Charlie’s On Main

I expected better with the reputation. The cheese curds were very good. The cocktails were very good. The bacon wrapped chicken enter was very over cooked, and the portion very small for the price. The Mac and cheese was prepared and presented well, but had a strange aftertaste that we did not like. Service was very slow.

Excellent cheese curds, cocktails, draft beer selection and multiple great dinner selections. Most recent favorite is the prime rib sandwich on focaccia bread. Excellent! And then there is the dessert selection…
This venue is needed in downtown Oregon, with a classy but not pretentious atmosphere.

Great atmosphere! The main dining area is a tad small but it’s Oregon so I don’t expect some huge space. I like that it is welcoming and intimate. The speak easy downstairs is clever and a nice change of pace to just relax on some leather couches and drink a good cocktail. The bartending staff is awesome and knowledgeable with the drinks they make. They offer many from scratch craft cocktails made with fresh ingredients that can easily compete with places in the downtown area. They may sound a little out of your comfort zone at times but if you’re willing to try new things I can definitely say I was not disappointed. Keep in mind that traditional drinks are spirit forward so I recommend letting the bartender know if you are someone that prefers to mask the liquor. The food has been fantastic with what I have tried so far. They keep a local, small and seasonal menu that can all be made into to gluten free and vegan items. High remarks for the cheese curds (has a jalapeño bourbon ranch… need I say more?), the bruschetta is fresh and on thick pieces of toasted bread, and I have friends that are addicted to the shepards pie, but I think my favorite thing so far is the bacon Mac n Cheese in the Wisconsin iron skillet! Great presentation and the staff are super friendly! Wishing much success to you! Great addition to Oregon and the farm to table concept is so welcomed!!!

Good addition for Oregon and surrounding area. We stopped on way to Stoughton Opera from Madison.
Farm to table with just enough interesting ingredients without going over the top.
Not a huge menu but a great option in almost every category and they are VERY accommodating for vegetarians and vegans.
Good ambiance. Could use a fireplace but so could most places in Wisconsin. Also looks nice for events.
We only had time for small plates, and I was not very hungry, so I was very impressed with the flavors and quality. Full disclosure — I know and respect the chef — especIally for his charitable works — but that does not mean I can not give an objective review.
The soups were really a standout. The onion soup tastes like a meat base but was vegetarian. The wild mushroom was complex and woody and creamy and an outstanding soup. We had the frites, which I usually find heavy but the home made fruit Ketchup was great and the aioli was light. Beet salad was also great.
Great beer, wine and cocktail list.
They were busy and some folks ordered craft cocktails and I was getting a little annoyed my glass stood empty for a few minutes, but the bartender was perfect — he did the right thing with a quick apology which I was happy to accept and appreciate and he grabbed up a refresh quickly.
Pricing is good.
All in, an excellent second effort for Chef Dave Heide and while I am sick of farm-​to-​table in the Madison area, this restaurant is worth the trip.

Very disappointed! We stopped there for a few beers Thursday night (Boys night out). Met my buddy there about 5:00, he was sitting at the bar. After 5 minutes sitting there with no drinks yet I asked him how longe he had been there, he said 5 min. I counted 6 people at the bar and 2 tables with 2 people each, 2 male bartenders and 2 female waitresses working the tables. The 2 bartenders walked past us several times not even acknowledging us. Well it’s now more then 15 min sitting there and the 2 bartenders are still not acknowledging us, in fact the one has elbow on the bar, chin in hand, and the other next to him talking to the owner Chef David. Finally fed up we ask the waitress as she is heading to a table if we can order a drink from her, sure she said. Expecting she would tell the bartenders we wanted a drink but no, she walks past them, behind the bar and ask us what we want. Now you would think that would be a clue to the bartenders, but no, not a clue! We drank our beer and I said lets get the hell out of here but my buddy wanted to check out the speakeasy in the basement. The one bartender had gone down to man that bar, there’s a couple at the bar (up stairs bar earlier), and chin in hand bartender. We take a seat at the small bar, and mister (chin in hand elbows on bar) does the same fricking thing! putting elbows on bar chin in hand in front of the couple and ask if they would like to have another drink, totally ignoring us. At that point I had enough of this crape, said this is «bull. .t» got up and started to walk out, Mr «elbows on the bar» finally acknowledges us saying «sorry guys». Sorry Chef Dave, you’re never going to see me in Charlies again! We went down the street to HQ and were treated like customers should be.. If I could give zero stars I would!

My first visit to Charlie’s had some hiccups. The dining room/​bar is warm and welcoming. The welcome soon wore off when I sat at the bar for at least 5 minutes unacknowledged. It appeared one of the bartenders was relatively new and while she glanced my way, she never engaged me. The more veteran bartender finally did and offered up the drink and food menu. The menu claims to be seasonally influenced and appears to be as the menu listed on their website was not the one offered up to me when I sat down. I appreciate that they strive to locally source their ingredients and as I wasn’t that hungry, opted for the mushroom bisque and a side of frites. The bisque was very good. Perfectly seasoned and sunflower shoots help bite through the rich creaminess. The frites, however, were a miss. I like that they were handout but they missed the mark as the lacked the crispy exterior that true frites have. Why the curried ketchup was almost chunky is also mystery.
One thing I inquired about but did not order was the cheese board. There were only two featured-​a 3 yr Hooks and a Farmer John’s camembert. Two cheeses is weak and there is no excuse to have a more wider selection.
They have some work to do. With that said, they have potential and I will be back to update my review.

Absolutely amazing!!! Definitely the best restaurant in Oregon with an awesome chef. My wife had the lamb sandwich/​burger that was so tasty and moist. I had the Shepard’s Pie that was also fantastic and just the right size. Everyone that works here is so helpful and courteous. They have a large excellent selection of draft beers as well as the Speakeasy in the basement. The bar down there will be a great place to chill, have some drinks and watch a game. Down the road they’re looking to serve Tapas in the Speakeasy as well.
So if you haven’t gone yet it’s time, you certainly won’t regret it. It’s such a relaxed atmosphere. I know we’ll be going back very soon.

Unique. Fun. Relaxing. Speakeasy downstairs that is very authentic feeling! Excellent food and service. Very enjoyable.

We had such a great experience during our first visit to Charlie’s. The atmosphere was great all around. The hostess, bartender, and server were all top notch. Nice, personable, professional. There was a half hour wait, to be expected on a Friday night at 7:30. We were able to wait for our table in the downstairs bar/​speakeasy! It was so charming and cozy with a fireplace and comfortable leather couches to lounge. We couldn’t be happier to have such a great place so close to home!

Absolutely delicious! Husband and I stopped here for a quick dinner at the bar. I had the short rib sandwich on Rosemary focaccia and husband had the lamb burger. I LOVED my sandwich. So incredibly flavorful and the meat was so tender. It had a horseradish aoli sauce on it that blended so well with the other flavors. I ate it with a knife and fork so it was really more of a dinner! Delicious!
Husband’s lamb burger was also amazing (I of course tried it)! Quality feta on it and a cucumber sauce… just awesome. I will be getting that next!
In all honesty, every single item on the menu looks like something I want to try. They locally source almost all (maybe all!) of their ingredients and you can just taste the quality. You pay a few dollars more than a sandwich somewhere else but far below what you could be expected to pay for the quality. I think my sandwich was $ 12 and husbands $ 11. It came with a tasty pasta salad side and a very tasty unconventional kind of slaw. We also split a plate of the pommes frites which were $ 4 and came with two sauces. The homemade curried ketchup took me back about 20 years to something I had in Germany.
I’ll be back MANY times I’m sure. Oh, and check out the speakeasy downstairs! Great place to relax with a bourbon or nice glass of wine. I am just so glad this place is here in Oregon!

Best burger in town! Their lamb burger is amazing! It has a light cucumber sauce that will blow your mind. The drinks are varied and it has a literal secret passage to a speak easy. Check out the book shelf and peek at The Long Thirst ;)

Had the mushroom pasta opening night, service was excellent and the food even better. Sent my parents there the next night and they came back raving about the shepherds pie. All local ingredients. The building is an old masonic temple, and the owner did a great job with the atmosphere and keeping true to the history and character of the building. Highly recommend it!