Burns Alley Tavern — Restaurant in Charleston

I have gone here multiple times before and had no issue, but I was warned by my friend group about one of the bartenders. Upon ordering a drink, shot and a mixed drink for one of my friend's birthdays, I was met with beyond horrible service that resulted in half of my shot being spilled on the counter with multiple peers laughing at how I was treated. I decided to inform the manager about this small hiccup in order to correct it in a professional manner. So I asked one of the floormen working there to speak to the manager. After he refused to let me speak to the manager after several requests, the bartender is now in the conversation. Any level of professional descression was stripped and I decided to just let her know that I didn't appreciate her service and that if I couldn't speak to the manager that I would like to close. We had a small disagreement with little issue, but she still refused to let me speak with the manager. I decided to close the tab with no tip. After a few moments, the same guy who refused to let me speak to the manager comes up to my group of friends and begins to curse at me tells me 'if you will not tip that I need to go' in more than an aggressive manner. I leave peacefully asking once again to speak with the manager, to be returned with another 'get out.' My friends birthday party had to move because of how I was kicked out over attempting to speak with the manager, and in lue of my request not paying a tip for extremely bad service.

This place has treated me well before, but they refused to allow me to inform the manager of what should have been a small issue.

I would recommend anyone think carefully about whether this bar is truely worth visiting as compared to the multiple other bars within a short walk thats management is less about bullying and more about...

It pains me to write this review because the band that played on April 6th was amazing! The sound was terriffic and the performers were obviously professionals! The reason I am not rating this bar high is because of the harrassement that I had to put up with for hours that night. After driving all the way from Pittsburgh to check out the city of Charleston and experience a bit of its night life, I had patrons who knew one of the bartenders and spilled a drink in my direction (on purpose). From my luck I grabbed my phone and moved slightly out of the way so my right knee got a bit wet. The bar tender left that wet mess dripping at the end of the bar for twenty minutes. It dripped on the floor and chair. Another patron helped to clean some of it. The girls who pushed that drink my way then proceeded to insert themselves in my LIVE stream on YouTube to promote the band of the night and I have recorded evidence of their continuous harrassment. To add insult to injury... I got looks from that bar tender that unbeknown to her I could catch in my peripheral vision. One hour later from that spill another drink to my immediate left was spilled in my direction, but unfortunately the 20 year old (?!) who was sitting beside me got soaked and ended up one hour in the bathroom trying to dry her jeans. Needless to say.... I was hurt by the behavior of complete strangers who for some unexplained reason trageted me that night. How you intend to keep your ratings and business up with this monkey business is beyond me... I was never so happy to be back in Pittsburgh where the worst dive had more...

Burns Alley Tavern has a very unique atmosphere, almost like a piece of history is etched into its walls. It’s tucked away in an alley, which gives it a bit of a hidden gem feel. The dim lighting, graffiti-covered walls, and overall dive bar aesthetic make it seem like a cool place to hang out. It definitely has character, and I can see why some people love it.

However, my experience was far from great. The biggest issue was the service—the server was unexpectedly rude for no reason. There was no warmth, no friendliness. A place like this should have a welcoming vibe, but instead, it just felt uninviting.

On top of that, the prices were disappointing. I paid $13.50 for two normal beers, which didn’t feel justified for a dive bar setting. I expected better value, especially considering the atmosphere. It wasn’t anything special drink-wise, just standard beers at a higher-than-expected price.

Overall, Burns Alley has potential with its unique vibe, but the attitude of the staff and the pricing really took away from the experience. I wanted to like it, but I left feeling like I...