Charley G’s

Once again following the recommendations of my personal Concierge came to this place and for my surprised is very upscale. The restaurant staff very well dress and courteous. I highly recommend do a reservation before showing up. However;if you are by yourself you could also try the open bar a get dinner there too. If you are in Louisiana you cannot leave the state without trying their famous gumbo soup this one in particular has a touch of Duck and it’s delicious.

Two of us in town for business for two days. We tried another restaurant but the next night was steered to Charlie G’s. If you want fine dining with excellent staff (thank you Nathan and Dakota!), then this is the place. The food was impeccable (Scallops with Brussels sprouts was perfection). It’s simple to say that this is precisely what we except from a fine dining establishment. Excellent wine, excellent staff, excellent food and nice atmosphere. Don’t hesitate if you are in Lafayette.

There is nothing I hate more than going to a fine dining establishment and being treated as if the servers are doing me a favor by waiting on me. This simply isn’t the case at Charley G’s. They have perfected the art of recruiting professional yet down to earth employees. I have never had a bad experience. And as for the food, THE BEST FILET AND RIBEYE IN THE COUNTRY! Bold statement, but try it first before you judge me. If you do get the ribeye, ask Tiger to whip up his homemade steak sauce. I could drink it straight from a bottle. Overall, impeccable service and outstanding dishes. It is our choice to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, and more.

However, whoever is in charge of the atmosphere in there needs to take off their SUNGLASSES so they can see how dam bright it is!!! Other than that great!

One of my investment partners had owned a number of very high end restaurants all over the world. His maxim was, «if you want to have a successful restaurant the owner has to be there. There is no way around it.» Yep, apparently that may be true. Went to Charley Gs during a weeknight fairly late looking for a quiet, romantic, nice dinner. Charley Gs should have been a good choice. It is a place where we had previously received good service and good quality food. We got snooty service pretty much as we walked in. Then table service was eh, the food was eh. We haven’t been back.
From NY to LA (the one in CA) I have always found if funny to be treated with mild or overt contempt by a waiter or maître de. I enjoy irony. If it were Petrus in London, OK, I get it. But Charlie Gs?

My favorite gumbo in all of Louisiana! I have been dining at Charley G’s since the mid 90s and it has always been one of my favorite restaurants in Lafayette. Now, even if I am just passing by on I-​10, I make a «gumbo detour». Their gumbo is much darker than most lending a unique richness and taste profile. Besides the gumbo, the crab cakes are not to be missed. Still the best for me in Lafayette all these years later!

Had lunch here with my daughter. I ordered the Spinach and artichoke dip and my daughter had the Black Bean Burger. My daughter enjoyed the burger but thought that the raw onions on the burger were a little too over powering. She will order the burger without onions next time. Spinach dip was good. The prices were reasonable. Service was excellent and quick. Would definitely have lunch or dinner here again.

Finding ourselves nearby and hungry; we dared to «walk-​up» on a very busy early Mardi Gras Season Saturday night.
Bracing for the expected turn-​away; I heard the magic words: «Sure, Doc, if you’d eat in the bar area!».
We, in jeans, were seated amongst ball gowns, tux’es, furs, & jewelry. At least our jeans were fresh-​pressed; and Charley G’s still felt like home.
Lolly had the grilled pork jowls with butternut purée; I chose a unique dish of thick home-​made pasta with tiny gratons in cream sauce, topped with a half-​dozen fried jumbo local shrimp, with extra sides of the squash purée and a corn-​squash casserole dish.
The most difficult task here is the menu choice: delicious crab cakes, wood-​grilled prime beef, dark-​roux duck /​Andouille gumbo, plus seasonal specialties; all always just perfect!
Charley Goodson is the ultimate Pro restaurant manager. His current Chef, Holly, has been there for several years; Holly followed another favorite local Chef, Patrick Mould. Many of the wait-​staff are culinary students at the local U. of Louisiana, Lafayette. Our waitress was «Leah», who did the expected excellent job.
Plenty parking in large shared lot, great elevated piano bar, good wine cellar, & interesting daily «specials» based on season and market.
Lafayette has finally been recognized as America’s «Food City», far eclipsing New Orleans, Chicago, Sad Diego, etc. Charley Goodson’s dedication to perfection has kept his namesake eatery in Lafayette’s «top three» for decades, as others came and went.
Don’t you dare miss this great Louisiana Bistro !
Rick

My husband and i have been to Charley g’s a few times, and usually save the occasion for special events. We went the other night for our wedding anniversary. I got the crab cakes, and he ordered the salmon. The entrees were decently good, but not outstanding, and not as good as they should have been for the price.
They had put little red hearts on our table because they knew we were celebrating our anniversary. That was a nice touch.
The really interesting part of the evening began when we first waked in the door. My husband was in a business suit, and wore a nice hat. The hostess told him that the restaurant’s policy was that no hats were to be worn in the dining room. Of course, my husband would have removed his hat to eat, anyway, so no problem. After we were seated, the very next group of diners who came in included a man with his shirt tail out, wearing a casual hat. Of course, he wore the hat during the entire meal. I politely asked the hostess about that when we left, and she said «oh, well, uh, he’s sort of a celebrity.» I see how that policy works. :(

Came on a business trip. Excellent steak. Service was very good, not ingratiating but just right. Atmosphere was upscale casual. Good execution overall.

It was the end of the day dinner after a long day in the office we were visiting. After all that work, we decided we needed a good dinner. One of the office assistants recommended the restaurant and the Unilocal reviews looked good. We made reservations and went back to the hotel to freshen up.
White linen tables and a low lighting level greeted us upon arrival at the restaurant. We ordered the appetizer plate of spring rolls, coconut shrimp, and garlic and brie to start. Hot bread was left at the table to take off the hunger’s edge. The sampler plate arrived shortly thereafter. We placed our orders as the appetizers quickly disappeared.
I ordered the crab cakes which came with creole green beans and a bell pepper coulis. It was a lot creamier than the crab cakes I am used to but the taste was fantastic. Other dishes ordered included the Mahi Mahi, grilled salmon, and the shrimp skewers. Everyone was satisfied with the meal.

Professionally run restaurant. Service was great, and the staff was knowledgeable and attentive. Dinner was good, and the price is almost on point. I am a fan of locally sourced ingredients, so escargot from overseas doesn’t impress me. I prefer a restaurant that highlights local fare with local ingredients; it’s just more authentic to me.
Wouldn’t classify this as a romantic destination. It’s in a strip mall, and the dining room is loud. The setting is clean and crisp, but it’s not a setting conducive for intimate conversation.
Gumbo and calamari were delicious. Blackened mahi isn’t blackened in the traditional sense, but rather, mahi with thick grill marks. Unfortunately, it was overcooked as well. The basil pesto relish carried the dish to acceptability. Grouper was good, though it isn’t a regular menu item.
Chocolate crème brûlée was great.
All and all, it was a pleasant dinner. Atmosphere was a little loud, and the food could use a little fine tuning.

Back home for a visit and loved this place. Elegant, great service, a well executed martini with a nice glass of wine with dinner. The gumbo appetizer I can’t get off my mind and will be trying to emulate it when I get back to Boston. A hard act to follow. The main course of seared tuna was terrific and well crafted in perfect portions. Charley G’s is as good as it gets. Sophisticated without being stuffy… but then again I was back in Louisiana with its beautifully delightful people. Dying to come back. Staff is top notch. From now on my go to place!

Hands down best service I have ever received at a restaurant! The food, atmosphere and service makes this a great dining experience!!!

Happy wife, happy life. Truer words have never been spoken.
Are you in Lafayette? (If so, I’m jealous.) Do you want to make your wife (or significant other) very happy? Do you want to guarantee some lovin’ later? Then get dressed up and take your date to Charley G’s. It’s hands down the most romantic restaurant in Lafayette.
I went one Friday for lunch with my sister and had a grilled fish special topped with shrimp that was absolutely delicious. Sadly, I didn’t get lucky that day but maybe next time I go (with a non family member)…fingers crossed. ;)

Thanks to Charley G’s for continuing to provide great food and consistant customer service to the ever growing Lafayette food scene. In a time when everyone is trying to jump on bandwagons and trends Charley G’s stays true to its roots and we, the consumer, appreciate that! A must try for anyone going out or in from out of town!

Excellent service from hostess to waiter. I’ve never experienced anything less than the best in terms of the staff.
The atmosphere is romantic and intimate. It makes a great date night or place to bring visiting family for a special occasion.
I generally get the filet mignon and have enjoyed my steak each time. I consider Charley G’s the preeminent place for steaks and nice dishes in Lafayette.
Tip: For a less pricey version, try Charley G’s for lunch! I had a wonderful salad with cranberries, walnuts, and blue cheese. Plus, I paid less than what you pay for dishes on the dinner menu.

I’m a frequent diner for this place. The staff is always skilled and polite and courteous. I actually can’t express that enough. They’re top notch. Same goes for the food. One of the best dinning experiences around. They’re a fine dining restaurant, but like most places in Louisiana, jeans and a t-​shirt are acceptable. I wouldn’t wear gym clothes though.
They change they’re menu up seasonally and always have wonderful dishes. They’ve had a few absolute standouts, a sous vide chicken thigh and last falls beef short rib dish. For me, those were incredible.
For a first time diner I would suggest getting the sample appetizer with crab cakes, you won’t be dissatisfied. A cup of gumbo aswel. They do experiment with dishes from time to time, and I’ll be honest, there’s been a couple of things I didn’t care for. But Charlie G’s is very reliable. The service combined with skill in food cannot be understated.

Went here with my significant other, we had a good time. The service here was amazing and the ambiance was nice. We had the following:
— Sampler — coconut shrimp, spring rolls, garlic & brie, and crab crakes — the coconut shrimp was okay, it did not have a flaky texture like many coconut shrimp that I’ve eaten, but the flavor isn’t bad, smoke duck and tasso spring rolls was also okay, the roasted garlic and brie with fruit compote and toast points, however was delicious, the crab cakes were also mediocre
— Aged Ribeye — served with yukon gold and asparagus — this was delicious and cooked to perfection, seasoning was also good
— Special of the day — which was fish (I don’t remember what kind), risotto, with broccolini, this was also delicious and light, good flavoring also
— Chocolate Mousse with Salted Caramel — at first we got deceived because the waiter actually told us its a chocolate crème brûlée. when it came out, it was a fricking mousse. mousse is one of my last choice for dessert, so I was really upset about this one, the flavoring was also not that good, and it was too heavy for a mousse
In the end, we had a good time, and the service was pretty good, I probably would come here again

I was in Lafayette for business. Took my wife with me. Charley G’s came highly recommended by everyone I know in Lafayette. Menu was diverse, food was very good, and our server Ashley was a pure delight. Priced was commensurate with the quality of the food and staff. I would definitely recommend this place to any «foodie» or someone celebrating a special occasion.
You have to try the gumbo. It was excellent!