- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Middleton Place
Rating Details »
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
5 reviews for Middleton Place
This was the one thing I wanted to do on our vacation - after seeing Versailles last year, I wanted to see what they were calling the "Charleston equivalent to Versailles". The gardens and grounds are gorgeous and the wildlife there is actually into getting pictures taken. I have never seen a peacock strike a pose before!! Made for some wonderful shots to blow up!
We paid $62 each for transportation to the place, admission to the grounds and the tour of the house - considering the drive, it was worth the cost. The house is a bit of a weird experience. The main house was demolished in the war or afterwards and you can only see the one remaining house that was used for guests. But, since the family lived on the plantation up until the 1970's, it really was a residence. The lights are very dim inside and you can't take pictures. They cram way too many people into a tour (18-20) when only 10 or so can fit in some of the smaller rooms. But - you do see EVERY room inside, which is not the case on a lot of the downtown tours.
We got to the place at about 1:15 and managed to eat the three course meal, see the house and the grounds and shop in the gift shop by 3:15 - you have to hustle, but it can be done!!
The gardens are great. The house is a true historic gem. The story behind Eliza's house, compelling.
But, if you happen to be here on any Wednesday in the summer (or from what I was told, any Wednesday), you have to hit this place for their Wine Stroll fundraiser. Get the details here: http://www.middletonpl...
They featured 8 wines, generous pours, friendly service and the grounds. All this for the bargain price of $10. Rain or shine, it happens. We had rain and it was still good. Next week, we pray for sun.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
Man visiting plantations is expensive. I think it cost us $22 per person to get in here but ask for the AAA discount. The grounds are very nice with nice gardens, lakes, and shrubbery. Looks very much like an English garden, I guess that is the way they wanted it. The main house burned down during Sherman's March to the Sea but the side house can be toured for $10 more. We didn't go. They have free garden, slave quarter tours. Something to do and see once but not too impressed.
We also ate at the Middleton Place Restaurant. So so food. Lunch was 3 courses at fix prix. The Shrimp and Grits were great, buttery grits and tender shrimp but everything else was so so. My quail was the smallest quail I have ever seen on a plate, I think it was killed too early for dinner or quails grow smaller in the South? Who knows and the quail was tough and not very good. We saw another table order Fried Chicken and they got a boatload of chicken. Once again I ordered incorrectly as my wife would say.
Service was slooooow and inattentive. I guess you don't have to be attentive when the menu is Fix Prix. Avoid the restaurant at lunch and just visit the grounds if you want to see an nice plantation.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
This is an old plantation which is home to "America's oldest landscaped gardens." My sister and her husband decided to have their wedding ceremony in the gardens and had reserved the restaurant for the reception. I cannot stress enough how perfect of a setting it really was.
The wedding itself was as close to perfect as anything can come. Wonderful weather. Beautiful surroundings. Black tie affair. Solo cellist. My sister looking better than any bride in the history of the world (and I will kill anyone who wishes to disagree!). The only thing that would have made me happier is if I could have stolen the day and used it for my wedding. Alas, simply not possible. I wasn't able to tour much of the garden as I was there for the wedding. What I was able to see was breathtaking though. This place really is magical.
It is important to note that the restaurant requires reservations for dinner. No exceptions. And dress code is pretty strictly enforced. However, since the wedding was black tie, we all were appropriately dressed so I am not sure what the dress code actually is. Also it is worth noting that the restaurants are closed to the public on Mondays, but if you want to have an event, they are willing to be open to private parties, like say my sister's wedding. Enough about the rules and such and on to the important part... the food.
There was a bit of a cocktail hour after the ceremony and during this time were some of the best appetizers I have ever had. There was a rack of lamb that was so good I literally followed around the young girls who had it on their trays for a good forty-five minutes. They also had these little shrimp pastries which were okay and they had a crab dip that was almost but not quite as good as the rack of lamb.
When it came to the actual meal, I have to admit that I was already pretty full but I decided to truck through the meal like a champ in order to ensure I wasn't missing out on anything delicious. The she-crab soup was the first thing brought to me at the table and this alone made my decision to over-indulge in food well worth it. I am not even sure how to describe this stuff but it was very good. As far as the meal itself, I was a little less impressed. I realize that Middleton Place is known for their southern food but I can't say I was really impressed with it. The catfish tasted a bit like dirt, which in my experience either means it was cheapish meat (and for catfish that is saying a lot) or it wasn't cleaned very well. Either way, I couldn't eat that. Also on the plate was a ham biscuit thing that had honey mustard, only the honey mustard had obviously been made by the gods. I have no idea what it actually was but it was very good. There was also something called "Hoppin' John" that wasn't bad but again, not the best food ever. Or maybe I was just spoiled by the rack of lamb.
Now I think I heard someone say that the restaurant had made both the wedding cake and the groom's cake, but I can't swear by it. But for the purposes of this review I will go ahead and make the assumption that I did hear right. The cake was a white cake with a chocolate-raspberry filling, and it was AMAZING. The groom's cake was a French something or other, but was basically pastries with some sort of cream in them and I wasn't as excited about this but it was still good.
For the most part I was impressed by the plantation. The setting was ideal for a wedding, and the restaurant was more of the same. There were a few food type problems I had, but for the most part, it was extremely good. I am not really that accustomed to Southern cooking, so I have to admit that I am a little at a disadvantage to say whether or not this was excellent or not. But my new brother-in-law's family is very southern and they seemed to more than enjoy. So I will take it that it really was that good. And as I said, there were a few things I wasn't that impressed with, but the good far outweighed the bad. All in all, everything turned out as near to perfect as any bride could hope for and I have never seen my sister as radiant as she was that day, and I am sure that the place helped in making her that happy.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
This is an actual 18th century rice plantation that has been preserved and is now a popular tourist destination. You can tour the plantation gardens, stable yards and the house museum. Also offered are carriage rides and guided tours as well. While walking the grounds you will see various farm animals roaming about. Another attraction is that they have actual working blacksmiths and candle makers all donning the 18th century attire. They have a Garden Market which offers refreshments, sandwiches and various snacks. You can also purchase various plants and homemade jellies, salsas, etc. My wife use to work there. She recommends going especially when the Magnolias are in bloom. To quote my wife " This natural beauty is God's way of showing off."
People thought this was:
- Useful (5)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
