Crab cake at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia
Potato croquettes at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia
Bahn Mi and kale salad at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

  • Charlie Was a Sinner
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  • White Vegan
Vegan
American
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out

Bar serving small plates plus cocktails and bottled beers - may have an age requirement, check ahead. Host happy hour weekdays. Kitchen open til 1am. Sister business to HipCityVeg. Main menu isn't available past 11pm on weekdays and 12am on weekends. Then a late night menu is available until 1am. There is an age requirement to sit at the bar but not at the tables. Open Mon-Thu 4:00pm-11:00pm, Fri-Sat 4:00pm-2:00am, Sun 4:00pm-11:00pm.

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191 Reviews

First Review by s1ave4sing1n

Avatar IwaWella

IwaWella

Points +1249

Mostly Veg
24 May 2022

Pretty Good

Ricotta was amazing, drink was good, vibes were weird ! People kept knocking into my chair all night

at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Avatar Gr8phyl1

Gr8phyl1

Points +24

Vegan
18 May 2022

Eh.

Hopping place... not sure why. Food was just ok. Good zero proof drinks

Pros: All vegan

Cons: Not so healthy, Bland, Expensive

Avatar Zan1127

Zan1127

Points +34

Vegan
27 Apr 2022

Very disappointed as the reviews looked really positive.

We made a reservation to have dinner last night at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Upon arrival the restaurant was completely empty we were seated all the way in the back. They have a nice ambience but the kerosene lamps that are on every table makes for an overwhelming chemical smell. They seem to take issue with us removing them from our table. However we ordered multiple dishes including potato Croquettes, Caesar salad Mack and cheese,sourdough bread with ricotta sliders and some sort of a eggplant in a bun sandwich. The only real flavor that was present was salt. If it hadn't been for the high price it wouldn't have been quite as frustrating. My overall estimation of this place is if you drink alcohol and you enjoy well-made bar drinks then you probably won't care after several that the food is mediocre at best. Unfortunately none of us drink lol.

Avatar AlisiaDemi

AlisiaDemi

Points +32

Vegan
26 Apr 2022

Please improve the taste of the food💗

Never want to drag a vegan place, whatever you eat make sure it isn't violence! Watch the documentary Dominion free on YouTube. But if you're not vegan, please don't base your opinion of non-violent food based on this place! There are so many amazing tasting vegan food places out there, this in my opinion is not one of them- very expensive for bland food that could easily be delicious with some adjustments, I hope for the animals' sake they improve their food! Let's just say Daiya Mac and cheese would taste better than theirs lol. Their ricotta had zero flavor, add some dang lemon juice, garlic, and salt to it at least. The sliders use beyond meat. One of those small plate places you have to get at least three plates to be full. The drinks are super delicious though so it would be a great option for that! I did not try the desserts so maybe those are good! Ambiance is cool looking! These are just my opinions perhaps you will love it!

Pros: All food/drink/dessert is non-violent to animals , Delicious drinks

Cons: Very expensive for the taste quality , Taste needs improvement see review

Avatar thinkingaboutcows

thinkingaboutcows

Points +514

Vegan
23 Apr 2022

perfect!

love it here!! it has a very swanky and sleek vibe with dim lighting and plush red velvet chairs, which is fun because most vegan restaurants don’t have that vibe! the food is great, but the portions are pretty small and it is expensive. it’s perfect for a date night or special occasion!

sorry i forget the name of this drink lolol but it was smoky tasting!!!! soooo good at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

peach dessert at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Avatar MESnyc

MESnyc

Points +625

Vegan
21 Apr 2022

Delicious

Really great. It is tapas-style, smaller portions for sharing. The Mediterranean Board was delicious: The cheese fooled the non-veg people I was with. So rich and full of flavor. Potato croquettes, fried mushroom "calamari," sliders--all fantastic. The ramen was a bit spicy for our daughter, but still quite good.

Pros: All vegan, Cool vibe , Knowledgeable, helpful staff

Avatar SarahKlein

SarahKlein

Points +72

Vegan
19 Apr 2022

Delicious night out

We really enjoyed our Sunday night dinner at this cool spot. It was decently busy but easy to walk in and get a table (called ahead). We shared a few plates and desserts. Yummy cocktails. Great go to tapas-style plant based restaurant with a romantic/high end feel.

Avatar SuzT

SuzT

Points +937

Vegetarian
19 Apr 2022

Good food

I ordered the caramelized eggplant bao buns and meatballs for pickup, which was ready on time. The buns were tasty and filling. The meatballs were delicious, I added more red pepper flakes for a little extra spice but all in all both items were great.

Mama's meatballs at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Caramelized eggplant bao buns at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Avatar VeganDamian

VeganDamian

Points +496

Vegan
06 Apr 2022

Extraordinary Experience

Vegan Bar with a Speakeasy feel, that serves extraordinary food, and very tasty cocktails.

This is my favourite place to eat in Philadelphia. From the moment you approach it from the street, ‘Charlie’ looks very cool.

It has a wonderful atmosphere. The Menu is out of this world, and the cocktails are intensely good.

I recommend the Bao Buns very highly.

The staff are very friendly.

Pros: The Speakeasy atmosphere, The menu, The staff

Cons: On the Expensive side.

Lemon Cake at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Mamas Meatballs at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Wind Up Bird Chronicle (Warm Cocktail) 💥 at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Bao Buns and Max and Cheese 🤤 at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

The Bar is the centre of the action at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia +2

Avatar KendallHoeft

KendallHoeft

Points +30

Vegan
03 Apr 2022

Good food, bad manager

Delicious food, vibe and drinks.

Bartender blew his nose and didn't sanitize or wash hands before touching cups and drink ingredients.

Manager wasn't friendly or responsive when I shared feedback. She did not properly address my concerns, and lacked client relations/customer service skills. I have no doubt that this lack of excellence is directly connected to the poor services I received from those underneath her poor leadership.

Avatar beetsandbeatspdx

beetsandbeatspdx

Points +32

Vegan
19 Mar 2022

Fantastic vegan menu and cocktails

Went here while visiting Philly and loved everything I tried! The cocktails were strong and delicious and the food was fantastic. The ambiance was perfect for a nice dinner and I’ll absolutely be going back here the next time I’m in Philly.

Pros: All vegan menu with tons of options, Delicious cocktails , Great ambiance and staff

Avatar WillVani

WillVani

Points +67

Vegan
16 Mar 2022

Fine vegan dining

Great variety in food. Amazing atmosphere. Little pricey, but still high quality food

Pros: High quality food, Amazing atmosphere , Friendly service

Cons: Expensive , A bit of a wait

Avatar Veganinphiladelphia

Veganinphiladelphia

Points +180

Vegan
20 Jan 2022

Perfect vegan vibe

Amazing drink spot in center city! All vegan, but Omni friends always love their food too. Potato croquettes are a must-try, so are the sliders and appetizer board! Drinks are bomb

Sliders at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Crab cake at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Mushroom soup at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Ricotta at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Potato croquettes at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia +4

Avatar Sjjk12

Sjjk12

Points +1165

Vegan
21 Nov 2021

Amazing food! Little pricy

Went for appetizers and drinks, place is super cute, delicious food it’s a great place to visit.

Pros: Completely vegan, Great food

Cons: Pricey

at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Avatar AnnieG

AnnieG

Points +102

Vegan
04 Nov 2021

Go Visit Charlie!

I've been to Charlie Was a Sinner twice now, five years apart. My husband and I were able to get a same day reservation for an early dinner on 2 November 2021. We took advantage of their happy hour menu. We each had a specialty cocktail, which we both enjoyed very much. We shared the peanuts, which were very nicely seasoned; the fries with aioli, which were also nicely seasoned; and the bahn mi, which was so flavorful and hearty. For dessert, we shared the mint chocolate milkshake (it has rum in it) and the chocolate pot de creme. These also were insanely delicious.
Tables are a little closer together than I was comfortable with. Service was good. As the place filled up, it got really loud in there. And before that, the 'background' music was so loud as to interfere with conversation.

Pros: Flavor, Selection, Drinks

Cons: Close tables, Music too loud, Loud when full

Avatar Dgspeyer

Dgspeyer

Points +89

Vegan
03 Nov 2021

Great Girls Night Out Place

Everything on this menu has been delicious.

Avatar kbw5044

kbw5044

Points +1242

Vegan
03 Oct 2021

Good vegan food

Very tasty if a bit too expensive. I got the potato gnocchi which was a pretty small portion for the cost but my husband got the banh mi which was a bigger portion. I got the Charlie Punch cocktail which was really good and a boozy milkshake (it definitely tasted boozy) which was also delicious.

Low lighting romantic atmosphere. Recommend making a reservation a couple of days ahead of time, at least for a table on the weekend.

Updated from previous review on 2021-10-03

Pros: All vegan

Cons: A bit overpriced

Milkshake at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Banh mi at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Potato gnocchi at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Beer and Charlie Punch at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Avatar nanitree

nanitree

Points +1152

Vegan
22 Sep 2021

Great place for a date or special outing

Went here with a friend years ago. Returned recently. Great ambiance. Great selection of foods. Everything we choose off the menu was absolutely delicious. You really can’t go wrong when ordering.

Both indoor and outdoor seating available. Solid customer service. Excellent selection of drinks at the bar.
Can’t wait to return! Drooling thinking about it! 🤤

Updated from previous review on 2021-05-24

Pros: Just a hands down cool spot, Delicious foods

Avatar LisaSpykers

LisaSpykers

Points +10355

Vegan
07 Aug 2021

Bland, overpriced food

Either we went on an off day, I'm picky as hell, or this place is just really mediocre and over-priced because this food just did not taste good and well, I eat out a lot and have dined in vegan restaurants in over 50 countries now (from fast food to fine dining). We ordered the heirloom carrots with macadamia pesto (very bland), the zucchini ricotta flowers (which were supposed to be in a tempura batter but came in a very thick breading), the mac n cheese (this was the only thing that was quite tasty but $16 for a teeny dish? C'mon!), zucchini sliders (bland) and the eggplant bao buns (okay). So over-priced. So disappointing. I honestly don't understand the hype. If you must go, go for the cocktails. There are much better places for good food in Philly.

Pros: Cocktails

Cons: Too expensive , Price doesn't match the quality

Heirloom carrots on a very bland macadamia puree. at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Eggplant bao. at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Zucchini sliders . The chips were so bland. at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Mac n cheese at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Avatar averylb

averylb

Points +81

Vegan
05 Aug 2021

Awesome place for both vegans and non-vegans

Cozy intimate atmosphere, delicious drinks and an awesome selection for unique vegan dishes. Even non-vegans will enjoy themselves!!

Pros: Completely plant based, Intimate atmosphere, Location

Avatar ErnieVeg

ErnieVeg

Points +137

Vegan
29 Jul 2021

Everyone

Everyone who goes here loves it. Vegan and non vegan alike. Cool place with amazing food. Get all the crabs cakes!

Avatar DeniseMartinez

DeniseMartinez

Points +210

Vegan
05 Jul 2021

Sinfully Delicious

This place is always packed and with good reason, the atmosphere is great, the food is delicious, and the staff are awesome. Make a reservation or you won’t likely get a table. They also have a strong mixologist behind the bar who also makes some incredible mocktails.

Avatar devonwithano

devonwithano

Points +8497

Vegan
13 Jun 2021

Birthday Dinner

after wanting to visit this restaurant for ages, my fiancé and i finally booked a reservation for my birthday over memorial day weekend. and while we weren’t completely disappointed, we also weren’t entirely wow’d like we had thought we would be.

the atmosphere is great, but it was incredibly dark. very very very dark, i felt like i could hardly see what i was doing. and while the food was good, i had expected a little bit more from an entirely vegan restaurant. some of the flavors were more on the bland side and their sauces paired with some of the snacks didn’t taste much like anything.

i don’t regret going at all, it was an experience. but if i were to visit this place again, i would definitely choose alternative things from the menu. and i would go during the day instead of at dinner.

Pros: entirely vegan menu, nice staff

Cons: very dark atmosphere, crowded seating spaces , lacked in the flavors

mac & cheese at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

potato croquettes at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

our dinner, cocktails and appetizers at Charlie Was a Sinner in Philadelphia

Avatar VeganKing1093

VeganKing1093

Points +88

Vegan
03 Jun 2021

Perhaps the greatest vegan spot I’ve ever been to

As far as “higher end” vegan food goes, this is the best I’ve tried. A must try if you’re in philly

Avatar freshsqueeze13

freshsqueeze13

Points +87

Vegan
03 May 2021

Excellent spot

Nothing but vegan choices
Waiter claims that nothing comes into the restaurant that is not vegan
Come to here if you’re in Philadelphia

Avatar Shaggy

Shaggy

Points +192

Vegan
11 Apr 2021

Good experience

This place was really nice. Pleasant outdoor seat, with really good food and drinks. The bread with ricotta was especially great

Pros: Good food, Vegan cocktails

Cons: Expensive

Avatar GloriaBila

GloriaBila

Points +349

Vegan
28 Mar 2021

Just delicious

Visited here in 2019 during a weekend trip. My boyfriend and I ate here 2x in 3 days because it was just that good. The gnocchi is something we still talk/dream about! The small plates are perfect because you will want to try it all!

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