Charlie's Place — Restaurant in Gloucester

We had breakfast at Charlie's for the first time last week. We've been living in Gloucester for a few years now and haven't tried it but we've heard great things. We were immediately seated at around 10 AM on a Saturday morning. We started off with apple juice and a coffee roll, the coffee roll was good, pretty sweet, lots of icing, the roll itself had a nice flavor because it worked well with the icing, but the part without the icing didn't hold up as well. It was little tough and kind of molasses flavored. For our meals we ordered the Florentine Benedict, strawberry French toast and the chorizo hash omelette (at first.) The spinach on the Florentine Benedict was not the best, it was a bit too watery, this might be due to the blanching process which helps the spinach maintain its color, but I think it could be improved by either adding salt to pull some of the water out or just drying the spinach more thoroughly. The Benedict itself though was fantastic, egg cooked to perfection, great English muffin base, and the hollandaise was more buttery than bitter. Also I think the home fries there may be the best in Gloucester! George's is nice, but they are cut bigger than they need to be. The French toast with strawberry was great, the strawberrys like soaked into the French toast not making it soggy but saturated, plus whipped cream never hurts, and it didn't fill me up in one bite. Next was the chorizo hash omelette, it tasted fine to me, and I was enjoying it, but when my girlfriend tried it she was suspicious that their might be beef in it (we don't eat beef for religious reasons) so we ask one of the servers and she informs us that hash is short for corned beef hash. I had thought it was short for hash browns because the term hash refers to the preparation of chopping something. I don't blame them for the wording, it's a common enough shorthand, but it had slipped my mind. We informed our server that we don't eat beef (at least try not to) and she was super helpful, got us a new meal, which ended up being a bacon egg and cheese on a croissant which was awesome. Plenty of food to fill me up, the croissant was buttery but not to the point of it being an inconvenience, a proper portion of bacon, and all at a good price. They took the chorizo hash omelette off the bill even though we ate like a third of it, which was highly appreciated, and we left the restaurant feeling like we were well taken care of and interested in coming back and trying other dishes there at some point. The restaurant itself was very lively, like you could hear people talking about all sorts of stuff from politics to plans to family life which I didn't mind, and there was plenty of servers around to help with whatever you may need. I can definitely recommend this place to others, but I need to try it again to see whether there is a meal or two there that will keep me coming back...

When you get those New England cravings for a delicious fish sandwich and chowder, Charlie’s Place is definitely worth the visit.

On a recent trip to the north shore, we were so inspired by the sights and especially the smells of the ocean, we had to find some seafood to satisfy our cravings.

When I called Charlie’s Place to place a pick up order, I was so taken a back by the warm and friendly voice on the other side of the phone. I knew we had made the right choice.

Upon pick up, I noticed the charming and humble diner-esque interior of Charlie’s Place. A few wooden tables and chairs with a a counter packed with local and repeat customers. I wish I had seen the specials board earlier because that crab cake BLT sounded delicious.

We found a nice place to look out on the beach and had a little car picnic.

The fish sandwich was massive and every component (sesame bun, lettuce, cheese and of course, the fried fish) contributed to a comforting, satisfying, and nostalgic experience. Definitely recommend lathering in tartar sauce and a few dabs of hot sauce.

We added the croutons to the chowder and sipped it from the cup. Warm, aquatic, and creamy with plenty of clams and potatoes mixed in. Absolutely delicious.

The fried clams were ok. I wish they included some lemon. We would probably opt to try something else from their menu instead for our next visit.

Overall this was a darling experience for us and definitely...

I consider myself a strawberry shortcake aficionado of sorts. I've tried diners all over New England, eating the different variations of this beloved dessert. In my opinion, the only way to prepare strawberry shortcake is with fresh, homemade biscuits - not with cheap sponge cake like so many places do. That being said, I am proud to say Charlie's Place knows how to do their strawberry shortcake the right way.

I can confidently rank them in the top 5 for the best strawberry shortcake in all of New England. If you prefer this dessert with biscuits - as you should - then don't pass this place up.

If you prefer it with sponge cake, then I suggest you try something else because you don't have the palate to appreciate the true greatness of a strawberry shortcake made with biscuits.

Anyway, Charlie's Place is a Gloucester staple. Everything from the staff to the diverse menu options is second to none. You simply must stop here if you are...