Best Of - Charleston, SC

[SRUAlmn]

Since I just moved here, I found this section of the city paper to be extremely helpful! This week has been so funny. Each day we have tried to pick a place for lunch from the "Best Of" dining section. Many of them aren't affordable, but there are actually a LOT of entertainment coupons we have been able to use. Here is what we have tried:

Melvins (Best BBQ): LOVE IT! We had tried Bessinger's before, but never knew Melvin's was even related. I am loving the mustard based BBQ sauce and I don't even like mustard. We also saw that their cheeeseburger was rated #1 in the country by Emeril so we tried that on another day. Very good as well

Andolini's (Best NY Style Pizza): We liked the food, but we didn't love it. The place had nothing else to offer other than pizza, which I guess is typical of NY pizza places, but we enjoy more of a variety. I like to get fries too, and I LOVE ranch dressing with my pizza. They didn't have either. We got a pizza and some breadsticks. All tasted great, but left us with upset tummies later. It was VERY greasy! Really cool booths inside, though. (Mt. Pleasant location)

Marble Slab (Best Ice Cream): We had eaten at ColdStone before, but not Marble Slab. We realy enjoyed it! The ladies who work there were great and so helpful when I couldn't decide. I had double dark chocolate and raspberries, and my fiance had cheesecake and raspberries. Yum! (Mt. Pleasant Towne Centre)

Your Place (Best Burger): I heard this place was kind of a hole in the wall, but I figured if it had been voted best burger for the past 3+ years it couldn't be that bad. It was definitely a unique place, but the burger was AWESOME! We had a little old lady take our order and she was so cute and sweet. The decor was definitely something to keep our attention while we waited, and it was very affordable.


Anyone else have suggestions for this area? We need somewhere to go for lunch tomorrow Do other cities have the 'best of' sections in their paper as well? Here is the link for the Charleston places:
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/layout.asp?catID=8474&parentID=8458

 

[SideshowBob]

VERY cool.... SSB's original stomping ground... and went to school (College of Charleston) there...

 

[SRUAlmn]

VERY cool.... SSB's original stomping ground... and went to school (College of Charleston) there...

I think the campus is pretty

I don't know why I posted this. I don't know that anyone who doesn't live here is going to find it to be of any interest.
Thanks SSB

 

[Pam]

SRU Alum,
I'm glad you posted.

We vacationed in Charleston/Isle of Palms in the mid 90s. We loved it! We did the Carriage Tour among other things. Very beautiful area.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

SRUAlum: I have been watching your posts about Charleston. I will be going on an interview there in a few weeks. I was wondering what the area is like. I particularly like the posts about the bugs! Have you found a way to deal with them.

SSB: I am interviewing for a faculty position at (you guessed it) the College of Charleston!!

 

[kadaten]

VERY cool.... SSB's original stomping ground... and went to school (College of Charleston) there...

What year did SSB graduate?
kadaten is class of '95

As for Charleston...mmmmm! I just loved eating around town.
Too bad I was a poor college student the whole time I was there!

One of my favorite places was T-Bones on Market St. I had the best salmon I have ever had there....it was blackened, herb-endrusted salmon and it was to die for! Unfortunately, since it was a special (not on the menu) I only had it ONCE in the 4 years I lived there I usually had a yummy steak and ALWAYS followed it with a slice of Hummingbird Cake if they had it in the dessert case! Also a great place just to go for coffee and dessert....

Sticky Fingers is good...

Is Poogan's Porch still there? It's one of those "must-do's" in Charleston Low-country cuisine...

You MUST, simply MUST have some pralines from Market St. Sweets! OMG. I think I might miss them the most! If you're feeling generous, pick me up a pound and ship 'em out Can pay you via PayPal if you like!

Hmm....there was this little hole in the wall sandon George St. right off campus heading towards Meeting (can't remember if it's right before or right after King St)...a breakfast/lunch place....good food, cheap. OOO! Found it online. It's Jack's Cafe and it's on George between St. Philip and King.

LOVED Bocci's on Church St. for Italian....

Maurice Bessinger's BBQ (Savannah Hwy) is not-to-be-missed (he's from Lexington/W. Columbia where I grew up )

Sharky's! OMG, I miss Sharky's! It's on King (or was...please tell me it's still there!) I always got a pizza fin (calzone) with pepperoni and green peppers, and a salad with their wonderful house dressing, Parmesan Peppercorn. MMMmmmmmm.........

Also a diner over near the Omni/Charleston Place as I think it's now called?
Can't seem to find it online. It was where you went when you were done partying and needed some food on your stomach Ok...I've looked on numerous sites and can't find it. It must not be there anymore. Oh well...it was an old-fashioned diner....jukebox, neon lights, formica tabletops, etc. Fun place with good food....too bad it's gone. Wonder what's there now?

Um...I hear Charleston has a Mellow Mushroom now on King St. GREAT pizza Have a slice and a pretzel!

Looked at the link...I also liked Vickery's (downtown) and California Dreaming (nice ambiance...well, until that bridge went straight through the view!), agree on Moe's for best cheap meal (we have one here, too), agree on wings at Wild Wing Cafe, and they reminded me about Ye Old Fashioned. YUM!

Um....can you tell I miss Charleston?

 

[SRUAlmn]

We actually bought a couple pralines from there when we went to Your Place the other day. I just ate the last one this afternoon- mmmmmmmmmmm

TammyAlphabet- thanks! I have been a little overboard with the threads, huh? It's just fun to explore a new place and learn all about it. Plus, having no job yet has left me with a lot of available time I got used to the bugs, not so much the lizards. Everyone around here is making fun of me for it because they are so commonplace I guess. Not to me they aren't It is a GREAT area! Good luck on your interview. You will love it here As soon as I get a job I'm going to take the GRE so I can go to grad school at the college of charleston. Hope to see you there.

 

[Figment22]

Sticky Fingers is good...

Yes it is. And there's one in Mount Pleasant too. It's practically across the street from Melvin's

Is Poogan's Porch still there? It's one of those "must-do's" in Charleston Low-country cuisine...

I liked Poogan's Porch for lowcountry cuisine and also 82 Queen and Magnolias.

California Dreaming (nice ambiance...well, until that bridge went straight through the view!),

I like California Dreaming a lot. I've also eaten at the one in Columbia.

How about the Crab Shack? We've eaten at the West Ashley location and thought it was a good meal at a reasonable price. Not that this helps you any, but it's the only place I've ever been to that has crab legs on the kid's menu! My son just loves it!

 

[SRUAlmn]

Thanks The Crab Shack looks great, and pretty affordable for lunch. I think we may have to try it. Being from Maryland we are pretty picky about our crab We asked a local seafood restaurant at the farmers market on Tuesday if anyone around here steams blue crabs and he said no. He said that the demand around here isn't as high as the price that Maryland pays them to ship them north Money talks I guess!

We also really liked California Dreaming. We had a coupon from the visitor's center for a free appetizer of the honey croissants. They were SO GOOD! I don't know that we would have ordered them without the coupon, so I'm glad we had it. They were messy, though. Why don't they give you wet naps with them???

 

[SRUAlmn]

Here is another question. We have been trying to find a good crab dip somewhere. We had a LOT of coupons for free crab dip apps at different places so we have tried a lot. In Maryland and PA, crab dip is made with crab, cream cheese, some other stuff , and then other cheese is put on top and it is heated. It is REALLY good. All the crab dips down here are in these teeny tiny rammekins or soup cups and they are cold and coleslawy in texture. The best one we found so far was at A.W. Shucks, but even that was still the cold kind. Does anyone here make it hot?
Thanks

 

[kadaten]

We also really liked California Dreaming. We had a coupon from the visitor's center for a free appetizer of the honey croissants. They were SO GOOD! I don't know that we would have ordered them without the coupon, so I'm glad we had it. They were messy, though. Why don't they give you wet naps with them???

I had forgotten about the honey croissants! Can't believe it!
BUT...I found them again Our Kash'N'Karry grocery store makes them in the bakery. They are SO good....I just love 'em. When I found them there I was thinking they were familiar, but couldn't place them....and now I can!

 

[mrsgus06]

Bessingers......mmmmmmmmmmmm!
California dreaming salads...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Ye old fashion anything...mmmmmmmmmm!

There is also a T Bones restaurant behind my house in West of the Ashley if the parking downtown is difficult to find.

Poogan's Porch is also still there or at least it was last July when we had to go to the courthouse for the final adoption.

I hear the Crab House (James Island) is good, but have never eaten there. Also Noisy Oyster on Johns Island is said to be good.

There is a hole in the wall place downtown on Morrison Ave, I will have to ask my parent's what the name is, I think maybe Alices? A trashy dive that has never been updated AT ALL, but the food is home cooked and wonderful.

I don't know of any really outstanding places in West of the Ashley to eat, we just work our way up and down hwy 17 on our eat out nights. With 5 kids running around, it is just easier to go to a drive through than to pile everyone up for a sit down meal.

I love Charleston, have been here all my life and could never, ever dream of being anyplace else.

The hole in the wall downtown on Morrison Ave is Kitty's. Where in the world did I come up with Aice?

 

[SRUAlmn]

Oh yes. We love T Bonz and kaminsky's too. We went to the one in Mt. P.

 

[LJC1861]

We loved Jestine's when we were there a few years ago. It is a wonderful little place just a few blocks north of the market on Meeting Street. They serve fantastic down home country food at very reasonable prices. Rachel Ray from the Food Network's " 40$ A Day" ate there when she was in town. Everything is freshly prepared and the fried chicken is to die for! They do not take reservations and it is often crowded, so go early.

Linda

 

[TammyAlphabet]

TammyAlphabet- It is a GREAT area! Good luck on your interview. You will love it here As soon as I get a job I'm going to take the GRE so I can go to grad school at the college of charleston. Hope to see you there.

Well, thanks for wishing me luck, I think it would be a great place to live and work. I worry a little about the schools (K-12) and their reputation. I belive that you are a school teacher if I remember right. If I do go to Charleston, I will have to contact you for the scoop on the schools. I am glad you like it there.

 

[mrsgus06]

Well, thanks for wishing me luck, I think it would be a great place to live and work. I worry a little about the schools (K-12) and their reputation. I belive that you are a school teacher if I remember right. If I do go to Charleston, I will have to contact you for the scoop on the schools. I am glad you like it there.

How old are your kids?

 

[SideshowBob]

running for Disney Cruise... but want to post more... haha! Off for now...

 

[SRUAlmn]

Well, thanks for wishing me luck, I think it would be a great place to live and work. I worry a little about the schools (K-12) and their reputation. I belive that you are a school teacher if I remember right. If I do go to Charleston, I will have to contact you for the scoop on the schools. I am glad you like it there.

The way it was described to me is that the schools in Mount Pleasant are top notch for the area, and from what I have been reading in the paper it seems to be the case. There are also a LOT of private schools around here that others may be able to help you with more. I know there is a Buist Academy downtown that I applied to teach a gifted class for. The job is still posted (and has been for like 2 months,) but I never heard back from them I also really like that there seem to be a couple performing arts high schools around here. I would have LOVED to have something like that in my area when I went to HS.

 

[SRUAlmn]

running for Disney Cruise... but want to post more... haha! Off for now...

Take me with you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Actually the Savannah Hwy Bessinger's is owned by Thomas and his sons NOT by Maurice (who is Thomas' brother that owns the string of Maurice's in the Columbia, SC area). Maurice's political views tend to give all of the Bessinger's that reputation but please don't confuse them! Maurice, Melvin and Thomas were brothers. There was also a brother Robert who used to have Robert's Drive In located in Charleston too (my parents still rave about this place!).

Our favorite place to eat West Ashley is the Bear E Patch on Hwy 61. YUM! We also frequent Nathan's Deli on Hwy 61 too - they have great bagels. Med Deli in South Windermere and Locklear's on James Island are worth checking out.

Sticky Fingers downtown left us all with a mild case of food poisoning when we ate there last Spring so we avoid the place now.

Love California Dreaming - their salads and croissants are amazing!

As far as the schools in Charleston County, well there are some GREAT and some not so great just like most areas of the country. There are some wonderful elementary schools that have a high level of parent involvement and most of the magnet schools have a good reputation. I grew up in private schools in Charleston because back then the public schools left much to be desired. The Charleston County school board is always going thru some sort of drama and is frequently the lead story on the local news.