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Comment Archives: Locations: Bars + Clubs: Bar
Re: “Craftsmen Kitchen and Tap House”
We here at Craftsmen appreciate all reviews and comments, both positive and negative. We are brand new and know that we have plenty of room to grow into our identity. I do feel that we are offering a very good product that is unique to our dining community by focusing on offering a good selection of beers and casual, well executed food that is intended to elevate the drinking experience. As far as pricing is concerned, we feel that we have placed ourselves on the moderate end of the spectrum, but rare beers and specialty beers are always going to cost more. The beer community is a friendly one, full of camaraderie and a desire for everyone to succeed in the quest to make people happy. That is something we believe in at Craftsmen, too. So thanks to everyone who has been in or will come in the future, and know that we are listening and working hard to become a great addition to an already fabulous dining scene.
Re: “Craftsmen Kitchen and Tap House”
"Basically, your negativity in the review stems from your own misunderstandings and lack of knowledge"
Really? I don't believe I "bashed" them at all. I apologize for not remembering the menu to the exact wording. So I didn't correctly state the sections properly. That doesn't change the fact that they separate hoppy beers, then mix in other categories. What is "mash" anyways? There weren't many specialties on there. Just some random normal brews. Honestly, it wasn't negative criticism, just a bit of confusion I thought could be corrected to help people find a certain beer. I never stated there were 5 sections, BTW.
Also, I am not exactly well versed in french cuisine, nor were the other people eating with us. No one was really upset about the egg on top, and it is not really a negative comment. The overcooked pork belly was a bit disappointing, but didn't hurt the sandwich too much.
From your knowledge of everything on the menu, and your joining this site just to attack my review, I can guess that you either work there or have a connection to this place. Why do people feel that they need to attack honest reviews on CCP? I didn't dislike this place, but felt the beer selection could use some work. I also was kind about the food, as it is a new place. I didn't give this place 3 stars because of the menu or an egg on top of the sandwich. It got 3 stars because it is a beer bar that has mostly basic beers from different breweries (a complaint I have heard from many people who have visited), and the food wasn't amazing (flavor wise, nothing to do with layout). It also got 3 stars because of pricing being a touch high. I had every intention to return after it has been open for a couple months and seeing if things were really falling into place. At that time, I would add a new review.
Re: “Craftsmen Kitchen and Tap House”
Brewengineer, though the other commenter certainly showed his ass, your review really could use work. I say that because you're bashing them about things you don't even understand. I frequent that establishment since opening. Firstly, their beer menu is not at all broken into flavor profiles. They're categorized in 4, not 5 sections; ipa, locals, sessionables, and "mash". The mash is just one offs and specialties that didn't fit into the other 3. There is no "malt forward" section that you described so there goes all that griping you had about them not fitting out the window.
Secondly, that sandwich you had is called a croque-madame. It's an old French dish and meant to be eaten with fork and knife.
Basically, your negativity in the review stems from your own misunderstandings and lack of knowledge.
Re: “Craftsmen Kitchen and Tap House”
"Fucking obnoxious review."
What is obnoxious about writing a thorough review with likes and dislikes, coming from someone who has worked in the industry and been pushing/drinking/brewing craft beer for over a decade? Maybe I should have just used your intelligent review model, and stuck to three sentences and no real content. That will really help the restaurant improve things. Maybe next time you bless someone with your own criticism, you could actually just add a review or contribute something meaningful.
Re: “Craftsmen Kitchen and Tap House”
Fucking obnoxious review.
Re: “Craftsmen Kitchen and Tap House”
I finally made it into the peninsula to visit Craftsmen Kitchen, after a couple month wait for opening day. When you first walk in the door, you can tell there was a lot of money invested into design and decor. I really enjoyed the ambiance with the focus around a beautiful series of bars. There was plenty of space inside, and also an outdoor area with 4 large picnic tables.
The menu was very basic. One side had appetizers and smaller dishes. The other side featured more entree-like options. The waitress also gave us a large tap/bottled drink menu. My first thought, after glancing at the drink menu, was that it contained a lot of confusion. They tried to split things up by flavor profile, but didn't really get it right. There was a section for hoppy/IPA type beers, a section for local brews, a section for malt forward beers, and one other that I can't remember. The IPA/Hoppy section was fine, and featured many great brews. I am not sure there was a reason to separate the locals from the style based menu, as we didn't know exactly what flavor profile fit some of the local brews. The malty beer section was a complete cluster. There were pale ales (Hoppy), belgians, browns, and stouts all mixed in there. Those styles do not all fit the same flavor profile. I would have preferred them to not worry about style and just list all beers by brewery, or perhaps take time to separate by more than a couple flavor profiles. I didn't take time to check if most of the beers listed on the menu were actually on tap, but I didn't have any issues with my orders. The beer selection, while numerous, was not really impressive for a craft beer bar. It seemed like the had the normal basic offerings from many breweries, without carrying many seasonals or limited releases. I found it difficult to pick out a beer I really wanted to drink, but I am probably pickier than most patrons. I did like the option to have 8oz or 16oz pours, but I am not 100% sure the tumblers they use actually hold 16oz. The prices were a touch high, but that could be par for the course when you are a block from the market. The beers were served in clean glassware and seemed to be about the right temperature. My only suggestion there would be to use proper glassware for the style, but that is really asking for a lot.
Once we had a few drinks, we decided to order a few food items. We wanted to try two appetizers and a couple sandwiches. We ordered the Scotch Eggs (hard to find in the low country) and General Tso's Chicken Wings. The wings were really tasty, and they nailed the sauce. It was a nice mix of sweet and spice, and went well with the base crispy wings. The scotch eggs were not exactly what I am used to, but still very good. You only get one large egg, cut in half, so take note if you are sharing with a few people. My main course was the burger, which is made with house ground beef and some added pork belly in the mix. Pork belly makes for some delicious burgers, but also prevents you from getting a rare or medium-rare burger. It took quite a while to receive my burger, but we were in a large party. The burger comes with some thick cut fried potato rounds, but you only get 4 of these. If you are really hungry, it is better that you order more than just the burger. I did enjoy the seasoning on the burger, and would eat it again. I do wish there was more of a side with this. The other dish we got was the crispy pork belly sandwich. Basically, this is a piece of fried pork belly, between two pieces of toast, with a fried runny egg on top. I am not sure why the egg goes on top, as it makes the dish excessively messy. The belly was a touch overcooked, but the whole sandwich was still pretty good. This also cam with the small side of fried potato rounds.
Overall, I think this is a place worth checking out if you like craft beer. They are still very new and will probably be working on things like tap offerings and food. I think my expectations were a bit too high, due to years of drinking craft beer. I will likely return to see if they fall into a groove with food and beer selection. I wish them luck and much success. I am still happy to see another craft-centric bar in downtown Charleston, which covers a growing market of better beer drinkers.
Re: “Cypress Lowcountry Grille”
I would disregard any review written during restaurant week... kind of a given there.
Cypress is excellent. Been going there since they opened and it is always a favorite, even when new and great places open.
Re: “Coconut Joe's Beach Grill & Bar”
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Re: “RB's Seafood”
Have not been to RB's much since it was supersized to a three level monstrosity on "The Creek", but met some friends on top last Saturday and I must say the experience was very pleasurable. I was somewhat concerned about the food quality based on previous visits, but something has definitely changed for the better because the entrées passing by our seats at the bar looked, smelled, and likely tasted spectacular. While my party did not order any main dishes from the dinner menu, the selections we did sample were definitely fresh, flavorful, and delicious. The blackened salmon Caesar salad was so much better than any other similar one in this town with a large portion of nicely seasoned fish, soft-leafy spinach, and real Caesar dressing it could easily be enjoyed independently as a satisfying meal. The fried onion rings are lightly battered to perfection and extremely addictive. I mention this because I am not a big fan of onion rings and for the most part avoid them entirely. Other samplers were equally well prepared with fresh ingredients and served at the correct temperatures. The place was busier than normal possibly due to some large wedding, prom night, and private parties yet the service did not seem to suffer. How the lone bartender was able to handle the constant waves of patrons and remain as friendly and accommodating as she was is beyond me. Other “so called” bartenders in Mount Pleasant and downtown Charleston could learn much from this young lady. Everyone in my group, some of whom were from out of town, really had a great night on Shem Creek and that is not so easy to accomplish anymore. True, the “overkill” parking lot signage needs to go and the nautical theme is a bit over the top, but Ronnie Boal’s seafood palace beside the shrimp docks is providing quality local waterfront dining and, like the man himself, will still be there in one form or another when the rest go down with the ship.
Re: “The Ice House”
Awesome Bar! Fantastic bartenders, and always make people feel welcomed!
Re: “The Rarebit”
My new go to place for lunch on upper King- best onion rings ever
good food at the right price
Re: “Blind Tiger”
The Caprese Grilled Cheese is one of the best sandwiches in Charleston.
We're dealing in facts, here.
Re: “Bacco Italian Restaurant”
I haven't been but the comments convinced me to go when I go back ..I love Italian food.Do you have one at Myrtle Beach?
Re: “Blind Tiger”
Look, you people need to know all bars foods suck. You cannot go to a bar and get good food. Period. It's done. Go to a good restaurant is you what good food. Bars food always suck. Regards, Riptide
Re: “Bacco Italian Restaurant”
Bacco is my go-to Italian restaurant in the Charleston area. I have been there many times and have never been disappointed by the food, drinks, or service. I tend to be very picky with Italian food, after living in Italy for a short time. Chef Michael is an expert at recreating and reinventing many of the traditional Italian dishes I love. I especially enjoy his ability to prepare perfect hand made pasta cooked Al dente, as it should be. His main courses are also quite amazing, and we look forward to creative specials like the seared lamb neck. While you are there, make sure you give the home made limoncello a try. I look forward to my next visit. Ciao!
Re: “The Rarebit”
Been twice, impressed both times. Had French toast at 11pm with a "Dark & Stormy" cocktail. The French toast was excellent with the sorghum syrup and $2 optional strawberries and bananas. The Dark & Stormy was tasty, but I wouldn't get another one for the $9 they charge for it. I came back later for lunch. Tried the chicken and waffle plate. The chicken was really, really damn good. The waffle was ok. Service was good both times.
Re: “Joe Pasta”
Four ratings, 3 one-star, 1 two-star. True average rating: 1.25 stars.
So why does it rate 2.2 stars?
Re: “Castaways Grille”
I am so sick and tired of bars misspelling Guinness.... in their ad in CP they left off an N in Guinness.... why celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a bar that can't correctly spell one of the most recognized beers in the world? To Castaways Grille I say Pogue Mahone!!!!!!
Re: “Seanachai Social Club”
What a great local! So happy that there is a place on Johns Island to enjoy an after-work beer in a friendly pub. Bartender and owner Gerry is a gem, treats his customers as friends, and is a craftsman with the cocktails, too. Hard to drive past it on your way home without stopping for a pint!
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Re: “Craftsmen Kitchen and Tap House”
This is why I don't review on here any more. You give a thoughtful honest opinion and some PBR drinking idiot slams you for too much information. They would rather see reviews like "This place rocks, can't beat dollar PBR's"
I read brewengineers review and am looking forward to trying this establishment. 3 stars by the way is a recommended place and a very good rating. What negativity was in the review, it seemed honest and well thought out. The majority of the people on this site throw 5 stars around so that it has become utterly meaningless. 5 stars is the place if you are visiting for only one day, you have to get there.
1 star- acceptable quality
2 star- good quality
3 star- very good quality
4 star- superior quality
5 star- exceptional in every way- food drink decor service
there are 232 four star and above restaurants in city paper's guide. Honestly, there are probably less than 10. In Charleston though, we have 5 star bagel shops??