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    Basic Kitchen

    4.3 (646 reviews)
    ModerateNew American, Bars
    Open • 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

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    BASIC KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Basic Kitchen

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    Cauli wings (I think?)
    Alexis S.

    Was visiting and went here based on a recommendation. Great service and super cute place. Loved the buffalo cauliflower - nicely fried and almost fluffy. I had the coconut chicken bowl - beware because it is SPICY. Great flavors, good portions, and spicy. Did not really like the tomato salad. Tomatoes were not firm and it was watery overall. Still, I'd recommend it overall! Btw: if you have mobility issues, you'll want to dine inside as there are stairs required to the patio. We didn't know that and there is no hand rail either.

    Vegan Caesar
    Parul V.

    Came here for dinner. Great vegetarian and vegan options. No meat/seafood is fried so no cross contamination of vegetarian fried items. Got the sweet potato fries with the vegan ranch dressing. That dressing deserves a 10. So good. I also got the vegan Caesar salad. It was good, nothing special. My friend got the basic bowl and said it was good. Our server was sweet and friendly. Inside was open and airy. Would come back to try other things if I was visiting longer.

    Menu
    Sagarika G.

    We had a wonderful dinner at Basic Kitchen, located just a short walk from King Street. The restaurant has a cozy, welcoming atmosphere that feels very community-driven and intimate, making it a great spot for a relaxed dinner. When we visited on a weekday evening, we were seated quickly with no wait! We started with the corn ribs, which were honestly one of the BEST appetizers we've ever had! They had the texture and flavor of ribs but were made from corn and served with an incredible chipotle dipping sauce that brought everything together perfectly! For our main dish, we ordered the spinach and feta pita, which was warm, gooey, and packed with flavor. The pita was stuffed with spinach and feta, making it rich and comforting--almost like a warm hug. It also came with a fresh side salad that was tangy and refreshing, which balanced the richness of the pita really well! I do wish that the pita was a bit more flavorful on the inside, not just the outside. My husband also ordered an Old Fashioned and said it was excellent. Overall, the food felt incredibly fresh and thoughtfully prepared. If you're looking for a cozy spot in Charleston with fresh ingredients and great flavors, this place is definitely worth visiting!

    Sweet potato fries with vegan ranch
    Alexandra M.

    I would 10/10 recommend Basic Kitchen to anyone visiting Charleston! Perfect for brunch or lunch after walking on King Street. It's a sit down brunch spot with a warm atmosphere. I'd make a reservation. Staff was very respectful of food allergies. Good vegan options. Very inclusive menu. I highly recommend the sweet potato fries. My boyfriend and I still talk about how good they are!

    Falafel sandwich with sweet potato fries
    Cat H.

    A wonderful Mother's Day lunch! All of our food was fantastic. The sweet potato fries MELT in your mouth. As someone who has to avoid gluten, shellfish, and dairy, this place is so wonderful for all food restrictions and they have many safe options for me to eat. I also highly recommend their mocktails! Our service was great, staff were friendly. Sitting near the front window was such a treat with the beautiful flowers behind us in the flower box.

    Golden Latte w/ espresso and coconut milk
    Kristina K.

    My mom and I came in on a Friday afternoon and were able to be seated right away. The outside of the restaurant looks like something you would walk right by, but the inside was bustling. It is decorated beautifully and has high ceilings. Just from looking at people's food as we were being seated I could tell this was going to be a fantastic and fresh meal. Our server greeted us and first asked if we had any allergies she should know about. While neither of us do, I thought this was a kind gesture. I was also able to observe all the servers and the hostess working together to make the whole restaurant run smoothly, with everyone helping out where they could. I ordered the Shawarma Bowl and my mom ordered the Good Burger with a Golden Latte with espresso and coconut milk. When asked if my mom wanted avocado on her burger she said no, but it still came with avocado and we were charged for it. She was not too upset though because she agreed the avocado should have been on the burger. Overall the food was incredibly flavorful, fresh, and creative. If I ever have the chance to dine in Charleston again I would definitely come back here, as the whole menu looks enticing!

    Negroni
    Nikki M.

    What a cute place, and I didn't even see the section that is outdoors! The food is simple, delicious, and cohesive. Our server was in the final weeks of her pregnancy and feeling it, but was so sweet and attentive. I do wish they had more options on the food menu. The beet margarita was interesting and the Negroni was incredibly strong. It was reasonably priced. I'd eat here again.

    Menu
    Sasha P.

    This was such a fun brunch for our party of four! We were seated on the patio and had perfect weather in Charleston in November. Our server was very sweet and friendly and took great care of us. We had a few different folks come check on us/bring food over/clear the table, and I always appreciate those table touches. The beet margartia was really tasty and not too sweet, and it's just such a beautiful color - you can't beet it ;) Breakfast was delicious and we were all very happy with what we ordered. Both the veggie (good) and regular (naughty) burgers were tasty and the sweet potato fries were just AMAZING. I had the "conscious cowboy" plate and it was super unique and tasty. The corn ribs were such a good treat - you have to try them. Easy to eat, perfectly cooked and season, great to share with the table. We hung out and took our time enjoying the meal, and everything was awesome.

    Cauli Wings
    Srinanda G.

    This place was giving almond mom, in the sense that it was healthy and had well-balanced meals. Plus, there were options that could accommodate everyone's dietary needs. The Cauli Wings didn't quite meet my expectations, felt like we've had better. Unfortunately, the chicken in the shawarma bowl was way too dry to eat. However, the rest of the bowl with its sauce pairings was pretty good.

    Jessica H.

    The vibe and atmosphere were trendy and dark. It was romantic, in that respect. I'd heard great things about the mocktails, so I was disappointed to be served one that came prepackaged in a bottle. Don't get me wrong- the phony Negroni was delicious but not exactly the gastronomical delight I'd been expecting. We shared the cauliflower wings, which were great. Then I had the veggie burger and sweet potato fries, which were also tasty. My husband enjoyed the burger, but didn't think it was as good as it should have been for that price. The server was very kind, but I think he was a bit overextended because service was very slow. We'd finished our drinks and wings when he finally turned up to ask if we wanted entrees. Considering how exhausted we were from a day of sightseeing, we wished we'd been in and out a little quicker. Although I can't fault him for considering the possibility that we wanted to linger. All that to say, it was fine.

    COOL
    Cheryl G.

    Different & VERY GOOD! Good crowd but not at all noisy. Most excellent service by Bryan! Nice beverages, Banana Bread, Corn Ribs to start. Smoked Salmon toast YUMZ. Amazing tastes of Veggie Bowl and Chicken Sausage. And now for the Chocolate Tahini Tart!! If you've never been, STOP, DROP and ROLL IN!!

    Sweet Potato Fries
    Lynn B.

    Sweet potato fries were offered on the house when the kitchen notepad an extra ordered. Very nice start, and they were good - thick, soft and lightly seasoned. Fattoush salad with grilled salmon - a reasonable size portion. Did not finish, due to filling up on the fries.

    Salmon bowl

    We had been looking forward to trying Basic Kitchen because we'd heard such great things about the food, and overall it lived up to the hype--but the service unfortunately fell short. We had a reservation, were seated promptly, and received water right away. After that, though, we waited about 15 minutes without anyone checking on us and eventually had to wave someone down just to place our food and drink order. When our server came over, I asked whether the strawberry matcha had any added sugar in the strawberry purée. Instead of answering the question, she responded with, "Well yeah, it's strawberries," in a noticeably dismissive tone. I clarified that I was asking whether there was added sugar, and while she eventually answered, the interaction felt unnecessarily curt. Unfortunately, that attitude continued throughout the meal. The disappointing part is that the food and drinks were excellent. The salmon bowl was our favorite dish--absolutely fantastic. We also loved the kombucha, the fresh juice and coconut water drinks, and the matcha. The kitchen clearly knows what it's doing, which made the service experience even more unfortunate. I'd absolutely come back for the food, but I hope the service is warmer next time because it didn't match the quality of everything coming out of the kitchen.

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    Page 5 of 17

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    FIG - Ricotta Gnocchi + Lamb Bolognese

    FIG

    4.5(1.7k reviews)
    0.2 mi•Ansonborough
    •$$$

    WOW! Go!! This…read moreplace was fantastic. Top notch service free m beginning to end. Our server Justin was a star. My wife has a fish allergy and they offered to prepare a vegetable plate for her. They prepared three vegetable dishes, which were all excellent. He recommended the boulliabase which was phenomenal. I would highly recommend it to anyone. My wife also had the arugula salad, which was excellent. I started with the chicken liver pate, which is all it is claimed to be. I honestly did not think that the blue crab ravioli was anything special. In fact I could have skipped that dish and had been fine and would've had more room to finish the shrimp in the boulliabase. Desserts were outstanding. Chocolate budin (pudding) was delicious. Rice pudding was also quite nice with the fresh strawberries. The place itself was nice. Dark lighting. They did a great job of staggering seatings so you're not sitting on top of each other. Wonderful meal and night.

    After waiting for months to make a reservation, we finally got to try Fig…read more We ordered an assortment of plates to share and everything was good and cooked correctly but there was nothing that stuck to my head like the BEST ever. Nothing was wrong with it, but also nothing was THAT special. Also, we felt like the space is like a sound tunnel and it gets LOUD. I was having trouble hearing people on my table talk due to the higher than usual crown noise. Overall: It is a good experience, food is good , service is polite and cordial, but it was definitely not worth the hype and months of wait and anticipation. It is a good spot for an elevated dinner but, the hype it has been blown out of proportion.

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    Wallpaper in bathroom

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    Wagyu Beef Carne Cruda Toast

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    Church and Union - Avocado Toast

    Church and Union

    4.1(2.2k reviews)
    0.4 mi•French Quarter
    •$$

    You will actually be dining in a restored church-like environment here-- large dining room with…read morelots of seating, beautiful stain glass windows and a superbly large bar. The bar alone spans the length of the dining room. Make sure to order the coffee ~ the SC roaster is called Mozza ~ based In Spartanburg SC. They serve the beverage in a large mug so you will be good for a while -- just sit back, relax and savor. For larger groups there are several community tables. Church and Union is in a wonderful location as welll~ just across from the open air city market and steps from the waterfront. The Servers are friendly and efficient and aim to please. Note* ~ this restaurant does tack on a kitchen fee....so be prepared ~ in my case : $41.00 bill+ $1.80 KF.

    We went to Church and Union for lunch after a morning horse and carriage tour. I was starved after…read morea small breakfast and was glad that this was right around the corner. The inside is beautiful. I'm glad we got sit on the side with the huge ceilings and enormous stained glass. Our bartender was fantastic and very friendly. We sat at the bar because we had no reservations. We both ordered the fried chicken sandwich - it was a brunch menu for the Labor Day holiday. I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture of the food, but it was good. The chicken was a boneless chicken thigh, the batter was good, and the home fries were even better. I also had a mimosa (because it was 5'o clock somewhere) and my partner had a latte which was tasty and came with a small pirouline cookie. Beautiful surroundings right across from the Market.

    Photos
    Church and Union - Table setting

    Table setting

    Church and Union - Chicken Sandwich

    Chicken Sandwich

    Church and Union - Lamb Burger

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    Lowland Tavern - Cheryl Day Biscuit

    Lowland Tavern

    4.4(100 reviews)
    0.2 mi•King Street
    •$$$

    Can't miss restaurant in charleston- of the best meals I've had in a while!…read more They do have a full restaurant and more of a tavern area, and we sat in the tavern. It was intimate and cozy, perfect ambiance for a sweet date night! Reservations definitely recommended. We ordered a little bit of everything- biscuit, chicory salad, salmon crudo, swordfish, and pork rigatoni. Everything was excellent, specifically the salad and the swordfish! I truly think the chicory salad is the best salad I've ever had. The portion sizes were perfect and everything was super fresh and flavorful. We paired our dinner with a Verdejo white wine and it was amazing. The staff were super knowledgeable and descriptive with the menu options. While we were 100% satisfied with our choices, we kept eyeing the schnitzel and the burger that everyone was ordering. There was plenty of bar seating available and we were already planning our next dinner there for those two meals!

    I came to Lowland Tavern after a Spoleto Festival performance with friends. The overall location…read morewas a convenient 6 minutes walking distance from the Gaillard Center. Upon entering, the restaurant was VERY dimly lit with a tavern-like aesthetic. We started with drinks: a hugo spritz and a campari spritz. Both were good! Unfortunately, things kind of went downhill a bit after that--not because of the food, but mainly for the service. Our waitress seemed annoyed with our party from the get-go. To be fair, some of our friends did arrive about 25 minutes later than expected (from another Spoleto event), but we were very up front about their delay upon arriving to the restaurant. Beyond that, our waitress just never smiled and always gave us looks that just made us feel like a burden. The menu is also poorly organized. Appetizers are not separated from mains--which is annoying when you're deciding what you want (thinking it's a main when it's not). For appetizers, we ultimately ordered the lowland biscuit, the celery salad, and the yellowfun tuna + snapper crudo. All were very tasty and well made! The celery salad is so refreshing! But that biscuit is absolutely delicious! We loved all of them! For my main, I split a tavern burger with my sister. Also very good and very cheesy! Our friends ordered drinks and the butterscotch desert. We all enjoyed the food, just wish the menu was better delineated and the service was better. For my campari spritz, and splitting the appetizers/main, I paid $91.60 with tax and tip. Given that Charleston has so many amazing restaurants, I'm not sure my first choice would be to return here purely due to the aforementioned. I'm giving them 4/5 stars purely for the food.

    Photos
    Lowland Tavern - Upstairs bar at lowland

    Upstairs bar at lowland

    Lowland Tavern - Beef Tartare

    Beef Tartare

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    Little Palm - Coconut custard

    Little Palm

    4.3(251 reviews)
    0.2 mi•Ansonborough
    •$$

    I was in Charleston on a Bach trip and the day we had planned to go to a pool club it was supposed…read moreto rain all day. We made the reservation months in advance and the morning of, they advised that our reservation was cancelled. Scrambling to find plans and hopefully a pool, one of the girls in our group called Little Palm and they were SO accommodating with our situation and welcomed us. We cannot thank them enough. When we first arrived we sat down and had brunch. I ordered the LP double cheeseburger and the matcha latte. The matcha latte was unimpressive but the cheeseburger was delicious. It hit the spot, especially after a night out. The yucca fries were delicious as well. The portions of all the dishes were great and everyone seemed to enjoy their meals. After we ate, we went over to the pool area and by this point the rain showers were over. Once again, the staff was so nice. Made sure we had towels available and just really turned our day around. The place is clean and decorated so cute, we really enjoyed our time here. Would definitely recommend this place and would certainly come back another time!!

    We didn't have any food, so I can't speak to that, but I visited with a dear friend for my…read morebirthday. The rooftop pool is cute, and there are two bars, one inside and one outside. We sat at the indoor bar, and our bartender was great. The drinks themselves were really good. My Hugo Spritz was excellent, and so was the Silk Sheets. They clearly put a lot into the cocktail program, with tons of syrups, ingredients, and more elaborate drinks on the menu. Unfortunately, the service was incredibly slow, and it seemed very clear that this was not our bartender's fault. The indoor bartender was handling the guests sitting at her bar, service tickets, and drinks for the pool. Meanwhile, the outdoor bartender seemed to have very little going on. Granted, it was over 98 degrees outside, but the workload just seemed really uneven. When we first arrived, it was literally us and one other gentleman at the bar. He wanted an espresso martini or something similar, but apparently the coffee bar had already been shut down for the day. I don't remember the exact reason. They did make it happen for him, which was nice, but it also meant our bartender had yet another thing she had to go out of her way to figure out. What made the wait especially frustrating was that the bar was not busy at the time. It took us around 10 to 15 minutes just to order our drinks, and she didn't actually get a full bar until about 3 to 5 minutes after we finally received them. So this wasn't a situation where she was overwhelmed by a packed bar. She was running out of ice, waiting on things she needed, handling pool and service tickets, and trying to work around a setup that just did not seem efficient. It honestly started to feel almost obnoxious to want to order another round because you could see how much unnecessary work went into making each drink. Again, that is not a criticism of the bartender. She was great and seemed to be doing everything she could. The issue was the setup and flow behind the bar. If you are going to have such an extensive cocktail program, with that many syrups, ingredients, and specialty drinks, the bartenders need to be set up in a way that allows them to actually execute it efficiently. The atmosphere was nice, the drinks we had were great, and I would absolutely give this place another chance. I just hope they figure out a better system because the bartender should not have to work that hard to overcome the setup.

    Photos
    Little Palm - Coffee bar

    Coffee bar

    Little Palm - Pan con tomate

    Pan con tomate

    Little Palm - Perfection

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    Perfection

    Basic Kitchen - newamerican - Updated September 2026

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