If you're staying in Mt P and venturing towards Sullivan's, consider a meal somewhere on Shem Creek where you can sit outside.
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Going to visit Charleston, SC (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter On The Rocks
- Start date
Mjolnirs
Footballguy
I've eaten at Fleet Landing once, no complaints. The suggestion of Shem Creek is good stuff.
A cruise ship in town will mess with traffic, so be prepared. Basically, if coming downtown from Mt. P before the ship leaves, avoid East Bay Street in the car. Go over towards King or Meeting and work your way down.
A cruise ship in town will mess with traffic, so be prepared. Basically, if coming downtown from Mt. P before the ship leaves, avoid East Bay Street in the car. Go over towards King or Meeting and work your way down.
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
Had a terrific time. Would visit again, would recommend to a friend.
As I suspected, we ended up spending more time doing nothing at the beach than we originally planned. Our rental was on Isle Of Palms in the Wild Dunes resort area, a condo that looked out at the beach: walk out the patio, over a dune, across some sand, and there's the ocean. We hired a service (Chunky's) to set up two chairs and an umbrella on the beach for us each day of our stay. For flyover country people like us, this was the best money we spent. Didn't have to lug beach chairs in and out, didn't have to waste time setting up a beach umbrella (they used an auger to dig a deep hole in the sand to place the umbrella pole, didn't waver in the wind at all), spent hours just sitting at the beach and watching the water roll in, plus the occasional dolphin. Really liked taking the chairs down to the water's edge, getting feet wet from the ocean. We were pretty deep into the resort, so the beach wasn't too crowded - too inconvenient for public beach access seekers.
Did a walking tour of alleys and passageways in Charleston. I'm into architecture. My wife is into old houses. This tour delivered on both. Loved the piazzas and how the houses were designed to use the ocean breeze for house cooling in an era before air conditioning. And the iron work everywhere was so inspired. Liked the unconventional nature of the tour - we could self-tour Waterfront Park and the Battery just fine, but the history of the houses and streets was better with a guide.
Hit the water twice. Once was a sunset sail (Charleston Sailing Adventures) on a catamaran. This was much more laid back and quiet than a lot of the "booze cruises" on the water, though it was BYOB and a couple of middle-aged women got a little tipsy. It was a beautiful evening with a few low clouds, which made the sunset prettier. The crew didn't have a monologue to recite; just took questions from the group. We had so much fun. Couple hours on the water - about 40 minutes going out to Fort Sumter and such, rest of the time coming back in against the wind, watching sunset over Charleston. There were a couple of enormous container ships out on the water, which was cool for us to appreciate Charleston's shipping volume, and the dolphins like to swim in their wake, so that was fun, too. Enjoyed talking with the captain about auto industry in South Carolina and how the ports in Charleston and Savannah have brought manufacturing to the area and inland. "BMW may officially be Bavarian Motor Works, but BMW SUVs are our biggest export, so down here it's 'Bubba Makes Wheels'." Just a wonderful evening, totally worth the slight premium for the smaller boat and passenger count.
Also did a more conventional harbor cruise on a much bigger boat on a different morning. Preferred the sunset sail, but still enjoyed it a lot. Covered a lot of the same territory, but being new to visiting the area, liked seeing it all under the bright morning sun and the darker sunset.
Had planned to visit Middleton plantation. We scratched that for more beach time.
Did a carriage tour. Was interesting seeing the lottery system that selected your tour, but would have preferred choosing our own path. Not really into horses, especially when they are wearing poop-catchers and take a huge #### right as the tour starts. Wasn't our favorite thing, but someone more into horses and/or wanting to see the city for an hour while off their feet would dig it.
For a little more local flavor, we hit up the City Market sheds for a couple hours. I'm sure King Street shopping was where the real action was, but we prefer shopping local when we can. Liked meeting some of the local artists and entrepreneurs. The wife befriended a local purveyor of locally-made soaps and beauty products, adding several pounds to our luggage for the return flight that did not exist on the flight out.
Walked the Battery, White Point Park, and Waterfront Park self-guided. Really pretty. Love the Pineapple Fountain. And the Italian Ice cart right by it.
I'll put the restaurants we tried in a separate post. Wow was the food great.
As I suspected, we ended up spending more time doing nothing at the beach than we originally planned. Our rental was on Isle Of Palms in the Wild Dunes resort area, a condo that looked out at the beach: walk out the patio, over a dune, across some sand, and there's the ocean. We hired a service (Chunky's) to set up two chairs and an umbrella on the beach for us each day of our stay. For flyover country people like us, this was the best money we spent. Didn't have to lug beach chairs in and out, didn't have to waste time setting up a beach umbrella (they used an auger to dig a deep hole in the sand to place the umbrella pole, didn't waver in the wind at all), spent hours just sitting at the beach and watching the water roll in, plus the occasional dolphin. Really liked taking the chairs down to the water's edge, getting feet wet from the ocean. We were pretty deep into the resort, so the beach wasn't too crowded - too inconvenient for public beach access seekers.
Did a walking tour of alleys and passageways in Charleston. I'm into architecture. My wife is into old houses. This tour delivered on both. Loved the piazzas and how the houses were designed to use the ocean breeze for house cooling in an era before air conditioning. And the iron work everywhere was so inspired. Liked the unconventional nature of the tour - we could self-tour Waterfront Park and the Battery just fine, but the history of the houses and streets was better with a guide.
Hit the water twice. Once was a sunset sail (Charleston Sailing Adventures) on a catamaran. This was much more laid back and quiet than a lot of the "booze cruises" on the water, though it was BYOB and a couple of middle-aged women got a little tipsy. It was a beautiful evening with a few low clouds, which made the sunset prettier. The crew didn't have a monologue to recite; just took questions from the group. We had so much fun. Couple hours on the water - about 40 minutes going out to Fort Sumter and such, rest of the time coming back in against the wind, watching sunset over Charleston. There were a couple of enormous container ships out on the water, which was cool for us to appreciate Charleston's shipping volume, and the dolphins like to swim in their wake, so that was fun, too. Enjoyed talking with the captain about auto industry in South Carolina and how the ports in Charleston and Savannah have brought manufacturing to the area and inland. "BMW may officially be Bavarian Motor Works, but BMW SUVs are our biggest export, so down here it's 'Bubba Makes Wheels'." Just a wonderful evening, totally worth the slight premium for the smaller boat and passenger count.
Also did a more conventional harbor cruise on a much bigger boat on a different morning. Preferred the sunset sail, but still enjoyed it a lot. Covered a lot of the same territory, but being new to visiting the area, liked seeing it all under the bright morning sun and the darker sunset.
Had planned to visit Middleton plantation. We scratched that for more beach time.
Did a carriage tour. Was interesting seeing the lottery system that selected your tour, but would have preferred choosing our own path. Not really into horses, especially when they are wearing poop-catchers and take a huge #### right as the tour starts. Wasn't our favorite thing, but someone more into horses and/or wanting to see the city for an hour while off their feet would dig it.
For a little more local flavor, we hit up the City Market sheds for a couple hours. I'm sure King Street shopping was where the real action was, but we prefer shopping local when we can. Liked meeting some of the local artists and entrepreneurs. The wife befriended a local purveyor of locally-made soaps and beauty products, adding several pounds to our luggage for the return flight that did not exist on the flight out.
Walked the Battery, White Point Park, and Waterfront Park self-guided. Really pretty. Love the Pineapple Fountain. And the Italian Ice cart right by it.
I'll put the restaurants we tried in a separate post. Wow was the food great.
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
When my wife and I try a restaurant for the first time, we tend to order a little extra and share everything, get a chance to try different flavors and totally willing to take some home. A server who knows the menu well and willing to make recommendations will get tipped well because we know we make them work a little extra. Listed in no particular order are where we ate in the Charleston area
Page's Okra Grill, Mt. Pleasant - Went there for breakfast shrimp & grits and chicken & waffles. So good, so generous. Got there early enough to get seated right away. Took some back to the rental and finished them off the next day. My wife's favorite shrimp & grits of the trip, and my second-favorite. And we had a lot of shrimp & grits. Casual joint that delivered on the plates and a great staff. Felt like we paid a lot less here than at other places we tried, yet was one of our favorite places. You should eat here.
Coda Del Pesce, Isle Of Palms - little Italian place on the second floor of a building facing the ocean. Oh man, was this fabulous. The pasta and seafood were fresh, inspired combinations, no survivors. A bit more expensive than our usual choices (we're casual people), but they delivered. Highly recommend the tagliatelle with blue crab if it's on the menu.
Trattoria Lucca, Charleston - neighborhood Italian place run by same crew that runs Coda Del Pesce. More red sauce than Coda, but red sauce is kinda my thing. What a fun rivalry those two restaurants must have when both are so good. Our server, Scott, is a big football fan and requested the next time I go to Arrowhead to call the restaurant (they are closed on Sundays) and leave him a voicemail of the Arrowhead crowd. In fact, I recommend anyone reading this to call the restaurant from the stadium on an NFL Sunday and leave Scott a voicemail of the crowd noise.
Lewis Barbecue, Charleston - didn't think we would have BBQ on the trip because we get so much good BBQ at home, but had to try the brisket here. Walked in right as they opened so they weren't busy yet. Got to chat with the chef a little bit; we talked KC BBQ scene. The brisket is the star of the show here, I preferred the sliced to the chopped. I liked how you could customize your order down to individual slices; almost ordered one rib because you could, but I like ribs too much to get just one. Their original sauce was IMO average, but their Tangy Vinegar sauce was dynamite on the brisket both ways, and the Green Chile sauce was really good, too.
Acme Lowcountry Kitchen, Isle Of Palms - only place we ate at twice. Yum. Their dinner menu has shrimp & grits ten ways. Their shrimp & grits with scallops and smoked sausage was probably my favorite plate of the whole trip. The seafood creole was spectacular, too. There was a shrimp appetizer special with siracha honey that should get promoted to the main menu. Had dinner there early in the trip, went back for breakfast late in the trip, where I had shrimp & grits with sausage, tomatoes, and onions. I really like shrimp & grits.
Tavern & Table, Shem Creek - late add recommended by the table next to us at Coda Del Pesce. Got there right when they opened for lunch so we could get a deck table right up on the creek. Told the server we would just be ordering off the appetizer menu; he responded by basically ranking the appetizer menu from top to bottom for someone from flyover country eating there for the first time. Our favorite thing there was a lightly breaded shrimp with a honey pepper sauce that was a great mix of sweet and heat. Skillet cornbread was really good, too. Had a blast trying different small plates and watching the boats come in and out. A family of dolphins followed a boat in, which was fun to see.
The Obstinate Daughter, Sullivan's Island - only dud of the whole trip. They called us to confirm our reservation, we checked it early but they still seated us late, unnecessary noise, seafood wasn't fresh, wood-fired pizza was bland and uninspired. Read a lot of hype about the Geechie Frites, but they tasted like tater tots gone wrong to us. Was weird such a highly-regarded place in such a high-rent district was so ordinary. Couldn't get out of there fast enough.
Wood & Grain, Mt. Pleasant - stopped by here for a late pizza after our sunset sail. The crust was good, toppings are alright, not a lot of inspiration, price seemed high for the ingredients quality and atmosphere. Will say there was also a raw bar there we did not try which might be the real star of the place.
Crave, Mt. Pleasant - late replacement for Opal after Wood & Grain was underwhelming. Oh baby, is this place terrific. In the middle of a strip mall but once inside it was quiet and homey, had a table for two up against a room divider that reduced the traffic by us. Restaurant is the Mac & Cheese title belt holder that recently launched a Mac & Cheese food truck. We tried the Mac & Cheese with braised shortribs, an absolute delight. I was scraping the bottom of the cup of the She Crab Soup. My entree was surf & turf strip steak with blue crab, asparagus, gorgonzola mashed potatoes, well-constructed and delicious. Bread pudding isn't my thing, but my wife thought it was so good so took half of it home and had it for breakfast the next day.
High Thyme, Sullivan's Island - great little bistro you should go to instead of Obstinate Daughter. Recommend the mahi mahi with gouda grits and pineapple salsa, an inspired fusion of Southern technique and Polynesian flavors.
Cru Cafe, Charleston - house-turned-restaurant near where the horse carriage tours launch. Friendly staff, highly recommend the Shrimp BLT.
Page's Okra Grill, Mt. Pleasant - Went there for breakfast shrimp & grits and chicken & waffles. So good, so generous. Got there early enough to get seated right away. Took some back to the rental and finished them off the next day. My wife's favorite shrimp & grits of the trip, and my second-favorite. And we had a lot of shrimp & grits. Casual joint that delivered on the plates and a great staff. Felt like we paid a lot less here than at other places we tried, yet was one of our favorite places. You should eat here.
Coda Del Pesce, Isle Of Palms - little Italian place on the second floor of a building facing the ocean. Oh man, was this fabulous. The pasta and seafood were fresh, inspired combinations, no survivors. A bit more expensive than our usual choices (we're casual people), but they delivered. Highly recommend the tagliatelle with blue crab if it's on the menu.
Trattoria Lucca, Charleston - neighborhood Italian place run by same crew that runs Coda Del Pesce. More red sauce than Coda, but red sauce is kinda my thing. What a fun rivalry those two restaurants must have when both are so good. Our server, Scott, is a big football fan and requested the next time I go to Arrowhead to call the restaurant (they are closed on Sundays) and leave him a voicemail of the Arrowhead crowd. In fact, I recommend anyone reading this to call the restaurant from the stadium on an NFL Sunday and leave Scott a voicemail of the crowd noise.
Lewis Barbecue, Charleston - didn't think we would have BBQ on the trip because we get so much good BBQ at home, but had to try the brisket here. Walked in right as they opened so they weren't busy yet. Got to chat with the chef a little bit; we talked KC BBQ scene. The brisket is the star of the show here, I preferred the sliced to the chopped. I liked how you could customize your order down to individual slices; almost ordered one rib because you could, but I like ribs too much to get just one. Their original sauce was IMO average, but their Tangy Vinegar sauce was dynamite on the brisket both ways, and the Green Chile sauce was really good, too.
Acme Lowcountry Kitchen, Isle Of Palms - only place we ate at twice. Yum. Their dinner menu has shrimp & grits ten ways. Their shrimp & grits with scallops and smoked sausage was probably my favorite plate of the whole trip. The seafood creole was spectacular, too. There was a shrimp appetizer special with siracha honey that should get promoted to the main menu. Had dinner there early in the trip, went back for breakfast late in the trip, where I had shrimp & grits with sausage, tomatoes, and onions. I really like shrimp & grits.
Tavern & Table, Shem Creek - late add recommended by the table next to us at Coda Del Pesce. Got there right when they opened for lunch so we could get a deck table right up on the creek. Told the server we would just be ordering off the appetizer menu; he responded by basically ranking the appetizer menu from top to bottom for someone from flyover country eating there for the first time. Our favorite thing there was a lightly breaded shrimp with a honey pepper sauce that was a great mix of sweet and heat. Skillet cornbread was really good, too. Had a blast trying different small plates and watching the boats come in and out. A family of dolphins followed a boat in, which was fun to see.
The Obstinate Daughter, Sullivan's Island - only dud of the whole trip. They called us to confirm our reservation, we checked it early but they still seated us late, unnecessary noise, seafood wasn't fresh, wood-fired pizza was bland and uninspired. Read a lot of hype about the Geechie Frites, but they tasted like tater tots gone wrong to us. Was weird such a highly-regarded place in such a high-rent district was so ordinary. Couldn't get out of there fast enough.
Wood & Grain, Mt. Pleasant - stopped by here for a late pizza after our sunset sail. The crust was good, toppings are alright, not a lot of inspiration, price seemed high for the ingredients quality and atmosphere. Will say there was also a raw bar there we did not try which might be the real star of the place.
Crave, Mt. Pleasant - late replacement for Opal after Wood & Grain was underwhelming. Oh baby, is this place terrific. In the middle of a strip mall but once inside it was quiet and homey, had a table for two up against a room divider that reduced the traffic by us. Restaurant is the Mac & Cheese title belt holder that recently launched a Mac & Cheese food truck. We tried the Mac & Cheese with braised shortribs, an absolute delight. I was scraping the bottom of the cup of the She Crab Soup. My entree was surf & turf strip steak with blue crab, asparagus, gorgonzola mashed potatoes, well-constructed and delicious. Bread pudding isn't my thing, but my wife thought it was so good so took half of it home and had it for breakfast the next day.
High Thyme, Sullivan's Island - great little bistro you should go to instead of Obstinate Daughter. Recommend the mahi mahi with gouda grits and pineapple salsa, an inspired fusion of Southern technique and Polynesian flavors.
Cru Cafe, Charleston - house-turned-restaurant near where the horse carriage tours launch. Friendly staff, highly recommend the Shrimp BLT.
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Mjolnirs
Footballguy
Great write ups, I read them to my wife, she said well done. I'm glad you had a great time. It is amazing how plans can change when you just want to sit and look at the ocean. It is captivating.
We are pretty basic in our eating habits and when people ask me about where to eat in Charleston, I usually have a short list. Page's and Lewis are the only two places in your review that I have even heard of ... I need to get out more. My wife said she has read about Cru, they are supposed to have a decent Gluten Free selection. That limits our selections even more now.
Love it when people come here and love it ... as long as they all don't move here!
Oh, my mom makes killer shrimp and grits!
We are pretty basic in our eating habits and when people ask me about where to eat in Charleston, I usually have a short list. Page's and Lewis are the only two places in your review that I have even heard of ... I need to get out more. My wife said she has read about Cru, they are supposed to have a decent Gluten Free selection. That limits our selections even more now.
Love it when people come here and love it ... as long as they all don't move here!
Oh, my mom makes killer shrimp and grits!
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
It’s one thing to see pretty pictures of the ocean. It’s another to hear it, and on choppy days when seaweed is getting churned up, you can smell it. My wife and I will remember those beach chair days fondly: sitting there doing nothing watching the waves roll in, get nice and relaxed as the edge of the water hits our feet, then picking up the chairs and moving to adjust to the tide’s position. It was terrific. I lost a hat and sunglasses to the surf, but that’s why I spend $10 on sunglasses and wore an old beat-up hat to the beach.
One of our boat tour captains told us on average there are about 88 new arrivals to the Charleston area per day: about 18 births, and 70 moving to the area for jobs. Said Boeing and the car manufacturers are drawing a lot of new workers to town.
We were eating shrimp every day on the trip. After a while, we could tell who was using local shrimp caught within the last couple days and who was using frozen stuff. One of the crew on our daytime harbor tour said demand for shrimp is so high in Charleston, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Savannah there are shrimp boats that can thrive by catching and delivering never-frozen shrimp. Was so fun not having to drown shrimp in cocktail sauce or siracha because the fresh stuff is so good.
Also discovered when scallops are fresh and seared by a chef who knows what they are doing, they are spectacular.
We will be back. There’s an ocean, boats, great seafood, nice people, and warm weather. That’s a lot to like.
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Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
In The Zone
Footballguy
@Bruce Dickinson I'm glad ya'll had a great time. The wife and I will be there in a couple of weeks and have some of the same activities planned as you. It's good to see that you really enjoyed yourself. Page's Okra Grill is on our list and maybe one or two others that you ate at. I'm gonna devour some seafood.
One question, how did you get around? Rental? Taxi? Uber? I'm going to have my vehicle but may not want to drive everywhere and am curious about Uber/Lyft rates.
One question, how did you get around? Rental? Taxi? Uber? I'm going to have my vehicle but may not want to drive everywhere and am curious about Uber/Lyft rates.
In The Zone
Footballguy
Do you have any recommendations @ Shem Creek? Vickery's looks like it may be good as well as Table & Tavern which Bruce enjoyed. I've seen a lot of mixed reviews on RBs.
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
We rented a car. We flew in to CHS, picked up a rental car, and drove to Savannah for a few days. Then we drove back to Isle Of Palms to check in to our condo.
Since Isle Of Palms was out on the edge of Charleston civilization, we were glad we had a car. But if we were staying in the middle of Charleston we probably wouldn’t have needed one. During our Savannah leg, our hotel was smack dab in the middle of the city. We parked the car and left it there until we left to go back to Charleston - a lot of walking, but the occasional Uber.
In Savannah, the minimum charge for an Uber was around $6.
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
I was glad we walked into Lewis knowing the Pitmaster was an old Franklin guy. Knew their brisket game would be strong.I know food stuffHope you had a good time.
i don’t think I’ve been to a BBQ place that customized portions as much as Lewis does. When I ordered sliced brisket, the chef asked “lean or fatty side”, sliced it right there at the counter, weighed it, and priced it with a grease pencil on the butcher paper. Then when the meats were portioned they slid me down the counter to the sides steward. Iron Chef judges would have given him a Plating score of 1. They would have missed the point.
When I answered “fatty side”, he responded “that was the correct answer”. Yes, sir, it was. And delicious.
General Malaise
Footballguy
Great review! Thanks for putting this together.Bruce Dickinson said:
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
Thank you for your kind words.Great review! Thanks for putting this together.
I kept hoping to encounter Bill Murray. The funny thing was, I never had to ask a tour guide or boat captain about Murray; they led with their Murray material. Here's some intel on him I gathered:
Murray used to own one of the biggest houses on Sullivan's Island. His ex-wife lives in that house now. Bill lives in Mt. Pleasant. The new champion of the big celebrity fame and huge house on Sullivan's Island combo is Reese Witherspoon.
Murray owns a minority stake in the Charleston RiverDogs, a Class A affiliate of the Yankees. He goes to a lot of games. He made a documentary with his brother touring minor league ballparks in the southeast to help boost attendance in the region.
If you want to have an encounter with Murray, let him come to you. If you spot him and wave at him, he will turn away. If you walk up to him and quote your favorite Bill Murray movie, he will not be impressed or appreciative, and won't stick around. And do not dare try to talk to him in the middle of an at-bat at the ballpark - he's far more interested in what the pitcher is going to throw on this 2-2 count than how much you liked Lost In Translation.
Murray likes to sneak up on unsuspecting people and prank them in ways that would be difficult to prove. Like quietly walk around the shadows of a bar, approach a person seated alone, grab their drink from them and slam it, tell them "no one will ever believe you" and bolt out of the place before any photos can be taken. Or walk by a corner table in a restaurant, grab the dessert off their plate with his bare hand and stuff it into his mouth, and walk out without saying a word.
Murray has his favorite restaurants and bars that will let him roam as if he owns the place. There's a breakfast place (can't recall the name) that will let him hop over the counter and cook his own crepes in the kitchen.
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Mjolnirs
Footballguy
Here's the really sad thing, I live 15 miles, as the crow flies, from the beach. I have not been there since last last summer. And only twice last summer.
It's these type of stories that, to me, just make him sound like an ###.
Yes. It's a Texas thing. And absolutely the right thing. It's the easiest tell for a BBQ place, If you order "fatty" or "lean" and they just stare at you, adjust your expectations.
James Daulton
Footballguy
Headed down to Isle of Palm for a few nights in two weeks. We've been to Charleston so we've done the architectural tour, buggy ride, and plantation visit.
I'd like to do some fishing so I'll figure that out. We plan to spend most of our time on the beach and eating good food. Sounds like Page's Okra Grill, Coda Del Pesce, and Acme Lowcountry Kitchen are musts. We love seafood, particularly shrimp and scallops so these joints seem right up our alley.
How were the waves?
Thanks for the great write-up.
I'd like to do some fishing so I'll figure that out. We plan to spend most of our time on the beach and eating good food. Sounds like Page's Okra Grill, Coda Del Pesce, and Acme Lowcountry Kitchen are musts. We love seafood, particularly shrimp and scallops so these joints seem right up our alley.
How were the waves?
Thanks for the great write-up.
Bruce Dickinson
Footballguy
Out where we were, one day the waves were strong enough for decent boogie boarding, but never got big enough to surf. Saw a few windsurfers and kiteboarding, and of course lots of kayakers. We had a lot of little breakers really close to the beach, which were pleasant to look at and created that ocean sound easy to tune into and shut out other noise.
Lots of pelicans and other seabirds fishing in the ocean close the to beach. We saw squadrons up to 8-9 of them scouting the water then diving down to eat. And on the most active wave day, a couple dolphins got within a few hundred feet of the beach. That was fun.
Coda Del Pesce and Trattoria Lucca will probably require reservations and they are phone-in only. Acme Lowcountry Kitchen is on OpenTable. I don’t think Page’s takes reservations (they aren’t on OpenTable or Resy), we went for breakfast shortly after they opened to avoid a long wait.
Lots of pelicans and other seabirds fishing in the ocean close the to beach. We saw squadrons up to 8-9 of them scouting the water then diving down to eat. And on the most active wave day, a couple dolphins got within a few hundred feet of the beach. That was fun.
Coda Del Pesce and Trattoria Lucca will probably require reservations and they are phone-in only. Acme Lowcountry Kitchen is on OpenTable. I don’t think Page’s takes reservations (they aren’t on OpenTable or Resy), we went for breakfast shortly after they opened to avoid a long wait.
Mjolnirs
Footballguy
In The Zone
Footballguy
Well I've been back from Charleston for a couple of weeks and we had a great time. We will definitely be back. We were only in town for around 50 hours but got a lot done.
FRIDAY
We left the house around 10am and arrived at our hotel in Mt. Pleasant around noon and our room was ready. We checked in got settled in the room and then headed to Sullivan's Island. 1st stop was Poe's Tavern. This place was packed but we only waited 20 minutes for our table. This place is famous for their burgers and they did not disappoint. I had the Tell-Tale Heart. It came with a fried egg, Applewood bacon, and cheddar cheese. We left Poe's stuffed and headed to Fort Moultrie. It's only $5 for a family to visit the fort. My ####### decided to climb on a cannon that was facing the harbor and take some pictures. Well When I jumped down off the cannon my shorts caught on the thing and ripped about a foot of my back pocket and ### with my underwear showing so we cut the visit a little short. We really enjoyed our visit but it was hot and humid at this point of the day so we headed to the beach on Sullivan's Island. We had a very relaxing time here and will be back.We hung out here for an hour or so and then headed back to the hotel via a trip through the Ie of Palms.
After resting at the hotel for a while we headed out to hang with the locals at Waterfront Memorial Park in Mt.Pleasant. There was live music a a movie at dark. We enjoyed the music for a while then walked down to the pier which is below the Arthur Ravenel Bridge. Watched a woman catch an eel. We got a beautiful sunset from the end of the pier. Left here and went to Vickery's at Shem Creek which was alright. I got the fried shrimp and scallops which were good just a little pricey. After dinner we walked around Shem Creek Park for a bit and then headed back to the hotel.
Saturday started with my worst meal of the trip, the free breakfast at the hotel. Just awful. The only decent thing was the waffles and you had to cook it yourself so I only tried my wife's. Now off to the Historic District. Parked and hit up this coffee shop called Bitty and Beau's . This place has a great story with hiring autistic men and women. The young man that took my order asked where I was from and then told me the name and the years of the schools that split off from my high school. He said that he was from the Charleston area. I was amazed. Anyway, we started walking and did our own self-guided tour. Headed down Church Street to St. Philips Church which was closed. Hit Washington Square, which was beautiful then passed through the Four Corners of Law. We then arrived as St. Michael's Church was opening so we got to go in and were alone. Gorgeous sanctuary. Got to see pew 43 where George Washington and Robert E Lee sat for services. Went out to the cemetery and found the grave of John Rutledge and Charles Coatesworth Pinkney, 2 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Left here and headed south to White Point Gardens, and the Battery. Great picture opps here. Just stunning. The only negative were the White Supremacist. I ignored them the best I could.We then headed north on E Bay Street to Rainbow Row and then cut over to Waterfront Park. It was scorching at this point so yes we did. We took off the shoes and got in the Pineapple Fountain. Finished walking the park , checked out the swings and got some pictures of the cruise ship before heading to Fleet Landing for lunch. They were telling people it was an hour and a half wait but we were seated within 15 minutes due to using open table to book a reservation. I had the red snapper with red rice and it was fantastic. After lunch we walked the Market then got the truck and went back to the hotel to relax for a while.
Well, we relaxed a little too long as we had the Hootie concert that night starting at 7pm. Well I was determined that I was going to eat at Page's Okra Grill so that's where we headed and we got our buzzer from the hostess at 6:35 and was told an hour wait. 25 minutes later we were being seated. @Bruce Dickinson is correct. This place is awesome. I ordered the Brisket Mac and Cheese app and it was phenomenal. The shrimp and grits was great as well. It was actually fried grit cakes with shrimp and andouille sausage gravy with a biscuit. Man I'm ready to go back. We had leftovers as well. Oh yeah, their hushpuppies were off the chain.
Left Page's and headed to the concert. Had a hard time finding parking but got parked and got in the stadium . No sooner than we got to our section getting ready to head to our seats Hootie hit the stage. They played for 2 hours and sounded great. Got back to the hotel, finished my dinner and went to bed.
Sunday
The plan was to get up at a decent hour, check out and go to the Angel Oak before we go to our Sunday Brunch and Jazz cruise around the Harbor. Well, the tree didn't open up until 1 so we missed out and headed to the Charleston Marina for brunch. The food was so so as they served shrimp and grits, french toast casserole, eggs, bacon, potatoes, cookies, etc. The cruise part was awesome. It lasted about 2 hours and it was a treat to see Charleston from the water. After the cruise we made a quick stop at the Tanger Outlets in North Charleston and then drove home.
Overall we had a great time and will be back.
FRIDAY
We left the house around 10am and arrived at our hotel in Mt. Pleasant around noon and our room was ready. We checked in got settled in the room and then headed to Sullivan's Island. 1st stop was Poe's Tavern. This place was packed but we only waited 20 minutes for our table. This place is famous for their burgers and they did not disappoint. I had the Tell-Tale Heart. It came with a fried egg, Applewood bacon, and cheddar cheese. We left Poe's stuffed and headed to Fort Moultrie. It's only $5 for a family to visit the fort. My ####### decided to climb on a cannon that was facing the harbor and take some pictures. Well When I jumped down off the cannon my shorts caught on the thing and ripped about a foot of my back pocket and ### with my underwear showing so we cut the visit a little short. We really enjoyed our visit but it was hot and humid at this point of the day so we headed to the beach on Sullivan's Island. We had a very relaxing time here and will be back.We hung out here for an hour or so and then headed back to the hotel via a trip through the Ie of Palms.
After resting at the hotel for a while we headed out to hang with the locals at Waterfront Memorial Park in Mt.Pleasant. There was live music a a movie at dark. We enjoyed the music for a while then walked down to the pier which is below the Arthur Ravenel Bridge. Watched a woman catch an eel. We got a beautiful sunset from the end of the pier. Left here and went to Vickery's at Shem Creek which was alright. I got the fried shrimp and scallops which were good just a little pricey. After dinner we walked around Shem Creek Park for a bit and then headed back to the hotel.
Saturday started with my worst meal of the trip, the free breakfast at the hotel. Just awful. The only decent thing was the waffles and you had to cook it yourself so I only tried my wife's. Now off to the Historic District. Parked and hit up this coffee shop called Bitty and Beau's . This place has a great story with hiring autistic men and women. The young man that took my order asked where I was from and then told me the name and the years of the schools that split off from my high school. He said that he was from the Charleston area. I was amazed. Anyway, we started walking and did our own self-guided tour. Headed down Church Street to St. Philips Church which was closed. Hit Washington Square, which was beautiful then passed through the Four Corners of Law. We then arrived as St. Michael's Church was opening so we got to go in and were alone. Gorgeous sanctuary. Got to see pew 43 where George Washington and Robert E Lee sat for services. Went out to the cemetery and found the grave of John Rutledge and Charles Coatesworth Pinkney, 2 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Left here and headed south to White Point Gardens, and the Battery. Great picture opps here. Just stunning. The only negative were the White Supremacist. I ignored them the best I could.We then headed north on E Bay Street to Rainbow Row and then cut over to Waterfront Park. It was scorching at this point so yes we did. We took off the shoes and got in the Pineapple Fountain. Finished walking the park , checked out the swings and got some pictures of the cruise ship before heading to Fleet Landing for lunch. They were telling people it was an hour and a half wait but we were seated within 15 minutes due to using open table to book a reservation. I had the red snapper with red rice and it was fantastic. After lunch we walked the Market then got the truck and went back to the hotel to relax for a while.
Well, we relaxed a little too long as we had the Hootie concert that night starting at 7pm. Well I was determined that I was going to eat at Page's Okra Grill so that's where we headed and we got our buzzer from the hostess at 6:35 and was told an hour wait. 25 minutes later we were being seated. @Bruce Dickinson is correct. This place is awesome. I ordered the Brisket Mac and Cheese app and it was phenomenal. The shrimp and grits was great as well. It was actually fried grit cakes with shrimp and andouille sausage gravy with a biscuit. Man I'm ready to go back. We had leftovers as well. Oh yeah, their hushpuppies were off the chain.
Left Page's and headed to the concert. Had a hard time finding parking but got parked and got in the stadium . No sooner than we got to our section getting ready to head to our seats Hootie hit the stage. They played for 2 hours and sounded great. Got back to the hotel, finished my dinner and went to bed.
Sunday
The plan was to get up at a decent hour, check out and go to the Angel Oak before we go to our Sunday Brunch and Jazz cruise around the Harbor. Well, the tree didn't open up until 1 so we missed out and headed to the Charleston Marina for brunch. The food was so so as they served shrimp and grits, french toast casserole, eggs, bacon, potatoes, cookies, etc. The cruise part was awesome. It lasted about 2 hours and it was a treat to see Charleston from the water. After the cruise we made a quick stop at the Tanger Outlets in North Charleston and then drove home.
Overall we had a great time and will be back.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Heading there in 2 weeks. Already read the thread and got lots of good ideas - anything new?
Sounds like tons of good eating options but hoping to find some more activities - will be going with a large group - 14 total and 8 of those are kids ages 10-19. Even if I have to drive a little ways I'd like to have one or two things that won't bore them.
Sounds like tons of good eating options but hoping to find some more activities - will be going with a large group - 14 total and 8 of those are kids ages 10-19. Even if I have to drive a little ways I'd like to have one or two things that won't bore them.
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