Stems & Skins — Restaurant in North Charleston

This was my first time here and I was very excited to see the drag performance! Right away it was a tough squeeze and cramped, but we were making it work and moving to help let the staff through without bothering the people next to us! It was so much fun and the queens really brought the energy! However, when I asked a female staff member in a dark cherry dress with a handheld system on her wrist if it was possible to break a ten to ones, she was extremely rude and snapped at us saying ‘No, I don’t have anymore’. She then asked the rest of my group if we were ordering anything from the bar and made a face when we said ‘no’. She proceeded to ask us if we were even over 21 (the youngest of us was 24). She then proceeded to complain about us standing in front of the door and walked away with a huff. She didn’t say anything to the other people who were also stuck at the doorway, but felt the need to have an attitude with our group. All I asked was if she could break a ten so we could support the queens. We left shortly after. Never in my life have I felt so unwelcome, especially during a drag event. If there was anywhere for us to go, we would have, but we didn’t want to get in the queens way or block anyone’s view/path. If she had offered to help move us instead of throwing a tantrum like a child about it, it would have been 100% easier and better for all parties. I am disappointed that this staff member, who knew damn well in advance what was happening, felt the need to be so incredibly disrespectful and...

Stems & Skins is special: Spain in N Charleston. Seriously. Wine-focused tapas bar with some terrific and reasonable wines by the glass and even better ones by the bottle. (We will return for cocktails. Couldn’t do it all at first pass, sadly.) Very knowledgeable, friendly staff with Angie and her husband as experienced owners and purveyors with impeccable taste. (They lived in San Fran to learn the business and operated a successful bar in Ravenel for years before investing in Park Circle, Chs. And their move is Charleston’s gain.) Standout was beautiful Iberico ham shaved off the bone for charcuterie—ordered twice. 😂 Don’t miss the triple cream cheese that spreads like butter. (Seriously our favorite spreadable cheese we’ve ever had!) The pickled shrimp and veggies with the most gorgeous aioli and smoked sardines with bread, butter, arugula and salt crystals is so yummy. Sit at the bar your first time so that you don’t miss anything. We will...

Nice, quaint place. Great options for wine and beer. I wanted to have some Moscato and tried something I really like. Vietti, an Italian wine. I hope to find this at home. The staff wasn't very welcoming. After getting the first drink the server never came back to the table to check on us or even look in our direction. I had to wave another worker down to get the bill. He was more sociable. The vibe was very intimate, mostly chatty, very low to no music. We came too late to experience the food selection, but the menu looked great. We were the only people of color in the bar, or maybe one other person. We stayed maybe 30 minutes. They added a gratuity to my bill without explaining, just ready to leave at this point. Three ⭐'s because the wine was so good not because of the hospitality. We're just traveling through enjoying life and hospitality is everything! Thank you for the...