Sleeping and Eating in Charleston

Jack’s Cosmic Dogs.

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Waiting to be called. Photo - Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

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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 i...Read More

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The Wreck

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Always a line Photo - Charleston, South Carolina

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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 sa...Read More

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 Read Less

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The Hominy Grill.

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Rachael Ray loved it! Photo - Charleston, South Carolina

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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 ther...Read More

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Melvin's BBQ

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John going inside Photo - Charleston, South Carolina

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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 o...Read More

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 Read Less

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Thanksgiving Buffet at Middleton Place

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What a beautiful place to celebrate Photo - Charleston, South Carolina

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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 includi...Read More

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 Read Less

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Red Roof Inn-Mt. Pleasant

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The standard budget/modest hotel room Photo - Charleston, South Carolina

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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/mi...Read More

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