2

8/30/2011 2:31:29 PM

Taking a trip there next weekend.

Suggestions on things to do? places to eat? things to see? etc.

11/13/2011 7:29:28 AM

I moved down here this summer. I bought a 2br/2ba 1100 sq foot townhouse with a fenced yard on James Island and it's extremely doable! Some of my coworkers that just moved here too rent or bought condos in Riverland Place, The retreat, the peninsula, or the regatta on james island, or The Concord in west ashley. While living downtown would be awesome, it is realllllly expensive....they are paying the same or more than me but getting 1br/1ba and like 500 sq feet or something ridiculous. I'm about 8 minutes from downtown with traffic, and 5 minutes from Folly Beach......best of both worlds!

11/16/2011 4:59:42 PM

Just saw an ad for Cookout hiring in the local City Paper!

Quote :

"I bought a 2br/2ba 1100 sq foot townhouse with a fenced yard on James Island and it's extremely doable! Some of my coworkers that just moved here too rent or bought condos in Riverland Place, The retreat, the peninsula, or the regatta on james island, or The Concord in west ashley."

I bought a 2 br/2ba 1200 sq foot house with a fenced yard DOWNTOWN. Great value buying downtown these days. You can buy condos all around Charleston for cheap as shit...but you're going to have a tough time selling it. Extremely happy with my purchase and very glad that I didn't go cheap and decide to live in JI, WA, or Mt P.

11/17/2011 1:38:37 PM

..and so continues jbrick's unblemished streak of putting someone else down in every post he makes

11/17/2011 1:58:48 PM

And how does that make me different than the majority of users on this site??

I also feel that my post was slightly informative as well. Condos are horrible resales in Charleston right now (hopefully they improve, I have several friends that own condos) and there are good deals to be found everywhere (there are portions of James Island and Mount P that are more expensive than areas of downtown).




*oh...and I'm occasionally positive.

11/17/2011 2:03:23 PM

^HIV?

11/17/2011 2:04:37 PM

It doesn't, but when someone who hasn't posted in months logs on to proudly announce her new home and you feel obligated to mention how you're glad you didn't "go cheap" by choosing to live in the same locale, it crosses the line of Generic Internet asshole.

I mock people who deserve it in Chit Chat, not people I've never seen on here before in the Lounge.

11/17/2011 2:07:57 PM

^^ eesh...hope not. If so, then my gf is a dirty whore.

[Edited on November 17, 2011 at 2:10 PM. Reason : .]

11/17/2011 2:08:36 PM

I was responding to this.

Quote :

"they are paying the same or more than me but getting 1br/1ba and like 500 sq feet or something ridiculous."

It's just a flat-out wrong statement. If there is anyone that reads her comment, I would hope they would read mine and not be afraid to look downtown for housing.

So now, you're just being a jbrick troll.

11/17/2011 2:10:38 PM

I didn't see figures thrown out by either party, so your definition of affordable is relative. I'd imagine a practicing attorney, even in an abyss like South Carolina, would be able to enjoy a slightly more comfortable lifestyle than someone in residency. Then again, what the hell do I know anyway?

And of course I don't care for you, which is mainly what prompted my initial reply. But you already knew that.

11/17/2011 2:18:25 PM

Quote :

"Then again, what the hell do I know anyway?"

This.

11/17/2011 2:20:51 PM

"go cheap"? you have no idea what I bought. And who cares if i log on every once in a while, is that not allowed? I was just letting people know it is very possible to live here. I make crappy money right now for what I do working 80 hrs a week with 6 digits of loans, so this is affordable to me right now. And i assumed it is what most people who are just graduating college/getting first real job can afford too, which i thought was the audience here....

This all means nothing bc we don't know what your definition of "affordable" or even "downtown" is. When I moved here no one could give me a definite definition of what "downtown" is. Some people use downtown to describe the whole peninsula....if so, yes i have a friend who bought a reasonable house with a big yard "downtown". My example was about 2 people who both bought in the calhoun/king street area, which is what I consider downtown. Sorry for the confusion.

11/20/2011 12:55:21 PM

Quote :

"Great list. You are really lucky to be living there. I would love to see a list like that for Raleigh. We have been named #1 in a lot of categories this year."

I, too, would like to see such a list.



[Edited on November 20, 2011 at 10:06 PM. Reason : wrong page ]

11/20/2011 10:05:51 PM

How's Charleston these days? I am on a short list being considered for a long term on-site engagement with Boeing (3-4 years). I just found out about it today. I'm wondering how seriously I should consider it.

Anyone still live there?

3/26/2013 9:32:42 PM

1st reply to this thread says North Charleston is a good place to live?

I would've gone with Mt. Pleasant, for starters, less chance of getting stabbed

3/26/2013 10:03:08 PM

I would not live in North Charleston.

Mt. pleasant or west ashley are the "places to be" for middle class people.

I live out in Summerville/Knightsville and work on Daniel Island. I chose to be far out for a couple of reasons, mainly cost of living.

3/27/2013 9:35:48 AM

Park Circle in North Charleston is a good neighborhood, but that's it.

You're going to have to pay up to stay in good neighborhoods in Charleston. If you're looking in Mount Pleasant, try and stay in between 17 and Coleman Blvd. Riverland Terrace is my favorite area in James Island. Avondale in West Ashley is great (but also pricey). Hampton Terrace is the only affordable neighborhood downtown and also a great place to live.

Tons of people come to Charleston and live in places like Summerville, Goose Creek, and Moncks Corner because its much more affordable and you can get bigger bang for your buck in regards to housing. But IMO (and no offense to Wolfmarsh)...you're missing out on a lot by not living so close to everything that's great in Charleston.

Pay extra, downsize a bit, and be withing walking/biking distance to one of the best cities in the country. It's completely worth it.

3/27/2013 10:13:19 AM

Quote :

"Tons of people come to Charleston and live in places like Summerville, Goose Creek, and Moncks Corner because its much more affordable and you can get bigger bang for your buck in regards to housing. But IMO (and no offense to Wolfmarsh)...you're missing out on a lot by not living so close to everything that's great in Charleston."

No offense taken. We did live in Mt. Pleasant for a while, but when we had kids we moved out to a big house in summerville. Once the kids get a little older, we plan to move back to Mt. P. It was just nice to get a big house and yard we could stretch out in for this phase in our lives.

3/27/2013 3:59:18 PM

Quote :

"Summerville, Goose Creek, and Moncks Corner"

also add about an hour to your commute. Something to consider if you don't need to live in the "country". West Ashley is better, as long as you're not south of 526/17 or near 61/Sam Rittenburg. there's a little neighborhood just across the bridge on Cosgrove called Orange Grove, I'd live around there if I didn't get in downtown on a steal of a deal

3/27/2013 4:26:50 PM

I never saw this. But I LOVED living in Charleston.

3/28/2013 12:10:49 AM

Mother fucking Bridge Run Weekend. I almost got hit 10 times while driving a mile to the bank to make the deposit.

Then almost got run over while taking my dog on a run by a dumb bitch that just rolled a redlight while making a right. I put a nice sized dent in her hood with my fist.

Fuck my mom for making me stay in town this weekend so she can do the run. Next time I'm just giving her keys to the place and tell her not to make a mess while I go to Savannah or something.

4/5/2013 3:59:34 PM

I worked from home today just because I didn't want to deal with the family circle cup shit on daniel island, plus the bridge run cluster fuck, plus the flowertown festival this weekend.

4/5/2013 4:10:34 PM

Most of the time these lists suck...but this one is pretty on-point. Only thing I would change is the taco at 167 Raw...it's good, but their Lobster Roll is ridiculous:

http://greatideas.people.com/2015/04/09/best-restaurants-foods-charleston-travel/

4/16/2015 11:58:56 AM

ok list, but you're right about the fish taco. and I absolutely cannot stand Butcher & Bee. went there once with a coworker, had to wait forever for a (14 dollar) roast beef sandwich which wasn't even anything special. and I loathe the communal seating (plus the "rustic" chairs are garbage). the brussel sprouts were good, but other than that, not worth my time.

4/16/2015 12:55:30 PM

I never eat at Butcher and Bee anymore because of the wait...it's ridiculous. I'll just order to-go and walk past the line and roll out. But their sandwiches are fucking delicious. Never had the roast beef, but everything has been top-notch. I crave their burgers for a weekend lunch...one of the best in town.

[Edited on April 16, 2015 at 2:56 PM. Reason : .]

4/16/2015 2:54:33 PM

Anyone know of any Folly Beach rentals available for end of September but not on VRBO/Homeaway, etc? The places I've seen are either too expensive or dumps.

4/22/2015 10:20:45 AM

have you checked airbnb?

4/22/2015 10:41:46 AM

I am craving She-Crab Soup. When I went to Charleston for my honeymoon, we bought the pre-packaged mix from Gullah Gourmet. But that stuff is expensive to ship. Anyone have a good recipe? Or know where I can buy a good mix without spending $20 on the mix alone?

4/22/2015 10:45:49 AM

You try craigslist yet? Go to Charleston and type in Folly Beach Vacation Rentals.

And this site:

http://www.follybeach.com/vacation-rentals.php

Tripadvisor had 25 places that are rated and reviewed by people:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentals-g54231-Reviews-Folly_Beach_South_Carolina-Vacation_Rentals.html

Google is your friend.

[Edited on April 22, 2015 at 10:46 AM. Reason : .]

4/22/2015 10:46:03 AM

I moved outside of Moncks Corner recently to take a job out at FMNF. The job provided housing, but it's way the fuck out in Bonneau. That means I get to drive 45 min to get to my work sites every day.

Anyone know of anyone looking for a roommate at a place that isn't $texas? It doesn't need to be in the country, but considering Huger is more or less the center of operations for me, I'm looking for anything close to that. Seems like everything around Mt Pleasant is expensive.

4/26/2015 1:52:35 AM

About every 6 months I look at what's available in Mt. Pleasant again. Living out in Summerville/Knightsville has some perks, but I'm tired of living halfway across the world from my two best friends that live in Park West.

I never seem to find anything that really interests me at the prices they want.

4/26/2015 5:00:17 PM

Taco place in folly beach ftw

4/26/2015 7:28:19 PM

My wife and I have our 10th anniversary coming up. She just wants to spend it in Charleston instead of somewhere more exotic (mainly because she wants to be within drivable distance from our girls in case something happens).

Anyway looking for some recommendations for 5 days. Hotels, restaurants, other cool stuff to do. We've been to Charleston 7-8 times before for short 1-2 day trips and done all the typical stuff like carriage rides, slave market, a plantation or two, etc.

4/26/2015 9:46:58 PM

^ I'll copy and paste what I put in the "Savannah vs. Charleston" thread. This is chronological (I think the first post is over a year and a half old)...so obviously the stuff at the bottom is the new stuff (2 pages because too long)

________________________________________________________________________

Get a hotel/bed and breakfast downtown. There are a ton. Downtown is small, so you can pretty much stay anywhere and not be too far of a walk from all parts, but I think the best central location is close to the King St/Calhoun Street intersection. Francis Marion Hotel is smack dab on that intersection, but there are plenty of other options. I like that location because it's right at the beginning of Upper King...which is where most of the new bars and restaurants are. Then at the beginning of Lower King is all of the shopping and you get to Broad Street where the history and million dollar old ass houses at "South of Broad" and the Battery.

History stuff to do:

- Go the Yorktown. It's at Patriots Point right at the beginning of the bridge on the Mount Pleasant side. It also has a Naval and Maritime Museum

- Go to the market and take a carriage ride. Locals hate these because they slow down traffic and horses shit all over downtown, but they're really awesome. Unfortunately you don't get to pick which tour you carriage takes (they are randomly assigned at the starting point), but all of them are good...just some better than others. I lived in Charleston for 8 years before I went on a carriage ride and now I try to join my friends when they come in town and go on one. You learn a ton of interesting facts that you didn't even think about when walking around downtown.

- Walk or bike around South of Broad and the battery. Read the historical facts that are put on bronze plates on a lot of the house. Go down the small alley ways and check out the amazing houses. I'd try and rent a bike at Affordabike or the Bicycle Shoppe so you can cover more ground. My running route takes me through these neighborhoods and I just love it. Most of the houses are several hundred years old and I just think they are amazing. Here is a good website to look at before you go: http://explorecharleston.net/WalkingTours/South_of_Broad.php

- There's also the Charleston Museum, which I unfortunately have never been to (despite having tons of lectures there in law school...never walked around). Its downtown and very close to the Calhoun/King intersection. I hear its great, yet small...so it doesn't take up a lot of time.

Beer/wine/bars:

- Charleston has some great breweries. Coast, Westbrook, and Holy City are three of the biggest and best (I think Westbrook just got nominated as one of the 20 best breweries of 2013). Unfortunately they are all on the outskirts of Charleston (all off of I-26), so definitely not convenient for downtown. This article does a good summary of them: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/09/03/3161013/pintful-a-craft-beer-lovers-tour.html
And apparently this place does a brewery tour: http://www.brewscruise.com/charleston/

- Several distilleries have also opened up recently, one on the outskirts, one downtown with another to be open soon downtown (probably before you come). Highwire and Charleston Distilling Company are the downtown ones. My buddy owns Striped Pig and they are off of I-26. Of course there is the Firefly Distillery (famous for their Sweet Tea Vodka), but its all the out on Wadmalaw. I wouldn't recommend making this a big part of the trip, but you should definitely stop by one if you're in the area for a quick tasting/tour

Food:

In my opinion, per capita, Charleston has the best food in the country. And it ranges from high priced fancy meals to mom and pop sandwich shops. If you want to have a couple fancy dinners, you might want to look into making reservations now. Places like Husk and FIG are sometimes book 2 or 3 months in advance over the weekends. And if you come during an event weekend (SEWE, Food and Wine Festival, Charleston Fashion Week, Bridge Run, Spoleto, etc), everything is probably already booked. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND, you do not coming during an event weekend...unless of course you are there for the event. Downtown becomes very crowded, annoying, and you can't get a seat at a nice place.

Best "nice" places to eat (all IMO of course), are FIG, Lucca, Halls, McCradys, Macintosh, Charleston Grill, and Indaco. FIG is by far my favorite restaurant in town, and if you have to one "nice" dinner...go there. Charleston Grill is probably the best service in town...food is great as well, they just make every patron feel like they're royalty. Both the Grill and McCradys are the priciest. Lucca and Indaco are Italian...so if you're wanting to go that route, then definitely pick from those two. Halls is an awesome steakhouse...very fancy. If you're looking for a delicious, bad-ass steak...then go with Halls. I really like McIntosh, I just think FIG is a better version. So basically, hit up Macintosh if you can't get a table at FIG.

Mid range spots: Xia Bao Biscuit is a must for lunch or dinner. Its a buddy of mine's place that has been getting tons of national media attention. Described as "Asian Comfort Food"...its just straight up delicious. They also don't hold back on the spices...so beware in that regard. After Fig, probably my favorite spot in town. Butcher and the Bee is the best sandwich spot. They make everything in house (bread, sauces, ketchup, etc) and use nothing but local ingredients from produce to beef/chicken/pork. Rarebit is a great diner spot that has more affordable food (still delicious) and they serve breakfast all day. My buddy runs the bar there and you will have the best Moscow Mule there...he makes his own ginger beer and lime cordials. Monza is the best pizza spot. Basil has great Thai (go there if you can't make it to Xia Bao). Hom has the best burgers (medium to small sized gourmet with crazy offerings)....also has two olympic sized ping pong tables in the back...if that's your thing.

As far as bar spots go...Closed For Business has the best tap selection. I think they have 40+ on tap...and usually an awesome selection. Since the local brewery scene has grown so much recently, you can get the local stuff at almost every bar. Mixology and blown up in the past few years as well. The Belmont is probably the best cocktail bar. Cocktail club (above Macintosh) is also very popular. Starz Rooftop bar has one of the best views of the city, but get there early unless you want to wait in line. Rarebit is also a great spot for cocktails. Warehouse is one of my new favorite spots. They are right down the street from Xia Bao Biscuit, so that's a good dinner/drink combo (although Warehouse has great food too).

I could actually go on for while...but I'm going to stop here because I need to get some work done today. I'll add stuff later if I see that I missed something. Feel free to ask questions in here or PM me as well. One thing I would do is pick a weekend and start to do some planning. When I first moved here you could come down for the weekend and not have to worry about getting reservations or planning things out...but not anymore. Stuff books up pretty fast and there is also so much to do, eat, and drink...that you kind of want to have a good idea of what you want to do.


___________________________________________________________________________

If you're downtown, you can pretty much walk everywhere. If you need to get somewhere quicker, a cab or pedicab is usually readily available. Downtown is so compact that the bus system is normally used for the low income people who live out of town to get in town (and vice versa). So...to get around downtown it usually goes, in order...walk, bike, pedicab, actual cab.

I think I covered where to stay...but pretty much anywhere in the downtown area is best. Its cheaper to stay off the peninsula...but the extra cost is EXTREMELY worth it.



Forgot to add that I think HUSK is overrated. Their bar, however, is not. It's detached from the restaurant and a great place to enjoy a good bourbon/scotch or specialty cocktail. Bin 152 is also a great wine/cheese/charcuterie bar...one of my favorites.


___________________________________________________________________________________

4/27/2015 11:01:34 AM

Forgot to mention brunch, as it is probably one of my favorite meals of the week down here...

Don't go to Hominy Grill. It gets the most pub, but is probably one of the more overrated breakfast/brunch spots in Charleston....and you'll have to wait in line for at least half an hour to get a table.

If you want a nice/fancy brunch, go to Halls or McIntosh. Halls does a Gospel Brunch...which means they have someone playing the piano while a black dude (think that skinny kid from Sister Act 2) sings gospel music. Its pretty awesome and their food is delicious. Great benedicts, french toast with espresso whipped cream, and bacon wrapped filet. I made the mistake of ordering the filet once, and now I can't get anything else. Macintosh is also really good...just doesn't have that gospel thing going for it.

If you're hungover and want to wear a t-shirt and jeans to brunch...go to Moe's Crosstown. It's dark, cheap, delicious, and you'll run into people still wearing their pajamas. Get the drunken french toast. Only caveat to this place is that you might have to take a cab...bike ride wouldn't be bad, but the walk would be a bit too much if you're in the central downtown area. Its still considered "downtown"...but it's in the Crosstown neighborhood, which means its on the other side of Hwy 17 (which "crosses" through downtown).

If the weather is phenomenal and you want to sit outside, go to Leaf. They have an awesome patio and really good brunch. Whatever you pick off the menu comes with a fresh fruit/home fries and a Bloody Mary/Mimosa....so it's a pretty good deal as well. Get the serrano and manchego bocadillo, smoked salmon blt, or a benedict.

______________________________________________________________________





Things keep popping up as I drive around town...

So other than the battleship and Patriot's Point (and the breweries), everything I recommended has been downtown. For starters, there's a million things to do downtown. You can spend a couple weeks in Charleston and still miss out on great restaurants and stuff to do. That being said, there's tons of great stuff in Mount Pleasant/James Island/West Ashley/Johns Island/etc...and of course the beaches...Sullivans/Folly/IOP. But as I was driving to Sullivans yesterday afternoon, I crossed over Shem Creek bridge right as the sun was going down and it reminded me of my two favorite spots to catch the sunset in Charleston. Check times for sunset, and weather permitting, go grab a drink at one of two spots to catch the sunset and usually some dolphins...Red's on Shem Creek or the Crow's Nest Bar as the Boathouse on Isle of Palms.

Shem Creek sunset is great because the sun seems to set right down the middle of the creek going out into the harbor and you have the shrimp boats framing the creek and the sunset. You can see people taking pictures of this sunset on a daily basis right off the Shem Creek Bridge. Red's is on the water pretty much right next to the bridge and you can grab a beer and walk out on the deck and watch boats and dolphins go by as the sun sets (lots of dolphins hanging out to get scraps from the fishing and shrimp boats). Although they don't do it justice, here are a couple pictures I found online:







If you're wanting to do something active one day...this is also a popular spot to go kayaking and paddleboarding. You can go out into the harbor or go back through the creeks.


The other is at the crow's nest bar at the Boathouse out on Isle of Palms (good apps if you're a little hungry as well). I like this one because it gives a great panorama of a couple views. You can see the Ravenel Bridge in the distance, the Intracoastal Waterway on one side and the Sullivans Island and Isle of Palms Beach on the other. IIRC, the sun goes down right behind the Ravenel bridge creating an awesome scene. Not as many pictures online as Shem Creek, but this is what I could find:

Crow's Nest Bar (up on the left)



View of Breach Inlet from Crow's Nest:



This is where you can see the Ravenel bridge on the right:



Not as many pictures to choose from, but you get the point.


The other "non-downtown" thing I'd highly recommend is the Angel Oak Tree on John's Island. If you're still stumped about a Sunday brunch, this gives you another option (and is one of my favorite Sunday brunch spots). Excerpt from website:

Quote :

"The Angel Oak Tree is estimated to be in excess of 400-500 years old, stands 66.5 ft (20 m) tall, measures 28 ft (8.5 m) in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet (1,600 meters). From tip to tip Its longest branch distance is 187 ft. It is an absolute must see for anyone visiting Charleston South Carolina. It is on everyone's top ten list of things to do in Charleston."

It's just a massive fucking tree with sprawling branches:




________________________________________________________________

4/27/2015 11:02:26 AM

Forgot to mention that if your trip is on a weekend that includes the second Sunday of the month, they have this great "event" called Second Sunday where they shut down a good portion of King Street to car traffic. It starts at Calhoun street and goes all the way to Broad (the main shopping district). All of the bars and restaurants bring out tables and shops bring out sale racks. The local sports teams usually have fun games for kids and lots of people bring their dogs out walking. It's a really fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Also a good Bill Murray watching day as he's out there almost every Second Sunday.

My wife and I usually get pretty hammered out there.

http://susanlucas.typepad.com/secondsundayonkingstreet/

Sundays in Charleston are great. Fridays and Saturdays are pretty packed, so you can do a lot of the same things on Sunday without the crowd. Go for a morning walk on the beach, hit up brunch, then you have a full day ahead of you.





On the way to the Angel Oak Tree you pass by The Fat Hen (http://www.thefathen.com/). To me, it's the perfect "in the middle" brunch. You can go there hungover in a t-shirt and jeans or stop by after church in your Sunday's best. It's also middle ground as far as price goes with large portions and mimosa carafe specials. Good mix of french cuisine and lowcountry cooking as well. The Angel Oak Tree doesn't open until 1 pm on Sundays, so its best to get brunch first and then check out the tree. My perfect Sunday actually involves brunch at Fat Hen, beer and disc golf on John's Island (also close to Fat Hen)...then whatever afterwards.

I'm sure I'll continue to add to this, but feel free to shoot me a PM for specific questions.

________________________________________________

I keep remembering things too late to edit my post...but new places keep popping up around here so I tend to forget. Anyways...

New spot just opened up for the beer (and food) geeks. Edmund's Oast:

http://edmundsoast.com/

From the dudes who own the Charleston Beer Exchange...and awesome little retail beer spot off of Exchange and East Bay Street. These guys are awesome and their beer, cocktail, and food knowledge is out of this world, so I know this place is going to be great. Their head chef is another F.I.G. disciple who went out to San Fran and made a bigger name for himself and now is back in Charleston. They've got what looks like a million beers on tap as well as some house brews. I'm pretty pumped about this place but I'm going to give it a few weeks before I stop by because it's going to be crazy packed to begin with.

_________________________________________________________


Will add a couple new spots that I really like...

R Kitchen: Opened last March by an old co-worker of mine. Really small place (maybe 15 seats inside?), but great food for a ridiculous price. Menu changes daily depending local produce and fish that comes in...but its pretty much a set 5 course (medium sized) dinner every night for $25 per person...which is just nuts. He can change certain courses depending on a diner's preference and/or diet restrictions. Coolest thing about it is that its so small you are basically sitting in the kitchen. You see everything that's going on while interacting with the chef. Really neat experience. House bottles of wine are also $25...so the wifey and I easily get in and out for under $100 and an awesome meal...which is pretty much impossible to do in Charleston on a night out. Spacing is limited, so definitely try and call in advance and request a seat at the closest bar.

The Park Cafe: Another restaurant opened up by a close friend (groomsman). Still downtown in the Hampton Park area, but a little ways away from the hustle and bustle of Upper King St. Its probably our favorite breakfast/brunch spot in town (definitely recommend for breakfast because there aren't a lot of great breakfast places in town). Great dinner as well, but not centrally located if you're wanting to go out after dinner. I recommend going 30-45 minutes early and taking a scenic walk around Hampton Park before your meal.

Leon's Fine Poultry and Oysters: Pretty pricey, but the fried chicken and oyster dishes are awesome. Atmosphere is also really cool (in an old garage/auto shop). Beware...no liquor...just beer and wine. But a good selection nonetheless.

4/27/2015 11:02:58 AM

Might have fucked up the order of some of those posts. Had to do some copying and pasting since it wouldn't all fit in one. Hopefully that helpts though.

4/27/2015 11:31:58 AM

Quote :

"I never seem to find anything that really interests me at the prices they want. "

I imagine thats not going to get much better. We're looking to upgrade our living situation and prices keep rising and rising. Its getting ridiculous.

Quote :

"Anyone know of anyone looking for a roommate at a place that isn't $texas? It doesn't need to be in the country, but considering Huger is more or less the center of operations for me, I'm looking for anything close to that. Seems like everything around Mt Pleasant is expensive."

I honestly have no idea where Huger is...but would North Charleston be closer than Moncks Corner? There are some nice spots in Park Circle that would probably be cheaper than Mount Pleasant.

4/27/2015 12:50:37 PM

Don't get me wrong there's some great food in Charleston but it's not like there's a Michelin star restaurant there or anything. You'll get far better food in NYC or San Francisco. Sure per capital but it's still just food in Charleston. It's not like you're getting world class sommeliers or 8 course artwork dinners.

What about Hank's? I've been there and it's supposed to be some of the best seafood in Charleston. It's also consistently ranked among the top restaurants in the city.

4/27/2015 1:16:43 PM

PER

CAPITAL

4/27/2015 1:27:42 PM

Grammar and Monday don't mesh.

Was responding to this comment:

Quote :

"In my opinion, per capita, Charleston has the best food in the country. "

4/27/2015 1:35:14 PM

^^^ Food is probably the main reason Charleston has been at the top of all of these "Best of" rankings for the past couple of years. While always pretty solid, the food scene has just gone nuts the past 5 or 6 years. And while not to be totally disregarded, Michelin Stars are a bit outdated. James Beard awards are probably more indicative of a city's culinary level if you have to go by any ranking/star/awards...and Charleston has its fair share of those (especially when you consider it only has 125k people...compared to almost a million for San Fran and 8 million for New York).

Hanks is still solid for seafood...but there are several better "strictly seafood" restaurants and you can get better seafood dishes at other places...it probably wouldn't even be on any reputable top-25 or maybe even top-50 list of best Charleston restaurants today.

[Edited on April 27, 2015 at 1:54 PM. Reason : .]

4/27/2015 1:54:07 PM

Makes sense. I'll have to try out Fig next time. I've been to a couple of the other ones you've mentioned. And yeah Hominy isn't worth the wait IMO.

--Although looking at James Beard awards Hominy was a semi-finalist for "Outstanding Restaurant".

http://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/2015-restaurant-and-chef-award-semifinalists

Also the Chef from my favorite restaurant in Denver (Fruition) is on there for best chef!

[Edited on April 27, 2015 at 2:04 PM. Reason : s]

4/27/2015 1:58:38 PM

I always catch myself when not-recommending Hominy. Its similar to Hanks in that it was one of the best and most popular places before the food scene really blew up. Which also means that it became popular with really good lowcountry Southern Food (shrimp and grits and such), and never really got creative while the rest of Charleston's food scene progressed. So while the food is really good, you can find similar menu items at the Cracker Barrel. Robert Stehling (their head chef) won the city's first James Beard award a while ago and he's about to open up a bad-ass fried chicken place right around the corner from me...and his fried chicken is ridiculous.

But it's the go-to restaurant in town for breakfast...and I drive by every day and there is a line a mile long out the door. And their breakfast is solid...but it's not, "wait in line for an hour in 95 degree heat and humidity"-good. The Park Cafe's breakfast is better and there is never a wait. Hominy's dinner IMO, is better than their breakfast...but again, there are other dinner spots I'd recommend before Hominy.

[Edited on April 27, 2015 at 2:25 PM. Reason : .]

4/27/2015 2:24:46 PM

jbrick83 - you are the man. Thanks for all the great input

4/27/2015 4:51:11 PM

No worries.

Read through and realized that I never updated on Edmund's Oast. It's awesome. Beer selection is top notch and their house brews are awesome...and cheaper than beers on the list. They have a peanut butter and jelly ale that tastes like you are drinking a peanut butter and jelly sandwich...which is awesome. Their house IPA is also great. The food lives up to F.I.G. standards as well. Highly recommend for a great restaurant in general...but definitely recommend if you love beer. It's a can't miss (and made Bon Appetit's top 50 new restaurant list this year).

Leon's also got their liquor license recently. Probably only a big deal for my sister in law...who has to have a cocktail with every meal. But one of their owners is a nationally known mixologist...so it makes sense that they are finally doing cocktails instead of just beer and wine.

Still highly recommend R Kitchen and Park Cafe. R Kitchen has been getting a lot of local pub, so you might want to get reservations well in advance. Small place, so sometimes tough to get the owner on the phone...but well worth it IMO. Park Cafe still recommended for breakfast/brunch and if you're looking to have a quiet dinner away from the hustle and bustle of the King Street area.

492 is a new spot that is right next to my office...but its been packed every night and I like to wait a while before I try a place as to give them time to work out their kinks. But they've been getting strong reviews and seem to be the new "trendy" spot in town. I'd at least check them out online to see if its something you're interested in.

4/27/2015 5:16:33 PM

Yeah jbrick83 is really killing it with the recommendations. I haven't visited Charleston in 3 years. Making me want to plan a trip this fall.

4/27/2015 5:20:35 PM

Always forgetting things...

Chez Nous is also a relatively new french spot. It was opened up by the same couple that own Bin 152 (my favorite wine bar that I mentioned earlier). The wife is from france and the chef does a great French/Northern Spain cuisine. It's also very quaint/romantic...the restaurant is in a remodeled Charleston Single house in a small alley downtown. Would be a good spot for an anniversary dinner (if you don't mind waiting for a table because they don't take reservations). They also do a great brunch on their patio. One of my favorite spots in town.

The Ordinary is the premier seafood spot these days. Opened up by the same owners of F.I.G. (including James Beard awarding winning, and my favorite chef in town, Mike Lata). Was also on Bon Appetit's top 50 best new restaurants two years ago and named one of the top 10 oyster bars by BA as well. Its pretty much what Hank's use to be. Just really really awesome seafood and oysters. They don't start taking reservations until a month in advance...but once that month starts, seats fill up fast...so book in advance.

F.I.G., The Ordinary, Macintosh, Lucca, Indaco, Charleston Grill, R Kitchen, and McCrady's all get booked up pretty quick. So those are the first places I'd call to set up dinner. Xiao Bao Biscuit, The Park Cafe, and Chez Nous don't take reservations...so don't worry about those. I think Leon's might take reservations...but it's a fried chicken and oyster spot, so you might feel silly doing that anyways. And it's bigger and tables turn fast, so good chance you shouldn't have to wait too long for a table.

Although I always seem to miss something, I think I've got it all covered now. Feel free to PM me for any specific questions...or post in the thread...don't care.

4/27/2015 6:46:23 PM

I love this thread, I really like to think of jbrick's posts being read by Stefan from SNL.

I'm going to be in Charleston for the weekend of may 30th, planning on doing a tour, hitting up Westbrook brewing and having dinner at R Kitchen on that Saturday. We're going to get there Friday afternoon, any good romantic places you'd recommend for dinner and drinks on Friday night?

5/7/2015 8:37:38 PM