The Establishment

Scott Tharp

Absolutely amazing place. Select menu items with South Carolina flair and care. Service and atmosphere are second to none.

J T

One of the items we ordered was the Grouper entrée. The dish had small boiled whole potatoes with no flavor, sitting in what tasted like thinned out tomato soup. The grouper itself just seemed to be cooked (not seared or fried) with maybe a little salt and placed on top of the whole potatoes. The mussels seemed like the small frozen ones and were placed on top of the grouper. We did not taste any clams or chorizo. This definitely was not what we expected for the price and for this type of restaurant.

Su Sara

My husband and I had a truly memorable dinner here in celebration of a big anniversary. We were visiting Charleston for the first time and took some effort in searching for a special place to dine to mark the occasion. The Establishment did not disappoint. Everything about The Establishment is exceptional- including the atmosphere, wine list, menu, food, and service. What made this a remarkable evening though was the people. From the second we walked in the door to the moment we left, everyone was welcoming, warm and friendly, and made us feel like family. This was beyond our expectations in light of how busy they were and the fact we had never dined there before. I’d like to thank them for their thoughtful consideration and kindness in making our celebration wonderful! This is a special place with very special people.

Andrea Abbott

I’ve been to The Establishment about 3-4 times (pre Covid) and this was my first trip back post 2020. I wish I had positive things to say, mostly I don’t. The pros: beautiful inside, great options for intimate or large party dining, cool bar atmosphere, great tasting food, kind waitstaff and host/hostess. The cons: arrived at 8 for 815 reservation, didn’t get seated until 840 (running late, whatever, it happens, nbd). Passed the time at the bar where I was charged $15 for a $10 shot of don julio (per menu price for a shot) with a squeeze of lime and I didn’t even get a whole shot. Partner was served a gin and tonic in a six ounce glass full of ice and couldn’t even taste the gin. Food was not on par with my expectation—gnocchi app was drowned in oil and brussels were partly over cooked (soggy individual leaves) and undercooked (hard sprouts) and again way too much oil. The scallops were cooked wonderfully but there were only 3 (???) on the plate with less than 1/4 c of some potato mash. 3 scallops for $41?!? These were not some sort of giant genetically engineered scallop—just the normal half dollar sized scallop. I think a standard severing is 5 at most nice restaurants. So so disappointed in that one. The mushroom gnuddi was tasty and at <$30 was reasonably priced. Other weird quirk—-ordered a second gin and tonic which was served in a standard highball—-why the huge size difference between ordering at bar vs dining room? Kitchen was slow—but again, not a big deal, kinda the expectation when dining out. All in all—gave my visit a 3. The food I got tasted decent, waiter was nice, and I like the ambiance. Way overpriced, drinks were so disappointing and I’m just not sure it was worth $200+tip to leave hungry and in search of food elsewhere….