Love, love eating here for Mother’s Day! They had the restaurant well staffed to seat you quickly! Customer service was outstanding! The banana walnut pancakes were delicious! Couldn’t have asked for a better dining experience!

Probably the best veggie omelet I have ever had

Great place, family friendly, food was delicious

Visiting my dad in Escondido and just arrived and it was close to closing and they stayed late for us. Fantastic customer service and the ladies were so helpful. Portions were great and price was reasonable. Outside in theur dining area enjoying the late sunset with a light breeze keeping it comfortable. Great experience for me as a first timer there.

A tad nondescript looking from the outside, Charlie's has a very inviting diner feeling on the inside. I've been meaning to visit for a while and finally did for the first time today, and I plan to come back! They serve nice sized portions for a good price for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu is fantastic and I actually had a borderline difficult time deciding what to eat, because I wanted to try so much! Fast, efficient, friendly staff work here as well. I highly recommend Charlie's for whatever mealtime you choose.

BEST Southern Style Fried Chicken....took me back when my grandma use to make it😊 Crunchy OUTSIDE & moist inside. No grease at ALL SERVICE was phenomenal. We were a big table and NEVER had to ask for anything. She was🐾🍷🐶☺🐥 amazing

If you want a to feel like your at home with family and eating moms home cooked comfort food, this is the place. I've been going here for over 10 years and will continue for many more. Besides the food being outstanding, the service and hospitality was great. If u want the best breakfast, I recommend the corn beef hash. The soups are made fresh daily. The prices are the best in town for the amount of food you get. It is a must to try Charlie's if you haven't already.

Service was excellent. Food is good. I had the Eggs Benedict and it was cooked so well. It is hard to find a hollandaise sauce that doesn't need something added to it such as salt or pepper, but here it was perfectly made. Our drinks were refilled before we even had to wait. Such a sweet and attentive waitress we had.

Did take out for lunch in November. Service was friendly, proportions were good. I got the chilli burger and my husband had the 1/2 BBQ chicken. The chicken was really good, moist meat and good sauce. The mashed potatoes were kind of a let down but overall it was a good meal. The chilli was the star of my burger. I'd definitely eat at Charlie's again. Family atmosphere, and what seems to be homemade food. 10/10

The host was awesome. He was very personable. Made you feel like you were a guest in his home. Had a slight problem, but it was taken care of quickly. I will be going back and highly recommend this restaurant.

When you're talking about old fashioned traditional, home style food Charlie's is probably one of the last of the last in the area. I know the owner has been running for many many years and many of the ones working there have been there a long time. It's probably my very favorite place to go when I want something very traditional meat and potatoes, etc... Their prices are pretty much at the level of everyone elses but even so say for about 15 to $20 a person you can have a really good quality old fashioned dinner with all the extras that come with it. Whatever they do they do it extremely well. Very highly recommended!

Absolutely love the atmosphere of this place! Everyone is so kind and it made me to happy to be here! Yummy food too!

Family-owned old-style diner. Reliably good comfort food, friendly efficient staff, nothing fancy. The kind of place where it's easy to become a regular. I've had no complaints ever in years of visits, and always get exactly what I expected.

This is where the locals eat. I have multiple food allergies including Celiac Disease and lactose intolerance, but I was able to eat here. The staff was very accommodating and helpful 's with the menu or adapting it. It was like I stepped back in time with some the decor (50's or 60's). It was comfortable and friendly. There is outside seating that is covered too. A banquet room is available. I have business in this area every month. I have found a jewel! i will be back again.

Great food, excellent service, up-beat pleasant environment and prices that are very good. Expect to take half of your meal home. Especially if you get a slice of one of their fabulous pies foe desert. This is a family owned and operated restaurant. Their pride and years of personal investment are obvious.

Very good family restaurant. I live out of state but go there every time I’m in town.

It was early for a Wednesday dinner so there were few cars in the lot. And the way the place looks, we almost turned away, but decided to take a chance. Boy we’re glad we did. The food and the service were great! Three of our party had gluten free sandwiches, the one cook in our group smelled the fried chicken upon entry, and it lived up to his expectations. Get a slice of pie for dessert. They’re home made, including the whipped cream.

What an outstandingly comfortable place for a reasonably priced meal. Beer and Wine and Pie! One street north of Grand Ave. - E. Pennsylvania at 2100 N Ivy St.

We enjoyed our breakfast yesterday the food was good excellent customer service.

Great family cooked meals .

Top sirloin for breakfast. Home fries were good.

Great restaurant from breakfast to dinner. Had dinner, cabbage and corned beef, fantastic!

This place is AMAZING! It was our 1st time here and we'll definitely be back. It was completely packed when we got there (always a great sign👍) and it still didn't take more than 5 minutes to seat us. The restaurant is so cute with its decor and atmosphere, all the ladies were sweet and friendly, service was top notch and it didn't end there. Food came out quick, hot, and delicious!! Prices are fair and portions are generous. We even made some new friends during our visit! Our family will be making this a regular spot and will recommend to all our family and friends. Keep up the great work!!!

Had dinner with our grandkids. The wait staff were super friendly and attentive. Our dinners were excellent. The club sandwich was good. My 3meat inlet was fantastic. We ordered fried zucchini and it was great. The kids were tired and didn't eat much, so I had some of their pancakes. We ordered some amazing cheesecake to go and enjoyed it the next day. This is a classic old family dinner, not a chain. It looks it, but not in a bad way. My only negative is the condition of the toilet facilities. They were old and tired, in need of modernization. Not HC accessible at all.

Very clean relaxing atmosphere. Exceptional food and great service.

Friendly service and a tasty and wide selection of chicken sandwiches.

This is your old time, home style, cafe. Family run since 1992. They specialize is home style cooking and it is always delicious! The staff is wonderful and many of them have been there for many years. You feel welcome as soon as you walk in the door. You might even see Charlie himself! They always have fresh flowers on the table , cut fresh from his garden. It's not fancy, but it is comfortable. We love this place! They are open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from 6:00 a.m. (Sundays 7:00 a.m.) to 8:00 p.m. and are open every holiday. If you have a large group they have a banquet room for you.

We all tried something different and everyone of us loved what we got. Hot roast beef sandwich, ham and cheese omelette with yummy hashbrowns, teriyaki chicken, fish and chips and the French dip. Then we rounded it all out with homemade pies. Amazing. We had coconut banana and butterscotch five stars +5 stars equals 10 stars Service was amazing. Wish we didn’t live 3000 miles away and we could visit more often!!!

I love Charlie’s. Been coming here since I was a kid. It was my mom’s favorite restaurant and the people that work there always remember us(my father and fiancé) when we come in. Food is great, atmosphere is very much diner. Love it!

Really a great place to visit and eat. I've had the navy bean soup I've had the split pea soup and anything you ordered is excellent including pumpkin pie

If you want great food, with such friendly service, then this is a great place to go! The service is so welcoming when you arrive, and the food quality reminds you of a great family style meal. We really enjoy coming here, and will continue to do so when we come back in town!

My wife and I stopped mid-day and greeted the moment we came in the door with an upbeat welcome. Our server was friendly, prompt, and knowledgeable. Will definitely return and recommend. 🐱

California Benedict was so good, I forgot to take a picture before diving in. Friendly service, lots of food options, and breakfast served all day. Will come again for sure!

People were very nice here. Great service!

I absolutely LOVE Charlie's Restaurant. I've been going to Charlie's to eat and enjoy family time there for many years. It's always one of my top-choices when I'm in the mood for quality home-style cooking at an affordable price where I can be comfortable and relaxed to really enjoy it. My visit there on Mother's Day was a perfect ending to a really great day. Thank you, once again Charlie's for another great memory, a great restaurant choice for any occasion

Cute hidden gem in escondido. Great home style breakfast. Great value. Great service

I love the food! It's always so good, love the service. They're wonderful! I had my graduation party here, making it feel all the more special!

This is one of the best real diner experiences left in San Diego. Everybody has had a special place you love, go out of business. It's happening everyday. Because I work all over the county, we usually grab something out once a day. You better cherish your favorite place and visit it often, you might show up one morning and it'll be gone. I don't think Charlie's is going anywhere soon. They are just too good to let that happen. If you're in the area go by and see for yourself!

Great food and great people always great service here at go above and beyond.

Think back to the last time you saw one of those cute lil family diner places in movies and you’re like, “That’s cute! So cozy and family friendly… I’d love to go to a place like that.” Kind of like the bar in Cheers where everyone knew your name. Down home, friendly, cozy, and well… when we walked through the door, it felt like we just walked into a warm hug. That is EXACTLY how mom and I felt when we walked into Charlie’s. The menu is full of all the comfort foods you’d find at a local diner in a small town in Texas, but right here in our own backyard of north county. I got the half plate of French Toast with bacon, as I get full fast. Mom on the other hand ordered a Ham and Cheese Omelette. It was huge! She had enough food to take home for another full meal! There were so many different omelettes to choose from. If you can think it, Charlie’s can make and serve it. The plates are so full, everyone was leaving with take home containers of leftovers. You want more bang for your buck? Go to Charlie’s! You won’t regret it and you’ll want to write your own review. They deserve the recognition of quality food and service. Service was quick, food was great, place was clean,atmosphere was cozy, and the host at front was so cheerful and welcoming, he felt like an old friend glad to see every customer and hoping we’d all return again soon. That is five out of five. So yes, 5 star review. As a matter of fact, just reviewing it, I think I’m ready to take mom back again already! So if you’ll excuse me time to go get my Yum on!

Super nice staff. Great classic diner food served quickly. Prices are very reasonable. Will return next time I'm in town.

Absolutely amazing find! Tried to get some pictures but honestly it was all gone too fast. Atmosphere is a nice old style diner, service was friendly and prompt, good was spectacular. Definitely returning.

A great value each a every time. Charlie's Special is the best meal for me! I usually don't finish the meal, because they give you so much, so my husband help me out. Excellent food and an awesome environment. The waitresses are the best too! We just keep going back!

It's sad America has lost most of the local restaurants like this. A friendly smile at the door, waitresses that feel like you grew up together and cooks that really know their craft. I don't need or want some bohemian platter I've never heard of. Biscuits and gravy or Eggs Benedict done by someone who knows how to do it are what take me back to a better simpler time. Whenever we're headed out to eat this place is always at the top of the list, and is the list if it's breakfast for sure. Huge thumbs up here.

What a fantastic find! The service here was fantastic; the staff was knowledgeable and made great recommendations. The food was beyond delicious; I had the Belgian waffles, and they were the best I've ever had. The ambiance was cozy and chic, with just the right amount of natural light. This breakfast and brunch spot exceeded all my expectations. Can't wait to come back!

Such a lovely Family Owned restaurant. Came here for breakfast and everything was amazing. The staff is really nice and pay attention to detail. The busboy made sure my coffee cup was never empty and I loved that!!! A lot of restaurants tend to forget about you once they take your order, NOT HERE!

Extremely good! Large portions, great flavors, reasonably priced and our waitress was wonderful!

Came here with my wifey and loved everything! The corned beef hash was good but by far the most outstanding thing was their homemade coconut cream pie!! If I wasnt so full I would have had another slice to try another flavor! Like the banana cream... I bet that one is AMAZING!

Place has been here forever for a good reason. Great prices, food and service. You get your coffee almost before you sit down! I had the banana pancakes and they were the best pancakes I'd ever had. My friend had the Charlie's special and couldn't finish it. Great place always!

John Martinez

Split pea soup was so good and the pork roast was delicious. Our hostess was very polite and her recommendation on what to try made our experience here memorable. I would imagine the whole staff here make this restaurant live up to its name.

Matthew Blake

This place was very friendly food was excellent super fast super friendly staff made you feel very welcome definitely plan on returning.. all day breakfast got to love it :) thank you!

Ryan Frederick (Rynlox)

Lovely meal, one of the few places we could find an "Eggs Benedict". I'm used to the 'coney island' style breakfast spot and this hit the mark. Lastly I will say that we had an excellent experience with the staff. Lots of smiles At the door, the waitress was very cheery and went above and beyond with our youngest to entertain and keep them fulfilled.

Pam Reed

This is a fantastic place to eat, lots of choice of homemade food. We enjoyed every meal we ate (3 days), staff are fantastic and very welcoming, it was very quiet when we visited but that is because it was early evening. Dont put off by the outside and how quiet it is!

Kaylee Montanez

Food was really good and they have a wide variety of options on the menu. Atmosphere is cozy and welcoming and the staff was amazing! 10/10 would recommend.

Kaylee Montanez

If I could give more than 5 stars, I absolutely would! Charlie’s Family Restaurant is a true hidden gem in Escondido. From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted with the kind of warmth and coziness that instantly makes you feel at home. The atmosphere is beautifully nostalgic — an intimate, family-owned diner with classic charm, comfortable booths, and a welcoming counter that feels like it has countless stories to tell. The design is timeless, with little touches that make the space feel both inviting and special. It’s not just a restaurant — it’s the kind of place where you can slow down, connect, and truly enjoy yourself. You can tell that this is a family-owned spot where pride, love, and community are poured into every detail. What I loved most is how personal it feels. The staff are friendly and attentive, and you can sense that they genuinely care about the people who walk through their doors. The whole place radiates a sense of tradition and heart — and that’s rare to find these days. Whether you’re a local or just passing through, Charlie’s is the kind of diner that makes you want to stay a little longer, order another cup of coffee, and soak up the atmosphere. It’s cozy, welcoming, and unforgettable — everything a family restaurant should be. Thank you, Charlie’s, for such a wonderful experience. I can’t wait to come back again and again!

+6

David Haddox

I haven't been to a place like this in years. It's very much like an 80's cafe, and the service is excellent. You feel like part of a family! The food is straight forward. It's classic, too.

Meg Mango

I had the 2 eggs with bacon, home fried potatoes and sour dough toast. Eggs were over easy and cooked perfectly. Potatoes were cooked with onions and bell peppers and had flavor. Bacon was thin but crispy and delicious and good portion. The service was fantastic, I was greeted kindly when I entered and I sat myself and the waitress came right over to get my drink order. The staff were all friendly, attentive but not pushy. Great experience and I will definitely go back!!

Renee Bernal

Best little family restaurant I've been to. Great service, food, and atmosphere. Loved it all.

Micaela El Fattal

Delicious food and large, filling portions. The prime rib was absolutely delicious and affordable but it literally melted in my mouth. The condiments were given out generously so you don't have to ask for more (worshiresauce, etc). The food was also prepared quickly. Very reasonably priced. I would recommend.

Daniel Cheung

A nice relaxed restaurant. Classic feel with some good comforting foods. A large selection of courses from Breakfast through Dinner. Indoor and outdoor dining available for those who want to choose. There is a large banquet room in the back for large gatherings for any occasion. Went there for lunch but got some craving for breakfast. Delicious and satisfying meal all around. Service was quick and timely with a friendly cast of staff. Recommend for individual's, friends and family gatherings.

+2

Simple style home cooked diner food. Daily specials for breakfast lunch and dinner. Still better than fast food reasonably priced. Mornings mostly seniors. The place looks tired and in need of a really good remodel. But don't let the looks detour you, food is good, its inexpensive, the locals recommend it and its one of the last of those places where you get bargains and service with a smile.

I would go back there over and over if I lived closer. Things that I liked the most about Charlie's is the people. The breakfast food was really good. Homemade salsa and fast service were also really nice. Again, the friendly service along with home-style menu items makes Charlie's an overall great choice.

Food is tasty and typical of a family diner.

Good breakfast. I had the chicken fried steak and eggs. Good portion and meat was great. Gravy could have a little more flavor, but not bad. Home fries are great and good coffee. Important part of breakfast! Old fashioned good service. My friend had omelet and was very pleased. Worth a visit.

Charlie's Family restaurant was to accommodate our large family of 10 with no problems. Everyone loved there homemade pies! Kirk Regalia San Diego, California U.S.A.

Great service homestyle cooking, it has a mom and pop atmosphere for a home cooked meal. Surprisingly a very big menu to choose from. Not just your basic grand slam from Denny's they have many eggs Benedict and healthy choices to choose from too. I've only been there for breakfast.

Some of the nicest people on earth every time I've been there. Never disappointed and you must try the pies.

Outstanding food. Place is super clean, friendly service and most importantly the food come o you hot.

Friendly, efficient staff and reasonable prices. We went twice while I was visiting my sister. The first time we had the coconut shrimp which my sis devoured and I had the corned beef and cabbage which was almost as good as mine! The second visit my sis repeated the shrimp and I had one of the specials, pot roast. I would not recommend the pot roast. It was dry and the gravy was really greasy. But, dessert made up for it. We both had their lemon meringue pie and enjoyed it very much. I would also recommend the apple and the chocolate cream pies which we had the first time. In fact, I think all their pies might be great. I would definitely go back on future visits.

It's a great little breakfast Cafe with excellent prices. I have a friend who eats here every week and LOVES the staff and the food. It was my first time visiting the restaurant and I ordered a small order of the biscuits and gravy. It turns out that the gravy head absolutely no flavor whatsoever. I was really there just to socialize with friends so I didn't care that what I ordered had no taste. However, my friend insisted on telling the waitress that I wasn't happy with my food. I believe her name was tina, and she immediately picked it up and didn't charge me for it and asked if I wanted anything else. The service was excellent and I'm sure it was just a fluke that what I ordered today wasn't up to snuff.

Great old school family cooking diner vibe. Food is always good and the staff are always friendly and helpful.

T

Came here for my first time & all I have to say is this place is a Gem ! Amazing customer service , cozy atmosphere , delicious food. Make time to visit this place you won’t regret it

CritDicks

Another one of those American relic cafes. Great food. Great servers. Old building. Traditional American cafe service with old school touches on every table. We ate everything on our plates. Now that’s special. Dicks

+2

Paul Guess

Friendly and good food at fair prices. Not a fan of their gravy, but that's just my taste. I asked for my Hash browns crispy, waitress put it on the ticket... cook ignored it. Tina was a great waitress.

Jesse Dancy-Weathers

The service was great, the parking was ample, the portions were fantastic and the prices were unbelievable. If you're looking for a nice diner to have an affordable meal that will have you going home satisfied, this is a great option for you. My breakfast was good, and very filling. Nothing too spectacular but well worth the price of admission. Others in my party were not too fond of the malty taste of the waffle and felt they were a little heavy handed with the malt they ordered as well, but the quality was still there. Great place in the neighborhood to great a good breakfast, dinner style food or pie with lots of seating. Dont expect any frills but do bring your appetite!

$10 gets you a flavorless spongy Belgian waffle with pre packaged butter. $5 gets you about a cups worth of hash browns with no seasoning or crisp. Made my girlfriend cry it was so bad. Had to go somewhere else afterwards.

Been here twice once for breakfast and then for lunch.Its a Mom and Pops style diner very Friendly staff. Very good food, only problem is... The portions... I know they are small when I can't ask for a box for my leftovers. I probably will return but only if I go in with a small appetite. But I don't want to discourage anyone from trying this place because it is good.

Food was ok, servers were nice.

Prices are high.. both orders of toast were way too hard.

Service was great and food is average. I had breakfast and it was pretty average. I would probably try another place next time.

Andrius Acacia

I gave 2 stars for the friendly service. Let’s be honest though, this town is not for everyone. The food at this restaurant is extremely mediocre. I might go as far as to say the food is horrible. The coffee is so watered down it looks like tea. The awesome worker there asked two of the three of us if we were drinking tea. You can see right through the coffee. I had several cups and it only made me urinate. It’s like water with coffee essence. The food is bland. The pancakes are flavorless but could’ve been saved if they gave real butter instead of whipped oil spread. The amount of time it took for the pancakes to absorb the syrup was mind blowing. If you find yourself here, make sure you tell them you want your sausage well done or hard or just browned because it will come out looking gray/tan. Super thin bacon but at least it was crispy. The waffle was ok and for that alone bumped the rating to 3 stars. This is just another small town flavorless joint for the locals that lack taste buds.

Got Southern fried chicken dinner. Portion size was good, but the thigh was not cooked completely, still bloody inside. I sent it back. The waitress brought me a clean plate with a new baked potato, which was good, but brought me the same piece of chicken back that looked like it was just microwaved. It was dried up like jerky. We will not go back.

The food wasn't great. Majority of the food was just to bland or tasted funky. I will say that the fried zucchini was really good. But the chicken fried steak and biscuits and gravy were disgusting. I'm pretty sure the gravey almost made it unedible. Service there was so so. And atmosphere was for the older crowd.

JBUG Jones

The only thing that's good here is the onion rings. The pork chops taste old, the gravy was so think and tastes awful. The pancakes and waffles were not that great.

+2

reviewing this place, let me to believe that the meals were fulfilling. I can speak to Charlie's special being scarce on food I felt like I was eating the air and then the syrup comes in the little plastic containers and the only filled it up a quarter of the way it barely covered one pancake. I feel like I got ripped off. I would not recommend this place to anybody

Avoid this place. The food is terribly bland. You can tell their food is frozen and some of it is a few days old and reheated. The gravy was so cold was separating on the plate. Nothing was good. Plaster fell from the ceiling straight onto the table. The tiles are falling out of the ceiling. The fake flowers are covered in dust and it smells of mildew. The environment was chill I guess.

We were looking for a "Family Restaurant" WE FOUND IT!! Food served and prepaired like it used to be years ago. Wonderful cheerful waitress. We will be back for sure.

Farid Sotoudeh

Just had to throw out two take-out mild chicken tender meals! It was salty that I started coughing and couldn't swallow!! Their shop is not answering the phone!! So irresponsible and awful service.

Russell Montano

The food was not good at all;I could cook better and I cant even even cook for the life of me.The coffee was pretty bad, too.The only good part about my meal was the breakfast burritos.BUT the atmosphere is really great except for the big heater in the back corner.But don't even get me started on the prices 😑.paid over $100 for 5 of us to eat nothing 😭

Candy Acuna

The food was not good. I know it saids family restaurants but more like elderly restaurants. My kids had the Charlie Special Breakfast and left pretty much the whole plate. I had the breakfast burrito but couldn't finish it even though I was starving. Also, had the Texas style French Toast which is just simple french toast. Had 1 bite and left the rest. Coffee and fresh fruit were they only good items we order and enjoyed. The atmosphere is more like a daily place for elderly people the staff was nice and friendly but the place needs some deep cleaning and upgrading.