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Categories: Southern, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
207 Rutledge Ave Apt C
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Was visiting SC from Brooklyn and got tipped off to this place by the owner of a local coffee shop (the fabulous Hope & Union). I hadn't heard about the press beforehand so I went here unawares. What a wonderful surprise.
Everything we had here was delicious. Between us we had some catfish, duck sausage with cabbage bog, curried sweet potato soup and some extra fried grits. Of the dishes, all of them fantastic, the duck sausage was simply amazing, such a great blend of sour, savory and sweet flavors.
This places is smallish, charming and delicious. A fantastic recommendation and the to dine at place if you happen to be in town.
There is a good reason why the former food editor for the NY Times states that this is his favorite restaurant in the country.
It is perfect. No doubt, no argument, just plain fact.
So what is so great about grits? Well, if you have never had them and do not have the fortune of living close enough to this restaurant, you may want to try them somewhere else first, so that you have something to compare it to. Otherwise, you may be under the misconception that grits everywhere taste like this!
In our three days in Charleston, we ate here all three days, and actually contemplated eating here twice in one day it is that good.
So what are you waiting for? Get your grit on at the Hominy Grill!
I grew up in Charleston. Hominy Grill has always been THE best place for shrimp and grits. The price has gone up from about $8 to $16, but they have earned the right/notoriety to do it. I still try to grab brunch whenever I'm in town visiting the parents.
The restaurant is small-ish but it has high ceilings, with a metal roof, and yellow walls, I love the interior. On the weekends you may have to wait 30 minutes, so just plan ahead.
Other notable dishes, the curried chicken salad, the collards, mac and cheese and obviously the cornbread and biscuits are great. Hominy Grill should really be a place to go on anyones trip to Charleston.
Without knowing a thing on our first visit to Charleston today we where told at our hotel to try Hominy Grill. All I can really say is WOW. So far this has been the best non-chain restaurant we have dined at on our week long trip. This is a must try if you visit Charleston South Carolina.
Wow~we came for breakfast and were so impressed. On a quiet weekday morning, we sat outside and had a very relaxing and great meal. I am now obsessed with their biscuits and will probably dream about them until the next time I can get back...
Next time we're in town, we will definitely go for dinner!
I had high hopes for this place and while it didn't disappoint and I wasn't as excite leaving as I was when I arrived.
We were seated promptly. The place is a bit small and crowded but whatever.
My food was good but I was disappointed that a biscuit was extra and couldn't be ordered instead of toast along with my breakfast.
My omelet was good and fluffy and they didn't skimp of filling. The toast was boring and more like bread than toast (not sure it saw the inside of a toaster before coming to me.) I wasn't offered a refill on my drink and I know the table next to me had several service problems.
However, my food was good so I'd give it another shot.
The wait on a Sunday at 1pm was about 30 minutes, but totally worth it. I got a fried green tomato BLT and it was to die for! Got a cup of grits instead of fries, but they charged $1 extra for it. :( Oh well....still excellent! Service was swift and friendly.
Too bad I didn't try any of the desserts. I hear the chocolate pudding is excellent.
I'll be back again next time I'm in town!
Judging by all the reviews, it's silly for me to add mine. I love regional food and I have to say that I don't think you'd go wrong at this place. Yum!
My family and I traveled to Charleston for a quick trip to the beach and downtown area. We decided to get some brunch and found Hominy Grill from other yelp reviews.
It was a very popular place! The parking lot right next door was full, but there were some empty spaces behind the building (be careful to read the signs because it's parking for the next door tenants as well). We waited approximately 15 minutes and we were seated on the back patio. The environment was nice and there were fans on to create a little breeze.
The server was friendly and attentive; however, my one issue was that when I ordered additional sauce (i.e., Ranch, BBQ) I was charged extra without being told by him. Charge extra for dipping sauce, seriously?! I ordered the BBQ Chicken sandwich and coming from Texas, I love my BBQ sauce. The sandwich was lacking in sauce and tanginess, which I am accustomed to, but it was still okay. Other family members ordered the peach pancakes and they were very good.
I enjoyed my time overall and I am glad I tried Hominy Grill. I still feel a little off-put about them charging for sides of sauce when it should just be given in the name of good customer service. So buyer beware, do not order extra sauce or be prepared to be charged. It's like charging for packages of ketchup...who does that?!
We both ordered the shrimp and grits, and it did not dissappoint. The shrimp was plentiful, cornbread was good (but a bit dry), and some sort of squash cassarole. The squash was sweet and very good. It was very different from anything I have tasted before. Prepared excellent. The shrimp and grits were prepared with mushrooms and bacon. Staff were very friendly, and prices are reasonable. I wasn't blown away, but the food was good, and was a good value. For two meals of shrimp and grits, with an order of cornbread and squash, it came to $43. Drinks were extra of course.. If you arent looking to drop $100 on 2 entrees and get a lot of freshly prepared southern cooking , try Hominy Grill.
We had dinner at HG our first night in Charleston -- it had been recommended by friends, and it did not disappoint.
We skipped appetizers in anticipation of having dessert instead, and our great server recommended we try the specials on the chalkboard. My husband had the shrimp and grits, and he says it was his best meal of our 10 day trip. I had the grouper special and it was excellent. My sides were fried cheese grits and the BEST squash casserole I've ever had.
For dessert, my husband had the chocolate pudding (highly recommend!) and I had the buttermilk pie. I didn't know what to expect, and it definitely wasn't my favorite, but it was okay and the crust was excellent.
Our only challenge was that it is located about 2 miles from the waterfront. This was our mistake -- we didn't look to see how far it was, and we set out on foot about 20 minutes before our reservation (I naively thought it would be closer to the center of town). Anyway, a long walk later, we arrived!
Overall = really great food and excellent service!
We arrived at this restaurant on a Sunday for brunch and had to wait 15 minutes. That's not bad in my book. However it was extremely humid and we said we would sit at the first available and they put us outside. Ooops. They had fans and we were in the shade but, the sun was not even out and it was 96 degrees. Pretty damn hot to be sitting outside to eat. Still, I can handle that and I did.
It took our server a while to get to our table as we could tell she was very busy. I ordered something very basic which was two scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. It was good. I also got to try the Huevos Rancheros which was good but not my cup of tea for breakfast. The other item I tried was a featured omelet that had tomatoes, feta cheese, and eggplant. It was served with toast and sausage. The sausage was very good and juicy. I must say the bacon I had was very good too. It was thick and crispy, just how I like it!
There were flies all over the place and that got a little annoying but the food was decent. If you are hungry and in the area then you could try this place out, because its located in a house type building that pretty cool. Otherwise don't go out of your way to eat here because its just average in my book.
Hominy Grill is one of my favorite restaurants in Charleston. It consistently serves up scrumptious soul-warming, belly-satistfying Southern fare. Trust me - Hominy lives up to all the hype.
When planning a trip to Hominy, I'd say it's always better to bring a crowd. This way, you can order several appetizers, sides, entrees, and desserts to share. It's all about strategy, people. One member of your dining party must order the shrimp 'n grits. Hominy's shrimp 'n grits take a bit of a twist on a Southern classic: instead of spicy Andouille sausage, Hominy substitutes crispy pieces of bacon and features sauteed mushrooms. Add some dashes of tabasco and bright lemon juice to the huge, juicy shrimp and serve over piping hot, stone-ground cheesy hominy grits - and you've got a winner. I've made their version in my own kitchen several times to recreate the Hominy experience when I'm not in Charleston. If you're a fan of saucier shrimp 'n grits, you may be a little disappointed by the lack of sauce or gravy characteristic of other shrimp 'n grits recipes.
What I love about Hominy is the element of surprise that always greets me at the door in the ever-changing specials, sides, and dessert selections. Today I had a cornmeal-crusted pompono with cucumber-avocado salsa. The fish was fresh and perfectly pan-fried: the skin was crispy and well-seasoned, the white flesh of the fish light and tender. Although I'm not sure the avocado-cucumber salsa was the perfect complement to the fish (I'd probably make a tomato-based remoulade and serve the fish over their delicious cheese grits, because I can't get enough), the fish was excellent. I was also blown away by my two side dishes of squash casserole and mac n cheese (there were about 15-20 sides to choose from). My dining partner and I kept guessing at what was in the tasty squash casserole (cheese? bread crumbs? cream maybe?).
Let's see, other staples to try - the okra-shrimp beignets are amazing, as are the fried green tomatoes and she-crab soup. Really, you can't go wrong.
As a G.R.I.T. (Girl raised in the South), I can definitely vouch: Hominy and grits are GOOD for you.
Lots of other reviews, so short and sweet. Definitely worth a trip (went for brunch), nice atmosphere, great food (thumbs up on the cinnamon french toast), friendly service. Next time I'm going to try the big nasty and the she crab soup (and maybe the shrimp and grits but I've already got a fave in Charleston for that). And yes the chocolate pudding, awesomely decadent.
We were in Charleston with some family and were recommended this place for dinner. We found out later in the meal that Anthony Bourdain had reviewed this place on his show (which was funny because a day earlier we specifically ate at a bbq place that Anthony Bourdain also reviewed on the same show).
We started off with she crab soup and some people got the leeks, bean and hammhock soup. Both were very good. The crab soup is creamy, not too heavy and delicious. The bean and ham soup was salty and so satisfying.
I had the fried chicken with gravy. All entrees came with a choice of sides...I ordered the mustard greens and whipped sweet potatoes. All very delicous! Crispy, juicy fried chicen...yummy gravy. My husband ordered the shrimp and grits which was a great choice...lots of shrimp, bacon, mushrooms and onion. Creamy, cheesey grits...yummy! My dad and several other people at our table ordered the pork chop! Awesome!!! Everything was so good!!
Desserts were good too. The pecan pie is outstanding. Not too sweet and has an unsweetened whipped cream on top. Very good!!
Prices are very reasonable. $15-$25 and the portions are big. You are not going to leave this place hungry.
I would love to go back. Next time I'd love to go for breakfast. I guess they have this special breakfast called the "big nasty." How do you NOT order that??
awesome service, even better food.
We asked what would do well on the road, and our server suggested the bread (ginger pumpkin and banana) as it would keep better.
I was tempted to get another big and nasty biscuit with fried chicken breast and gravy, but resisted the urge.
Our waitress asked if we needed anything, anything, anything at all, like water for the road?
What? Why didn't I think of that?!
So she gave us two waters to go, and with the bread, were set for our drive back to Atlanta.
I will dream about the fried chicken and that gravy!
Do yourself a favor and eat here at least once in your life. The service is lightning fast. The food is so amazing it will make you want to slap yo mama. Try the big nasty besides being really good its just fun to say.
Hominy Grill was adorable for breakfast, thought the pic of laurie anderson and lou reed in the bathroom was funny, especailly with one of Anthony Hopkins on the other side. Don't really want to see him while I freshen up.
Very nice biscuits and homemade sausage, great grits, and decent juice.
AND ONE OF THE ONLY BREAKFAST JOINTS I'VE EVER BEEN TO THAT HAS REALLY DECENT COFFEE! What is with that?
Unique breakfast menu. Sausage gravy is excellent! The Big Nasty Biscuit is wonderful and will hold you 'til suppertime. Best sweet tea we've (ever?) had. Charming casual atmosphere.
This is the best meal I had during my stay in Charleston.
We were a party of nine and did not realize that we came in right before closing (oops), but the staff was still really nice. I had the famous shrimp and grits. Words do not describe its greatness.
Because there were nine of us, everyone ordered something different from the menu. A lot of people really loved the fried green tomatoes. The only complaint was that the bean cakes entree was a little too small for its price.
We finished with desserts to go. The blueberry upside-down cake was delicious, and I heard compliments all around on all the other desserts.
If you're in Charleston, you should definitely check this place out.
Went here for dinner tonight with some friends. We had fast, friendly service in an easy laid back atmosphere. Maybe it was what I ordered, but I am so unimpressed with the food. I had a side of green beans, which were good, though I have had better, and a Large mixed greens salad with grilled chicken. The salad was terrible, I have had better salads at McDonald's. I really felt like I should have gotten breakfast food here, but they don't serve much of that for dinner.. I actually would go back here to try breakfast or brunch.
A homey, charming Southern restaurant in a Charleston rowhouse. Cornbread is moist, buttery and slightly sweet. My shrimp and grits were well done with enough large shrimp, scallions, mushrooms, and bacon bits to flavor the non-cheesy yet well buttered and seasoned creamy grits. The problem I had with this was that I expected cheesy grits in my shrimp and grits. I'd come back if not for the non-bustling, charming ambiance of this place but to find out exactly what copper pennies and hopping johns are.
I went there because of No Reservations tv show went there. I had the Big Nasty just as Anthony did.
This is a great place to have a good southern breakfast. The wait staff was great and the atmosphere was terrific.
BAD: Getting there. Too many one way streets in Charleston. I went down the wrong way on two streets to get to this place. Good part thee
Great mac-n-cheese, grits, and sweet tea. I'm still on my quest to find the best shrimp and grits in Charleston.....
Good Southern healthy food. My only complaint is the food could be a bit more flavored with spice. Otherwise, delicious and healthy! It's like eating out of someone's home kitchen. I had the grouper with had a cornbread topping. I was delighted that it was a very light sprinkling of cornbread, so I could enjoy the flavor of the fish, which was in a tomato coulis, delicious. My parents gave a thumbs up to the catfish. My daughter loved her veggie plate of limas, mac and cheese and applesauce. The applesauce was flavored with cinnamon, wonderful. And dessert was yum too, not too heavy. Too many times when I go to the beach, I feel like cattle when we eat out. This is not that kind of experience. A very relaxing, non-touristy spot to go.
The Good:
-Great selection of southern fare for surprisingly reasonable prices.
-An exceedingly helpful and sweet hostess.
-Charming outdoor seating with covered tables and excited little chickadees hopping around eating breadcrumbs
The Bad: A pretty homogeneous crowd inside and out. I actually got stared at and mildly snickered at walking through the restaurant. I heard a couple of disparaging comments too...um wtf? It's 2009.
The Skinny: There's a reasonably large menu, and there were a number of daily specials. We ordered fried green tomatoes, the lamb top round roast, and the pork tenderloin. The lamb came over a bleu cheese sauce and topped with caramelized onions and a side of fried broccoli. The lamb was a little tough, but decent and well-seasoned. I'd never had fried broccoli and stand by the belief that frying things m The pork tenderloin was delicious and came with a chunky tomato-based vegetable sauce and fried grits.
For dessert we had chocolate pudding and devil's food cake with vanilla bean icing. The latter was nothing special, but the chocolate pudding was the best either of us had ever had. If you have the opportunity, GET IT.
Go forth and enjoy.
This place was fine. I have the shrimp and grits for which they are known. It was topped with scallions, mushrooms, and bacon bits. The service and cornbread before the meal were both great. This restaurant was hyped through nationally broadcast shows, but I wasn't blown away.
Best meal I had in Charleston. Nothing could have been more perfect for a romantic vacation in Charleston than getting to sit outside on Hominy's Grill's patio in December. I had a seasonal duck dish that was served over fried cheese grits. It was flavorful and the grits didn't taste greasy at all. How is this possible?
My S.O. had the shrimp and grits which were lemony and delicious!
The best part? Buttermilk pie!!! This concoction is something I have never had before. It is as if a piece of cake was put over a layer of key lime pie filling. My words are far too inadequate to describe this light, fluffy dessert.
Warning, warning, this place is tiny small and very loud. We went here for breakfast, it was a nice surprise, kinda out of the way and has it's own paking lot. Nice.
Jim had a super yummy omelet with home fries. An extra nice surprise was the sunflower seed toast that he shared with me. I had a biscuit with gravy. Their gravy is pretty interesting with red pepper in it.
Service with very friendly and attentive. We really liked it!
I would go back to Charleston just to eat here again. I was very unfamiliar with southern food before I visited the city, but my friend's description of this place was glowing, and a bit unbelievable. Luckily, it totally lived up to the hype.
The Shrimp & Grits has to be one of the most satisfying meals I have ever had. I would've licked my plate if I could. It was that good and I had never even had grits before that day. The same week I was there, Hominy Grill published the recipe for their shrimp and grits in the city paper. I still haven't tried making it yet, but I love that they aren't so full of themselves that they won't share their secrets. However, I doubt anyone could do better than them.
This place does not disappoint. Shrimp and grits, she crab soup, fried green tomatoes... everything was great except for our table which was located next to their patio door so I had a lot of foot traffic moving behind my chair. The waitress was super nice and I would go back just for another slice of their buttermilk pie.
Lovely, lovely breakfast here. It was a gorgeous morning, and we were able to get a table out back in their patio and sat under this cute little awning. I ordered the country breakfast which came with doublecut bacon, eggs, and grits. The grits were really well seasoned and tasted great with the runny fried eggs that I ordered. I also got the biscuit with their strawberry preserve while my friend ordered the shrimp and grits. It was a mixture of large plump shrimp sauteed with mushrooms and served over grits. Those grits were $14 and was far more superior than the much more expensive seafood grits at Magnolia restaurant downtown. I wish I can go back to Charleston just so I can have breakfast here again.
We really enjoyed our lunch at Hominy Grill, starting with a great appetizer that included pimento cheese, sausages, and pickled items. I forget what my wife had, but I had a pork chop with black strap molasses barbecue sauce and their coleslaw. It was all very traditional, but each dish had a little bit of a "twist" to make it new and different as well. We finished up with the hummingbird cake, which we had never had before but really enjoyed. We then went back for breakfast which also was very enjoyable. The only negative I would say it has is the size as the restaurant is tiny. While we didn't have a wait, we did feel squeezed in and "on top of" our fellow dinners.
When our group of 8 arrived we were told it was 45 min for inside, immediate seating for the patio. I was not happy, since it was crisp and gray outside, but when we got tot he patio: heat lamps! I love those.
I got the sampler vegetable plate. It was awesome. The mac and cheese was so much better than i dreamed. I mean it. Super. The sweet potatoes and fried green tomatoes were also super. warning: green beans have ham in them, but swap 'em for tomato pudding (grits and tomatoes) and you will be happy!
Our server seemed overwhelmed, but they were pretty awesome nonetheless. I can't imagine it gets much better in terms of fresh and good southern food, though i won't say that its super cheap...
ps boiled peanuts are gross.
Been there several times. Consistently good food. Nice, casual, environment. Outside seating if it's not too hot or rainy. Efficient staff the times I've been there.
I know what you need. You need a "Big Nasty Biscuit'. Don't we all really?
Ok, perhaps I don't - but I can appriciate a younger take on southern cooking. Dinner was excellent, and breakfast was the perfect remedy to the previous evening's activities.
Cozy, comfortable dining room, and a nice walled garden sort of patio in the back with fans & umbrellas.
really really cute, classic little Carolinian brunch place, complete with pressed tin ceilings and 6" tall biscuits
my husband and i take a lot of road trips and have gotten stuck at a lot of these places that end up being greasy spoons with a bit too much grease, so i was a bit worried when we pulled into the cramped parking lot. fortunately, hominy stood up to my idea of what a real, authentic version of cracker barrel would be. mike got a sausage egg and cheese on a biscuit (something that is really easy to screw up, but they had cooked all parts of it from scratch and he ate every crumb). i got the pancakes, and i think they were even a bit too authentic from me. i'll stick with aunt jemima for now, but i appreciate the effort.
the only negative was that it had obviously been commercialized-- not only do they sell recipe books, but t-shirts and mugs. what kind of authentic restaurant really does that? obviously they're banking on the fact that the food is loved by locals and tourists alike, but it could have been done more tastefully than with a merchandise menu on the tables.
The shrimp and grits were not that good. The cornbread was good!
I was not impressed with Hominy Grill.
As a Southerner who's stuck in DC for the moment, I relish my trips to the lowcountry where I can eat my most favorite cuisine where it's supposed to be eaten. That being said, I expect a lot out of the few places I do have a chance to try out. This place gets great acclaim so I was looking forward to it, but was sorely disappointed.
The menu looked sensational: great sandwiches, veggie plate with tons of options, daily specials, and other yummy southern comfort foods. I decided on a fried green tomato BLT and was pretty stoked about it. The tomato was sliced way too thick and the sandwich was, in a word, undesirable. My mom's coleslaw was downright inedible. So upsetting. The dessert specials looked great so we attempted to end the meal on a good note and asked our server what was best. She suggested the lemon layer cake, so we went for it. The cake was incredibly dry and between the three of us we didn't even finish half of the slice. It tasted like it had been sitting out since the day before. If this was the best they had to offer, the other desserts must have been as bad as the coleslaw!
The building where the grill is housed is really cool and I love the comfortable decor of the place. Still, it's not enough for me to come back. Bummer.
I was a bit disappointed that the lunch menu was not available during my last trip here. Their brunch menu is not quite up to par with the lunch menu and all its great sides. That said, the food was still solid but not outstanding. Plus we scored a great table outside. Our waitress seemed like she was coming off a big bender but the busboy more than made up for it which made for some entertaining moments.
While this was my second visit to Hominy, and the least impressive of the two, I'm still giving it 4 stars. The first visit was just too memorable.
if it's not too hot out, grab a seat in the patio. It's worth the wait.
Charleston, SC
Category: Southern
Charleston, SC
Category: Soul Food
Charleston, SC
Category: American (New)
Charleston, SC
Category: Restaurants
Charleston, SC
Category: Restaurants
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