Located on Charleston's super-hip upper King Street, the Silver Dollar is a thriving dive that dares to be different from the fancy-pants lounges that surround it. The bar attracts a mostly college crowd due to its low drink prices and proximity to the College of Charleston. I personally wouldn't have been aware of its existence without noticing two young coeds entering its doors from across the street.
I've come to learn that the Silver Dollar is something of an institution, and one of the first bars to open in this now hot nightlife district. It was established on New Year's Eve of 2000, and the owner, Steven Sher, picked the location to avoid city zoning that would require it to close at 2am. It’s a large space that gets crowded with locals coming to enjoy the cheap drinks, live music, trivia, and two pool tables.
Steven Sher opened the Silver Dollar to honor his grandfather, Harry Sher, who operated a bar in Boston of the same name. Most of the photographs lining the bar's walls were pictures taken at the original bar. The Boston-based Silver Dollar was established in the 1940s, and it was famous for its 100-foot-long bar, the longest in the country. The Charleston based location is also famous, locally, for once being named "one of the best places to go for a one-night stand."
The Silver Dollar opens at 8pm, and the crowd remains lively until closing at 3am (at least it did on the Friday and Saturday I was there). If young, drunken whipper-snappers don't frighten you, I recommend giving the place your patronage for at least a few adult beverages. The locals are very friendly, and I even had a large, burly fellow offer me a shot for being the tallest person in the bar. I declined because I was holding court with two comely young blondes... and also a little out of fear of his further intentions for me. I saw "Deliverance."