Clarke’s Charcoal Broiler

First time here, looks like the prices have gone up about $ 2 (example, I wanted the Hawaiian burger that was $ 8.50, now it’s $ 10.50). I also ordered the fried mushrooms.
Tasty burger, but I’m not sure that it’s completely worth the price.
The mushrooms, while fresh, were a little bland. I wish there was more flavor, maybe added to the batter.

Nice and cozy spot=]
Got a smokey cheddar burger and you get to do toppings yourself!
#smokeycheddarburger

Great burger place. I have been eating here for over 20 years. Shakes and onion rings also great. Best burger in mtn view.

I’ve come here twice, both with big groups from work. They almost always seem to mess up on big orders.
The burger patties were super dry both times. The only flip side is they have an extensive sauce and toppings bar inside where you can customize your burger.
The place is super old inside and almost dirty. I would avoid coming here! I know it’s a Mtn View establishment and all but I’ve had a better experience at In n Out.

What you want in a little old BBQ shack.
Clarke’s is a simple restaurant for simple needs: great meat, from burgers to ribs. Clarke’s has a small menu, with a few daily specials, all of which are reasonably priced. Whether you want to take a platter to go or eat in their cosy establishment, you’ll be licking your fingers in no time.
My biggest complaint are the french fries, served with most of the dishes. They are under seasoned and lackluster. If you’re getting fries with your meal, either splurge for one of their specialty fries or season them with plenty of salt and pepper before consumption.
Overall, Clarke’s delivers good food and nothing else.

Burgers were meh and expensive. Place was dirty and had homeless guy sleeping in booth. Hot dogs, which I did not try, admittedly looked delicious.

If you got an itch for a burger with a nice, natural smokey flavor, this is the place to come. I have come here numerous times and the cheeseburger I get is consistently really good. These burgers ain’t cheap ($ 9.20 for a cheeseburger), but I think they are worth it. And look for the happy hour pricing to get a little off your order (these hours are later than most).

I came in here yesterday super hungry. I decided on a hawaiian burger and a basket of sweet potato fries. also got a sprite. my bill came out to be over $ 17 for these three items haha.
I was in a group, and the lady asked me if I wanted tomato on my burger. I said no, then immediately changed my mind and said yes, and watched her change something. I didnt get tomato on my burger :/​
so the orders are coming out, and my friend, who ordered basically the same thing as I, plus a shake, got his food before me for some stupid reason. needless to s]say it was kind of obnoxious to see that. Everyone is getting their orders called and three minutes later I get mine hand delivered, which was odd, cause I just had to get up and go to the register area to put on condiments.
the food was just ALRIGHT, the bun on my burger was a cheap roll that tore in a million pieces three bites into the burger. the sweet potato fries were good but those are hard to mess up!
whats this about not having honey mustard?

Very good food, does seem a little pricey.

Good old fashion cheeseburger. It’s not a fancy place and everything seems like it’s from the 1960’s. But the cheeseburgers, frys, and condiments are simple/​basic but good overall. The quality of the meat they use for the burgers is good also.

So the burgers are pretty good, but it is expensive, which I don’t understand at all. It is a pretty run down building, therefore I would expect to pay less than an upscale burger joint like the Habit. a beer, burger, and Fries was $ 25. Say what?

Simple, old school place that services juicy burgers and sides. It’s not fancy but the food is righteous! They even have decent chili fries with cheese! Now, if you could only serve pastrami!
They also offer breakfast if you get there in the morning!

I love a burger that tastes as if it was on made outside on the grill, BINGO! Clarke’s makes burgers on the grill and they are pretty good.
There are maybe 10 – 15 different types of burgers on the menu, so be ready to make a decision fast. I had the hawaiian burger and the turkey, both are pretty good. For health purposes I usually order the turkey hamburger. While I know some people may think that turkey is bland and boring, at Clarke’s they actually season up the meat.
They have a fresh condiment station, so you add lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions according to your taste.
You have to order the fries on the side. So, be ready because a small side is a pretty generous portion.
Pricing, well… its not a Burger King or McDonalds… so expect to spend a little more than the average $ 7 meal.
Great staff, everyone is super friendly.

I’ve been the occasional customer since the 90’s. I always thought they were pretty good and I liked spending my money at a small business.
After my last couple of visits, I think the price/​performance ratio getting out of wack. I had a bacon cheese burger, small order of fries and a fountain coke. Total cost — over $ 17.
The burger is pretty good but not a game changer. The fries — so so. For 17 bucks I can get a great burger and fries and a nice sit down place.
I like the patio, I like the charcoal grill, and the fact they’ve got 70 years of history.

This is the kind of place that no longer has to prove itself worthy, it’s the kind of place that families go regularly forever, and kid’s can go with their soccer teams after games. The burgers are great because they’re so simple, no frills, just a really great hamburger. The counter service is good, easy service so they get you out fast. I really enjoyed my burger and hope to go back soon!

Hadn’t been here for years –with all of the burger places (Five Guys, Carl’s Jr., The Habit, to name a few) around, we just don’t usually go out of our way to come here.
Remembered it was a really good burger, so we headed over with a friend from Germany, who loves American burgers and had been to the afore-​mentioned restaurants. Since it was her last day in the U.S. before heading back to the Homeland, we wanted to treat her to someplace special to the area.
We weren’t disappointed, but the cost was high, of course! Expect to pay around $ 11 – 13 for a burger. That doesn’t include fries, which are in a big basket, so there’s more than enough to share between 2 people. We had a basket of fries and a basket of onion rings and between 3 adults, there were leftovers.
Order at the front counter and then they call you by name. There’s a condiment bar with mayo, ketchup, mustard, sauerkraut, pickles, jalapeño pickled peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, relish, onions, etc.
The burgers are big and the meat is ground there at the restaurant. My daughter got the kid burger meal (fries, burger, drink), and I’d say the burger was as big as a regular Carl’s Jr. burg). The meat is very soft, as one other reviewer stated, and the burger I had (bacon burger) was really quite tasty. I normally eat low-​carb, but I ate the thick sesame seed bun and it was fresh, soft and delicious. They have a condiment bar. The soft drinks are not self-​serve –I don’t know if they refill –I didn’t want more than a cup of soda so can’t comment on that.
The fries are thick and have some of the skin on and are crispy. The onion rings we ordered had the crunchiest, tasty batter. They were very big –the onions were about ¾″ wide.
I love the building –it’s definitely older –since Clarke’s has been around since the 40s, they’ve been wise to stay with what works and haven’t changed it too much. There are booths inside and there is outside dining as well. Some of the dining is kind of inside-​outside, like an open patio with walls, so you’re not directly in the hot sun. Clear your own table out of courtesy to other diners.
Good parking, private lot. Should it get too crowded, there’s street parking too. They serve breakfast –wouldn’t mind trying that sometime as well.

My favorite spot for burgers in South Bay.
Convenient old school location with patio atmosphere on El Camino around the corner from Castro Street in Mountainview.
Burgers are grilled over real charcoal, ample fresh fixings bar with wide variety of veggies and sauces.
Long been a must stop when I’m in town.

I will say upfront the burgers are tasty. Ever had Kirk’s Steakburgers in the old Saratoga location or Campbell? This is very very similar.
Burger meat is decent quality. Note decent, not great. The meat texture was soft and gummy. It didn’t have that hard crusty sear on the outside with a nice juicy medium on the inside. Flavor was good. A bit more on the smokier side, almost tasting artificial. They are medium sized.
What I’m not okay with are the prices. The burger was good, but not good enough to justify $ 17.07 for a teriyaki burger + a side of onion rings. I’m not a cheapskate, nor do I need to have some fake glamor burger from The Counter. But for $ 17, I expected either a larger burger of similar quality, or better quality at the same size.
Kirks is far better, and you can get something similar at Five guys for ¹⁄₃ of the price. If you want a «craft» burger, you can try Buffalo. You can get much better tasting meat, side of fries, and a beer, for like, $ 22.
Disappointed. Won’t return.

A ‘throwback’, and ‘old school classic’, simply a great place for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Having existed since long before the area was the hub of the worlds technology this place does it simple, and does it right. Great burgers grilled over charcoal on an iron grill, real ice cream shakes, great fries and onion rings, and a massive condiment bar make this a place I love to eat at!
I’ll be back soon!

Every time and excellent charbroiled burger! Thanks Clarke’s!
Maybe next time I will try out the ribs. They looked good to on another plate I saw come out.