Charlie Martin's

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Exceptional Dining & Truly Welcoming Ownership Charlie Martins is an absolute gem. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere felt warm, elevated, and inviting. The ownership and staff were incredibly friendly—genuine hospitality that makes you feel like part of the family. The food was phenomenal. Every dish had depth and balance, with bold, refined flavors that really stand out. The steak tartare was one of the best I’ve had—fresh, perfectly seasoned, and beautifully presented. The chicken entrée was cooked to perfection with rich, comforting layers of flavor. And the burger? Truly outstanding—juicy, flavorful, and crafted with real attention to detail. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys great food, great people, and a memorable dining experience. We’ll definitely be coming back.

In the heart of River North, Charlie Martin’s is a relatively new spot that brands itself as an American restaurant with supper club vibes. Slightly curious about the concept, we came on a weekend night only to quickly realize that both our patience and appetite were in for a long evening. I'll start out with some slight positives. The steak tartare was decent. The crab cake, while slightly undersalted, was pure crab with no filler. The octopus had good flavors but was so overcooked it turned rubbery. That said, things quickly went downhill from there. They somehow ran out of whipped potatoes and New York strips by 8 p.m. on a weekend night, which is wild. There was an uncomfortably long wait before the mains arrived. My filet was tender and cooked right but lacked salt. To make matters worse, the au poivre sauce came with a hair floating in it. I notified my server, who just said “okay,” whisked it away, and returned with a new cup of sauce as if that would fix anything. Truly an unforgettable night for the wrong reasons.

Such a great experience! The food was amazing we had a little bit of everything and it was all so good. The service was excellent, super friendly and attentive. And the atmosphere was just perfect, really cozy and welcoming. Definitely one of those places you just want to keep coming back to!

Absolutely love this spot! The vibe is perfect for a dinner out cozy, and clean . Service is excellent . Staff are super friendly, especially the bartenders had a great conversation with them, really welcoming. Highly recommend the beef tartare it’s flavorful and well-balanced. Also, don’t miss the seafood tower the oyster are super fresh and go perfectly with the sauces. Finished off with the cheesecake and texture so smooth, it melts in my mouth. Highly recommend .I will back

This place makes me feel like I'm in a scene from Mad Men, and I mean that in the best way possible. The Crab Cake was delicious and didn't have any fishiness that you get from cheap crab cakes. The steak au poivre was luscious, silky, and the cut was buttery smooth. Indulgence in steak form. And for the first time I've had a really fantastic wine pairing as well, something that elevated the food. Love this place l, please don't close and keep pouring heavy.

Top 3 if not the best whiskey sour w/ egg white in the city. They use a house blend infused with sage and fig. Top notch. The bartender is great too.

This is absolutely one of our favorite spots. The food is amazing and service can’t be beat. Ellie and Collin at the bar make the best cocktails. Make sure to ask Collin for a Last Word. Steaks, oysters and the vodka pasta are some of our favs. Eric and Matt always make us feel welcome! It’s a repeat on our dining list.

Second time here and I love this place! First time I had the hamburger this time I had the steak tartare and a crab cake. They were all exceptional. The staff here are super friendly and on top of everything. Love the music!

The ambience is very welcoming. We went during happy hour. This place is happening during this time. The waiter was so friendly! So accommodating with our large party during Happy Hour. We tried several dishes and everything was great. We ordered the Shrimp cocktail, fried artichokes, baked goat cheese, and the caviar onion dip with house chips, Jumbo Lump Crab cake The shrimp were huge and so fresh. Fried Artichokes were ok. Baked Goat Cheese, delicious The Caviar dip was good, the house chips were great. The Crab Cake was good. We ordered the Amish Chicken and the Dry Aged Bond in Ribeye. A side alof the whipped potatoes. The Amish chicken was delicious! It was juicy, tender, and full of favors. The Ribeye was great. It was also tender and full of flavor. The sides were ordered were the whipped potatoes and Mushrooms. The whipped potatoes were so tasty, and so creamy. It was delicious. The Mushrooms were great as well. Nice taste perfect compliment with the ribeye. This place is great. I will definitely be going back. I really wanted to try their French Onion soup, but they were out.

Found this spot through Resy as part of Amex Platinum's special promotion, otherwise I wouldn't have known it existed. Cool, non descriptive exterior (totally my vibe). One we walked in the bar is in the center of the space, lined with tables around--gives an open airy vibe, loved it. The interior is dark and moody, I'd say perfect for a date. The staff was the friendliest I've ever seen in Chicago, from the second we walked in to the minute we paid the bill, we were made to feel special and that is a game changer for me. Let's start with the drinks off the happy hour menu, superb. You can't beat the price and taste--they truly were delicious and priced so reasonably. We had the King Arthur and My Cherie. Delicious and elevated. For an appetizer we ordered the caviar dip, but it's really an onion dip with some caviar on it. It held us over until the food came, wasn't too noteworthy and we didn't feel as though the flavors mixed all that well. We also ordered the crab cake and although crunchy and flaky to perfection a bit fishy on the initial bites, it's meant to be mixed with the greens on the plate. For our mains we ordered the vodka pasta and the chicken dish. The vodka pasta was good not the best I've had, but well flavored and filling. The pasta was cooked al dente and sauced perfectly. The flavor in the chicken was delicious and the skin crispy, however it was a bit on the drier side. Portions were ample and filling. While we didn't stay for dessert, we did very much enjoy the ambiance and jazzy vibe the spot offered us. Like I said it gives romantic/moody upscale date night.

Very cute ambiance, flavorful food, and strong drinks. I really enjoyed my rigatoni, however I found it weird that you can't add any protein to the dish. I was told they'd have to put the entire amish chicken on top of the pasta and charge me for the price of that entree, basically an additional $29. Crazy. Anyways, what really fell short was the service unfortunately. Upon being seated, we had to ask the hostess to grab our server because we hadn't been approached after 15 minutes of waiting. Once he came over, he was super friendly and personable, so maybe they were just short staffed. I let that part go. Once the bill came, he said he could split it amongst us 3. My bill was mostly correct, but he put all of the drinks from one lady's tab on the other lady's tab. They had already paid so once they noticed, he kind of tried to fix it but realized he couldn't reverse it in that moment so he suggested they just Zelle each other. Not considering the fact that everyone isn't paying with liquid cash and can't just Zelle someone such a significant amount. He had also charged one lady's card twice and had to reverse that as well. He just completely butchered that whole situation and got frustrated that they didn't tip what he thought they should. So frustrated that he actually came outside of the restaurant as we were chatting to give them an updated receipt further complain about the tip. He thanked me for my generous tip, but didn't hold back on his grievances with them. Completely unprofessional especially considering the fact that he couldn't even separate the checks properly.

Review of: 1. Dry-Aged Bone-in Ribeye - 22 oz, roasted garlic, marrow butter 2. Jumbo Lump Crab Cake - blue crab, preserved lemon, remoulade 3. Oysters from East & West Coasts 4. Whole Roasted Dover Sole - brown butter, capers, marcona almonds 5. Brussels Sprouts - roasted garlic, dijon sherry, vinaigrette 6. Broccolini - lemon, garlic, chili 7. Rhubarb & Blueberry Crumble To start, oysters were fresh and crab cake was a fun meaty hockey puck of tender crab. Veggies were crispy and quite flavorful. Ribeye was cooked perfect medium rare and juicy. Dover Sole was also cooked to perfect tenderness and pairs well with capers. Dessert was fresh, steaming, and comforting. Service was friendly and efficient. Good amount of seating for small to medium size groups.

Wonderful place! Loved everything from the service to the waitstaff to obviously the food + cocktails. Even got a chance to meet the owners who are extremely nice. Highly recommend!

I was pleasantly surprised! I don't eat red meat and this is a steakhouse, but everything we got was so good! I'd definitely recommend the rigatoni alla vodka and amish chicken, and our sides of brussels sprouts, broccolini, and whipped potatoes were really good and decent portions. My friend who got the burger said it was good and I was a fan of the fries and aioli type dip they served it with. I don't recall the menu mentioning that it came with fries, so maybe she would've wanted to sub, but since we got other sides it worked out well. My cherie cocktail was a little too sweet for my liking but my friend said her espresso martini was great. Our waiter clearly had a good rapport with the bartender which was nice to see. Our booth was cozy and we didn't do much exploring, but it was a nice (and could be romantic if wanted) place.

We are in love with Charlie Martin's! Besides their food and drinks being delicious, everyone is so open and kind! We're greeted by name now and always feel at home. Matteo, Matt, Ellie, Collin, Mercedes and Eric make our experience so special each time. Every single dish blows us away, but their artichoke appetizer is so refreshing and the bone marrow with different onions are such a great pairing. I'm a sweet drink girl myself (My Cherie) and my husband prefers King Arthur. Ambiance is lovely - bar is center with booths to the side, and a front area to gather and sit. Can't wait to be back, even though it's only been a couple days!

Beware -- Went here over the weekend just for drinks. I handed the bartender my card without seeing the receipt first, and later found that food had been added to our tab that we never ordered. Didn't catch it until we got home. Completely unacceptable and dishonest. Always double-check your bill before you leave.

Loved the budger so much and the fries. Bartenders and staff are the absolute best. The place is very nice and perfect for a couple or small group.

First time at this restaurant. Excellent service, great atmosphere incredible food. They have a great bar area. We sat in the booth. Plenty of privacy.

Came here for happy hour on a Tuesday and it was easy to get a spot to sit! The cocktails are divine, being such great quality and so tasty! I ordered the daiquiri which had a more herbal taste so I thought it was unique. We also ordered the fried artichokes and the truffle fries, both super tasty and just the right size to split with two other people. Highly recommend trying happy hour here!

Was on the way to grab a bite at another place but the mysterious exterior of Charlie Martin's along with their happy hour sign caught our attention & we just had to try it -- it definitely didn't disappoint! It has a nice calm vibe, a really good place to have a conversation and a drink. The waiters were extremely friendly as well. Had the fried artichoke, shrimp cocktails, and my Cherie cocktail (highly recommend - vodka + yuzu + elderflower + hibiscus + mint) and was amazing.

Longtime follower, first time visitor. What a beautiful space, it's unassuming from the outside. When you walk in, you no longer feel like you are in the hustle and bustle of River North. Let's get to the real deal the food! The Veal Chop Marsala was out of this world. Delicate yet flavorful. The Dover sole was very tasty. Green beans were perfectly cooked and had a great flavor with the almonds and cheese. The whipped potatoes I literally could eat every day of my life if I could. We had the chocolate mousse for dessert and it needs to come with a warning, it's so rich, creamy yet it's light. From the moment we walked in, the staff was friendly and attentive. Our waiter was a bit timid and soft spoken so we didn't fully understand the special of the night. That will not deter us from coming back. Matthew was absolute gem! He checked in on us, made sure we enjoyed our meal and just was a great guy! Cannot wait to go back, planning on checking out the burger. This is definitely a place to check out!

It's been fun watching this restaurant grow a following, like us. They added a happy hour from 5-7 and tonight the bar was packed. We love the menu for dinner and the service is always outstanding. 3 of us had dinner. I had a half dozen oysters which were perfectly shucked. My wife tried the bone marrow which is almost a meal with 4 big bones and a pile of grilled bread. She loved it. Our son had the prime steak tartar and cleaned his plate. For entrees our son had the Rigatoni alla vodka and we split the Dover sole. It's one of the better servings in Chicago and reasonably priced! The restaurant is small and has a nice neighborhood vibe.

Hidden gem. Go for the happy hour. Excellent steaks. Service was lovely. Interior design is a bit weak but the food is excellent. Paid parking in the lot next to the restaurant.

We went out for what we had heard was a great burger. We walked in and immediately got the supper club vibe. Swanky and casual at same time. Service was prompt and friendly. We started with cocktails. I had the King Arthur which was refreshing. My Wife and Daughter got the my Cherie which they enjoyed. We started with a dozen east coast oysters that were perfect. Then roasted bone marrow on Flintstone size bones. So rich and savory. Then can our aged steak burgers and fries. We all got medium rare. Cooked to perfection. We got a side of Brussels sprouts which were dynamite. Next time I'm in Chicago coming here again for sure!

Used to come to the old burger shop here, have now been to CM's twice now, great atmosphere, the music was so good last night, lots of old tunes and crooner types (Rat Pack, Dina Washington, etc) Mercedes, Colin, and I'm blanking on the other lovely woman, always are super informative, friendly and attentive. Martini was excellent, so dirty I needed a shower after Very classic menu, RL/mad men type spot. Fries are maybe top 5 in the city, great aioli, had a chicken Marsala, shrimp is incredible too. Sancerre is off the chain, forgot to take photos, next time

The bartenders are great. Really fun vibe. Food is good, especially at the happy hour pricing. Will definitely go back

Great food, quality is on point and the flavors are fantastic. Also, best burger with no cheese in the city.

Ellie and Colin are two of the best bartenders Chicago has to offer. Colin was serving up the BEST dirty martinis & humor all evening. Ellie knew I was on a first date and constantly checked up on me to make sure I felt safe. She had my back the whole time. I will absolutely go back solely bc of these two. Other than the incredible service, the ambiance and food was perfect. Top tier oyster experience. One of the best bar experiences I've ever had in Chicago. Give Colin and Ellie and million dollar raise right now!!!!

Wow! Just walking into the place we saw a really cool supper club vibe. Our server Bazar (Sp) was the perfect server in terms of speed, friendliness and recommendations. For drinks I decided to have the Charlie martini basically a classic gin martini with a couple little extras ingredients in it - delicious! For appetizers, we shared the muscles and they were really fresh. My main course was beyond good. The Dover soul was without a doubt the best I've ever had anywhere. I think the fact that they butterfly it with flavor makes all the difference from just a an average dish to a delicious one. I also tried the pork chop.. Very good. For sides, we had the mashed potatoes, which were really wonderful swimming in gravy, and the spinach. We kept it simple for dessert and had some pistachio gelato, which of course was fantastic. I definitely want to return here whenever possible..

Everything from the service, people, music, food and drink were effing fantastic. Came for restaurant week and will for sure be back. Staff was attentive and the place was super vibey. Sheesh what a fantastic new find.

I was so impressed with Charlie Martin's! First off, their restaurant week menu is excellent!! Their steak frites alone is $60 so it's a great value and the options for each course are "fancier" things on the menu unlike a lot of restaurants. The food was SO good. The standouts were the shrimp cocktail, oysters, steak frites, and the cheesecake. The cheesecake is the perfect fluffy texture and the flavor profile is so unique with the rosemary + blueberry sauce (will they deliver this I need another one rn). Our server was attentive and friendly, even bringing us several wine samples when overhearing us debate which bottle to order. The manager (I assume) checked in twice to see how everything was and was helping the servers to keep tables cleared, etc. Vibe was great for double date night, dim lit and romantic - classic supper club Highly recommend, I will definitely be back!

So next time we dine here, I'll take better pictures! The service, the food, the owner....AMAZING! Decor...classy, well done. I'm really fussy about food, cleanliness and service, this place exceeded my expectations. The pork was so good that I finished it for breakfast the next morning!

This was our second time at Charlie Martin's but the first time we had a meal there. Went for restaurant week 2025 and it was delightful! We had the oysters and shrimp to start. The shrimp were huge and perfectly cooked. Oysters were lovely. The steak frites were well cooked a perfect medium rare and the fries were exceptional, which was a nice surprise. Overall service was fabulous. We grabbed a drink at the bar before our reservation and ended up staying for our meal because the service was so good.

Food was amazing. Supper club vibes were captured in this venue. We had Theresa as our server and she was lovely! Definitely will be back soon.

A step back to a time of elegance and class best describes the quaint new River North restaurant Charlie Martin's. We sat at the beautiful bar that is almost as long as the entire restaurant. Bartender/Server Dana was friendly and helpful with suggestions. A "must starter" is the French onion soup. It is served in an unusual way and ranked among the best I've tasted. The lettuce wedge was delicious We can't wait to return.

Ambience was very relaxed and music on point Jo the bartender makes delicious drinks and chatter like old friends Definitely stop in after work or date night

Stunning ambiance and service, food was delicious and the dirty martini with blue cheese olive was everything!!! Definitely get seafood it was so fresh

What a great addition to the buzzing Chicago restaurant scene . We loved the food. Went with the special lobster arrabiata pasta and loved it . Unique flavors, fresh generous amounts of lobster and perfect pasta . Someone had the steak frites and commented they were the best fries since 1970's McD's!! Solid wine list . Delightful service and the owners were generous with their time and care for all tables. This touch adds to the Old School Supper Club vibe. Bravo Eric and Audrey!

Food is outstanding. Service is 1st rate. Ambience is soothing; quiet jazz; you can hear your fellow diner speak!

Overly priced! We had dinner which took way to long to get our food. Poorly timed! We started with the French onion soup which was overly flavored with pepper. (Thankfully they took it off the bill) The steaks were flavorless and overpriced. Portions for sides were small and pricy. Not sure how one gets all these stars with such a bad experience. The dressers were ok. Not great.

We loved this place. The ambience definitely fits the way it is described (hollywood glamour); Service was excellent, very friendly server and the owner was in the house so he actually came and checked in with us at the end of the meal which I thought was nice. Food was terrific. We started with the oysters and the french fries (we were starving) and the fries come with this malt vinegar aioli that is delicious. We then had a wedge salad and the bone marrow. The wedge was great - plenty for 2 people to split; the dressing is like a buttermilk ranch and there is dill on the salad which is a little twist that we enjoyed. Bone Marrow was ridiculous! so decadent with good toasted bread. We then had dover sole and bone in ribeye. Mashed pototaes,(so so good) spinach (garlicky) and mushrooms (so good huge order so used them in our eggs this a.m.!) . Everything was amazing, seasoned nicely and I'm not sure how much butter they use to prepare their food but I like it!! The dover sole was so buttery and then had these capers which kind of cut the fattiness of it and then some little almonds for some crunch...it was delicious. My husband loved his rib eye as well, I just didn't get a chance to taste it. Highly recommend!!!

Went to Charlie Martin's for the first time last night... Let me start by saying that we will absolutely be returning! We started with some oysters that came with a delicious sauce. They were fresh and tasty. Next, we had the Wedge salad which was very dilly, but my boyfriend and I really enjoyed it and felt that the dill elevated the salad. We then moved onto French Onion soup...DELICIOUS. The soup wasn't water and flavor was outstanding. One of the best in the city! We ended with the burger which quite literally melted in your mouth (in the best way). Check them out! You won't regret it. We highly recommend this spot and can't wait to visit again.

Amazing food, service and ambiance! It's so comfortable and chic. We travel from the burbs to eat here.

We had the most delicious dinner this evening of a wedge salad, Caesar, burgers with a horseradish sauce, and miso cod, with fries. Drinks were also delicious. The food was really delicious. All of it, and I loved the atmosphere and quiet but upbeat vibe. We tried the chocolate mousse and cheesecake and those were also standout desserts. I will be coming back for sure! I may also explore carry out next time.

Such a great experience. Wednesday night a little slow...better seats. Cocktails awesome. Sat next to a couple of Moms out on a girl date. Delicious food. Awesome burger! Waiter on top of it. Not overly. Just the right time. Prices were decent for quality and quantity of food. Out of town for us but we will return. Thank you for having us!

Excellent food and excellent service. Came here for my birthday and it could not have been better. I highly recommend

Went for restaurant week and it was so goooood. We live next store and never came in to try this place until now. I'm not a huge oyster fan and those were even really good. Can't wait to come back!

Charlie Martins has excellent service and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant is perfect. Bar staff is incredible!

Great food. Fantastic service! Went in for a birthday celebration and the staff could not have been nicer.

What a find!! This new restaurant has a classy, old school vibe. Great decor & drinks & the food was incredible! We had a group of 8 & were easily accommodated & we ordered family style so we could try a number of dishes. On the extraordinary list-- Shrimp cocktail, wedge salad, French onion soup, steamed Manila clams with a kick, the burger, bone in ribeye, mashed potatoes....all WOW. Such flavor & quality, and outstanding service! Worth checking out.

Charlie Martin's has all the makings of a great restaurant. The space is beautiful- classic and intimate. The menu is short and straight forward in a good way-- they make classic American dishes, and make them well. It brings old school vibes in a brand new space. We went with a group of 7 and were seated at a beautiful round booth that could have seated 10 and made it easy for everyone to talk to each other. The volume of the restaurant was perfect-- it felt lively but I had no problem hearing everyone at the table. The food was mostly excellent-- we got bone marrow and crab cake starters. I split the bone-in ribeye, and friends also ordered the rigatoni alla vodka, which was spicy and excellent. The whipped potato and brocolllini sides were excellent- although I can feel my arteries swelling from the richness of the potatoes. Docking a point as the bone-in ribeye I ordered medium rare was for sure medium-- still great flavor, but for a $100 steak, I think its fair to criticize it being overcooked (I did not complain or ask for a new steak). Service was good, maybe a tad slow but we weren't in any hurry. Felt like maybe they were still working out some new restaurant kinks. $35 corkage fee is super reasonable, although we had no trouble finding a good bottle on the wine list. No valet but not hard to find street parking and there's a pay-to-park lot literally next door. Overall- really positive experience and would definitely recommend.

Fantastic meal, the clams are my favorite! Steak frites and oysters were the best part of the meal. Definitely on the pricey end but knew what I what getting into and thought it was worth it. Bartenders are the sweetest and I will be back!

Amazing food. A place worth splurging at. They had the tastiest and thickest Alaskan King Crab legs I've ever had. They nailed it here. We can't wait to go back and eat the other side of the menu.

We recently visited this neighborhood gem, and we're so glad we did! The food, ambiance, and service were all exceptional. The drinks are phenomenal! Tonight, we enjoyed the scallops, Amish chicken, shrimp cocktail, and green beans. Everything was delicious!

Friendliest service in River North! Charlie Martins has a cozy, warm ambiance that is unmatched by other Chicago restaurants. Best Dish: The French onion soup with mini grilled cheeses - absolutely a 10/10. Will be coming back soon!

To all reading this--run, don't walk to Charlie Martins. We've eaten at some great places in Chicago and some tremendous ones elsewhere. This was the best meal I've ever eaten. Ever. I'm not usually a burger person but it sounded good. Superb beef and super-hot fries that were high-quality. My husband had the chicken. Again, very flavorful and the side of mashed potatoes, served in a ramekin to keep them hot, beat the best homemade. Green beans were treated perfectly with garlic. It can be hard to put into words what makes food spectacular. What added to this experience was the very engaging team. Theresa was a special server and she, along with others, were so proud of the restaurant, as they should be. I noticed as well that they do team service there. My soda was getting low and I noticed a team member notice. She went right to the bar and ordered it, then Theresa delivered. Just awesome to see folks excited about where they work and helping coworkers in the process. We could easily eat there every night. I can't wait to return and implore you all to go. Beyond compare.

Upon arrival we were met with a smile as if we were someone important. We had a reservation for a table but opted to sit at the bar to watch the cool vibe of the place. The staff was attentive and we never wanted for anything. And wow, the food was amazing. Started with oysters, which were delicious. On the main course, Filet with a peppercorn sauce that was unreal. Cooked perfectly. The whipped potatoes, Brussel sprouts and the mushrooms as sides were delicious and went perfectly with my filet. I would recommend Charlie's for everyone.