sionan37

Hi, this is my first post so please bear with me. My family, husband, teen son, mother & I are spending Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Charleston in Mid-September. I have reservations at one of the historic downtown B & B, have plans for what to see (mostly) and just need help with the best restaurants to visit. We DON'T want to go to the IN places as they will be crowded. Looking for someplaces nice, quiet, maybe with uniquely Charleston cuisine. Mid-range prices would be nice. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Jon_Eric

Well, uniquely Charleston would be Poogans Porch, 82 Queen, and maybe Ansons. Carolinas would IN. All of these places CAN be crowded, but honestly I've never been to either of these and thought they were really crowded, although I tend to eat earlier and as a "party" of 1 usually dont have trouble walking in w/o a reservation, but I wouldn't recommend that at Carolinas. The only place I recall being fairly thronged with people was Blossom and I guess that might fall under "IN" at least then and also Hanks was pretty packed. Yeah, Hanks was definitely a little crowded mainly with people in their 20's and 30's. Oh, the Library at Vendue was exquisite! It might be "IN", but they only have a certain number of tables so no, its never crowded.

memee

A place called Hurricanes is really good.

Gretchen

Hank's is really good. Do not go to Hyman's. The thing with the "in" places is also that they are very good.

dln

Why don't you ask your hosts at the B&B for recommendations? Tell them exactly what you've told us, and you'll be pointed in the right direction. Everyone in Charleston loves to eat out and you'll get the absolute latest news and tips! We've actually never eaten a bad meal in Charleston, either in "hot spot" or a "mom and pop." They take their food seriously there. However, if you want a popular recommendation, I can suggest S.N.O.B. (stands for slightly north of broad). Good food, atmosphere, and with reservations, no waiting!

sionan37

Thanks for the great information. I will probably post again upon returning from my trip. I can't wait!

Jon_Eric

You're very welcome! Where are you staying? I agree with dln I have NEVER eaten a bad meal there either even when I was working for Legg Mason there and we had to go out quite a bit, never a disappointment in the food dept. S.N.O.B. I've only eaten lunch there and usually sat at the bar or counter, I forget what they called it, but it was similar to the Chefs Bar at NOLA here where you get to watch them work.

sionan37

We have a room reserved at the Rutledge Victorian, which we found through a website. I have been emailing the innkeepers and they seem very nice. I just found the SNOB place has a website and I am drooling already!

RLA

I rarely if ever disagree with dln, and this isn't really disagreeing, but we were not fond of S.N.O.B. The food was not tasty (maybe we didn't order the right thing, plus we are not real foodies) and it was early in the day - lunch. Maybe it has a better atmosphere at night. Nothing was wrong, but it just felt dead and not particularly charming. We did enjoy Hyman's. Very casual, yes touristy, but the wait was not long and you could watch the world go by while waiting outside. For more upscale dining, we loved Peninsula Grill. Lovely courtyard and delicious food. As dln said, many great places to eat there. I second her idea about asking hour innkeeper. They won't steer you wrong and will know what's current. On another note, I recommend the Frommer's Portable Guide to Chas/Sav. It had everything I wanted to know out of the bigger book, just condensed. Great quick reference. You will love Charleston. Have a great time!

carolyn

I love Charleston. If you go out to Middleton Place, plan on having lunch in their restaurant. The food is very good.

If you like pralines, get some at the candy shop on the left side of the street toward the back of the Marketplace. They give you a free sample, so you know they are confident you will buy!

We enjoyed breakfast two mornings at Poogan's Porch and did eat at Hyman's. It is touristy and I know the locals don't like it, but it's tasty and fun. The best meal I had was at Suzanne's at Folly Beach.

rwilliams

The Charleston Post and Courier's top 20 restaurants for 2003:
Charleston Grill
Anson
Carolina's
Circa 1886
Grill 225
Magnolia's
Peninsula Grill
Dining Room at the Woodlands
Fulton 5
High Cotton
Hominy Grill
McCrady's
Robert's
39 Rue de Jean
SNOB
Old Post Office
Vintage
Cafe Lana
Tomato Shed
Al Di La
Basil
Cypress

Among these Hominy Grill, SNOB and Cafe Lana come closest to fitting your needs. HG and CL are casual and CL won "lunch counter of the year" in the newspaper ratings.
Don't overlook Aaron's Deli, Poogan's Porch and Sharky's for casual but good food.
(Don't ask me why there are more than 20 restaurants on the newspaper's list this year--here's the link: http://www.charleston.net/top20/).

olivia

I agree that Cafe Lana is good. I've never been for dinner but they have a great lunch, and it's very quaint and quiet. Do NOT go to Hyman's. The lines are always ridiculous and the food really isn't all that great. For uniquely Charleston cuisine, the Peninsula Grill is absolutely wonderful. Pricey, but they take reservations and it is delicious.

A little off the beaten path is a newer place called Fish on King street. Ask your B&B for directions. Great seafood and atmosphere. Right across the street from fish is a fun lunch place, Juanita Greenberg's. It's not very "Charleston," but they've got an awesome burrito!

andy

I happen to LOVE Ansons-- make sure you eat downstairs as it has more atmosphere....

Also we also love Magnolias- make sure you ask for the back room as it is more fomal looking and has terrific oil painting of a magnolia flower in different aspects of budding.....

Have not eaten in ROBERT's for a long time, but when we did, it was TERRIFIC!

dan_woodlief

All good recommendations. You will find personal reviews of many restaurants on my Web site at www.oneeyed.homestead.com. Jestine's Kitchen is another great spot to get local cuisine at lower prices when you don't want to go to one of the more often noted spots. Good southern cuisine, ranging from pecan fried chicken to okra and fried green tomatoes. It is close to the city market.

Patty

Another vote for SNOB - we loved the food there. Tried Poogan's Porch the next day and found it a bit of a disappointment.

eadiehale

82 Queen 843-723-7591
Poogan's Porch 843-577-2337

Both are AMAZING. In old historic homes, so atmosphere is more local than it is in "touristy" cookie-cutter restaurants.
Have fun!

Syv

Jumping in here...

We are going in late January. What should we expect for road conditions / weather? Are there still any green trees or gardens at that time of year that far south?

Which plantation tours do you recommend?

Thanks.

Jon_Eric

Syv, I dont remember January being particularly lush nor particularly crowded either. January can actually be pretty cold in Charleston, colder than New Orleans anyway.

There are only two plantations in the area, Middleton and Drayton Hall both of which nice... No, I tell a lie, theres a third one... Oh, Magnolia is another one, but Magnolia and Middleton are more to do with their gardens than any grand "Tara-esque" plantation home. Drayton Hall always reminded me more of those you'd find in Maryland and Virginia and certainly an interesting tour.

Syv

Thanks. I'll look into those. The garden tours won't be what we want in January. I expect it will be a damp cold, but not with a couple feet of snow like home

Litespeed_Chick

Probably a damp cold, but you might get lucky and have sunny 60 degrees. Here in SC, late January is also known as "early spring".