About Us
A Little Bit About Us…
Charlie Efstration came from Texas where he owned a restaurant before he entered the service. When his tour of duty ended and a visit with his brother brought him to Greenville, he liked the area so much he decided to make it his home. Charlie felt that restaurants that served steaks weren’t up to the standards of those back west. So Charlie's Steak House opened (just down the street from its present location) in March, 1921.
The business grew and Charlie had to move to a larger place in 1933. This, our present location, was formerly a vegetable market. Charlie purchased it and rebuilt the entire building.The YMCA was located across the street and during the Depression Charlie would provide soup and bread to those in the food lines who were hungry. He would also send soup to the local schools so the children would have at least one hot meal.
Starting in 1935, a local radio station would broadcast a nightly program from the restaurant. The program featured a live band and drew huge crowds. Thus dining and dancing was born in Greenville, and was a hit for many years at Charlie's.
Charlie's sons, Paul and Peter, officially joined the business after serving in World War II. A cafeteria for lunch served many downtown business people and shoppers until 1972. Dinner has always been table served.
All the beef served at Charlie's is dry-aged and hand cut on the premises by Paul, Charlie's eldest son. "If I cut it," Paul says, "I know it’s getting cut the same way we've always done it."
Two generations later we're "doing things" the same way Charlie did them. Our homemade steak sauce and homemade salad dressings are Charlie's recipes, too. Guess that's why Charlie's has been serving local Greenville families for as many as four generations. Hope to be around for a couple of more!
