This was a really solid meal. There was something lacking from it, that I can't quite put my finger on, but it was good. I just didn't walk away from it as "wowed" or impressed as I have been by so many other Charleston area restaurants. The risotto fritters were a favorite, but the bread service with white bean dip felt a little average. For dinner, we shared the Tagliatelle, which was really solid, just not the greatest. I would happily come back again, and hopefully have that 5-star meal that it seems so many others have enjoyed! read more

I have to admit that I was completely swept away by the service and quality of dining at Wild Olive. So much so, that I forgot to take photos. Here's my Italian ( yes I am born and raised) recommendations: * Royal Medici cocktail * Aperol Sgroppino * Chicken parm amazing ( large portion) * Pappardelle - so Fresh * Shrimp Bavette - A must *Suppli Arancini - great starter I'd highly recommend and we will definitely return ! Great wine list by the glass and bottles. read more

Wild Olive - Bar Area - Italian Near Me - Johns Island, South Carolina

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Fantastic! From the service, to food and drinks this place truly delivers!! Highly recommend if you are in the area

Tonight was truly a unique dining experience. I have eaten at WO many times, but this evening, the atmosphere and culinary prowess demonstrated by the staff was considerably unique. What an amazing experience on a stormy night. Highly recommend the elk loin, which is one of the best cuts of meat I have had outside of a steakhouse, ever. The special was phenomenal, very nicely paired with a bottle of red. The staff and their hospitality are truly welcoming, and I cannot wait to return. read more

my wife and I went for an early dinner to the Wild Olive restaurant in John's Island on 09/04/2025. we didn't make reservations but we got a table for two. the service was satisfactory we order the soups of the day... it was a beef vegetable soup.. the soup was over spiced with black pepper.... For second course my wife had a chicken parmigiana with Alfredo pasta sauce... and I had fettuccine with lamb ragu. the pasta was cooked to perfection but the ragu sauce was too salt. my wife's chicken was not golden brown but dark brown and burnt. It was a huge disappointment. read more

We have heard great things about Wild Olive for years but just now gave it a try and we're very impressed! Restaurants with handmade pasta are my go-to for special occasions, such as our anniversary. Food, service, and atmosphere were all top notch! read more

Wild Olive - Short rib agnolotti, marinated olives, and elk with horseradish potatoes & blueberry sauce - Italian Near Me - Johns Island, South Carolina

First off, I enjoyed their lighthearted, well informed service. The ambience was interesting. Homey decor with topical conversation starters, but this place was much louder than I expected. We really enjoyed the atmosphere. The food was mostly amazing. The only caution I would give is the tagliatelle with veal was not good. At all. But, we indulged in 5 courses and loved every single other thing that came to our table. The sauce that comes with the swordfish was from another world. The dessert was very rich. I'll be back to try more things on their dense menu. read more

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Had dinner here tonight. Long overdue as it is a bit far from where I live. Had high expectations and the meal lived up to them! Plenty of parking in the shared lot with the brewery next door. Nice, unique decor inside with some booth style tables which were very comfortable. Service was very efficient and friendly. I started with the soft shell crab special. The server said it was served over iceberg lettuce and ranch dressing. I asked if the ranch could be served on the side but the server said that the chef refused. The dish was delicious but I don't think it was a huge ask and the chef could have agreed honor my request. Also, it was not iceberg but mixed greens of some sort. My husband had a garden salad with a red wine vinegarette. It was a nice portion and very tasty. For our main entrees, my husband had chicken parm which he said was average. He wouldn't order it again. I had the pappardelle which was to die for, highly recommend! We were too full for dessert. read more

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You definitely need a reservation for this spot! It's extremely popular for a reason though. Pretty much anything you order will be incredible, just know that it comes with a higher price tag. We tried the steak with truffled potatoes....and my life has been changed for the better. Absolutely magical! We also tried a seafood pasta of some sort which was great, but the steak stole the show. Servers are super qualified and professional which made the experience so great as a whole. read more

Wild Olive - Steak with truffled Smashed Fried Potatoes - Italian Near Me - Johns Island, South Carolina

We are always looking for different restaurants to try out. We came here for our anniversary and we were not disappointed. From the atmosphere to the food and the service, everything was exquisite! Our waitress was friendly and helpful when we had questions about the items on the menu. The food was packed with flavor and oh so delicious. There were so many different options to choose from, including specials. You do need to make reservations, but I made ours the day of, and it was quick and easy on their site. If you haven't been here, you definitely need to add it to your list. read more

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Wild Olive has always been in my favorite restaurant list. Recently it's been back to a 5-star experience. SERVICE: I've received attentive, quality service from hosts, runners, and servers. FOOD: Food is amazing. I've especially liked the crispy calamari, ribeye, and various fish entrees. I recently enjoyed a scallop and lobster risotto entree with a primo pasta special followed by a gingerbread pie for dessert. DRINK: Wild Olive has an expansive and reasonable wine list both by the bottle and by the glass with a few good bottled beers. Most draft beers are from Low Tide or Estuary, and their cocktails/mock-tails are great as well. Wild Olive is a solid choice for Johns Island dining. read more

Wild Olive - Italian Near Me - Johns Island, South Carolina

This is a favorite spot in Johns Island. It is always booked out, so book in advance. If you can't get a reservation, go at opening and grab a bar seat. This is my favorite spot for a steak because it is always cooked to perfection. There a plenty of pasta options. Dessert is always worth it here too! Very romantic date night vibe. Dark lighting and intimate seating. read more

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We have been to Wild Olive a number of times, and we've had great food from here, usually the restaurant averages about 4 stars. This last Friday we were there and had Gabe as our server, they were great, really helpful, and very knowledgeable on the wine list. The ambiance is great here, a little noisy but there are definitely worse in Charleston. The real issue of this visit to the restaurant was with the food. The bolognese had no salt in the red sauce, and there also seemed to be salt missing from the meatball's sauce. On the other hand, the bucatini was VERY over salted, and the pasta was crunchy, how can you under cook pasta at a pasta restaurant charging 22$ per dish!? The mushrooms in the dish were chewy and undercooked, and took up 75 percent of the bowl, it was very unappetizing and upsetting. We ordered the sticky cake for dessert and barely ate any of that either because it was SO salty! Really upsetting. read more

Steak was perfectly cooked, our server was very kind to adjust things due to major food allergies/sensitivities. The pasta was slightly underdone, more underdone than al dente. Great atmosphere, it's cozy but it can get loud. I wish I could give this 4.5 stars because they made no mistakes and were very accommodating but it was just slightly below perfect. read more

Wild Olive - Grass-Fed Rib Eye Steak sub broccolini with 2 a la carte scallops. Bavette pasta. - Italian Near Me - Johns Island, South Carolina

While I had heard great things about Wild Olive, I was unfortunately let down by my experience. To start off with the good - the suppli Al telefono were delicious and something new. Highlight of the meal. They're like cheesy risotto balls. The potatoes that came with the steak were also delicious, especially the pieces of fried potato skin. The pastas were Al dente, but the flavors weren't too special, and I almost felt like the agnolotti was bland. The octopus and steak also left much to desire - not bad, but certainly nothing spectacular. Our waiter was very friendly. read more

Over 10 years ago the owner of the Fat Hen ( now closed) opened a new Italian Restaurant on Maybank Hwy, outside of Charleston . The food at this upscale restaurant is consistently good although prices have risen commensurate with popularity and inflation. Getting a table can be difficult so book well in advance. Last time here, we sat at the bar and enjoyed the meal. They also have a long community table and you never know what new friends you will meet. Everything we have eaten was wonderful. If you like olives, definitely try the olive appetizer. They have an extensive wine list, but the red house wine was delicious also. the Caesar salad is the the real thing, not Nouveau adulterated with weird items that ruin it like some other California wannabe restaurants. Has anchovies! Pastas we ate are all great and the Rib eye steak is well worth it if your in the carnivore mood. Even something standard like the chicken parmigiana is tasy and priced well. Next time we will try a side as the appetizer, perhaps braised local greens because we are both eating the low carb diet. My wife is eating "Keto" and says ( because I cheat just a little,) I am doing "cheato!" So much for accountability. Have a memorable meal and let me know if it was good. read more

Wild Olive - Warm Marinated Olives - Italian Near Me - Johns Island, South Carolina

One of the finest Italian restaurants in all of Charleston. Fabulous food and amazing service. We recommend the bolognese and gnocchi. The banana crème cheesecake is a must! read more

Not bad just not worth the hype. Call it one step above Olive Garden. Standard selections. Nothing to write home about. read more

Everything was fabulous-food, cocktails and service. The best Italian in the Lowcountry! read more

Wild Olive - Lobster risotto - Italian Near Me - Johns Island, South Carolina

The vibe at Wild Olive is classic Italian and the food doesn't disappoint. I got the Bavette pasta, the perfect spice level with the most tender shrimp. The rigatoni special was just a bowl of comfort in the best way possible. Highly recommend saving room for dessert. The service is wonderful, a little delayed getting seated but that comes with a great restaurant that is always busy! read more

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So delicious! A little on the pricier end but the food/drinks/atmosphere make it worth it. I loved our waitress as well, so sweet and knowledgeable about the food and wines. read more

amazing place found it by accident. Never going back!! beautiful ambiance, service, incredible food. recommend the meat crepe appetizer. delicious!!! read more

Wild Olive - appetizer - Italian Near Me - Johns Island, South Carolina

Had the chicken Parmesan and was cooked perfectly! The gnocchi and sauce...out of this world! Very comfortable seating and service was excellent! Thank you Ryan! read more

My wife and I had a reservation for over 2 weeks. We live in Charleston and have been here before. When we arrived they led us to a community table. When we turned that down the hostess said that what we reserved. Not even close to True Then she said they were full of reservations and it would be some time before we got a table. We said, yes we have a reservation for a regular table at 6:30 and No response. This was Sunday, April 27th. We just decided to cut our losses and leave. Really messed up our big Sunday dinner plans. They were so busy, they won't even notice another Charleston local was there. I never post on yelp. But, management needs to know what happened. read more

The elk portion was very small for $42 and the lasagna had more cheese than meat with no sides either... very rich flavor that gets old quick. won't go here again. The servers were nice and professional and the building is warming and creative. The food just wasn't what we expected :/ read more

If you are craving good Italian food, look no further than Wild Olive. Doesn't disappoint. Food and drinks are always 10 out of 10 and perfect for date night. read more

Wild Olive - Ricotta gnocchi * Grilled Grass-Fed Rib Eye Steak - Italian Near Me - Johns Island, South Carolina

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I can't believe it's been over six years. We used to eat here regularly when we lived on Johns Island. It's comforting to know that as things change in Charleston the food hasn't here at the wild Olive. Everything about it was so fantastic, the flood of memories coming back of how delicious the food is. Especially my favorite the smash fried garlic, aïoli potatoes. This side dish is indescribably great. I hadn't seen Jason and all this time, but he still remembered me. This truly is a gem of Charleston. You must try!!! read more

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Delicious and authentic. Italy would be proud to boast of such wonderful food selections. Try the warmed hot olive bowl as your appetizer. Go with the seafood or their magnificent lasagna. read more

Food was good but not something I would crave. The ribeye my husband ordered had great flavor but was chewy. The potato side had great flavor but is heavy. The calamari was fantastic. The bolognese was good but heavy. If they have the chocolate biscoff cake GET IT. It was super soft, rich and delicious. read more

Wild Olive - Tagliatelle alla Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Johns Island, South Carolina

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Our visit was April 15th, the first full day of our driving vacation. We didn't have a reservation as we didn't know when we'd arrive in the area. We were lucky enough to get seating in the small dining room which was cozy but a little loud. Alex was our server and took good care of us. We started with Steamed "Clammer Dave" Little Neck Clams. Delicious. I had a tasty eggplant Parmesan and my husband had a special, not sure of the name, but it was a lamb ragout over pasta. It was amazing! We shared a meatball add on. That too was yummy. No room for dessert. A great meal after a long day of driving. read more

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I'm going to start by saying that if you are considering trying it, make a reservation, you won't regret it. The place is beautiful with a nice ambiance. The service is excellent. The food!!!! The Food!!!!! was delicious!!!!!!! We started with calamari . I had a ribeye and my husband had the elk loin. Delicious!!! Every bite was delicious. We finished our meal with chocolate and peanut butter cake. It was light and not very sweet which is how I like it. read more

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So, we wanted to eat here because a friend of ours recommended the place. You kind of have to be careful as driving by or you'll pass the entrance it's kind of hidden with trees. It's up beautiful building once you get inside and a nice vibrant restaurant. We were instructed that we absolutely had to eat the chicken Parm. We started the evening with a glass of vermentino and a Negroni for me. She ordered the charred octopus app I opted for the local green simple salad. The octopus was cooked nice and sliced into grilled chunks, with nice potato slices. The salad was really good a great vinaigrette dressing. For dinner we opted for the chicken part (duh) and the special that evening of a pan seared halibut over broccoli and other vegetable with a sweet potato butter sauce. Chicken parm was really good, not mind blowing that I was exepecting but really good. My wife said it needed a little more sauce. I think next time we order it we will ask for a little extra sauce. My fish was great! cooked perfectly nice and translucent, with a great crust on the outside. Sweet potato butter sauce was great. We washed it down with a bottle of wine I haven't tried before that evening, Falanghina. It's an ancient Italian varietal that has Greek origins. A nice bitter orange/citrus blossom aroma with great green apple/pear and mineralogy on the palate. A wonderful wine! The star of the night, at least for me anyway, was an after dinner drink called Sambuca coffee. I inquired if it was Sambuca with just three coffee beans in it which is traditional Italian after dinner drink. It was not... It was something much better! It was Sambuca infused with coffee. It was a dark drink that had the great licorice taste and then hit with the espresso on the back end. I will go back just for that drink alone. If there was any negative at all, it was that the place was just so loud. I could hardly hear my wife for any kind of conversation, end with the servers wearing masks it was almost impossible to hear them when they spoke to us. I know this is out of control of the restaurant, and to me it denotes a vibrant upbeat restaurant scene. This however is not gonna keep me from going back. I am anxious for my next trip. lol read more

Wild Olive - Italian Near Me - Johns Island, South Carolina

Excellent menu Calamari outstanding Fresh local grouper Beet salad Yummy Definitely going back with friends and family. read more

FRESH FRESH FRESH!!! This restaurant has old Italian vibes and fresh delicious food. All the ingredients are sourced right from John's Island, and the seafood is all purchased from Crosby's, a local fishery - allowing the restaurant to know exactly where all of their fish comes from! The pasta is all made fresh in house and each dish brought out was better than the last! 10/10 recommend read more

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I'm too full to type but the meal was amazing from start to finish. Nickie our waitress was amazing. Ask for her she gives great recommendations. The scallops were amazing, the grouper special was out of this world. The chocolate cake with buttercream and peanut butter whisky was the best dessert I have ever had. I will be back and Nikki will be our waitress. read more

Wild Olive - Olives appetizer so delicious - Italian Near Me - Johns Island, South Carolina

Near Perfection! Outside of charging for bread.... The rare great night out! String drinks Great apps Bolognese entree is an all-timer! Great service read more

Have been to wild olive a number of times. The ambiance is lovely and perfect for a date night or special occasion dinner with family. The specials are always on point and they have a huge selection of wine. Don't miss their bolognese and smashed potatoes! Servers are always super sweet and get you excited about the menu! Very helpful. read more

OMG, if there is a finer Italian Fusion restaurant within 100 miles of this Johns Island goldmine, please let me know. I'll probably not visit there because I'm convinced that Wild Olive is tops! Reservations are tight, but not unobtainable, just be sure to plan ahead. Like weeks ahead. (probably just shot myself in the foot, but I'm ok with sharing) Traditional and sometimes eclectic menu, but ALWAYS perfection. Score a table and you won't be disappointed! read more

Stopped by on vacation, everything was fantastic. Service was quick and our waitress was good. I felt it was worth the price. Whatever sauce they put on the calamari was fire. Highly recommend getting dessert. read more

Maybe I had my hopes up too high for a restaurant that is billed as the best in Charleston. Reservations were very hard to come by so we finally got a spot for 7 when the doors opened at 430pm. Lovely interior with lots of fun elements to make it feel cozy. We sat at a high top community table. My 87 yo mom found the chairs to be extremely uncomfortable on her back so we switched one out for a chair from the bar. I'm a vegetarian and gluten free which left me very few options. While there is one gluten-free pasta option I strongly recommend asking for a plate of cooked veggies or a tossed salad instead! We ordered the warm olives for an appetizer. There is no bread served to go with them. The table also ordered some fritters which everyone enjoyed. The gluten-free pasta primavera had a few pieces of broccoli and was served al dente. The favorite dish was the chicken parmesan which looked delicious and was a very generous portion. My mom and sister split theirs and were very content. Ravioli was a bit disappointing for my sister who said it seemed undercooked and bland. Service was good. The place was very busy so not a lot of attention to the table. Overall a good place to eat read more

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