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    Vern's

    4.5 (168 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

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    Recommended Reviews - Vern's

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    Martini
    Taylor R.

    Incredible neighborhood spot that knows the food is the star of the show. Laid back atmosphere with an ample wine list and simple menu. Extra points for having an entire orange wine selection. Not a bad thing on the menu. Definitely try at least one thing from each category at least and your server will course it perfectly for you. Stand outs were the pappardelle which reminded me of hamburger helper in the most elevated and delicious way. As well as the most flavorful wagyu I've ever had. They also have an excellent dirty martini. The chocolate cake tasted like a giant baked Ferraro roche in the best way possible. All around an excellent, cozy spot with the best possible preparation of comfy and familiar flavors.

    Staci W.

    Came here for a girls night and it did not disappoint. Everything was delicious!! Some of the best desserts I've had in a while.

    Specials
    Ryan C.

    Great service and ambiance. We got the raw tuna appetizer, charred sourdough, beet salad, squash, wagyu, and a black currant dessert special. -The tuna tasted good, but it felt like the dish was missing something to eat the tuna with. - Sourdough was great just messy to eat since the knife didn't work to cut and we had to resort to ripping it. - We liked the beet salad, but wasn't a huge fan of the squash. - My friend really enjoyed the wagyu. - The black currant dessert special was really unique/interesting.

    Rabbit pasta
    Sarah M.

    I was lucky enough to snag a reservation at Vern's for a Friday night. We opted to sit at the bar because it looked so cozy! There are only 6 bar seats - so it is a very intimate setting with the bartender providing excellent service. For dinner, we had the rabbit pasta, scallops, and the 33oz porterhouse steak. Our favorites were the rabbit pasta- it was delicate yet decadent - absolutely delicious & the 33 oz porterhouse steak. The steak came with fresh salsa verde which was unlike anything I had ever had - dreamy! And also came with freshly grated horseradish. The steak was tender, cooked to perfection, and served in an appetizing manner. Service was fabulous. The atmosphere of Vern's is sexy, sophisticated, moody, and cozy. Absolutely perfect for date night or a splurge dinner. We will be back!

    wagyu
    Lauren P.

    Incredible food- great spins on classic meals! Was a little disappointed in the staff, and we were told to order way too much food for 2, but everything was so good, I didn't mind leftovers too much. Very cozy, intimate, and dark. They recently got a liquor license and i'd recommend just sticking with the wine. MUST GET: the scallops: my favorite dish of the night. somehow fried and still light. felt like an elevated version of the beach shacks i would go to as a child The bitter greens salad: Loved the breadcrumbs The rabbit ragu: had all the depth of a ragu but still light and bright.

    Amelia Y.

    Hands down the best meal I've had in Charleston. If ever in need of a restaurant for a special occasion, this is the place to go! We went with the recommendation to get the escargot with the sourdough and we were so glad we did!! We also got the scallops which just melted in your mouth. Then we got the pork and some of the sweet potato's which were spectacular! I've never had sweet potato's like this. The pork was tender and flavorful. Dessert was a special for the night. We agreed it wasn't our favorite but very unique flavors! For a fun drink I recommend the one that is similar to an espresso martini (can't remember the name) but it had salted almond cold foam and it was delicious. Service was amazing, did a great job of explaining the dishes. Ambiance was moody and cool. I hope to come back here again ASAP!

    Outside
    Kristy K.

    Made a reservation for the newly Michelin starred Vern's for a trip to Charleston with my sister. We had the charred sourdough, bitter lettuces, testaroli, pappardelle and the strawberry dessert. Don't let "bitter" throw you off. It was my sisters favorite part of the meal. Each dish was really interesting and delicious. I was surprised by the strawberry dessert. It doesn't look like much but it is so good! Every layer is different and it all melds together beautifully. Very fair prices for the level of quality and service. The restaurant is very pleasantly decorated and the florals are stunning, even in the bathroom! Would not hesitate to return or recommend. Note: Do not try to park here. Just park in a garage, walk or Uber! There is no parking lot and the street parking is sparse and tight.

    Vision Quest (Spicy Marg w/ Mezcal)
    Olivia L.

    LOVE Vern's so much, I had to come back and leave another review after visiting again. It's impossible to have a bad meal here. This time we had the charred sourdough with escargot, raw yellowfin tuna, bitter lettuces (YUM), pappardelle, roast spring chicken and wagyu flat iron, but the cocktails need their moment to shine. I started with the "Vision Quest" which is a play on the spicy mezcal margarita with Calabrian chili...truly out of this world. When I thought it couldn't get better, I ordered the "Cafe Obscura" next aka an espresso martini, which genuinely took the cake, made with aged rum and topped with salted almond foam...to die for! I say this every time, but I WILL be back!

    Sourdough
    Kim G.

    I had a very good experience at this restaurant. I'd actually give it 4.5 stars if that was an option. I believe it received a Michelin star not long ago, and I totally get it! The charred sourdough was fantastic and bursting with flavor. The portion size was also generous for a high end restaurant. My pasta dish was near perfection. It had a ton of complex flavors and textures that were all working together and totally different from any dish I've tried prior. The only downside was that the dish was extremely salty. I'm not sure if that's how it's supposed to be or not, but it definitely deterred me from giving a 5 star rating. The atmosphere was quaint and moody. The hostess and bar tender were both extremely friendly. I definitely would come back!

    Nina C.

    Hard place to get a reso too especially since they've gotten their first star but we were able to snag a 9pm reso on a Monday night. We were able to get sat a few minutes early which was nice and our server came over and gave us the run down on the menu. The restaurant itself was very chill, unpretentious, warm and very busy. Not a big dining room, only a handful of seats at the bar and an open kitchen. Hubby is celiac so our server showed us another menu with the options that he could have which was nice. Our server and the support staff were great, however we weren't blown away by the food. Felt the quality was good but some of the flavors kind of didn't work for us. I personally enjoyed the scallops- I found it to be unique in how it was presented and made. Good textures and tasted fresh. We ordered three "salads" - bitter lettuces, beets and delicata squash. The first two were served together and I would not recommend getting these two together because the acidity in both got overwhelming and had similar flavors. We preferred the beets salad because it had a very tasty labneh and pistachio to cut through the acid, but if we had to choose one of the two it would be that one. The squash was brought out with our 2 entrees - 16oz NY strip that was marinated in tamarind and miso, and the pork loin with chanterelles, onion and harissa. The squash dish was unique and flavors were interesting. I thought the tomato sauce was powerful and outshined the beautiful delicata squash, then you have this Swiss chard with the sesame seeds and it just didn't seem like they fit together in harmony when you took a bite of everything together. Steak looked absolutely amazing and cooked perfectly. However, we just didn't feel like it had much flavor or seasoning. It really just needed some flaky salt or something to just bring it up a notch. There was a salsa verde/chimichurri offered on the side which we used heavily to accompany the steak but it didn't wow us. With a beautiful steak like that, we were expecting more flavor, or a simple salt and pepper crust would've gone a long way since we couldn't really taste any of the tamarind or miso. We still enjoyed the steak of course but we're looking for more with it being $95. The pork loin, cooked perfectly and we enjoyed the mushrooms and onions. It was interesting because we enjoyed the flavor of the harissa sauce, but just didn't feel like the two went together. The flavors of the sauce were deep but we enjoyed the pork separately. We enjoyed all the different flavors, but just not how some went together throughout our meal. However, perhaps with just our expectations and preferences, it didn't quite give us that 5 star experience. Despite these things, I would still recommend this place overall because we felt they still executed good, quality food and service. We were grateful for the opportunity to experience this in Charleston.

    Al N.

    Went to Verns Restaurant last week and had a great time. The service was incredible from start to finish and the food was really good across the board. The menu is very shareable and I would highly recommend ordering a bunch of plates for the table and trying a little bit of everything. My favorite thing on the menu was the rabbit which really stood out. Would definitely go back.

    Flourless chocolate cake
    Carly D.

    Lived up to the hype Everything wowed me but the pork. The pork itself was good quality but was not a fan of the preparation. Was kinda lik barbecue pork and not elevated . Don't skip the chicken. Seriously don't. It's the sleeper hit. And don't skip the rabbit pasta - not a pasta lover and this blew me away

    Emma P.

    The service here is exceptional. From the hostess to the bartender and server I felt very well taken care of. They have a great wine selection and the food was superb. I enjoyed the fennel, carrots, trout, and rabbit pasta. All incredibly flavorful and perfect for sharing. I love the dark moody vibes of the inside, it's a great date night spot. Limited bar seating available, I recommend a reservation.

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    17 days ago

    lived up to the hype...walk in bar dining experience was awesome. Food was fantastic, but service/vibe was even better.

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    8 months ago

    Excellent pasta dishes and service. Small but cozy ambiance. Went for a business dinner but it would be a great place for a romantic dinner.

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Vern's

    Is parking available?

    There is street parking available but can be difficult to find. The closest public parking lots are at 10 Cannon St. and 218 Ashley Ave. or the Midtown Garage. at 558 King St.

    View All 2 Questions

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    4.4(3.4k reviews)
    1.4 miFrench Quarter
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    Short walk from our hotel (Mills House) on a busy street. White linens on the tables. High level…read moreservice. When we made our Tuesday dinner reservation the day before, there was nothing available before 8:30pm. But when I checked on Tuesday afternoon several slots had opened up and we were able to move ours up to an earlier time. The food was very good. It is a bit on the pricier side but earns it: fresh, quality ingredients and all expertly cooked and nicely plated. Delicate and balanced seasoning, and very tasty but subtle sauces. Especially enjoyed the combination of Brussels Sprouts on a bed of pureed parsnips. We had the flounder and the Gumbo for our entrees. And while they didn't look very substantial, we were quickly full. The ciabatta and parmesan butter that we couldn't resist may have had a little to do with that.

    FYI, dinner service starts at 4 pm. We had a reservation at 4:45 ( only one available). We went…read morespecifically for the fish of the day because they do such a fabulous job with fresh fish. We were told there was no fish of the day and expressed our disappointment. Crickets. So we ordered off the menu which we are very familiar with. Lo and behold I start hearing other servers describing wahoo and catfish dishes at great length. Our server returned and I asked why I'm hearing everyone talking about the fish of the day. He said I'm not allowed to tell them until 5 pm. WHAT???? You start charging dinner prices at 4 pm. At least you could have told me that and I would have sat and enjoyed my wine for 15 minutes. But nope, you did not disclose that until after I asked and our orders were placed. I'm just giving folks a heads up that may be making reservations. Wait until 5pm if you want to hear the specials. I'm giving four stars for food quality only. We have been coming here for 30 years. Made me very sad.

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    O'Keefe on the walls?

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    Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast

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    Slightly North of Broad - Apple Pie

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    4.4(2k reviews)
    1.4 miFrench Quarter
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    We were in Charleston at the end of March for the Charleston Open and a birthday get away. Our…read morelunch at SNOB was our first meal of several excellent meals we had in Charleston. We were staying at the Meeting House Inn so were able to easily and leisurely walk to lunch and dinner. Service was excellent, true Southern hospitality, and the restaurant is adorable. Food was amazing, each of the four of us loved our dish and tasted each others as well: - shrimp and grits - 5/5, plentiful and plump shrimp with a flavorful sauce over creamy grits. This was not my dish so I only got a taste and next time we go back I'm going to get this for myself! - grilled salmon sald - 5*5, arugula, couscous, dried fruit, pine nuts, feta, lemon shallot vinaigrette (this dressing is so delicoius! I want the recipe!), two of us ordered this one and again, i got a bite and want to order this for myself next time (see the problem here?) The combination of flavors and textures was amazing. Rave reviews from all. - scallops or was it special flounder - 4/5, I can't even remember what I ordered and the fact that I cannot quite remember it but distinctly remember my friends' lunches means I did not order the right dish! It was solid but not something to write home about (or on Yelp about) - corn muffins - 5*5, i'm pretty sure the corn muffins came as the "bread" for the table and they were so yummy! Our server heard me rave about the not too sweet, moist yet with a nice crumb muffins, and asked if I wanted the recipe, to which I said Yes! I look forward to going back next time I'm in Charleston!

    We went for my husband's birthday with a group of five and didn't have a reservation since we…read moreweren't sure when everyone would arrive. We got there just before 6 PM, and although the restaurant was pretty full, they told us they'd try to seat us outside due to our party size. That worked perfectly since they had heaters going. They quoted us a 45-minute wait, but it ended up being closer to 15 minutes -- a great surprise. The service was seriously outstanding. I have zero complaints. Everyone was so personable and attentive. For appetizers, the beef carpaccio was my favorite. For entrées, we ordered the pork chop, tuna, duck, and lamb -- and we all shared bites. Everything was delicious. My pork chop did come out a little dry, but when I mentioned it, our waitress didn't hesitate at all. She immediately took it back and insisted on bringing a new one, making me feel completely comfortable about saying something. While I waited, she brought me a complimentary soup, which was such a thoughtful touch, and the replacement came out quickly. The manager personally brought out the new dish and waited while I cut into it to make sure it was perfect. She even came back later to check again. That level of attention to detail really stood out. To top it off, they brought out dessert and a round of champagne for the table. I wasn't drinking, and they noticed -- so they brought me a mocktail without me even asking. That kind of attentiveness is rare. The inside looked beautiful, and I'd love to sit inside next time to experience the full vibe, but outside was perfect -- not too cold, not windy, and overall just a great atmosphere. Overall, one of the best service experiences I've had in a long time. Highly recommend.

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    Slightly North of Broad - Cool lights

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    Prohibition - Brasstown Burger - very tasty!

    Prohibition

    4.1(1.3k reviews)
    0.3 miCannonborough
    $$

    If you're looking for a spot in Charleston that truly leans into the holiday spirit, Prohibition…read moregoes all out with its Christmas decorations from the moment you walk in. It sets the tone immediately, and the festive energy carries straight through the meal. We kicked things off with Bloody Marys and a Morning Fog -- simple, classic, and done right. For starters, we shared the Hula Hoisin Wings. They were definitely on the heavier side with the hoisin, but still absolutely delicious. The Mistletoe Mango Tuna Poke Tacos were a standout. They come as a small plate with three appetizer-sized tacos, and every bite was bright, fresh, and beautifully balanced. The Buddy the Elf Burger offers a choice of a single or double patty; ours was cooked perfectly. The smoky bacon really brought everything together and gave it that extra "wow" factor. We rounded things out with the O Come, All Ye Fried Rice with Hanger Steak, which was another winner -- perfectly cooked, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying. As if the meal wasn't great enough on its own, we happened to be there while Emily Curtis was performing. She's truly incredible and added such a fun, memorable vibe to the day. I'd be remiss not to mention Kevin our server. Go see him. He was great. The whole team works great together. Don't let the bar-like atmosphere fool you -- Prohibition is far from your typical bar food or bar scene. There's a great space in the back, and the elevated menu makes it absolutely worth the visit. A festive, flavorful, all-around fantastic experience.

    Food and drinks were both good... not the best I've ever had but good…read more Lunch on a Friday... several ppl at the bar but we were the only seat customers. The waitress was indifferent and seemed as they we were bothering her ....which is fine, as I was equally "bothered" by her and her attitude. I liked the bar and restaurant and the menu was solid. Our service would have made this 5 stars but we have lots of other choices on King Street that will have staff more excited for our business.

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    Prohibition - Seated at the bar.

    Seated at the bar.

    Prohibition - Crispy Brussels

    Crispy Brussels

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    Johnny’s Garage - Burger and fries.

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    4.4(54 reviews)
    8.4 mi

    We went for brunch. The parking lot was full but it was Easter…read more The inside is retro and comfortable. Staff were super nice and friendly. Can't complain on any of the food. I got the cheese pizza. Prob try a pizza with more toppings.

    Johnny's Garage is the real deal…read more We ordered takeout earlier this week and it was so good we had to come back in person a few days later. On that visit, we all ordered the Dirty South pizza, a burger with fries, and the mini corn dogs, and everything was just as impressive. It came out hot, crispy, and fresh, with plenty of their amazing sauces. Honestly, we were blown away. That experience alone would've been enough, but going in person sealed it. We were greeted right away by a super friendly staff, and our server was incredibly helpful. We started with the fried dough dip plate and then got the chicken bacon ranch sandwich. When we came back, my wife ordered the burger and fries again and it was dynamite all over again. Consistency like that says a lot. Everything came out quickly, tasted incredible, and the whole team was so accommodating and genuinely welcoming, creating a really family-friendly atmosphere. The vibe is awesome too. Laid-back, great music, plenty of space, and a really cool rock-and-roll garage aesthetic. You can tell the staff enjoys being there, which makes a huge difference. And I have to mention the drinks. The dirty sodas, especially the vanilla Coke, are dangerously good. The kind of thing you could absolutely get hooked on. And somehow, on top of all that, the prices are more than fair. It's such a refreshing break from the overpriced downtown spots. From start to finish, this place has it all: great food, great service, great atmosphere, and great prices. Total package.

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    Vern's - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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