jestine's kitchen

southern cooking for those who are visiting, refusing to use their own kitchen, or for those who can't cook. the food is good but if you were raised in the south you can do it yourself.

great refreshing lunch, awesome service. we had fried catfish (perfectly cooked) and fried chicken and loved both. arrived about 12:20 and no wait. quick and very friendly!

southerngirl. great service, friendly staff, good southern comfort food, kind i get in louisiana. easy place to go with children.

great home cooked food, a refreshing break from cuisine - no fusions or experimentation here. i enjoyed a lot of home cooked meals living in sc for 20 years, and this is granny's cookin' - as my traveling companion, who still lives in the upstate, said contentedly. cute place, pleasant service, interesting history & good food. and full of locals when we happened in on a friday night.

good cooking. solid but a big overrated for what i was expecting. decent green tomatoes and the special coca cola cake was excellent

go to virginia's instead. food is good, but being local, i think virginia's is much better, be it for lunch or dinner.

tiny restaurant, big smiles!. i was very impressed with the service and attention we received from our waitress. we were given a bowl of pickled cucumbers..excellent. our appetizer was the fried green tomatoes and corn fritters with a pepper relish...great! i ordered the fried chicken plate. there were 3 big pieces, but they were a little over-cooked. the mac n cheese and collards were acceptable. my friend had the catfish...amazing! another friend had the fried shrimp...amazing as well. when dessert came, a coca-cola cake, it was sooo good. i also had the pineapple bread pudding which was also outstanding. you may be underwhelmed by the fried chicken, but you will come back because of the atmosphere, the service, and the dessert. next time, i will try something else besides the fried chicken. (hey, it's rare to find a restaurant that can beat your mom's fried chicken or the fried chicken from the "mom and pop" business in your hometown!)

absolutely fabulous! delicious food! worth the wait! great service.

fantastic place!. i tried this place when i was visiting the great city of charleston last august and it didn't disappoint. i tried the meatloaf and i am happy to say it was the best i have ever had plus the mashed potatoes were so good too! decided to order the coca-cola cake, it was gooey and sweet but like nothing i have ever eaten. i can't wait to venture back on my next visit to south carolina!

it was ok to good. i liked it but wouldnt go back if i return to chucktown. it's good to check out for the novelty.

southern cooking for tourists.. if you're from the south, you've had better fried chicken. you've probably had better fried fish. isn't that the food at jestine's isn't good, but is it worth waiting in line for an undeterminate time? not for me.

i ate first at jestine's back in 1999 or so, during piccolo spoleto and was really pleased with the meal. most recently (july 08) i was underwhelmed with the whole experience.

service was great both times, but the food is slipping somewhat.

what's all the fuss about?. i don't usually eat southern food, but when some friends came in town and asked us to take them for southern food, and since everyone raves about jestine's, we decided to take them there. we were so embarrassed. my friend and i shared the plate of fried chicken, and it was the driest, most bland fried chicken we have ever eaten. we joked that kfc had better fried chicken, but the sad thing is, it was true. the guys both had shrimp and grits and said it was flavorless. the only things that we enjoyed were the bread and butter pickles they serve you when you arrive, and the coca-cola cake.

oh my goodness! so good! great cornbread and fried chicken. the line out the door speaks for itself...well worth the wait!

it's good, homestyle cookin', very friendly service and nice, relaxed atmosphere that doesn't feel touristy. the lemon custard pecan pie is sensational!

underwhelmed. sorry but this down home cooking place might impress northerners but anyone that has really been to the south outside of our cities knows that jestine's doesn't represent the best of southern cooking.