Whenever I get a sudden appetite for a good old-fashioned delicious burger, I always make it a point to visit the Charlie’s Grind and Grill (Greenhills) branch at Ronac Art Center (along Ortigas Ave – near the intersection of Santolan), usually with nearby friends in tow.
Sometime last week, I was invited by Zomato to attend a Foodie Meet-Up – my third, at the Charlie’s Grind and Grill branch in Kapitolyo. Having never been to Kapitolyo, it was an adventure for me to actually make it there, as well as to use Zomato’s in-app link to Uber to hail a car from my home to the restaurant. This was mostly because a quick search on Google Maps, and Street View, showed that the area didn’t have a lot of parking space.
Flash forward to the restaurant, I was initially surprised to find that one – it was located right beside a car wash. And two – the design of the branch is quite different from that of the Greenhills branch. My questions and curiosities were later answered by the branch manager once our get-together began. Among them are the following:
- Charlie’s Grind and Grill is aptly named so because the owners wanted to give homage to the man who is supposedly said to have invented the hamburger – Charlie Nagreen.
- The Kapitolyo branch is the restaurant’s original location. It is also one of the restaurants that has stood the test of time among Kapitolyo’s growing food and restaurant fanbase.
- The humble beginnings of Charlie’s Grind and Grill was based on a joke among friends, one of which owned the adjacent car wash. It began as a place where people having their car washed could enjoy food while waiting.
- Each branch has its own unique design and personality, which can be seen in the restaurant’s atmosphere and decor. As of now, there are currently three branches – the Kapitolyo branch, the Greenhills branch, and a Makati branch situated in Legaspi Village.
