Craft cocktails and pan pizza are hallmarks of Sorry, Charlie, the new spot opened by the team behind Poughkeepsie’s Goodnight Kenny.
Kingston has no shortage of cocktail bars for a high-end night out, but sometimes you just want the feel of an easygoing townie bar—a place with that no-frills "Cheers" vibe where locals can grab a pint after a long shift or a bite after a bike ride. The newly opened Sorry, Charlie recently arrived at the border between Midtown and Ponckhockie with the intention of fulfilling that need through a concept that’s accessible in terms of offerings, hours, and location.
“We’re a neighborhood bar and pizzeria—nothing insanely fancy, but we do delicious pan pizzas and really good cocktails, plus beer, wine, and bar bites,” says Davina Thomasula, one of five co-owners. “It’s fun, laid-back, and a little whimsical; we try not to take ourselves too seriously, but we’re serious about food and drink.”
Sorry, Charlie opened the last weekend of June on Delaware Avenue, just off Broadway and along the Kingston Point Rail Trail, at the former home of The Corner Bar & Grill—a go-to watering hole for just over a decade until last summer. “Opening weekend was absolutely insane, but really amazing,” Thomasula says. Co-owner Kristina Keenan (“KK”) Keenan adds, “The response was overwhelming, but in a great way; we were immediately seeing stuff pop up on social media about how people were really enjoying the space.”
Thomasula and Keenan—who also started the popular Poughkeepsie bar Goodnight Kenny about two years ago—are part of the Half Full Hospitality Group based in Kingston, which also includes partners Charlie Webb, Craig Capano, and Jasmine Turner. The latter trio run Hudson & Packard, a Detroit-style pizza shop neighboring Goodnight Kenny in Poughkeepsie.
“People would usually come into Goodnight Kenny with a pizza they ordered next door, so one day we were all hanging out, and we thought about the idea of putting the two concepts together,” Thomasula says. “I live in Kingston and also work in real estate and knew that the building was sitting for a little while. It’s hard to find locations around here that really need a bar or restaurant, but there was a void here; so we looked at the building and it all just came together.”
The team split roles with Webb and Capano on the food program, Turner in opps and the bar program, Keenan in opps and marketing, and Thomasula designing cocktails, the bar program, and a little bit of everything.
“As we worked on the food program, we realized Charlie was going to be in the kitchen a lot, so we kept saying, ‘Sorry, Charlie!’,” Thomasula explains. Keenan adds: “We had a few ideas for names, and threw that out there as a joke—but it ended up fitting. The next bar will be called Blame Davina.” (“That’s a joke!” Thomasula laughs.)
The group upgraded the intimate space inside and out, including whitewashing the exterior brick and adding new tilting windows that open out wide enough for passersby to view inside. Small bistro-style tables were swapped for hi-tops around the perimeter and one long communal block-top table in the center of the room. Adjacent to the dimly lit bar, you’ll see a dark wall of individually lit pop-culture portraits featuring famous Charlies, Chucks, and Charleses.
On the food menu, you’ll find various bar snacks from mixed nuts to potato beignets to pimento cheese dip ($6-$12), but the 12-inch pan pizzas are an easy favorite. Top choices include The Slimciian (tomato sauce, garlic, Sicilian oregano, cheese; $13), the Curry, Up! (curry-vodka sauce, roasted chicken, cilantro-lime yogurt; $16), and the Hot Debbie (house cheese blend, tomato sauce, whipped ricotta, pepperoni, hot honey, banana peppers; $18). “One thing to keep in mind is that each pizza takes about 18 to 24 minutes because they’re made to order—so place an order and have a drink while you wait,” Keenan says.
Those drinks include cocktails ($12) like the signature Charlie’s Sour—bourbon, lemon, and angostura, topped with an edible wafer-paper design; or the refreshing cucumber gimlet with elderflower and lime. Non-alcoholic slushies are available ($8); add a nip of booze for $4. Two rotating draft beers ($7) and a selection of bottles and cans ($4 and up) combine local favorites like West Kill Brewing and Suarez Family Brewery among traditional domestic brands.
“When designing the menus, we really wanted to be genuine to what people want around us; Kingston is always changing and we’re here to offer something welcoming for the neighborhood that’s maybe unlike everything else,” Thomasula says. “Our hours are a little different, drinks are available a little later, we’ve got food on Mondays and Tuesdays—not many places are doing that right now and so far people are into it. We put a lot of heart and soul into Sorry, Charlie and to see people appreciate what we’ve made has felt amazing.”
Sorry, Charlie is open daily except Wednesday. Monday & Tuesday: 3pm-midnight; Thursday: 3pm-1am; Friday & Saturday: 12pm-1am; Sunday: 12pm-12am
