Charley's Old Fashioned Hamburgers — Restaurant in Fort Worth

Horrible first-time experience taking my husband here. He'd never eaten here before, and I know that this is considered a "Fort Worth Establishment", so we thought it would make a nice lunch.

Maybe it's our fault for going at lunch hour when they had a lunch rush. I don't know. I do know that our burgers were poorly crafted. My husband's was lacking in toppings (mayo, lettuce and tomato), and mine was no better. Patty literally looks like Pacman with an entire chunk missing, measly slice of tomato and very little lettuce to speak of. Originally I had thought they forgot my mayo because there is the tiniest smidge on the top bun, only to find an inordinate amount of mayo on the bottom bun hiding underneath my mangled burger patty. This is a personal preference of mine so it's not fair to complain about it, but I also had thought they forgot cheese until I found the slice stuffed between the mountain of mayo and my ugly burger patty. I like the cheese slice to be on top. All around, my burger ended up being a hot mess. It tastes good but a big part of enjoying food is the mouth-feel, and mine is not a pleasant experience.

The kicker is that we had ordered two MEALS and they outright forgot one of our sides. We had to drive BACK to the store to get it. They were apparently only -just- packaging it up. Checked the bag to see that it was finally correct and saw that they short-changed me on my side as well.

This is supposed to be one of the better burger joints in the area, but this experience has put us off of going back. It's entirely possible we were the one-off out of thousands of customers they probably get in a day. I'm sure your mileage will vary from ours. Hopefully if you choose to eat here, your burger doesn't look like an 80s videogame character that had a hot night out...

Charlie’s Old-Fashioned Hamburger: Where Burgers Are More Than Just Meat Between Bread

Stepping into Charlie’s Old-Fashioned Hamburger in Fort Worth is like stepping back in time, except this time you’re armed with the knowledge that you’ll leave heavier and happier. The ambiance is delightfully old-school, with a no-frills charm that says, “We don’t need Instagrammable décor because our burgers are the real stars.”

Let’s talk about the burger. This thing isn’t just a burger; it’s a masterpiece of greasy, beefy glory. The patty is thick and juicy, like it did a bench press before meeting the grill. The bun? Perfectly toasted—soft enough to cradle the meat but sturdy enough to avoid that dreaded mid-bite collapse. The toppings are fresh and generously piled on, but not in a way that makes you question if you accidentally ordered a salad.

The star of the show is the flavor. It’s the kind of burger that whispers sweet nothings to your taste buds. Each bite delivers a smoky char that can only come from a grill that’s been loved (and probably not cleaned too thoroughly) over decades of burger-crafting. It’s like they seasoned it with Texas pride and a pinch of, “This is how it’s done.”

Pro tip: Don’t skip the fries. They’re golden, crispy, and clearly the result of a potato’s life purpose fulfilled. Pair them with one of their hand-spun milkshakes, and you’ll understand why diets don’t belong in Fort Worth.

Charlie’s isn’t trying to impress you with fancy gimmicks or truffle-infused nonsense. They’re here to deliver a burger that’ll make you rethink every sad, fast-food patty you’ve ever eaten. If you leave hungry, that’s on you. If you leave with a food coma and a big, stupid grin on your face, welcome...

I have been going to Charley's Old Fashion Hamburgers for decades. This place won best burger in Fort Worth a while back, as well. This review is long overdue. Much akin to Dutch's, there is almost no parking at the restaurant, itself.

When I finally found where to put my car, I had to wait in line to get my order in because this place is that popular. Once I can order, I ask for the Great Burger with onion rings and a Royal Crown Cola.

These onion rings are extremely good! beautiful crispy batter around huge onions (pictured with sandwich for scale). This is not the best onion ring I've ever had, but I certainly will order them again.

The star of this show was the hamburger. Two patties with cheese, ham and bacon. While I did note that the latties were not well-sealed, they were certainly amazing and the flavor combination was ace. The garden accented this extremeley well and I thoroughly enjoyed this burger. I should also not that the bun did not make the trip. Paper towels, provided, required.

Overall, this burger is still a great sandwich but it was not the Charley's of old. I wod recommend this place for their dedication to keeping the memory alive with great food and a nice open-air dining area. 4/5.

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