Lobster for less

Life's little things never cease to amaze -- like Charlie's Kitchen's lobster roll. This modest Harvard Square bar invites you for a cool draft and some good cheer. Then your belly moans. You glance at the menu expecting to find nachos and fries, but Charlie's surprises you with its ever-so-unconventional bar delicacy: the lobster roll. Unlike most overpriced versions, Charlie's Kitchen's roll won't burn a hole in your pocket. The small lobster roll ($6.95) and double lobster roll ($9.50) feature chunks of fresh lobster meat and crispy celery bits, perfectly seasoned and lightly dressed with mayonnaise. Over a toasted hot dog bun sits shredded lettuce, which just adds crunch to complement the texture of the salad. Take solace knowing that you're munching on a hot dog bun like no other -- one stuffed with lobster meat that costs a third of the going rate.

JILL SANTOPIETRO

Charlie's Kitchen is at 10 Eliot St., Harvard Square, Cambridge, 617-492-9646. Open Sun. 11 a.m.-1 a.m.; Mon.-Wed. 10:30 a.m.-1 a.m.; Thurs.-Sat. 10:30 a.m.-2 a.m. T stop: Harvard Square on the Red Line.