After hearing all the hype about High Cotton, I was looking forward to a great meal there. Unfortunately, I cannot report that the food lives up to the hype. I ordered the bourbon pork with jalepeno cheese grits. The grits were very good, but the pork (which was a thick round) was practically impenetrable. I thought I was going to break my knife on it. It was seasoned well - not anything exceptional - but I could hardly chew the meat enough to taste it. My husband ordered the sirloin, which he said was good, but nothing beyond what one gets at a steakhouse. The best part of dinner was the dessert. I ordered the praline souffle - it was scrumptious. The ambiance is nice - live music and beautiful surroundings, but it wasn't enough to offset our disappointment at the entrees. The next time I'm in Charleston, I definitely will not be dining at High Cotton - there are too many other good restaurants around.

High Cotton is one restaurant you do not want to miss. We were lucky and the restaurant was apart of our resort. We not only got to dine there but we also had room service from there. I would make sure that I had reservation because this place fills up quick.

Once you have your reservation it’s time to dine. Our first experience with High Cotton was after Sunday services. My wife and I surveyed the menu. We were surprised to see that regular breakfast was out of the question. We decide both to have the Eggs Benedict. The gravy was divine the eggs were cooked to perfection. The best part of the brunch would have been the hot corn bread that was served with each. I would have to say that this breakfast revivals even my grandma's homemade butter milk biscuits and her fresh bacon and sausage. I think I will return to Charleston just for one more brunch. I thought brunch was good I could not wait to try dinner. We had along day so once we got back to our room we decide to stay in. We have a habit of loving room service.

We decided to try it being that brunch was so good and our resort (Lodge alley Inn) restaurant was high cotton.
We were not mistaken we decided to both have salad and share a filet mignon. The filet was cooked well done and I was surprised to see how moist it was. I was also surprised to see how big the leaves on the lettuce in the salad were. The cesar dressing the smothered the top of the salad was to die for. i suggest if in Charleston that you do eat At high Cotton or you will miss out. I room service bill was around 70 dollars and brunch was around 50 so don’t be surprised to spend some money. I suggest you do it is well worth it.

When I asked our desk clerk at the French Quarter Inn to recommend a good restaurant within walking distance, this is one of the two that he told us he personally frequents. Called "an unabashedly masculine and American saloon" by Maverick Southern Kitchens, you won’t be seeing anything Western here, but rather what I would call a club-like atmosphere.

Known and appreciated for their live jazz and local cuisine, this was the best meal we had in Charleston.

Tall ceilings graced with palm fans, mahogany furniture, and wooden Venetian blinds make you instantly aware that you are in the South. The menu further enhances the atmosphere. Sides such as grits, horseradish mashed sweet potatoes, and collard greens are a clear indication this isn’t New England.

Warned that we needed to save room for the desserts, we went easy on the appetizers. Al and I shared an order of portobello fries,

and Joe had a chopped salad. The fries were golden, with a crust that tasted of corn bread and served drizzled with a tarragon sauce. Texture and taste were perfect. The sauce was a real winner, creamy but with a faint hint of mustard.

There are nightly suppers, which, on Thursday, was roasted prime rib for $21. We didn’t go that route, however. Al ordered the rib eye, which is 14 ounces, and there is a larger 22 ounce option called the Cowboy. It can be served with one of about six different toppings; he chose the bourbon bacon. Joe had the brace of Carolina quail, served with tomato chive mousse, country ham creamed hominy, asparagus and mushroom sauce. I had the Maverick, a blackened ribeye with bourbon bacon jus, beer-battered shrimp, horseradish sweet potatoes, and asparagus.

Al ordered the braised mushroom medley to accompany his steak and baked potato.

Every bite of our food was delicious. I had to send my steak back for a little additional cooking, and I was worried it would turn to shoe leather. I need not have, as it was a tender, moist, and flavorful steak without even a hint of pink. The mushrooms are delectable, with just a hint of some unknown alcohol, brandy perhaps. None of us left a bit.

Joe and I had preordered the praline soufflé; Al gave in and ordered the rice custard.

These are sinfully delicious desserts. The soufflé is served with chocolate sauce, and our waiter made a small hole in the top and poured the sauce inside. What a decedent dessert. Al’s rice custard was a solid ramekin of rice pudding flavored with toasted coconut and served with a delicious little Napoleon on the side. Whipped cream was the perfect addition.

We had flawless service from start to finish. There was a wonderful ambience and a memorable meal.

I have eaten a lot of incredible meals all over the world (thanks, mom and dad!), but none of them have topped High Cotton. From Italian food at the mouth of Villa Hadriana to Scottish cuisine overlooking the ruins of St. Andrews cathedral, High Cotton takes the cake. From the minute I walked in the door to the minute my dad paid the check, everything was absolutely perfect.

We knew it would be a special meal when we asked why the hostess had replaced our white napkins with black ones. She gave a small smile and pointed out the fact that we were all wearing black pants. She switched them so we wouldn't get white lint on our pants. My mother and I glanced at each other, raised our eyebrows, and felt utterly gauche.

Despite our lack of refinement, High Cotton was still magnificent. Their menu is wonderfully creative. I had venison medallions over wild mushroom and fig risotto. It was nothing less than spectacular. My mother had roasted salmon over baby vegetables ("This is the best salmon I have ever had in my life. Seriously."), and my father had stuffed pheasant that smelled incredible.

Whatever you do, when the waiter asks if you would like to order the praline soufflé, shout, "Yes! Yes!" They bring it out to you (one was plenty for two of us) steaming and divine, and the waiter pours hot chocolate syrup into it right at the table. I almost pushed my mother out of the way to get the last bite.

And the waiters! They were spectacular. And I think we had seven different waiters (I promise I'm not exaggerating). You have got to love a restaurant that has a waiter just to switch your wine glasses.

Try to make your reservations as early as possible (or get the hotel to do it), because you do not want to miss this place. It is a wonderful place to go for a special occasion (it's pricey. The total for the three of us with drinks and dessert was upwards of $120). If you are someone who appreciates an excellent meal with wonderful service, then it is money well spent.

High Cotton was an incredible experience. From the wonderful jazz that was playing to the oh-so-Charleston palm-frond fans to those black napkins, it is by far my favorite restaurant in Charleston - and, in fact, the world.

High Cotton is a lovely restaurant. We stayed at the Lodge Alley Inn, which has a private entrance into High Cotton (great idea because the night we went, the weather had turned very cold and damp). Not only did the concierge recommend the restaurant, but we also noticed that a majority of the diners were locals (especially for the Sunday brunch).

We had a dinner reservation and were seated in less than five minutes of our arrival. High Cotton "pays attention to the details" that most restaurants overlook. My wife was wearing dark slacks and the wait staff gave her a dark napkin, so as to avoid ruining the look of her outfit. The service throughout the entire meal was terrific. The décor of the restaurant is elegant and unpretentious – Charleston wood floors, palms and crisp white linens.

The food was basic and prepared perfectly. Our meal consisted of a Caesar salad (light dressing, not wet or too heavy, with scrumptious unassuming looking croutons), a side of Low Country grits (grits with multiple cheeses such as blue, cheddar, etc.), a rib eye steak with béarnaise sauce, mashed potatoes, and braised spinach (all cooked to perfection – the béarnaise sauce is the only thing out of the entire meal that was unexceptionable, not fabulous, but not terrible). The rib eye steak was served on a bed of perfectly cooked asparagus accompanied by mashed potatoes and topped by four huge lightly battered "shrimp" (more like prawns) and topped with a "bourbon bacon" sauce (great portions and, once again, perfectly prepared and displayed; this sauce was fabulous). Finally, our two desserts were a rocky road soufflé ("lighter than air" with an exact rocky road flavor) and a chocolate torte (looked simple, but ended up being a cross between a chocolate truffle torte and something akin to chocolate decadence – sinful, rich, decadent and wonderful). This is not inexpensive dining, but it was worth every dollar spent.