Char’s Has the Blues

If you are looking for some music to ease your soul and get your feet moving, this is the place. Lady J sings like a Goddess and her presence is so comforting and beautiful. I think this may become my regular spot.

Been going here since 1990. In today’s world, you always get a good whiff of overpowering skunk weed permeating from various patrons! Such is life. Besides that, the music is always enjoyable, great place to people watch, and enjoy a libation or two… Small, old time, classic blues club. A legendary Phoenix landmark to say the least. Gets very crowded, go before 9pm on the weekend if you want to get a seat! Groove Essence with Laydee J is always a treat! Check it out, especially if you’ve never been!

Char’s is absolutely amazing. This venue is great for those who enjoy love Soul, Jazz, Blues and R & B music (daily). The inside is small and cozy except when there’s a full house, which is usually the case. Nonetheless, the setting is very intimate, authentic and fun. The lighting is seductively limited. The red lighting and warm welcome actualizes the Hole-​in-​the-​wall vibe. The diversity of the patrons was fascinating. Descent drinks and prices. My review doesn’t do this place justice for the great music and entertainment they provide. I definitely recommend this place!

This is such a cute and quaint dive bar with a down home southern style feel to it. When you walk in, most everyone looks to see if they know you and it feels like there are the regulars here, where the guys outnumber the girls by far so if you were looking for a sausage fest, cheers! You can always count on live music and from the times I’ve been, the musician will typically sing into the mic as they stroll the club with a tip jar in hand for you to plentifully fill. Dancing is encouraged! If you are tall, prepare to talk through the doorways of this historic type house turned into a blues/​jazz live music night club.

I’m originally from Boston and I spend a lot of time in Manhattan (NYC), where the nightlife in both places is some of the best in the country. I went to Char’s for the first time this past Saturday night with my best friend, who had been before and told me how great it was. I read the reviews on Unilocal and was intrigued. I thought to myself, «there’s no way that this little, converted old house is going to be that much fun», but I agreed to go anyway and I’m glad that I did.
We got to Char’s at around 10pm and there was no where to park in the lot, so we parked down a side street not too far away. There was no line at the door, so we paid the $ 6 cover and went in. It’s hard to describe the atmosphere because there’s such a variety of people, which in my opinion is great! There were college students wearing jeans and polo shirts, to middle aged men and women dressed for a night on the town, to even older gentlemen wearing suits and ties. Every age, every ethnicity, etc just made it easy for anyone to feel comfortable.
The whole building was rocking to the live band, with Lady J doing the vocals. The place was packed and there were only 2 bartenders that I saw but they really kept up with the customers. I didn’t wait more than a few minutes for a drink the whole night… really impressive because I’ve been in bars with half as many patrons and have had to wait 10+ minutes for a drink that ended up not tasting right. Whether you want to dance or just people watch, you’re sure to have a good time. I’ll definitely be going back!

I have been here twice and my first time here was OK. but last night took the cake. There was one waitress working and she came to check on us about every half hour or so. About 45 minutes went by and when I spotter her at the bar I went over to let her know we were ready for another round of drinks and tapped her on the shoulder. (mind you the band is playing and its extra loud) The waitress turned and began screaming and cursing at me. I looked at the bartender like is this how your waitress talk to your customers? The bartender leaned over and he began cursing at me. By far the MOST UNPROFESSIONAL thing I have EVER experienced.

We had a great time in this cozy club, even had a chance to sing with the band. Hello Chicago… kudos to the Soul Power band. We enjoyed the eclectic crowd we will make this a got to do item when we return to Phoenix. PEACE

Love love love this place! Always have a great time with the ladies drinks are avg price.. Only thing I would suggest is on a Friday or Saturday night get another waitress for the floor.. Always have to wait a long time for your drinks. And she is clearly working hey tail off. But great music playing always will always come back here for ladies night

Celebrating a close friend’s birthday, our group found its way to Chars at around 10 or was it 11? On a Friday night. I was excited because I’ve heard so many great things about this funky little blues bar.
Super crowded bumper-​to-​bumper type contact was common with everyone inside, but the music was live which was refreshing to dance to and sometimes chill to throughout the night. The band did a cover of No Diggity as well as a few 90s R&B songs mixed with some more actually classic blues songs. My friend was even serenaded with The Happy Birthday song.
After passing through a small foyer when you first enter this blues house, you can go right towards the stage which had a small dancing floor with surrounding tables, or you could go left which opened towards a narrow passage with red lighting along side a very long bar. Despite everyone ordering drinks at the same time, we all got our cocktails in a timely manner.
We all really enjoyed our evening at Chars. The crowd is definitely mixed but super warm and friendly. It’s a relief to switch from the atmosphere in Scottsdale where you’re trying to see and be seen to an atmosphere that is laid back and whole heartedly fun!

We were skeptical when we drove up… we walked in wide-​eyed paid the $ 3 bucks cover charge. We had a great time danced and swayed to jazz singer who was pretty good. You won’t be disappointed partying with a diversified fun group of seasoned folks.

Even though my date on Friday night turned out to be a jerk, I had a blast enjoying my drinks and listening to the fantastic music! The crowd was great, lots of people danced, some sat along the dance floor and sang along to the great songs and others simply socialized! I would go back again by myself because that’s how great I thought this place was.
There was a $ 6 cover and worth the price! Great place for grown folks to hang out!

Char’s! Char’s holds a very special place in my heart. The music, the people, the good vibes, and the oh so strong cheap drinks!
Char’s has never failed to make it a good evening. The live music is just a perfect mood setter and the diversity in the crowd always makes for a pleasant time. The bartenders take care of you and the people that go, just want to relax and listen to music. It’s small, yes. The dance floor is small, yah. Sometimes it’s hard to find a place to sit and listen to music, yup! But it lives up to it’s hype.

Wow, what a great authentic blues place! Divey, with an air of class, phenomenal tunes, reasonable drink prices and good service.
The music is fantastic, the place is small, the lights are low, the dance floor is packed, the bar tenders are quick and the crowd is full of genuine fans who appreciate the real deal.
The lady who sings on Saturday nights has been singing there for multiple decades and her sound is definitely worth the trip — old music, new music, anything could happen!
It gets packed, but the crowd is friendly and there to hear the music. No one will get mad if you brush against them in close quarters — they have better things to do, like dancing and drinking! This is about as far from a douchey Scottsdale night club as you can get, and it’s a guaranteed good time!

I love this place… way better than Michael’s Café…you will dance and have a great time! Great prices and live bands… all they need is a kitchen and you would have it all!

Low, red lights paired with even lower ceilings give Char’s an intimate, romantic atmosphere unparallelled anywhere in the valley. Vibes are sultry, and the crowd seemed to all be paired up. It’s so hot, I think there’s a 99% chance of getting laid after a night here.
When my friends told me I have what it takes to become a «one percenter», this is NOT what I had in mind.
It’s cool though to come with your friends. This is high-​quality entertainment. Where else are you gonna catch a couple hours of soul and R&B covers in a town like this? For the low, low $ 6 cover, we were grooving to everything from The Temptations to Blackstreet. Legit. I got there around 11:00, so expect standing room only. You’ll be lucky to sit at the bar.
The booze selection is reasonable, they’ve got all the basics, and it’s very fair compared to your average music venue. I mean, come on… a cab sauv for six bucks? Yesssss. I felt like a boss still in my work clothes, clutching my glass as though I’m appreciative of the subtleties of flavor while I’m already buzzed, while looking on as most other patrons were looking fancy themselves. This has class. I like.
The only thing that might catch you off guard is closing time of 1am. If you don’t know it in advance, you’ll be disappointed when you get cut off before you

If I could give this place 10 million stars, I would. Best live music in phx hands down!

I can only call it for Friday nights w/​Soul Power, but It’s definitely one of the most entertaining live music venues in Phoenix Period! The place has a good vibration about it… hard to describe unless you’ve actually been inside this crawl space. lol
Literally it’s small and not much space to move around, but the spot is live, has great drinks and service. Come for the good time and leave the snobbery at the doe!
5 STARS

I’ve only been here once but I had a ball, the live band is awwwwesome!!!
I honestly danced til my feet hurt. The drinks where good the crowd nice and I like the authentic feel that the place has.
I will definitely be returning again!

Char’s Has the Blues is a Central Phoenix gem! One of the only places in town you can go to to find find great live music and a hopping dance floor any night of the week. Mondays are open for anyone who is brave enough to step up to the mic with the band. Often on the weekend the place is packed! Lots of great music and good times on the dance floor.
To improve the seen I would love to see a few different beers offered on tap or even in bottle for a better price. ~$ 5 basic drinks on a Monday are a little steep.
I am excited to come here more often to get to know the bands better. This place is all about the music.

The people complaining about the way Chars looks have no idea what a Juke Joint (or a Honky Tonk if that’s your flavor. Dive Bar if you can relate to that) is supposed to look like. The lights are supposed to be dim… the place is supposed to be small… The place will have a band that doesn’t care if their makeup is on correctly… the place should make you question if the walls might fall down if the music gets any louder and the dance floor should be small as JUKE JOINTS are usually kinda small!!! Somebody please educate these folks on JUKE JOINTS… Meanwhile, let me tell you about Chars.
If you’re looking for absolutely NO pretentiousness, NO frills, Tables that don’t cost $ 600, or basically the opposite of clubbing in Scottsdale … Chars is your spot. If you are interested in Rhythm and Blues and Soul covers and a rocking good time… Chars is your spot. If you are looking for a live music venue where people dance AND mingle with each other and actually speak and talk to you just because… Chars is your spot. If you have stumbled upon my review because you are looking for a decent time… Chars is your spot.
I absolutely LOVE Chars for everything that it is AND for everything that it is NOT.