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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183 Reviews
First Review by s1ave4sing1n
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 +2174
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 +286
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 +118
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 +1628
⭐️⭐️ - 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 +681
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
HenrietteJohansen
Points +1599
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 +66
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 +139
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 +3220
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 +170
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 +970
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 +1376
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
laura8it
Points +672
Good Monday option - Edit
I’d heard about this for years and was excited to finally visit while I was in town for work. As a bonus, it was pretty much the only place open on a monday night. The calamari and hasselback potato were both great, and the fried chicken and lava cake were good, as well as the cocktails. The overall experience was good and I’d recommend it, but for the price, Vedge is better.
Read moreGuest
MichelleP36
Points +1973
Good food, poor service - Edit
We started out with the potato croquettes, which were phenomenal, and then it was downhill from there. The bao buns were next best, and then we felt the lamb, sweet potato, taco, and drinks were pretty average. Service was rather poor, which put a damper on the experience. With all the amazing vegan restaurants in philly, we will probably not come back to this place.
Read moreGuest
DTS
Points +1217
Awesome team dinner - Edit
Tasty Team dinner, loved the “crab” cakes, crispy tofu, shishito peppers and Maitake “calamari” with kale 🌱
Read moreDelicious Drink: Army Navy
My colleague had a birthday and they bright a wonderful sorbet with a candle after we paid
Guest
PC12345
Points +173
Good food as usual - Edit
My daughter and I went there the other night. We ordered nine different items and had three different drinks. All were great.
Read morePros: Consistently good food, Good house drinks, Good service
Cons: Not introvert friendly (it was full capacity), The tables are close together, A little too dark for my old eyes to see the menu
Guest
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