did recommend it when I in fact did not. I deleted it and attempted to post it again, and I was blocked.

The food was horrible! I had crab cakes and they tasted like the metal dish they were served in with a strong fishy aftertaste. The boyfriends had a steak not cooked well or seasoned well. Never eating there again.

This place used to be the spot. The patio is still excellent. Service was slow tonight and the food really left a lot to be desired. I got a ribeye and my friend got the salmon. We barely ate half and didn’t take anything home. Just overall pretty disappointed for $75 a piece

My husband and I have gone to Charlie's since they have opened. Over the decades it has slowly gone downhill. Our last two visits it was so COLD we had to dine with our coats on. We noticed we were not the only ones. Even wait staff had coats on. All we can think is they shut off the heat when they close then turn it back on the next day. If I had to guess, I would say it was 65 degrees.

Ordered an Old Fashioned. It was a glass of ice, a shot of bourbon, water and cherry liqueur. No cherries, no bitters no simple syrup/crushed sugar. Oyster Rockefeller, standard is oysters baked or broiled in butter mixed with chopped herbs. We got raw oysters covered in chopped onions and tomato with raw spinach leaves. The grouper was decent but slightly undercooked and gelatinous. It was my first time dining here and my impression was it was 3 star location trying to pass as 5 star to charge more. You can’t just do this by adding white table cloths and raising prices. Service was decent but didn’t know the menu and looked confused when we asked for fresh ground pepper. No water at the table. I won’t be returning.