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AW SHUCKS ? That is a Dallas Texas restaurant I bet
they're copying. It is extremely casual, you can eat outside where you
walk on clamshells and eat on picnic tables; or go inside and sit on a
stool. Best shrimp imaginable, best seafood gumbo (as they call it) I've
ever eaten. If you go to google and put in aw shucks dallas it brings up
their menu. suzy Our book club went to Jestine's Kitchen on 1/16/05
after visiting the wonderful aquarium. It was wonderful. We had to wait a
little while on the sidewalk (kind of chilly) but it was well worth it! We
all had different entres and all were great. Our seafood dishes were
perfect (fried shrimp, fried oysters, and pecan crusted whiting), someone
had spinach spoonbread served with creamy grits, and another had the
grilled meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. My friend and I split a
piece of coconut cream pie that was heaven on a plate. The prices were
reasonable and the service was first It breaks my heart to read the comments about one of
my favorite restaurants, Poogans Porch. The last time I had the pleasure
of dining at Poogans Proch was about 10 years ago and I was enchanted
about the story of the little dog Poogan -- I have a little dog named
George. I absolutely loved the meal -- from soup to nuts. The service was
excellent and each course was better than the one before. When my friends
or co-workers tell me they are going to visit Charleston I tell them that
they must go and eat at Poogans Porch. I can but hope they are at least
somewhat as good as I remember, I cannot wait to visit Charlestown once
again and to dine at the delightful Poogans Porch. I travel to Charleston as much as I possibly can!
One place stands out in my mind that I just have to go to when I want some
good food! That place is A.W. Shucks. I never had tried a crab cake until
I ate one of theirs & I have tried them at places since then without
finding one as good as they have! I also love the stuffed shrimp. I
usually get the combo! This is a must try if you get to visit Charleston. I want to find the address of a restraunt I ate at
in North Charleston. It was either "The Screaming Oyster" or "The
Screaming Clam". I want to contact them. Do they have "email" Thanks, A
past residence of N. Charleston. Jim Henderson While staying in Charleston I went to Folly Beach. I
went to this newly opened bar on the island, it was the Folly Pelican. I
truly had a blast! They had live music, wonderful service, and even better
the ambience was out of this world. Part of the bar was done after one of
my heros Jimmy Buffet. I truly recommend this bar. There number is
558-4095.
I am looking for a family friendly restaurant that
offers a seafood buffet in the Charleston area. I live in the Lowcountry just out side of wonderfull
Charleston. One place that I love to dine at for BBQ is Dukes. The Dukes
in Summerville is good but the Dukes in Walterboro is awesome. Large
selection of local sothern favorites. If you want to taste the best barbecue in the low
country, stop by Rev's Open Pit Barbecue on Miles Jamison Road in
Summerville. The ribs, the chopped and the baked beans were just delicious
and the sauce is the best. Do not eat at Hymans. We ate there because of all of
the recommendations from the past years. It has obviously gone way, way
down hill. We ordered many of the selections from the menu and were sorely
disappointed. The fried oysters were good. Nothing else. On a scale of
1-10, we argued on wheather to give it a 3 or 4. The fish was bad, the
seafood bisque was way, way below par. Again, our favorite place was
Peninsula Grill. We can't say enough good things about this outstanding
resturant. It had the freshest food, and the service is outstanding. On a
scale of 1 - 10, it is an 8 or 9+. We loved it. Our favorite resturant was Penninsula Grille where
our favorite table service person was Rhonda. She not only chose our wine,
but moved us inside when it started to rain, practically, insisted on
moving us. The food here is an A+++, but the service is an A+++++++. This
episode is the only reason we will return to Charleston. Altough quaint,
we were not that impressed with Charleston. We are New Orleans and
Savannah lovers, and found Charleston to be a New Orleans wantabe. New
Orleans wraps its arms around you the second you arrive. We never felt
that in Charleston. Too Bad. It's a wantabe that couldbe. We recently camped at James Island County Park which
was very nice, ate at the "Noisy Oyster" which has delicious food-I want
to know where to get that fabulous caramel cheesecake they serve for
dessert. I want to order some!! My husband and I went to Charleston for our
honeymoon last summer. We had a blast. Our favorite place to eat there is
Jestine's Kitchen. We stumbled upon it our first evening there, and we
went back three more times. We went to some very nice expensive places as
well, but none of them compared to Jestine's. I really wish the restaurant
would publish a cookbook, because I want some of those recipes--especially
for the picked cucumbers. Our son is a Charleston Cty. Firefighter and we are
interested in purchasing a gift ceriticate at a fine dining resturant in
the city for his (their) wedding anniversary. I have been searching the
net for while and this service is not "user friendly." My husband and I
are orginally from Charleston and we know there are LOTS of nice
resturants and would like to treat our son and dtr.-in-law to a nice
evening out... Please help us purchase a surprise "gift certificate" for
them.. Thanks! Pam Young Hi, I'm getting married in Charleston June 14th and
having trouble finding a romantic restaurant for app. 20 guest after the
wedding. I'm looking something special. Any suggestions will be very
helpful. Thank you! Donna Just returned from Charleston, SC where we
absolutely loved the Steak Diane at Garibaldi's! January 03, 2003 Jeff and I spent two lovely days in
Charleston before continuing or trip north to visit our children. Wow,
were we glad we made the stop! Our dining experience at Mistral's
Restaurant on Market St. was fabulous, The food was nothing but perfect,
but I really want to comment on the service. Honestly some of the best
service we have received in a restaurant. Our waiter, Kevin, made
everything perfect! We were a little intimidated by the size of the wine
list, and he recognized this by asking if we would like some suggestions.
He very non-chalantly asked us our price range, which we greatly
appreciated...rather than simply trying to sell an expensive bottle. His
choice was perfect for the Filet Mignon and Peppered Steak which Jeff and
I had for dinner. While I ordered the fish soup, Kevin shook his head!! I
didn't understand at first. I thought maybe they had sold the last of it.
Jeff quietly told me that maybe I would like to try the onion soup, and
Kevin nodded his head. We were so appreciative that he would be honest
enough to "inform" us if we were making good choices for our dinner or
not. We couldn't help but laugh. Thereafter we looked up at him for
approval while making menu decisions. It was priceless. I should ad that
if you have Kevin as your waiter at Mistral's, don't expect him to be your
"server". When the table next to us tugged on his shirt, he promptly
turned to them and said "Please don't touch me". As he was describing the
deserts to us, that same couple asked him if he could call a cab for them.
He merely turned and glared at them for a moment, then returned to
describing the deserts to us. It was quite the show, I'm just grateful
that Jeff and I behaved ourselves while Kevin guided us through the night.
Thank-you Kevin! We'll be back on our return home to CA. Carol & Jeff
Hilton A Nov.'02 trip to the Charleston area was our first
and, hopefully, will not be the last. We stayed on Edisto Island and made
numerous trips into Charleston, but loved exploring the Island. We found
the "Old Post office" a fantastic place for dinner with superb seafood and
impeccable service. The locals were helpful in directing us to the
plantations, antique stores (we attended an antique auction at a
plantation the day after Thanksgiving), and sources for excellent seafood
and for shelling. The drive to Beaufort/Hunting Island on Thanksgiving Day
resulted in our eating the holiday meal at the Episcopal Church in
Beaufort with other travelers (from Wisconsin and Florida) as well as
local folks of all ages. It was an incredible experience and is a yearly
event. There are so many historic places to see and so many restaurants to
try, we can hardly wait to return. I do hope this site is updated soon, so
that it might be more helpful to potential visitors. For casual dining, I highly recommend Jestine's
Kitchen. Wonderful low country food - delicious! Save room for dessert!
Also recommend the Hominy Grill on Rutledge & Cannon. We had to wait in
line for lunch but it was well worth it. I'm sure everything is equally
delicious here, but I had the shrimp and grits and would certainly try it
again. Next time we'll go for dinner - different menu, sounds great! Also
worth looking up is the Wreck in Mt. Pleasant. Deceiving from the outside,
but the dining room is cozy with two fireplaces (we were there in
November). Seafood is fried or broiled, and they admit they aren't into
red meat, though you can order it. It's a romantic little place with oil
lamps on the tables, and that's about it for lighting except for the
kitchen. You can go outside from the dining room to see the fishing boats
that probably brought your dinner. Casual place, off the beaten path.
Can't say enough about Charleston - anyone who has been there would
understand! To anyone who plans on visiting the Charleston area
check out this place it is called dukes bbq its on highway 76 in
Summerville grate food and reasonable prices I highly recommend it also in
West Ashley there is a very romantic restaurant called California Dreaming
they have some of the best food in town not to bad in price .it is on the
Ashley river. Because of our love of Charleston & the most
relaxing vacations we've ever had, my wife & I took the plunge and
purchased a vacation/rental property on Wild Dunes (1998). So far we've
been very pleased. The beach, relative privacy, and proximity of all
Charleston offers is an unbeatable combination. On our last visit, we
discovered the pleasures of The Boathouse. It is located near the channel
between IOP and Sullivan's Island. I would describe it as upscale seafood.
The bleu cheese cole slaw is unique. We're also partial to the Long Island
Cafe on IOP. Hymans': The lobster was too soft, the grilled tuna
was not sufficiently cooked and the cole sloe was flaccid at Hyman's at
2:00 pm on 10/20/98. We will never eat there again and will recommend that
others not eat there. 10-12-98 I will try and keep this shprt but I have a
hard time whenever I speak of Charleston. We discovered Charleston in 1990
and have gone back every year since. We have nevewr visited a more
beautiful, historical or friendly city. After visiting 10 times we have
decided to retire there in 6 years. We have always had many interesting
things to do. Visit the forts, take a tour (Old South-Red Sash), eat, tour
plantations, browse market street, eat, walk the beaches, visit a museum,
tour the homes, eat, take a bike ride, relax at colonial lake, drive to
the Islands, eat, visit the churches, tour the cememteries, eat, golf,
shop,walk-walk-walk. My husband and I just visited Charleston Sept.
20-24, 1998 for the second year in a row and stayed at the Meeting Street
Inn. This charming Inn serves a Continental breakfast every a.m. and wine
and cheese 5:30-6:30 p.m. The Inn keepers were helpful and friendly and
steered us to one of the best restaurants called The Mint Julep. The fried
green tomatoes are a must! Another excellent restaurant was 82 Queen,
quite elegant with a beautiful outdoor garden. We also enjoyed Hymans for
seafood, Bocci's for Italian and Blossoms for their mushroom stuffed
ravioli! We took a horse and carriage tour for two, a little pricey, but
better than being cramped into the larger tour carriages especially on a
hot day. Enjoyed our visit to Boone Hall Plantation and Drayton Hall. A
walk to Waterfront Park in the evening and using the swings was enjoyable.
The best thing about staying in town was that everything was in walking
distance. We also enjoyed the Fall Candlelight Tour of homes in historic
Charleston, put on by the Historic Society. Beautiful homes filled with
antiques, and even met some of the homeowners. Since this was a night
tour, each home had candles outside to guide you to the right house. It
was the best! We will certainly be back to this charming city again. Katie
H. submitted 10/4/98 3DI fell in love with Charleston and the Lowcountry
the summer afte= r graduating high school and have been returning as often
as possible ever since. I'm sorry. Your Travelogue appears to be hopelessly
out of date. Maybe I'm wrong, but even so, feel I must educate some of
these kind people who have written about their experiences. Gill and I went to Charleston between Thursday 29th
July and Sunday 2nd August 1998. We had a really lovely time staying at
the Barksdale House Inn which was excellent. The service was first class
we had breakfast in our room served on a silver tray. A wonderful
centrally located Inn which didn't charge the earth. We visited all the
touristy sites including Boone Hall Plantation which was fascinating but
rather overpriced at $10 per person. The house was rebuilt in 1935 and is
therefore considerably younger than our home in England. The present
owners live in the property and so tourists only get to see the ground
floor. The slave street is extraordinary and they have plans to develop
this area further and give tourists a real insigt into what life for the
slaves was actually like. We vacationed in Charleston June 29 - July 2, 1998.
What a wonderful place, we didn't want to leave. We stayed at the
Boardwalk Inn at the Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms. Their beaches
are unsurpassed. We had lunch at the Wild Wing Cafe, great selection of
wings. For a great dining experience visit J.Bistro in Mount Pleasant.
Besides the great tasting food, the menu and presentation were fantastic.
We took a carriage ride. It was very enjoyable and we learned a lot of
history. For an unforgettable experience go sailing on the Schooner Pride.
We took the two hour sunset cruise and loved it. Charleston has something
for everyone. We just spent our honeymoon in Charleston (6/2-6/9)
and had a wonderful time! We traveled by train from NYC - took about 12
hours, most of which we spent sleeping. It is a good way to travel if you
don't want to drive long distances and don't feel like flying. We stayed
at the Indigo Inn, had a very nice room and found the staff to be very
helpful. We were within walking distance to most everything, but got a
little wilted by the heat the 1st few days we were there - the heat index
was about 105! My husband's favorite restaurant was, without a doubt,
Hyman's - we ate there 3 times that week! Captain Stacks was a little
lacking in the service area and had way too much in the hot sauce area
(the chef was experimenting with EXTREMELY hot sauces the night we were
there - he has since stopped we hope :-) We went on 2 carriage rides and
thankfully got 2 separate routes in the lottery. The ghost walk was a neat
thing to do, but make sure that you have comfy shoes! We also rented a car
and went to Magnolia Plantaion - I found the house tour to be very
informative and the train ride a nice way to see the ground in the VERY
hot weather. I can't really say it is the best plantation, as it was the
only plantation we went to! I have been raving about the city since we
have returned and look forward to returning sometime in the near future!
We took our trip to Charleston with our two very
young sons from May 30 through June 6, 1998. The beach on the Isle of
Palms is beautiful. (highly recommended) The Audobon Swamp Garden was
really cool and there are no mosquitos, in case you were wondering.
(recommended) We took a tour of Charleston harbor under sail power on the
schooner Pride. (highly recommended find them at the City Marina) We
toured The Charleston Tea Plantation, the only tea grown in America! given
the first Saturday of the month May through October. (If you're a tea
drinker highly recommended) We stopped to see the Angel Oak on the way
back from the tea plantation, it is worth the stop. It is estimated to be
over 1400 years old and it is a sight to behold. (highly recommended) If
you are a train buff or have kids with you check out The Best Friend of
Charleston museum right behind the Visitors Center in downtown Charleston.
(recommended) We love shrimp! So if your interested in hearing about our
shrimp experiences read on. Hyman's is by far the best seafood restaurant
in the area! Their ads say come early or late which is good advice. It is
worth it to plan ahead to be able to eat there. Go ahead and try the
Boiled Peanuts don't be afraid, they are good. (extremely highly
recommended) Sullivans on Sullivans Island is pretty good. (recommended)
Angel Fish on James Island has a wide variety of fresh healthy food (not a
seafood restaurant), we did not have any shrimp there but what we did have
was very good. (highly recommended). The Charleston Crab House on the
Wapoo River was good and had a great view of the river and drawbridge that
our boys really enjoyed. (recommended) Now for our version of the Wreck,
it was easy to find and if you like to sweat (no air conditioning) and
enjoy the aroma of a seafood processing plant while you dine you will love
The Wreck. Besides that the grilled shrimp was excellent but the fried
shrimp tasted like it was cooked in very old oil that had already been
used to fry a lot of fish. (If your nose doesn't work and you like
non-fried food recommended, otherwise avoid it) California Dreaming was a
major disappointment we had been there about 5 years ago for the first
time and were not impressed, but after having many people rave about it we
tried again with the same disappointing results. It is a chain restaurant
with that look and feel. (not recommended) Overall our trip was wonderful,
we want to move there! Kevin and Angela Avery We just returned after a week long visit to the
Charleston area and would like to recomend two lovely B%=FD&B around the
city. One, at= McClellansville, a real village is called "Village B&B" at
333 Mercantile Road (843-887-3371). Best thing is to ask for directions at
Graham's Grocery. A lovely place situated in a dream-like village. The
other is an historic waterfront building at Beaufort, the Cuthbert House
Inn (800-327-9275). This one is a real piece of architectural preservation
and perfect taste! While in Charleston, we tried a few restaurants and
were pleased at Mint Julep but not impressed by the very pretentious
Carolinas's. For a light pleasant meal try Zebo's Brewery at King's Str.=20
5 June98, We are owners of a villa at Kiawah, so
Spring and autumn is spent on the island. Charleston, for the many times,
each week, we go into eat is a new adventure. Ansons, 82 Queen, Magnolias,
Poogans, Celias are ALL excellent. Same with several over in the Shem
Creek area. Tour the homes,we never miss the chance to do so. But to see
the city, WALK, WALK, WALK. Plenty of time to golf when I retire, see the
beach. Be on the beach......... Just returned from a week at Wild Dunes(May 16 to
23rd) The beaches were great again and the weather hot and sunny. Found
the best fried green tomatoes in Charleston at Jestine's on Meeting
Street. We were up and down King Street & East Bay checking the menu's and
finally found them at Jestine's. They were the best. The meals coming from
the kitchen were not shabby either. Heaping plates full of fried chicken
(6.95). We also went to Shem's Creek for dinner. RB's was very nice. The
same people own Ronnie's, RB, Noisy Oyster, and Cappy's. Gilligan's
(across the Connector) just opened and was also enjoyable out on the
patio. Charleston as usual was beautiful, Rainbow Row, the battery. Can't
wait to visit again. Although I only live 25 miles from Charleston and
don't qualify as a tourist (except in the eyes of a few South of Broad
bluebloods) I have to put in my 1 1/2 cents worth concerning what is a
"locals" restaurant and what is a "touristy" restaurant in Charleston We live in Southern California and visited
Charleston May 6 -10, 1998. We stayed in a B&B so we ate only lunch and
dinner out. Our favorite by far was 82 Queen. We are in our mid-70's so
picked places less noisy and crowded. 82 Queen suited us perfectly. Found
out that the key was early (7 PM) reservation and dress better (coat and
tie). We're seated in nice room and served a wonderful meal. Saw later
arrivals seated in noisy patio. Also other days had a great too much lunch
at Magnolias. And good lunch with local friends at Slightly North of
Broad. Then another good light lunch at Mike Calders Pub. We picked the
best! You would not be unhappy with any of the above. Only wore necktie or
jacket that one time. One night dinner at Hymans. Very crouwded, noisy and
long wait, but food OK. May is part of high season and all of town was
very crowded. We would go a different time of year next time. B&B where we
stayed was very beautiful and unique. Only 3 bedrooms. Kitchen included
and food ready for preparing and serving yourself, when you want. Charge
based on number of bedrooms used. A beautifully restored carriage house.
Like staying in a large home in the 1800's. Wortham House, 54 Montigu St.,
Owner - Betsy Johnson (843) 723-4668. The taxis were great, only $3 to
$3.50 to go from the B&B to downtown Charleston. Hank Wattson To those who enjoy good seafood: We just returned from Charleston and loved it
(4/98). We stayed at the John Rutledge Inn which was very nice though a
bit pricey. It's very well located and if you stay there be sure to
request a room in the main house. The two carriage houses just do not have
the charm of the main house. The best restaurant we found was Penninsula
Grill which had innovative southern food. Mint Julep was very good and
Poogan's Porch was fun for lunch.Louis's was a bit disappointing ,but
still worth trying. We found the Wreck(just call and ask for directions!)
and it was well worth the trip. Go there for lunch and then drive a bit
further to tour Fort Moultrie and Boone Hall Plantation. Be sure to go to
Middleton Place with its magnificent gardens and spectacular location
above the water. The restaurant at Middleton was nice for lunch. Pass on
Magnolia Gardens which was poorly maintained and had the air of a tacky
amusement park. The swamp garden, which is a separate admission, was very
interesting and worth going to. One of the highlights of our trip was a
stay at Cassina Point Plantation on Edisto Island not far from Charleston.
The old plantation house has been beautifully restored by the Earnshaws
and they are gracious hosts. There are four lovely guest rooms and the
scenery around the house is beautiful. We took a canoe from the dock
outside the houise into the waterways and channels nearby and saw a school
of dolphins. It was amazing. We also loved Jekyl Island Club Hotel which
is further down the coast past Savannah. It's an elegant and historic
hotel on a picturesque sea island. We visited Charleston the week of March 23,1998.
This city impressed us as not only the most beautiful city we have ever
seen but also the cleanest. Since we arrived by plane and did not have a
car, we walked everywhere. There is a shuttle available but the three day
pass we bought went generally unused because we seemed to miss the shuttle
all the time. We stayed at the Hampton Historic which is a 10 minute walk
from downtown and was much more reasonable. They had a lovely courtyard
for continental breakfast and a very helpful staff. The restaurants we
enjoyed the most were Poogan's Porch, 82 Queen, Blossom Cafe, Sermet's
Corner,and the Southend Brewery(great pizza and grill). There were so many
great places to eat we never bothered to wait at Hymans Seafood (always a
line). It seemed best to make a reservation for dinner. The kids enjoyed
the Old Exchange tour and the boatride to Ft. Sumter. The only restaurant
we can't recommend was the Old Towne (Greek Food). Charleston is one city
I would love to visit again! We just returned last evening from a memorable trip
to Charleston. We arrived on Friday,March 27 1998 and stayed until March
30. There is so much to see and do, but do not miss Market Square, with
all the various things to buy. There are so many vendors and items for the
whole family. It stays open at night, but most vendors are only there in
the daytime.We felt very safe in the Bay and Meeting Street areas, but try
not to wander off the beaten paths. There are numerous restaurants-we ate
lunch on Saturday at A.W. Shucks. It has very good and large portions of
food. We did not have to wait long for our lunches. We all had the
crabcake sandwich with fries. It was hot, and the crabcake had little or
no fillers. We ate dinner at Mistral(also in the market area) It is a
French restaurant-very good food but pricey(3 people ate for $75, which I
thought was high.We had to wait too long for our food,and it was not
crowded!) Everyone seems to recommmend Hyman's Restaurant and 82 Queen. We
could not get there because of the long wait. I am sure there are other
good restaurants. I heard Kaminsky's is good. The architecture in
Charleston is phenomenol, you will be amazed at the age and condidtion of
most of the homes and businesses! We just returned from a week in Charleston, March
21-28, 1998. What a wonderful city. The people were extremely friendly and
always helpful. We stayed at the Ansonborough Inn. Very nice with spacious
rooms. Ask for a room away from the west side, though. Trucks begin
deliveries to the adjacent grocery store at about 5:00 am everyday.
Restaurants were great. We especially enjoyed Poogans Porch, Hymans,
Sticky Fingers, Mike Caldors, California Dreaming, Bocci's and Southend
Brewery. We also found a great little place called Gullah Cuisine on Hwy
17 in Mount Pleasant. The food there is great! Finding the "Wreck" was
easy. However, I WOULD NOT recommend that anyone waste their time. I
believe this to be an internet marketing ploy designed to lure unknowing
tourists. The meal, while pretty good, was overpriced and the atmosphere
is not "local" or "rustic." Its "cheap" with paper plates, plastic forks
and plastic furniture. Visit at your own risk. Other activities we enjoyed
were a carriage ride with Old South Carriage, the Ghost Walk, Patriots
Point, Isle of Palms beaches, Forts Sumter and Moultrie and Boone Hall
Plantation. We also spent considerable time just walking around admiring
the old and beautiful homes and buildings. In general, prices for most
things were very reasonable with the exception of many of the old homes,
plantations, gardens, etc. At $10 each, a family of 4 could ill afford to
visit many, even with the discount coupons available. Thanks to everyone
in Charleston that made this such a nice vacation. Yesterday I happened on your neat site as I was
checking out Charleston places as I plan my trip next week back down to
lovely Charleston to see my sister. I added my comment about the Mistral
(or La Mistral) French restaurant over by the Old Market (it's 99
something street; 843-722-5709)). This was before I had read all 23
pages (long) of everyone's comments about where they like to go, etc.,
etc. Not one person mentioned Mistral. I am mistified. Not
one! It is one of the best restaurants (certainly for lunch and brunch,
anyway) that I know of in Charleston, and I have been to most of them (and
often disappointed---I'm picky). Am I missing something? Are THEY missing
something? Just one of those funny things, I guess. I did and will enjoy
your travelogue; it was great fun reading it and I will take the info down
to my sister. Your comments were rather choice, too.! Sincerely, Diane
Reichard Each time I travel to Charleston, one of my first,
and frequent, stops is the French restaurant by the Old Market called the
MISTRAL. You would think you were in Paris at a cafe. Delicious food, care
in preparation and service, never hurried; great French background music
(the owner will share the names of the tapes with you); all the trimmings
for a sophisticated, yet gentle and friendly, atmostphere. Attractive bar
with good wine list and crisp service. Being so near the tourist-trap
core, it is a wonder this place is so unspoiled. There is live music some
evenings, but I have never been there for it. The atmosphere is dignified,
yet lively, the food it unfailingly delightful, and the bill is very
reasonable. I recommend this restaurant unreservedly. Had a fabulous holiday in Charleston Jan 20-28,
1998. The best day was one night when there was a heavy mist and we walked
all of the historic district from Meeting St over to the Battery and up
Church street.So if there is a fog at night, do the walk. It's incredible.
Also discovered the best turkey sandwich in the world at the Coffee
Gallery on King St. Also loved the people, there is nothing to compare to
Southern hospitality. Jan. 4, 1998 Just before Christmas my wife and I
celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with a trip to Charleston for the
weekend; we traveled in one of Amtrak's new Viewliner bedroom cars from
Orlando, and enjoyed it immensely. Once in Charleston we stayed in the
beautifully decorated and well managed King George IV Inn on George
Street, just off King Street in the historic and shopping district. The
rooms in this 200 year old inn reflect the special touch of the owners,
who went out of their way to make our stay a pleasant one. Don't wait too
late to make reservations, as there are a limited number of rooms. We were
able to walk from here to most major points of interest; we really enjoyed
Old South's very cordial car- riage tour,the locals in Mike Calder's Pub,
and dinner a short ride away at Poogan's Porch. This B & B is in close
proximity also to Charleston College for those of you who might be
visiting students or taking in a game; and there's at least one room with
a small kitchen for those who aren't in to restaurants. If you like
friendly people, you'll enjoy Charleston, and the King George IV Inn. An
My husband and I just spent four nights in
Charleston the week before Thanksgiving. The weather was great and it was
not very crowded. The city is wonderful and romantic. We spent one night
at the Day's Inn Downtown, very conviently located to the Slave Market,
etc. But for the money, the Best Western (King Charles INN)was cleaner and
a much nicer room, had a resturant for breakfast. Eating in Charleston is
truly an experience. Our favorites were- We toured Charleston again this year! It was
December, so there were fewer people and, generally, lower prices on
accomodations. We took the mini-bus tour "Talk of the Towne" and would
highly recommend it! We saw the Battery and The Market, of course, and
other parts of the city that we would never have found on our own! Dinner
at Slightly North of Broad was excellent! Charleston is a great city!
We'll go back often!!! what ever happened to the owners of the primerose
house on east bay street??? We visited Charleston in late October of 97 and had
a wonderful time. We found it to be a beautiful and charming city. It was
very easy to get around and to find restaurants and attractions. We stayed
on Kiawah and loved it there. The beaches are beautiful and we biked every
day on the beach. The water temperature was still warm and our 7 month old
son found the sand quite tasty. We visited this site before leaving home
and took a few reccommendations along with us. The best was a suggestion
to eat at Poogan's Porch - it was as great as everyone said. The waitress
even played with our son so we could eat dinner. Southend Brewery was a
good place for lunch and they had great barbeque and specialized home
brews. We would also recommend a tour of the historic district with one of
the carriage tours. We took the Red Barn Carriage with Matt as our guide,
and he was very informative and entertaining. Thanks to everyone who
suggested the discount coupons found at the Vistor's Center - a good place
to start when you first get to the city. We loved it and look forward to
our next visit. Our eighth trip to Charleston was September 15 to
the 19th 1997. Stayed at Wild Dunes this time and was excellent. Only 25
minutes to downtown Charleston. The beach this time of year was empty. We
were the only people at the pool one morning.On previous trips we stayed
out in Kiawah Island which is also beatiful and the beach great, but a
good 45 min ride to town. Our favorite restaurant is 82 Queen and we love
the Lodge Alley Inn jazz group that plays in the courtyard. We've taken
the carriage tour many times, but this year, we did our own walking tour
and viewed the beautiful gated gardens in the homes along the battery and
Rainbow Row. Revisited Boone Hall and toured the home. The guide dressed
in a period costume was very informative and did not rush us through.
Charleston is about a 12 hr car ride from Pittsburgh. Do not drive down on
95. It is at least another hour. We will probably be back in Charleston
next Spring. Our normal trip is in late May and again the beaches are not
crowded and the weather is perfect. We are lucky in that we live only 3 hours from
Charleston. On any given Saturday we are apt to drive down for lunch and a
walk around town. My husband and I have spent three vacations in
Charleston, SC. We stayed each time at the Queen Victoria Inn on King
Street. It is a small hotel with I believe about 14 rooms on three or four
floors. They have a Champagne continental breakfast delivered to your room
each morning and wine in the evening. The room we book (there are two of
these type rooms) had a fireplace and a wonderful jacuzzi. These rooms
have sitting areas and overlook King Street. We particularly enjoyed
McGrady's restaurant on Unity Alley for dinner and Hyman"s for lunch. The
Charleston Grill at the Omni Hotel was great, also. Did not particularly
like Magnolia's or Caroline's reasautant - they seemed too touristy.
Anson's was pretty good and there is a new french place (the name eludes
me), but I think it is something like Beauford's, that was great. The
atmosphere on King Street and at the Market makes you want to get out and
just walk and enjoy the people and the scenery. We hope to return very
soon. I visited Charleston, SC August 06 - 13, 1997. All
of the history was great to experience. Across from the Meeting Street Inn
at the park there is a grass house on display. The kids got a big kick out
of walking inside a house made of actual growing grass. The Carriage tour
was very nice and informative although we were disappointed when we found
out that there are actually four different tours and you have no control
over which one you will see. After you board the carriage and head around
the corner, a city worker will pick a lottery ball which designates which
tour you get to see. Also, I would like to know if anyone had a good
experience on a Ghost Walk. We took that wakling tour and got nothing out
of it. The tour guide told us maybe four stories about 'sightings' of
particular ghosts and that was all out of a two hour walk. He mostly told
us the same things we heard on the carriage tour. As for the prices, you
can get several discounts by making one stop at the visitor's center. Look
on the counter for the rainbow colored coupons. There are some at each end
of the counter and you don't have to stand in line unless you need other
assistance. The short film at the back of the center was nice, but not at
all informative. We thought we were going to see a film about Charleston,
but instead we saw a very artistic pictorial with nice music. As for the
food, Poogan's Porch was very good. I had the jumbalaya and used every
little bit of cayenne pepper that was sprinkled around my plate. When we
were leaving, the kids watched the waitress put their newly colored
pictures of Poogan (the dog) up on the wall in the entry. They were very
excited. For any who went there that week, they both had purple heads :)
California Dreaming had very good ribs, but I didn't like the sauce. The
service needed some help that day, but I was assured that it was usually
better. I didn't see any dolphins, but my mother said she has on occasion
seen dolphins rather close to the window! The view was very nice and I do
reccomend trying to get a table on the water. Tommy Condon's had great
boiled peanuts. We stopped in there just for those and to take a much
needed break. If you want to try alligator, go to 82 Queen. I heard it
tastes like chicken... :) Wild Wings was very good, but I had nachos and a
burger. I just wasn't in the mood for wings that day. Let me know if
they're good so I can go back next time! At Folly Beach there is a
restaurant called "Planet Follywood". Some go there just to get the
t-shirt. Magnolia Gardens was so nice that we went back for a second day.
Our tram tour guide was great. I can't remember his name, but it was real
simple and he was a very nice older gentleman. Beware of the house tour.
Our guide was extremely uptight. She scolded a grown man for taking a
picture before she said he could (although she gave no instructions to
that effect before leading us there and pictures are ok to take in every
room). She got very touchy when a little girl touched the pole that held
up one end of the rope which separates the tourists from the guide and the
valuables. She didn't do anything but touch it. Then when it was time to
go upstairs, she was extremely impatient when we had to wait a couple of
minutes for a handicap tourist who wanted to see the upstairs too. Thanks to all who made suggestions we visited
Charleston Aug. 14 through 18th of 1997 and had a lovely time. It is a
beautiful, charming, clean, friendly, history-ridden city. Our favorite
restaurants were 82 Queen, Poogan's Porch, and Hymen's--no doubt others
are excellent, but our time was limited. Directions to the restaurant,
Wreck of the Richard and Charlene: cross on 17N to Coleman Ave. in Mt.
Pleasant follow Coleman across the first bridge, turn right on Live Oak
and follow it until it runs out, then left to the end of the street, and
look for a terrible looking place, next to a seafood processing building.
The Wreck has a few faded flags at the top. Go before it gets dark so you
can find it. Sounds terrible, looks awful, but a big surprise when you go
around front. Do go to the historical preservation place--actually there
are two, one on Meeting St. and one on the corner of King. Our secret
favorite street for walking was Church St. below Broad. Better to go in
spring or fall; it was hot. I've been going to Charleston every year for the
past 5 years. My mom and brother lived there for a bit and I just fell in
love with the place. It seems like people are interested in knowing where
to eat. Some of my favorites include The One-Eyed Parrot (Isle of Palms),
Shem Creek Bar and Grill (Mt. Pleasant-the grilled seafood is fantastic!)
Bocci's (downtown-super Italian food), Sullivans (Sullivan's Island),
Station 22 (Sullivan's Island) and RB's(Mt. Pleasant). One of my favorite
non seafood places to eat is Skoogies in Mt. Pleasant. They have the most
incredible hot dogs that you will ever eat! Oh...California Dreaming in
West Ashley is also very good. Their salads are to die for! We love Charleston. We fly in every summer to get
away from the LApace. We love the Charleston Crab house over on Wapoo
Creek for their blue crab in garlic special. We also like AW Shucks and
Hyams. Out on Mt. Pleasant ther's a cafeteria where the She-Crab soup is
supposed to be great! Also, if you want great pie, try the little health
food/boiledpeanut place in Mt.Pleasant. All in all, we love Charleston.
But hope it doesn't get too much bigger. We were there the second week of
July this year. My wife,son and I just returned from our first trip
to Charleston. We arrived 7/27/97 and left 7/31/97. The city is beautiful
and we had a great time. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Harborview across
the Ashley River. We had a great view. We did the carriage tour and the
walking tour visiting several homes. We did the Fort Sumter tour and spent
a day at Middleton Place and the Magnolia Gardens. We also enjoyed the
Charleston Museum and the Manigault House. We found a couple of small
seafood restaurants that we enjoyed but the place that really stood out
for us was Pusser's on Lockwood drive by the marina. The people were great
and the food outstanding. We couldn't fit everything in but we do look
forward to coming back to see what we missed. Thank you to the people of
Charleston for being so gracious. Bill Bilger 8/4/97 We just returned from a fantastic week (July 11 -
19) in Charleston. We spent four days at Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms and
had the beach all to ourselves. We found the Wreck but missed dinner by
arriving at 9:00 p.m. The other seafood restaurants in Shem's Creek were
good. My favorite meal there was in McClellanville at the Crab Pot. Very
fresh and delicious seafood. We moved into the Historic District for our
reservation at The Meeting Street Inn. This is a very lovely and romantic
Bed & Breakfast across the street from the Market and a few blocks from
the Battery. The location was perfect for shopping on King Street and
sightseeing. By all means, use Old South for your tour. We went with them
twice and enjoyed our guide as much as the tour of this beautiful and
historic city. We got married in the Inn's courtyard by Lin Lewis of
Mobile Marriages. Lin is a terrific lady and she helped me a lot in
planning the wedding. The staff of the Inn were exceptionally kind,
friendly and interested in helping us have a memorable vacation. I highly
recommend Carolina's. It's pricey but worth every penny. We plan on
returning for our anniversary (if not before). We just returned from a 3 night/4 day trip visit in
Charleston (7/26-29/97). We had a marvelous time, though it was extremely
hot and humid. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the food at Magnolia's, try
the Shrimp/Sausage and Grits. We also enjoyed TBonz(try the Market Street
Chicken and Shrimp Sandwich--spicy) and California Dreaming. We tried
unsuccessfully for 2 nights to find The Wreck of Richard and Catherine,
someone please put some good directions on the net. One night we settled
for the Trawler on Shem Creek, we were not totally pleased. Jennifer's
fish was not acceptable, it was spongy and tasted bad. They did fix this
by bringing her some more shrimp, and our waiter was very helpful. Our
experience was not good, though it was recommended by some friends. We had
a wonderful carraige tour with Old South Carraige Co. buy tix at the
Visitor's Centers and receive a discount and a DASH pass. We were
diappointed in the DASH system. We had heard it was very good, but our
experience was that it was very unreliable to its "20 minute Schedule." We
did the water color book self guided walking tour and found it very
fascinating and leading us to wonderful adventures. It took longer in the
July heat than the 2 hours the book suggests. Two places that we highly
recommend are the Charleston Preservation Society on Meeting and Calhoun
and the City Hall. The Preservation Society building has an interesting
display and helpful workers and the furthest south public bathrooms, try
to stop by there early in your tour. City Hall has a free tour of the
Council chambers. Go in and ask, its on the second floor. We enjoyed
Charleston so much we are discussing when we can return. After sending in my comments about my trip to
Charleston in March and my dining experiences I got some rather rude
replies! Some suggestion was made that I should not criticize the Wreck!
In my opinion forums are created to have people talk about their good and
bad experiences. This was my fourth annual trip to Charleston. I have
always loved our time there and have had some great meals. After driving
over 900 miles, sometimes through blizzards, I feel entitled to give my
honest opinions. My favorite restaurants in Charleston are SNOB
(Slightly North of Broad) and Millon. My experience at Millon shows the
generous and helpful attitude of Charlestonians. In November of 1996 were
in Charleston on a short vacation when we realized out credit card number
had been stolen so we could no longer use that card. We were able to get
by with personal checks and a Discover card. A few days later we went to
Millon for dinner. After a fabulous meal (I recommend the seafood
risotto)with excellent service we found out they do not accept the
Discover card. We did not have any personal checks with us, so I offered
that my husband would wait while I ran to our room to get a check. But the
maitre d' insisted we just drop the check by anytime. Trust and respect
and service like that are hard to find. Not to mention good food. My husband and I and another couple (all from Texas)
visited Charleston in June for the second time (first time was 1987). It
is my favorite city and favorite place to visit. The charm, old houses,
battery, market, and horse-drawn carriages are so unique and memorable.
The restaurants are worth the trip. Our favorite restaurants were
"Poogan's Porch" and "The Wreck". Thanks to the Travelogue, we knew about
"The Wreck"; otherwise, we may have missed it. Thanks, Charleston, for a
wonderful vacation! Visited Charleston in June, 1997. Previous visit was
in 1987. It is my favorite city to visit when I want a relaxing vacation.
The restaurants (I prefer seafood) are so great (particularly Poogan's
Porch and The Wreck). The Streets of Charleston are very unique. Anyone
who has not visited is missing one of the U. S.'s most charming cities.
Last March break(97) we again went to Isle of Palms
for our kid's March break. While it is not as hot as Florida would be it
was still very pleasant. We loved our stay and really enjoyed dining at
Stickey Fingers (Charleston) and T-Bonz (Mt. Pleasant). We were however,
disappointed in our favourite restaurant (Sullivan's-Sullivans Island).
Another restaurant that was highly recommented (The Wreck-Mt.Pleasant)
also was terriable! For what some restaurants charge for seafood is bad
enough-but when it is bad it is a real disappointment. Anyway, we still
love going there and will be back again! I guess you have to check out
places and not rely on other peoples's recommendations! I spent 3 days in Charleston, S.C. in February.
After doing much research (Internet, Visitor's book, AAA book, and talking
with a friend who lived there for 2 years); I can make some of my own
recommendations. Its amazing how different people's tastes are. But I can
recommend a few places to dine that seem to praised by all. I had brunch
at Blossom Cafe. The service was good, atmosphere progressive, and the
meal excellent (grilled salmon, parmesan polenta, poached eggs). Dinner at
Anson's was excellent, (I had succulent oysters for an app., and even
though my duck entree was on the edge of being med-well, it still melted
in my mouth); and service was very good, (but someone must tell them the
vinyl tablecloths gotta go). I had a pizza at the Southend Brewery and
Smokehouse (Vendue and East Bay); white table cloths, but to me, a more
casual micro-brewery (the Carolina Blonde brew could quench any thirst).
Huge old warehouse, apparently a $4 million renovation. I ended my trip
with Magnolias. My friend told me it was "touristy"; I imagine after
living there for 2 years and hearing so much about it one may feel that
way; but it couln't be farther from the truth. I sat in the back room (the
Gallery?); dark green walls; cozier than the more active front area. My
dinner was excellent, my server excellent (he actually had something new
and interesting to say every time he put something in front of me). You
must start with the eggroll (chef's signature item). The glass wines list
was very nice also. After dinner, I window-shopped through Charleston
Place and stopped for dessert at Louis's Charleston Grill. What a great
way to end an evening with a jazz duo. 6/16/97 My husband and I just returned from our
first trip to Charleston, S.C. We ended up staying at the Charleston Place
(Omni) Hotel. It was probably the best hotel I've ever stayed in. We got
an incredible discount for the room, too. They will bargain with you if
you keep pressing. I think we got about $150-$200 off the original room
rate. I just got back from a wonderful vacation in
Charleston and want to let you know about the best kept secret ... Brix
Restaurant on Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasnt! They serve contemporary French
cuisine at reasonable prices; it is not to be missed. I highly recommend
Brix to all (843) 881-2246. For the coldest beer and true Charlestonian
fellowship visit my ole watering hole the WINDJAMMER,ISLE OF PALMS,TELL
Malcolm or Bill I sent you and see what TWENTY years AFTER,will getcha!
My nephew moved to Charleston about 12 years ago and
I have gone there every year since because I fell in love with the city.
I've already been there in Februay and April of this year. Don't miss
Magnolia Plantation, Boone Hall, and Middleton Place. They are beautiful
and soooo full of great history. The Market downtown is a super place to
pick up souvenirs, then spend the day browsing the shops (don't miss TG's)
and the city sites. Stop in at Tommy Condon's for lunch for some good
Irish potatoe chowder or She Crab Soup. Poogan's Porch has very good pecan
pie. Cappy's has good seafood on John's Island and Gilligans is a good
family seafood place. California Dreaming is wonderful and the view of the
Ashley River is magnificent. We've seen dolphins in the river as we dined.
Get a window table. Though not born in Charleston, I have always
considered Charleston home. It is the most fantasic city that I have come
to find in this world as a world traveler, but there is always a
connection to some foreign land as can be seen in the stores downtown. I
highly recommend Mike Calders Pub at 288 King street for everything from a
simple sandwich to an inexpensive but absolutely delicious dinner. It is
truely a family run joint as more times than not, you will see Mike behind
the bar, his father at the register, his mom in the kitchen, and his
little brother running around bussing tables or taking orders. Mike's is a
local hangout where the Lunch Crowd is usually the same people every day.
Mike has on tap a number of imports, and American draft beers and ales.
For a gourmet meal, I recommend 82 Queen with their fabulous dinners, but
it can be a bit on the pricey side, but it is still cheaper than most of
the places you can get a much less gourmet meal in New York. Make sure you
stop by Crogan's Jewl Box on King street, and buy something for your lady
at one of the only jewelry store sin the lowcountry that is still owned by
the same family that has owned it for decades. As well as stopping by M.
Dumas and Son's mor all your clothing needs. Charleston is a great city to
visit, and be from!! ALEX MOZINGO Surprised my honey with a surprise Honeymoon and we
spent Sunday through Monday 4/13-14 there. The only problem: Too damn
short! |
