The Charles

I was in the area for work training and stopped by this place on the recommendation of someone nearby. I sat at the bar and ordered from their 'Taco Tuesday' special, which included fries, two tacos, and a happy hour drink. Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed with the food. The fries arrived lukewarm, and my beef taco was noticeably missing. After a while, the waiter noticed and asked if I had ordered another taco, which was a bit frustrating.On the positive side, the bar area was nice, and the restrooms were clean. However, with slow service and disappointing food, I'm not sure I'll return if I'm ever back in the area.

This place is a gem of Southern MD! The service staff was attentive and welcoming, from their recommendations to the quick delivery of menu items and timely table clearing. Now, on to the food!! The chicken lettuce wraps--let me put it plainly--my boyfriend said he's likely to sneak over on Monday night football for their $12 burgers and lettuce wraps. I ordered the Caesar salad, which instantly became my favorite; there is no other comparison in this area--you can take my word for it. The house-made brioche croutons will dare you to ask your waitperson to bring some on the side, lol.Their drinks were well-balanced and served in tall glasses. Our waiter never consistently refreshed our water.The braised short rib was cooked well, and the reduction was beautiful, pairing nicely with the mash. My only criticism is that the carrots, while buttery, were a bit lackluster in comparison to the rest of our orders.For my entree, I chose the pan-seared scallops at the bartender's recommendation and she did not disappoint. The scallops were cooked perfectly and were friendly and buttery, but the risotto was the secret weapon. Creamy and soft, it had pumpkin seeds and cranberries/craisins that SET IT OFF! I will have to try that in my kitchen, Chef; well played, sir... well played. I found myself forking through the risotto, looking for those surprise ingredients. Finally, we sat on their velvet benches in the corner of the dining room. Although we were clearly in the eyes of all the other guests, it felt a bit more private and intimate, which we appreciated since my boyfriend and I were celebrating an anniversary. The ambiance is warm and modern, with deep greens and blues supported by gold and black accents. Candlelit tables contribute to the warmth in the room, making it romantic and cozy! If you've gotten this far in my write-up, here's the overall scores: Location - 8/10 (I live in Waldorf, and this place is a reasonable distance considering the quality of food and service. Located off of Main Street in La Plata isn't too far for us)Food - 9/10 (We thought to pull a point for those carrots, but if anyone asks, the carrots won't change my report of "everything we had was great!"Service - 10/10 (Attentive and welcoming; shoutout to Ricardo [hope I remembered that right] and the female bartender for guiding us to the perfect selections based on our inputs)Ambiance - 8/10 (My partner reminded me that we did have to soapbox a fruit fly or two now and then in our cozy corner, but we didn't make an issue because it was clear it was only our area and others were not experiencing the same problem)THIS IS A MUST TRY RESTAURANT - please show them some love.

This was my first time I came to this restaurant. I was here for a private event but I sat at the bar until the party arrived. The Happy Hour menu was great and the food and drinks on the HH menu was everything! The parking is right in from but make sure to get there early. I would definitely be there again!

We visited from a late breakfast and sat in the bar section, which was empty other than us. They do also have a dinning room section, as well as a patio section; and I think the in and out of the patio section has caused quite a few flies to make it inside. We had the breakfast plate and the biscuits & sausage gravy. The only thing I really liked was the cheddar biscuits. Afterwards we walked over to The Market, which was amazing, and we got a small discount from there for dinning at The Charles first. The Market at The Charles is really what keeps me coming back!

Three of us visited and ate at The Charles on a Saturday evening at 7:30pm. It was not busy at all and we had a reservation.Atmosphere/Vibe: clean, medium loudness, modern, cozy and not too brightService: hmm. Service was ok. Our waitress was very nice but she barely came around. It took a while for us to actually get our food order in and receive our check. Food came out at a reasonable amount of time though.Food: collectively as a group honestly it was mediocre. The food holds a high price tag which comes with high quality/taste expectations but it really wasn't adding up. The chicken was OK and had flavor but it was soggy with the prosciutto under it and green beans in a very liquidy sauce. It would have paired well with some sort of mashed potatoes or polenta even. The other chicken dish on the menu (chicken paillard) apparently was supposed to be formally removed from the menu so I couldn't order it. The pasta was nothing special and they were out of mussels. The braised short rib was good but it definitely wasn't worth $30. Overall: The Charles sounds likes a fancy place and a place that you think would get more attention on a Saturday night but it was very short of that. We felt as though this is due a mix of the food quality and service. The establishment really should lower their prices if they are going to push mediocre food. Also, why are sides $7 each?? Thats crazy

The braised short ribs meat falls off and melts in your mouth and is also flavorful and saucy with a hint of sweet. The glazed carrots could have benefited by cooking for longer as they were still a bit too hard. The Brussels sprouts had the sweet and slightly spicy kick from the sauce, so it was savory; it was a bit dry and could have been tossed around a bit more. The steak frites was cooked perfectly at medium and the fries were nicely fried. While I wouldn't drive out of my way to get this, if you're in the area and wanting a hearty dinner, this is a very good option. They were open until 10 PM on a Monday which is a rarity in the area.

I came here during happy hour on a Saturday night with two of my family members. We asked for a table but were told there would be a wait so we settled for the bar. We came just in time for a sampling of Prosecco , pumpkin cheesecake, and eggnog cheesecake. All of the samples were absolutely delicious. It was lively when we sat down with modern music playing and many people at the bar. I ordered the calamari, the la plata burger with a Caesar salad. The calamari came out overcooked and I had to send it back , but when it came out the second time it was cooked nicely. The calamari was served with marinara and a lemon aioli sauce. My Caesar salad was also really good and refreshing. Now for my burger. The burger comes with bacon jam and mushrooms however I had those taken off. I asked for my burger to be made medium well, it came back twice cooked well done. The third time they got it right but it was a long wait for them to get it right. However, the staff was very accommodating for the errors and very hospitable. They offered me a free dessert and voided the burger for me. The burger was delicious and juicy and made me want to come back the next day. I ordered the apple crumble for my dessert and it was soooo good the apples were very hot and the ice cream paired so well with them. Overall the service of the restaurant really reigned in the 5 star rating, and I hope to be back sooner than later. Shout out to Jose the bar manager.

We went on 9/16 and it was delicious! Our server Nathan was so kind and friendly! He chose my meal and dessert lol because I couldn't decide. The meal he chose was the short ribs and it was 10/10!!! So grateful I let him decide. The carrot cake, pumpkin cheesecake, and crème brûlée were also 10/10!!! I forgot to take a picture of our appetizers, but we got the cauliflower fritters which needed salt I think, and the king pao Brussel sprouts. The Brussel sprouts are so yummy!!! Definitely go here and enjoy!My mom shared that the last time she was here the interior wasn't open and airy, but this time it was gorgeous!!! They have these wonderful green velvet barstools and lots of gold accents. There is so much cool artwork. Totally love the new interior she said.

Every time my family and I visit The Charles...we are NEVER disappointed. The food and drinks are always on point and the service is even better.On top of all that....it's always clean and the atmosphere is always full of positive vibes. I love having this gem so close to home.

Great environment, drinks and food is amazing. Bar tenders are top notch! Salmon wa delicious.