Finally tried the famous Ultimate Coconut Cake by Peninsula and it absolutely lived up to the hype and deserves 5 stars on its own. The cake is moist, perfectly sweet, and layered with fluffy coconut frosting. If you've been wanting to try it but don't feel like committing to a full fine-dining experience at Peninsula Grill, this is such a great, more casual way to enjoy it. I paired it with an espresso martini, which paired well with the dessert. I was disappointed that it wasn't served with their famous smoke bubble. The overall experience was just okay. Sitting at the bar was convenient, but the service felt pretty standard and the interior didn't really stand out or add much to the vibe. It's definitely more about the cake than the atmosphere here. read more

Benne’s - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We stopped into Benne's right before closing and they were kind enough to still let us in, which we really appreciated. We were craving espresso martinis, and they quickly made a couple for us. Nice touch -- the glasses were chilled, which always makes a difference. That said, we do think the martinis may have been missing the classic foam "bubble" and espresso bean garnish. Honestly though, since they were closing and still accommodated us, we were just grateful they made them at all. If it had been mentioned that they'd be quick, simplified versions due to closing, we would've completely understood -- just something small for expectation-setting. Now let's talk about the coconut cake -- absolutely amazing. It's $17 for a slice, but the portion is HUGE. Easily shareable, and we still had to take some to-go. Super moist, flavorful, and worth every bite if you're a coconut fan. Also worth noting: the outdoor patio is pet-friendly, which is always a big plus for us. Great spot to stop with your pup while enjoying dessert or a cocktail. Overall, a positive experience -- especially thanks to the staff's hospitality at closing time. We'd definitely come back (earlier next time!) to enjoy the full experience. read more

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I came here with a friend one slow evening as the rain began to fall in sheets. We were the only ones there and were treated with ultimate Southern hospitality as the two employees were gracious and accommodating. They seemed unbothered by the slow night keeping themselves busy by organizing, cleaning, and inventory checks in between checking in on my friend and I. We came here for desserts having heard nothing of the place from anyone. We had walked past it the night before and fancied dropping in after dinner nearby. Once the rain started we settled as we had not brought an umbrella. My friend ordered two slices of cake not anticipating they could feed a small village of people. She thought the coconut cake was a bit dry but absolutely loved, loved, loved the slice of chocolate cake she had. I decided to drink my dessert and started with the La Provence which was a bright gin drink, very florally especially with the lavender. The Ultimate Coconut Martini was fabulous. It was creamy, well balanced, and the vanilla soared on coconut flavor. I am a fan of a great dessert cocktail. All in all it was a fantastic moment out! read more

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Came here as part of a culinary experience with my team. Had the coconut cake and that was spot on delicious! Everyone else enjoyed the espresso martinis and raved about them! Can't wait to come back and try other cakes! read more

Benne’s - Coconut cake - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Desserts and alcohol!!!! Best of both worlds. Take your kids and enjoy a drink with it. Great place, very elegant and quiet. In the back is a cute little court yard for an outdoor summer date with your significant others. Your "bartender " will bring your alcoholic beverages to your table too. Their coconut cake is a must have. read more

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Absolutely horrible food. Watery coffee, completely undercooked and oversalted egg on soft white bread. Good pastry. Won't be back. Ever.

This was the last stop on our Charleston food tour and it did not disappoint! I'd had this amazing cake before at dinner at Peninsula Grill and was so excited for the rest of my party to try it. Service was great, cake was unreal, and the space is super cute. Definitely a must go! read more

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HOLY MOLY.....A 10" high coconut cake! Well.....okay, maybe 8" high, but who's counting! If you're looking for a delicious after dinner dessert this is the place to be! We were recently in Charleston for our anniversary, and met a very charming couple at the hotel pool. We all hit it off so well that we arranged to meet after dinner at Benne's for dessert. Both parties had already locked in special dinner reservations separately which are extremely rare to get in Charleston, so dessert seemed like the perfect ending to our wonderful day. It turned out to be a really special experience. If you're ever in this area, check it out on N. Market St. Though a little pricey, it's well worth it. It's obviously a well-received hotspot in the city, as people kept coming in to buy the huge coconut cakes! They are very famous for this specific dessert, and it's not surprising at all! Go enjoy a slice of coconut cake at Benne's, and have a memorable experience with your friends and family! We certainly did... read more

Benne’s - Benne's coconut cake - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Service by Jacob was excellent, some of the best we have had on this trip. The cake was great, and the espresso martinis were perfect. The ambiance is very euro chill. Highly recommend. read more

Benne’s - Coconut Cake - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Whelllll, our tour guide, Alice told us all about this crazy big coconut cake and we were all so full from our foodie tour, that we were thinking: No WAY it could tempt us. But I'm here to tell you it lives up to the HYPE! I had a THIRD of a piece and it was delicious and creamy. Had my fill til next trip! read more

Benne’s - The coconut cake made super famous by the likes of Oprah and Tom Cruise. Bah, who cares what they think? Try it for yourself! - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We had this on our list to try because of the Coconut cake. The cake itself while pricey is very good. We almost didn't try it because service was so bad that we almost left. There were very few people in the restaurant at that time and we sat until we almost left. Literally believe a manager had to come over to help us. Again the cake is great but the service was not. read more

Benne’s - Coconut Cake - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Coconut cake for the win! This was our last food stop of our Charleston trip. I had read about this cake, so I had to give it a try. My husband and I shared the cake and still couldn't finish it all. It was so delicious and I'm sure I'll have dreams about it. Our waitress was helpful and kind. I loved the seating choices. read more

Benne’s - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Came here for breakfast twice since we were staying next door at the Planters Inn. We had the smoked salmon, yogurt parfait, and both kinds of egg bites. The food was tasty and the coffee was fine. We also had the coconut cake which was good but not all that it was made out to be, especially for the price. It had a mild coconut flavor. Servers were nice, seemed frazzled when busy. Nice cafe ambiance with booths and tables. read more

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When you're craving dessert but you only have the same boring spots to go to? Just kidding! Benne's is there for you! I'm so glad we have another dessert spot in Charleston and am sore to just now be learning about it. We snagged the cheesecake and an espresso martini. I'll be honest, I don't like cheesecake but I know my boyfriend does so I made sure we ordered it. That is probably the best slice of cheesecake I have ever had. It wasn't too sweet, not too cream cheesy and the CRUST was perfect. The interior is really pretty and we were fortunate to come in before it got too busy. Benne's is a nice treat that is well known for their "world famous coconut cake". They have an assortment of drinks and dessert options. I look forward to going back! read more

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We heard great things about the coconut cake. It was dry and not anything special, especially for the price, good lord.

Amazing coconut cake. Perfect sweetness. They even ship their cakes! Expresso Martini was a bit bitter and unnecessary with the sweetness of the cake. We shared 1piece cake between 3of us and it was plenty! read more

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First morning in Charleston and we decided to walk around and look for a few breakfast spots. Come to find out, Charleston isn't really much of a breakfast town? My wife is telling me when we retire, we'll open a cute diner here. We = Me working? We walked past Benne and decided for some coffee and bagels. I also noticed this beautiful coconut cake on display? My sister in law did some research, this is a famous cake. Like, people plan their weddings around this cake?! As we're talking, I bite into my bagel with cream cheese and salmon. What the hell!?? Ok, so Charleston isn't known for bagels. Now at my diner, I'm baking. Great. The cake has slowly entered into my consciousness... After dinner, we were walking around town and came across Bennes. We sit down and I see the restaurant is an after hours type spot? The table next to us ordered a few smokey Old Fashioneds. The coolness level just jumped up to 100. The guy behind the bar seemed pretty cool, I asked him if the coconut cakes are sold by the slice? It is sir. Be still my beating heart... The cake comes to the table quickly. One bite and I can see why people are losing their minds. The frosting isn't overly sweet and the coconut flavor is there, layer after layer after layer.. I'm in a coconut coma at this point. If you're in Charleston, make it point to stop by Bennes. Amazing Coconut cake and the cocktails look delicious too! read more

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Best Coconut Cake Ever! Our shuttle driver must sell hundreds of slices. We got dropped off in front of this place and after hearing how delicious it was, we just had to try it. It did not disappoint! Their spinach and ricotta croissants were delicious also. read more

Benne’s - Coconut Cake - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Probably the best coconut cake and espresso martini we have ever had. Pro tip: start eating the cake from the back, that way you'll get bits of the toasted coconut shavings instead of being too full to finish the back and miss out on that little slice of heaven! They were super busy on a Wednesday evening as they only had 1 server on the floor (it's a small cafe setting), but the bartender came over to our table between customers to take our order. Very nice staff. read more

Benne’s - Coconut cake and espresso martini. Chef's kiss - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We went for the $15 slice of coconut cake. It was good, but pricey. They have great ambiance and had a live violinist the night we visited. You can order at the counter for take away or take a seat and be served. All seating is indoor. read more

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I try to pop by anytime I'm in town. I like that their red velvet cake doesn't have a ton of cream. Today I stopped by for it, but they didn't have it so I went with their key lime fruit tart. Which was delicious. The service here is always kind and welcoming. I would recommend for desserts and small bites with friends or by yourself ^_^ read more

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This place is such a gem! The atmosphere is so calm and fun. They have live music and the performer is sooooo good. The desserts are super yummy. We had the tiramisu, coconut cake, and chocolate mousse with raspberries. All 10/10s. I also had the espresso martini, which was very smooth and perfect balance of espresso and vodka. Overall, this place is amazing! I'll come back for sure! read more

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I've heard race reviews about the big coconut cake from one of our food tour couples that we met earlier in the day, I know Opera loves it too. Benne's was right around the corner from our hotel so we stopped in and purchased a a slice for later. The portion was a good size (I'm not sure if it was $18's big) but as a coconut cake with rave reviews goes, it was... fine. A little dry and just kind of expected more for the price and the way people talk about it. The location was nice and the servers were super friendly and made sure we had utensils for our to go order. It's certainly a spot I'd stop in to grab coffee but the menu looked a little traditional and at the time I was in need of an iced coffee with a little flair to it. read more

This place had a really nice setting making it immediately comfortable to chill for a bit. Workers were nice and the food was solid. Service was kind of unorganized and we had to ask multiple times for our food only to then find out it was sitting on the counter and no one brought it to us. Then we ordered a coconut cake which was phenomenal and someone actually delivered it to our table. Overall, the food was solid, service was kind of messy and the setting was decent! read more

Benne’s - -Coconut Cake - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Great little find. Was just the right spot for an after dinner drink coupled with something sweet. My wife and I shared a MASSIVE slice of their signature coconut cake. It was to die for!! Also had a great cup of coffee and a wonderful chocolate martini. The seating in the middle of the room are super comfortable. A great place to relax with great eats and a friendly waiter staff. Hope to go back! read more

Benne’s - Coconut cake & chocolate martini - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Visited as a part of the Hispanic Heritage Month Bar Crawl coordinated by the Cocktail Bandits. Great diner vibes. Cute inside, and nice area outside in the back. This was my first time there, but I'm planning to return and try items on their menu that sound very appealing. The service was awesome. We were able to taste a great cocktail and slice of coconut cake. The drink was delightful. I'm not a fan of coconut, so I ate around the coconut. The cake was moist and not too sweet, as well as the icing. read more

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Coconut cake...worth the trip. I don't even like coconut very much but this cake was great! read more

Benne’s - Coconut cake - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Extremely disappointing experience. Service was slow, impersonal and bordering on rude. Then there was the cake ... which was dry, lacking flavor, with virtually no coconut. Spend your time and money somewhere else in Charleston. read more

Pretty new, modern premise. It's a bit different than most others in Charleston. You feel comfortable and service was good. Coconut cake was delicious, but on the other hand expensive. read more

Benne’s - Interior design - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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The coconut cake is a must!!!! I truly cannot say enough good things about it. As a coconut cake lover I was obsessed with this cake, but even my husband who doesn't like coconut enjoyed it too. It was so creamy, moist and light. Each slice is pretty expensive at $15 but well worth it. Im from out of town and would consider coming back to town just to try this cake again. The cafe itself is so cute. They had coffee/tea, bakery and lunch items. read more

Benne’s - Slice of coconut cake - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Friendly service and pretty good coffee! I didn't try any of the pastries, but they looked delicious. If you need a pick me up after shopping at the Charleston City Marker, this is a good spot to pop in for a coffee. read more

Benne’s - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Great spot . I've been there last year as well . This time service was so poor can't even describe fully . Brought the bDay candle asked my Server to place it and light it up , they brought desserts with the candle with NOT FIRE . First time in my life . Luckily bDay person was not a child . Asked to go boxes at the end no bags was offered . Unfriendly service needs to be changed . Coconut dessert was as always nice . Management and service are vital part At customer service and staff should be trained accordingly!!! I'll be back hope to get better service... read more

Benne’s - Coconut cake with the candle ( fire on it was second request ) - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Came through on a Saturday night and needed some fuel before a ghost tour! Aka coffee!! At times it's hard to find local coffee shops that are open after 4pm so we were walking towards a hotel cafe when we saw Benne's along the way. I like how they're open until 11pm and offer not just coffee but cocktails and mocktails as well. I got a yummy pumpkin spice latte that wasn't overly sweet, my Dad enjoyed his regular hot coffee, and my sis got a refreshing hibiscus tea. We shared a slice of the coconut cake, between us 3 we were stuffed!! The interior is very well designed, from the tiles to the light fixtures so kudos to the design team for that. The mirrors help to make the space look bigger as well. Bathroom was clean and gender neutral. Service was quick. Great spot we found on a whim and highly recommend y'all take a visit. read more

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My wife and I were down in Charleston for our anniversary. We happened to walk by Benne's in the afternoon and the coconut cakes in the window caught our eye. We had dinner reservations down the street later that evening but decided to have dessert afterwards at Benne's. We came back and sat at the bar. We ordered a slice of the coconut cake and enjoyed every bite. This coconut cake is the best I've ever had. I learned later that night that they are known for having the best coconut cake in America! Even Oprah knows about it! Amazing is all I can say. I haven't stopped thinking about it in two days! read more

Benne’s - Coconut cake at Benne's in Charleston, SC! - Desserts Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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I am a little uncomfortable reviewing Benne's Cafe and Bakery and giving a low rating as I have remained a loyal patron at the Peninsula Grill for many years. I have to say that the cafe was NOT In keeping with the 5 star food and quality as you would find at The Peninsula Grill in the hotel. I had higher expectations for Benne's and was very surprised to say the least. The Cafe's website make the sandwiches, salads and baked goods look garden fresh and made to order but in reality you are handed a ready made item that is cold and marginal in ingredients and packaged in a "to go" container. I ordered the mixed green salad with chicken ~ only to open box and find the chicken was missing. When I inquired the Manager retuned with cold "pegs "of luke warm white chicken which was totally unacceptable and inedible. My husband's smoked salmon on a bagel was skimpy in serving size and one half of a bagel only in serving--who knows when it was composed ---so he left the cafe still hungry. He did comment that it was tasty but not the full portion as one would expect and more should have been included for the price! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Benne's will make some changes before it's too late. I know the focus of The Peninsula Grill is their famous coconut cake and believe they will do well selling slices to the tourist population. I think it's great that the bakers at Peninsula Grill now have a nice cafe in order to sell their world famous cake! The Planters Inn/ Peninsula Grill's famous Coconut Cake is on display everywhere and for the thirty minutes I sat at my table I observed several customers walk in and ask the price of the cake- btw $15.00 slice. It will feed two easily and you still may have leftovers! I believe Benne's will do well with the after dinner dessert crowd looking for a special treat before their walk back to their hotel. If you want quick and easy takeout then Benne's will be for you. read more

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I stumbled upon this place and boy was I impressed! It was a bit of a walk from the hotel and that could be good/bad thing. I would have been here every evening. Our waiter was great and seemed to be enjoying the work. It is relaxed and you can get cafe 'correctto' (true Italians will know what this means). There was live music (violinist the evening of our visit). There are food options and desserts. Their signature dessert is the coconut cake and if you like coconut, you must get a piece. If I find myself in Charleston again, I will be stopping in. read more

Located right next door to Peninsula Grill, it is the perfect place to grab the famous Coconut Cake of Charleston while also sipping delicious cocktails. There are other dessert options as well and you can grab a table or take it to go. They had a guitarist playing while we were there and it was a great way to enjoy the end of the day. The coconut cake was definitely large enough to split and our server was excellent. Very clean, very spacious and a great place to duck into for after dinner drinks and dessert without having to go to all the "usual" places around Charleston. read more

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I am so happy I stumbled upon this little gem! I was about to walk into Peninsula Grille and get me a slice of the infamous coconut cake, and as I was walking, in the window was the cake!! I walk in thinking "I hope it's as good as the cake in Peninsula Grille". The cashier greeted me and I asked her if that was the same cake and she said yes! They shop is adorable! Same southern regal flare. The lighting was perfect! They also make coffee beverages and had other dessert options! I will definitely go back! read more

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Participated in the Cocktail Bandits Hispanic Heritage Month Bar Crawl. The last stop was phenomenal! The bartender was amazing! So sweet & accommodating. He created a delicious cocktail. The restaurant is a hidden gem on Market Street. Full bar with plenty of desserts. Welcoming environment with a beautiful & intimate patio area. read more

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3 stars so they read this review: 1) the food and cocktail options are great. The coconut cake is a Charleston staple for a reason 10/10 2) the cocktails are also outstanding. Their espresso cocktails; the wine selection, the vermouth, digestif; great 9/10 3) Brandon the Bartender/ Server 12/10 outstanding; what a knowledgeable, charleston native. Love love love his energy and enthusiasm. Here's where bennes fails: The baristas. The management team. Tell us why everyone looks like they hate working there; why were the (very young) baristas acting like they own the place, smashing glassware and being condescending to the guests? The one barista, showed us to a dirty table and was talking under her breath from the counter and then, a man in a suit, -I guess the manager? Came to clear the table. Unorganized operation. Should just be open for dessert and cocktails. Completely unacceptable. read more