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Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn Reviews List
Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Stillwater's only Historic Hotel and Restaurant on the Riverfront. The award winning Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn serves three meals daily in romantic fine dining rooms or casual pub settings. Located in the Historic Water Street Inn, Charlie’s features Irish-American and Steakhouse cuisine and an expansive beverage selection. Known for live Irish music every weekend, seasonal river-view patios and Jameson Bar. The lush colors and textures of this Victorian-style dining room and the lovely river views provide an elegant dining atmosphere. We offer spectacular outdoor dining overlooking the St. Croix River. For more information go to http://www.facebook.com/waterstreetinn
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45 Current Reviews
Summary of Diner Ratings & Reviews
Overall
(Very Good)
3.3
/
5
Rating Breakdown 45 reviews
5 stars
(7)
4 stars
(15)
3 stars
(12)
2 stars
(7)
1 star
(4)
Food
(Very Good)
3.6
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
3.2
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
3.1
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
Filter Reviews By:
Diners classify this restaurant as:
- special occasion(17)
- romantic(16)
- great for brunch(9)
- scenic view(9)
- kid-friendly(8)
- good for groups(7)
Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn Reviews List
Review 1 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Brunch...hit and miss...
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"We went to this establishment for Mother's Day brunch for the second year in a row. Last year was a minor hit...this year was a miss. What made this year a miss? In a word: temperature. Everything was cold. Even things that were brought directly from the kitchen were lukewarm at best.
The selection was nice and the flavor of the food was fine. Because of this, we might try lunch or dinner if we are strolling through Stillwater at some point...might. However, in terms of brunch, we will pass."
Dined on 5/12/2013
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Review 2 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Poor)
1
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Went there for Mother's Day brunch. Seated in a room with round tables and banquet style chairs. There was no ambience, the food was average and the wait staff was ok. Completely overpriced for what we received both in atmosphere and food."
Dined on 5/12/2013
Special Features: great for outdoor dining, scenic view
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Review 3 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"The brunch buffet set up was inexcusable. Who ever does it needs to go back to brunch buffet set up school. With as many small rooms as there was, plus the huge "dark banquet" room, there should have been multiple buffet tables set up. One long table for everyone was absurd. The small dessert table was at the front of the "line", and caused many issues."
Dined on 5/12/2013
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Review 4 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Poor)
1
/
5
Organizational Disaster
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Poor)
1
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Food was satisfactory. Extremely disorganized. Buffet was extremely long and it did not flow nicely. Line was right smack in the way of the waiters drink station, the carving station and the desert table. Key items were missing from the buffet causing the line to stall, or having to wait in the line again. Seating room felt like a large church basement, it was dark, too packed and set up in a way that made it hard to walk. The wait staff had to walk thrthrough the tables to get to the kitchen doors since there really wasn't a clear path for them. People were running into each other all over the place. Sadly I have to say I was not impressed."
Dined on 5/12/2013
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Review 5 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Poor)
1
/
5
There was no Irish at this Pub!
Food
(Poor)
1
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"I was disappointed that Charlie's Irish Pub did not have anything that I would consider Irish! There was no traditional Irish food, no stew, no pie. The music did not inspire thoughts of Ireland, either. I would hope that any restaurant would do more than simply put a name on the front door, Charlie's seems to have missed the mark."
Dined on 4/27/2013
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Review 6 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
The wine dinners are fabulous!
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"The wine dinners are fabulous! We have been there many times for this and loved every one of them. The food and wine pairings are spot on. Servers are attentive and friendly."
Dined on 04/25/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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Review 7 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Had a nice Easter Brunch at
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Had a nice Easter Brunch at Charlies. We were seated immediately. The food was good and there was a nice variety of offerings for our party of 6. The staff refreshed the buffet items quickly, without anything going empty. We will definately visit again! Thanks for the nice time."
Dined on 03/31/2013
2013
Special Features: great for brunch
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Review 8 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Great food, poor service for brunch
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"The family came for an Easter brunch and it looked as though many people had the same idea. The view of the St. Croix River was terrific. Difficult to review the ambiance of Charlie's since it looks as though they used a hotel banquet hall to accommodate the throngs of people who visited for brunch. The food was delicious with so many breakfast and lunch items to select from that are both adults and child friendly. The desserts are some of the best I've had in the Twin Cities. Service was ok. I understand that each server had many tables to manage however there should be no reason why other tables received refills and attentive service from the same server while all of our glasses were dry before I could get our server to look at us."
Dined on 03/31/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem
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Review 9 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
food was ok--lots to choose
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"food was ok--lots to choose from, but way too many people so lines were VERY long for the buffet and often items had run out and not always replenished in a timely fashion. not enough fresh fruit. only one type of eggs (scrambled). I always prefer a made-to-order omelette station when I go to an expensive brunch. not a lot of dessert selection.
also very expensive: for a typical family 2 adults and 3 kids the bill was well over $125 for brunch! also didn't realize the brunch price did not even include juice or coffee!"
also very expensive: for a typical family 2 adults and 3 kids the bill was well over $125 for brunch! also didn't realize the brunch price did not even include juice or coffee!"
Dined on 03/31/2013
2009
Special Features: great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion, scenic view
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Review 10 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Fantastic brunch; great service
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Brunch was excellent with a wide and wonderful selection of options; it was much more expansive than the description on their web site. They also included a number of kid-friendly standards which was very helpful. Buffet restocking and table service was super efficient and friendly despite the large crowd."
Dined on 03/31/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, kid-friendly, romantic, special occasion, scenic view, great for lunch
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Review 11 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
The food was delicious however
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Poor)
1
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"The food was delicious however the brunch layout was not great. We waited in line for at least 15 minutes to get our food and while it was quite busy our server was not very attentative. I would like to go back for dinner and see if the experience is any better."
Dined on 03/31/2013
2013
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Review 12 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Good)
3
/
5
An Old Place Showing Its Age
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"It felt as though they had booked every last chair in the place for Easter Brunch, but didn't have enough staff to pull it off and hired some extras from the nearest high school. Half the people acting like trainees. The actual buffet started late, and by then there was a l-o-n-g line of people crammed into too-narrow of a hallway where the buffet was set up. So traffic didn't flow well.
Quality of the food was on par with the price. After renovations are done, and not on an overbook holiday like Easter, it has some potential."
Dined on 03/31/2013
2013
Special Features: scenic view
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Review 13 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Poor)
1
/
5
A very disappointing Easter
Food
(Poor)
1
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"A very disappointing Easter brunch. Steam table heaven, and only one egg dish! It was a big brick of scrambled eggs with no cheese, parsley or other visual enhancement. The french toast was dry, the savory items were WAY overcooked and the place was still packed. Amazing. Oh, and it is way overpriced. $23.95! This place needs Robert Irvine from Restaurant Impossible to make a visit and proclaim the truth about the food!
Certainly NOT worth the drive from the cities."
Certainly NOT worth the drive from the cities."
Dined on 03/31/2013
2010
Special Features: scenic view
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Review 14 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
Nothing special, would probably
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Nothing special, would probably go elsewhere next time."
Dined on 03/24/2013
2011
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Review 15 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Pleasant, very reasonably
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Pleasant, very reasonably priced dinner. Great wine list with reasonable prices also. One of the better restaurants in Stillwater proper."
Dined on 03/22/2013
2007
Special Features: good for groups, great for brunch, notable wine list, romantic
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Review 16 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Great Weekend Get-a-way
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"My wife and I stayed at the Water Street Inn to celebrate a birthday. We had both a dinner and breakfast at Charlie's. The 3 course dinner was excellent and the service was friendly and attentive. The breakfast was typical fare but the friendliness of the wait staff made the meal even more enjoyable. I would definetely recommend both the Water Street Inn and Charile's for a nice weekend getaway in Stillwater."
Dined on 03/22/2013
2011
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, kid-friendly, late-night find, romantic, special occasion
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Review 17 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
St. Patty's Day failure
Food
(Fair)
2
/
5
Service
(Fair)
2
/
5
Ambiance
(Fair)
2
/
5
Noise Level
Energetic
"The bar (where the real fun was) was too full, even though that was my request, to get into. We had to go to the ballroom and had the buffet. The corned beef (on St. Patty's Day!) was tough and I had to spit out 1/3 of it. Couldn't swallow it. We won't be going back here on a holiday again. There was a band but was 20 minutes late in setting up. Only half the band showed up. A half hour after they started the rest of the band came and it took them 15 minutes to set up. By then it was time for us to leave. All-in-all.. a disappointment :("
Dined on 03/17/2013
2010
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, special occasion
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Review 18 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Friendly service and great
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Friendly service and great food."
Dined on 03/04/2013
2006
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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Review 19 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Valentines Night Out Made Great
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate
"My boyfriend and I were in Stillwater for the evening and celebrated our Valentines Dinner at Charlies. The ambiance is pretty cool, as it is in an older building but it has high ceilings and some great character. The food was very good. We ordered off the Valentines menu and got scallops that were to die for, lobster bisque (also unreal), and a almond crusted walleye and bacon wrapped chicken. All the food was good and we would definitely go back. They have a really cool bar scene down the hall as well. We wanted to try it out but it was completed packed. Will definitely be going back!"
Dined on 02/16/2013
2009
Special Features: romantic, special occasion
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Review 20 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Food was excellent, the place
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Ambiance
(Good)
3
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Food was excellent, the place should be busier on a Friday night. I think a little more decor may help. The theme is Victorian but sparse which is the opposite of Victorian. The wait staff could use a little upgrading. They did a good job but weren't the kind of waiters that you would find at a place that had food as good as they did."
Dined on 02/08/2013
2005
Special Features: neighborhood gem, romantic
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Review 21 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Fair)
2
/
5
The dining room was freezing
Food
(Good)
3
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Poor)
1
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"The dining room was freezing and so was the hotel."
Dined on 02/02/2013
2010
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Review 22 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
We're Coming Back
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"I am recommending this hotel to my friends and family. It was like stepping back in time. Coming here would be fun for a couple or two, and even a girl's night out. We will definitely be coming back."
Dined on 01/25/2013
2011
Special Features: notable wine list, romantic
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Review 23 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
As always, Chaqrlies delivers!
Food
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"As always, Chaqrlies delivers! Great quality food. The only thing I would say is that the service can be slow (more relaxed) at times if you are looking to stay within a time frame."
Dined on 01/24/2013
2006
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Review 24 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Young staff trying hard to
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Young staff trying hard to accommodate and making your dinner special. Quantity of food was overwhelming - we started off with a rubbed chili shrimp appetizer that we shared included an avacado salsa and 4 shrimp - very good. Large house and ceasar salad next - good, nothing special. My wife ordered the orange glazed game hen and I had the pork tenderloin and as a side we each had the augratin potatoes. The game hen was very good and the pork was moist and well prepared - potatoes were cut from a large pan of premade and a little rubbery. With the meal we enjoyed a well priced bottle of chardonay wine. Total meal price with tip was around $100 - good meal and good value, would come back again."
Dined on 01/20/2013
2012
Special Features: notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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Review 25 for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Overall rating
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
We were going to Charlies
Food
(Very Good)
4
/
5
Service
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)
5
/
5
Noise Level
Quiet
"We were going to Charlies to watch the Hounds of Finn Irish Band playing in the bar that evening. We came early to experience a nice dinner at Charlies and the place did not disappoint. Great dinner, superior service and relaxing atmosphere. Definitely a return visit in sight!"
Dined on 01/18/2013
2006
Special Features: neighborhood gem, romantic
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Ratings-Only Reviews for Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at the Water Street Inn
Based on the average of (20) ratings-only reviews
Overall
(Very Good)
3.4
/
5
Food
(Very Good)
3.7
/
5
Service
(Good)
3
/
5
Ambiance
(Very Good)
3.1
/
5
Noise Level
Moderate