Bar serving small plates plus cocktails and bottled beers - may have an age requirement, check ahead. Host happy hour weekdays. Kitchen open til 1am. Sister business to HipCityVeg. Main menu isn't available past 11pm on weekdays and 12am on weekends. Then a late night menu is available until 1am. There is an age requirement to sit at the bar but not at the tables. Open Mon-Thu 4:00pm-11:00pm, Fri-Sat 4:00pm-2:00am, Sun 4:00pm-11:00pm.
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131 S 13th St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 19107
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- Outdoor seating
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Last update on 02 Jan 2025 by OperationChowhound
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Added by eravencroft on 09 May 2014
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186 Reviews
First Review by s1ave4sing1n
irise102
Points +1155
Delicious plant based dinner!! - Edit
We loved the fact that the restaurant was 100% plant based and that there was a large variety of foods offered on the menu.
Read moreWe ordered a majority of the dishes for our group to share. The potato croquettes and the house fries were yummy. The aioli that came with the fries was really good. The dip for the croquettes was a bit spicy as were some of the other items on the menu.
The Korean style crispy tofu was so hot that the person in our group that loves spicey food could not even enjoy it. However, we had plenty of other dishes that were delicious. My favorites were the sliders with the little gerkins pickle on top and the caramelized eggplant bao buns. The eggplant bao bun dish was really different and had so much flavor. I also liked the brassica salad with falafel. And the “lamb” kofta did not look so appetizing, but it was really delicious.
The avocado toast was just okay and the oyster mushroom calamari just tasted fried - it lacked flavor and could have used a dipping sauce.
We tried the whiskey bread pudding and the molten chocolate cake. The bread pudding had such an off putting taste that we could not enjoy it. The waiter removed it from our bill without our need to ask. Speaking of service - it was really good. The waiter was attentive as were the bus boys who removed our many empty plates and refilled our bottles of mint water.
Updated from previous review on 2024-06-02
Pros: Delicious food!, Great service!
Cons: Too dark inside. Need flashlight to read menu.
Guest
MatthewStein
Points +94
Totally fine, nothing more - Edit
Snazzy atmosphere, aesthetic menu, solid drinks, slightly above average and not particularly creative food. Our pasta was unevenly cooked and underseasoned but had potential. The meatballs were tasty but processed crap, with a delicious ricotta that wasn't any further elevated from the Isa Chandra recipe I regularly make at home. I'd give this a 4 normally, but IMO their expectation setting sets them up for failure.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-05-19
Guest
scottlovesanimals
Points +601
One of the best vegan spots in the world - Edit
From the candlelit ambiance to the fantastic dishes and cocktails, this is a true gem. The Mediterranean platter is a must and the meatballs were one of my favorite vegan dishes I’ve had at a restaurant. The cocktails are top notch as well. Can’t recommend enough.
Read moreGuest
GaiaGoldman
Points +56
Enjoyable but somewhat disappointing - Edit
Great ambiance. We are longtime vegans and were stoked to try it. Disappointed to find out their sliders and lamb were both Beyond Meat-based and their cheese is Maverick brand - so not home made. It’s a clever take on bar food (half the plate on two dishes was greasy chips). We expected a more creative menu. Also, we had reservations at 7 PM, made weeks in advance, and they didn’t have our table ready until 7:25.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-03-04
Guest
p.wobble
Points +30
Great “tapas style” vegan option - Edit
This is a great place to grab small plates and drinks. My wife and I had the croquettes, fried kimchi tofu, charred shishito peppers, calamari fried oyster mushrooms and the bread pudding. Almost dish was solid (8/10) but we would have preferred a dipping sauce with the fried mushrooms. Even still, the dishes were amazing and the vibes were cute as [censored].
Read moreThe drinks weren’t as great. For the price, I’d forgo the cocktails (unless you really want to experiment), and just stick with the food. Frankly, the drinks are overpriced and just OKAY. 5/10.
In the future, we’ll order a ton of dishes and likely stick to beer and wine.
Guest
TheTofuTyrant
Points +2183
One of the best restaurants ever - Edit
I don’t even know where to begin. This is some of the best food I’ve ever had, and the atmosphere is cozy and romantic. I would recommend this place to absolutely everyone.
Read morePros: All vegan , Delicious , Great atmosphere
Guest
Lynnspiration
Points +305
I loved it - Edit
I loved the variety of different dishes and creative drinks. Went with a colleague who did not even realize it was vegan. We ordered numerous dishes and all were excellent.
Read moreGuest
meredithparker
Points +130
Nothing special - Edit
This place is a bar with food. It is not a restaurant.
Read moreThis place is cramped and extremely loud. It is impossible to have a conversation without screaming at the other people. It's also dark and extremely hot. If they want to make you feel like you're in hell, they achieved that but I don't know why that'd be a good thing.
The food is okay but nothing special. The potato croquettes are probably the best thing on their menu and they're basically hash browns. The food is not worth the pricing.
Also, if you go with more than 1 person, they force you to have even smaller plates and pick your "tasting menu" ahead of time. We made a reservation and they had us waiting for another 15 minutes past our reservation time because they didn't have the tables ready. It took 2 hours for them to serve us those small plates.
The water is served at the table with mint shoved inside the bottles but it doesn't actually flavor the water. So you get less water because the mint takes up so much room in the glass (which is definitely smaller than 750ml). On top of that, getting the servers to refill the water is literally hell. The restaurant is so dark, they don't notice when the carafe or your glass is empty.
The drinks were okay but again, nothing special. This place is not worth the hype. Not recommended. I would not go back. Be warned: this is a bar with overpriced nibbles. This is NOT a restaurant.
Updated from previous review on 2023-12-29
Pros: Drinks, Potato croquettes
Cons: Extremely loud, Cramped and hot, Menu is overpriced bar food
Guest
angelina242
Points +133
Not what I was expecting - Edit
The food was amazing and gorgeous and the waiters/waitresses were great but it was small, loud and hot. We went for a date night type thing and it was definitely just a bar with fancy food. Music was loud and everyone was screaming. The tables were about foot away from each other and the tables were just kinda small to have multiple dishes on. We were kissing elbows with people on both sides of us. And I don’t know what was going on with the heat but it was insanely hot in there we ate quick as we could then left bc we were both sweating.
Read moreGuest
whitneyellen
Points +397
Intimate, pricy small plates - Edit
This is a small place with a menu of expensive small plates. I'm into that, but it's not everybody's thing. Would be a good date night spot. Everything I tried was delicious, but it's not something I'd do often, was more of a date night traveling special treat than anything else. We tried the mushroom calamari, meatballs, and potato croquettes.
Read morePros: Intimate, Variety of veg forward dishes
Cons: Expensive, Small and loud
Guest
WHA
Points +1784
⭐️⭐️ - Edit
Not for me. Sorry. Started off on the wrong foot because this place is so cramped that people frequently bump into you just walking to/from their tables. Cramped and loud. Cocktails seemed like a bigger focal point than the food so I’m probably just not the target audience. Cramped, loud, dark, $16 cocktails is a specific date night aesthetic and I just wasn’t feeling it. The food I tried wasn’t worth the price for me. The potato croquettes ppl are raving about just taste like hash browns. 🤷🏻♀️
Read moreGuest
CRW
Points +697
Nothing else like it - Edit
We’ve been here twice when visiting Philly and there is nothing else like it that I’ve experienced in plant-based eating. It has amazing tapas, cocktails/mocktails, and energy. You probably want to make reservations if you have more than 2 people. Service is excellent and every bite we’ve had we’ve loved. My favorites are the Mediterranean Board (but if you don’t want to go that large at least get an order of the ricotta,) shishito peppers, fries, and the cauliflower. We also really liked the Bao Buns. The bread pudding is delicious but very strong with whisky and espresso flavors. We get the zero proof drinks and I adored the “No Regrets”
Read moreGuest
Veggi3Girl
Points +35
Charlie is Delicious! - Edit
Great small plate meal of entirely vegan fare. Got the Mediterranean Board, artichoke frites, and a couple ‘crab’ cake sliders. Only
Read morecomplaint: it was so freaking dark I could barely read the menu! You will want to make reservations, but there are a few bar tables if you want to play the odds and walk in.
Guest
hohuho
Points +48
First pricier vegan place I've been to that was worth the money - Edit
Been to a few higher-price-tag restaurants since moving to Philly and been mostly underwhelmed by their offerings: not here! The potato croquettes, sliders, Korean tofu, fries, meatballs, ricotta and more were all amazing. Recommend reserving ahead of time, as it's a smaller place and was a little tricky getting a table here the first couple times I tried. My new spot for special occasions!
Read moreGuest
laufruits
Points +130
had a lovely meal - Edit
get the ricotta for SURE. the variety made for a fun meal, plus as a vegan you don't often get to "try a little of everything" at a restaurant. the whiskey bread pudding was a treat and staff was warm and thoughtful. sidewalk tables available!
Read morePros: pleasant experience, variety of cuisines/flavors
Guest
mos67
Points +44
Great food and service, iffy atmosphere - Edit
2 words: potato croquettes 🤤 they were heavenly! And one of the cheaper food items, too (came with a chipotle aioli that was equally good). We also ordered the BBQ Fried Chicken (good, but personally didn’t feel like it was anything special), the Charlie’s Sliders (tasty, would order again), and the mac & cheese (also tasty, and great portion size). Overall, the food was really good and I’d love to come back and try other dishes. The service was also great, everyone was super friendly and helpful. My only small complaint was about the atmosphere - the tables were tight and very close together, we were probably a foot apart from the tables to our left and right. The restaurant also had quite dim lighting, so that combined with the tight tables made us feel claustrophobic. Otherwise, we had a positive experience and would definitely return!
Read moreGuest
hjohansen
Points +1950
Charlie probably was a sinner - Edit
The food was nice but very spicy. I had the Korean style crispy tofu with jabchae take-away. I liked that the menu was so varied, and that their concept was on point. It really felt like Charlie was a sinner when walking inside of the restaurant. The decor was dark, elegant, and there was a lot of velour.
Read morePros: Nice food, Fancy interior, Friendly staff
Guest
Plant_Powered_Doc
Points +339
Upscale plant-based food with eclectic atmosphere - Edit
Menu has plenty of plant based options and there is a full bar available, including non-alcoholic options. Great for a night out or date night. Interior is very dark. Happy Hour had lots of options to choose from. We would return again.
Read morePros: Lots of plants based options, Eclectic atmosphere
Cons: Expensive
Guest
Alenuncamas
Points +130
Sooooo good - Edit
This place was incredible! I had the Mediterranean board which was so delicious. I loved the in house made cheese. I would definitely come here over and over again.
Read moreIt was a little pricey, but I would definitely come back again just to treat myself!
Guest
AndreaLynne
Points +70
Great vegan restaurant - Edit
Charlie's is one of my favorite vegan restaurants in Philly. Last visit we had the Korean spicy tofu (delish!), ricotta (always order this when there), Mediterranean board (IMHO, not worth the regular price but we were there in time for happy hour), zucchini crab cake sliders (another fan favorite), eggplant bao buns (also always tasty), Mama's meatballs (meh).
Read morePros: good options, good cocktails
Cons: can be pricy, mint chocolate milkshake tastes like toothpaste
Guest
kebbkebb
Points +163
Cool atmosphere - Edit
Given the reviews, I think I was pretty hyped for this place and it didn’t fully meet my expectations. Our cocktails were great. The eggplant bao buns stood out but the other five dishes we shared (mezze, avo toast, fries, bbq chicken, asparagus) were good but I think if I came again I’d try other dishes.
Read moreGuest
Tmoss682
Points +4189
A Vegan Bar! - Edit
It was genuinely nice to order any drink and know it was vegan. Our bartender was amazing. He was raw and explained a lot about that type of diet. We didn't try the food but from what we saw, it seemed a little small for the price. The atmosphere was cozy and welcoming. I would recommend it to anyone visiting the city.
Read morePros: Location
Cons: Pricey
Guest
devonvolpe
Points +180
Awesome menu and even better cocktails - Edit
The food here is great for indulging and comfort favorites. For me the real highlight is the unique and extremely well made cocktails, as well as the romantic, moody ambiance. A reservation is definitely recommended because this place is a local hit and usually has long waits.
Read moreGuest
megness
Points +24
Fantastic Gourmet Menu - Edit
The whole restaurant menu is vegan, so that’s a joy just to begin with! We had some Shishido peppers, mac & cheese, spicy tofu, and calamari made from mushrooms. It was all really delicious and unlike Veg, the other local Philly fancy vegan restaurant, we had 2 tapas plates each and it was enough to fill us up. At Veg we had to have about four each and it cost around $200 for 2 of us. Our bill for 2 at Charlie Was a Sinner for 4 small plates and a dessert was ~$80. Delicious!!! Great service too.
Read moreGuest
StephanieLanger
Points +1092
Warm and cozy - Edit
Husband and I came here for a little late night evening drink recently. I loved the Minty Milkshake, it was delicious. I thought the service was good.
Read morePros: Interesting vegan Cocktails
Guest
DianeMM
Points +1702
What a treat! - Edit
Difficult making a decision (even from the smaller gluten free menu!); so many choices!! My husband and I shared 5 small plates (he is a meat eater and could not believe the lamb and calamari was plant based!) and took a lot of food home. You will not be disappointed!
Read moreGuest
VeganCatMomma
Points +687
Great Birthday Meal - Edit
I went here in August for my 18th birthday and the food was terrific! The portions were small, but what do you expect from a place with a primary focus on alcohol? They gave me a free scoop of sorbet of my choice because it was my birthday. Their Mac and cheese and mocktails are simply divine! I hope I can come back around at some point before my move!
Read moreGuest
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