Handy and Hot — Restaurant in Charleston

My wife and I are currently staying at the Renaissance Lindy hotel in downtown Charleston, and we decided to take the front desk’s recommendation to try Handy & Hot for breakfast. We learned from the staff that this cozy spot is owned by Vivian Howard, an award-winning chef, cookbook author, and television personality famous for her shows on PBS. After a bit of online research, I realized she’s also a New York Times bestselling author who has won Peabody, Emmy, and James Beard awards—so I was pretty excited to give her food a try.

The breakfast did not disappoint. I thought the breakfast potatoes were perfectly warm, and the eggs were whipped just right with an ideal amount of salt. The bacon was deliciously crispy, and the bread served alongside everything was thick, fresh, and really hit the spot.

To Management:

My only critique would be the sausage patties—they were a little too greasy for my taste, and I’d personally suggest a healthier (or at least a less heavy) alternative. Otherwise, everything else was fantastic, especially considering the affordable price point.

I love that Vivian Howard, who once dreamed of being a writer, has managed to blend her creative passions with her culinary talent, all while raising twins and running multiple restaurants (she also owns Chef & the Farmer in Kinston, NC, and Lenoir here in Charleston). It’s clear she pours her heart into her work—I can see why she’s racked up so many accolades.

Overall, I’d absolutely recommend Handy & Hot if you’re in downtown Charleston, whether you’re staying at the Renaissance Lindy or just looking for a satisfying breakfast. With Vivian Howard at the helm, you know you’re getting something special. I fully support her and can’t wait to see what else she comes...

So disappointed. Ive enjoyed food and a few of Vivian Howards restaurants and was so looking forward to trying Handy and Hot in Charleston. I had heard about the hand pies and saw videos and was looking forward to having them. The restaurant is a store front which is part of a hotel. It’s really small but decorated cute and looked inviting. Was there in the afternoon for lunch. Waited at the counter a really long time until someone came to help us. No one was eating or waiting. There were only 2 hand pies in the case which looked like they’d been there awhile. There were only 3 hand pies on the menu which I was surprised about…2 savory, one sweet. Tomato, cheeseburger, and apple jax. I went with 2 tomato, my husband had 1 tomato and 1 cheeseburger. The cashier looked perplexed and kind of shrugged his shoulders and said something like “I can get a few more”. They weren’t cheap at $7 a pop. Waited and waited. The cashier disappeared. Other potential patrons came and went because there wasn’t anything in the case and no one to help them. People from the hotel came and went to and the cashier would pop out and talk to them and then disappear again. Finally got the hand pies. The cashier ended up grabbing the 2 “old” ones from the case and heated them up behind the counter along with 2 others he got from somewhere else. They weren’t served with any kind of sauce which would have helped because they weren’t very flavorful. The outside was greasy and lacked flavor as well. They didn’t contain much filling either. They were glorified hot pockets; and not good...

Very disappointing experience. Staff was disorganized. We ordered two biscuits and a black coffee. Our food was taken to the wrong table where it was handled by those customers. Then (after far too long) the sever realized the mistake went and took it back, handling them yet again to see what was on the biscuits. I was expecting a "Sorry! I'll be right back with new ones." What I got was handed two well-traveled community biscuits. When asked about the coffee I ordered and did not get, I watched as some form of salted caramel latte milkshake concoction was made. I assumed it was for someone else and was puzzled when it was handed to me. The interaction went downhill from there, but I finally did get a small black coffee. A pretty good one, too.

We're big fans of Vivian and have had good luck at her other establishments. I don't imagine this was the customer experience they're trying for here. Hopefully, others will have a better time...