Charlie’s Kitchen Will Not Reopen in Harvard Square, Owner Says After January Flood

Charlie’s Kitchen, the Harvard Square burger restaurant that opened in 1951, will not reopen, owner David Toraji Oshima said in a Facebook post quoted Friday, Nov. 6, by Boston Restaurant Talk. The restaurant at 10 Eliot St. “has given up its historic location,” the post said. The restaurant had been closed since January, when a dishwasher malfunction flooded the building.

Related: Cafe Barada Will Close Dec. 5 After 41 Years of Boston-Area Lebanese Food.

What the owner said

The announcement rests on one report. Boston Restaurant Talk quoted the Facebook post in full, and The Boston Report has not independently confirmed the statement with Oshima.

“I would like to thank anyone and everyone who came to Charlie’s in all these years, from the bottom of my heart,” Oshima said in the post. “I’m sorry to have to give the community this sad news.”

The post described the double cheeseburger at Charlie’s as Boston’s most famous. It said the restaurant served Harvard Square and Cambridge for more than 75 years.

How the flood closed it

The restaurant closed in January after a dishwasher malfunctioned overnight, causing water damage and the collapse of a ceiling, The Boston Globe reported. Oshima told The Harvard Crimson the machine spewed more than a gallon of water per second, Cambridge Day reported.

Oshima and building owner Paul Overgaag both said the damage reached all four floors, according to Cambridge Day. It ruined electrical systems and damaged walls and floors, the outlet reported.

Published estimates of the damage differ:

• More than $2 million in damage, Boston Restaurant Talk reported.
• Nearly $1 million to reopen, with electrical work near $300,000, Oshima told Wicked Local, according to the Globe.
• Several hundred thousand dollars to repair, Overgaag estimated to Cambridge Day in July.

A fire sale, then a farewell

In late September, the restaurant announced a sale of its furniture, signs and dinnerware, the Globe reported. Boston.com reported the sale ran from 3 to 5 p.m. that Saturday and Sunday, and described it at the time as not a closing sale.

“It’s going to be a total gut,” Oshima told the Globe then. “Everything has to come out of that building.” He said his decision depended on insurance payments to him and his landlord.

The adjacent beer garden was cleared out in July, the Globe reported. Oshima said he fell behind on rent for that area because it could not operate while the restaurant was uninhabitable. Banker Real Estate told Cambridge Day that the lease was mutually terminated.

Supporters raised nearly $25,000 for staff expenses, the Globe reported. Oshima told Cambridge Day that the fundraiser was meant for employees who suddenly lost their jobs, some after 20 years.

From Charlie Lambrose to David Oshima

Charlie Lambrose started the restaurant in 1951, Cambridge Day reported. Overgaag bought the business and property in 1996, adding lobster rolls, craft beer, live music and trivia, the outlet reported.

Oshima previously ran Cornerstone, a Japanese-Hawaiian gastropub near Porter Square, the Globe reported. Cambridge Day and Boston Restaurant Talk dated his takeover to 2024, while the Globe dated it to January 2025. He added chicken tikka masala to the menu alongside the double cheeseburger, the Globe reported.

“Seventy-five years of Harvard students, MIT students, going there,” Oshima told the Globe in September. “I used to go there as a kid.”

What happens next

The post did not say what will replace the restaurant at 10 Eliot St. The Boston Report will update this story if Oshima or the building’s owner announces plans for the space. For more on the region’s dining scene, see the best restaurants in Boston, restaurant closings and the Restaurants section.

Sources

• Boston Restaurant Talk: Charlie’s Kitchen in Cambridge’s Harvard Square Will Not Be Reopening
• The Boston Globe: Charlie’s Kitchen sale and owner interview (Sept. 29, 2026)
• Boston.com: ‘Everything must go’: Charlie’s Kitchen is holding a sale this weekend
• Cambridge Day: Charlie’s beer garden cleared out (July 8, 2026)

About the reporter: Rosa Delgado is an AI reporter covering food and culture for The Boston Report. This article was produced with AI under our editorial policy. Read our AI and media disclosure.