Boxing memorabilia adorns the polished wood walls of this unassuming hangout serving Italian food.
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Reviews
We started with the baked clams, which were fresh, flavorful, and the perfect way to kick things off. The bar pie was exactly what you want from a classic Jersey tavern pie—thin, crispy, and packed with flavor.
For mains, the steak with shrimp scampi was outstanding. The steak was cooked perfectly and the shrimp scampi added that rich, buttery garlic flavor that made the whole dish stand out. The Drunken Onion Burger was another highlight—juicy, loaded with caramelized onions, and just downright satisfying. The owner even came out with some of their dessert options to try which ended the night perfectly.
The food, atmosphere, and overall experience made for a great first visit. Safe to say I’ll 100% be back to try even more on the menu. If you’re in the area and looking for great food in a classic local spot, Charlie Blood’s is absolutely worth the stop.
A few weeks later….
Looked a little funky from the outside and when I walked inside it was bizarre, I loved it. The bartender asked if we wanted to sit at the bar or dining room I asked where is the dining room and she pointed at the doorway leading into the kitchen, yes you walk through the small kitchen to the dining room. I found out later that there is a seperate entrance to the dining room.
They have some local breweries on tap; Ghost Hawk & Hackensack and to be fair I had one of each. My sidekick had wine and when you go into some of these pretentious places and they properly pour you a 1/3 of a glass of wine not so here; fill it up to the brim! Yes, why waste all that space in the glass!
We ordered the wings to get started and then the reason for the visit; Beefsteak Platter! It was great! Nah a little better than great, magnificent! Definitely will be back! Best of all the bill came and for 4 drinks, wings and a beefsteak platter $51. WOW!!!!!!!!
The owner personally went around to every table, greeting everyone and chatting with us about the history of the place—which alone deserves 10 stars. Every single dish we tried was absolutely fantastic. The baked clams were massive, and the garlic clams in that buttery garlic sauce? I could honestly drink it with a spoon. Then came the steaks—perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
To top it all off, the chef came out to greet everyone too and asked how everything was. It’s such a rare touch that made us feel like family, like we’d been regulars for years. And for the kids—there’s even a fun little scavenger hunt, which is such a cute idea!
If I could give Charlie Bloods 20 stars, I would. This place is full of heart, history, and seriously good food. Can’t wait to go back!
I knew this was going to be memorable; I didn’t know it was also going to be a really good meal. My top-tier chum and I stopped by here on Saturday afternoon for lunch, both famished and in need of sustenance. I was given the honor of picking the spot, and this was on the radar based on a behind-the-paywall nj.com article from a few months ago – boxing-themed old-school steak/Italian joint? Cash only? Sign me up. Totally worth my three-month free trial.
My only real regret was that we inadvertently came in directly to the bar, bypassing what I imagine is a pretty astounding, eccentric dining area. The bar had quite a look as well, but we probably lost out a bit on the overall experience. I’d also like to come back in slightly warmer weather to lounge outside on what looks to be furniture recently removed from a house – this is not official outdoor patio stuff by any stretch. My chum loves sitting at bars, so we barely gave the high tops a look and settled in right in the corner closest to the door and made ourselves at home, taking in the myriad pictures and boxing gloves on the wall.
I was really on the fence about what to get; a steak seemed like the obvious way to go, but my heart wanted the chicken parm. It was the right call and given how much I read about the steaks, really underrated. I thought this was an excellent dish. I’m always apprehensive about trying a new chicken parm because the sauce is the real equalizer – there are some rough ones out there. This was really good though; meaty without being chunky (huge pet peeve) and the perfect accompaniment to the chicken. The only slight issue they have with this chicken is that the coating comes off too easily – the bottom breading fell off immediately when I’d cut off pieces, so then I’d have to search around for it amidst the meaty sauce. Worse ways to go, but I’d try to come up with something to keep the coating on a bit longer. Also as you can see, a gigantic portion. I finished the entire meal because I’m an animal but my chum (who got the sandwich version) had another lunch essentially packed up for her.
The service was top-notch as well; the bartender was very nice and actually comped my chum’s second beer. Despite both getting legit entrees and drinks (I went with some house wine, nothing crazy), we each paid a little over $30 with tip. Great bang for the buck. We also had the pleasure of listening to some real salt-of-the-earth patrons sporting their Garfield, NJ shirts who clearly spend a ton of time here. No judgment.
Before this adventure, my experience in Garfield involved a few quick forays down 46. No longer. This is going in the rotation; just make sure you have your legal tender handy.