EVO

EVOEVO
EVOEVO
Bar, Eatery

1075 Montague Ave
North Charleston, South Carolina, 29405-4825
United States

(843) 225-1796 | map
evopizza.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.35
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
29
pDev:
6.67%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by taylorhamrick:
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Reviewed by taylorhamrick from South Carolina

4.3/5  rDev -1.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
This is pretty much the best destination in Charleston for some good beer and dinner. There aren't like 20 taps (usually 6 or 8 I think) and there aren't 1000 bottles (but there's a decent list 50-100 maybe), but what is there is really impressive. It's a cool little place, with plenty of space at a table, though there are only maybe 8-10 and a bar. It feels really comfortable and you can tell that it will be enjoyable when you go in. The beer list, like I said is quality, occasionally they host COAST events for some rare beers on tap and they always have 2-3 on tap, plus plenty of other good stuff. And there isn't any of the low-quality or even average type stuff there. The service is nice and friendly, sometimes a bit slow, even with so few tables, but its never been bad. The selection (as mentioned above) isn't something that will blow people away, but the quality is what holds it together. And the food is very nice, there's always something interesting to try, with pizza, good calzone, sandwiches, etc., and there's some really great chocolate bars for dessert.
Mar 21, 2009
More User Ratings:
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4/5  rDev -8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
EVO was a good stop for lunch, not a wide selection of beer, but a few standouts in the handpicked tap selection. Founders Mosaic Promise, Allagash James Bean, and Great Divide Hoss, plus 3 or so others. They were out of Coast 32/50 so I got a Palmetto Pilsner which was mediocre.

Service was great, really prompt, friendly and helpful. Didn't get much in the way of beer recommendations.

Food was good, though i've had better neapolitan-style pizza. The crust was crispy on one side, chewy on the other. $13 for an 8" personal size was a touch high but you pay for high quality ingredients. Interesting choices and a daily special. Really good farmers salad with fresh greens, toasted cashews, corn, bacon, and rainbow radish.

Nice little neighborhood place with some rustic wood accents and local art on the walls. I'd eat here again but it wasn't really a must-stop for beer.
Sep 13, 2016
 
Rated: 4.08 by jakepuff from Florida

Jan 31, 2016
 
Rated: 4.35 by seanchai from Virginia

Apr 11, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by mikeincharleston from North Carolina

Sep 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Apicius

Aug 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Ant4711 from South Carolina

Jul 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by JMUbrewz from Virginia

Jun 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by henryclay_ from South Carolina

May 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by MacQ32 from South Carolina

Mar 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Alex5 from South Carolina

Jan 06, 2014
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Reviewed by LibrariansLoveBEER from South Carolina

4.49/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5 | food: 4.75
EVO always has a great selection of craft on tap. If I'm anywhere near North Chuck I will drop in at EVO to have a pint (or two) The last two times I've been there they had Stone Enjoy By... on tap. That's always a winner in my book. Oh yeah the food is award winning also, best pizza in the US.
Nov 03, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by BlackBelt5112203 from Michigan

Oct 09, 2013
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Reviewed by clayrock81 from Florida

3.86/5  rDev -11.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Nice little place tucked away near a school. Went there for lunch and had a good, if not completely filling, pizza. Quality over quantity is fine with me, though. (The $5 chocolate bar was not worth anything, though). Laid back vibe, crowded but great service that was extremely polite and fast. Beer selection is not large and not the greatest in terms of quality, but they had local beers that for a tourist were all new to me and they had range. Had a gose and a porter, two styles not found on tap in all beer bars, and there were a couple of beers I've never heard of but didn't try. If you're from out of town this is definitely a place to hit up and get a quality meal away from all the tourists.
Jul 28, 2013
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Reviewed by Bung from Michigan

4/5  rDev -8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Kind of a hippie vibe, Asheville-esque. Service however is significantly better than Asheville. Smallish but nice menu, many local ingredients. Italian brick oven flair.
No TV's, gotta entertain yourselves.
6 on draft, about 20 bottles. Bottle list is mostly major micros and macros. Draft is where it's at. Coast and Holy City. Westbrook also, this also was the only local bottle(can). Flights of all on draft available. Graveyard Shiftee from Holy City was very good.
A real nice place to eat and have a quality beer, but it is not a place to come to ooh over the selection. There's probably only going to be a couple you have not had, which is fine. Just probably not a go out of your way for beer kind of place.
Feb 02, 2012
Photo of grayburn
Reviewed by grayburn from South Carolina

4.2/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
EVO is pretty much the place to go in N. Charleston to enjoy a solid selection of craft brews. They had 3 coast taps on when I was there, the idea of quality over quantity is definitely expressed here.

The quality of the establishment as a whole is quite solid, the food is stellar, the beer selection is also top notch, not in numbers, of course, but more in what is represented, there isn't a beer on tap that isn't well above average.

The service wasn't bad, but I would dare say that coming into this bar again, I would rather have a different bartender.

The selection I will give a high score, simply because quite a few styles are represented, and the examples are all of such high quality. Not to mention, the local influence of the Coast Brews, this makes everything better, one hell of a brewery.

The food is quality, fresh ingredients take front seat on a ride that your tastebuds will not soon forget.
Mar 06, 2010
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Reviewed by blackie from Oregon

4/5  rDev -8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5
set on the downtown North Charleston strip - kind of a stale area, or at least it appeared so at night - EVO is a cozy little pizza joint that happens to keep a small but high quality draft selection, nothing particularly special about the atmosphere but the place is tidy with a warm, lively feel, pizzas are tossed in plain view and the scents of cooking fill the smallish rectangular room, the bar counter is set far too high above the stools, so I soon moved outside to enjoy the balmy December weather

6 drafts total, on the time of my visit this consisted (to the best of my recollection) of Coast HopArt IPA, Kolsch, and the seasonal "Porter, Smoked", Southern Tier Old Man Winter and Fin & Matt, and a Great Divide barrel aged DIPA, 23 bottles total, most easy to come by with a few widely distributed locals available, not to fault them as I like what they're doing here - but I'm of the opinion that EVO would be a non-destination for beer were it not for having a few Coast selections on draft

not so keen on the chilled pint glasses, thus quality takes a hit - though it was only frosted rather than caked in ice

the bartender was great, even taking the time to leave the bar and check on me outside

didn't go for the food, but it looked pretty enticing - good use of local ingredients with some unique/interesting menu items to set them apart from your run-of-the-mill pizza parlour

no regrets, but six bucks is a bit on the high side for a standard-abv local pint imho, food prices were fair
Dec 12, 2009
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Reviewed by ndolover from Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
I was in town on business and thought I should check this place out, as there were many good reviews.

EVO is located in an older part of town that seems to be having a re-birth. A narrow brick building is the venue for wonderful local craft beer and simply prepared excellent food. On a Thursday night a jazz trip played while 20 and 30 somethings drank and ate.

They only had about 6 or 7 drafts, but they made up for it in quality. The names were not familiar to me, but they were great none the less.

The food was simple and fresh. I had an olive app that hit the spot.

I would reccomend this place to anyone looking for a scene. You may find a better beer list....food...or music elsewhere in the city. However, I don't think any of them put them together as nicely at EVO.
Jul 01, 2009
Photo of BHethcote
Reviewed by BHethcote from North Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +12.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
The food is all made from fresh ingredients, the chefs know what they are doing. The food is great for the price and the beer is as well.

I was in N. Charleston for about 6 weeks on a project and found this place. I'm sure glad I did! They rotate the drfaft beers around a bit and they have a great selection of bottled beer as well.

The staff is all great and Joy the bartender totally rocks! It's a small, but comfortable place and a definite required stop if you're in the area. They are closed on Sunday and Monday.

Cheers!
Feb 16, 2009
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Reviewed by hellomcfly from South Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Stopped in here a while back with my girlfriend before a concert. It's a nice small restaurant with a good atmosphere. I believe there is some outside seating as well if I remember correctly. They have several different pizzas on the menu (all sounded great) and a good beer menu that featured good variety. Not a hugely expansive menu, but quality. I remember them having some Allagash and some Rogue bombers as well as some Brooklyn products among other things. They also do flights which is how I chose to sample three delicious coast beers which were brewed just around the corner.

A great place to eat in north Charleston and probably the best place to get coast beer as it must be the closest restaurant in proximity to the brewery.
Sep 06, 2008
Photo of mikesgroove
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +9.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 5
So you know i had to stop in hereo n my trip, what kind of BA would i be. First off I was thrilled to find it so easily, and then to find out there was a three piece Jazz band playing, this place was great! I actually did not drink as I was taking a night off, being here on business I have to be responsible. But I did eat dinner and chat with Les for a good long while. Selection was nice, Two COASTS on tap, Avery, Allagash, and a couple others. Decent bottle selection covering at least something from every brewery in the state. Awesome pizze man, seriously that was really friggin good. Service and really evertything was just great. I was really impressed here, this is a quality place that everyone should make a beer trip too!
Aug 15, 2008
Photo of cashew70
Reviewed by cashew70 from Georgia

4.83/5  rDev +11%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
Places like EVO make me thank the heavens that Beerfly exists. I was in Charleston on vacation and never would have known about this little gem, if not for Beerfly. So thanks to all the posters before me.

First off, this is not a large place and it's not a fancy place - but the food was great, the service was exceptional and the price was very reasonable. I had the 3 Cheese Calzone and my girlfriend had the Pizza Margherita, I had about half of each and they were excellent. Calzone is one of my fav's and I'd put this one in my top 2 or 3 easy. Better than any I've had in Atlanta over the last 4 years. the pizza ingredients were fresh and well prepared.
As I said, service was outstanding, we got a table right away (they had just opened for dinner), the servers were friendly an attentive. Our waitress was very conversant about beer and we even had a discussion on the merits of the Coast Kolsch. Beer knowledge is a valuable asset.
They had 2 Coast offerings (Hopart IPA and the Kolsch) and generally seem to have whatever Coast brews are available. The waitress indicated that they would be getting another brew soon. I had 2 Hoparts and 1 Kolsch - both excellent.

I would highly recommend that you take the time to vist EVO if in the Charleston area. The hours were a bit funky, they open for lunch, then close and reopen for dinner. So check the hours if you are going mid to late afternoon.
Cheers.
Jun 23, 2008
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Reviewed by goindownsouth from New Jersey

4.83/5  rDev +11%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
Thanks to BA, I knew this was going to be one of our stops during our visit to Charleston early in June of 2008.

A quaint corner spot, Extra Virgin Oven prides itself on quality over quantity. Amen to that, and then some. We were quickly greeted and seated on what was a blazing hot day in North Charleston. Our server - and forgive me as I do not recall his name - was bright, casual, intuitive, and very in tune with what was fresh and good.

The food menu is short in volume but high in quality. EVO does its best to procure as many ingredients from local purveyors as possible and they do a phenomenal job in using them as witnessed by my mushroom soup and my wife's farmer's salad starters. Exceptional freshness and distinction between all ingredients. My wife ordered a Pork Trifecta pizza - one which has its own bumper sticker in its honor - enough said, and I ordered the Pistacio Pesto. Again, fresh and vibrant flavors without being heavy, greasy, or overbearing. High quality ingredients here, for sure. The pizza, hands down, is perhaps the best I have ever had here in the States. My wife had the chocolate cinnamon mousse for dessert and I finished with the local goat's milk fudge ($1 for just enough of a taste...cannot beat that!).

The beer list is well above average, although my focus was on the Coast offerings of HopArt IPA and 32/50 Koelsch. Our server was on top of his beer knowledge and always knew when I was about to polish off my pint.

A fantastic stop, for sure. Anytime we are in the area going forward, we will be sure to make a stop here. Well worth the journey. Hats off to all involved.
Jun 09, 2008
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Reviewed by kiawahisland from South Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +2.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
12/1/09...Went here again for dinner. Service was top notch. Quick and Friendly. Service wise I must have caught them on a bad day on my last trip. Food and beer still best in North Charleston.

I've been to Evo's twice this month. Excellent beer selection. Food was great. I ordered a panini (italian) which was awesone. Tried my wife's Pesto Pizza and it was excellent as well. My daughter ordered the pork Trifecta pizza which was good. My only complaints were slow service, not refilling our drinks etc.. however the waitress was very knowledgeable about the local products they used and all of the beers on the menu.

For beers I ordered a sampler to start off with. The 5 I picked were Rogue dead guy, Coast IPA, Coast Scotch, Highland Stout, and I beleive the last was an Allagash. They had many bottles to choose from and about 9-10 different beers on tap.

This place had a alot of young good looking people in it, and seemed to be pretty hip. Old Village Noth Charleston is in the process of being revialized, and if you are in the area, Evo's comes highly recomended by me!
Jun 05, 2008
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Reviewed by Floski from South Carolina

4.7/5  rDev +8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Had it not been around the corner from work, I may never have visited this establishment, and thus would have been a lesser person for it!

What a great restaurant. The food is fabulous, and they shake it up a bit occasionally so there is always something new to try. The pizza (I'm not a huge fan of thin crust) is out of this world. Thin, but with out-of-the-garden fresh ingredients and a crust to die for.

The beer. Oh my, the beer. This is the first place I encountered Coast HopArt IPA, my newest, bestest favorite beer. Brendan has done an incredible job with the selections, choosing to avoid the big breweries and their stuff so that he can serve only top shelf selections, both from the tap and bottle. The Coast beers are wonderful, and you can get Rogue, Alagash, Golden Monkey and other hard to find beers here. I'm trying to persuade him to carry Czechvar (Budvar), but it's really hard to get.
My favorite restaurant/bar in the Charleston area.
Apr 26, 2008
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Reviewed by MSchae1017 from Georgia

4.08/5  rDev -6.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
EVO, or Extra Virgin Oven, began as a wood oven pizza on wheels. Partners Matt McIntosh and Ricky Hacker would take their mobile pizzeria to farmers markets and special events. The popularity of their pies took off and in 2005, they were named Best Mobile Meal by the Charleston Post and Courier. After this it became quite evident that they needed a permanent home to dish out their pizza to hungry customers. They chose to set up shop in the recently renovated Olde North Charleston Business District. This is located on Montague Avenue just east of Park Circle. Some may know this as being a rough neighborhood but recent revitalization projects have really given this area a major facelift.

The exterior of the building features old brick and little other frills. Stepping inside reveals a bar to the left and about 7-10 tables along the right and back walls. The decor is comprised of wooden floors, exposed brick and local art for sale hanging on the walls. We were seated along the back wall and proceeded to look over the menu.

Other than pizzas, the restaurant also offers appetizers, soups, salads, and paninis. We decided to go with the famous pizzas though. The menu changes seasonally since they tend to use a lot of local and organic ingredients. The special this past Saturday was a mushroom ricotta pizza, but upon ordering it, we were informed that they had just run out. Instead we chose to go with a Pistachio Pesto pizza with goat cheese and Creme Fraiche and a Pork Trifecta with bacon, sausage and pepperoni. Both pizzas were absolutely fantastic with an incredibly thin and crispy crust with all of the flavor of the wood fired oven. On the pesto pizza, the goat cheese and Creme Fraiche made a fantastic compliment to the pesto, while on the pork pizza, the sausage tasted incredible and the tomato sauce really came through with a pleasant sweetness.

My favorite aspect of the restaurant however was the fact that they were not afraid to offer their food alongside high quality beer as well as wine. First and foremost, they support local beer. Three taps were dedicated to Coast Brewing Company for their year round beers HopArt IPA and 32/50 Kolsch along with the current seasonal Blackbeerd Imperial Stout. Also on tap was Allagash White and Brooklyn Brown. The bottle selection was highlighted by Rogue bombers, Victory Golden Monkey, and Chimay Blue. I enjoyed a pint of the HopArt IPA as well as a 6oz pour of the BlackBeerd Imperial Stout. EVO is without a doubt a top destination in Charleston for great wood oven pizza and craft beer.
Feb 27, 2008
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Reviewed by MarkSCCOT from South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -12.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5
I went to this establishment since it is close to my work and I learned they are supporting our local brewery.
Since I was alone I sat at the bar and enjoyed my late lunch. The pizza was excellent and featured many unusual toppings (butternut squash?). It was fire roasted and outstanding.
Now the beer selection was great for our area. I wish I had brought a designated driver so I could have imbibed more. As it was, I enjoyed a Coast Brewing 32/50 Kolsch that was outstanding. Many more selections I wish I could have tried.
Worth the trip!!
Oct 25, 2007
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Reviewed by softcough from South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Enjoyed dinner for the second time in this cozy, upscale, gourmet pizza joint. Menu is small but packed with high quality selections made from fresh, local ingredients. For gourmet style pizzas, this is, by far, the best place I have found in the Low Country.

On tap I saw Allagash White, Flying Dog Pale, Brooklyn (Brown?), and more. Bottles included Allagash Hugh Malone, Allagash Curieux (that I had for $22 which is pretty good considering it costs $15 in even the cheapest retail store around here), Victory Golden Monkey, Several Rogues... A bunch more that I can't remember.

I highly recommend this place. Check it out.
Oct 18, 2007
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Reviewed by SaCkErZ9 from South Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +2.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This was a pretty cool place. On the night I chose to dine here, there was a band playing some nice jazz/jam music. It was a nice, cool evening and with the doors open, the atmosphere was unbeatable.

I sat at the bar and felt like a tiny kid because the bar was so high. It wasnt uncomfortable high, just higher than normal. I ordered the special pizza which was a butternut squash pizza with feta and arugula. It was pretty damn tasty. My only complain is that the pizza was mostly crust. There werent a whole lot of toppings, but I can understand. I love wood oven pizzas and this pizza was delicious. Very fresh tasting.

Service was spot on. The beers on tap were Highland Oatmeal Porter, Flying Dog PA, Rogue Dead Guy, Brooklyn Brown, Pilsner Urquell, and one other which I cant remember. Bottled selection was decent as well. I think I saw the bar manager toss a couple of Terrapin Wake N Bake in the cooler, but I could be mistaken.

12" pizza and two beers came to a total of $22 before tip. Not bad, but not exactly the cheapest place in town. The food more than made up for that fact, though.

A very pleasant dining experience, and Im sure I will be back.
Sep 20, 2007
EVO in North Charleston, SC
Place rating: 4.35 out of 5 with 29 ratings