Chez Charlie

I went over 25 years in between visits and it is still a dirty, cramped dive bar. Ya gotta love continuity! I used to shoot darts and my home bar visited here regularly for tournaments back in the day. The darts are still integral to the fabric of Chez Charlie and the bartender has changed but not truly in character. There’s so many places that wish they could be as naturally unassuming and romantically un-​modern. I expect it to be doing more of the same in another 20+ years.

I“ve only been once (so far), but Chez Charlie definitely seems like a divey Cheers sort of place, in the best way possible. The pregnant bartender was a sweet as they come, managing the regulars sitting at the bar and the dart players with easy grace.
If you don’t play darts, well, watch where you stand. They’re old-​school, sharp-​pointed darts, and on the Thursday night I was there, nearly every board was in use. Leagues started at 7:30 that night, but before that, you could play your heart out for free, using their darts. I was with four other girls who hadn’t played darts in decades, but the regulars gave us a few pointers.
It hides in plain sight behind a «Cocktails» sign next door to the Blarney Stone. Once you find it, cheap beers ($ 4 Boulevard bottles), lots of darts, and the coolest jukebox repertoire I’ve ever seen await you inside-​everything from some modern stuff to Duke Ellington. It’s totally laid-​back, and even if you’re brand new, everybody seems to treat you like a friend. Can’t wait to go back, but watch out, my aim’s not always good.
P. S. A word of warning, don’t park in Big Dude’s lot, word is they tow, even after hours!

A solid Kansas City dive bar that flies under the radar. I’m a KC native, but haven’t moved back since I left for college. I spent New Years in here this year and had a blast. The crowd was eclectic, the prices were great, and the bartenders looked like they were having fun too! Westport can be a good time, but I’d prefer to cap every night at this place. Chez Charlie is real, not trying to be anything else, and that feeling is refreshing.

I can’t stay away from this place. It’s a happy dive bar that is very focused on darts, but they also often have dj’s playing incredible 50’s music. Their jukebox is slanted that direction as well.
My drink taste runs with their $ 2 Hamms and PBR, but they’ve got some great scotch on hand like Laphroaig. No beers on tap though, don’t ask. I like the dartboard in the front best by the bookcase with all the playboys stacked up. Give this place a try on a weeknight!

a sanctuary where i feel time doesn’t exist, and i can just relax. perfect straightforward drinks. it knows what it is and doesn’t pretend to be anything different. the best kind of bar for the best kind of people.

My friend came in from out of town and wanted to go to a «cool, dim, classy, cheesy dive bar» so I took her here. They have 4 dart boards to play but they also have nightly dart tournaments so I’d call ahead. Alcohol is cheap and good. Good selection. Not good for large groups because there are a TON of chairs and tables crammed into that space. I wouldn’t bring a date here. Want to throw some darts at 1am? This is the place. Want a cheap drink while you people watch? Yep, this is it.

This is a great dive bar, and it’s that and nothing more. Expect cold beer, expect solid bartenders that don’t take no mess, expect old drunks, expect an old juke for tunes, and expect dirty bathrooms with porn mags for wallpaper. I’m sold.

With its well-​worn interior, friendly neighborhood clientele, and jukebox full of 45s (yes, they still exist!), Chez Charlie is a fine choice for dive bar enthusiasts such as myself. As an out-​of-​town visitor, I ended up at Chez Charlie’s upon the recommendation of a local bartender in the touristy part of downtown Kansas City. I asked her if she could give me the name of a local dive bar with character, and Chez Charlie did not disappoint. The hotel shuttle driver who drove me there had never heard of it. This is not surprising since the establishment is identifiable only by a vertical sign affixed to the front that says «COCKTAILS.» Beer by the bottle or can and a wide selection of hard liquor comprise the offerings, so I ordered a can of PBR. Veteran bartender Mark will tend to your needs with a calm demeanor and little fuss. Square footage is sparse, but the seating is efficiently arranged to accommodate a large booth, a collection of small tables, a curved bar that seats about 10, and two old-​school cork dartboards. The small covered patio out back allows smoking and was perfect for drinking on a warm evening in late June. By the end of my too-​short evening there I knew 4 or 5 of the regulars by name, one of whom bought me a couple of rounds, and another who gave me ride back to my hotel. Maybe it was just Kansas City hospitality, or maybe Chez Charlie is just that special.

Best dive bar in KC. Friday nights can get pretty busy, but between the cheap booze, smoking patio, and really diverse cast of characters young and old you might run into here, you’re hard-​pressed to find a better place for a nightcap or to sit down and have a conversation with someone, whether you know them or not.
Bring cash. Be ready to order. Don’t order complicated stuff. Beer and booze, no martinis or «mocktails.»
Do NOT park in the Big Dude’s lot next door. You’ll be towed.

I’m not gonna lie, I don’t spend a lot of time at dive bars. I must confess, I’m a bit snooty in my drinking tastes. But I can recognize when I’m in a great place, and for a dive, Chez Charlie is top notch.
Cheap drinks — check
friendly barstaff — check
bar games — check (they have multiple dart boards, AND a Megatouch!
clean bathrooms — check! (the men’s room is covered in nudie pics I might add)
friendly crowd — check
So yeah, if you want a no-​nonsense beer, this is a perfectly fine place in which to enjoy one.

Absolute shit-​hole dive complete with douchebag patrons and a collage of naked centerfolds adorning the mens room walls. Dirt cheap drinks served in a dirty glass and the perfect place to go if you want to slum it or go incognito. LOVE IT!

Do not be frightened by the hole-​in-​the-​wall look. This place is down to earth and has cheap drinks.
Just don’t be an idiot and treat the bartenders with respect. If you don’t, they have no probably letting you know they think you’re not being cool.

It’s been over three years since I first found Chez Charlie’s and gave it a four star review.
Since that time, I have been there at all times of day with all types of crowds and it still remains one of my favorite places to have a drink in Kansas City. I have hung with the hipsters, the day drinkers, the after workers and the early birders. I have heard the DJ’s, played the dart boards and read the Playboys. I have drank, talked and laughed in this dark and unassuming bar.
So here’s an upgrade to five long overdue stars Chez Charlie’s because, as I said in 2010, if you like a little dive in your bars, it’s a place you shouldn’t miss.

Ambiance:
*Good divey place in at the end of the street of bars.
*Chill place to take it easy and play darts.
Food:
*tba

We weren’t sure we were at the right place because they don’t have a sign out front. We weren’t sure what to expect as we sat down and wondered what kind of clientele we might find in this hole-​in-​the-​wall.
But the reviews don’t lie. The bartender turned on the jukebox, and it put us at ease.
It’s definitely an old dive bar that’s been around forever. It has the comfort of a local bar. CC has beer and liquor and a couple of bar snacks for purchase like peanuts and chips. The bartender was a cool guy to chat with, content to visit while we waited but not hovering if we were talking with our friend. We got there fairly early in the evening, and he said the place really picks up around 9 or 10. There is a DJ some nights, while on other special nights, the owner makes tasty things to share in a crockpot. There are several TVs — a couple of them were playing the football game, while others were playing non-​sports things like Law & Order and a black-​and-​white movie.
I thought the graffiti in the ladies’ room was entertaining rather than raunchy. I giggled at a sketch of «no-​shave November» and a couple of inspirational drunken quotes, the usual phone numbers and «[girl’s name] was here» scribbles not found.
Our friend, who suggested the place, loves Chez Charlie and it’s his favorite low-​key bar. Seems like a fun place, a business we’re looking forward to going back to.

Chez Charlie is a pretty simple place and can be explained by asking two questions. What do you want to drink and how cold do you want it?
The room is small and a little plain, but does have enough room for a dart board and good amount of tables. The crowd is about half and half with regulars and bue collar neighborhood folks. They’re friendly, but also can tend to keep to themselves. The bar tenders have been around for a bit and know how to pour a nice strong drink.
If you’re in the neighborhood feel free to pull up a chair to the bar.
There is a small parking lot in the back because parking on Broadway can sometimes be a little tough.

Note: it should be Chez Charlie (no apostrophe S), but I have a strong feeling that Charlie doesn’t give a f*ck about proper French.
So:
You’ve got triple D: dark, divey, dicey,
You’ve got cheap, strong drinks.
You’ve got a pretty mixed crowd (hipsters mix with old men who tell stories mix with ladies who wear white sweatshirts and sneakers and dance… note: there is of course no dance floor).
You’ve got lots of random trophies and plaques all over the room.
You’ve got wood paneling and vinyl banquets/​barstools.
You’ve got darts.
You’ve got… *that smell*
You’ve got yourself a dive bar. This is for real.

A friend once said, «I couldn’t find it… there’s no sign out front…»
Whether there is, or not, is inconsequential. A bar like this doesn’t need a sign to be a beacon. And a beacon doesn’t need to be bright and shining; sometimes it’s better to be a glowing presence in other ways, better to attract the barflies and beer-​buddies with the promise to be sheltered, rather than out in the open…
And isn’t that why you want to «escape» to a bar like this, anyway? It’s not to «be seen». I remember places like this from the outside, down on San Pablo Blvd in the East Bay, growing up. I did, and still do, call them «Old Man Bars»; the places where only the pros went, the working men and women, the ones who maybe only had the scratch for a pour and not much more… but someone would hopefully buy the next round.
I love meeting my pals here. We start our irregular «Guy’s Nights Out» here. I’ve heard confessions and observations and shared stories about life, good and bad, here. Talked music, art, religion, politics, and women there, on the barstools and big tuck-​and-​roll benches. It’s the kind of place where you want to add your voice to the air, and tack your story up on the wall like the yellowed newspaper and dart-​tourney plaques that make up the history of the place. You want to be the history of the place.
Or, you just want a drink. Need a drink, maybe, be it Hamm’s or a Highball, you’re in good hands, and within earshot of someone who’s willing to raise a toast to you, that girl, the ballgame, or whatever ancient weeper is on the incredible (and real) juekbox.
Oh, and sometimes you can get a hotdog. Or a bag of chips. And smoke on the patio out back, listening to the sounds of Midtown in all it’s tragic, storied glory.
If you find charm in that, you’ll find charm in Chez Charlie’s. If not, you’ll never see it there, anyway…

There is a certain majestic quality that this local bar produces. I don’t know if it the 60’s feel emitted by the décor or the friendly bartenders that are genuine people trying to make a living.
The place isn’t massive and you can always count on a good game of darts and excellent music. I like the Tuesday night scene because they have a great DJ playing both kinds of music, Country and Western. That’s a joke btw
The beer is always ice cold and the mixed drinks are a little heavier here than other places. The location is tough because there is limited parking in the lot and on the street though you can park in the Walgreen’s parking lot. There is an excessive amount of hipsters here some nights but everyone is very nice and always makes you feel welcome. Cheers to Chez Charlie’s!

I love this bar!
It’s dark, cheap and conversations are plentiful. Plus they have darts, plenty of TVs to catch a game and cool way old-​school music. If I had a «rec room» or what is now called a «finished basement» I would model it after this bar.
My one complaint is the womens restroom. I hear the mens is literally papered with Playboy centerfolds but the womens has a lame watercolor painting. How about something more interesting for women? Maybe drink recipes, gossip pages from US and People or the latest shoe styles? It’s just a suggestion. Otherwise, it’s ok, they don’t need to change a thing.

I love this dive.
$ 10 minimum on credit cards and if you order anything but whiskey or beer, you’ll get a little scoff from the bartender. Hipster heavy. Kind of nasty on the inside. But everyone there is sweet, drinks are tasty and the jukebox rules.

It has been on my radar for a while. I finally pulled the trigger last Thursday night., or at Chez Charlie’s– dart night.
Nerds, old farts and women with road map faces all getting down on the dart games. At the bar, a younger crowd pop’s the top on cans of PBR. The bartender addresses the incoming customers by name and everyone seems to know each other.
You might wonder why I am a fan. I might still be wondering too. It was raw, strangely charming and refreshingly unpretentious. There is a special vibe here.
Dark, old and sketchy, it is all dive bar and all good.