Charleston lodging and restaurants

[Robert M yers]

We just booked flights to Charleston 2nd week of December for 3 nights (fri/sat/sun) Interested in hearing any hotel and restaurants recs with the caveat that We are going to concerts at least two nights so it will have to be early dinners (4pm?) or big lunches except for possibly Friday.

A quick look at availability shows the French Quarter Inn and Market Pavillon in our price/location ect.

Any food ideas are appreciated but for this trip probably don’t wish to go too formal, but I have no idea of the scene as a whole...other than it’s great.

Thanks for any insight!

[Todd F r e n c h]

Following...

[M.Kaplan]

Also following. We’re going for 5-6 nights in January for a wedding.

[Riccardo Campinoti]

For lunch I would go to Leon's , fried chicken oysters and good champagne list.
Also next door Graft is a cool wine bar. For classic dining with great wine list and service Charleston Grill.
Also Edmund's Oast and Vintage Lounge

[wcooper]

Have stayed and liked both Andrew Pickney Inn and Vendue for lodging. Had a great lunch at Cru Cafe.

[John S]

Enjoy Phish. I will be there as well and have never been to Charleston so look fwd to that.

[James Lyon]

We visit Charleston once or twice a year and we always stay at the Fulton Lane Inn which is located downtown on King Street just south of Market Street. It appears that the shows are at the North Charleston Coliseum which is a little bit of a hike.

There's a recent thread on the BYO Forum regarding Charleston restaurants, but here's my post:

"We visit Charleston once or twice a year and our typical lineup includes FIG, Husk, McCrady's, Chez Nous, and the Darling Oyster Bar. During our last visit Easter weekend, we enjoyed lunches at Leon's and Little Jack's Tavern. As mentioned the champagne list at Leon's is good and Little Jack's should be a good lunch spot for the OP's request.

I've dined at FIG on 4-5 occasions. It's good, but perhaps my expectations are too high. My best meals at Chez Nous have been better than FIG. Chez Nous has a very limited daily menu, but posts the menu with pictures on the gram every day. It doesn't meet the OP's southern fare suggestion, but I would check their daily menu during your visit.

It was just announced that McCrady's Tavern will be closing on July 31, but the McCrady's Tasting Room will remain open. I have enjoyed my meals at the Tasting Room. I've noticed a number of familiar faces during my visits that have remained on staff after Brock's departure. If I'm not mistaken the same head chef from my original visit during Brock's tenure is still there on a nightly basis. It can get expensive with all of the supplements and drink pairings.

The OP loves BBQ, so a visit to Charleston wouldn't be complete without a stop at Lewis Barbecue or Rodney Scott's BBQ now open in the same proximity. We always stop by Lewis on the way out of town and grab a few things to go for the work week ahead.

And to bring my post back to the BYO Forum, FIG was $30 per bottle corkage during our visit Easter weekend. I brought a red wine for dinner and purchased a white wine from the wine list.

Enjoy your visit to Charleston. There are a plethora of wonderful dining options in Charleston."

I hope that this information helps. Cheers.

James

[Roger Ouellette]

We've had great stays at the Francis Marion Hotel and the King Charles Inn, but had a bad experience at the Vendue (we were in the annex across the street). There were some very loud late night guests, so not so much a problem with the hotel itself, although they appeared less than concerned about the issue.

[Dennis Atick]

James' post nailed a lot of my faves: Leon's, Edmunds Oast, Fig, Lewis BBq is a must. I like Lewis better than Rodney Scott, but that's just a preference thing and they are two different experiences.
Renzo is a newer shop for very good pizza and cool natural wine list if you are into that kind of thing.
If you can make a quick ride out to the islands, Obstinate Daughter on Sullivan's Island is great.

I'm sure Scott Brunson has many more tips.

[Scott Goodwin]

Have stayed and liked both Andrew Pickney Inn and Vendue for lodging. Had a great lunch at Cru Cafe.

+1 on Vendue

[Scott Brunson]

Have stayed and liked both Andrew Pickney Inn and Vendue for lodging. Had a great lunch at Cru Cafe.

My auntie created the Orange Sherbet Cake for them.

Feel free to reach out, but there are so many others
Fig
Grocery
Macintoch
Chas Grill
Trattoria Lucca
Chez Nous
Edmunds Oast
Rodney Scott
Husk
McCrady's
Lewis
The list goes on and on

Downtown is walkable, so there are lots of lodging options.

We've had great stays at the Francis Marion Hotel

My dad's mom was a waitress in the coffee shop in the 40s.

[Robert M yers]

Any thoughts onto what are the best lunch spots? Will Definitely do bbq one day.
How about Sunday brunch?

Which restaurants have a good bar food type atmosphere for quick bites and a drink before heading to concerts?

[Scott Brunson]

Lunch--Lewis (brisket!!), Husk (get the burger and the lettuce wraps), CO (Vietnamese-ish), Gaulart & Maliclet (also known as Fast & French)

We don't usually do bar bites but The Belmont on upper King is a really cool bar. They do a few small plates I think. Bin 152 usually has some interesting btg selections and cheese/pate etc.

You might not be able to get into FIG at this point but it's worth a shot. I would choose The Grocery over most others because of its Southern feel. When Chef Kevin is 'on' it is fantastic. Fulton Five is usually reliable Italian but we prefer Lucca. If 82 Queen will let you sit at the bar and order an app and a bowl of She Crab Soup, that is an option (one thing they still do well).

Local oysters should be great by then but I don't know the best downtown spot.

There a re very few bad meals in Chas--those restaurants die quickly (see Tradd recently)

I'd suggest meeting for a glass but that is concert(s) week for my wife and me so our free time is probably the drive to and from school.

[Roger Ouellette]

We've had some great Sunday brunches at Magnolias.

[Robert M yers]

Still sifting through all the recs thanks. Has anyone ever been to Halls Chophouse for Sunday Gospel Brunch?

Booked a room at the Market Pavillon.

[Ken McNamara]

I’m a wannabe Charlestonian – have been going multiple times a year for two decades now. Things have changed a lot including adding lots of good restaurants . No longer do people scoff at me when I tell them that Charleston has one of the best food scenes in the country. In fact, two top chefs in DC were sous-chefs at McCrady’s during their long run as “the place” in Charleston.

A lot has already been covered above. One of our favorite things to do is grab some Callie's Hot Little Biscuits (download the app and don't stand in line – there is a location in the Market), some coffee and sit on a bench in Washington Square for breakfast. The park is surrounded by tea olives which are in bloom during fall & winter. Their jasmine like fragrance is the best!!

Scott is dead on about Lewis’ brisket, but I prefer Rodney Scott’s ribs. Locals are about 50/50 on which place they prefer, but most mention the brisket at Lewis’. Both places can have long lines, but if you go just before noon or close to 2pm the wait is shorter. I’m also a huge fan of the Grocery.

Informal places not yet mentioned:

Minero for lunch is a must for my wife and daughter.

Both Hank’s & 39 Rue de Jean are close to where you are staying. They are touristy, but the food is good.

Indaco – rustic Italian - never disappoints.

Caviar & Bananas is a Dean and DeLuca knockoff, but you can get a great bite there. They have a scaled down location in the airport if you want something before your flight.

The Bar at Husk is worth a stop for a midday drink and a bite. Most Charleston bars take mixology very seriously and you can find a great cocktail anywhere to be honest. When we first starting visiting, SC laws required all bar/restaurant spirits to be sold in miniature form. It was comical IMO. Once it went away around ’06 or ‘07, mixology really took off within a few years. Some bartenders had to learn how to mix drinks instead of dumping an entire miniature into a drink, but being able to truly mix a drink probably created the enthusiasm that’s still in place today.

I sent an email to a “local” friend asking about the Chophouse brunch and will PM you when I get a response. Dinner there is stellar!!

BTW – pedicabs are a great way to get around.

[Paul Jaouen]

Of the two hotels you asked about, I would stay at Market Pavillon. It's a very nice hotel, cool rooftop bar, nice downstairs bar as well. My wife loved the nitrotinis they make there.

[Neal.Mollen]

I’m a wannabe Charlestonian – have been going multiple times a year for two decades now. Things have changed a lot including adding lots of good restaurants . No longer do people scoff at me when I tell them that Charleston has one of the best food scenes in the country. In fact, two top chefs in DC were sous-chefs at McCrady’s during their long run as “the place” in Charleston.

A lot has already been covered above. One of our favorite things to do is grab some Callie's Hot Little Biscuits (download the app and don't stand in line – there is a location in the Market), some coffee and sit on a bench in Washington Square for breakfast. The park is surrounded by tea olives which are in bloom during fall & winter. Their jasmine like fragrance is the best!!

Scott is dead on about Lewis’ brisket, but I prefer Rodney Scott’s ribs. Locals are about 50/50 on which place they prefer, but most mention the brisket at Lewis’. Both places can have long lines, but if you go just before noon or close to 2pm the wait is shorter. I’m also a huge fan of the Grocery.

Informal places not yet mentioned:

Minero for lunch is a must for my wife and daughter.

Both Hank’s & 39 Rue de Jean are close to where you are staying. They are touristy, but the food is good.

Indaco – rustic Italian - never disappoints.

Caviar & Bananas is a Dean and DeLuca knockoff, but you can get a great bite there. They have a scaled down location in the airport if you want something before your flight.

The Bar at Husk is worth a stop for a midday drink and a bite. Most Charleston bars take mixology very seriously and you can find a great cocktail anywhere to be honest. When we first starting visiting, SC laws required all bar/restaurant spirits to be sold in miniature form. It was comical IMO. Once it went away around ’06 or ‘07, mixology really took off within a few years. Some bartenders had to learn how to mix drinks instead of dumping an entire miniature into a drink, but being able to truly mix a drink probably created the enthusiasm that’s still in place today.

I sent an email to a “local” friend asking about the Chophouse brunch and will PM you when I get a response. Dinner there is stellar!!

BTW – pedicabs are a great way to get around.

this is several years out of date, but to Ken's point about Charleston's place in the food-ten firmament:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/style ... eston-s-c/


Hey Ken, I assume you fly to Charleston; have you ever driven it? Thinking of doing the drive by way of an overnight stay in Charlotte

[Ken McNamara]

Hey Ken, I assume you fly to Charleston; have you ever driven it? Thinking of doing the drive by way of an overnight stay in Charlotte

Pretty much only fly when it's just my wife and I. You can drive it in 7.5-8 hrs. When we've done half way (more like 45% though), our stop has been in Wilson NC - staying less than a mile from 95. Two summers ago, I had my all-time best coming back from Kiawah (555 miles driveway to driveway) at just over 8 hrs. Had a family emergency, left on a Saturday morning around 6am. Ran into the parking lot just south of Fredericksburg or it would've been at least 30 minutes quicker. You have to time EZ Pass lanes... PM me if you want more formal dining options/hotels...

[Jason Crawford]

Wentworth Mansion is private hotel away from the noise.

Fulton Five for dinner.

Fast and French for lunch.

Pass on Husk.

[Robert M yers]

I’m a wannabe Charlestonian – have been going multiple times a year for two decades now. Things have changed a lot including adding lots of good restaurants . No longer do people scoff at me when I tell them that Charleston has one of the best food scenes in the country. In fact, two top chefs in DC were sous-chefs at McCrady’s during their long run as “the place” in Charleston.

A lot has already been covered above. One of our favorite things to do is grab some Callie's Hot Little Biscuits (download the app and don't stand in line – there is a location in the Market), some coffee and sit on a bench in Washington Square for breakfast. The park is surrounded by tea olives which are in bloom during fall & winter. Their jasmine like fragrance is the best!!

Scott is dead on about Lewis’ brisket, but I prefer Rodney Scott’s ribs. Locals are about 50/50 on which place they prefer, but most mention the brisket at Lewis’. Both places can have long lines, but if you go just before noon or close to 2pm the wait is shorter. I’m also a huge fan of the Grocery.

Informal places not yet mentioned:

Minero for lunch is a must for my wife and daughter.

Both Hank’s & 39 Rue de Jean are close to where you are staying. They are touristy, but the food is good.

Indaco – rustic Italian - never disappoints.

Caviar & Bananas is a Dean and DeLuca knockoff, but you can get a great bite there. They have a scaled down location in the airport if you want something before your flight.

The Bar at Husk is worth a stop for a midday drink and a bite. Most Charleston bars take mixology very seriously and you can find a great cocktail anywhere to be honest. When we first starting visiting, SC laws required all bar/restaurant spirits to be sold in miniature form. It was comical IMO. Once it went away around ’06 or ‘07, mixology really took off within a few years. Some bartenders had to learn how to mix drinks instead of dumping an entire miniature into a drink, but being able to truly mix a drink probably created the enthusiasm that’s still in place today.

I sent an email to a “local” friend asking about the Chophouse brunch and will PM you when I get a response. Dinner there is stellar!!

BTW – pedicabs are a great way to get around.

Ken, thanks for the write up. I was wondering if you ever heard back from your friend regarding the ChopHouse gospel brunch?

[Paul Miller]

We've had great stays at the Francis Marion Hotel and the King Charles Inn, but had a bad experience at the Vendue (we were in the annex across the street). There were some very loud late night guests, so not so much a problem with the hotel itself, although they appeared less than concerned about the issue.

We’ve stayed at the King Charles Inn. Nice and well located.

[Ken McNamara]

Ken, thanks for the write up. I was wondering if you ever heard back from your friend regarding the ChopHouse gospel brunch?

I apologize for not DM'ing you - had to take an unexpected emergency trip and forgot. Yes, they go with some regularity and look forward to it!!

Since you already had lodging I didn't write about it, but we like Wentworth a lot as well as The Restoration. We've stayed at the Harbour View annually with the kids for about a decade now to get a few nights in town before heading to Kiawah. I'd like to try Hotel Bennett. A lot of top staff in Charleston as well as Kiawah bolted for there when it opened. Had a really nice meal in their restaurant Gabrielle last spring. The wine list was weak, but I'm certain it would've improved by now.

If you go to Charleston Grill then you want table 46. They have 3 two tops that are great tables.

I'd like to try Zero George, friends love it...

You really can't go too wrong where you stay or where you eat. Just get into a "real" conversation with locals and they will point in you in good directions. Charleston has a great vibe of wanting to showcase their hospitality.

[Robert M yers]

Thanks! I’ll keep the reservation then, it sounds like a good time.

[Robert M yers]

Thought I’d follow up with our experiences.

We didn’t really go out to eat as much as I thought due to the early shows, but our favorite by far was Lewis. That place has some incredible meats and a great patio to hang out on. Rodney Scott’s on the other hand was super disappointing, I know it’s blasphemy but to me it was basically like any city bbq here. ( I know I know the accolades). We Ordered two pounds of ribs and I couldn’t get them off the bones with my teeth! Turkey was good though, chicken and pork were just ok, but all was very Smokey if you like that style.

Halls chophouse was a very fun time for gospel brunch. Food was just fine, but the atmosphere was what we were after and that delivered. I’d ask to sit downstairs if that what your after.

First trip to Charleston, and we definitely need to return when food can be more of the focus. Thanks all for the guidance.

[Robert M yers]

Here’s what $100 will buy you at Lewis but I didn’t mind one bit after I tasted that brisket and beef rib!