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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131 S 13th St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 19107
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- Outdoor seating
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Last update on 02 Jan 2025 by OperationChowhound
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Added by eravencroft on 09 May 2014
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185 Reviews
First Review by s1ave4sing1n
philahealthia
Points +101
Great - Edit
The menu is a little all over the place, but there are some real gems. The ambiance and drinks are great.
Read moreGuest
jrae77
Points +197
Best food in the area - Edit
Every time I’m in Philadelphia for a convention I come here pretty much every night. The food is absolutely delicious. At this point, I’ve had almost everything on the menu. Love the sliders. You will need a reservation, or plan to come very early. You can also order to go. Because it’s also a cocktail bar it gets very busy and can be very loud. Service is always top notch.
Read morePros: Excellent Food, Great service, Creative cocktails
Cons: Can feel “clubby”, Loud
Guest
metaloperalypse
Points +30
Lovely vegan spot! - Edit
Diverse menu with great atmosphere!
Read moreGuest
Kataleeya
Points +200
Great atmosphere & vegan food & drinks - Edit
Loved every bit of this place. Beautiful dark and moody ambiance. The food was fantastic. The croquettes are a must. The mushroom pate was savory and delicious. They have creative cocktails and, as a non-drinker, a fun zero proof menu of cocktails, too.
Read moreGuest
emilyr24
Points +267
Great ambience! - Edit
Cocktails were awesome! Broccolini was only okay but the ambience made up for it!
Read moreGuest
catherinedawn
Points +41
dissapointing - Edit
i was really exited to try this place since it has such good reviews! i went with my non-veg boyfriend and we were both disappointed. the food needed more seasoning and the service wasn’t the best. maybe it’s just because it was a weeknight but the server and bartender seemed pretty checked-out.
Read moreGuest
Brycew
Points +1651
Excellent Food and Drinks, want more menu transparency - Edit
Charlie was a sinner. is a perfect find and offers a fantastic experience for date night or a drink with friends. Only reason I’m awarding 4 stars instead of 5 is that some of the menu items use Impossible without disclosing it in the description of the dishes. If you’re a vegan restaurant and you choose to use Impossible or Beyond, state that because otherwise I’d assume the bases are made in house with more natural ingredients
Read morePros: Amazing cocktail menu, Tasty shareable plates, Truly excellent service
Cons: Use of Impossible undisclosed unless you ask
Guest
ChristinaGómez
Points +208
Great vibe, good dinner - Edit
The cocktail menu here is INSANE. Sesame Infused bourbon?! Yes! The vibe is impecables. The food is good...I highly suggest the Charlie's Rendevous, which is a vegan charcuterie board. The mains are good, no doubt, but I was disappointed by the obvious use of Beyond Beef for the meaty dishes. I will return, but I probably won't order the faux beef dishes...I can make that myself.
Read moreGuest
BeckyGardner
Points +72
Delicious intimate dining experience - Edit
We ordered 6 small plates and I'll rate them favorite to least favorite: Korean tofu (crispy, sweet, spicy- magic), potato croquettes (so good!!!), oyster calamari, eggplant bao buns, burger sliders, triple fried french fries (delicious, but just fries. Skip and get the croquettes).
Read moreWe got the chocolate mouse and bread pudding, which my husband loved, but I could pass on them both.
Everything was tasty, unique, and full of flavor.
Guest
gymvegano
Points +469
Absolutely SPECTACULAR - Edit
One of the best meals I have had.
Read moreI travel a lot for work and I think I am a foodie. This place is in my list as a food destination. I don’t have much to do in Philly, but I would travel from SC just to eat in this place.
Some of the most delicious cocktails - shout out to David (best bartender).
Pros: Amazing dishes, Delicious drinks , Great staff
Guest
snsindc
Points +37
Great indulgence after Penn Relays - Edit
My go I typically eat from this spot after a long day watching track at Penn Relays. I'm not big on fried food but, it is a great indulgence. I've only ever gotten delivery.
Read moreMy go tos are: caramelized eggplant bao buns and the oyster mushroom calamari.
Guest
gpanda1992
Points +34
Vegan Cocktail Restaurant - Edit
Charlie Was a Sinner had a carnivore contemplating switching to the plant life!
Read moreWent with my best friend and her partner (both are not vegan)…we all devoured EVERY SINGLE plate. We ordered the Croquettes, Wild Mushroom Pate (order extra bread), Korean Style Tofu, Mama’s Meatballs, Lamb, Parrpadelle, & Lamb Kofta. I wish I was someone who took photos to share, but I was engulfed in the moments of enjoying some of the best vegan food and cocktails I’ve had with my friends.
I genuinely can’t put into words how delicious everything we had here was outside of my opening statement. I look forward to going back to try all the other things. Maybe I’ll remember to take pics and post another review!
Pros: Variety of cuisine (something for everyone), Creative & delicious cocktail menu, Atmosphere is classy, dim, & intimate
Guest
mrc
Points +103
Charlie had great taste. - Edit
Fun speakeasy vibes, great cocktails, and really good food.
Read moreOverall the food was really good, but leaned heavily towards greasy fried pub food (it's a bar first after all...)
Would absolutely go back, in moderation.
Guest
bradmer12
Points +105
Great atmosphere - Edit
I love the look of this place. It's like a little speakeasy. The food is pretty good, but the dishes are hit or miss. When I stray from my usual order, I tend to be disappointed.
Read moreGuest
Claudiak11
Points +481
Oh my god - Edit
This place is amazing! Please go check it out. Stumbled upon this gem late at night (kitchen closes at 11) and was blown away by their fully-vegan menu with top tier cocktails. Lovely!
Read morePros: All vegan, Fantastic service, Cool vibes
Guest
LaurenC
Points +520
Pretty good for late night food - Edit
Finally gave it a try on our last trip. I think this place is a little hyped up, but it’s great to have good options for late night eating. Very pricey for bar food; I think you’re more likely to be impressed if you’re drinking alcohol.
Read moreFried tofu and bao were delicious (noodles undercooked though), mocktails were very good, other dishes we tried were decent but already forgotten.
Pros: Late night food, Good variety on menu, Great people watching outside
Cons: Pricey, Service can be slow and uneven when it’s busy
Guest
theil
Points +161
Phenomenal vibes - Edit
Stopped in for drinks and a bite before a show. Camembert from the Mediterranean platter is some of the best plant based cheese I’ve ever had. I will be returning to try even more!
Read moreGuest
iaf186!
Points +68
Ambiance & Luxury - Edit
Charlie was a sinner capped off an already amazing day with amazing vegan small plates. Ordered the oyster mushrooms, bao buns, spring rolls, meatballs and chocolate cake (pictured). Not a single bad word to say
Read moreGuest
MidCenturyFox
Points +15
SO GOOD!!!! - Edit
What a fun and delicious place! It's kinda small and cozy, low lights, candles, good (loudish) rock/indie/mid-Y2K music playing when I came, all good! Has a bar feel and a big bar but also good food selection. My waitress (Aubrey) has been amazing- even recommended this app!
Read moreI had the Korean crispy tofu and bao buns- both SERIOUSLY different and to die for! I am absolutely coming back whenever I am in Philadelphia!
Guest
RyanFC
Points +60
Great food - Edit
Visiting Philly on vacation, this was a great find. Small plates for sharing. We tried 5-6 plates. All were wonderful. Atmosphere was dark but cozy and pleasant. Staff was helpful describing the dishes.
Read moreGuest
jdhehshushs
Points +138
A bit of a let down - Edit
Charlie Was a Sinner regularly gets extremely high praise, so we were excited to check it out! Unfortunately we didn’t really like any of the items we got (and we tried most of the menu!). We found the food quite disappointing, and the menu is pretty haphazard with a mix of cuisines that we didn’t think went together very well at all… which is weird considering they recommend two to three dishes per person. I could see it being better if you primarily went for drinks and only got one thing (or maaaybe two if you thought the two things would really mesh). Some of the drinks were quite good, but others were disappointing. Overall not the best experience, and I’m a little bummed about it because everybody raves about this place, and I feel like I’m missing something!
Read morePros: Some drinks were good!
Cons: Food not very good, Expensive , Menu not cohesive
Guest
PrestigiousPeach
Points +59
Great spot for date or drinks - Edit
Been going here for years. I like the seasonal menu that they offer. I don't personally drink but I enjoy their mocktails. The Blackberry Ginger and Midnight Sun are my favorites. And the potato croquettes are to die for!
Read morePros: Ambience, Friendly staff
Cons: Parking
Guest
annies755
Points +734
Such a vibe - Edit
Loved the ambiance of the dimly lit restaurant with nothing but candlelight. The food was even better. It was just hard getting good food shots, lol. Service was amazing, drinks were good, highly recommend the mamas meatballs, potato croquettes and the Korean spicy tofu.
Read moreGuest
Keyz2026
Points +5141
Sinner - Edit
The Oyster Mushrooms were so so delicious!!! The zucchini sliders were amazingly delicious as well.
Read morePros: Atmosphere , Customer service , Food
Guest
greran2
Points +177
Great tapas style restaurant - Edit
Cozy and cute. Tapas style menu with lots of variety. Would definitely return when in Philadelphia
Read morePros: Variety , Cozy
Cons: A bit pricey, but worth it
Guest
irise102
Points +1005
Delicious plant based dinner!! - Edit
We loved the fact that the restaurant was 100% plant based and that there was a large variety of foods offered on the menu.
Read moreWe ordered a majority of the dishes for our group to share. The potato croquettes and the house fries were yummy. The aioli that came with the fries was really good. The dip for the croquettes was a bit spicy as were some of the other items on the menu.
The Korean style crispy tofu was so hot that the person in our group that loves spicey food could not even enjoy it. However, we had plenty of other dishes that were delicious. My favorites were the sliders with the little gerkins pickle on top and the caramelized eggplant bao buns. The eggplant bao bun dish was really different and had so much flavor. I also liked the brassica salad with falafel. And the “lamb” kofta did not look so appetizing, but it was really delicious.
The avocado toast was just okay and the oyster mushroom calamari just tasted fried - it lacked flavor and could have used a dipping sauce.
We tried the whiskey bread pudding and the molten chocolate cake. The bread pudding had such an off putting taste that we could not enjoy it. The waiter removed it from our bill without our need to ask. Speaking of service - it was really good. The waiter was attentive as were the bus boys who removed our many empty plates and refilled our bottles of mint water.
Updated from previous review on 2024-06-02
Pros: Delicious food!, Great service!
Cons: Too dark inside. Need flashlight to read menu.
Guest
MatthewStein
Points +94
Totally fine, nothing more - Edit
Snazzy atmosphere, aesthetic menu, solid drinks, slightly above average and not particularly creative food. Our pasta was unevenly cooked and underseasoned but had potential. The meatballs were tasty but processed crap, with a delicious ricotta that wasn't any further elevated from the Isa Chandra recipe I regularly make at home. I'd give this a 4 normally, but IMO their expectation setting sets them up for failure.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-05-19
Guest
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