Coast — Restaurant in Charleston

I dinned there last night for the first time and sat at the bar. As I walked in, the atmosphere and layout caught my eye and I was pleasantly surprised. Tanner, the bartender, handed me a menu and asked what I would like to drink. I ordered a “virgin Moscow mule” and he didn’t even skip a beat, he made it without judgment and made it very visually appealing with my lime twist. - Which I appreciate greatly and it set my dinning experience to an unbelievable start, because I know making virgin drinks as a bartender, is not their favorite things to do.

I started with the warm crab dip(blue crab, spinach, artichoke and cream cheese) and MY GOD, it was amazing!! It comes with basically a whole loaf of bread, which I ate every single piece and was scrapping up the last of the dip.

For my entree, I got the Seafood and Bacon alla vodka(shrimp, bay scallops, bacon) which was tossed with cheese tortellini and a tomato cream sauce. It had EXCELLENT flavor, perfect amount of spice(if you don’t like spice, then don’t get it). The ONLY complaint I have about this dish and in general I suppose, is that it says it is served with “Bay Scallops”…. These scallops were the size of my pinky fingernail and that is NOT a lie. The shrimp were delicious, however that is NOT a $30 dish with those little things that they call scallops. They should just serve it with shrimp and cut the price down. The price of that dish with what is served is just wrong.

The woman bartender then went over the desserts with me and suggested the carrot cake… I went with her suggesting and OH MY; I was so happy that I did!!! I can’t even describe the carrot cake, you just have to go try it yourself!! WOW!

There was live music last night, Sunday, played by Graham Whorley. He was excellent and a perfect touch to the night.

All and all; great evening and a big...

This was a really disappointing experience. The place is nestled in Hutson Alley, which gives it one of the most unique vibes in Charleston. So, I wanted to like it.

Like a lot of places in Charleston, there's no direct parking. Not a huge issue as there's a parking lot almost directly across the street.

That's about where the positive attributes end.

The crab dip had really good flavor... once I got past all of the shell that was in it. The mashed potatoes weren't just lumpy but had literal chunks of potato in them.

Then, there was the steak. I'm not even sure where to start with the steak. To begin with, it was a ribeye. I've seen some pretty fatty ribeyes before. It's to be expected with that cut of meat. This... was not that. This steak was easily 90% fat. I ordered it medium rare. One side of the steak was absolute burnt to the point of charcoal. The other side was probably close to what it should have been. The inside, well, I could deal with rare. This was raw.

I've been to a lot of places and had a lot of steaks. It pains me to say, but this may have very well been the worst steak I've ever had.

The one positive I can offer for the food is that the shrimp was on the good side of average.

The service is the only thing that gets this place a second star. Honestly, it was "ok." It wasn't great, but it also wasn't terrible. The bartender was very nice and happy to give her recommendations. The negative side of the service was that she just wasn't really available. Mind you that it wasn't the dinner rush yet, and there was an additional bartender present. Both of them would be there one second but then gone for ten minutes. Again, it was just generally kind of "ok" service.

Overall, that cook needs a microwave. Sadly, there was a lot of potential, but this place really...

I recently dined at Coast Bar & Grill, and I must say, my overall experience was rather disappointing. While the service was acceptable, the other aspects of my visit left much to be desired. The staff was polite and attentive, ensuring that our orders were taken promptly and delivering the dishes in a timely manner. They were responsive to our requests and seemed knowledgeable about the menu. However, it is important to note that their professionalism did not compensate for the shortcomings in other areas.

The food, unfortunately, was a major letdown. Despite an enticing menu description, the execution fell flat. The dishes lacked creativity and were disappointingly bland. The ingredients seemed average, and the flavors failed to impress. It felt like a missed opportunity to deliver an exceptional dining experience. Moreover, the ambiance was lackluster. The restaurant's interior had a worn-out appearance, with outdated décor that did little to create a pleasant atmosphere. Additionally, the noise level was quite high, making it difficult to have a comfortable conversation without straining to hear one another. Lastly, the prices did not align with the overall experience. The menu seemed overpriced for what was ultimately an average dining experience. I felt like I was paying a premium for mediocrity, which left me feeling unsatisfied.

While the service at Coast Bar & Grill was acceptable, it simply couldn't compensate for the lackluster food, uninspiring ambiance, and high prices. Considering these factors, I would recommend exploring other dining options in the area that offer a more...