S & S Cafeterias — Restaurant in Charleston

I eat here with my family at least once a week. I LOVE S & S Cafeteria! It reminds me of all the great Cafeterias Charleston used to have. It is Classic. It is very lovely inside with chandeliers and booth and table seating. A wonderful atmosphere to sit in with your family and have a delicious and wholesome meal. Not loud and obnoxious like so many places. It is always consistently delicious and well taken care of. The service is EXCELLENT. I can't say enough good things. The cafeteria servers are friendly and helpful. They actually give extra gravy if you ask for it. They help you with your tray. They accommodate large crowds easily and actually really give service by preparing tables and moving chairs. It is wonderful. The prices are amazing especially for a family. A child can have a healthy, real meal for less than 3 dollars! They have a HUGE selection though from prime rib to chicken. The desserts are Delicious. Their sweet potato souffle is excellent and can be a dessert. Their biscuits are wonderful to take home and eat later. Honestly, a lot of Charleston is tourist these days and the restaurants charge huge amounts of money for "southern" food. It is hard to find a restaurant for a local that doesn't charge an arm and a leg, AND where you can get a REAL MEAL, not just a sandwich. This is local. This is also Real Southern food too. The kind of southern food you grew up with in the past: collard greens, turnip greens, lima beans, a great New Year's Day meal of Hoppin'...

First, let me say, the ladies serving the food and drinks in the line of this restaurant are very sweet and helpful. They did a great job. Second, this place feels very nostalgic from going with family in younger days and walking in held fond memories. And finally, we really wanted it to be like it used to, but it just wasn't. We ate there yesterday and I'm sorry to say I'm still having stomach issues. My fiancee enjoyed most of his food and I enjoyed the mac and cheese. Things that didn't hit the spot were the twice baked potatoes, they were so hard and dry they were difficult to swallow. The desserts looked good, so we got the key lime pie and coconut meringue. I tried a bite of my key lime pie expecting it to be cold, but it wasn't, it was room temperature. Seeing as it was a set pie that had been sliced leads me to believe that it possibly could have set out too long. Same with the coconut meringue. My fiancee's corn biscuit was too hard to eat, but we didn't bother saying anything about it. We let the cashier know about the 2 slices of pie and the twice baked potato. She removed 2 of the items from our check which we appreciate. I don't make this review lightly, as we work in food and beverage. This is a warning for safety reasons. We were asked to try S & S Cafeteria again and we would be willing to IF serious improvements were made to ensure all food safety practices are put into place and more effort was put into making sure the food...

This place has been around since I was a kid, and it holds a special place in my heart. I remember coming here after church with my family—it always felt like a comforting tradition, and every visit brings me right back to those childhood memories.

Now that I’m older, I still come regularly, and the food never disappoints. It’s always exactly what I expect: good, hearty, and satisfying. I love the setup where you can pick what you want as you go down the line—it's fun to build your own perfect plate.

My favorite dish by far is the chopped steak. It’s incredibly tender and full of flavor. I usually pair it with a variety of vegetables, all cooked just right. Honestly, I often end up with more food than I can eat in one sitting, but the leftovers are just as enjoyable the next day.

This isn’t your average cafeteria food—it’s more like having Thanksgiving dinner any time of the year. The staff is always warm and welcoming, and there's a nostalgic charm to the whole experience. It reminds me of a time when food was simple, delicious, and served with genuine care.

If you haven’t checked this place out yet, do yourself a favor and stop by. It’s comfort food...