My Top 3 Restaurant Challenge in Charleston, SC

The results are in for my Top 3 Restaurant Challenge in Charleston, SC! Charleston has so many great restaurants, but three stand above the rest in terms of service, food choices, and most importantly for us with food allergies, attention to food allergies. Each of these three restaurants are extremely difficult to get reservations on any given night, so I highly recommend using the Open Table App to reserve your table.

I narrowed my Top 3 down to:

- Husk Restaurant, 76 Queen St.
- Edmund's Oast, 1081 Morrison Dr.
- Halls Chophouse, 434 King St.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Ok, ok, so I could not pick one clear winner. I have had great experiences at all three and depending on the evening, any of the three could slide into that number one spot. However, for my Top 3 Challenge, I will break down each restaurant and rank them according to the Challenge Dining Experience.

Husk Restaurant's Pork Dish

HUSK RESTAURANT is consistently named one of the top restaurants in the country. I know why... fresh, locally sourced ingredients and a menu that keeps you guessing what great dishes will be available that evening.

Pros:
- Love the Farm to Table Aspect (check the chalk board near the hostess stand for a list of ingredient sources)
- Constantly changing the menu to give diners a chance to always try something new
- Very good with food allergies (Dined during Restaurant Week last year and even with a prix fixe menu, there were gluten free options)

Cons:
- With the changing menu, it is very possible that your favorite Husk dish may not be on the menu that evening. That was the case during my Top 3 Challenge. I love the Pork Belly Dish, and it was not available that night. My meal was very good, but was not the dish I was craving when I arrived.

Because I was hoping for the Pork Belly, Husk landed at #3 in my Top 3 Challenge. Numbers 1 and 2 were more difficult to determine. Both Edmund's Oast and Halls Chophouse go above and beyond to serve those of us with food allergies, and that is why they are my top 2! I love being able to dine in a restaurant that has amazing service and know I am going to get a safe, delicious meal without making me feel like I have a million requests or accommodations.

Edmund's Oast's Charcuterie Board with Gluten Free Bread

EDMUND'S OAST is a newcomer to Charleston, opening last year, but comes in strong with great small plate items and tasty options.

Pros:
- Julia Ingram, Pastry Chef at Edmund's Oast, is gluten free and makes all the desserts gluten free as well as the most amazing gluten free bread
- Julia's fiancee is head chef, Andy Henderson. Andy really gets gluten free and while most dishes are naturally gluten free, all dishes can be modified to be gluten free
- The Charcuterie Fresh Board is the most amazing thing ever... get the gluten free bread to go with it!
- Order the Pickled Shrimp, on gluten free bread, of course!
- Owner Scott Shor takes great care in making sure all diners are having a great experience at Edmund's Oast and has a well trained staff who is happy to make sure your meal is food allergy free.
- Did I mention the gluten free desserts??
- Did I mention the gluten free bread??

Cons:
- Edmund's Oast has over 40 beers on tap (and is nationally known for its own beer brewing), but does not have any gluten free beers. They do have two cider options, but they are not on tap.

Halls Chophouse's Fried Green Tomatoes

HALLS CHOPHOUSE is THE place to go for a steak in Charleston. It is also the place to go for outstanding service and a fabulous gluten free meal.

Pros:
- Halls is family owned and co-owner Billy Hall wants to make sure you have a fantastic meal with fantastic service every time you dine with them. He will greet you when you walk through the door and be the first person to ask you how your dining experience was as you leave. His servers are well trained and very attentive (During one of my dining experiences, a near-by diner started choking. Before anyone realized, our server rushed over and gave the man the Heimlich Maneuver, saving his life!).
- Without even making it a big deal, Halls uses gluten free rice flour to fry with so all fried items are gluten free. You must order the Fried Green Tomatoes. They are out of this world! I keep saying I am going to just order four plates of them on my next trip!
- The steaks are top notch! I really love Halls Prime Rib, since I find it very difficult to find gluten free Prime Rib, due to the aus jus. Halls takes great care to prepare it safely. It is a top seller and tends to run out, as evidenced by my Top 3 Challenge visit, but I was able to enjoy a fabulous Filet instead.

Cons:
- No gluten free bread. With all the gluten free options at Halls (did I mention the Fried Green Tomatoes?!?), gluten free bread would be awesome!

As you can see, it is too difficult to choose just one. Each restaurant is so different, but one thing is the same, they accommodate for food allergies. I love how each, especially Edmund's Oast and Halls, don't make a big deal out of their accommodations, allowing us with food allergies to feel normal among other diners. For a food item to be automatically gluten free or have a gluten free substitution, gives those without food allergies a chance to realize that our "special" food can be delicious.

With Edmund's Oast and Halls Chophouse, depending on the night and what I am craving, either one could be my number one restaurant in Charleston. With all the great choices in this "foodie" city, these two go above and beyond, not only with food allergy accommodation, but with world class food. Check them out and let me know your Top 3 Restaurants in Charleston, SC!

EAT UPDATE: Edmund's Oast, Charleston, SC

Edmund's Oast is quickly becoming one of my favorite restaurants in Charleston, SC! I had such a great meal there last time, I had to check it out again!  See my previous blog about Edmund's Oast here.  We arrived early for our reservation to request our favorite seat with a view of the kitchen (Dinner and a Show!). With just a short wait at the bar, our table was ready.

Speaking of the bar, they have 48 different beers and sodas on tap!? What a cool backdrop for the bar! However, there are no gluten free beers and ciders on tap and none in bottles. We did enjoy the fermented pineapple wine (not as sweet as you would think!) and one of the Cannonborough sodas on tap with Cruzan Rum.

When dining at Edmund's Oast, one must order the charcuterie board. The meats change regularly and we had completely different meats than last time. Our server, Lindsey, informed the chef, who made some modifications to ensure our board was gluten and corn free. It arrived with our favorite gluten free bread made by Sweet Radish Bakeshop, which consists of teff, oats, and almond flour. Some of the best gluten free bread I have tasted!

I saw the fried flounder on the menu during our last visit and after chatting with Lindsey, I found out that it is dusted in rice flour and fried in rice bran oil. It is already gluten free without modifications! This trip, we decided to try it out and yum, it is delicious! The dark sauce on the plate is gluten free tamari. The greens on top had a great flavor and really complimented the flounder. Also, it is pretty cool to have the whole fish delivered to your table!

Just like the last trip, we could not pass up on the Heritage Chicken and Carolina Gold Rice Porridge. It is perfect for a winter evening. 

We were stuffed and passed on dessert, but Edmund's Oast has a great selection of gluten free desserts from Sweet Radish Bakeshop. We saw several chocolate brownies prepared during our meal (gluten free minus the graham cracker sprinkled on top) and homemade pumpkin ice cream (we must have looked eager for a sample, as the chef gave us a small spoon taste). Yum! Nice flavor and not overly sweet. 

I continue to be impressed with Edmund's Oast and how accommodating it is for food allergies. Our server was very knowledgeable and when unsure, double-checked with the chef. Every step was made to ensure we had the safest meal possible. With the addition of a gluten free beer or cider option, it would definitely rival any top restaurant in Charleston and beyond... but it kind of already does!

Edmund's Oast
1081 Morrison Dr.
Charleston, SC 29403
843.727.1145
edmundsoast.com

EAT: Edmund's Oast, Charleston, SC

Edmund's Oast, located on Morrison Dr. in downtown Charleston, SC, is in an up and coming part of downtown. But, unlike many downtown Charleston restaurants, it has its own parking lot! I was excited to try out another potentially great restaurant in Charleston (have not been disappointed yet), but what really makes Edmund's Oast a great place for us food allergy warriors is the fact that the chef's girlfriend owns Sweet Radish Gluten Free Bakershop (See my Blog)! Not only does Edmund's Oast carry Sweet Radish gluten free bread and dessert options, they totally get the "allergy thing." Even though there is not a gluten free menu, our server was very knowledgeable and checked on any questions we had that he could not answer.

I almost died laughing at where we were seated. Could we have gotten a better seat in the house to "watch" over the preparation of the food?? Almost like dinner and a show! It was fun to watch the staff prepare each dish and of course, ask what dish is that?

Pre-meal, two small samplings of roasted sweet potatoes with honey were delivered to our table. Now, I am not sure if this is commonplace or if our mention of food allergies and questions about certain menu items prompted this delicious pre-dinner treat to be delivered to our table. Either way, it was a great way to start the meal!

We ordered the Charcuterie Board as an appetizer. The selection of meats was delivered on a large plank and served with bread. Even though we had stated we were gluten and corn free, I thought for sure that they had forgotten and brought the bread anyway (not the first time that has happened!). Not the case, as the bread was gluten free and corn free from Sweet Radish Bakery. Wow, both were excellent!

On a chilly night, the Heritage Chicken and Carolina Gold Rice Porridge was perfect. Mixed in were jumbo lump blue crab and young onions. It was very filling and enough for two to share.

Since many of the menu items at Edmund's Oast are set up like tapas, we also tried the Surryano Ham and Acorn Squash. The ham was very tasty, but I thought the squash could have been cooked longer, as I like my squash a little less crunchy.

Edmund's Oast did a great job of accommodating for food allergies and even had several gluten free dessert items from Sweet Radish Bakeshop. Despite being full, we tried the Pistachio Cookies with rose water and creme fraiche. It was my first cookie sandwich in years. After a couple of bites, though, I had to surrender and take the rest home.

Definitely check out this fun restaurant and bring your non-gluten free friends too, as they have a large selection of beers on tap. Edmund's Oast is also part of the FIG restaurant family and prides itself on working with local farms to bring its customers the finest ingredients.

Edmund's Oast
1081 Morrison Dr.
Charleston, SC 29403
843.727.1145
edmundsoast.com