rita's seaside grille

:-). everytimei go to folly beach i have to go to rita's. the burgers are the best in charleston and so are the fried oysters. the service is usually great (with a onetimeexception). overall, great little place to grab a bite.

best burgers in charleston area. we go everytimewe are in the mood for a good hamburger. i prefer the pimento cheese burger. my spouse is working his way through the menu trying the different styles of burgers. the fries are always crunchy and the service perfect. being next to the beach doesn't hurt either! lunch or dinner we make a trip and have never been disappointed.

update aug 2016--made it back to rita's recently. still a lovely place to relax and have a cocktail and a meal. i tried the fried shrimp started thistimeand liked it. i also tried the fish and shrimp tacos but i was disappointed in them. they tasted odd to me. i've ordered them in the past and don't remember disliking them so maybe something has changed. i would not get them again. my friend ordered the same thing however and she thought they were good. i could only eat a few bites and was scared to eat more. something was up with them. we also ordered bloody mary's and they tasted great but i do not care for old bay on the rim so i will likely ask for that to be left off next time. the drinks were great (through a straw).

update oct 2015-- i been back to rita's a few times and i still love it!  they have a great drink menu and the food is always great. you can eat indoors or on a nice outdoor patio.  the lasttimei was there a band was playing.  it's a fun place.  don't miss this spot!

original--rita's is one of my favorite places on folly.  i love the casual atmosphere and the food is great. it's been over a year since i've been there but just getting around to a review.  i've tried many items but the one that stands out the most to me is the amazing pulled pork nachos! it is served in an ice cream soda glass and is oozing with queso! this is a messy mess but it is delicious. another great choice was the shrimp po boy but looking at the current menu, i don't see this selection anymore. that's too bad because it was wonderful.  i've also ordered the barnyard burger and it's fabulous too.  i love an egg on my burger.  i haven't tried the bloody mary bar but hope to some day.  i've eaten here many times and i've never been disappointed.  this is a great place to eat!

ok, so a couple weeks ago, i was invited to try rita’s out on folly. never one to turn my nose up at free food, i gladly made the jaunt out to folly beach (although i did feel a bit like a traitor for not eating at lost dog cafe ). rita’s is owned by the halls family of halls chophouse , but could not be more different. it’s a very casual, laid-back, beachy kind of atmosphere with food that is both inventive and traditional at the same time. read: affordable we started with an order of the tuna nachos (crispy corn tortillas, queso, jack, jalapenos, black beans, peppers, onions, watermelon pico, choice of blackened tuna, grilled chicken, pulled pork, $11). they were good, but i thought the tuna was a little overcooked and chewy. i came back the next week with my mom and we got them with chicken instead and they were awesome. the one really great thing about this dish is that they top it with a housemade watermelon pico de gallo, which adds a layer of freshness to a traditionally uninventive dish. those aren’t tomatoes; that’s watermelon! i highly recommend this dish. we also got an order of their house smoked wings (house smoked jumbo wings, served with celery, ranch & blue cheese, tossed with choice of sweet & spicy, dry rub, bbq, buffalo, 6 for $9 or 12 for $15), tossed in the sweet & spicy sauce. i really liked the sauce and the touch of smokiness that was in every bite. the secondtimei went, harry got them in the dry rub, and i didn’t like them as much, so i definitely recommend the sweet & spicy sauce. tina thought they were a little too smoky, so if you aren’t a fan of things tasting smoky, then i wouldn’t recommend these. i do like that you don’t have to choose between ranch and blue cheese… although i definitely only ever choose ranch. but i like not having to choose. i also t

this place has seriously gone downhill since it changes owners. we used to be regulars but we are never going back after today. there was a 45 minute wait @2:30 and i counted at least 6 tables open. that is just ridiculous. the lasttimewe were there it took 2 hours to have lunch and our food was cold and awful. not to mention they took all the margaritas and burgers off the menu. bad move for a place called rita's. luckily they don't have to rely on locals for their business. the best places to eat on folly are the dives.

this is my favorite spot at folly's. love this place. 3rdtimeeating here after trying it this past summer. the blackened tuna nacho's and the pork sundae appetizers are awesome. great outdoor dining area and also a good place to sit at bar and watch sporting event. the seafood baskets are also very good. wife and i like to split a spinach salad and then get one of the great appetizers. the spinach salad is one of the best we've eaten.

last night my husband and i went to rita's. we ordered the 12oz steak special to share. i normally order steak rare, but my husband likes his cooked a little. the steak came out very, very, rare. it could have been used for a tartar. i sent it back, which i never do, but i can't eat raw steak. we had cut it in half, because we were sharing. the waitress took it back on our salad plate. they brought back the same steak, cut in half. now this raw steak is well done, dry and chewy. yes, we could have asked for another steak, but you would think, since the owner himself brought it out, he would know you never recook a steak nor would you put a piece of meat back on the grill that had bites taken out of it. this isn’t the firsttimethe cheapness of the establishment has caught my attention. yes, we will go back. we live there. just not for the food. hey rita’s, we are the locals who support the restaurants in the winter. big mistake!

a keeper!. great location, music was just loud enough for background without being overpowering. nice beach feel without being too kitchy. service was quick. burger looked delicious. my po boy was tasty, although could have used just 1-2 more clams on it. will go back nexttimei'm town and check out the burger.


-----13 sep, 2012-----

laidback beach atmosphere, open air. great service. tasty burger. yummy pickles. live music. what more could you want at folly?

big, sloppy, finger lickin' burgers!!. the nexttimeyou really need a big, sloppy, finger lickin' burger rita's is a must! it is my favorite place for a burger in the charleston area (yes, i've been to poe's and it tops it). besides the food being to-die-for the atmosphere is right on time. lots of natural light, a big bar (great margaritas), booths in front of large bay door windows, and a huge patio (that seems to have live music all the time). you can come as you are- right off the beach with sandy feet and a buzz.

the menu is simple- a few salads, seafood, appetizers (the best appetizer is the bbq pork and queso sundae which looks like an ice cream sundae) but the mainstays are the burgers/chicken (you can get any of their concoctions as a burger or a grilled chicken sandwich) with really good hand cut fries. in my opinion their best combo is the good 'ole chili-cheese burger. you get to pick your own cheese, get pimento, it is ridiculous! just take a look at my picture, yes there is a burger under there! the reuben burger is good as is the bistro burger with grilled portobello, crispy onions, blue cheese, and steak sauce. if you are in the mood of "i don't give a &^%$ about my diet" go for the barnyard burger- which includes a fried egg, bacon, and cheddar. the portions are huge, they give you enough for lunch the next day and a late night fourth meal. my only compliant about rita's is that they have hunt's ketchup instead of heinz. that is absurd.

my 2nd visit. firsttimewas awesome. thistimethe service was horrible. didn't mind the 20 minute wait, but then stuck at a standup bar with stools instead of a table. then another 10 minutes to get a waitress... only after i sought her out. just wrong.

bottomless mimosas & tuna tacos. rita's is one of my favorite restaurants on folly beach. i live four blocks away from the restaurant and everytimei get a chance to go to the saturday/sunday brunch, i do. the food is typical of a beach restaurant, except slightly more delicious. the tuna tacos are to die for. the blackened shrimp quesadilla is another personal fave. the hummus platter is a crowd pleaser for the vegetarians and the burgers are perfect (all of them!). i've even gone there while dieting and had the southwest salad and have been pleased. great atmosphere. wash your hands in the inside bathroom with the salt scrub. you will want to return simply for that. love ritas!

am a local (mt p). firsttimeeating here after walking on the beach with my family. very pleased. neat beachy atmosphere. open air. live music when we were there. friendly. manager walked around watching and checking on things. reasonably priced. i ordered the special bbq platter. delicious! sauce was tangy and peppered. meat (pulled pork and brisket) was tender. fries were "dirty" and good (especially dipped in the homemade tarter!). cole slaw was creamy. waitress kept drinks refilled. will return.

omg!!!!!!. what a wonderful experience!!! not being from the area anytimei am in the charleston area, i want to visit folly beach. usually for the sun fun. this past sunday, i had the delightful experience of eating at rita's seaside grille. i didn't know if i should cry or reach for a cig. after the meal!!!! did i say wonderful experience!!!! had the shrimp nachos and my friends had burgers, one the 3 cheese burger the other a brie with grilled onions burger. we also loved the bloodymary bar and the mimosa special. weather was a little windy so we did eat inside but, finished our drinks on the patio. what an amazing place!!! my hat goes off to the owners. now there is another joy in going to folly beach!!