Bricks & Barrels is a decent choice for upscale fare... IF you choose wisely, and if you come on the right evening.
Came here on a Tuesday evening to have dinner with a friend. This place came well-recommended and the pictures of the offerings were quite appealing. While the outside of the restaurant is relatively unassuming (and you may wonder for a moment if you've found the right place), the inside is very attractively designed with excellent lighting. While they were not busy at the time when we were dining, due to the open-seating plan, I can easily see this place being quite loud during peak business hours, so bear that in mind if you come on a Friday or Saturday evening.
The menu certainly looks appealing in its offerings. My friend assured me that the shrimp and grits was to die for (and I fully believe her), though I did not partake of that on this occasion. I opted for a simpler chicken sandwich, which unfortunately was particularly dry and in no way flavorful. The same goes for the "truffle tots", which are nothing more than regular grocery-store tater tots, so expect to be disappointed there (try the mac and cheese instead). The peanut butter pie dessert was excellent, and I would recommend it. Their draft beer list has some good local options as well as your typical brews.
I was underwhelmed by the service. Callbacks were infrequent, interactions seemed forced, and menu/drink knowledge was lacking. Additionally, after we ordered our desired dessert (the chocolate brick), she took a full 10 minutes to report back that they were out of it. As a former server myself, here is how the dessert process is supposed to work: on chilled desserts (like pies, cakes, ice cream, etc), turnaround time from order to delivery should be 5 minutes or less, since rarely does anything need to be done aside from plating the dessert and adding any garnishes/toppings. When the restaurant is not busy and it has taken 10 minutes purely to let us know that you did NOT have it available, that shows a failure of the server to follow up twice: to expeditiously check on availability of the dessert, and to let the table know of that fact. Not a great way to finish a meal.
All in all, the restaurant certainly looks attractive and seems popular for corporate events, though I personally would only return to try the shrimp and grits to see if it lives up to what my friend claimed. Otherwise, I am certain better options exist in the Charleston area.
Overall: 3.0 stars
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Pros:
- Some good food offerings, though avoid sandwiches and basic fare.
- Great dessert options (when they are actually available)
- Excellent drink selection, a stellar option to have drinks in an upscale setting.
Cons:
- Service seemed lackluster during my visit.
- Lack of their most popular dessert item was unfortunate.
- Basic fare is entirely forgettable and should be avoided.
- Open seating floor plan can create volume issues on busy nights.
- Parking is limited, again a problem if the evening is a busy one. read more