This is the perfect waterfront bar! Great selection of beers, bartenders know how to mix a good drink, TVs and pool tables, plus a great view! If you've been out on a boat at City Marina, or are in the neighborhood, go in and grab a cold one! read more

Salty Mike's Deck Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Want to feel like a local in Charleston?? Come here! No frills deck with great beer selection and great food from The upstairs restaurant. Don't expect fancy or table side service but a really friendly environment and would recommend !! Lots of dogs too and fun people! read more

Salty Mike's is a cool place to have a drink and a bite to eat on the water in Charleston. I like that there is a fresh breeze and a nice view of the harbor all around. This is a very laid back and relaxed place to be able to enjoy after a tough day. The service here is very friendly and attentive and they work hard to make sure that you have everything that you need. read more

I see some "not so great" reviews, but seriously - this is just a super laid back dive bar. There's nothing fancy about the place, which is a big draw to me, but there are some pool tables, and a great view off the deck. There weren't big crowds when we were there, but I was told that there's a pretty big college crowd that comes in later at night. I have a buddy that lives at this marina, so he goes up to Salty Mike's quite a bit. I don't blame him, I would too - ha! Everyone was friendly - the guys behind the bar and the other patrons. Even when the day comes that I don't have a friend living at the marina anymore, I'll still hit this place up when I come to town. There are a lot of touristy places and there can be an annoying wait. I've done the touristy things, and sometimes I just wanna relax with a good cold beer. This is the place to do it. read more

Salty Mike's is a good solid dive bar amd place to grab a brew. The parking is sort of a pain, but its a nice place to belly up to the bar or sit on the patio to watch the activity in the nearby marina. The day we visited it was raining and the bar was excited about the double rainbow viewable from the bar. Highly recommend for watching rainbows in the area. read more

Hubby and I were looking for new places to experience after our Tall Ship adventure and found this place. Parking was a bit bizarre as there were many vehicles parked up on the grassy mounds because the parking lot was packed. We walked in and it was PACKED with people. We were able to snag a seat at the bar fairly quickly as someone just got up as we walked in. Lucky us. However, it took the bartender quite a bit of time to even acknowledge us. You could tell that she knew we were there because should would look at us out of the corner of her eye each time she walked by. To be fair, the Captain's meeting had rolled in and they had a wedding going on that evening; all at the same time. She was grumpy as all get out but she was busting her butt to get all the orders out. Because of that, and the owner's personality, we will definitely be back. A regular Captain, or mate, or whomever, came in after a long day on a boat charger, and wanted to order food at the bar and she told him "no, you'll need to go upstairs" (the restaurant is upstairs). So, the obvious regular waited for his drink and the owner came over and was happily chatting him up. The owner asked if his buddy wanted something to eat and told the bartender to take the order. She was none too happy but she did it...not with a smile, but she did it. Like I said, she wasn't slacking off just tired or something. Even with our overwhelmed bartender, we still had a nice time. Can't wait to go back and check out the scenario as we arrived right at dusk so we didn't get the full beautiful scenery intake. We walked over to the outside patio seating, of course it was full, but it looks like it could be beautiful during the day time. I might be slightly off but the pricing was okay....I believe we paid $11 for a beer and a rum and coke. The next time we're in town, we'll definitely go back and check out maybe the restaurant, the bar, AND the scenery. Overall, a positive experience. read more

Great waterfront indoor/outdoor bar on the harbor. It's a dive bar at its finest. You'll probably saddle up to the bar next to people fresh off their boats in the marina and there's likely a few dogs running around. Live music is usually playing, adding to the atmosphere. Killer beer selection from PBR to craft beer and lots of rotating availability. Bring bug spray cause it's worth a douse to make it on the patio, looking out over the boats and harbor. Wish you could see the sunset from the patio but it's worth it regardless!! read more

This is my love hate place. Love that it is a great place for nautical folk from the marina and sailing world. Hate that it has no bathroom. Love the great deals like $1.50 Nattie Lights. Hate how susceptible it is to the weather. Love that is so susceptible to the weather. Hate that it is not the cleanest place around. Love that it is open before ChYC is open when I want a beer near the marina when not open. Funny place that fits perfectly in some situations but not good at all for others. I first gave it a 3 star but really for what it is really meant to be it deserves a 4 star rating and you know I will be back so figure better be nice. read more

Salty Mike's Deck Bar - $1.50 Nattie Light! Good on a rainy day before ChYC bar opens. - Dive Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Super hideous experience. They didn't even serve us- so rude. Seriously we're in for a quick beer and then to leave- they didn't even ask what we wanted. Seriously don't waste your time read more

Decent spot to go for a drink, but nothing fancy. Great view and reasonably priced cocktails. Laid back atmosphere-good for people looking to hang out. read more

Great view! Wish they had a larger selection of local beers. Quick service and we got there early so we had a great spot to hang out. read more

Salty Mike's Deck Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

This review isn't on the food because we never got any. Went in yesterday & sat at the bar. 2 women & 1 guy behind the bar. The guy (who i was told was the owner) stood there talking to a women next to my friend and I and never even acknowledged us. The 2 women never acknowledged us. We sat for 10-15 mins and not one person even said hello. It was weird. I said to my buddy "are we invisible?" We finally had enough and got up and walked out. I was starving. My buddy and I both keep our boats at the City Marina right next door so I will be back. Maybe the owner will see this review and have some customer service training since they are in the customer service industry. If they can redeem themselves I will change my rating. read more

On the contrary to some other posts. I had a wonderful time here while in town for work. The Staff behind the bar was attentive and pleasant to talk with. The beer was cold and cheap. If you are looking for a dive bar on south side of the peninsula, then this is your place. read more

Great location and cheap drinks during happy hour if you can get them...the first time we went to the bar it wasn't busy at all but still took a long time for someone to notice us for some reason. The second time I went to the bar i waited for what seemed like forever. I learned that regulars always get served first no matter how long you have been waiting. I eventually gave up and sent a friend of mine who knew the bartender to order food and drinks for us. The food was mediocre at best. This would be a great place if they had some decent bartenders. This was the first time I had been back here in a long time and now I remember why. read more

Great chill bar! There are pool tables and a great deck to watch the sunset. No fancy drinks, just classic liquor and beer list.

this place is so cool i would come here every single day if i could. it over looks the marina and all the sailboats which is the best way to have a drink. read more

My wife and I were in Charleston for a wedding. We decided to go here with some friends to get some drinks. It was close to our hotel and the only bar we could find online near our hotel. The staff was very friendly. We ordered our drinks at the bar and started a tab. We had our drinks on their deck. It is a small deck and it overlooks a marsh. Still a beautiful and tranquil view. The only negative is that you had to go outside and then upstairs to a different restaurant to use the restrooms. This was very inconvenient. read more

Few words are required to sum up Salty Mike's. It makes no attempt to be anything more than a divey bar with good prices, bar grub (pretty decent chicken fingers at that) and a great view of the Ashley River. Sometimes that's all you need. read more

It's a little rugged but has a lot of character. They have specials on wednesday nights, $2.00 bourbon drinks. It's extremely casual and there are a lot of drunken sailors depending on the time of year. They have a few picnic tables on the water. They have a pool table and their food is all fried and not the greatest but you get what you pay for. Definitely a fun place to go, but in the end it is a dive bar. read more

Man oh man, the memories of this place when I was in college. I took my wife here, after our dinner at COAST. Yeah, it's on the opposite end of the spectrum from COAST, but it's still a cool little place to hang out. It's a good mix of young and middle aged. It gets really busy in the summers as you can imagine. Being right on the harbor and cheap prices, makes the people come. Again, dont expect something fancy this place is no frills, but the folks working are VERY nice. read more

Been there many times. Sure, it's a dive, but then what do you expect to occupy the first floor at a marina? Concrete floors, open air, pool table, cold beer. Great, extremely casual, place to go for drinks. Despite the comment about "drunken sailors", more often you'll find the after work crowd from the several hospitals and medical university just blocks away, so don't feel unsafe. read more

Nice little hole in the wall with a decent vibe and all of the staff was very friendly!!

Walked in with a group of 12, was not greeted the place smelled like pee and the staff was extremely rude. Left 5 minutes later wouldn't recommend. Find some friendlier staff. read more

One of Charleston's best and more secret dive bars. It is located in the city marina area on the bottom floor of the Variety Store. Best thing about Salty Mikes is the atmosphere. It's right on the water and has outdoor seating. The crowd always seems to be very relax and fun. Second best thing is it's cheap, just like a dive bar should. I think beers are $3 and liquor $4/5. I believe you can order bar food, but I never have. My real only complaint would be their parking. You have to pay to park at the marina or walk a mile to get there, but I suppose that's no different than parking in a garage further down on the peninsula. Definitely one of my favorite happy hours downtown spots. read more

Awesome place to go if you want to have a few drinks, get great, fun service from awesome bartenders (especially Shawn, the manager), and just have a decent time with decent people. Laid back atmosphere - whether you just got off of the boat or are dressed to the nine about to go out on the town, all are welcome! One of my favorite places to drink EVER. Love Saltys. read more

Fabulous bar manager, staff and locals! Loved this place for a late night rescue! Excellent cocktails you guys rock and I will recommend this place to others who I know that are planning to come to Charleston and that are looking for a local scene! read more

Great laid back atmosphere. Menu is limited but food is fantastic! Great for relaxing and enjoying a locals type place.

Having one of the best locations in all of Charleston is enough, but having a great staff, cheap drinks, and a casual environment to relax in whether you're unwinding after a long work day, grabbing a drink after dinner someplace, or returning to shore is really what makes Salty Mike's such a Charleston staple. read more

We attended a large birthday party, held at Salty Mikes last weekend. It was a GREAT place for a party. We occupied the inside and outside areas. The lights around the outside bar were just enough to make it inviting for a lot of us to sit outside. The place has an island feel to it. The employees were friendly and very helpful. The employees brought us soft drinks or anything else, as we decorated for the party and offered assistance if we needed it. The manager remembered me as a designated driver, and through the evening, kept my thirst quenched with soft drinks (my choice).Everyone had a great time. We will DEFINITELY visit the bar again when we return to Charleston. Hopefully we will have another party there. read more

Loved the bar, location and the food. Everything about this place is awesome, except when you get your bill. Make sure you pay attention because I think they try to overcharge you and pretend it's a mistake. We have been there twice and it's happened both times! read more

Not a bad place, prices not bad for a tourist area, bartender upstairs named Richard was ok, but continued to drink the whole time we were there and proceeded to get pretty drunk, lady next to us ordered a margarita and he forgot to put booze in, otherwise it's a so so place read more

This is a poor excuse for a bar, service is poor, went in at 20 minutes to close and was told I could not order a Hamburger they were closing, seriously I could prepare an entire dinner out of their kitchen in a lot less time, really a hamburger!!!!!!!!!!!11 read more

Stopped here and had a couple beers after spending the day in town. Great venue, it is a tad divey, but not too bad. Beers are cheap and ice cold and you can't beat the view from the deck. Would definitely come back and could easily see myself stumbling out of this joint! Oh yeah, and the bartender was EXTREMELY friendly, even offered to help me carry a round of drinks outside! I will definitely be back next time I'm in town!!! read more

Great place but be careful...no Happy Hour on Saturdays as advertised on website and local newspaper.

I was a huge fan of this dive bar even though there is no free parking and you have to go upstairs to go to the bathrooms but is usually a good place to get some cheap beers and casual atmosphere but after last night's horrendously rude service I will not be returning or recommending it to anyone. I was attending a wedding party and after went in around 11 or so and not one of the four bartenders would greet me, take my order, or give me any attention after I made it obvious I would like to be served. They basically went out of their way to ignore me until I had to raise my voice to get their attention. They said they couldn't serve me because they "called it" and were closing. When I tried to get an explanation from them Considering it was only 11:15 on a Friday night they barked that I was "hounding them". One nice guy explained that city ordinances required they closed at 11:30 but I have been in there many times until 2 am. It was embarrassing when the rest of my party of 10 out-of-towners came in after me from my recommendation to the disappointing fact that not only were they not serving but they were also completely rude. Maybe the customer is not always right but you for damn sure should always be polite and respectful. A little courtesy goes a long way and a simple "I'm sorry ma'am we are closing because of city ordinances and we are no longer serving" would've sufficed. Instead I was ignored, talked to disrespectfully and rudely. I will not be giving them my business or recommendations, plenty of other better dive bars in charleston that are actually nice to paying customers. It's a shame for them because I deal with a lot of tourists for work and give out recommendations all the time. I will instead be telling people not to go there because they give poor service. read more

Avoid this place. Shawn the bar manager is rude and uninterested in his customers. We were told we couldn't have our dog in the bar although when we showed up there were two dogs already there. It's hard to tell when the bar is open because the buisness hours on the Internet are different than what they go by. They don't open or close consistently, just whenever they feel like it, so you never know what time to go or what time you'll be forced to leave. It seems like they normally close around 11 which is disappointing, not 2 am like all the other bars in Charleston so don't plan on being there too long and make sure you don't get too drunk or at least have an uber to the next bar. One night they kicked us out at 10:30, 15 minutes after we got there. The bartenders don't know how to make most drinks and I had to describe it to them. It shouldn't take two bartenders and a bar tending book to know how to make my wife a cosmo. And who puts sour mix in a margarita? And they were constantly on their phones or having a full conversation with someone else while I waited for a drink. Many times there would be one bartender behind the bar while the other two go smoke or talk to each other. A lot of the beer and stuff advertised on the walls they don't actually have. The beer was warm. I even tried to get different beers and all of them were luke warm. And apparently that's just a thing around there is what a gentleman besides me told me. Like they were known for warm beer. The bar as a whole is filthy. I saw roaches and my wife saw a rat. There were cigarettes butts everywhere. The whole place looks like it was covered in a layer of dust. There was a whole in the ceiling with what I can only assume to be toilet water falling out of it. So much so that they put a trash can under it. It also stank terribly by the front door where I can only imagine is their septic tank. The drinks are cheap but the girls there under pour or just don't fill up your cup. The bar was nasty. They were putting bottles in the ice that they were also using for drinks. And the sink doubled as a sink and as a place to put uncovered drinks or juices. The food was good but you can get the same thing cheaper upstairs in the nice air conditioned restaurant with a amazing view. The deck was also covered with trash. I enjoyed the view on the deck for a second until I looked down and saw what the bar had done to the marsh. There were bottles, cans, cups, cigarette butts and packaging, ash trays, napkins, and a variety of other trash all throughout the marsh behind the bar. And it looks like there hadn't been any effort at all to clean it up in years. I guess it's nice to have a pleasant patio and view but when you are destroying the thing you are out there to enjoy I don't think it's worth it. This is just my experience but if you were to ask me id tell you to avoid this bar. If you want good food go to the variety store upstairs. They also have a full bar and can make many more drinks than downstairs. And you can get a nice view without destroying the ecosystem. If you are looking for a drink there are many more excellent bars on king street, market, or meeting that are worlds better. Salty Mike's might be known in Charleston as a hidden hole in the wall but for all I'm concerned it can stay hidden. read more