Review Charlies Pizza - Footscray

my boyfriend recommended us to go there because he went there often when he was younger, and i was really disappointed in the dining experience. there is no music or atmosphere at all in the outdated dining area, making it very awkward because the other table could listen to our conversation and we could hear theirs. the lady that served us didnt write down our order properly and she was very awkward and didn’t understand when we would ask about the menu. since she didnt write it properly, we only had one steak that came out and 20 minutes later when the chef came out and I asked about the 2nd steak, she said the waitress only told her one. there was a very limited beverage selection. the food was good, but i think we were overcharged because there wasnt a proper system they had for food orders, because Charlie was asking us what we were served, and that point we didnt know if we only had 1 serving of each item we ordered (pizza bread, special garlic bread and steak) or just 1 serving. He also pur the menu directly ontop of our eating plates, which is very unsanitary.

After driving past this restaurant most days, I finally made time to stop and dine in here for the first time. I ordered a Chicken Parma with vegetables, large Hawaiian pizza and garlic bread. As a passionate foodie, I am certainly impressed by this restaurant, its style, quality & texture and its most differently a hidden gem in Footscray... the fact that I've lived nearby for 13 years but never heard of it. The restaurant is clean, relaxing and large enough for the family or group gatherings and the best part... it's open till 3am most days. :) Thanks Charlie, your food is great!

I ordered a meatlovers pizza for delivery, it was fantastic! Perfectly cooked, delicious tender shredded chicken (none of that processed stuff). The base is thick and soft. All of it was amazing!! If you like a pizza place that isn’t stingy on toppings then this is it :)

If I could give a NO Star ratings. Omg seriously the worst experience ever. Waited over 30min to be served. The old man gave us a menu his hand covered in flour. Order came 1hr later even though it's a quiet evening. They forgot our drinks (2 of us only) and forgot our pizza. When asked he say it's cooking. When we went and check on him he just started the base of our pizza. Told him to forget it. Paid and left very disappointed ☹️ I have been going to Charlie's for a long time and always recommend to others. Now I'm embarrassed.

Generally dirty, waiter told us we can use the rear outdoor area but then Charlie said it's closed, inside was like a sauna so sat out front, food was overwhelmingly average. One of the wine glasses came out with what looked like smears of Vaseline on it, and was very cloudy. I would not write home to mum about anything at this place. I don't really reccomend it, try 'Fox in the Corn' at the other end of droop st instead. Same pricing better food, better service, better beverage selection.

Had a great experience in Charlie’s restaurant, very family styled and cosy. The Mushroom Steak is delicious and would highly recommend. The service did take some time but it’s understandable due to low staff. Overall worth it.

Traditional Authentic Italian Food.. Charlie himself is a one of a kind, old school service.. always smiling and always gives his best.. Food is great and the serving sizes certainly don't leave you hungry..

The decor in this restaurant is extremely outdated, the chairs and table are of very cheap quality and the pizzas were actually pretty expensive for the size and quality that came out. Just isn't worth it when there is better places nearby. The pizzas were extremely oily and made me feel sick after two pieces. The service was strange because the girl mumbled alot and then laughed at herself. She didn't take our order with a paper and pen but then kept expressing she was having issues remembering our order. It seemed that she was also maybe a but scared of the owner who was an elderly man that hung around staring at us while we ate.

I bought a farmhouse pizza. The chef/cook forgot to put cheese on it. And then when I went back to complain about it they said that they put cheese underneath sauce and veggies. The waiter further argued the same. I can accept mistakes but trying to make the customer look like a fool is unacceptable

Haven’t been to Charlie’s in years but was craving that mushroom sauce and bread. Ordered the mushroom steak and special garlic bread. I think they’ve changed the mushroom sauce recipe but it’s still creamy goodness.

Old school vibe and always worth the drive since its 24 hours!<br/>Mushroom sauce is always on point and the Owner is always welcoming and friendly.<br/>Highly recommended for anyone wanting to try a steak made with passion and love...

Overall rating: 3.5/5<br/>Food: 4/5<br/>Service: 2/5<br/>Ambience: 2/5<br/>Value: 5/5<br/>We wanted somewhere close by and cheap for our late night shenanigans.<br/><br/>The restaurant felt very traditional and Italian, with the picnic cloth and curtains. However, it did look a little bit messy and dirty - Thats just a minor criticism. Service was not as great as an average restaurant can do. We were ignored a few times, not too sure it’s because there were only two staff working or due to the lack of english. However, they pulled off amazing dishes between one chef and one waitress. This only happened because their restaurant is a popular local gem<br/><br/>Food, was spot on. Honestly, the homemade style of their food makes me appreciate the chef’s hard work and its authenticity.<br/><br/>We ordered the carbonara ravioli and the dish was overwhelmingly large. Every bite was so warm and cuddly, it would just melt in the mouth. The creaminess would cling to the tongue followed by a kick from the garlic and salty element. The ravioli was extremely soft and did not break.<br/><br/>The pizza was delicious, crispy on the outside, with a perfect portion of meat. The cheesy garlic was amazing. It had the perfect amount of salt and cheesy. Tasted just like a bacon cheese toastie but so much better. <br/><br/>Overall, a good night. Would come back some time again!<br/><br/>---- <br/>Had to come back because we were craving their creamy warm carbonara sauce and garlic bread. <br/><br/>The garlic bread has a nice crunch, and the sesame seeds on the garlic bread gave a nice nutty taste that goes so well with the garlic bread. <br/><br/>We ordered the Four Corners because it gives us the opportunity to have a taste of a few pizzas they serve. Their mushroom BBQ pizza was smokey and full of aroma, which I loved. The other pizzas were tasty, but do not shine over other pizza joints sadly. <br/><br/>The gnocchi was just as amazing as their ravioli, and I believe the star of the dish is the carbonara sauce. It is very filling, so best eaten with a group of people. <br/><br/>Since it was just the two of us, we end up leaving food unfinished at a slightly painful cost.

Pasta was over cooked, watery and extremely bland. Mushrooms were undercooked and almost raw. Special garlic bread was disappointing, with barely cooked pieces of bacon, and stinginess with the anchovies. Service was non existent. Sad to see a local diners quality over the years continue to go down the drain.

Went here around midnight with a few work friends and really enjoyed the food. The tables and decorations were a bit shabby but all was forgiven by the generous portions, friendly waiter and delicious food. I ordered the spaghetti bolognese which was creamy and delicious and very filling. The garlic bread was crunchy and melted in my mouth. Good place for a late dinner if you're ever in Footscray.

We decided to visit because my wife had a craving for steak. So happy we did! Everything we had was delicious. Especially recommend the special garlic bread. So good. The mushroom steak was nice and juicy. Mushroom sauce was also a standout. Pizza also impressed. Pizza base nice and soft. Not overloaded with toppings. Only minor quibble was that base not crispy. But I think that is just the way it’s made here. Charlie himself was at the oven and great host. Highly recommended.

There is always a place that’s open very late and serves good food. Charlie’s pizza is one of my favourite restaurants and have always come back to eat their volcano rock beef and lamb. Feels like home cook meal than a restaurant.

The only reason I would go Charlie's is for their opening hours. It makes a convenient option instead of going into the city but the service can be really slow, from past experience. Food is also a bit pricey as well and nothing that stands out.

Ah Charlie’s. A classic and timeless restaurant that has been a consistent part of my life since childhood. I love how little Charlie’s has changed since then. The mushroom sauce is the best mushroom sauce I’ve ever had in my life to date. I always order an extra serving to dip with the complimentary pizza bread they serve. Charlie himself is an iconic figure and very personable and kind to his customers.

The service was excellent.<br/>The Alfredo penne pasta was remarkable. I’d go for a second plate if I could.<br/>The hot chocolate was decent. <br/>Lights are bit dimmed but that’s the setting of the place. <br/>The place is a little bit dusty but the pasta was really good.

Charles is known for it's steak on the hot sizzling plate and pizza. I've had this dish several times and it has always been great. I also love their mushroom sauce.

It was my first time at Charles and this restaurant has been a local fave for my friends. We ordered fettuccini al chicken and a mushroom sauce steak (ordered as medium rare). The pasta was good. I always find cream based sauces to be tasteless a lot of time, this wasn’t too bland. Unfortunately my medium rare steak came out well done. It was mediocre. But it was nice with the ciabatta that came complimentary.

Great portions, quality and soft ravioli pasta, fresh tasty baked Charle's Special and garlic butter to cook with Beef on volcanic rock was great!

A dark, old and somehow... "creepy" feeling restaurant. Sitting there to have dinner and I felt like I got lost in a sad movie of 1980s. <br/>Food was overpriced, and tasted not really good. I may find many better choices.

Solid mushroom sauce served with dipping bread. Pizza was good too. Classic Italian two tone red and white tablecloths makes a homely if not slightly in need of a decor update restaurant. Service was fine.

This place lacks integrity. The food is terrible and expensive. This place hires under aged workers and under pay them. They bully many of their workers including the young ones. Charlie and his girlfriend who called herself Pixie are unethical and disrespectful. They behave without any consideration or compassion for the workers. Together they have been seen to abuse and oppress their poor ethnic workers who cook and serve the food. I would not recommend eating here knowing such a story behind the food.

The mushroom sauce here is a MUST! If not with the stonegrilled steak, even as a side with the bread. I have been going to Charles Pizza for the mushroom sauce for years now, just love it that much!

I love their creamy mushroom steak served with a bowl of flat bread and garlic butter. Their special garlic bread with chilli flakes was a good hit to the starters. The tortellini Alfredo was creamy and tasty. Been here on multiple occasions for late supper, HOWEVER judging from previous experience, their quality of customer service and food is declining. Their pizzas tasted oily and plain, ingredients wasn't fresh. Requested for rare steak, steak served well done. Requested for tortellini Alfredo, got ravioli Alfredo. Requested for garlic butter and an extra serve of bread, didn't get any. And it wasn't even busy last night! Nothing was right!

Got mushroom sauce with their bread take away awhile back for about $8. Just do yourself and try it, it's delicious. Sauce is as addictive as the bread which tastes like a cross between a focaccia, naan, roti and focaccia.YUMMMMMM!!!

Schnitzel was a decent size, mushroom sauce steak is great, good quality food. Very slow service but also very kind, and they don't serve chips which was unusual. Open late so recommended for late diners

Really adore this place, as was taking young to still dining there now. <br/>The owner is super nice friendly and cheerful, taking care of you himself. <br/>Food is superb. Love their pizzas and the special garlic bread is heavenly!! <br/>Salads are delicious! Recommend the Caesar! <br/>Always leave the place full and happy. <br/>:) :)<br/>Only other thing to note is the late opening hours, so totally recommended for dinner/parties.

Desperate for pizza at 2AM I headed to charlies for the first time and was not disappointed.<br/>Can strongly recommend the Hawaiian.<br/> Great pizza and lovely service. Will return!

Oh the mushroom sauce!! :D This place is old and quaint. Charlie (the owner) is a friendly, awesome character! Servings are big and hearty. This place recently had a little facelift, was a nice touch but has still kept its old charm.

I only called in briefly, but it's easy to see why Charles Pizza is so poorly received by its diners :(

Before I started dating, I never knew so many places existed, including this pizzeria “Charlies Pizza”. I am an Asian who grew up in the Western suburbs of Melbourne, and consistent pass this restaurant when we do our grocery shopping in Footscray. I would look inside and think to myself “this is a dingy dodgy looking place”, “who would eat here”, “it looks unhygienic”, “why are they always closed”, “they are so empty how do they survive”… And hear stories like “the owner is part of some gang/the mafia, he uses this place for money laundering”. All my negative thoughts changed after my first experience, lol, I realized they don’t open during the times I drive pass, and most of their customers are Vietnamese who starts dinner very late in the evening, or Club goers would stop here for supper before heading home. I do think they need a reno cause this place looks like a run down saloon, they also have an outdoors garden area at the back where small gatherings are held. The ambiance is co

Their mushroom sauce is so legendary that it actually comes as an individual entree item! The sauce was, and still is, perfectly creamy, and possessed a rich flavour of mushroom and fresh parsley.

Spring clean time. Positive: the pizza, ambient, staff and price.<br/><br/>Negatives: dirty! Where to start?? The old school wallpaper were peeling and when look closer we're covered in grease but not just the walls you look up at the ceiling fan, picture frames, cornices and powerpoint all covered in grease. Not exactly sure how this establishment gets past food safety inspections. <br/>Coffee was extremely bitter<br/><br/>Even though the food wasn't too bad I probably wouldn't dine in ever again but takeaways, sure. And the lack of basic cleaning is a big deal breaker

The worst pizzaria. I am never gonna go back there again. I was regular customer of charlies pizza. once they made my order in all the wrong way and I asked for change the order and the owner rudely refused it and said take your money back and go. That was the worst situation ever to me. I mean which owner said this to his regular customer??? I always used to go there every week even though sometimes they don't serve good food but still I was showing my loyalty as sometimes I have got the best pizzas of my life there but then they started taking such customers as granted. After that incident I would never recommend anyone this place.

Horrific. Grease dripping off the roof, literally. Staff panicked and rushed because charlie screaming at them. One was crying. Wallpaper peeling, food worrying. Do not go here.

NO EFTPOS?!. A major inconvenience from no Eftpos payment. Old school owners prefer quick cash. Loses my business.

A Time Capsule of Old Footscray.. <br/><br/>Review Updated: July 29, 2018<br/><br/>Food (8.5): The mushrooms were cut nicely and thick on my pizza – old school style. The pizza’s are old school Australian/Italian pizzas from the 80’s; which to me is a GOOD thing! Don’t expect anything hipster here, this is your Mum and dads pizzeria.<br/><br/>The famous mushroom sauce is a must. It’s the old school comfort food that you just don’t find in Melbourne anymore.<br/><br/>Ambience (9): This is one which depends on personal taste. Charlie's (or Charles depending on which sign you read) Pizza is like going back in time to the late 70's/early 80's right down to the wood grain counter and the velvet wallpaper. I'm a fan of kitsch and I'm a big fan of the old stuff in there that works (the Fosters signs, the signs of Charles himself, the bar, the wood panels).<br/><br/>Since my original review in 2014, the place has been fixed up a bit but kept it’s 1980’s charm (which is a good thing). Would still prefer a change in lighting as it’s still too bright for a late night, eat-in experience.<br/><br/>Service (9): The waitresses in the restaurant have always been very friendly. I’ve had some great conversations with them. Charles himself is pleasant guy and a Footscray icon. The food has also come out for me in a timely manner. <br/><br/>But this place is so old school that it still doesn’t have EFTPOS(!). I’d go be the place a 10 if they did because I love the service, but it is a pain to go to McDonalds every time you need cash out. They also don’t deliver, so don’t expect to find them on UberEats (you don’t get more authentic old school than that!). <br/><br/>Value (9): There is enough charm to make visiting it a must (and yes - the mushroom sauce is a MUST). It’s a Footscray icon of the old west. Nothing pretentious about, what so ever - just old school comfort food. The prices are more than reasonable and the servings are huge.<br/><br/>OVERALL SCORE: 8.75/10: This cool and interesting little restaurant, is the kind that have been lost in the suburbs in the 21st Century.   It has a character and charm to it that’s authentic and not manufactured in a ironic hipster way. But as comforting as the 80’s was - save me the trips to Maccas and get EFTPOS! That’s aside - you can’t call yourself a Westie, unless you go to Charlie’s (or Charles - depending on what sign you read) Pizza at least once.

Good Place to eat Italian + hint of spice. Before I started dating, I never knew so many places existed, including this pizzeria “Charlies Pizza”. I am an Asian who grew up in the Western suburbs of Melbourne, and consistent pass this restaurant when we do our grocery shopping in Footscray. I would look inside and think to myself “this is a dingy dodgy looking place”, “who would eat here”, “it looks unhygienic”, “why are they always closed”, “they are so empty how do they survive”... And hear stories like “the owner is part of some gang/the mafia, he uses this place for money laundering”.<br/><br/>All my negative thoughts changed after my first experience, lol, I realized they don’t open during the times I drive pass, and most of their customers are Vietnamese who starts dinner very late in the evening, or Club goers would stop here for supper before heading home.<br/>I do think they need a reno cause this place looks like a run down saloon, they also have an outdoors garden area at the back where small gatherings are held. The ambiance is confusing, Italian food + extra chili flakes on everything you want on the menu, Vietnamese music in the background with Vietnamese concert billboards hang up in-front of the old peeling wallpaper.<br/><br/>The moderate urban spoon ratings may be due to its atmosphere and services, cause I hear the boss “Charlie” can be a meanie at times. Food wise, it isn’t the cheapest pizzeria, but I personal enjoy what I pay for... Italian food with extra hot chilliness (You don’t get that at many pizzeria).

Owner's a mad man!. I went to this place quite often during my Uni days. Steak with mushroom sauce is my favourite.<br/>However after seeing the owner (the one with his picture on the menu) on our last visit screaming at one of his waitress infront of us for a minor mistake (dish served to the wrong table), the poor girl almost burtsed into tears. That was so unnecessary.<br/>good luck with your business but we aren't coming back.

Do not waste your money or time going here - there are better places elsewhere.<br/>In my most recent visit (not by choice), my table was served burnt and salty pizza, and terrible lasagne with cheese that seemed off. To make matters worse, our garlic bread wasn't served and was part of the bill and the service was so horrible that we ended up leaving, vowing never to return. The only good thing about Charles Pizza was probably the salad and the mushroom steak, but I am a fan of neither so the place will never be missed by me.

The pizza here tasted good at 4am, I was absolutely off my face, I ate my Aussie pizza whilst perving at the petite promiscuous Vietnamese waitress. Would I come back? Yea, only past 4am when my taste buds are sleeping.

Favourite steak place in Footscray. One wouldn't walk into this restaurant without hearing about it first. Its layout must have stayed the same for the last 20 years (?), old, even scrubby! Ignore the old furniture, the smokey fume from the Volcano steak dishes (steak cooked on hot stone) and just stick your teeth into the delicious mushroom rib-eye steak. The pizza's aren't bad either, and come quite cheap ($13 for a large pizza).This must be the only Italian pizza house decorated with Chinese red lanterns, and Vietnamese billboards. No wonder it is very popular with the local Asian patrons.

Best Authentic Italian Meals. Great family run business the food it top quality and the profiteroles are to die for. Have been going there regularly for years and have never been disappointed. The personal service is also top notch, my wife had a sore back and they went out of their way to assist with pillows etc.<br/>Have a chat to the Owner he always engages in a good story.<br/>Going again tonight....

Disappointing service and meal. Our drinks weren't even served until we asked about it half an hour later. The hot bread was also never given. The waiter gave poor service and was a tad rude. Never coming back again.

We'd often driven past and talked about trying this seemingly authentic pizzeria and gelatieria. Last night we discovered how 'authentic' this dive actually is. We were greeted by rude staff and told it was cash only - while DB went in search of an atm I waited in the FILTHY restaurant and was seated next to a large and noisy family. Charles was there - lurking around the place and not doing much apart from perving on all his female clientele and giving the occasional spray to his inept staff. Apart from the grit - yes actual grit - that covered the dining room the food was appalling! bolognese drowing in oil and undercooked flacid carbonara reduced our meal to inedible. The absolute WORST part was that we were smoked out! all tables around us ordered a dish that they cooked themselves on a hot plate ... sounds great however there is no ventilation or extraction fans so all that bbq smoke fills the dining room! At $61 for two people we left feeling disappointed and dirty ... There are so many really great places to eat in Footscray ... this creepy placenis not one of them

Came into the tables at the garden area was greeted by stray cats eating off uncleared tables. Didnt know pussie was on the menu. 40 mins in finished my steak still waiting on my pizza bread.

Horrible!!. Words can not express how mad,dissapointed,let down,frustrated and angry i am after dealing with this place. It was my first and for sure my last time i ever order from such a bottom barrel pizza place like this again!! first issue was 96 min delivery time, called and said something at the 1 hour mark and was told it would be to my house in 10 min. Waited another 36 min for it to arrive only to have one pizza wrong and the other one with burned toppings and crust. I gave them a chance to make it right and got yelled at my an extremely arrogant manager who lied about making a mistake on the order and completely dissmissed the fact that it took 96 min for my order to arrive and the fact that the other pizza was burned and tasted horrible. please do yourself a favor and never order from this place and do a favor to every single person that you know and tell them to never make the mistake of ordering from here!!! I promise you will thank me!

Only good thing is the mushroom steak. Besides that service is completely pathetic. Dont bother on friday or Saturday nights

My boyfriend and I ate here last night. He was recommended here by one of his co-workers. We decided we wanted to try pizza and pasta so we each got a small serving and shared. It was plenty for the both of us. We got the Charles Special pizza (with no anchovies) and it was yum. They were not stingy with the toppings and I thought the crust was tasty. For the pasta we got the Calabrese fettuccine. This was probably my fave of the two dishes. Lots of salami and just the right amount of chili. I like spicy stuff and this had a great kick to it. If you're in the area, check it out, get their fairly early or it will pack out. We were there before 7pm and there was only one other table with people and by the time we left every table was taken.

Its Good. This place is very interesting, I definitely underestimated the dishes here.<br/>The vibe is okay, I thought it was just a pizza shop untill I found out it had seatings and floors like a restaurant.<br/>If so, it may need a bit of renovating however is not a big concern.<br/><br/>The food was delicious, my friend suggested the lava rock dishes where you place the marinated chops on the lava rock as it cooked. the mushroom dishes were fantastic. I loved all the dishes there so no complaints.<br/><br/>The service was ok, people were friendly and nice.<br/>Overall I think its a good place to chill after work at night and just have a good decent meal.<br/>Oh and Charles you are definitely funny and always energetic when we come in. Thumbs up

This establishment use to be good, in recent years the whole place has gone down, it has a creepy vibe you feel it as soon as you walk in, the food isn't made too well the pizza taste like cardboard, staff are rude and unhelpful, table clothes have holes in them and even worst tables also have holes in them, decor is from the 70's YO CHARLIE TIME TO UPGRADE!

Expensive pizza. A small Farmhouse cost me $9.60. I'd rather spend that much on 2 Dominos pizza. the base has become thinner than before, which really disappoints me.

Charles Pizza has gone down the drain.. Charles Pizza use to be great pizza and great food. But nowadays, it's best known for bad service, horrible decor and reused and greasy paper menus. You heard right, paper menus and not fancy ones either. The menus are the ones you would get as a take away menu. What's worst, the photocopy isn't even straight and at the best of times, the font is blurry. <br/>The pizza crust is thin and soggy while the food is over cooked and under or over seasoned. <br/>But that's not the worst part, the worst part is the staff. The staff is unfriendly, condescending and completely useless. <br/>I ordered a pick up pizza and chicken salad. When I arrived, my pizza was already out of the oven and sitting on the counter whereas my salad was no where to be seen. As I was waiting, I was watching the waitress make garlic bread and pizzas and ALL of them was burnt, either a little or 1/3 of it. 10 minutes on of watching her serve "crispy" garlic bread, my salad still wasn't out and I started asking about the possibility of a new pizza. The waitress looked at me and replied rudely "If we make you a new pizza, your salad will be cold so there's really no point". Ended up having to get her to put my premade pizza back in the oven for it to be reheated before I left. <br/><br/>End of the day, food and service is NOT worth the money. Might as well go to dominos and get a better service.

Wanted a pizza. Instead I had staff who didn't want to serve. Meanwhile it was empty out back but the staff had loud music and were drinking.

Charles not in charge?. What a strange place! Holes in table cloths...lots of them, decor from 1970-80s even old fosters chalk boards that the black had almost worn off. Asian clientele seem to love this place and were all going for some mushroom something or other. <br/>There were crumbs on window sills,the floor was like an ice skating rink, out of date drinks and service...well? This was an experience i left wondering how places like this continue to trade in metro melbourne. Um yeah ????

Yum Pizza. I have only had the Pizza at Charlies but it's great pizza.... Better than most pizza I've had anywhere in Melbourne!<br/>The sevice is always great too!

Heard this place was good, so I decided to try it out. The service was shocking and i left with everything except my meal! The people there need to learn to get organized and most importantly Learn to smile.

Food went through a shrink ray. Everything is small and expensive, service is slow and the waiters are so ANGRY!!!!!!

I know someone who drools over the thought of the mushroom sauce they had at this place - the only reason I'm curious to eat here.

We used to get pizza from here weekly and it was always a bit random, aside from the tough salami I do like their style with a good crust and not too much cheese.