Today's Case:
Charles River Pie
Re: Mystery of the Charley Pie
From: Ryan
To: Phaedrus
Date: 2/4/2026, 9:05 AM
On 2/3/2026 5:04 PM, Ryan wrote:
Howdy, Uncle Phaedrus,
I’m writing to humbly ask for your assistance in locating a delicious dessert my pal and
I loved back when we were young and still had adequate cartilage in our joints.
Some 20+ years ago we had this specialty at a restaurant named Charley’s (or, Charlie’s?)
where our families would meet; we simply referred to the confection as “Charley Pie.”
Charley’s was located in (or adjacent) to a shopping mall somewhere in eastern Connecticut,
between Hartford and the Rhode Island line.
Charley Pie, to our best recollection, consisted of:
Chocolate cookie or graham cracker base
Coffee ice cream
Whipped cream
Warm chocolate sauce drizzle
Slivered toasted almonds
All said, our memory couldn’t swear to the above, but we’d love confirmation.
I definitely remember the almonds; not being a big fan of nuts on desserts,
I remember being surprised how much I enjoyed the almonds, as they were
so thinly sliced and crisp. Anyways, I’d love to enjoy some Charley Pie again,
and would be grateful for your detective work and any gastronomic gems
you’re able to uncover.
You are a hero amongst a populace that hungers for lost culinary secrets,
Uncle Phaedrus. Thank your for your diligence and dedication.
Gratefully,
Ryan
Hello Ryan!
Gosh, I'm sorry to say that after such a great email, I had no success with this. I can't find any mention of a Charlie's or Charley's Restaurant or pie from 20 years ago in Connecticut.
There are currently two restaurants named "Charlie's Place" in Eastern Connecticut. There's one on Highway 6 East of North Windham, CT, but it's a food truck, not a building. No mention of a pie. There's another one down near the coast at 26 W Main St in Niantic, CT, with the same name. It's an actual building, but I can't find any mention of a pie that they serve. There is a restaurant chain called "O'Charley's" that is noted for its "Caramel Pie". It's just a caramel pie with whipped cream and nuts (possibly almonds). There are copycat recipes for their caramel pie available. It has no chocolate or ice cream at all. However, according to the information that I can find, there has never been an "O'Charley's" franchise in either Connecticut or Rhode Island.
What highway was your remembered restaurant on? What town or city was it near?
Phaed
On 2/6/2026 3:57 PM, Ryan wrote:
Uncle Phaedrus!
Good golly, I appreciate you taking the time to look into this mystery. You inspired me to
leave no stone unturned and I’m pleased to report back that I found the elusive dessert!
It wasn’t “Charley Pie” as I originally remembered, it was "Charles River Pie". I was able
to find a mention of it in an old college newspaper restaurant review of the now-defunct
“Charley’s Eating & Drinking Saloon” in Boston on Newbury Street. As luck would have it,
they had a satellite location at the Crystal Mall in Waterford, Connecticut, which is indeed
between Hartford & Rhode Island. I’m 98% sure that’s the one. 99%, even.
Turns out the outfit which ran Charley’s also ran Joe’s American Bar & Grill where
Charles River Pie was also served. Going full-bore, I was able to locate an Internet Archive
screenshot of an old Joe’s menu and there it was: chocolate cookie crust, coffee ice cream,
fudge topping, fresh whipped cream and toasted almonds.
Looks like it’s a cousin/variant of the “Mud Pie” that’s a popular staple, so I’m feeling
confident about finding a worthy substitute. Many thanks for your efforts, and for
inspiring me to dive back on in. May your weekend be blessed with an inordinate spread
of the most delicious confections and dishes!
Gratefully,
Ryan
Hi Ryan,
Better information can make a big difference. "Charley's Eating & Drinking Saloon" and "Joe’s American Bar & Grill" were both chain restaurants and appear to have been owned by the same company. Both had multiple locations. I found several mentions of "Charles River Pie" associated with those restaurants and I also found the pie listed as "Charles River Mud Pie." That they were restaurant chains makes it a bit more difficult to find the official recipe, because a dish like that which is offered at a chain of locations is usually made at one central location and then shipped frozen to the various restaurant locations. That's to insure that the pie was the same at all locations. However, that means that the actual recipe would be known only at the central location where it was made. People at the various restaurant locations would have no ides of the actual recipe.
Comparing the known ingredients for "Charles River Mud Pie" and other "Mud Pie" recipes such as "Mississippi Mud Pie, it appears that the basic difference is that most "mud pie" recipes are made with chocolate ice cream while "Charles River Mud Pie" is made with coffee flavored ice cream. You should be able to make your own "Charles River Mud Pie" by following a similar "mud pie" or "Mississippi Mud Pie" recipe and using coffee ice cream instead of chocolate ice cream.
I also found that a company called "Philip R's Frozen Desserts," which makes frozen desserts and sells them and ships them, makes and sells a "Charles River Pie." See their website: https://www.icecream-desserts.com/
They're a bit expensive - you might prefer to make your own pie - but they're an option.
Phaed
