TBonz Gill and Grill

toombsey
toombsey
First Reviewer
3 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
5
Reviews
6
Photos
Editor Pick

TBonz Cooks Like it Spells

  • November 18, 2008
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Carmen from Fairfax, Virginia
TBonz Cooks Like it Spells

In celebration of almost every trip I’ve ever been on, I always plan a nice steak dinner to check out the local "moo" scene. I posted on my Facebook page for suggestions, and got a few recommendations for TBonz.

Reservations aren’t allowed for small parties, so when we decided to head into the heart of downtown Charleston on a rainy Friday evening around 6 p.m., I was sure we’d have a fair wait ahead of us. I don’t know if the weather was a factor, but our wait time ended up being a short one – 20 minutes. While we waited, we checked out the menu so when we were seated, we could order right away.

The ambience of TBonz is a little bit western bar combined with a little bit bistro combined with a little bit of a sports bar feel. There are whimsical decorations – like a bucking bronco statue at the door – to keep the young’uns entertained, the brick walls give it a comfy feel and the flat-screen TVs throughout that are strategically placed delighted all of the World Series followers that were there for the evening. Some of the lucky few earned tables next to the windows that open out onto Market Street, allowing you to watch the tourists – and the horse-drawn carriages – go by.

The menu was pretty varied, but as the name suggests, was loaded with steak and fish and ribs. It was a meat-etarian menu if there ever was one. However, what looked mouth-watering in print didn’t entirely live up in person. The food was certainly edible, mediocre, even, for the $25 each that we spent. However, it didn’t make my taste buds go "wow" or anything. It was a perfectly fine steak dinner that I could’ve eaten in any Outback or Logan’s across the country. What I wanted was a quaint steak in the quaint town of Charleston, without the "quaint" (read: expensive) price tag to go with it. There were other recommendations we could’ve followed, that would have followed with a $100 dinner bill. I preferred spending that money in the Market.

The best part of TBonz is the sweet shop next door, Kaminsky’s, which I detail in another review, but you can order the deserts from your table rather than getting up and waiting for another table there.

From journal Charming Charleston Weekend

Editor Pick

T Bonz Gill and Grill

  • June 15, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by zabelle from Portland, Connecticut
T Bonz Gill and Grill

Located on the north side of Market Street, it is unlikely that you won’t pass T-Bonz. We did pass it several times and kept it on our short list of places we might try. We choose to stop here as we returned from our day out at the plantations. We wanted somewhere close to our hotel that would be casual. T-Bonz fit the bill perfectly.

There was a wait when we arrived. We were told 15 minutes, but, in reality, it was only 5. I decided to try one of the local brews and chose New South White Al. It came with a slice of orange and was very interesting. It is one of their seasonal ales.

We decided to go with the tried-and-true. Joe ordered the half a rack of their almost-famous ribs, Al ordered the rib eye, and I ordered the bacon-wrapped filet. While we waited for our salads, I took the time to look over the decor. This is a noisy place; the brick walls echo the sound, which makes it the ideal place for families. The tables and booths are wood, and there are ceiling fans. Facing us was a sign that listed their current local beer offerings.

Our salads were good, the usual greens with plenty of dressing. What was fabulous was the coleslaw; it had bleu cheese in it. My filet arrived very undercooked. I sent it back to be cook again, and it arrived perfect the second time. I was happy that they left me with the coleslaw to snack on. Al’s ribeye was done perfectly the first time, and Joe was delighted with his half rack of ribs.

Service was very good, as our waitress was friendly and attentive. When it came time for dessert, we were delighted to find out that the desserts were provided by Kaminsky’s, which is right next door. Kaminsky’s makes the best desserts in Charleston, maybe in all of South Carolina. Their cakes are mile high in not only size but also flavor. We decided to try the cobblers on this evening. We had sampled the cakes earlier in the week. I ordered peach-raspberry, and Joe got the mixed berry. Covered in a delicious crumb crust and finished with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, they were a very sweet and perfect ending to our meal.

From journal Culinary Charleston

T Bonz

  • July 22, 2004
  • Rated 2 of 5 by Beauchemin from North Providence, Rhode Island
We tried this place on a whim, but after dining in so many other fantastic restaurants, we were disappointed. People had recommended this restaurant and how wonderful it was, but the only thing I can say is that they give you a lot of food, not very good, for a decent price. As far as we were concerned, quality, not quantity, is the way to go.

We ordered steaks here and they tasted as though they had been frozen. The service was just OK and the decor was nothing to write home about.

Out of a 10 I would probably rate T Bonz about a 3...it is a very busy place, mostly with the younger college aged, but I think it's because they do have a nice bar.

From journal It's Festival Time Again!

T Bonz

  • February 16, 2003
  • Rated 3 of 5 by S&JM from Winchester, Kentucky
I've only eaten at the one on market street for lunch or early dinner and don't know how loud it might get at night, but the food was very good and our service was good to. Steaks are the speciality and they do them well.

From journal Great Food in the Low Country

T Bonz

  • February 10, 2003
  • Rated 4 of 5 by toombsey from nr Belleville, Ontario
T-Bonz is a steak house located in Market Street, Charleston (there are other branches). It serves lots of different steak and fish dishes and we ate there a couple of times and had great meals every time.

The staff is very helpful and friendly and the service was quick and efficient. The restaurant has hundreds of signed dollar bills stuck to the ceiling and walls -- very strange.

I can definitely recommend this restaurant and the prices are reasonable considering the size of meal you get -– the servings are huge!

From journal Charleston, a jem of a town

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