the gin joint

we tried others.... ...on this trip (cocktail club, belmont, mccrady's bar) and nothing even comes close to gin joint in cocktail inventiveness, quality, ambience, or service. it can get crowded within a short time of it's opening, would advise early arrival if you want a bar seat. outdoors is an option also, when weather cooperates.


-----15 oct, 2011-----

2011 trip favorite....come for the drinks, stay for the food. stopped in on a whim after recalling that this was once the roberts location (found out it's still in the family-his daughter mari elena is the chef). absolutely the best bar in charleston with great mixologists, innovative cocktail menu, and great food (which i ordinarily wouldn't expect at a bar)- korean pork buns and brisket sandwich were both terrific, great cheese/charcuterie selection as well. a bit hectic on sat night, quieter on mon/tues. mick and james were both superb at the bar!!!

awesome drinks but the bartender was surly and very unfriendly. we left after one drink.

good drinks and great food. i had a jamaican old fashioned to drink which was quite good. had some of the clams and andouille sausage (great taste, comes with grilled bread, too little andouille though, put some more in). the soft pretzels are thick and salty, the sriacha cheese sauce that comes with them is a good compliment to the pretzels. i did try the shrimp and grit fritters, they come out super hot (thanks grits!) but overall not one of my favorites, not very flavorful. their grilled cheese is amazing, i loved it. next time i go there i'll order that first thing. the sandwich has bentons country ham forcemeat in it and then it is grilled with the two cheeses to create a crunchy cheese shell much like a taco shell surrounding the sandwich, this comes with a sauce that tastes great with the sandwich.

after the announcement that the gin joint had been bought by longtime bartender james bolt, i was worried that the old gin joint i knew and loved would become unrecognizable (kind of like what’s happening to blue rose cafe right now). but my fears have been proven completely unfounded. the gin joint has maintained its commitment to handmade cocktails and delicious food in a way that’s still familiar (but even better than it used to be).

very good craft cocktails based of course around the namesake of gin, but several other selections available. you can sit back drink, then people watch at all the happenings around east bay street

i was in charleston for a long weekend with an agenda of trying some good restaurants and bars in the city. we tried the gin joint after reading some good reviews online.

we went for the happy hour but were disappointed by the very limited options for happy hour drinks. i got one of the three options for happy hour and my friend got a bartenders choice and we were quiet pleased with our drinks. we ordered the soft pretzel with sriracha cream dip and the pad thai popcorn which was just decent. the ambience is nice. service is slow but the staff is really sweet.

overall, this place is definitely worth a try.

great creative drinks that tend toward the sweet side... the food is interesting but not the reason you go. service was friendly but like most of charlestown not exactly professional... still a very fun place to drink.

staff was very friendly and welcoming! we had to push back our reservation and there was no issue! the atmosphere was great! loved all the apothecary jars! i order the bartender's choice as did the other 7 ladies in my party. the wait took about 45 minutes for our drinks which is probably due to our party size. the presentation of all the drinks was great! loved the different glasses and ice pairings for each drink! although i wasn't crazy about mine i can appreciate the art that went into each of our drinks! the jerky was also delicious! will defiantly be going back the next time i'm in charleston!

my husband and i arrived and were seated at a table right by the door even though there were many other small tables open. we ordered our drinks and about 10 minutes later our server came back and let me know that they were out one of the ingredients to make my drink. i ordered a different drink and 10 minutes later they brought back the wrong one. over 30 minutes after we ordered we finally received our drinks and decided to leave due to poor service.

this place is a must! the staff are masters of their craft, and so kind in helping navigate an extensive menu. take a risk and go with the bartender's choice - you won't be let down!

laura needs an attitude adjustment. a great little place in a charming city! it is too bad we had to experience laura, the manager, last friday. she was rude, unprofessional and a complete mismatch for such an intimate space.

croc tears cocktail...oh my god!!!!

...a fun little bar off the tourist strip. their bar bites were intriguing, including beef jerky by the piece that is served in a chinese restaurant style wrapper and tastes heavily of soy,

lovely. this place has my favorite drink in charleston (elderflower collins) and we love the snacks. we always take our out of town friends here

thanks for the hemmingway. thankful for great bartenders, whose knowledge about drink making beats most bars in town!