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"i have eaten at 88 Charles street for years. The food it very good and the staff is personable and very attentive. Every time my family and i walk into the restaurant Mario the owner gets up and brings us to our table and orders us some anti-pastas. i usually order the shrimp cocktail which has large prawns, the fillet with rosoto, which is not a usual rosoto, and one or two of the many deserts. If you eat at 88 don't be afraid to ask for things that are not on the menu, they don't put everything on their menu and will make almost anything you want. The menu is unfortunately on a dry-erase board and is brought from table to table. they should have a written menu and only put their daily specials. the food is a bit pricy and when i usually go to eat there the four of us our bill is usually 200-300 dollars. this may discourage some people but there are also lower priced food that will accommodate almost anyone, this is not a McDonalds and their is no dollar menu. This is one of the best restaurants in orange county, and i was disappointed by some of the other reviews those people should realize that this is a high end restaurant and that most chain restaurants are not high end restaurants. "

"There aren't many restaurants that have been in operation so succesfully for 25 years as 88 Charles St. Cafe have.
The food, the staff, the ambiance, Mario's personal touch, all of it together makes for a truly wonderful dining experience. Congratulations on 25 years of great success, many more in the future."

"My family and I have tried 88 Charles St. on two separate occasions. Both experiences were miserable. Rude maitre?d, rude owner, terrible overpriced food. Will not return. Do not waste your time."

"I cannot impress upon you how bad this experience was. The food, the service, and the prices - horrible, horrible, horrible. Worst money I have ever spent on food.
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"This place is a waste of money. I cannot say enough terrible things about it. Bad food, too expensive, rude staff, etc. Don't do it to your body or your wallet."

"The food is weak at best, the maitre'd is rotten little man, the terrible food is overpriced, and the drinks lack alcohol. I would sooner invite a client to Burger King than this place. STAY AWAY!"

"I am truly at a loss how this place is open for business. Between the cobwebs and decades old, filthy, threadbare carpet how does this place pass health inspection?! My boyfriend?s family lives near Montgomery and this is their go-to for any celebratory meal. I grew up eating fine cuisine and live in Manhattan where I eat out many nights of the week. My average bill per evening with drinks and a guest runs about $120- but that is FINE dining. There is nothing FINE about 88 Charles Street. I cannot believe the prices they charge for such terrible food. The service is always far from attentive. Not that I want someone hovering over me while I eat but a quick ?How is everything?? a couple minutes after a meal is served is pretty basic. The menu, a chalkboard, is very difficult to read and I have young eyes! This is not convenient for the everyday patron- whose average age is 78. I have never enjoyed a meal here. I once ordered seafood risotto. It was steamed, long grain rice with a couple tablespoons of tomato sauce (really?!) and some pre-frozen shrimp and scallops. It was beyond awful. Finally, 20 minutes after the food was served our waiter showed up, smelling like an ashtray, to clear the table. I asked for a side of pasta with pomodoro sauce as my full risotto plate was left in front of me. Mario, the owner, stopped by to say hello to my boyfriend?s grandfather, a long time patron. He asked why I was not eating my dish and I told him I ordered the risotto and was unable to find the server to correct it. He apologized and left the table. He waited for my boyfriend?s grandfather to go to the restroom to come back and YELL at me! He was saying that I was served the risotto and that all their seafood is fresh! I asked him if he knew what risotto was and he pointed to my steamed rice crowned with cracked scallops. I laughed a little under my breath and shook my head as he continued to lose his cool. We have a family birthday coming up. I will be sure to eat before we go and pack some Clorox wipes."

"Dining room smelt like mildew, on top of the smell of rotting cooked fish. Our server disappeared and we were served cold bland food."

"Fine dining,beautiful decor, variety of delicous appetizers, entrees, deserts & beverage that you would expect in fine dining in NYC, not in a small town. Service was was just as outstanding. Was reasonably priced for the quality & quantity of food. Prices aren't any different than what chain restaurants offer. The food is tasty & freshly homemade. Service is beyond excellent and atmoshpere is a refreshing change from the cookie cutter fast chains. Great place to take family, special date or just to enjoy a really good meal."

"I am amazed by some of these reviews. This is by far the best place in the Husdon Valley. I have gone back again and again for the past 17 years. Food is wonderful, prices are fair, service is great. I have brought friends and associates from all over the Country and every one of them wants to go back whenever they are in town. 1st class all the way."

"the hostess said that it would be about a half hour wait, well almost an hour and a half later we were seated. an awful fish smell started coming from the kitchen door. the entire experience was terrible"

"Went here with a large party of 8 and we all found the food very good. Unique dishes with unique flavor. Do call for reservations but follow up they were taken correctly. The only issue we had with the place was our first reservation was never written in so we had to make last minute reservations. The phone person was a bit rude and abrupt, but the dinner made up for it. We enjoyed the atmosphere and choices of desserts!! A little pricey for Montgomery, but a nice treat. The service was actually excellent! "

"Wait staff very good. Dining room crowded, dark & noisy. Piano annoying. Large menu ONLY on white board brought to the table; crowded with no descriptions. Lobster bisque outstanding. Entrees plain and bland. Overpriced for what you get. No return visits from this guest."

"mario,you have done it again.and it is my own fault for allowing it.
friends wanted to take us there, for bday,as well as one of the other guests.when we arrived as allway's the place was packed.expecting this,they told me it would be about 45 min.,so i went to the bar and relaxed.1 hour and 45 minutes had gone by before they finally had us seated.being that it took so long to sit i think my waitresses arm would have been fine if you served it well enough,but i even found her to be horrible.i have had this happen once to many times, not only to me ,but apparrantly to most of my friends.needless to say my rating is based only on the knowledge that there must be food back there somewhere.never again.........."

"A romantic atmosphere and wonderful food; I loved the eggplant & mushroom starters, the family style salad and every dinner I have ever eaten there; The mood is relaxed & it almost feels like you need a passport to get there; only down side cash or amex; no credit--but it was excellent"

"Got there and the place was packed. Was told they do not take reservastions. Lots of people seated before our party of 8, lots of empty tables. The owner was terribly rude us so we walked out. Will never return."

"Here is why I will never go back. We went on a Saturday, it was very busy. They told us there would be an hour wait, and we could sit at the bar. (they told us they do not take reservations). We sat at the bar for over an hour, and noticed people came in after us were taken an seated (they seemed to be regulars). We said something to the hostess, and she apologized to us and had the bar tender give us some drinks... over 2 hours, we again said something... OOPS... they told us we would be seated right away at "Mario's" table.. WELL DON'T EVER SIT AT MARIO'S TABLE!!! the table is right by the kitchen door, so the room is dark...then lights up... dark... light.. it was horrible.. the food was good, the wait staff poor!! SORRY... YOU LOST US.. (and we eat out 2/3 nights a week."

"one of the best meals in the world. great atmosphere,romantic...go with great company though. i will never go there without the woman that i shared the nights there."

"I liked the veal. I went on my birthday. Staff was attentive. Fried zucchini was terrible for an appetizer. I would go there again."

"Mario Balaci and his staff continue to impress their guests with superb food and impeccable service. My son and his girlfriend decided against going to the prom and decided instead to go to 88 Charles Street for a special dinner. They both had a wonderful time. Mario and his staff took exceptional care of them by serving a delicious meal and attending to their every need. "

"We found the Cafe while driving to Ithaca College from Ct. in 1996 and wish we had found it sooner! The food and service were excellent as well as the atmosphere. We are now far away in Florida and I have not been to a restaurant anywhere near as good since we left Ct. and could no longer go to Montgomery. "

"As one of the pricier places to eat in Orange, the food was mediocre, service was not what one would expect. Server and maitre'd were rude. Would not waste my time or money again. "

"It is so dark in this place you can't even see your food and I know the reason why. Why would you want to see the crummy greul you are overpaying for? Discourteous staff and Swanson Hungry Man quality food. If I wanted to service and food like this I would head to one of our local high security prisons."

"Ordered the hot antipasto for 2 which had 4 rotten clams, (dining room had distinct smell when we were leaving)4 tasteless mushrooms and 2 shrimp which were edible. I have not felt right for days after the clams. Bill for 2 was $130 with dessert and about 5 drinks between 2 people. Had not been there in years and wont be back for decades!
Servers would practically ask how each bite was. I could not even finish a conversation with my wife."

"I should have listened to what I read here tonight. I thought,"I want a stuffed artichoke". I got an empty undercooked, underflavored piece of shrubery. The other food was not any better, The chicken was tasteless and reminded me of hospital food. I called the restaurant and spoke to Mario, he offered me a new artichoke with more stuffing and I passed.I'm just happy I didn't get a mouse across my feet as I read before I ordered take-out from here.We are $74.00 poorer but at least we don't smell like garlic or any other spices that would be on fine cuisine. "

"We will never eat there again! His food was never anything to rave about, but since his renovation awhile back his prices have become outrageous! The food is nothing but a fancy plate for show. Mario must think he's running a fancy NYC restaurant because his prices certainly reflect that. The food is just a little pile in the center of the plate w/fancy drippings around the edges. If anyone wants to pay money for that they're crazy. We had a $100 gift cert. that we even had to add to just to pay for 2 simple meals w/1 drink for 2 people. That's ridiculous!"

"I have NEVER had one bad meal at Mario's! Whenever I fly into town it is my first stop and usually a second trip before I leave. He never ever fails to serve top notch Gourmet and he also ALWAYS takes my custom order for an item not found on his menu in a long time. "

"....and it still proved to be overrated. Very poor service. Food presentation both times sloppy. Edible but not worth the price that one is asked to fork over."

"I have been to 88 Charles many times, the service is spotty, the food is ok but overall it is over priced."

"If I want mice running over my feet, I'll go to Charlie Brown's, where it's happened more than once. To compare this place to Charlie Brown's is like comparing a Lexus to a Hyundai. Not pretentious at all, the wait staff, trained for tableside service, is polite, attentive, and knowledgeable. They serve the perfect vinaigrette, portions are huge, and the food is delicious. It is a little cramped on a busy night, but that's a very minor inconvenience. This is the best around the area in this price range."

"Our family has eaten here several times. The new wait staff is too pretentious for my liking. My daughter had a mouse run over her feet (under the table). I realize you cannot keep all rodents at bay, all the time, but it made me wonder about the kitchen. The food came out "lukewarm". The fish smelled like fish! Ours was not as bad as the table behind us. The fish smell, emanating from that table, was overpowering. As a side dish I asked for pasta. I had flounder with stuffing and they brought out store bought pasta (Ronzoni Rigatoni?) with a watery, red tomato sauce. This was an accompaniment to flounder? Come on. The antipasta was boring and the bread was OK. For the prices they charge, you would expect much better fare. The waiter pretended so hard to be "high class", it made me wish for the drive up window. The pre-meal salad was anemic. Save your money and go to Charlie Brown's in Middletown. Much better meat/fish/salad selection with a pleasant staff and very reasonable prices."

"Food definitely not even close to the price. For the money I expect much fresher, much higher quality ingredients. Never seen so many review praising the owner by name.. not sure I would even remember the name, certainly don't remember the food. Nice enough atmosphere, but they need to step it up on the food."

"The food was great and piano player Michelle is extremely talented, she plays be ear and I have yet to request something she didn't know.. atmosphere elegant..."

"From the moment you walk into the restaurant, to the moment you leave, the experience is wonderful. The atmosphere is beautiful and romantic, and the food is out of this world! I have yet to try anything that I didn't love. The service is wonderful, with friendly and professional staff. Mario is also wonderful and always accomodates ones needs to the very best of his ability! This is truly the nicest restaurant in Orange County!!"

"Nothing great. Nice looking place but food was mediocore at best and service wasn't exceptional but good enough. Try Pazzo's next."

"This is the best resturant in Orange County...Mario the owner greets you...checks on your meals...makes his presence known...food is outstanding..portions are big...you know this place is good because he never advertises..it's all done by word of mouth..they make everything fresh....great atmosphere..piano on the weekends..all his customers are repeaters...prices area a little high and he doesn't take any credit cards..except american express...that is a problem sometimes if you have never gone there before...great place...best veal in the world...
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"I have been to this restaurant twice and found the food, atmosphere and service to be excellent. We went right in the middle of the dinner hour on a Fri. nite and the owner had us seated at a nice table in about ten minutes. The service was excellent. We had a very personable waiter who knew alot about wine."

"Great food with highest quality ingredients are the reason this place is always packed. Blackboard menu lists the food choices for the day, many seasonal specials. Portions make the price worth it, and house salad (Wow), veggie and starch included in price unlike some other places around here. Being busy like this place, and making food to order cause delays in service sometimes, but it's well worth it. As for it being "an old welding shop", the person who wrote that is an idiot. The shell of the building was, at one time, an old shop, but that's got nothing to do with the near 20 years Mario has been giving people great food and a warm welcome."

"went to mario's place a few times with the love of my life...at the time. never will go back there without her. she knows who she is.

keep smiling t."

"HORRIBLE service . . . never got our drinks, rude waiter, and food was not that good. "

"Don't like the moving menu. I feel like a decision has to made quick. The charge for an artichoke was 12.00. I shared it with my son. For twelve dollars I was expecting a large artichoke. It was very small"

"Mario has the best food in the area. The service is second to none.
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"This restaurant is way overpriced and the food is not the greatest. For a former welding shop this place charges NYC prices."

"Place has a nice appearance but don't try and convince me that the food is overwhelming. Mediocore at best! Portions are larger then this type of place, but the quality is not there."

"Place is very pretty and I will stop there with the pro's! I had filet mignon and it was tenderloin, not filet. There is a difference. King crab was very fishy. Staff was accomodating and the owner appears to be a very friendly man. Felt deceived by the server on the filet issue. "

"Elegance, atmosphere, romance and fine dining, this restaurant is a gem of a find. From the moment you walk in the door, you are treated as if you are in the home of a good friend. The owner, Mario is charming as well as accomodating. The entire staff sees that your needs are met promptly. The piano music in the background adds to the ambiance, and the food is truly amazing. This is a special place you will want to go back to again and again."

"People, you've got to try this place. atmosphere is elegant but relaxed. Piano player is talented. Menu is very extensive so there is something for everyone. I don't know what Mario does to the house salad (included) but I could have just eaten the whole bowl with their crusty bread and olive oil. Mario (owner) is very accomodating and host (Russell) is always pleasant and attentive to your dining experience. I would recommend this place to everyone who wants to see what REAL dining is...."

"this was a great experience for the wife and I. Thanks to friends giving us a gift certificate.This was our first time visiting and we will definitely return and bring friends and family.
The service and food was excellent,atmosphere very cozy. We were so happy to have this experience.
The owner was very gracious and our waiter Rocky (Gary) was out of this world. "

"Fabulous. Excellent service and food. Every meal I eat here makes me wonder wh athey've done to make it taste so good. The first time here with my family I missed the fact that they didn't accept credit cards. When notified that my credit card was not usable and realizing I didn't have the cash to cover the bill, the owner informed me that I could come back tomorrow to take care of my bill. "No worries""

"They had Menu items that I hadn't seen in a long time. I have been there on three seperate occasions wiht different people and everyone loved it. It is particularly nice for couples when the piano player is there. Have a drink at the bar first to soak in the place."

"Generous portions of great food, salad included with meal. Salad alone is worth the trip. Osso Bucco portion is HUGE. Veal chop the best around. Seafood is fantastic. Blackboard menu with something for everyone. Mario consistently welcoming and friendly. Great service considering how busy this place gets. Drinks a little high in price but draft beer and wine are best bets, wine comes in a glass the size of a goldfish bowl!
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"My husband and I go to this restaurant regularly. This restaurant is perfect for a Saturday night "date night." The owner, Mario, is always there to greet you and his staff is more than courteous. They don't have problem substituting items on the menu to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters! The food is consistently good and they give you generous portions for a very fair price. This restaurant is truly a ?must visit!? Our family has had numerous parties at Charles Street and we have never been disappointed by their attention to detail. Truly an enjoyable experience."