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Exterior - The Charles, Reading, MA

The Charles

4.4 (102)
$31 to $50
American
614 Main St, Reading, MA 01867

Make a reservation

A photo of The Charles restaurant

The Charles

4.4
$31 to $50
American
Reading

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for live music
  • Good for special occasions
The Charles is a modern American Restaurant with craft cocktails, live entertainment and an old Hollywood Vibe! New to Reading, which is fast becoming a beautiful walkable downtown location, with new new restaurants, new stores to shop at and we are happy to add The Charles to your choice of dining and entertainment choices. We are located right in the center of town which is easily accessible from 93 or 128/95 with a very short drive. Located right next door to the up and coming famous award winning Bunratty Tavern, you can't miss us.
Open for Dinner Thurs-Saturday 5-10pm. Available for Private Functions Sun-Wed and Saturday during the day.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Italian, Mexican
  • Hours of operation
    Thu, Fri 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Catering
    We offer great options of appetizers, full and half tray entrees, and dessert. To see our full list of offerings please check out our website!
  • Private party facilities
    Any and all events! Call us at 781-779-8246 to set up your next private event!
  • Neighborhood
    Reading
  • Cross street
    Haven Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking or Public Lot of Woburn Street
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at The Charles.

4.4

4.4
(102)
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

102 Reviews
  1. Jody Gold

    Greater Boston32 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 29, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This restaurant is a hidden jewel. The food is outstanding but it has limited hours so check before you come. I had the chicken piccata and it was better than I have had anywhere else including the famous North End of Boston. The prices are reasonable. The service is good. Salads and vegetables are very fresh. Drinks are also good. Their Chef’s choice is usually a good cut of meat. The pork chop when available is tender and juicy.

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  2. Michele

    West Palm Beach1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 28, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Love this place! Excellent food and drinks! Fantastic Band Three for a Dime!! Fun atmosphere!

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  3. Dan Gold

    Greater Boston4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 11, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was outstanding. The service was great, even when one order was messed up. The manager went out out of his way to call us and let us know that the kitchen would be closing shortly after our reservation, just to give us a heads up. 

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  4. Jon

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 27, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Need a break from the noise? Try The Charles...with great variety of food choices, a good wine selection, and live music !

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  5. Lisa

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 26, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Slow night for a Thursday, but service, food and atmosphere were great. Chelsea was courteous and pleasant as our server and bartender😊 The owner spent time with us and we talked about the decor and how the restaurant came to be. Food was very good will definitely go back!

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  6. Sue

    Greater Boston7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 30, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was excellent, specials are always amazing! Chelsea the bartender makes great drinks and MTPockets the duo playing was fantastic!!

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  7. Nick

    Greater Boston1 review

    1.0

    Dined on June 27, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Never got to go in they closed early right at our reservation.

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  8. Phil Gold

    Greater Boston11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    First time there. Loved all the nostalgic photos on walls. Server was attentive and friendly. Dinner was delicious! Definitely a new favorite place of mine.

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  9. Carol

    Greater Boston26 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent service from our waitress. She was very attentive to our requests and dining needs. Food was delicious. Great evening with friends (table of 7). Look forward to returning soon.

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  10. Chris Gold

    Greater Boston180 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 29, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was very good (short rib was a bit dry overall very tasty). We choose to go on this night because there was no one performing in the restaurant. We love music and performing arts but when anyone is there playing/singing it is impossible to have a conversation over dinner - we usually check the website before heading over to be sure no one is performing. Of course if you like music and don't want to have a conversation with your other diners then go anytime :) We will be back.

    Is this helpful?

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Italian, Mexican
  • Hours of operation
    Thu, Fri 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Catering
    We offer great options of appetizers, full and half tray entrees, and dessert. To see our full list of offerings please check out our website!
  • Private party facilities
    Any and all events! Call us at 781-779-8246 to set up your next private event!
  • Neighborhood
    Reading
  • Cross street
    Haven Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking or Public Lot of Woburn Street
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

FAQs

The Charles shines on weekend nights for live music, while Thursday evenings tend to be much quieter, a good choice if you prefer a calmer dinner.

Saturday evenings are the pick if you want live music, The Charles regularly hosts weekend bands and guests praise the live entertainment.

Guests frequently note generous servings, for example, reviewers call the beef ribs a "very healthy portion, " and one guest describes the seafood scampi as mussels, four shrimp and a piece of cod.

Thursdays tend to be quieter at The Charles, one guest specifically noted it was a "slow night for a Thursday, " while service and atmosphere remained great.

The Charles offers an old‑Hollywood, music-forward vibe, craft cocktails, live entertainment, and nostalgic photos on the walls create a warm, fun dining room where local musicians often perform.

Casual dress, comfortable, informal attire is appropriate; nothing formal is required.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Greater Boston
  4. Boston Metro North
  5. Reading

Make a reservation

A photo of The Charles restaurant

The Charles

4.4
$31 to $50
American
Reading

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
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