A rare morning downtown, we took advantage and hit the marina variety store, for our own designated brunch, lol. Kind of a diner feel inside, mostly booth seating with some tables. Great view of the marsh and Ashley River. No pics of the food, I was off my game that day. I had pancakes, my partner had a cup of gumbo. Both were lovely. Pricing is awesome, so not typical Charleston pricing. read more

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We haven't lived in Charleston long, but have dined here twice & it's become a favorite! The food is excellent && affordable. The first time we visited I had blackened flounder, fried okra, & collard greens. The second time I opted for the entree spinach salad topped with fried oysters. The salad was a good size & I really liked the boathouse dressing! The views are lovely from all tables. The servers are young college students & very sweet. I highly recommend Marina Variety! read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - Spinach Salad with fried oysters - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

A local hidden gem!! Affordable, unpretentious, and good food. You simply can't beat the views either! They will validate your parking as well! read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - Fried flounder with fried okra - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We dined here for lunch (party of four) and had an excellent experience. Haven't been since the early 80s...but it's still a fantastic place to go. The view is amazing, the service is excellent and the food delicious. It is pretty crowded, so wait times are extended during peak hours (as to be expected), but it is worth the wait. We got the crab cake eggs Benedict (this was me and it was so delicious), the club sandwich, the coconut shrimp and the fried chicken sandwich. Everyone said their food was so good. Parking available in lot...they validate your ticket inside. Clean bathrooms too. read more

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Amazing food is a local favorite. Great views on the Charleston Marina! We meet some friends here for brunch and we had a wonderful meal. My husband and ordered omelettes and they were fantastic. read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - Shrimp and crab cake omlette - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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This place has been in business since 1963 and I've been coming since 1986. I moved away 1999 but make a point to eat here every time I come back to visit. It's on the water and mostly just locals who eat here. It gives me all my seafood low country dishes that I want. read more

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Great She Crab Soup!! The staff is awesome and you will feel a part of the marina family! Not as flashy as King Street but well worth the stop! read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - She Crab Soup - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Great location. Great views of the water. Parking available in a paid car park right in front of the restaurant. A great thing for downtown Charleston. Beautiful views overlooking the water. A lovely place for lunch. The menu is great. We had alligator tails for our appetizer! Everything tastes fresh and is seasoned well. I had the mahi sandwich with butter beans- really great! Service was good. Food was served very fast making lunch a possibility if you are taking a break from work. The reason I give 4 stars because I feel the place could be a tad cleaner. The smell upon entry is overwhelming. It isn't too bad in the seating area but it's very off putting when you first walk in. There are areas of sticky floors too- not a great image for a seafood place. Overall this is a great spot for a bite to eat. read more

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Cute restaurant on the water, lots of views of the marsh. Shrimp was good (claims to be local) however, the chips and hush puppies were burnt quite badly. The collards tasted funny and the crab dip also had an interesting taste (in a bad way). Probably won't come back. Service was okay. read more

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One of the best views for breakfast/brunch in CHS. Diner style menu with a lot to choose from. Always delicious, fast, & friendly. read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - Hash brown breakfast plate - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Wish I'd seen how filthy the bathrooms were before we ate here because we would have gone anywhere else. Food & service were both way below average. Not worth it, even in you're staying in the marina as we are. read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - Filthy bathroom stall - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Stopped by Marina Variety store restaurant for breakfast. The spot was clean and was overlooking the bay. I ordered the flounder fish (grilled) with scrambled eggs and hash brown (shredded potatoes). It was good! The prices were also reasonable. My colleagues who joined also liked their dishes! Solid service, good prices and nice views. read more

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I have been docking annually on my way north and south and never knew by the name this was a restaurant. Food was good. Service was good. Price was good. Not a high end restaurant more local If you are not looking for a fancy restaurant this is good. If your expecting fine dining this is not for you read more

Place wasn't as busy as I was expecting on an early Sunday morning. The people were friendly enough. We weren't crazy about the Shrimp and Grits or the bacon they came with my Starter plate. I like my dollar pancakes even though they weren't even close to being silver dollar size. The restaurant itself was clean and the view was spectacular. When we left there was a family basically carrying their elderly mother down the long thingy of stairs. Oh but they're validate and you get free parking. Winning. Please don't take this as a bad review. This place is amazing. Just be prepared for some of the downsides. read more

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Memories! That's what the Marina Variety Store invokes in people. It's a place to relax, have a great meal and enjoy the gorgeous views. I remember taking my son here many years ago to watch the parade of boats at Christmas time. There are plenty of people who can name a fond memory of this place. There is ticketed parking but if you bring your ticket into the restaurant they will validate it for two free hours of parking. We started with cocktails. A Red Sea Mule for me served in the traditional mule mug, a nice touch. It was crisp and refreshing. A March Grass Margarita for my wife with subtle salty notes. She ordered the Eggs Benedict which comes with a side, she chose hashbrowns, which was cooked well and an absolute steal for $12.50. That may be cheaper than Waffle House! I went with the Seafood Plate which came with two eggs any way, grits or hashbrowns, I got grits, and either toast or a biscuit, I had to try the biscuit. It was the perfect southern breakfast. The biscuit was light and fluffy with no hard spots. I didn't have to add anything to the grits as they stood alone! My over easy eggs spot on, but I was shocked how well the fried shrimp paired with the meal. They were fresh and a very nice size. Now the Silver Dollar Pancakes were only $4.50 so what the heck. They were quite large for silver dollars and were perfectly fluffy. We enjoyed both our meals and the stellar views! If you are craving a good southern breakfast with great water views in downtown Charleston Marina Variety Store has your name on it! read more

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If you want to dine with the locals, then this is your place. The food is delicious and there are no tourists here. We come here quite frequently, and the food and service are always great! read more

I loved that I could walk here, past Charleston YC and thought it would be fun to enjoy a meal on the waterside... I climbed the stairs and inside the dated sea shanty looking establishment and went to the bar area and took a seat. I waited. And waited. For someone to greet me, bring a menu.... Then I waited some more. Then someone else sat at the bar. I was able to order a drink from the specials menu. And then I waited. And the server came and took the other person's order. Then, I was allowed to order. I ordered the salad with halibut from the Specials menu... Honestly, there was nothing terribly special about any of it. It was frozen halibut (I asked) but decided to take a chance.. it tasted fine, just bland. The salad itself was decent. The drink was sweet and cute because it had berries in it. The service was basically inattentive but they were nice. This was one of the few places in the area that felt quite understaffed. No one was behind the bar at all, so I was sharing service from a very large group that came in after me and I didn't even get a "how is everything" follow up. The meal and service was unremarkable. read more

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The food was great - she crab soup was awesome! Salads were fresh, calamari was small but tasty. Right on the water at the marina, so nice views, and they validate parking, which is a plus plus. Service was excellent, food was plated nicely, prices... well it's seafood right? But still reasonable. read more

Perfect breakfast spot for my last morning in Charleston. My mom & I went early, and it was so peaceful arriving at this cozy restaurant on the waterfront. The coffee was strong, the food was great, the service was friendly, and the views were amazing. read more

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What a great start to our Sunday morning! We were greeted right away as we walked in and our server was prompt and attentive. I ordered the Mariner omelette and my husband doesn't eat egg so he opted for the Loaded BLT. We both enjoyed our dishes and ate every bite. Get the grits. You'll thank me later. We will definitely come here every time we come to Charleston. read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - The Mariner Omelette with grits - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Service was great from the server but poor from the front of house members. Floors were dirty when we went in and the bench/table was a bit sticky. I loved the view though, and the food was excellent! It's a great casual place to go to after the beach or after going walking for a bit. Loved being able to have a view with some AC. I'd rate this 3.5 stars just due to the service coming in and some of the cleanliness. read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - Altine's Greek Gyro Sandwich and sweet potatoe fries - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

For some time my wife has been wanting to go here after we left church at Bethel United Methodist Church at 57 Pitt Street. However, I told her that it gets extremely crowded by the time we would get there around 12:30 p.m. on a Sunday. However, this month our church is having only one service and that being at 10:00 a.m. We arrived here at this place, which has been here since 1963, at approximately 11:30 walked up the stairs and were seated quickly. Unfortunately a table for two at a window overlooking the harbor was not available so we had a window seat overlooking the marsh and if we looked backwards we could see the Ashley River. Soon our cheery waitress arrived and took our drink orders. By the time she came back we had made our decision on our meals. I opted for the shrimp and grits which sounded a bit unusual as it also included sausage slices as well as a smoky gravy. [See my photo.] I truly enjoyed it and pretty much licked the bowl as it was that good. By the time we left after 45 minutes to an hour the place was packed as might be expected for the families with children as well as couples or even one solitary diner. There is not much to dead in the sound and the Marina Variety Store restaurant but it is old school and sometimes that is the best. read more

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Their shrimp is not locally caught and was served overcooked. I've been here twice and am not impressed. I guess if you like grease this would be your kind of place to eat. I prefer fresh tasty grilled or boiled shrimp not deep fried. read more

Best local breakfast with a view in downtown Charleston. Also great bloody Marys and casual seafood.

Walked over from the Hilton Garden Inn. Ordered the shrimp platter with two sides. Choice of fried, blackened or grilled. Various seafood and southern cooking menu choices. Friendly staff. Noticed validated 2-hour free parking on site. Small Gripes: * Only two draught beers are offered including an IPA. Both barrels were empty that night, and so was given the last pour complimentary. How do you run out of beer? * Hard bench seating. Plus: Also serves breakfast. Alert I: As disclosed, credit card surcharge. Alert II: If handicap, double-check access. Steep stair access. Closed Mon-Tues read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - Fried Shrimp with Two Sides - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

As you can tell from my previous review written over 5 years ago, this place was amazing. I brought all my out of town guest here. Even my North Chuck friends who don't "go downtown" would go here to have brunch with me. But things have changed here. And unfortunately, not for the better. We've been here twice in the last couple of months, and neither time was the food good like it used to be. I ordered my staple all time favorite fried green tomato benedict and it was nothing like the past. Cold and dry English muffins, tasteless pimento cheese, over-cooked cold eggs and a dab of hollandaise sauce. I barely ate any of it. The most recent visit I switched it up since my go to was a fail and so I tried the shrimp and grits with crab stuffed fried green tomatoes and it disappointed too. For a local seafood forward restaurant, the shrimp was gritty, still dirty, had not been deveined properly and was over-cooked and served cold. The crab inside of the tomato was full of shells. The place is always packed and the service has never been an issue. One thing we did notice is anything that comes out on a smaller plate, we had to let them know it was missing and then it comes out separately. They had forgot my friends toast and returned with dry,cold, barely toasted bread and one frozen package of butter. It really makes me sad to say, the Marina Variety Store will stay off my go to hit list for now... :-( read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - Crab stuffed fried green tomatoes with shrimp and grits - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

hello everyone this place is ALL TIME. You can't beat the view. my gal pal was leaving and as our last breakfast for the time being we decided on Marina Variety Store. When I think about my gal pal leaving it brings tears to my eyes but then i think about the breakfast we shared and it makes me happy. "don't cry because it's over smiled because it happened" as the saying goes her food was so good she couldn't take a minute to smile for the camera. She is off to texas because all her exes live here, stay blessed read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - another girl gab catch-up - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Spicy Bloody Mary was strong while also being tasty! Food really hit the spot! I got shucked oysters with waffle fries. Large amount of oysters in the dish and fries were crispy. Lots of options- which pleased the group I went with who don't all eat seafood. Atmosphere was slightly chilly inside- which distracted from the meal with all the fans blowing air around. I would go back because the restaurant did a good job of getting the food out quickly and due to the variety on the menu. The server also was very friendly and engaging when answering questions about the meal and drinks! read more

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Simple comfort food for lunch and breakfast. I had the shrimp and gritis with fried green tomatoes. The servers were attentive. Old bay feel. read more

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Welcoming historic atmosphere. Missing flavor in most dishes. fried food was chewy. Great view of the dock. read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - Mega dock - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Nice place but service was not good. Food was late cold and over seasoned!!! Utensils were not cleaned properly had water spots. When I asked for the check I received a paper slip without the normal check book even though I did tip will come back. read more

We were a group of 11 and given a private space by calling ahead. Wonderful she-crab soup. Annie Gray was an attentive server. Nice view of the water. read more

I'm thrilled to find this hidden gem in my backyard. Food ranges from Southern comfort to healthy salads at reasonable prices. I really enjoyed the spinach salad. The staff is super friendly. The diners all looked like regulars. And the view is remarkable!! read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - Spinach salad - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Our first visit today for lunch. Unfortunately, the odor from the bathrooms reaches into the dining area and it is unpleasant. Ordered fish and chips x2. The fish was good, the hush puppy was very good, the fries were cold. The service was friendly but a bit slow. Right on the marina so nice views. read more

It is soooo cold in here and you virtually can not escape it if you want a view. The food is what saves this restaurant from a 2 star. The service was very disappointing. We asked to move tables because the vent above the table where we were seated was not covered like all the others. Our new server took very long to ask us for our order. We advised our previous server that we were ready to order and she said awww I'm not your server anymore. We had to ask her, we'll can you get our server? The lack of service was very disappointing here. The food was delicious but would not recommend due to how cold it was and the lack of service. read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I have been coming here since college, yep I'm old. This place is a long time Charleston staple. You absolutely cannot beat the location. Today I had the veggie plate: collards we're on point. Dad had the Tuna melt special and was really good! Parking is tight and it's usually busy for lunch. read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - 4 Piece Veggie Plate - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I really hesitate to leave 1 star reviews. But honestly...this was my worst dining experience during my visit to Charleston. I was looking for good seafood and was so beyond disappointed. The food was actually inedible for me. I ordered mahi mahi and it came drowning in oil and was mushy. I took one bite and was done. The waitress was understanding and accommodated my request to switch it for something else, but unfortunately it wasn't any better. I paid $35 for dinner and left starving. read more

Marina Variety Store Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

First time in Charlotte SC. We were looking for something within walking distance from Comfort inn for breakfast. Not a chain restaurant. Found this nice laid back spot to enjoy a meal and view the Ashley River. Kim our server was very friendly. We selected biscuits and gravy to share with side of eggs and bacon. Different gravy flavor but good. Glad we found this tucked away restaurant. read more

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Great food, service, and scenery at a reasonable cost. One of CHS best breakfast spots

I've been here several times and each time I've had a bit of a different experience. I'm certain this was due to dealing with staffing challenges (Covid bites!), and arrival time (1 hour before closing on my last visit ). But none of those factors impacted my food. In fact, I've never had a bad meal. Sure, I had delays in both service and meal arrival, but when my food hits the table it is on spot. I get here as often as I can but I have been looking at the same menu for years. A change is in order. read more