THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Charlie’s Front & Back Door

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Charlie’s Front & Back Door Restaurant Review:

Charlie’s Front Door has been a mainstay in the Hoffmantown Shopping Center for what seems like forever---and so has Charlie’s Back Door. The former, marked by a carved wooden door, is a quiet, stucco-walled spot dotted with folk art; adjacent to the dining room, the latter is a barfly’s sanctuary, so dark your eyes have to adjust to the least bit of light coming from the neon beer signs. But you’ll never have to adjust to the New Mexican food served on both sides of the wall. Among the more unusual finds are the Como Se Llama (“What’s It Called”), a Polish sausage smothered in red or green chile with beans. And then there’s the Mark Special, an embarrassment of riches that includes spaghetti-like fideos in tomato sauce, beans, squash casserole called calabacitas, and quelites---think of them as Mexican collards---topped with a generous amount of tender carnitas and smothered in cheese. All are guilty pleasures, but the very best dishes are classics, from green chile-chicken enchiladas enrobed in sour cream to torta de huevo---basically an omelet sunk in a bowl of red chile. Needless to say, this is not the place to ask for wine or craft cocktails. But whatever you order, keep in mind as you chow down that some of the city’s best sopaipillas with honey are yet to come.