It's tiny inside but very cute! They do have a bar area you can sit at as well. We came for dinner on a weekday. There were only a few other tables at the time. Our service was great. I tried the chicken ciabatta sandwich. I loved the bacon, Brie, and apple combo on it! It was very flavorful. My husband really liked his scallop risotto! I would definitely come back for lunch to try their other sandwich options. read more

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Pro: Let's talk about these Brussels sprouts for a sec...how did Betty Lou manage to get such an amazing and flavor with no bacon added?!?!? This starter dish certainly set a positive tone for the rest of the meal! ButI digress... Con: The Brussels Sprouts were so good, they made me forgot to rave about the seared scallops, beet salad, or bistro fillet sandwich were. Everything on this menu I tried was a superb choice, but those haunting delicious sprouts are living rent-free in my head! Bottom line: Come for the Brussels Sprouts, stay for the exploration of the rest of the menu, and enjoy every bite! read more

Small spot with great atmosphere. The waitress we had was friendly, knowledgeable, and very attentive. The drinks were cold and the food was hot. The Betty Lou burger and truffle fries were phenomenal! I was looking forward to my next visit before I finished my meal! read more

Wow! Excellent Southern style food. I had pork chop and loved it. My wife is a big fan of crab cakes and was very pleased with their version. Highly recommend coming here for a good family friendly meal. read more

The ambience is nice. It's not particularly fancy. It's comfortable. Our server was good and very attentive. I ordered a medium burger with fries. I was very pleased that they cooked it just right. The only nits I have to pick w Betty Lou's is the with the seasoning used in the burger and the fries, and the amount of grease in the fries. I requested extra crispy. I got soft, greasy fries. But the seasoning???? First of all there was a lot of the seasoning. It was very, very salty. The seasoning was a garlic salt. I normally wouldn't mind that but along with all of the extra salt was the flavor of a lot of extra garlic. I guess some people like that, but it's just not for me. Would I eat here again? Yes. I would. I'd just order differently. Id ask for not salt on any of the food and I'd try something else on the menu. read more

We stopped in while in the area. We both had burgers. They were cooked exactly how we asked. Server was great. Very attentive and a really nice guy. Very friendly. It was very cold in there. Too much AC and the ambiance needed some work. Overall food was good. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there but it was fine. read more

The food was great, my drink was great, it is a good place to go for a casual weeknight outing. It was loud inside, limited seating for larger families. We sat at the bar and the service was still a little slow. read more

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A lot of places in Charleston claim to have good low country cooking. Betty Lou's delivers. No fancy decor or address just excellent food. read more

Phenomenal food and service!! We had the burger and filet sandwich with truffle fries. 10/10!!

My son and I stopped there. He had eaten there before and I asked him what kind of food they served and his response was "good food". The server was sooooooo nice. We didn't feel rushed or pressured and he answered questions. I had asked how many mussels in the appetiser and he told me it was around 20, that was enough for a lunch. It was plenty for lunch. They were really good mussels. Plump, juicy, and sweet. The wine sauce and the bread (especially the bread) were wonderful. My son had the sea scallops and they too, were totally up to his standards (high). They had alcohol free cocktails. It would be nice to see more of this in restaurants. All in all, I might stop here every time I passed by. The ambience was what I would picture a bistro as being. Very casual and comfortable. read more

Great food. Great service. Cute unique out of the way restaurant. Recommend for lunch though I've never been there for dinner.

The food was delicious. I got the steak ciabatta sandwich and my friend got the chicken ciabatta sandwich. They were both amazing and the ciabatta bread was very fresh. Got a delicious old fashioned there as well for lunch. The server was very nice and attentive. I will definitely be going back for lunch and maybe even checking out their brunch on Sundays. read more

Four of us stopped for a late lunch. The she crab soup ($9) was very delicious. The fried red snapper ($22) was very delicious. The grilled shrimp was very delicious. The beet salad was very delicious. Do you see a pattern? Great food, generous portions, and the prices were nicely affordable. Plus, our server was friendly and personable. His name was Brooks. We would highly recommend Brooks and Betty Lou's. read more

Food is so delicious I recommend it to everyone try it and there porkchop is to die for

The food here is solid. The fried green tomatoes are good, not too greasy, and solid, not mushy. I would probably try a different app next time we go but they were good. The tenderloin sandwich was perfectly done. Great sauce, toasty bread, the fries were perfect. This was a date night sans kinds which is a special treat in our world. We like to try different things so we split everything. In hindsight we would've just ordered the app and entree at the same time and shared because we did get charged a $2 fee for sharing. Not a big deal but we would do it different next time. We had read reviews about the brûlée and probably would have tried it but when our server Haley came back we didnt really get the chance and didn't feel like backtracking when she had already left to get the bill. The service was probably the biggest negative for us. She just seemed annoyed to be there, maybe she didn't feel great, I don't know. And the place was pretty empty (minus the bar). We weren't ordering a ton just because it was a quick little date for us before we had to pick up kids, so maybe she was just annoyed it was a slow night... either way, that was a bummer. But we'll be back, the food was really good. read more

Betty Lou's Bistro - Half of the tenderloin sandwich - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Drive by this place all the time on our way to Charleston and finally said let's try it. Well big mistake. Pork chop I had was dry and scallop portion my wife had was small . $30 for 5 small scallops and a cup of risotto was kinda pricey for a strip mall joint. The plate it came on was too big also, which made the portion look even smaller. It was the fastest dinner I think we ever ate. Not because the food was so good, but because the portions were so small. We were hoping we would like it, but it's a one and done for us. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a good value or for atmosphere, which it had pretty much none. read more

Betty Lou's Bistro - Scallops with risotto. - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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I just tried Betty Lou's for dinner. I'm new to the area and looking for my next favorite spot. I have to praise the chef for my amazing meal! I tried the mussels appetizer and small Caesar salad, while I was there, and ordered two entrees to go: The scallops with truffle risotto and the shrimp scampi. The mussels were the best I've ever had. So fresh and delicious! And the garlic cream sauce with hot fresh bread, wonderful! Service was excellent as well. My takeaway dinner I ate the next night, the risotto... was among the best dishes I've ever had. It could easily be served at a Michelin star restaurant. Betty Lou's is very small with only a few tables and a small bar. Their food and drinks are on a chalk board and entrees change regularly. The reason I didn't give five stars is the ambiance. Really no decor to speak of. Small bar had a plain view of kitchen. Standard diner tables. Black seats, Paper napkins. The decor shouted sandwich shop or diner, while the food was top-notch gourmet. Prices were right up there with fancier restaurants. While I understand the place is packed most nights, and a local favorite, the food is too good to be served up in such a plain space. My humble opinion. Try the scallops risotto! read more

A great experience, started with a terrific old fashion. Went with the suggestion of she crab soup which was outstanding. My server helped me with suggesting the seared scallops and Brussel sprouts. Probably the best scallops I've eaten, absolutely perfect. Ambiance is quaint and calm. The only thing I couldn't understand was why there wasn't a line out the door. read more

I've been coming here for a year and have never been disappointed! This was the first time I made it for brunch and it was amazing! read more

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Wonderful staff, friendly environment, and the food was excellent. I had the scallops, and they were perfect.

Brooks, the server, was Friendly and attentive, The food was delicious! I loved the She Crab Soup and tenderloin sandwich, and beet salad. I asked to substitute the fries for the beet salad. For a $5 charge, I was served a beautiful, large, and fresh beet salad. The ambiance is nothing to right home about. However, I would come back for the food! read more

Nice local Southern brunch spot in the old Pierpont neighborhood of Charleston. I started off with the Fried Green Tomatoes ($9), which are a regional classic. Coming from someone who had never tried this before, I thought they were really good- nicely fried on the outside and the pimento cheese and fig balsamic made it very flavorful in very different ways (cheese was salty/savory and balsamic is more sweet/sour). Shrimp and Grits ($19) is a Southern classic and this place did it well with classic grits and nice gravy on the inner portion with well-cooked shrimp. The Chicken Ciabatta sandwich ($15) had soft ciabatta bread, and the apple slices inside added some nice crunch and sweetness. The bacon was of course good as well and added some saltiness. We got additional truffle parmesan fries with yummy garlic aioli sauce (which were very good) for only $1 extra. The restaurant is decently sized and was fairly busy for Saturday brunch. Our waiter was super friendly and attentive. The service speed was quick. The place is a part of a larger shopping plaza with a large parking lot in front, which is convenient. Overall, I would give Betty Lou's Bistro 4.5 stars if I could (only not giving 5 stars because there could have been slightly more of a "wow" factor). I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a Southern brunch spot in the area. read more

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Came on a Thursday afternoon and it was packed but not sure if it's due to so many customers or possibly, the lack of front staffing to get the turnaround needed. We got the She-Crab soup, burger, and fish sandwich. The length of time to get seated to leaving makes me not recommend coming at popular times, even on the weekdays, unless you don't mind the wait. The soup wasn't very good but the burger and sandwich were good. The host/waitress/server/busser (all 1 person and only staff outside kitchen)was very nice and clearly doing her best. Hope they have someone to help her soon! read more

Betty Lou's Bistro - Updated menu - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

This place is incredible. Most amazing food and service. Something as simple as rice and butter beans is at another level here. Had shrimp and crab linguine that was beyond delicious. Also tried the ribeye in chimchurri sauce with the most perfect asparagus. Incredible food and service! read more

No frills. Good good; good service. Excellent beet salad and fried shrimp. I would go again.

My husband and I love Betty Lou's bistro! The chef is amazing. Everything is so good. The wait staff is great. The drinks are yummy and have very creative names. Amazing place! read more

What a GREAT little find!! They were a little busy when we came but they still did a great job. The server was very personable and the best part! The food was outstanding!! read more

We waited a little longer to give our food order, but the waitress was slammed. She was running the whole floor, and she did AMAZING! I had the fried seafood platter (oysters & shrimp), my friends had the steamed mussels and pork chop. All the dishes were amazing! It's a little drive from downtown, but a must try if you're in the area. read more

The food was delicious! The service was a touch slow but the server was super nice. The dining room was super cozy and not too loud. read more

Betty Lou's Bistro - Pork chop and Lima beans - Southern Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Place packs a punch! Excellent food and well trained staff - tastes as good as anything you'll find downtown

Service was slow. Food overpriced $30 for shrimp and grits is downtown price, not a hole in wall hwy 61 price... The menu is on a wall so the your sitting below you have to stand up and go look at it.. place is also small and seating is limited read more

It's the noise level -- absolutely deafening and there were only 10 guests. Covering the ceilings in roofing metal is a nice esthetic, but between that and the extra large community table with a marble table top, there is nothing to absorb sound. Our service was great. The burger and truffle fries were delish. The mussels needed more garlic, but were not over cooked which was appreciated. read more

Food and service was great would recommend Betty Lou's bistro and we will go back when we are in Charleston

What a way to start a vacation! Delicious food, totally reasonable prices, efficient and very friendly service that made us feel welcomed. Thank you, Daniel for giving us such good service. read more

Lovely restaurant to go to but they also do takeout. We ordered flounder,pork chops,pecan crusted chicken,and the get 2 seafood (oysters and scallops). Everything was beautifully made . Large enough portions for hungry grownups Normal service time but the staff was very nice Casual Will go again read more

I found this place out of curiosity... and the foodie in me was intrigued! Hole in wall? Check. Local? Check. Seasonal? Check... flavors to be proud of? Check. Check. Check!!! Bartender makes a well balanced drink! Service on point. Food was exceptional! .....if I were to make one gripe (and I sound so Top Chef snobby saying this!) the risotto needed a touch of salt! Overall: 9.5/10 I will be back! read more

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Food was unremarkable, service was good but we arrived shortly after opening for lunch. My wife had a beet salad that was "good" and I had a flounder sandwich that was dry in spite of having tomato, lettuce and tartar sauce. Ambiance..it's a local bar read more

He had a pleasant dinner tonight. The food was wonderful We had fried green tomatoes, scallops, chicken sandwich and shared a dessert. All great!!! Daniel was our server very welcoming friendly attentive Highly recommend read more

Great burger and string fries were a nice touch. Negatives sticky floor. Overall, I'd come back for another burger.

There food is always good as well as their service. Now I know they deserve to make a profit! However I ordered a Soft Shell Crab dinner and I did not ask price but $27.00 is a little steep for a sandwich and cold fries. I didn't ask shame on me charging that price shame on them. read more