The best week of the year, even better than Christmas! Okay, maybe not but it's pretty close. Restaurant Week is one of Charleston's greatest attractions throughout the year and it's happening right now.
So many of Charleston's most popular restaurants are participating in this delicious week. From Grill 225, Halls Chophouse, and Coast to Mellow Mushroom, Five Loaves and O-Ku, any flavor of food you desire is available for much cheaper than usual. Each restaurant has their own special daily deals that run for the entire week as well as some daily specials. Here are some favorites:
"3 Courses for $20"
Basil - 460 King Street. Options include basil rolls, egg rolls or wontons or either a soup or salad as well as a selection of their most demanded entrees such as Pad Thai or Sweet & Sour tofu, chicken, pork or shrimp.
Mellow Mushroom - 309 King Street. Your choice of "Munchies", Lil' Salads, and a selection of their speciality pizzas. Every Monday night throughout the year, they also host a $5 one topping pizza night! Great place to check out when you want some quality pizza with lots of variety.
Five Loaves - 43 Cannon Street. Appetizers include pickled shrimp, roasted eggplant caponata, or grilled flat-bread. Entrees include seared salmon, gnocchi and roasted veggies, grilled pork chop, or ginger soy marinated portobello and asparagus. On the corner of Cannon and Spring, this is a great restaurant to go to over the weekend if you want to wander off campous for a little. They also accept OCMP!!
"3 Courses for $30"
39 Rue de Jean - 39 John Street. Soup, salad or app as well as Braised Cod, Pork Belly, Poulet Confit as an entree. Brown butter crepes or Strawberry Pate are on the menu for dessert as well as some discounted bottles of wine.
O-Ku - 463 King Street. Tuna Kobachi, Shishito Peppers, and Wagyu Ssam are available to start the meal followed by the Chef's Choice of Sushi combinations. End your delicious sushi date with some Mochi ice cream!
Poogan's Porch - 72 Queen Street. The usual soup, salad or appetizer option with a range from Mac and cheese & ribs to flat iron steak or your choice of catfish or snapper. You can't go wrong by finishing with the Bourbon Pecan Pie, a true southern sweet.
Coast - 39D John Street. Salad, calamari or spicy shrimp and crab ceviche begin this scrumptious seafood meal. Catfish, surf and turf and the Charleston classic shrimp and grits are the main courses. A decadent white chocolate mousse is the perfect dessert to cleanse your pallet after dinner.
"3 Courses for $40"
Cypress - 167 East Bay Street. Start with charcuterie, sweet & sour meatballs, lobster bisque, or baby greens and tomato salad. Continue on to ricotta gnocchi, pan fried trout, duo of pork, or BBQ beef plate. Last, is the very tough decision between red velvet cream puffs or the peanut butter fudge duo. This venue has both a downstairs and an upstairs that is open to a $5 burger night on Monday's.
Grill 225 - 225 East Bay Street. Famous lowcountry blue crab chowder, chopped Caesar salad or chilled wedge of iceberg. After, choose between some more Charleston favorites: shrimp and grits, local swordfish, tuna tower, veal chop, filet mignon, or ribeye. Lastly end with banana bread pudding, chocolate mousse bon bon, 225 panna cotta or clasique Napoleon.
Halls Chophouse - 434 East Bay Street. Halls specialty she crab soup or soup of the day or if you're in the mood for something lighter, a Caesar salad or mixed green salad. Both entrees, an 8 oz filet mignon or blackened Scottish salmon, are served with creamed corn and lowcountry collared greens. The chef has a different nightly dessert feature every day.
This is just a short list of some of the deals found during Charleston's Restaurant Week and there are so many more options throughout downtown, Shem Creek, James Island and Mount Pleasant. Make sure to reserve a table if possible because these venues fill up quickly! Bon appetit!
