Going back to Charlie's

Since my first visit to Charlie's almost two years ago, I have been a frequent visitor of their Pasig branch where I have discovered a number of favorites aside from their Black Angus burger and Original Buffalo Wings. Through regular visits, I've tried their Strawberry milkshake, Cheese steak sandwich and a lot more. I guess it's due to its close proximity to my workplace making it one of my top choices when dining out with colleagues.

How I wish Charlie's would open somewhere closer to my home in order for me to frequent this with Paul.

Guess Charlie's heard my prayers as they opened a new branch along Ortigas Avenue just a stone's throw away from our home. Yay!

One weeknight with no dinner prepared at home, we decided to take a short drive to Charlie's second branch to satisfy Paul's burger and my buffalo wings cravings.

Parking at the basement of Ronac Art Center is limited. So it's best to go early especially during dinner time. Initially, we thought this particular Charlie's branch might not draw in a big crowd given that it's a couple of blocks away from the Greenhills Shopping Center and is pretty out of the way compared to the other commercial establishments along Ortigas Avenue. Boy, were we in for a big surprise to see Charlie's Grill and Grind filled hungry customers and there's even group of people already waiting outside. Note that this was a weeknight!

Similar to their Pasig branch, we had to place our order first before heading to our table. Paul knew exactly what to get while I dilly-dallied in front of the menu board still clueless on what to have for dinner. Finally, I headed up to the counter and ordered the following:

Black Angus Burger with Fries (Php. 195). This was my first Charlie's favorite. I love the juicy burger patty matched with a slice of cheese and huge veggie pieces. We also make it a point to order this with their homemade fries that's perfectly salted just the way I like it. For this particular visit, this burger satisfied Paul's craving as he happily enjoyed this bite after bite.

Half a Dozen Honey Dijon Buffalo Wings (Php. 170). The funny thing about us is that we love buffalo wings but we are not huge fans of the spicy kind. It's a good thing that Charlie's now has a Honey Dijon variant that has a mild sweet, tangy flavor complementing the bleu cheese dip that comes with it. I love the crunchy coating and the tender chicken meat inside. Also, Charlie's obviously did not scrimp on its ingredients as the size of their buffalo wings is pretty big!

Fish and Chips (Php. 220). This one I wish we could have done without. After enjoying my first try of Fish and Chips in their Pasig branch, I was a bit disappointed to be served with a semi dry deep fried dory that just tasted so greasy in every bite. The tartar sauce was pretty ok but it still wasn't good enough to make up for the satisfactory quality of the fish. Will just skip this one next time.

We had a very filling meal but agreed to save some space for a cup of yogurt from Yoggle next door. We're glad to have Charlie's Grill and Grind in the neighborhood. Now, there's more places to visit whenever a burger or buffalo wings craving arise.

Charlie's Grill and Grind is located at the Ground Floor of the Ronac Art Center along Ortigas Avenue, San Juan City. They also have a branch along East Capitol Drive, Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City. For advance orders you may call them at 0923-4964747.