Beer and Food in "Chucktown" Part 1
I've always wanted to visit Charleston, SC, (where the Civil War began) mainly because I had heard and read about its compelling history and its architectural beauty. So with it being a scant two and a half hour drive from my humble abode, we set out to explore some of the "Holy City" over the course of two days.
In addition to the history and architecture, many of our experienced friends advocated strongly for the "Low Country" cuisine, so our two day trip allowed for four meal experiences. As a Shrimp and Grits guy, I was ready to make comparisons, and, as in most of the southeast, the exploding beer scene provides many opportunities to complement whatever you're eating.
What follows will be four quick reviews--well, five, really, when you count our impromptu visit to Revelry Brewing, an increasingly popular brewing complex making some amazing beers. I'll post one a day for the next five days. The nice thing is that since this introduction will be part of each review, you only have to read it once.
Unless, of course, you just enjoy my work. And feel free to share.
We wanted to see the city by land and sea, and before our scheduled harbor cruise, we had an hour to kill. We killed it at the nearby Bay Street Biergarten. And in turn, the Bay Street Biergarten killed it with incredibly good food, an impressive interior and some solid beer choices.
Straying somewhat from my mission to taste as many different Shrimp and Grits dishes as I could, I ordered a house burger. It came out perfectly cooked, tasted fabulous (next time I put the house-made Bacon Jam on it ) and it went very well with the beer of the month--Wicked Weed's Lieutenant Dank--on sale for just $5. The missus loved her salad and homemade chips with special sauce, too.
But the interior of Bay Street Biergarten deserves special mention. We sat at a booth with Thomas as our server. But if we had more people, we could have sat at a booth that had actual beer taps built into it (above picture, lower right). That means you could draw your own beer at the table, and never see a guy like Thomas (your loss) until he came with your tab. Additionally, a "Pour Wall" with special beers, hooked into their own kegs was available for patrons who wanted to be adventurous.
With the food at Bay Street Biergarten being delicious, the beer menu extensive, the ambience very cool, and the price being affordable, we rated it a nine out of ten, and we recommend it highly.
Cheers!
The PubScout--since 1996
