The place
Recently opened on Changshu Lu in Piro's former space, Charlie's is a cheerful looking fast food joint selling burgers, hot dogs, grilled sandwiches, milkshakes and draft beer.
If you haven't been there before, the place is pretty hard to miss thanks to its brighter than bright sign. Inside, orders are taken at and collected from a main service counter. The space is functional and casual, but hey, it's a fast food joint not a burger restaurant.
The food
There's plenty of burgers and retro-ish fast food places in Shanghai, but we have to say, Charlie's hits the nail on the head for us. Prices are low, and portions are big. Most importantly, the food is prepared correctly.
One example is the bacon cheese burger, massive for RMB45. The regular is a bargainous RMB35.
The New York Hot Dog (RMB35), with sauerkraut, yellow mustard and ketchup was, well, a regular hot dog. And that's exactly what we wanted it to be. There's a time and a place for elaborate hot dog toppings, but for purists, this is one of the more 'garden-variety' we've found (so far).
Our favorite however, was the 'chashu grilled cheese' (RMB55), which might more accurately be called the hongshao rou (红烧肉) grilled cheese, since they're using the same five-layer fatty pork.
An equal hit with our Chinese and Western diners, this sandwich could seriously be the one to unite China with the West. Toasted white bread, melting, ultra-fatty braised pork with more cheese than can be possibly good for you.
Another hit is the 'awesome fries,' (RMB35) a copy of riff on In 'n' Out's animal fries. Charlie's does theirs up with burger sauce, caramelized onions and 'liquified cheese.'
Also a specialty of Charlie's is the milkshakes (all RMB35), which are so full of ice cream that the straws stand straight upright (they'll give it you for free if it doesn't). Green tea and chocolate were both very rich and pretty much a meal in themselves.
Alternatively, they've got a bunch of beers on tap from RMB20, and soft drinks like iced tea (RMB20), fresh lemonade and Arnold Palmers (both RMB25).
Food verdict: 2.5/3
The vibe
Service is friendly, but firmly in line with a fast food joint. While they're happy to take your food to the table, fetch napkins and so on, expect to place orders and pay at the service counter. Find ample seating upstairs and also out front on the mini terrace.
Charlie's is also very pet friendly. There's 'parking spot' tethers and a water trough outside, and a menu specially for dogs with things like peanut butter and bacon dog biscuits (RMB25) or unseasoned patties (RMB20).
Vibe verdict: 1/1
Value for money
Burgers are now kind of a big deal in Shanghai, and while lots of them are pretty dece, they can be pricey too. Charlie's prices are low, and taste-wise the food fulfils our burger requirements and more. We'll definitely be returning here.
Value for money: 1/1
TOTAL VERDICT: 4.5/5
Price: RMB40-100 per person
Who's going: locals and expats
Good for: dog owners, burgers, hot dogs, milkshakes, beer, casual dining, fast food
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