Charley’s Grilled Subs

This place is not completely terrible but I have had much better. I got a small because I wasn’t sure how big these came and was I shocked to see how small the sandwich actually was for $ 5. I use a miniature mouse (not full size) and the mouse at my desk was half the size of the small sandwich. So unless you’re on a strict diet don’t bother getting the small because it’s a snack size. Taste was average to below average; nothing grand or entirely bad. The large size is probably the typical Philly cheese steak size you’ll likely have in mind when you arrive so, «Go Big or Go Home!»

Their sandwich is affordable and taste good! It can be a good convenient lunch or dinner near penn station.

It’s kind of a surreal experience to come to Unilocal,searching for a food joint you enjoy only to find reviews that range from calling the food nasty to salmonella ridden. This was particularly surprising considering my consistent, positive experiences with Charley’s.
I take improv classes at Magnet theatre which is a few blocks away from Charley’s. So, every Tuesday for 8 weeks straight myself and a fellow improviser would come to Charley’s for a philly cheese steak after class.
I have only ever gotten the chicken philly and the buffalo chicken philly and I have enjoyed both of them immensely every time. Don’t get me wrong, these aren’t gourmet, organic philly cheese steaks, but they are made right in front of you and they come off the grill piping hot.
They use tasty hero buns and there is always an ample helping of onions, peppers, cheese or whatever condiments your sandwich comes with. The meat is perhaps on the lighter side, but I’ve never had an issue it.
One thing I will say, is at this particular location there is a woman who is usually working the counter on weeknights and I could see how people might not like her attitude. She’s not exactly rude, but she has an ambivalence to her that is off putting and I wouldn’t be surprised if she was talking shit about me in Spanish. At the same time, I’d probably talk shit about me too so, can I really blame her? No, no I can’t. In fact, good for her.
In all seriousness, I think this is a legit joint and it would be an honor to drunkenly stumble upon it one night in the future.

Gril is beyond nasty

I’ve been to Charley’s quite a few times but kind of been off my radar the past few years because their were some authentic Philly Cheesesteak spots that I would go to in the city that I went to instead… due to pretty much ALL of my Philly Cheesesteak spots closing recently I went to Charley’s a few months ago and they didn’t disappoint. I always enjoy their Cheesesteak with fries… it’s nowhere near compared to my other Cheesesteak spots but it will have to due for now until I find a new one. I don’t think I really want to venture out to Philly JUST for a Philly cheesesteak… I’m gonna need a better excuse to do that.

This place used to be great, you got tasty food for a really good price, 6 $ for a small sandwich, fries and soda. Now it sucks. They raised the prices a lot, now its 9 $ for a small sandwich, fries and drink and the quality of the food is terrible. I don’t know if there is new management but the entire old staff who were nice, friendly and knew what they were doing are all gone. I’ve given them several chances and i am done. It always something, either the soda has no carbonation and is completely flat (and they don’t warn you!), the fries are always soggy, undercooked and sometimes a little frozen or the sandwich is very sloppy and slight undercooked. I could take the raised prices is the food had remained the same but forget it I’m done with this Charley’s.

There’s nothing wrong with this place! You get what you pay for!
For $ 6 you get a cheesesteak that is just slightly larger than a hot dog, fries and a drink. Let’s all be honest for a moment, most of us don’t come here sober ;)
I wouldn’t tell anyone to come out of their way to go here — but if you’re in a rush and want a really fast meal for a cheap price tag without trekking all the way to the other side of Penn to go to McD’s, this isn’t a bad go to.
The cheesesteak is adequate for the price. The fries are typically pretty good. Not sure what the big hate is about. Grab your meal to go and catch your train, no need to hang out here.
Whatever you do, don’t discard your receipt. They will throw a massive temper tantrum if they call your number and you claim to not have a receipt.

I came here for lunch and had the special. cheesesteak, fries, and a drink for $ 6.00. It wasn’t bad especially for the price. It’s small so your sitting on top of people. The good thing is the staff keeps it very clean. If I’m in the area I’ll go back

I only went here once, but boy did I enjoy the e. coli sub! They seasoned it with peppers, salmonella, and cheese. Mmm-​mmm… I liked it so much, I figured I’d share the half-​digested sub later that night with my toilet.
And to the ex-​con who stared me down because he wanted to wipe the table next to mine: your future unhappiness will make me happy.

If you know the old Charley’s at the Manhattan Mall and expect this one to be the same, don’t come here!!!
Small DIRTY place and not well maintained,… My sub was good, but not as good as before… I’ would only come back here as last resort after a game and no other place around is open…

Ohhh you know a cheap lunch, 5.50 for steak and fries. Not bad. I’ve seen this place around my job for a while and never ventured inside… with probably good reason. But one day i was working and decided to stop by for a cheap lunch.
So what’s here? $ 5.50 for «steak, drink and fries» (6 bucks with tax) and what do you get? A decent sized cheese steak sandwiches. Flavor was ok — but it does have mayo so that’s a pretty big flavor you taste. Not that much steak — the bread was alot, but when they make it for you — you know it’s going to be quick and meh at best.
and what was it? It was ok. Not terrible, not amazing, fries were pretty good — crispy, but a bit too salty. It’s quick lunch food.

Like a couple of the other reviewers, I was lured in by the lunch special. For $ 5.50 you get a philly cheesesteak sandwich with french fries and a drink. The food was actually not as bad as the overall rating suggests.
Yes, this is not a real philly cheesesteak but it’s to be expected. The basic one is a steak sandwich with provolone cheese and grilled onions. There is no cheese whiz option and the amount of meat given is a little stingy, but it actually tastes pretty good.
Also, the french fries they have are very good. They are hand cut fries with some of the potato skins on them, and they were very crispy. This is not a bad choice for a quick and cheap lunch.

This is a place you goto when you’re in a rush to get food before you get on the Bolt Bus or Amtrak or LIRR. It was quick and convenient. The cheesesteak and fries and sugar water does not equate healthy food. It’s perfect for the grease lovers out there.

I was definitely lured in by the amazing photo and sign that said «Philly Cheese Steak with Fries and 20oz. fountain drink for $ 5.50»! Of course were not in Philly, so don’t expect fireworks, just settle for edible… and yea, it was edible especially cuz I was hungry and taking a lunch break nearby… BUT if you have time to look for good food, good customer service, and good décor/​seating area — STAY AWAY! The people working there juggle between the cash register, take-​out orders on the phone, preparing/​cooking the food, and tending orders. The chain of command is definitely lacking, McD’s is more organized than this (at least they have a head manager watching/leading)…I can see why this would cause problems on other people’s reviews, with lack of management, there’s chaos on getting out orders!

Who would’ve thought that this hole in the wall would have such amazing cheesesteaks?! The price is right, the atmosphere very new york-​ish and unbelieveably clean is what I really want to say from the bottom of my heart.
What lured me in was the «Steak and Fries with 20oz. fountain drink $ 5.50»! Ok I’m chinese and these things always manage to catch my eye. Back in chinatown you can get amazing dim sum for $ 1.50 ok?!
The place is not the cleanest. Sticky floors AND seats. GROSS!
Poor ventilation, I was in there for 5 minutes and i reeked of badly cooked meat and oily fries.
My cheesesteak had more bun, more lettuce, LOTS of mayo, and very few meat. I’d give the meat to other ratio a 1:8 (no, i’m serious). I really don’t want to give eateries this low of a rating but I really can’t think of anything positive. I would say price normally as a last resort but I really think even $ 5.50 was too much. Fries were extremely soggy even though I was the first to get the new batch. If I really had to say something nice about the place, it’s the bun was warm and soft. That’s it!
I guess I’m just spoiled from Pat’s Steaks in PA.
Next time I’m fiending for fast food, White Castle please. Even New York’s dirty water dogs will do!
Charley’s, I want my taste buds back!
sorry sorry, one GOOD thing came out of it… I heard the reggaeton song I really liked and SHAZAM’d it! «Dale don dale» :D

On a Friday afternoon, I needed a little something to tide me over until dinner. As I was walking along 7^th Ave at 33^rd, I saw an extremely sexy photo of a cheesesteak sandwich plastered on a window giving me that come-​hither look. Noticing a line protruding out the door where said photo was hanging, and realizing that a long line is typically a good sign of something good, I immediately took my place behind the crowd of rowdy, hungry New Yorkers.
The line moved surprisingly fast. Once I reached the cashier, I changed my mind and ordered the buffalo chicken sandwich, thinking that would be a slightly healthier option. Chicken is better than cheesesteak, right? I know; the mental gymnastics that my brain performs to justify my occasional calorie indulgences are pathetic. Anyways, the sandwich came with a drink and also with french fries. I gave my money and shifted to the pickup counter.
As I was waiting for my sandwich that, by the way, only took a couple of minutes to be made, I overheard several people complaining that they hadn’t received their french fries. When I picked up my buffalo chicken sandwich, the employee told me that my french fries would be ready shortly. Cool. I sat at an adjacent counter and began to consume the sandwich. It wasn’t bad. I thought, however, that it would have been tastier with some ranch dressing drizzled on the top; it would have completed the buffalo chicken wing taste that I was looking for. At any rate, almost 15 minutes later, I had finished the sandwich and still had not been given my fries. Several customers were throwing bitch fits about not having received theirs. My inner bitch was also beginning to become restless, and I decided to participate in the bitch fest. Finally, after 20 minutes from ordering, our fries were ready. By that time, I really didn’t want them.
I’m not sure what the problem was, but they need to work on organizing things better to keep up with the demand of their lunch crowd.

Aghhh… is this a Mexican place? or a Diner? oh! wait it says Grilled Subs! We came here to grab a quick bite such that we don’t miss our Broadway show next door.
The place was huge and had this Dave& Buster’s environment excluding the games. We went straight inside assuming it was a VIP room, or pretending we were entering one just to make ourselves feel better. The place looked like a Diner with an empty stage which said Comedy club.
The tables were pretty huge, as i sat on one corner it felt like my friend was sitting on other end of the room.haha.We ordered the Brick oven Eggplant pizza and a Quesadilla The service was super slow and we got our plates after 45 minutes. Both the dishes looked the same, yeah! the pizza looked like the Quesadilla, topped with huge amounts of cheese and tomato was the pizza, stuffed with cheese and little Guacamole was the Quesadilla
I liked the Quesadilla only because it had this chubby feeling and i just wanted to bite it. the place was pricey for the quantity and quality. I don’t think i would go here again.
I say, Taco Bell is better!!! :D
–Smriti

Penn Station plaza (concourse) is streaming with people getting on the LIRR, Amtrak, A, C, E, 1, 2, and 3 trains. Hundreds if not thousands of people come through here so you figured the food in the concourse has to be somewhat decent with dozens flocking to each establishment every hour. I was a bit bored and hungry waiting for my LIRR train to come in, so I decided to check out Charley’s, mainly because the $ 3.75 special for 2 hot dogs and a 16oz. draft beer was so darn appealing. I finally gave in after seeing the specials here for months and walked in to the bright white lights.
Situated on the right, where the majority of the crowd seemed to go to, was the grill for Cheesesteaks and other sandwiches. On the left was the grill for hamburgers, hot dogs, and draft beer. I went up to the counter and ordered 2 hot dogs and a 16oz. draft of Budweiser Select. The first gentleman started to prepare my hot dogs as another gentleman came up to me and started yapping in, what one other Unilocaler referred to ebonics. Of course I did not understand a word coming out of his mouth, and he just starts laughing. I figured he wanted to see my ID, which he did, but he continued mumbling in his own jargon. They found it amusing, but I found it rather annoying. The one gentleman who prepared my hot dogs asked me if I was staying or going, which I stated the latter, and he was about to wrap up the hot dogs in aluminum foil but not before I noticed he didn’t put any condiments on it. I requested ketchup and sauerkraut, which he quickly did and then continue to wrap the two hotdogs in the aluminum foil. Meanwhile the other gentleman continued with his ebonics and put my beer in one of those very cheap soft plastic cups with the ridges running along the circumference of the cup. He put a plastic soft drink cover on top which did not seem to fit at all, but was more for covering purposes.
I paid the gentleman and went on my way, realizing that beer in such a soft plastic cup is not a good idea, because as soon as I squeezed the cup ever so slightly, the beer would just fizz and ooze out all over my hand. I had a bit of trouble with this before I figured to drink a little so that it wouldn’t overflow. The beer for the most part did not taste like Budweiser Select, but more like Bud Light and slightly watered down, rather disgusting, I might add. The hot dogs were semi-​decent though I would have preferred them to have a little snap, which it didn’t have at all. The sauerkraut was standard though I found it be slightly dry/​old (discolored brown a little), as if it were sitting outside on the counter for a while.
For months, I’ve been wanting to check this place out and I’m glad I did sooner because I realized I was not missing much at all. The food is cheap here, but it’s cheap for a reason! Blah. Stay away from this place.
I do admit that I hardly see many people frequent the hot dog/​hamburger grill, as most of the customers seem to wander for the philly cheesesteaks, but as one other Unilocaler gave this such a bad review, I’d probably avoid Charley’s altogether. Don’t be sucked into the banners that seem to be up year-​round such as the «7 oz. burger, fries, 16oz. drink for $ 5.99». Yuck. It just gives me a bad taste thinking about it.

A great place for those of us who need something fatty and gross to eat before getting on the long LIRR ride home and avoid suffering from a hangover in the morning… Yeap! And with the new calorie counts that are added to the menu, the guilt is there… almost 600 calories for the philly cheese steak sandwich and over 1000 for the super crispy and fatty fries…
But rather stand by the tracks and eat the food somewhere in one of the underground hallways of Penn Station than in the few dirty, sticky and nasty tables in the back of the store.
If my review sounds like a «love-​hate» one, it is right! Hated all the fat, crap and dead calories in my food but loved the crispy fries, the alcohol drying substance of the fat and how much better I felt afterward. Then I got on the LIRR and slept the entire 1 hour ride home… yikes!

This place is gross. Its like subway meets a street meat cart with higher prices and less food. The «cheese steak» I had was pretty bad. When I first got it I didn’t understand the ebonics mumbled by the guy giving me the sandwich and accidentally let him put lettuce and mayo on my cheese steak, ewww, this shouldn’t even be an option. Anyway, I got them to make me another one and like the first, there is a boring roll with a tiny amount of faux steak and cheese shoved in the middle all with a taste thats a little off. All at prices that could have resulted in a lot better and more food at any other sandwich place. Don’t bother coming here there’s nothing these guys do well except slaughter your ideas of what a philly cheese steak can be.