I give Bertha's 5 stars for service (the food is grub too). I showed up after closing as I had just arrived at the local truck stop and there isn't much around for dinner. They made a fat plate of BBQ chicken (baked like mom used to make), collard greens, rice and an extra big helping of bread pudding (a personal favorite). The food was delicious and I really appreciated them taking care of me after hours. I'm definitely stopping by if I deliver to the area again. read more

Not very appealing to the eye but food will more than make up for that. Good portions, reasonable prices & friendly staff. Have been there several times only to be surprised by how consistently good the food is. Fried or baked chicken, fried fish, pork chops. Nothing bad here.. read more

I feel remiss for taking this long to write a review for Bertha's. I've been going for 2 years now and it's one of my favorite places to eat. They have mastered the art of the "meat and three" and produce some of the tastiest soul food in the area. if you don't believe me you should drive by at lunch sometime and check out the line that can be all the way out the door. It's cafeteria buffet style so you wait until you get up to the counter and tell them what you want. The main meat entrees are fried chicken, fried pork chop or fried fish. If you know you want the fish you might want to scootch up to the counter to give them a head's up because they make it to order and it takes a couple of minutes longer than the chicken or pork, which they make constantly. Sometimes there might be another meat option in the buffet that day, like oxtail or some stew. Staples in the side category include: mac n cheese, green beans, red rice, white rice, corn, yams, lima beans and okra stew. Everything is good, but I would highly recommend the okra stew for okra lovers and the lima beans to everyone. My friend Matthew swears by the mac n cheese and usually gets 3 solid helpings of it for his side. My go-to is usually the fried pork chop with a side of lima beans, green beans, mac n cheese and cornbread. You can also get sweet tea or lemonade and still walk out of there paying less than $7! The place is small and can be kind of hot during the summertime because of all the cooking in the open kitchen. There is upstairs seating or you can call and order to go. This is some of the best soul food in the Charleston area but gets less hoopla than other places because it's way far at the end of Meeting Street, past Spruill. It's great food and definitely worth the drive! *If parking is tight, there is additional parking in the empty lot on the other side of the church. read more

Do not be fooled by the exterior of this restaurant. Bertha's is definitely a hole in the wall that should be discovered by everyone. Upon entering, the space feels very welcoming. I was with a group of about 30 and within 20 minutes we all had our food. I ordered the beef stew, white rice, and string beans. This beef stew almost gave my own grandmother, a formerly successful restaurant owner, a run for her money. The beef was so tender and juicy. The rice wasn't overcooked. The string beans, in my opinion, were lightly seasoned with potatoes and pork bits in them. Cornbread came with the meal, but if you're like me and enjoy sweeter cornbread you may be a little disappointed. The lemonade was also extremely sweet to the point where I had to dilute it with water. Aside from the cornbread and lemonade, Bertha's is a great establishment and you should definitely not be afraid to go. My group ordered many different food items and no one had any complaints at all. Check them out because in doing so you're supporting a black business read more

Bertha's Kitchen - Beef stew, white rice, string beans, and cornbread - Southern Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

This was our first stop out of the airport, and what a welcome to South Carolina! When you pull up to an unassuming place in an residential/light industrial area, experienced foodies get excited. This was the place. Humble and unassuming inside, we got lucky with a short line right after the lunch rush (although when we left, the line was back out the door). We had time to look at all the awards, family photos and other accolades for Bertha's. Again, this was all making us even more stoked for the food. The prices are very reasonable, so reasonable in fact that the spouse and I ordered a whole mess of things to try as many dishes as possible: okra soup (alas, being from the North, I know I cannot duplicate such homestyle cooking), greens, green beans, pork chops, fried chicken, cabbage, and cornbread. They had to finish up making unsweet tea for me (obvious Yankee) but everyone was super-friendly even while they were playing catch-up from lunch. If you come to Charleston, you can't not come here. It's that good. No place north of the Mason-Dixon line is going to do okra right like this, or do it this well at this price. Kudos all around for Bertha's! read more

I had the fish with green beans, Mac and cheese, and red rice. All of it was delicious !!! Fish was fried perfectly and best of all it was under $10 will def go back again. read more

This was my first trip to Bertha's Kitchen. I could slap myself for not eating here sooner. Upon walking through the door I was hit with the aromatic scent of fried chicken. I got in line, short line, and checked out the menu board. Bertha's is a one meat and three sides establishment. Pork chops piqued my interest as my protein followed by Lima beans, rice n gravy, and okra stew. The pork chop was cooked floured and cooked to order. Everything tasted fantastic. I repeat, everything tasted fantastic. After I grinned down I was left with an almost complete meal to eat for lunch. Huge portions, tasty food, great price. I paid $7.36 for a large pork chop, three sides, and cornbread. Texted my friend mid meal to gloat and will be bringing them with me later this week when I come back. read more

Bertha's Kitchen - Southern Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

We were in Charleston for a wedding last weekend and were super excited to indulge in as much soul food as possible during our stay (it's hard to come by in Miami!) We decided on a place with great reviews, traveled all the way there only to find it closed down recently. And so we set off to our second choice, Bertha's, and boy are we glad that we did! You can't miss the turquoise and purple building. And the long line inside that may have turned some people away, only convinced us that this was the place to be. Bring some good company or make friendly conversation in line because the service is not fast by any means. They do have articles and family pictures/portraits hanging on the walls to also help pass the time. When you get close enough to the handwritten menu in the front of the line, you will have a hard time deciding between all the delicious sounding options, entrees and sides alike. We both craved fried fish, which is made to order and they ask every 10 mins or so how many fish orders are in line so they can start them. And when you finally get up to the counter, which feels like an eternity, the view of the family-style kitchen staff with pots and pans piled up on every surface ignites feelings of nostalgia that any Southerner can relate to, reminding you of grandmas kitchen where you know the food will be well worth the wait. Unfortunately, they were out of the mac and cheese our hearts had been set on (esp the Mr.), but he more than fine with them scraping what was left in the pan out as one of his two sides. We both got Lima beans and rice and I ordered collared greens as my other side. I ordered a lemonade to drink which was the only misstep we made. Though they give you a huge (at least 32 oz) cup, it was simply dollar-store "lemon drink" poured straight from a gallon jug :( But that was easy to overlook once we tasted the food: each dish came with 2 nice-sized filets of perfectly seasoned & fried fish (not sure what kind but damn was it good!) The Lima beans, cooked with pig tails and hamhocks, were absolutely divine. The greens were tender and flavorful. Even the pan scraps of Mac and Cheese were delectable. I honestly didn't even want to wash the taste out of my mouth, hence the reason the "lemon drink" didn't phase me too much. All in all, we were tempted to go back to Bertha's for every meal during the remainder of our Charleston stay, however we forced ourselves to keep trying something new. Nothing in Charleston disappointed us, but we both agreed that Bertha's will be a staple for us anytime we're back in the area! read more

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Let me add another to the long list of 5-star reviews for Bertha's. Based on the stellar Yelp reviews, three of us (my sister, a friend, and me) arrived into CHS last Thursday morning (2/5/15) for a foodie crawl long weekend trip and went straight from the airport to Bertha's on our drive south into the city center. Since my sister and I had done a red-eye from the West Coast, we were kinda hangry! We pulled into the parking lot around 10:40am and hung out in the car since it was pretty chilly. It also is on an isolated corner off a major arterial in a sketchy looking neighborhood, but I'm sure it was perfectly safe in the middle of the day. At about 1 min to 11am (posted opening time), we saw a bunch of cars start pulling into the lot so we hurriedly jumped out so we could keep our #1 spot in the line that was clearly about to start forming outside the door. Finally after 15 minutes of wondering how to calibrate Southern time, the door was opened. By this time, the line behind us was roughly 10 deep. We walked up to the serving line, displayed cafeteria style so you could see what you were ordering and the server also helpfully explained all the offerings for the day. While waiting in the car and line, the three of us had figured out our ordering logistics based on Yelp suggestions. We shared 2 pieces of the fried chicken (both the leg/thigh and breast/wing pieces) with 3 sides (mac n' cheese, okra soup, lima beans) and a piece of cornbread each. The stars to me were the fried chicken (hot, fresh, crispy, moist, flavorful) and the cornbread (so moist that no butter or honey was required!) but everything was quite tasty. The okra soup was incredibly flavorful and I liked it way more than I was expecting to! The kidney beans were soupy (though not billed as a soup) and flavored with chunks of ham. As other Yelp'ers have said, there is nothing fancy here, just a "grab and bus your own" no-frills place-- and though I don't have much experience with Soul Food being from the Pac NW corner of the country, this is EXACTLY what I imagine an authentic "Sunday dinner with the family after church" in any house in Soul Country tasting like. Just simple, inexpensive, and yummy! Oh and one last thing: The restaurant was having issues with their cash register when we arrived so we ended up paying after we ate on a trust-you basis. They even comped our cornbread for the troubles, which was totally unnecessary. I think our total came out to like $11 before the tip, wow! read more

I first read about Bertha's Kitchen on food network, so I decided to try. When I first came in the staff was friendly. We patiently waited in line, and when it was my turn I was excited. Although I did not dine in, the food was still great. (Not like it would affect the taste.) If you want some great soul food, come here. read more

True Hole in the wall greatness. Soul food is amazing. Love this place. Picky eater approved!

The collards are worth 5 stars, as is the fried chicken. I only go to 4 stars for the lack of a menu and the hole in the wall ambience. If these things don't bother you, consider this a six star review. It literally took me back 50 years to visits to my SC grandmother. read more

We're on a girl's trip from Southern CA and wanted some good fried chicken. I found this place on Yelp. As others have said, the food was so good and so inexpensive. We had fried chicken, Lima beans, sweet corn, red rice and corn bread. The corn bread is sweet and needed no butter or honey! We also had sweet tea. It was under $10 per person. Loved it! read more

We are visiting from out of town and just thoroughly enjoyed our meal! Additionally the staff was incredibly friendly! I ordered the fried fish (whiting) and it was so nice and fresh!! They made it to order and it was absolutely delicious! If I return to Charleston I'll be sure to stop by again. read more

Excellent soul food but a little pricey for the amount that you get. Was impressed with the pork chop and the greens.

Delicious everything! We ordered fried chicken, baked chicken, cabbage, Mac n cheese, green beans, rice and corn bread. Great service, friendly. The line never stopped being to the door. Not a fan of the area and parking can be a bit tight but totally worth going! Our 10 yr old was not really hungry but ate all the fried chicken! read more

Love this restaurant! A great place when you need a country cooking fix. Never had a bad meal here!

This place was recommended by the Guys I work with. All I can say is wow the food was amazing the service was above reproach! All I can say is they where the nicest people they treated everyone so polite. This is most definitely worth the drive the food is awesome. Thanks you Lady's read more

I dont want to write too to much about this place due to the fact that it seems like its actually a secret. With that being said, know this. Southern Hospitality, Soul Food, deliciousness. No menu in the restaurant (that I could see) but the ladies behind the counter have no problem going through EXACTLY what they have. The BBQ chicken that day was amazing, as was the red rice, and really just everything I had. Make sure you get some Lemonade if you like sweet. read more

You must go before you DIE!!!!!!! Delicious!!!! People are very nice. Fried chicken, okra soup, Mac & cheese, Lima beans , red rice, turkey rice, green beans, corn, corn bread and sweet tea!!!! Everything was fantastic!!!!! read more

Bertha's Kitchen - U must go b4 you DIE!Fried chicken, okra soup, Mac & cheese, Lima beans , red rice, turkey rice, green beans, corn, corn brea - Southern Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

Southern comfort food at its finest. Good food and friendly service. The dining room could use some sprucing up but other than that zero suggestions. read more

Excellent food! I found this place after looking up the top Charleston restaurants, and I was not disappointed. The fried chicken was crispy, moist, and very flavorful. Their cornbread puts all other cornbread to shame (it's a sweet cornbread). Bertha's is a gem. read more

I love the food & it's always hot & the service is great. I been coming here, since 95 & the food has always been great. If I'm working or visiting, I eat here once a week or more. I love the okra soup. read more

My grandparents have been going to Bertha's since the eighties and We still enjoy eating here. It's always a joy to see the sisters there working! They make the best bread pudding around! Hands down. And if you're a fan of fried pork-chops, there isn't a better place on God's green Earth. P.s. I'm serious about that bread pudding! read more

Was in town for a week and my coworkers were RAVING about this place. They got my hopes up high. I was anticipating a food extravaganza taste explosion in my mouth. Needless to say I was sorely disappointed. This food was no different than the food I cook. I guess from all these reviews from persons I should open my own restaurant an be nationally renowned for my "soul food/ home cooked food/ regular house food". This is not saying it wasn't good, because it was. I was just expecting more. I would come back but it is nothing special. The decor was horrible! The paintings were done by somebody who should stick to finger painting in preschool! read more

Great little place to eat. The staff was warm and inviting. The fried chicken wings were delicious.

This is my second time in a week ! The food is what you would expect good southern cooking to be I want to order everything on the menu. The okra soup is a must try, get it with cornbread. The fried chicken juicy ! The cornbread is moist no butter needed. They have a special that starts at $4.50. Where can that exist ... Here I guess! read more

Bertha's Kitchen - There is alway a long line. - Southern Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

Hands down best southern meal I had, the beans was like butter, chicken was fried to perfection, staff was very friendly. I don't mind standing in line for a plate, wish I could have another plate right now! Great job guys!!! read more

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good southern comfort food. no frills just good food. got the seafood rice and it was delicious

Food was amazing, not much more to say because everything we had was so amazingly fantastic. Think we were the only non-regulars there when we went, seems everyone knew just what they wanted when they arrived. They do give you paper menus in line if you are not sure what you want though. There are different things offered, dependent on the day. Such friendly and kind service, so polite and welcoming. We arrived at 10:30 (opens at 11), and there was already a line outside. Well worth any wait, we'd come back and wait an hour to order if we had to. Our favorites were the mac and cheese, fried pork chop and lima beans. read more

What a great find. This place is amazing. We had fried chicken, red rice, baked mac and cheese and okra stew with cornbread. It was all delicious. And everyone was super friendly. I'm so glad we stopped. read more

After dining at what turned out to be my favorite soul food place in Charleston, this place just didn't stack up.Nothing was wrong, and the food was quite good, just not as good. And I regret not ordering the fried chicken which looked spectacular(stupid, stupid, stupid), I went fried fish served on red rice. The red rice was good, short grained mixed in some sort of tomato sauce that was sparingly used to leave the rice with a drier texture. The fish was lightly battered and flaky, but could've used a bit more seasoning and I ended up using hot sauce liberally. The lima beans were bland and in a watery broth. The okra soup was the star of the show, served slightly slimy which adds a thickness to the well seasoned tomato broth. The service was friendly albeit not entirely fast. One lady felt I didn't get enough fish and even ended up bringing over 2 more filets. Such a sweetheart. Parking lot was packed at this far from downtown eatery. read more

Bertha's Kitchen - fried fish, okra soup, red rice, lima beans - Southern Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

The staff was so welcoming and helpful. The food was fabulous from the okra tomato soup to the melt in your mouth whiting fish to the fried chicken and the smokey ribs and the corn bread and on and on. Everything we ate was delicious - we plan on returning for another meal before we leave Charleston to return home to Wisconsin! read more

Well I have to tell you that I last time I eat at Bertha's was before the virus and there is no doubt in my mind that the fried chicken is the best in the world, plus the sides are authentic to the South. Keep up the good work!!! read more

Nice joint not far off the beaten path and their Address number on the roadside Mailbox on the Curb....of course there's a line, what did you think? Good Meat and Mac n' cheese - Fried Chicken and Baked chicken were excellent, same with the Mac n' cheese. Lima Beans w/chicken were the special last time but I couldn't wait for them as 9 out of 10 were ordering them. Corn and Green beans were you're standard canned variety in the springtime, not sure if they do fresh in the Summer months. I'll be back again the next time I'm down this way.... And for a whole meal price for 2 was $9 !!!!!! read more

Shocked that people would consider this great southern cooking. This was obviously a hole in the wall type place when arriving to the establishment but that did not deter me because these are the places that usually turn out to be hidden gems but not berthas. The inside seemed dark, gloomy. The dining area reminded me of the 80's cafeteria. The food was not buffet but layed out in a manner that allowed one to view all the options. I was not impressed with the look of the food but because of such high ratings figured I'd focus on the flavor and not presentation. I was unsatisfied with the service immediately due to the cashier having no type of professionalism. She was on a personal call as she took my order. I don't want to pay my own electric bill, nevermind listen to you speak on how you plan to muster up some cash to pay your own. I ordered macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, corn bread, and iced tea. I was so unhappy with the service i went home to eat. My mouth was watering at the thought of eating the great food i read about in the reviews and was heavily disappointed. The macaroni and cheese was really macaroni with a sprinkle of cheese and oil. The fried chicken had no flavor. The corn bread was fine. It almost tasted like cake. Best part of the meal was the ice tea. Great southern cooking?!? I disagree. This was Crap! With a capital C. The people who wrote these reviews either had Bertha herself there cooking or imagined a great meal. The food i ate came extremely short of being a good meal. I would like to add i visited twice because the hours of operations depends on if they feel like working i assume. On my first trip there at 1p.m. on a weekday the establishment was closed. read more

As good as it gets, bar none! The place looks as if it has been there for a century, but you cannot mistake Bertha's blue block building situated near the bypass on an out of the way corridor between the older downtown Charleston district and Charleston's North side. Bertha's is famous for it's soul food fare. The day we stopped, we tried the notorious fried chicken, rice with lima beans, and fresh cornbread. The takeout food tray was fresh and piping hot. We thought we got a great deal at $7.00 for very generous portions of food and our beverage, all inclusive. The parking lot was abuzz with regulars that stop by during the lunch hour. Easy in-easy out. A Charleston soul food staple! read more

Been coming to Berthas for years, food is good but the service is real slow, but u endure it for the food. Just drove 30 mins in the rain, traffic and construction because I wanted some home cooking. Got here at 6 to find Berthas closed, there supposed to stay open until 7pm. Where's the loyalty to your loyal customers? read more

Well flavored Chicken, Cornbread ,Yams and Super Cheap Prices! This is a true southern kitchen and stays packed! read more

Bertha's Kitchen - Cheap good food! - Southern Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

All I wanted was some Okra Soup for lunch but when I saw what they were serving I ended up getting Okra Soup, Cabbage, Hopin' John, and Corn Bread!! Then I had to get some Fried Fish, Red Rice, and Mac 'n Cheese plate to go for Dinner!! And I love the fact that every meal comes with Corn Bread!!! Oh well, there goes my diet but it's worth every pound that I gain and have to work it off later because Berth's Kitchen is absolute DELICIOUSNESS!!! read more