We came to Charleston for a wedding (which was amazing!) and were there 3/23/22-3/30/22 – These are places we checked out on our own, in order, separate from wedding events.
We stayed at an air bnb, which is called the Quarters on Spring. (we got it through air bnb, but they also rent out separately). It was a nice “one bedroom studio” – there was technically a bedroom, but the walls were glass and see through. It had a full kitchen, which we did not use, but it was good to know it was there. The bathroom was tiny, but it was nice and quite a bit less expensive than any hotels in the area. It was about 0.7 miles from the main area of King Street, which was where most of the stores/restaurants/bars were.
Our last day, we used Bag Valet, which is a company that picked up our luggage from the air bnb, then delivered it to the airport. It was SO convenient, and it was so nice to not have to worry about our luggage since our flight was in the evening and we had to check out at 11am. It was $50 for 2 large bags (plus tax), and 100% worth it.
Moe’s Crosstown Tavern:
This place was recommended in an online group as a “dive bar,” so we went to check it out the first day. It was in a weird place and is definitely not something that we would have just stumbled upon. It was a sports bar, but I wouldn’t define it as a dive. We came in around 8pm on a Wednesday and it was SO BUSY. (Note: there weren’t any games or events happening, people were just there for the food and drinks). The food was really good and we talked about coming back, but did not get a chance to, since it wasn’t really close to our air bnb or the other places we went.
Food ordered:
JB: Bronco wrap with blue cheese instead of ranch – black beans and rice on the side
WB: Santa Fe wrap with fries
Recovery Room:
We looked up the closest place to check out from Moe’s and found this place, which was about 0.7 miles away. I am SO HAPPY for this random stop. This is the place that became our “local” while we were there. It has 2 pinball machines, a claw machine, a foosball and pool table, and a huge front patio. We felt comfortable and “at home” right away. It’s one of those places that is good on weeknights or early in the weekend, but we went on a Friday night, and it was not as fun as the other nights. On Friday, there was a $5 cover for the DJ (which we were happy to pay, even though we were sitting on the patio most of the time) and it was filled with a different crowd. The food was Ok, generic bar food (the cheesy tots were great, and SO cheesy, but still generic bar food). I highly recommend this place. We stopped in every day while we were there and met some great people.
Food ordered: Cheesy tots, grilled ham and cheese, burger
Uptown Social Club:
We decided to wander down King Street (where most of the bars are) and started here. This was a CLUB and not what was initially expected. We stopped in, sat at the bar, and grabbed a drink. It was very slow, but the music was SO LOUD. Wardell mentioned that it was overkill for how little people were there. No one was dancing and people couldn’t really talk comfortably. The bartender was nice enough and they did let me in way underdressed for a club (straight off the plane with a hat on and jeans). They had a strange looking glass, so we asked what it was and we were given a “cham bong” – basically a beer bong with champagne.
The Dispensary:
When I saw this, I asked the door guy what kind of dispensary it was and he laughed since marijuana is illegal in South Carolina. It looked like your “typical” pub with a long bar rail and a few booths to the side. It was fairly slow and we just grabbed a quick drink and moved on.
AC’s:
We can’t give this place a fair rating since we didn’t get a drink. It was after midnight and the only bar in town that was open that late besides the Recovery room on Wednesdays. We walked in, but chose not to stay because there were SO MANY people and it was so busy it was difficult to get a drink and there was nowhere to sit. We walked back to the Recovery Room and had a great time.
Rarebit:
This was one of the places that was recommended by a local the night before for brunch. We didn’t get up and about until a little later, so we had lunch. There was only one server and one bartender in a huge restaurant. I could see she was working very hard, but there was a bit of a wait, even after we were seated (understandably). The food was worth the wait! The mac and cheese reminded us of Wardell’s dad’s mac and cheese that he makes for holidays. I have not had mac and cheese like that in a restaurant before.
Food ordered:
JB: Caesar salad with shrimp, side of mac and cheese
WB: Chicken & Waffles
Republic Garden and Lounge:
We were walking by and saw this pleasant-looking garden area with a bar, so we came in. We just had drinks there, but I did see the carnitas nachos that someone else ordered and they were HUGE and looked and smelled amazing. It was a great covered outdoor space (indoors was closed at that time) and we sat at the bar and made some “friends” that we chatted with for a couple hours.
Daps – Breakfast and Imbebe:
This was a place we had walked by on the way to Moes (near the Airbnb) and found this on our own. It’s a smaller café with both indoor and outdoor seating and great food. They are known for their fruity pebble pancakes, which I did not try. However, the ham and brie sandwich and pineapple mimosas on tap were amazing. They have a sister bar called Bodega Todo that we walked into, but did not stay. It had a set up that you had to order your own items on an iPad and it was a little confusing, so we moved on. (plus we had just eaten, just wanted to check out the sister bar). The staff were all super friendly and we had talked about going back, but sadly did not make it back.
Food ordered:
JB: Ham and brie sandwich
WB: Breakfast Plate
Marina Variety Store Restaurant:
We had heard of Salty Mikes (near the water) from a travel group as well as a couple locals so we tried to go there early in the day. We did not realize until later that we were actually at a restaurant called Marina (Salty Mikes was downstairs and not open yet). We tried to order the crab dip and the server asked if we had it before. We said no and she recommended that we do the fish dip instead. I always listen to locals or people who work in restaurants with recommendations like this, so we went with it. The fish dip was made of mahi and it was really good and not something I would have ordered just seeing it on the menu, so I appreciated the recommendation. It’s a little out of the way, so depending on what your plan is, it might or might not be worth it. We never did get a chance to go to Salty Mike’s.
Food ordered: fish dip (was not on the menu, but recommended by the server)
Chuck Town Brewery:
We heard about the brewery trolley from our lyft driver from the airport (free trolley takes you through the brewery district on Saturdays! – this place is not in the brewery district though). We stopped in and started talking with the bartender who was super friendly (Brian). They have a huge patio as well, but it was a very nice day and the patio was full (which worked out since we got to chat with the bartender). The beer is good there, we did not get any food.
Baker and Brewer:
This was the first place that was suggested by Brian (bartender at Chuck town). They have a huge indoor area, connected to a local pizza restaurant (which we did not try). They have bocce ball and corn hole in the back grassy area. They also have a stage outside in the grass (always follow the music!). The band was playing when we got there, but then “took a break,” and never came back! We did hang out and have a beer and chat with people who were playing cornhole.
Palmetto Brewery:
We walked here from Baker and brewer – it also had an outside area as well, but on concrete. We made “friends” with people who were playing cornhole and followed them to the next place. It’s a nice area, but we were only there for 1.
Revelry Brewery:
We followed our new friends to this brewery on the trolley. It was a super fun place with a nice rooftop deck and PICKLE BEER. We went upstairs with our friends and there was a DJ, Paul S who Wardell said was one of the best he’s heard (and he’s heard a LOT). This was a Saturday afternoon (maybe 4ish?) and it was packed for this DJ – we grabbed a spot in the corner and stayed there for a beer. It got to be a lot, so we went downstairs and had one more before leaving.
Lewis BBQ
If you eat meat, GO HERE. It was recommended by countless locals. The reason we went that night was because our friend we were with at Revelry told us that we needed to go RIGHT NOW if we hadn’t been, so we listened and yes, it was worth the hype.
They have a really nice outdoor space with many picnic tables, as well as an indoor bar area (the bar area has some food options, but it’s limited. I was told by someone at the bar that it’s worth the wait, so we did. It was a VERY long line, almost to the outdoor bar at the other end. We waited for maybe 45 minutes in line (but could get drinks while waiting and the food was ready to go once we got up there). The food there was all the best we’ve had. We had brisket, ribs, mac and cheese, baked beans, as well as a “hunk of cheese” which is exactly what it sounds like. We highly recommend this place and I understand why so many people who live there told us to check it out.
Food ordered: chopped brisket, ribs, mac and cheese, baked beans, chunk of cheese
Gaulart & Maliclet Fast and French
We tried to go to a different restaurant that was recommended by locals (Millers, we went the next day), but the wait was over an hour, so we decided to wander while waiting. We stumbled upon this place and decided to eat here instead. They had open tables outside and it was a nice day. The meals were good, besides the fruit, which was a little disappointing. But those croissants! We also had a server who was likely very young (maybe 16?) and he seemed to be super happy to be working. He was super friendly and attentive.
Food ordered: Grand Petite Dejeuner with fruit
Henry’s
This place was recommended by a few locals, so we decided to check it out. People specifically told us about the rooftop deck, so we headed up there. There was about an hour wait downstairs, but the deck was first come first serve and there were a few tables when we got there. It had a nice view of the Historic Charleston City Market and people taking carriage rides. Unfortunately, because there were so many horses around, we could really smell them, which was not pleasant. We got the peel and eat shrimp, which was good. Honestly, it was OK, but I don’t think something we would make a point to go to if we come back.
Food ordered: peel and eat shrimp
Burns Alley
This place was recommended by a local as the “true dive bar of Charleston.” It’s a little hidden (in an alley) and was a fun place with a couple pinball tables and fun decorations. We stopped in for a couple drinks and got more recommendations from locals sitting at the bar rail and the bartender (sadly, it was near the end of the trip, so we didn’t get a chance to see them all).
Juanita Greenberg’s Nacho Royalle
We walked by this place and decided to stop in for some nachos (which were delicious – we usually order extra cheese on nachos and we didn’t need it! (it was cheese sauce, not melted cheese)). It is described as Mexican-ish food, which is the perfect description. We sat on the back patio and chatted with the bartender, Ian, for a while. We had a pitcher of margaritas and some nachos and enjoyed it all.
Food ordered: Steak nachos
Millers all day
We heard about this from a few locals so knew we had to try it. The wait was over an hour on a Monday during the day, which was unexpected, but we had decided to wait. We got lucky that someone was leaving at the bar rail (open seating) and we did not have to wait that long. The food and the drinks were wonderful and I say if you’re in town it would be worth the hour long wait.
Food ordered:
JB: Frittata with shrimp (I chose to add the shrimp, but it actually wasn’t necessary. If I go back, I wouldn’t order the shrimp on it).
WB: B. E. C. (bacon with a scrambled egg and white cheddar cheese)
Blind Tiger
We decided to stop here after brunch since I had heard about it from someone in an online group. It did have a nice back patio and the drinks were ok, but we did not try the food. Even though there were plenty of open tables, we were told that we couldn’t get a table since we weren’t eating (we had 2 people coming to meet us so left our spot at the bar rail). It all worked out when we went to the back patio though.
Charleston Beer Works
We stopped in here not long before heading towards the airport. There were a lot of taps and it was a nice stop
Jenny’s ice cream
This was our last stop before the airport and I am glad we got to stop in. They had a lot of different flavors and had ice cream flights (either 3 or 10 flavors – nothing in-between). It was delicious.
Side notes:
Places we wanted to check out that was recommended by locals, but we did not make it:
- Chubby fish (closed Sundays and Mondays)
- Fig (specifically the ricotta gnocchi)
- Husk
- Cutty’s (this was recommended by the door guy at the recovery room and we were told it was a similar vibe)
- Darling Oyster Bar (note: a few people have mentioned Seattle has better oysters, but we did not try any there so I can’t judge)
- Halls Steakhouse (expensive, but we were told it’s really good)
- Burwell’s Steak (expensive, but we were told it’s really good)
- Commodore (Jazz music)
- Leon’s fried chicken and Oyster (We tried to go here, but the line was crazy and we were hungry. A local told us it was the second best fried chicken in the city. I asked what the first best was and he told me it required a car and did not give me the name).
- Peninsula Grill (coconut cake was recommended)
- Melfi’s