Edmund's Original (Formerly Edmund's Oast) — Restaurant in Charleston

So I got a gift card for my birthday last year and finally decided to use it for a pre-Valentine's romantic dinner. We had called ahead, so when we arrived there was a less than 5 minute wait wherein we absorbed the relaxing if slightly damp outside dining area atmosphere. It looks like a great place to wile away an afternoon trying any or many of the 48 beers on tap. I saw a Tiki bar at one end, which would have mad appeal on a sunny day. Summoned to our hefty wooden booth, we were immediately enamored with the libraryesque atmosphere. This is our kinda place. The booths, wood with sunken candle niches with fake candles and real votives on the solid tables. The table seating, gorgeous high-backed studded leather chairs surrounding solid wood tables. Masculine but not exclusionary.

I wanted to try many beers, and asked if there was a flight available. Like many airlines today, I was told no, but unlike air travel, I was offered another option: tasting glasses at ~$3/ea. Exactly the same thing, different name LOL I perused the fantastically written beer menu which is on the nose as far as description. I can't do better. My choices were exactly as advertised! I put them in the correct order for enjoyment and will be back for more!

In the order I enjoyed them (of course I did intermittent sipping) which is opposite the pic: Little Brett Corvette (the funk is banana), Paloma Gose (kinda flat. She brought me some from the other tap and it was alive with pleasure), Sour Cherry Pineapple, House Belgian Dubbel, and the guest star NC's Divine Barrel Carolina Cobbler. OMG Y'ALL this is dessert in a glass. You smell the tart cherry pie filling, the flaky crust, the butter. You taste it ALL. This sweetness is my weakness. The holidays in a glass. A hug in Grandma's kitchen. A perfect wrap to a lovely meal.

And I have yet to get to the meal. Appetizers of escargot and pimento cheese with a unique spin. This place wants to honor true Southern cuisine and the contributions of all cooks, not just the fancy ones. You feel the Gullah/Geechee influence in the spiced and nutty pimento cheese, with simple homey Ritz crackers to enjoy, and sweet cane syrup that makes it decadent with the peanuts. The escargot was perfectly tender, grounded with a green and herbaceous garlicky sauce and crispy bread to sop up the fragrant flavorful oil.

They brought us a complimentary fried cabbage salad and again I was impressed by the melding of classic Southern cuisine with a dash of Asian nuance. I see where they're going and I like it.

Hubby ordered a steak with crispy potatoes and it was heavenly. I need to know the secret to these potatoes because he may start camping out in that booth if I don't. I ordered the pickled shrimp because I love seafood and always want to try new things.

Unfortunately, the pickled shrimp was underwhelming. The rye and pickled vegetable flavor overwhlemed everything else. The shrimp were kinda sad and small to begin with and then they had been cut in half! However, my server noticed my sad face immediately and asked what was wrong and how could she help. Incredibly attentive and caring! I hate to complain but told her the deal and we decided I should try a crab cake. She left me to pick out the shrimp to eat (no shrimp left behind!) and took away the rest and brought me a lovely, lemony, meaty crab cake with her apologies and meanwhile I am apologizing for complaining LOL Anyway the crab cake was great and we were stuffed, but we got dessert to go: 3 Layer Almond Toffee Cake. They packaged it beautifully with the toffee and mousse separate, and it was as incredible at home as in the restaurant.

I will absolutely be back, this is a place you can take anyone from casual friends, to businesspeople you want to impress, to family you want to show the best of Charleston. Wonderful ambiance, incredible friendly staff, and delicious creative cuisine. This is...

I am going to do my best to put into words how unforgettably amazing my experience at Edmund Oast was on Thanksgiving. This year, 2024, I was going to be spending my first Thanksgiving ever alone and honestly, was pretty down about it. I wasn’t able to travel to see family this year so decided to do some research and find a spot to go solo, which can be intimidating if not the right spot, which Edmund’s was made for. I was scrolling through Facebook and saw an ad for the Thanksgiving buffet here and decided this was a great spot as I knew their outdoor patio would be open and looked to be spacious, which was good because I was going to be bringing my two dogs with me (never truly fully alone if your dogs are with you right?). Thanksgiving came and I put my dogs in their best bandanas and me in my best fall clothes and headed over here, only to immediately be greeted by wonderful staff and people outside. The atmosphere was beyond warm, welcoming, kind. The kind of atmosphere you end up spending hours there and not a second of those on your phone, and that’s just what happened. Now let’s get to the food. I cannot express how amazing every single thing in the buffet was. Each course, each plate, each and every aspect of the food took my breath away. The fried chicken was so crunchy and flavorful, the pineapple casserole was the perfect combination of sweet and salty, the prime rib. Lord. The prime rib itself was to die for and the peppered crust…. I peaked. The dogs also enjoyed the prime rib and turkey very much. I could go into detail about every single thing I tried, that’s how memorable the food was. And of course the drinks and bartenders outside were beyond amazing. So thank you, Edmund Oast. I will be shouting your name from rooftops and you now have started a new tradition for myself. Every thanksgiving, I will be here. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Leah, self-proclaimed foodie and...

Down to the finest detail Edmund's Oast opted for excellence. From the craft beer and food to the warm, welcoming, and dignified staff and atmosphere, it was one of the most memorable and exquisite dining experiences I've ever had the privilege of enjoying. During my time here (which was a LONG time because by contrast the whole world outside seemed squalid and unbecoming) I sampled 6 different draft beers (all brewed in house) and was staggered by the diversity of selection and by the delicious complexity of the drafts I finally chose (which took a while because there were SO many to choose from). I'm a devoted cook myself and I am (probably to a fault) highly critical and most often disappointed when I dine out. But that was not the case at Edmund's Oast, oh my no. I was HUMBLED by the expertise, nuance, and outright precision of the kitchen here. Being a vegetarian I ordered the curried sweet potatoes and man, oh man. (How many restaurants necessitate garnish into an integral flavor!? It was brilliant!!) One of the most intelligent and wonderfully provincial renditions of a vegetarian curry I have EVER tasted. I was giddy and delighted almost to a point of embarrassment. Now, all of these wonderful things can be so easily trampled and nullified by a mediocre staff. But that oh my no!! A wonderful, charming, and professional employee named Chloe was my server (if anyone reads this, she deserves a raise!) She had great taste for recommendations and a personal affection for and knowledge of the menu. Simply put, she was delightful! All in all, anyone who visits Charleston and DOESN'T eat at Edmund's Oast is doing themselves a...