I did in fact return a week later to try their brand new brunch menu- and of course brought another friend along to try it. As you can see by the photos the biscuits and jam barely made it to the photos. They were SO good. The monkey balls are sweet with cinnamon with a little bite of spice. The French dip was good but by far my favorite was the eggs Benedict. The flavors were BIG and they were delicious. We sat at the bar where Kris took care of us. Her cocktails are phenomenal- on and off the menu. We also tried their traditional mimosa carafe that was a refreshing treat. I really hope more people pop out to try LouLou's because I need it to stick around. Service was fantastic and the venue was exceptionally clean. They were prepping for a show that was taking place at the Refinery later that afternoon so keep that in mind if you're looking to catch some live music. They have patio seating that has a nice view of the stage. read more

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I'll confess I wasn't expecting much.... Or should I say expecting too much of the restaurant model that exploits location as their sole source attraction. You know, the seafood restaurant at a the prime ocean front beach location that you would never go to if it didn't house of you. Will save you the long read..... Food was delicious, service was Top notch, it was terrific sitting on the patio, listening to the band and even seeing them play. Reed on for more details. The Lou Lou sits right at the entrance of The Refinery, an outdoor live music venue. We have friends that live in the area and probably half the time we visit we end up at a show at The Refinery. And one of the problems has always been that there's no food. Sure they had a Pizza shack. But if you can't eat that kind of food, there's not a lot of options. It was a big point of discussion as we made plans to go to a festival that started at 4:00 went 9:00. What were we going to do about dinner? Supposedly there was a new restaurant on premise. There's no box office at the refinery so you have to buy your tickets online and so as we were standing on the sidewalk making our purchases I noticed this restaurant with the chalkboard on the sidewalk. They had a hostess, and as we walked up to the entrance of the venue, I asked if we could eat there while we're at the music. She said "of course" and "there is an entrance from inside the venue. There is not a lot of shade at the Refinery. When we saw the shaded patio, we thought we should check this out.... I'm expecting inflated pricing, mediocre food, and average service. The wait staff is dressed like high-end restaurants... White shirts and black aprons. We'll have an appetizer to sustain cuz we're not going to be able to afford this place.... It's mostly small plates and a couple of select dinner entrees. Which works for that kind of venue where you want to relax and enjoy but not commit to a whole evening of eating. We started with the ceviche. It Is advertised as fresh catch in this particular day that was salmon. It was well done. The salmon was tender and the sauce was lemon base but not too tart. Then we had oysters... They sell them in sets of 5 or 10. $15 for five. They are Northeast seaboard oysters, not Apalachicola or Gulf oysters. We got the Connecticut Blue which were not as Briny as I expected. That's my big beef on Northeast oysters versus Gulf Coast oysters. They had a good flavor and the olive vinaigrette was our favorite condiment. They had a chicken on the menu but apparently that's already been removed so we opted for the meatballs. Our wait person friendly and very informative getting answers to any of our questions. She recommended the the fresh out of the oven Forcaccia bread To go along with our meatballs so we took her up on the offer. The focaccia is served with olive oil that has balsamic vinaigrette with a kick. I liked it well enough, but my husband prefer the sauce on the meatballs. We suggested that they make that as a optional addition to add out of side of sauce for the bread. The bread was fluffy and light. The meatballs were tasty and tender. The beers are $8. I got a highball old fashioned that was $15 (It was okay ) and their house wines run around $9. Menus of everything are pictured. So final verdict?... Although I probably would not come to this restaurant as a destination because it's not necessarily near a lot of other stuff but The Refinery, I wouldn't plan on eating there again. I don't know how crowded it got later and I think in part because people don't really know that it's there yet. I have a feeling it's going to be very busy the next time we go. read more

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Small portions but nice flavors. Croquettes were very tasty. Fried cheese usually is haha. It's a terrible location for a restaurant, so they'll have to really go above and beyond if they want to stay open. I think if they went hyper local/seasonal and made it a destination spot they could have a chance. Also maybe hold events in collaboration with established city organizations ie food and wine. Maybe do one night a week that's a prix fix semi tasting menu at a competitive price like $65. Service was great and I liked the giant booths. Best of luck. read more

Lou Lou’s Tavern - Lobster bao - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Really amazing food and exceptional service. My friend and I came for a drink after work and the cocktails were great. Wish the happy hour menu was a bit broader though. Appetizer portions were small (very European sized) but phenomenal!! Will absolutely be back. Cute outdoor area in a less crowded location. read more

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I followed Lou Lou's Tavern on Instagram for a month before finally making it in for a late dinner last night. Sat at the bar, where the bartender delivered an honest 11 out of 10. Service was not the problem. The food was. We split five small plates: focaccia, meatballs, glazed carrots, shrimp, and short rib. The focaccia, meatballs, and carrots were all genuinely nice. The shrimp leaned oily. And then there was the short rib. When someone says "short rib," you picture a tender piece of meat that melts in your mouth. What arrived was thinly sliced beef drizzled in something Sriracha-adjacent. One bite and I was done. I never said anything, mostly because my husband kept eating it, which made any "actually, we didn't love this" feel a little awkward on my end. It was also the priciest small plate we ordered at $20. The check landed at $100 after tax and tip, and we walked away feeling exactly fine. Not great. Fine. Charleston is one of the best food cities in the world, and the competition is brutal. To make it here, you have to do something exceptional. I hope Lou Lou's succeeds, but they'll need a few changes to stand out in the Holy City. read more

I really wanted to give a 3 1/2. Some things were very good and some mediocre. The good - Tavern Benny is pretty special. Service was amateurish for a relatively expensive brunch. Very bad. $45 carafe of mimosas. The room is informal and nice but price point vs ambiance out of whack. Not likely to return. Still looking for our brunch spot in Charleston read more

Incredible service and food! I'm so excited to have a great restaurant up on the neck now to frequent! We had a smorgasbord of items off the menu and incredible cocktails and left VERY satisfied. Bartenders and serving staff are great! DEFINITELY add this to your Charleston MUST EAT list! read more