Southend Brewery & Smokehouse

 

 

This is a great example of a place that can be easily skipped when in Charleston.

I will say this - the service was great. The staff was incredibly friendly and quick to help.

However, it feels mostly like a place whose time has come and gone. 10 or 15 years ago being able to grab a place that brews its own beer (albeit, sub par) and serves up pizza sandwiches and bbq would be cool. At this point though, it has a more corporate/chain feel. The food is mediocre at best. And sadly I can't rank/rate which two beers I had because I can't even remember. I do remember they were lacking in every way but appearance.

If this place was in a strip mall in some part of another town without much going on, it might come across better. But in a place like Charleston with so many amazing dining and drinking options, this one is one to avoid in order to give another a try.

 

 

 

Spring Break trip to Charleston with the family.

 

 

Fabulous BBQ had by all 4 adults. My brisket was amongst the best I've had. Phenomenal hushpuppies, the best I've ever had anywhere. And great Coleslaw, which is so easy to screw up. The kids cheeseburger sliders got a great big thumbs up, too.
Beer flights are 7 of their beers for $10. Gimme! Nobody does that many anywhere I've been. Usually it's 4 for $10-12. 5 brews are year round, two are seasonal offerings.
Great service from friendly staff. Well educated and very patient with an indecisive party (mainly due to so many good choices).
This place is seriously cool on a Sunday afternoon. Beautiful, shiny tanks are center stage, the decor is in keeping with the nature of a very historic city, open yet not loud, relaxed yet elegant.
I'm not certain how the ratings prior came about but I assure you I will revisit this place next time I get to Chucktown.

I had my rehearsal dinner here a few yrs back. Vibe is really good. Selection extremely limited. Food was soso

 

 

 

My co-worker picked this place out as he wanted some BBQ. I thought hey they make beer, sounds good to me.

As you enter you will notice the soaring wood beamed ceilings. I’m not sure what this place used to be, but I love these retrofitted older buildings.

There are tanks behind glass behind the hostess station and more behind the bar. The brewer was working while we were there.

There is an open kitchen at the rear, a small stage area and lots of tables. The bathrooms are on the second floor..

We enjoyed friendly service at the bar.

They offer both Southern Coastal food and BBQ. It was a mixed bag. I had a good salad, fair wings, and over cooked hush puppies.

For beer they had 5 regulars and 2 seasonal draft options. I had a full pint of a pale ale that struggled to be average and a pint of the seasonal IPA which made the APA look good.

They did have a large bourbon selection, so that is a plus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy access from the tourist district in Charleston. Good selection of beers. Didn't try the food but the menu looked intriguing and the restaurant space is very large. Great first stop for a beer and dinner before the serious pub hopping commences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A good selection of various types of beers brewed on site. Some are excellent others ok. Three story setting has a something for everybody variety of atmospheres. Great looking building, lots of character. Service has been excellent both times we went there. Good variety of quality food. A fun place that is well worth going to for the food, beer and atmosphere. There seasonal IPA right now is very very good. Highly recommend this brewery/restaurant.

A big, slick brewpub right in the middle of the Charleston historic district. This is a very large reastaurant with two floors of seating and a glass enclosed brewhouse right in the middle of the dining area.

The food and beer are both pretty mediocre. The menu has a smokehouse theme, but it is kind of phoned in and certainly doesn't compare to the real, down home BBQ joints that can be found in this part of the country. The beer is standard, 90s brewpub stuff and on the weak side of average at that. The best of the lot was the pale ale, which had a nice hop character, but it didn't make up for the lackluster Black IPA or the flat out awful Red Ale.

Overall, it's an out of date, touristy pub that really isn't worth a visit considering the proliferation of genuinely good restaurants and beer bars in this town.

A: I've always thought this was a cool old building: Multiple stories, big high ceilings, exposed brick walls, the beer ranks right in the middle of the place enclosed by a glass partition. For a place right in the touristy part of town, it's not bad. One debit: the insufferable disco music they were playing on the stereo.

Q: Quality was iffy. Aside from the six house brews, there were only macros available.

S: The bartender was alright - not exactly what I would call the friendliest guy, but prompt and courteous. I didn't quiz him on the beers.

S: I tried one of each of the six house brews. It's a mixed bag. Two were pretty good, while the others were mediocre or worse. The only other beers on the menu were Bud, Bud Light, and Bud Light Lime. Could be better.

V: The house beers are $4.50 apiece, which I guess is standard for craft beer. The macros were about the same.

On the whole, this is an uneven place. It's always had potentialto be something great.

I stopped in for a beer while in Charleston only because I happened to be passing by.

It’s in a great old building with multiple floors that are open in the middle. The décor is authentic and comfortable with worn wood floors, exposed beams and a high ceiling. The kitchen area in the back is exposed to the dining area.

They had five on tap plus two guests. I was disappointed not to find an IPA but I went with the Pale Ale and it was pretty good. The bartenders were outgoing and helpful.

My expectations were low going in but I was somewhat impressed. I wouldn’t make an effort to visit but if in the area (which many tourists are), it’s a decent place to stop in for a beer.

Cool looking building for sure, lots of high ceilings with glass and brewing equip everywhere. Beers were unimpressive to say the least. I did like the stout, which was the only redeeming beer.

The food was only okay though. Wife's salad was nothing special and the pizza tasted like a supermarket frozen pizza. Friendly host and bartender, I just wish the beer came in a touch nicer. The beer is below average but I am sure I could have done worse.

One great thing, there was no line to worry about.

What an empty shell of what once was. The place is in need of a major upgrade- at least some fresh paint a clean rag and new attitude. The brewer seems to be trying hard but when your out of some of your main brew, that's a bad sign. The seasonal brown ipa was on point and a great product. The wheat was southends consistent brew and it was also great. I realize that this is the last of the southend mohiccans and tourist are still knocking down the doors. But, the owners need to mirror the brewer and give the place some attention.