Charlie’s Chowder House
1335 Marine Dr, Astoria, OR, 97103
Charlie’s Chowder House Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Astoria for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Astoria for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Astoria for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 5:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Miwako T.
I love the decor! Really. It's mostly Hawaiian-themed (even the place mats) but that's not all. Each table has different salt shaker and peppermill (some are animal-shaped, others are pepper-shaped, etc.). Food was ok. Having left the SF bay area long time ago, I've forgotten how much I hated sourdough, and that's exactly what I ordered (chowder in the sourdough bowl) so that's my fault. 8-) The chowder itself was good, though, and I loved it. I lalso loved the coconut & pineapple Italian soda. The kiddy was happy with his Angus hot dog. Re: (un)friendliness. The guy who waited our table was pretty friendly to us.
(4)Miss K.
In defense of my 5 stars... this place is everything right- it's totally it's own entity. We're talking barbie-mermaid diorama, bubble gum ice cream, sketchy bathroom, and food served in wicker baskets lined with chili pepper themed paper sheets. If you are looking for high-end seafood in a fine-dining setting- just go somewhere else. If you want Jambalaya with ham, shrimp, chicken AND bacon with a cup of stellar clam chowder served by an adorable late teen pup who's super friendly and sweatin' to keep everyone happy (even the crabby tourists) then have your table bussed by a clutzy gal who drops a piece of silverware every few feet before spilling the entire tub into the dish pit... then this is the place for you. The food was solidly good- sandwiches, cajun, chowder- all just great. Didn't try the espresso here- I gotta say, I'm doubtful that it's very good, but hey man- they've got coke in glass, go for that. I wish I had been able to sample more of their menu, but the sandwich my GF got was said to be "the best ham and cheese I've had in a long, long time"... and my girl eats a hell of a lot of sandwiches. eat here, let it go.
(5)Julie L.
I sort of struggled with how many stars to give this place. The place is locally owned (which I really like) and is decorated to suit the place and type of food. The food we ordered (shark burger and barracuda tacos along with chowder) were all perfectly good....maybe even really good. However, the restaurant was freezing cold (everyone was wearing heavy coats), the service was pretty slow (30 minutes to get food when there was just one other table that ordered before us) and the bathroom was a bit disgusting. Somehow, I don't find it appetizing to stand on a sticky floor in the bathroom. As an overall experience, 3 stars might be generous but the food was really good and the server was very friendly.
(3)Kody H.
When we came in, 6 out of the 10 tables had dirty dishes ALL over them. The waitress had to 'search' for a clean table for us. It is unsanitary and embarrassing to have your restaurant that messy. Also, it seemed like the staff didn't really mind the whole mess. Nobody apologized or started cleaning it up when we ordered either. In fact, clean up didn't start until we were 2/3rds done with our own meal. It was good food, but I'll never bring my friends here.
(2)c l.
we stopped here to eat while in Astoria. it was a sunday and most of the cafe's were closed and we didn't want to spend a lot. after looking at the menu, the only thing i ordered was an espresso. the inside of the cafe was interesting, there was a shelf full of books for sale, including history of OR books. the menu consisted mostly of sandwiches. they offered chili, soup and salads but nothing that really felt like a healthy meal or even a meal. the owner wasn't very friendly (is this an OR thing?). i notice this a lot here. do the shops not need the business or are the people working in them just grumpy? how can you be grumpy in such a beautiful place?
(2)Kathleen M.
Clam chowder-hurray!!! We were visiting Astoria for a day trip and stopped by to pick up some clam chowder to go. It was DELICIOUS! Not only did it have the requisite clams and potatoes, it had bacon and shrimp. What a delicious cup of soup. I would love to have some right now. Oh, and it was only five bucks.
(5)Sara T.
Four stars but.......while the chowder was the best I've had (and I try clam chowder every chance I get), the cleanliness of the cafe turned me off....the apron on the waitress could have stood by itself it was so filthy, and the silverware was a little iffy. GREAT chowder though.
(4)Katy H.
YUM! I've had chowder 3 days in a row and this was BY FAR the best! We ordered a half sandwich with it and they were both mouth-watering delicious. As if good food isn't enough reason to come, we also had the best service! You never come by waitresses as wonderful as ours was! She knew the menu well, was attentive, and VERY sweet! We will be back today to try one of their shakes everyone else is ordering. They are unique and not your everyday shake! This will be our go-to every time we come to Astoria now.
(5)Sal S.
The day we went there they couldn't use the frier for some reason . So no fish and chips or anything fried . The server told us the chowder was a little peppery that day . But it had so much pepper in it that you couldn't eat it . It was horrible . They should have thrown it out and started again . The fish tacos were ok . But could have used more fish . But the crab melt was good . The server was nice . I can take it or leave it . I will find some place else next time .
(2)Mercedes H.
Delicious chowder and tacos. Welcoming and laid back ambiance. Perfect for those who appreciate the finer tastes in life but can do without the fine dining atmosphere.
(5)Carrie P.
How do I sum up Charlie's in one review? So much going on here ... Let's start with the FOOD. Husband and I went here on the first Saturday of the month for dinner when they have their all you can eat steamer clam dinner. For $15 you really get your moneys worth with cole slaw, chowder, clams and bread. The steamers here were unlike I've ever had anywhere else. In more of a tomato base with plenty of parsley, feta, and kalamata olives sprinkled on top. I ate one too many bowls of chowder and left stuffed to the gills. Beer and wine selection leaves a lot to be desired. With two great breweries right here in town, they really should consider carrying some. Service: Hmmm....the server was pretty great. Young girl who might be aspiring to be a Portland Hawthorne Hipster type who works a few hours a day at a coffee shop and hula hoops in the park. She checked in on us a couple of times but if she would have checked sooner I wouldn't have had to wait so long for my refill of clams (I was there to get my moneys worth, after all!). It got busy towards the end of our meal and a check never came so we just went up and paid at the register. Not sure if that is the norm or not. Atmosphere: This is where I just can't fall in love with this place. It wasn't that clean. They also serve ice cream and espresso, so the place just doesn't really flow. When I arrived I went to use the restroom to find it locked...we were the only ones there. Finally after about 10 minutes I see a local transient type man coming out. He had been using the bathroom to clean up. OK. A little bit weird and some serious body odor smells in the bathroom. I quickly did my biz and got outta there. We were sitting by the window and about 3 times during our meal I looked up to see said man peering in the windows. Again, a little bit weird! I'd like to go back for lunch one of these days. The prices were very reasonable.
(3)Ryan L.
My bowl of chowder was more potato soup than clam chowder. "Where's the clam?" Oh, okay, there were a couple, but sheesh. And the side of garlic toast I ordered was nothing more than sliced sourdough, with garlic butter. The price for the bread was a buck ... so not too much ... but I did kind of expect something better than what came.
(2)Michelle J.
Ok, best freaking veggie tacos ever. i don't even know why, there very simple just corn tortilla with cheese, rice, beans, cabbage and a little cherry tomato. but there so good! i want to know what kinda magic they use to make them so GOOD( i tried to make them at home and its just not the same) also they have these cute Hawaiian beers that complement the subtle spice in to tacos perfectly. My bf had the chowder and he says its delicious, it looked so thick u could probably set the spoon on top and it would take awhile to sink. The only bad thing about this place is the sound system. i think they where playing the 'red hot chilli peppers' but all i heard was static, i had to ask the girl waiting on us to turn it off, i really hope that get that fixed because i will be back. All in all a great experience and all we spent less than 20 bucks!
(4)Hungry G.
Manhattan chowder is hard to find so I thought I'd try this 4Star Yelp gem. Oops. Chowder was old and too much canned pepper. "Three cheese grilled cheese on sourdough" was a slice of American on dry white toast... crab melt was puny and more greasy cheese and celery than crab. Just hoping all the pepper in that chowder wasn't there to disguise improper food handling practices.
(1)Emily S.
I adore the Oregon coast and seafood but this has to be one of the worst restaurants I have ever eaten at. To be fair, the chowder was decent although nothing to rave about - I would give it 3 1/2 stars. The rest of the food though was awful. I ordered the crab melt - the cheese was quite rubbery and only halfway melted. There was very little crab. Instead it was mostly green and red peppers (which are ingredients I haven't seen used before to make a crab melt) and onions. For 12 dollars I expected much more. My friend's oysters were so salty they were absolutely inedible. She ate two of them and couldn't finish. I ate half of my crab melt before giving up. We both felt terrible because the waitress was really nice and it wasn't her fault. However, I've never before left a restaurant and left most of the food on my plate. One other comment - the decor is Hawaiian and most of the seafood on the menu is not from the Oregon coast. While some people might appreciate that, I visit the Oregon coast to eat fresh locally caught fish. If I eat tuna or crab I want it to come from somewhere near Astoria, not from Hawaii or the east coast or wherever. That, however, is my personal preference.
(1)Melanie J.
After driving around Astoria for a good half hour, my boyfriend and I stumbled upon this place! Since it was Sunday morning (and Father's Day), every restaurant around town seemed to be packed. We looked at the menu posted on their window before deciding to sit down in here. We were helped right away. My boyfriend decided to get the SHARK TACOS (Yes, SHARK!) and a cup of their famous Astoria chowder. I also got a cup of chowder and a PB&J. We didn't have to wait very long for our food either. The shark tacos were so delicious! The waitress even said they were her favorite. I travel to Cannon Beach once or twice a year and I will definitely be stopping here the next time I'm in Oregon.
(5)Fred F.
I saw an article in Sunset Magazine earlier this year that mentioned Charlie's Chowder House as being "a local lunch hangout that makes the most delicious, most clam-filled chowder ". Since I am in Astoria frequently and always looking for a good restaurant, I stopped in for lunch. Bottom line: Good service, good food, and the right atmosphere for Astoria. Try the chowder. They put their own twist on it and it is some of the best I have had. I also had the fish tacos which were delishious.
(4)Gregg C.
I had a great time at Charlie's on Jan 11th. I needed a place to get a nice dinner and hang out for a bit while my team played a game at the high school. My waitress was very nice and attentive. I had a spectacular seafood plate that featured grilled Salmon, a tuna steak and some shrimp. It was one of the best seafood meals I've had in a long time. After dinner, I enjoyed chatting with.....Sasha, a very funny. ( and animated woman! (worth the price of admission alone! ) I can't wait to go back and try something else.....and keep those cute girls company. :) Hush
(5)Lisa D.
This is a smaller restaurant with only one grill, but we had some really excellent food here. Service was very friendly - our waitress was super chipper and very knowledgeable about the area and various tourist attractions. Who knew so many movies were filmed in Astoria? Not me! Food did not arrive super fast but when it did, it was delicious! The mahi mahi tacos were outstanding, probably because the fish was very fresh and well prepared. The bison chili was also very good, with a nice cumin flavored broth that the crackers soaked up. Would definitely come back here again.
(4)Bill B.
Had a bowl of clam chowder and some toasted bread that really hit the spot today! A hint of spice really gave the chowder the zing that pushed it over the top. Had a bit of trouble finding the place thoigh - the yelp map was incorrect by a couple of blocks.
(4)Laura Y.
Sunday the 1st must have been one of the busiest days in Astoria that I have ever seen. We found this place using the Yelp Ap on my phone. I wish I would have read more of the reviews before heading in for lunch. Craving chowder this place seemed to be the best option. We first sat outside and waited the better part of 5 minutes without being acknowledged - I then went inside to ask for menus and mentioned we were outside waiting. Now I thought they must be super busy, but when I went inside there was only 2 of the 8 or 9 tables with anyone at them? Remember this was a busy day in Astoria - that should have been my first clue. We finally got menus. Decided what we wanted and waited again - this time for about 10 more minutes.... When the waitress came out she said we had to move inside as the "patio" area was part of their bar and minors were not allowed (had my 2 boys with me and my Husband).. We ordered to get the food coming, and moved inside and sat down. We ordered 3 bowls of chowder ($6.00) each, and a cup of chowder and salad $7.50) also a large order of garlic bread ($3.50) and sodas. We waited another 20 - 25 minutes for our food - in this time we watched at least 3 or 4 couples come in - sit - wait and leave because it was taking too long or they were out of everything. Food was ok - the chowder was good - not the best I've had, but respectable. The salad was a little too "rustic" for my taste but ok - the toast was just that white bread with garlic butter that was grilled.... no thanks.... Had to use the rest room which was out of paper towels and toilet paper...fortunately there was a supply closet inside the rest room unlocked and I snagged a roll from there to use. Not very clean.... reminder use the rest room before you order tells you alot about how clean the place is!!! Our tab was $33 for the 4 of us and we were all still hungry, service was so slooooowwwww. I wouldn't go there again.
(2)Kyle R.
ice cream? check. espresso? check. food? check. bar? check. friendly staff? check. live music? check. We just came for the ice cream...and it was AMAZING. I got the lemon meringue pie...DELICIOUS! so yummy. located just off the main drag in downtown. In downtown Astoria, it's very walkable, so just park anywhere and have fun!
(5)Elwood P. D.
Charlie's is one of those places that could be very, very good if they could only realize that food is only one of the ingredients that puts a place over the top....service is just as important. Go to Charlie's if you like a well balanced chowder. Don't go to Charlie's if you expect your server to give a s**t. I have been here twice and enjoyed the food. Both times I wasn't sure if I was doing the customer thing right because the server either was too busy (one two other people in place) or perhaps I made a mistake and was suppose to order at the counter. After sitting for a few minutes I got up and went to the counter, where the server was, and asked for a menu. She gave it to me and told me she would be by my table to take my order. All the while looking like she had better things to do than wait on me. I can only assume it must be hard to get people to work here. I know Astoria is a laid back town but this was a bit excessive. Again, I would come back for the food when I have a newspaper to read while I wait. I am posting a much more positive review for the attached Tiki Bar.
(3)D F.
Good seafood at a reasonable price. Funky place; friendly service. Excellent clam chowder: thick and chunky. I had the Crab Melt, and found it excellent; good amount of crab, not overpowered by the peppers and onion. My picky son had the same, except w/o the tomato on top, and he liked his. Wife had chowder, and shared daughter's breaded oysters. The breading was heavy, but the oysters were big and tasty. Tartar sauce was good; cocktail sauce was excellent, with a horseradish bite.
(4)Dave H.
Cute place but terrible service. Only one waitress working. We ordered 2 bowls of clam chowder and 1 plate of fish tacos 1 ice tea and 1 water. We waited 45 minutes to get our food. We had to ask for our drinks after 25 minutes. A couple behind us that was sitting there when we sat down cancelled their order and walked out. I am not sure how they can survive with lacking customer service. On a good note the clam chowder was good but not worth waiting 45 minutes for.
(1)Ajay H.
Service friendly if not real busy. Chowder good, but not best. Gumbo definitely not spicy enough. Jambalaya pretty decent.
(3)Wendy B.
Just stopped for lunch here on our way down the coast to go to Manzanita. I can't speak for the inside because I waited outside while my husband and kids went in to place order that we took to go. I love fish tacos so I got the mahi mahi. They had a good flavor, but were nothing special. Pretty basic. Was hoping for a good sauce or something. My oldest son (10 yo) had the chili. He said it was good and spicy. He says 4 1/2 stars out of 5! My youngest (8 yo) had the ham and cheese. He says it was really good cheesy taste! My husband had the open face crab sandwich and clam chowder. He said it was pretty good. Overall, just ok.
(3)Kevin B.
Possibly the best chowder I have had in Astoria. They have coffee and chowder, but have a full menu. They also have a bar next door. The decor is simple and not fancy. It is themed like a beach house. Prices are great... They have wifi, something I normally look for now
(4)Dora C.
The service was super slow. It took 25-30 minutes to get our first dish. The fish Tacos were dry. Stick with the chowder.
(1)Mindah B.
Just moved to the west coast and have been seeing this trend in ridiculously slow service, drives me nuts but; I'm getting used to it. This place however takes the cake. Can't speak for the food, didn't get that far. Service? What service? The lady working there was on her phone and didn't get off her phone, my husband and I stood there like two idiots waiting for about 5 minutes while she was on her phone. We left, won't be back. How do places like this even stay open? FAIL.
(1)Angela A.
Had a pretty awful experience here. The moment we walked in they informed us they were out of chowder (what?!). Eventhough we had come for the chowder, we decided to stay and order something else off the menu since we were starving. We ordered some sandwhiches then the server comes back to let us know they're closing the restaurant and kicking everyone out because they have no chowder. She had to go ask the cook if he could make our sandwiches since we had already ordered. He agreed, but then the server returned a third time to let us know there's no ham for the sandwich I ordered. That was pretty much the last straw, so we walked out.
(1)Terry M.
Doing a chowder taste testing and this is fabulous stuff! Full of clams, baby reds, celery, carrot, mini bay shrimp, bacon and a great herb I couldn't identify. Yummy !! Only found one other that was just slightly better with a smokey flavor. I would come back here in a heart beat as this gets a 5 when it come to flavors, just the tight thickness and a much better price. Gotta look at everything. Thanks, Charlie!
(5)Becky W.
I was a bit skeptical at first because there was only two other people in the place and it smelled old inside but the chowder was amazing! It had large chunks of bacon and loads of clams. The garlic toast was a great way to sop up the bits at the bottom of the bowl. If you like chowder this is a great place to go.
(4)Jinnie W.
Very poor service and really bad food. We had the chowder and it was very salty and watery. The fish tacos were dry and tasteless and the taco shell was dry. Definitely keep driving and yelping. Don't stop here.
(1)Martel S.
They had no fryer and no expresso machine. Basically half there menu was intact. Not impressed!
(2)Brodie S.
They didn't have any other flavors of milkshakes besides chocolate very disappointing
(1)Garrett K.
No mi gusta. Veggie chilli was inedible, and chowder wasn't much better. Also didn't help that one of us ordered a hamburger and after eating most of it noticed that the muatard he had put on it expired a year and a half ago.
(1)