Chef Charles’ Inc.

It’s a tad bit more than 4 stars– I just can’t see myself giving it a 5 star rating.
I’ve always had very good pizza here rather it be by the slice or by the whole pie. It is premium pizza and it should be at a premium price, however I still find it to be a little steep– and at times I can find the crust a bit thick.
But those are petty complaints– the staff has always greeted me with a smile rather it be during the busiest or slowest time of year. And the pizza is VERY GOOD– substantially better then from a chain restaurant.
If you want pizza in elk Rapids CHOOSE HERE. It is the best in ER.

Out of the bazillion pizza places we have around us in the Detroit area, none come close to appeasing my cravings for Chef Charles amazing pizza. I have to stop in and get a large seven cheese every time I’m up there. Absolutely delicious!

Definitely a dive but good funky pizza. I just want to manage your expectations here. We tried it on a recommendation from a local resident. Unilocal reviews said it was a «Cute little pizza joint.» It really isn’t. It’s a cookie cutter divey pizza place with very little expense paid on décor. So definitely not cutesy or even a «pizza joint» by my standards.
But considering where it is located it is a good option for pizza if you are in the mood.
Staff was nice, polite and efficient. A couple of pizzas came out quick and were very good. Wife did not like the Sweet Blazin’ BBQ mustard pizza. Sounded good on the menu but both of us agreed it should have been more BBQ tasting.
Better than Dominoes or Pizza hut and probably a great option for pick up. And they do have pizza by the slice.

Ok pizza. People seem to really like this place. My guess is they are on vacation and dont feel like cooking so it tastes extra good. I would get it again if I wanted pizza and was near Elk Rapids.

Chef Charles has consistently wonderful pizza and pleasant service. We usually get it to go. Get a side order of pesto to spread on the crust. Delicious… best ever!

The chef Charles pizza is where it’s at! His signature pie is delicious. The whole wheat crust was good to me, but my husband did not enjoy it. Cute little pizza joint. The owner and employees are extremely nice!

This pizza is amazing. The crust is soft and tasty. Theres a good amount of cheese. The toppings are thick and plentiful. I called and wanted to order a pizza 5 min before they closed. I thought he wouldve said they wont do it. But he said no problem! Great place!

Fantastic pick. You can’t beat the price or quality. Boyfriend and I each had a slice and salad with a pop for a total of $ 11. Antipasto salad was a generous portion with plenty of vegetables and delicious dressing. I suggest the bean burrito pizza. Close to the beach, walking distance, for taking a slice to the beach if desired!

This place is fantastic! The staff is very friendly and the food is amazing. Everything is locally sourced and the pizza sauce is made from tomatoes from Chef Charles’ graden!

Great pizza, great service and a great price. We walked in looking for something to take to the local beach. They gave us great directions, we are from out of town. We ordered the Charles’ special which had artichoke hearts, olives, pesto and pine nuts. Really great pizza. No beer, but there are stores up the street that can take care of that for you. We would definitely visit again if in the area.

First time visit. Went because of reviews. It’s a very small, home town pizza place. Nothing fancy at all. One order window and one pick up window whether you eat in or take out. Very small dining area inside. We went Memorial Day evening. There was not a wait when we got there but it filled up before we were finished. Four small tables and two larger tables and also outside tables. The service was good and everyone was friendly. The prices were good. Our salads were very good and so was the pizza. Not the best I’ve ever had as some reviews said but very good. We will return when we are back up to our cottage.

I’ve been coming to Chef Charles’ ever since I can remember – 15+ years. The seven cheese pizza is live heaven on earth. Every time I have it, it’s just like I remember it when I was a little girl. Warm, soft whole wheat crust, flavorful cheese blend and crunchy feta on top make it my favorite pizza EVER.
You can’t beat the price either! We used to come to Chef Chucks for lunch in high school and it was like, $ 2.67 or something for a piece of pizza and a soda with free refills! AMAZING.
Every time I come back to Michigan, Chef Chucks is a must.
Eat Local!

This will place will work for a take out pizza order when you want to sit by the water and consume pizza and beer. Expect a long wait during the summer. It’s general pizza and the local pizza site.

I don’t quite get the 5 star reviews here. We stopped in on a Monday night, thinking it might not be too busy. Wrong. It was very hot inside the restaurant, so you had to feel for the cooks, but the guy didn’t seem to want our business. Maybe the heat was making him grumpy, but that doesn’t seem like a good first impression to give people.
Due to the length of time it would take to get our order (45 minutes) and the heat inside, we decided to place our order to go, and 2 of our party waited for it while the rest of us headed back to the house. By the time we placed our order, the owner’s estimate for our food was 1.5 hours.
Well, the food was cooked in closer to an hour than 90 minutes. The pizza crust was very tasty, but I concur with another reviewer that the olives were very salty. I found the pesto itself on the Chef Charles special overly salty, too. The large Mediterranean salad was tasty, and a good size for 2 people.
The subs had a decent amount of meat and cheese, and the bun was quite good. I would go here again, but avoid the olives and the pesto due to the salt.
The way the owner acted reminded me a bit of a certain «Seinfeld» episode. He seemed so stressed and busy that he could afford to come across like he didn’t care if we walked out the door. While I’m glad we tried the pizza, I hope he isn’t always that gruff.

Still doing it right CHARLES!
Just took the whole family and all the mom’s and kids attending our annual mommy camp… yes I am the token male. That’s another story. Proudly wearing the Manny Badge. Not all bad.
Went on family night in downtown elk rapids, super busy night. Biked.
The pizza… awesome. Try the chef charles if you like it interesting. Greatest deal in town. Pizza slice and a pop, super reasonable.
Kids love it. Every year it’s «lets go to chef charles.»
All should relize that the owner is a classically trained chef and seems to love making pizzas. Some may have eaten his food in downtown Detroit at the Whiney?

This shop has been around since I was a little girl… at least ten years. Listen to the reviews! Chef Charles is, hands down, the BEST pizza you will ever have. Fresh, rich ingredients make all of their pizza flavors irresistable. I wish they had a Chef Charles out here in California ;)

Good pizza. Excellent crust and cheeses. The olives were extremely salty, next time I will avoid them.

The pizza was tasty — I had one with pine nuts, goat cheese, pesto, artichoke & black olives. Excellent. The 12 inch is enough for 2. Crust is on the thicker side.
It is self-​serve. Sparse on inside.

I come to Chef Charles as many times per year as possible. In my family we have a tradition that every year we go to Elk Rapids Harbor Days and get 2 huge pizza’s from Chef Charles to go. FABULOUS pizza, so many toppings and crusts to choose from. The slices are big and the prices are good for the quality and specialty items you get.
This place is HOPPIN’ in the summertime so you’d better order ahead or get there before the dinner rush. The service is always great– though they are mostly high school teens working their summer jobs. They are fast and efficient! Elk Rapids is a quaint little town that gets rave reviews for their hospitality each year.

I still consider this the best pizza I’ve ever had. The pepperoni slice and soda special cannot be beat.
Oh, how I long for summers in Elk Rapids…