I’m never sure what to make of Charlie’s Kitchen. It has a very cheap cheeseburger which is tasty, but other, much tastier things for the prices I’ve come to expect from most restaurants. It’s got a full bar and is a seat-yourself establishment, but it doesn’t seem terribly bar-like apart from that. Charlie’s is a place of indecision.

Too often we duck our heads in and it’s too busy and decide to go to the IHOP just a few stores down. I feel like we overlook it too often. Especially upstairs it’s almost exactly the sort of atmosphere I appreciate in a restaurant, though the coffee is not as plentiful as I’d like. But then, it’s got a full bar. It’s a place for ordering beer. Maybe I’m too used to late nights with unlimited and rapid refills on coffee. It seems perfect, but there’s something slightly askew.

I feel a little odd writing this. I really enjoy Charlie’s, and wish I went more often. But it has an atmosphere which is deceptively close to the cafes I’ve always frequented–just something is a little off. At Charlie’s I always feel like I can’t quite make up my mind about where I am, what I want.

The food is damn tasty, though, and the drinks are reasonably priced. I think I should abandon the notion that it’s a place for coffee.