Sleeping and Eating in Charleston

When choosing a place to eat on our first night in town I picked Jack’s for 2 reasons. First I wanted a place close to our hotel as I knew we would be tired after driving and would want a place to grab a quick bite and then head back to the hotel to prepare for the next day’s activities. Secondly I picked Jack’s because Alton Brown did. John and I are huge Food Network junkies and we love Alton Brown and Good Eats. Last year when he did his summer show, Feasting on Asphalt , he dined at Jack’s. Ok 7 miles from the hotel, casual dress, and Alton liked it…so it was added to our itinerary.

We finally arrived at the hotel, quickly unpacked the car, changed clothes, and hopped in the car for Jack’s. By this time at was around 7 pm and we were afraid of running into a huge crowd. When we arrived, we thought maybe the place was closed for the holiday as there were only a few cars in the parking lot. That should have been our first clue.

We stepped into what looked like a shack and since the sign said open, we went on in. Not one single customer was in this place. We perused the menu and placed our order. Since the place is known for their hotdogs we decided to give them a try. Brenda and I went with the Atomic Dog which consists of mustard, chili, and onions. John went with the appropriately named Johnny Dog which is onions, pickle, mustard and added chili. John and I split a large order of fries and 2 sodas.

The menu here isn’t vast. Mainly consisting of hotdogs, buffalo chicken, meatloaf, sloppy Jack (not Joe), or pork rolls. Vegetarians and vegan aren’t left off the menu. They can choose from a grilled carrot on a bun (called the bunny in a bun), tofu dogs, veggie burgers, and black bean cakes. They also have malts, ice cream, and sundaes. They offer about 16 varieties of hotdogs, or just make up your own combination.

The décor of the place is a throw back to the 1950’s. They have the shiny chrome tables. The place is decorated with vintage advertising and toys. They also have very bright orange walls. They do have a few video games to keep you amused while waiting. Once here you simply place your order and then wait at the table until your name is called.

Within just a few minutes John is up getting our order. The first thing I noticed was our fries appeared to be burnt. Thinking maybe they were supposed to be this way, we took a bite. They were burnt and cold. John took them back but the teenaged employee told him they were not making any more fries that night! So much for the fries and we ate what we could. These legendary hotdogs didn’t fare any better. The chili was bland tasting and didn’t taste anything like chili. The hotdogs managed to garner an ok. I mean how hard is it to mess up a hotdog? Maybe if we weren’t so tired and hungry we would have returned our food, demanded our money back, and went else where. But at this point we just ate and left. I had really wanted a sundae so John went to order for me. The place was being manned by a group of kids who by now had been joined by their friends and had all retreated to the back to look at pictures. John got tired of waiting so we left still hungry and not very happy. The total for our 2 hot dogs, 1 order of fries, and 2 drinks was $12!

This place has been voted the best hot dogs in Charleston by several newspapers for the last 7 years. Alton Brown declared them to have the best hot dogs and Southern Living Magazine loved them. So what went wrong on our visit? Who knows but I can’t recommend them.

Jack’s is located on Highway 17 in Mt. Pleasant about 15 minutes from downtown Charleston. They are open 11 am to 8 pm 7 days a week. They are cash only. They are in the $10 pp and under range.


Jack’s Cosmic Dogs
Highway 17
Mt. Pleasant NC
843-884-7677

Maybe if have your own TV show or write for a major magazine you will get better service and food. Otherwise you might want to skip this place.

Not recommended

Note to self. Next time you go to a place recommend by a Food Network celebrity other than Rachael Ray, take a camcorder and have John to pretend he is filming you. Tell them you are from IGOUGO’s travel daily show and you’re here to do a segment on their restaurant. That may be the only way to get good food.

The correct name of this eatery is the Wreck of the Richard and Charlene. It is so named for an abandoned fishing trawler that set on Shem Creek next door to where the restaurant is now housed. September 21, 1989 unleashed a Category IV hurricane on the Charleston area and was so powerful it picked up the moored vessel and promptly sat where the building now stands where it sat for 9 months before salvagers finally moved the wreck. It serves a reminder of that day almost 20 years ago.

The Wreck was one of the places Food Network hostess, Giada de Laurentis, went on her show Giada’s Weekend Getaway . It was also featured on a local travel show The Carolina Traveler with host Mike Redding. Both praised this place. So of course what do I do? Decide we will try the ranks of those who praised this dining establishment including of course Southern Living (I am starting to think they need a new food writer). Also luckily it is located only a few minutes from our hotel.

We arrived and the parking lot is so crowed we have to park next door. We walk in people are stuffed into every corner of the waiting area rather that stand out in the cold and damp of this evening. We’re told by the hostess that it would be a 20 minute wait. Within about 10 minutes though, our name is called and we are seated in the dining room and lucky I am seated next to the fireplace. Good thing because otherwise I would be freezing from the draft coming in from the "walls" The dining room structure is basically a timber frame with plastic sheeting wrapped around and used as a wall. Maybe in the summer it isn’t so bad, but on a cold fall night the draft is not welcome.

Our waitress hands us three menus and tells us the circle our drink and food order and she will return in a few minutes to collect them. As we scan the menu, we notice the prices here aren’t exactly on a budget. Oh well it isn’t exactly called ‘Giada’s $40 a day".

This is a seafood restaurant and that is pretty much the menu. Fish, crab, shrimp, and scallops in varying forms dominate the options. If you don’t eat fish your only option is Lion Broil and you’re warned they are not experts in preparing and no returns. Then there is the price: $14 for London Broil ! Vegetarians and vegans are out of luck as there is not even a salad to be found.

I order the grouper, Brenda orders the flounder, and John orders the shrimp. Within minutes our waitress returns with our teas and two bowls of boiled peanuts. I prefer mine roasted or raw, but I am hungry so I make do. After about 10 minutes when I am thinking the food should be about ready, our waitress returns to tell me they are out of my fish. Well the only seafood I eat is fish and the menu is very limited in that department so I go with flounder.

20 minutes later our food arrives. The plates come with the unusual combination of a scoop of white beans, Spanish rice, slaw, 1 hush puppy, and fried hominy square. I get one small piece of fish which is OK but not worth $17. Same deal with John’s ½ pound shrimp at $19. There is nothing spectacular about the sides either except the slaw. This slaw is not a mayo based slaw but more of vinegar based slaw and was great and the only thing I really enjoyed. The hominy square is very spicy.

Our waitress drops off our food and never returns until she brings the check. Our drinks go un-refilled and even if there was a problem with the food it would have done no good as we didn’t see our waitress to complain to. The place was busy but she never took the time to stop by for a second and refill our

We had originally stopped by here on our way back the previous day from Cypress Gardens but discovered on weekends the restaurant only serves brunch and we had just missed it. So we decided to come back the next day before hitting the aquarium.

The grill is a legend in Charleston and has been serving locals, tourists, and celebrities alike since 1996. They are housed in a darling 1897 3-story dwelling and the first floor originally served as a barber shop. Take note of the barber shop polls still on the door frame. Chef Robert Stehling and his crew serve up some low country and southern favorites to the hordes of foodies who flock this out of the way local.

When we arrived there was already a line, but our waiting time was less than 10 minutes. Soon John, Brenda, and I were escorted to our table. Within mere minutes our handsome waiter brings out water and takes our drink order and reminds us to check out the daily specials listed on the board. The brunch menu here consists of breads, biscuits, grits, omelets, salmon, eggs, and sandwiches. They have one offering called "the big nasty biscuit" which includes fried chicken, cheese, and gravy. They have plenty of vegetarian/vegan options including a delicious sounding egg plant sandwich with goat cheese and red roasted peppers. I am having a time deciding between their pumpkin spice bread along with granola and yogurt or the cinnamon French toast. The French toast won out. John went off the daily special with a short stack or banana walnut pancakes and Brenda went with gravy biscuits.

While there isn’t a lot of room inside, it is yet comfortable just like as if you were visiting a favorite family member. The ceiling is made of what might be pressed tin and old advertising signs adorn the white walls. There is patio dining. When you visit the restroom make sure to check out the picture of Sir Anthony Hopkins (I am sure Sir Anthony will be thrilled to know his picture made its way to the loo!). They also have copies of the many articles written praising Chef Robert’s delicious cuisine. Everything here is made from scratch and Robert is committed to working with local suppliers when ever possible and includes free range chicken and grain fed cows.

Within a few minutes out comes our meal. I had 3 very large pieces of toast sitting on an apple puree with maple walnut butter and powder sugar. It was pure heaven on a plate. I tried some of John’s pancake which tasted like a wonderful slice of banana nut bread. On the table was some homemade jam which was marvelous. Brenda said her biscuits and gravy were perfect.

The wait staff is all young and attractive and seems to work as a team and one came over to fill coffee mugs and another to take away our plates. I am assuming many of these are students from the nearby college. Our waiter was great and so were the others who helped.

Southern Living, Gourmet Magazine, NY Times, and the Atlanta Journal and Constitution are just a few of the many who sing the praises of the wonderful cuisine here. But it was the lovely Rachael Ray and her $40 A Day from Charleston that got me in here. I had actually wanted to come last time I was in Charleston but never got the chance. After I had made my decision to go here this time, I was watching the very handsome Anthony Bourdain from the Travel Channel’s No Reservation and he was here on his South Carolina show. So dining here will put you in some pretty good company.

Hours/info

Hours:

M-F Breakfast 7:30-11:30 Lunch/dinner 11:30-8:30
Sat./Sun. Brunch only from 9-3.

Reservations are accepted for dinner only.

They do accept credit cards but do not allow splitting checks.

Website: www.hominygrill.com.

They are in the $10-$20 pp range.

The place may be a bit hard to find but believe me this place is well worth the effort. Once you get here you will be rewarded with what has to be some of the best dining in Charleston. So take it from Rachael and this real Southerner…get here while in town!



207 Rutledge Ave.
Charleston
843-937-0130

Very highly recommended

After touring the Mepkin Abby and Cypress Gardens, we were starving. We had stopped by the Hominy Grill only to discover they were already closed for the day. Since we don’t always have the best luck with our first dining choices, I always make a mental note of restaurants I see while out and about and I remembered seeing Melvin’s on our first night when we stopped by the grocery store. Since we were starving I suggested Melvin’s and off we went.

Melvin’s has been serving their family BBQ to locals since 1939 when Joseph Jacob Bessinger invented his golden sauce. The family now has their third Chief Pit-master with Joseph’s grandson, Melvin David Bessinger. They do use the correct method of good ‘Q and that is pit cooked. I knew the minute I got out of the car by the heavenly smells coming from inside.

This is a BBQ restaurant so that dominates the menu. Pork (pulled or ribs). chicken, hash, and turkey are all here and can be served as a sandwich, combo, or basket. They also serve hotdogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, salads, and platters. While I can’t exactly envision a busload of vegetarians pulling up in front of a BBQ house, they are some offerings for the vegetarian/vegans in your party. They can choose from salads or a veggie plate.

John and I both go with the pulled pork platter and Brenda orders the cheeseburger basket. Platters include a slice of cornbread and your choice of 2 sides. Sides include standards such as fries, baked beans, baked apples, and corn on the cob. John and I both pick fries and mac and cheese. Brenda’s basket comes with fries and we all get an onion ring. They also have milkshakes and have plenty of deserts you can order by the slice or whole. You place you order at the register and then wait for your number to be called.

The décor of this place is akin to a lodge. Lots of use of wood, huge tables, a huge fireplace, and western décor. And at Christmas lots of decorations. It has a comfy feeling to it. If you’re here on a nicer day than we were you can opt for outdoor dining.

Soon our number is called and John is off to retrieve our order. On the table are several types of BBQ sauces including their famous golden sauce. SC BBQ sauce often has a mustard base to it. Thankfully there are other options including Southern Red, Southern Hickory, and Southern Honey. The Southern Red tastes closest to our western style BBQ sauce so I go with that. If you are from NC and prefer the Eastern style sauce, well you have to BYOS (bring your own sauce). Now when it said one onion ring, I assumed it was just a regular onion ring used for garnish like it lots of other places I have been. Instead what is on my plate is one HUGE onion ring. It is as big as a bagel! And sooo good. The fries were hot and crunchy and the mac and cheese is homemade and just melts in your mouth. And the BBQ? Mmmmmm…good Q! Brenda said Emeril Lagasse was correct when he declared their cheeseburgers the best in America. And the portions are plentiful. In fact one plate would probably have been enough for both John and I.

In addition to the testimony of Emeril, many others have declared this place one of the best. Charlestonians have voted this place best BBQ for 9 years running now. The NY Times, NBBQ, The Atlanta Constitution, Fortune 500, Five Star Review, and The BBQuer have all sang their praises.

They do accept credit cards. They do have a website and will send their renown BBQ straight to your house if you can’t make it to there’s. This location is on Houston Northcutt Blvd. Just off I-17 in Mt. Pleasant. They also have a location at 538 Folly Rd. in James Island. The Mt. Pleasant location is only about 15 minutes from downtown Charleston. Our total was around $22 for both John and I, making it easy on the budget. They are in the $10-$20 pp range.

Hours/info

Hours: Monday-Saturday 10:30-9:30
Closed Sunday.

Website: www

When I was looking around on the events calendar for the Charleston CVB I noticed the brunch at Middleton Place. I had been waiting to go there anyway and it sounded like a fun way to spend Thanksgiving.

We arrived at the marvelous mansion about 3 hours before our lunch reservations. The price for the buffet does include admission to the grounds and house so do take advantage of it. We checked in at the tent placed in front of where the buffet was served, collected our tickets, and took off touring.

This 1741 mansion was the home of Henry Middleton who was president of the First Continental Congress and his family. It stayed in the family for four generations of Middleton’s including Arthur who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Henry who was a former Governor of South Carolina. The grounds are America’s oldest landscaped gardens and the gardens are listed as one of the 1001 gardens to see before you die. I do have a complete entry on the home and gardens its self in another journal to come.

When I made the reservations I made them for 3:30 but when we arrived and checked in the lady who checked us in wrote 3 on our ticket. So when it got close to 3 we headed back towards the reception building and when the 3 o’clock dinner bell was rung we went on to the building. Of course when we get there they tell us that indeed are reservations are not until 3:30 and they are completely full so we will have to wait. I notice a table for 3 in the corner empty. We go back outside and head back to the stables and amuse ourselves by playing with the resident sheep and other barn yard animals until the next dinner bell is rung.

At 3:30 we promptly go back to the reception building and wait and wait before anyone comes to seat us. And sure enough we are seated at that same table I saw just 30 minutes ago with the same bottle of water still sitting on the table indicating no one had been seated there at the 3 o’clock seating. We were seated and it took 15 minutes before our waitress hurriedly came over to take our drink orders.

This was a buffet so several large buffet tables were set up in the back in front of the fire place. Silver chafing dishes were filled to the brim with the traditional holiday trappings of Thanksgiving Day. There were biscuits, cornbread, stuffing, mac and cheese, beans, salad, soup, roasted potatoes, veggies, squash casserole, several other casseroles, and a corn dish. At the end a carving station for turkey and ham as well as the gravy. But no cranberry sauce! Behind was a large table with your choice of pumpkin or pecan pie. If you’re like me and not a fan of either pie your out of luck.

We returned to our table and the waitress had still not brought over our drinks. We waited almost 10 minutes before our drinks came around. When our waitress finally arrived we asked about butter for our bread. Our waitress informs us she believes the butter is gone but she will see what she can do. It is only 3:30 and the buffet goes until 4:30 so I guess they didn’t plan well. But upon a second pass to the buffet table I pass by a large table who received two plates of butter.

The food here is certainly enjoyable, just not outstanding. It is about the same quality as you find on your steakhouse buffet for about 2/3’s of the price. The corn dish is, however, outstanding and I go back for 2 more helpings of that. I just figure for $35 it should be something that wows me not something that I can get elsewhere cheaper. The service was horrible. After finally getting our butter our waitress never came back to the table until she brought our check. Our drink glasses are small and when we need refills we had to go to the bar and when Brenda wanted coffee after dinner she had to go to the bar as well. I know the place was busy but this was buffet so it is not that much work to keep plates clean and refill drink glasses.

The buffet is an annual

Last minute travel plans left us without a hotel over Thanksgiving. Since we had stayed here before I checked the rates and availability and there was room and the rates were outstanding, so Red Roof it was.

When we arrived we checked in with April and it was a breeze. April was a doll and made sure to tell us about the buffet at Patriots Point and offered us a discount coupon for Sticky Fingers. We knew we wouldn’t be going so we declined but she told us to come back if we changed our minds.

Our room was on the ground floor. We had two rooms and we were located near each other. Our room had two double beds, a side chair, a desk, and a dresser. We paid extra and had a fridge/microwave combo. The bathroom sink is separate from the bathroom itself. There is the sink with a nice vanity and mirror. The toilet and shower and in a separate room and it is tiny. If someone walks in on you while you’re on the potty, your knees will be sorry. There is also not a lot of room in the bathroom to change clothes. This isn’t the most convenient thing when you decide to take a shower before Criminal Minds comes on so you can see what happened to Garcia and you have a mother-in-law in the bedroom watching TV. But the shower is quite spacious.

Location

This Red Roof Inn is located in Mt. Pleasant less than 10 minutes from downtown Charleston. It is located in-between I-17 otherwise known as Johnnie Dodd Blvd and Business 17. It is located on a back road so there is less traffic that being right off the highway. There is a convenience store right across the road. There is a shopping area within walking distance which has a Harris Teeter grocery store and you will find Sticky Fingers and Melvin’s BBQ. There are plenty of dining options as well as banks, shops, movies, and convenience and grocery stores along either highway. It is less than 5 minutes from Patriots Point and 10 minutes to the fabulous Boone Hall Plantation. The beginning of the pedestrian path that crosses the Cooper River Bridge is about a 10 minute walk. There are other hotels nearby so the hotel is in a safe location. They are 12 miles from the airport.

Amenities .

The hotel does have WIFI access but there is a charge of $9.95 per day. We brought our laptop but saw no reason for internet access since we have a GPS system on the computer for directions. They do have cable and it includes HBO, but there are only about a dozen channels. They do have all the local channels so I was able to watch all my CBS crime shows at night. There is an outdoor pool which looked very clean, but it was to cold to enjoy it. They do have vending machines and ice. They have complimentary coffee and hot tea. The parking is free and there is plenty of it and plenty of room for RV’s and buses. They do have the discounted coupon for Sticky Fingers. They are pet-friendly.

The cons

The place does need updating. When we stayed here a few years ago it was a much nicer place. We all need updating after several years and this place certainly could use some new paint. I am also not crazy about outdoor interiors but I think most of the Red Roof’s are. I could never find anyone at the front desk after 11 pm. I went one night to get some creamer for my hot tea I had made in the room and there was a sign "be back in 10 minutes". I drank my one cup of tea without creamer and when I went back 30 minutes later for creamer for my second cup..there was the same sign up. Also one night we called to ask a question and no one answered. While all of the employees we encountered were nice, they just weren’t the most helpful people on the planet. I asked several employees where I could catch the path to pedestrian crossing for the bridge and no one seemed to know. I finally found out when I went to the visitors center and it was a simple left when I went out of the hotel and about a 10 minute walk. There were no "DO NOT DISTURB" signs and we were awaken at 8am on Thanksgiving by housekeeping that were in a hurry to go. The rest of the time housekeeping never made it until after we had left. The amenities basket is also slim. Since we were short on luggage room we decided to just use the shampoo that most hotels normally have in an amenities basket. There was a package of shampoo and no conditioner and no lotion either. So bring your own.

Just to the side of the entrance to the hotel there is a pond that sits in front of an apartment complex and is beautiful. They have swings there for guests to sit and enjoy the view and it is a great place to walk the dog.

Overall I am still happy with this place. Over the holiday my mother-in-law’s room was only $55 a night and we paid an extra $15 for the fridge/microwave combo to cut down on how much we had to eat out. You can’t beat that price, the place is in a great location and the place is clean. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again and again. When looking for an alternative to the high prices in Charleston, you can’t go wrong with this location.

For reservations or more information go to www.redroof.com



US Hwy 17N
Mt. Pleasant
843-884-1411

Highly recommended