Prohibition — Restaurant in Charleston

Intro: My family & I are here in Charleston on vacation to celebrate 2 birthdays. In short, being in a new environment within a busy city in itself is already chaotic for me being former military. Our experience with previous restaurants have not been the greatest.

Customer service: Moments of stepping into Prohibition, Morgan (who we later learned is the Manager) greeted us with a very welcoming smile. Succeeded our needs by taking the time to walk to the outside seating to determine availability. Instantly we were amazed because the previous restaurants had us check seating availability ourselves.

Upon sitting down, Lyric (sp) our server checked in on us with water ready. She informed us that Morgan offered us mimosas to make up for our experience wanting to reassure us that we enjoy our time here in Charleston. Lyric’s first question was to insure the party did not have allergies before recommending food options.

Food: I could not wait to get to this part, the food is a work of art. Taste just as good as they looked. I do not take pictures of my food but in this case, I had to let everyone of my friends know how great the food was. The sous chef, John new to his position did a phenomenal job. Clearly shows that he is passionate about what he does. My brother is a Michelin chef, earning stars for several restaurants in NYC I understand the difficulty of his position.

The food we ate: Deviled Eggs -we already knew we had to order two

Charred wings -I am a wing guy; the rub, the texture, presentation far succeeded my expectations

French toast -Sister in law was craving a sweet breakfast, the subtle sweetness did not overwhelm her as one would assume French toast would be very sweet

Pork belly tacos -My wife wouldn’t normally finish her food (great for me) but she didn’t leave a single scrap for me. The pork was moist texture, flavorful & fulfilling

Chicken & biscuit -I don’t believe my brother in law was able to taste his food with the way he scuffed it down

Fried rice (not exact name) -Amazing portion, I do eat rice everyday & for this restaurant to accommodate everyone’s needs to include mine is a rarity in the restaurant business

Thank you so much for an amazing experience, this is a restaurant that I can bring back home to talk about. Will definitely come back...

Very strange, uncomfortable and awful experience.

We showed up for our reservation and they said they were still waiting for the table. We asked for an ETA and she told us 10 mins and we could wait on the patio. We went out back and about 20 min later our friend went to go ask the host if it was going to be much longer.

The hostess replied - “do you still want to eat here?”

My friend said - “it’s a little frustrating when you have a reservation.”

The hostess replied with an attitude - “Well it’s frustrating when you’re overbooked.” She was a little shocked at her attitude and response but realized she might be overwhelmed.

We went up to the front but then she walked us back to the back and we asked if she was sitting outside she told us it didn’t specify and said - “I don’t know what you want me to do?”

We said it’s ok we can sit outside. We ordered our drinks and apps and the manager came out and said that we had said something to a coworker and refused to serve us. It felt very personal and discriminatory. Especially when we asked can you please tell us what was said because we’re very confused. He said he wasn’t sure. We tried to get a better understanding human to human but it was clearly very one sided.

Having come from the service industry we understand how things can be misconstrued and tried to level with them to get a better understanding but they refused.

It’s important to be curious about what happened. While we applaud the managements support for his team it’s concerning when it doesn’t stem from truth and from something made up by someone who is clearly overwhelmed or experiencing something challenging in their work or personal life.

Hopefully things get better for them but we will not be coming back here. Especially with the targeted exclusion and something...

Reserved for two, seated immediately, the server was prompt, friendly and attentive without hovering. The drinks we selected were on point and made with just the right balance- I could taste every nuance of the house infused spirits. They really aught to call the "s'expresso" I ordered "Goldilocks coffee" because it was just right. We ordered a steak and shrimp and grits. Once again I'm impressed with the speed with which our meal arrived. We didn't sit there so long waiting for our food that our drinks had to be refilled as I am accustomed to experiencing in many restaurants downtown. We actually got to enjoy just the right amount of conversation And before I could even wonder what was going on in the kitchen my meal was placed before me. I was astonished really. Cooked perfectly. And I must say my true compliments to the chef because it was delicious and in perfect proportion. I wasn't left hungry and yet at the same time I wasn't overloaded either. I'm telling you the word Goldilocks keeps coming up in my head. Everything was just right. From the amount of time I waited to the amount of alcohol in the spirits to the way the meal was prepared. Just right. Everything was just right. Even the ambience was just right. I could still hear myself speak but it wasn't quite as a tomb either. It was a nice change of pace. My husband and I have been selecting a restaurant for our anniversary meal for 16 years. And all those years I never felt so compelled to write a review. Well done, Prohibition! As a fellow business owner of a downtown Charleston business (Pink chair photography) I absolutely plan on sharing my experience with my...