I have been recommending The James to friends for months on the recommendation of a friend that lives in the same apartment complex as me but I had not made it there myself until recently. All my friends that did go, have raved about The James and said it was a great recommendation. I recently had dinner at The James on a Friday night, no reservations, wait time was approx 30 minutes....enough time to enjoy cocktail sitting outside on one of the benches enjoying conversation with family. The food was so delish, service was great, we actually saw and spoke with a server that we frequently had at another establishment, (we were very happy to know that server is now at The James). All around excellent! Will definitely be a repeat customer. read more

This restaurant gets 5 stars for the evening! The service was impeccable! Our waiter Robbie was there at every turn as were the others who took great care of us. The restaurant has great ambiance. They offer local beers and an array of cocktails. The food was delicious! We enjoyed the onion and mushrooms soups for appetizers. They were hot and served with traditional style, crusted Gruyère on the onion and the mushroom had a pastry top! We chose steak and Prime Rib from a good list of choices as our entrees and they were cooked to the perfect medium rare and arrived hot with great sauces. The sides were tasty, purée potatoes and a caesar with a twist. We finished with a brownie sundae and the traditional crème brûlée that was excellent! I highly recommend this new restaurant for all. read more

We had such an awesome experience here tonight! We didn't have reservations but the website said walk ins are welcomed. Arrived at 6 on a Saturday night and were seated at a high top in less than 2 minutes. The hosts/hostesses were SO friendly and welcoming. I've been to so many restaurants in Charleston where if you don't have a reservation, you're not only sent away but they're rude about it. This was not the case. We got the spinach dip and shared the wedge salad and both were delicious. My husband got the prime rib which was cooked perfectly and tasted great. I got the ribs and while I don't typically order ribs out at restaurants, these were some of the best I've ever had. Fell right off the bone and the sauce was amazing. Only complaint was that the bar was a bit loud so we will just be sure to make reservations next time. Great food, great service, will definitely be back. read more

My salmon was overdone, ( really???) and although they redid it , staff was rude. And didnt get to eat my meal with my husband. AND bar area is confusing!!! I had a chair but my husband did not so he stood right behind, you would do the same, yes? Well management told him he could not stand there, why? Found a seat at the bar and management said he could not sit there because there were reservations for the bar! Will not go back because of arrogent management and staff. Not a very happy place to spend that kind of money!!! read more

Far too noisy , and though the food is good, the service needs a lot of work. Prices are too high for the service.

Food, service and ambiance is spot on. Made a reservation-highly suggest you do. Prime rib was cooked to perfection. Two of the others ordered the Mahi special and both had good reviews. Parker house rolls were good but not worth the price, they were really small. Dog friendly outside a giant plus! read more

one of the best restaurants in Charleston! excellent food! Outstanding deserts! fantastic customer service!

The James is an amazing restaurant to eat. The food is made fresh from scratch, their establishment is immaculately clean from the front door to the back, and it is run amazingl! There' a 1 star floating around made by an illegitimately disgruntled man ( Mr. Clyburn ), which I find HILARIOUS seeing as how he can't cook to the point that i refuse to eat anywhere he works, has no problem destroying someone else's property and trying to blame someone else, and is a disgusting human on top of being a thief. Just wanted to put that out there because I can't stand dishonesty or people who give an amazing restaurant a bad review just because HE blew his opportunity. read more

Great spot, great food. Been several times and loved it each time! Thank you the James! Shout out to our waitress Heather, who allied us to change her name while she was serving us! Old people get crazier as they age! read more

From the decor that reminds one of a dentist's waiting room to the food that is uninspired and lacking in flavor to the overpriced wine list, one wonder what all the fuss is about. It must be said that the staff is very attentive and pleasant. read more

Had reservations last Saturday for 5 could not say enough it was fabulous our server was spot on I can't remember her name the food atmosphere and staff all amazing I've been in the business a long time and don't usually do reviews but I has to would put your restaurant up with Nantucket read more

My spouse and I went with two friends and they immediately made a reservation to take their daughter. From the adult beverages to the food. Everything was delicious and worth another trip. read more

The restaurant has a great atmosphere, great service, and most importantly EXCELLENT FOOD! I recommend the wedge salad and Prime Rib.

Still working out the kinks of a new opening. We dined their last night. Got there early for our dinner reservation. As we're waiting for our table we tried to get a drink at the bar. It was crowded and there was limited space to get service. There is no place to have a drink other than in the entry way because they reserved the bar for dining. We were quickly told to move to the end of the bar and line up like a beer line at a outdoor event. They need to figure this out as it is not only incredibly congested but was a bit of a turnoff despite the kind platitudes from the staff. We skipped the drama and passed on a pre dinner cocktail. They seated us about 20 minutes late. Others who came in after us were seated before us. The atmosphere was lively. A nice typical American bistro vibe. The buildout was vanilla. Nothing special. Looks like they just de-Mexicanized the former Zia Taqueria dining room and bar with bland colors and sparse minimalist decor. Meh! The service was good not great. I think this is an area of improvement. The food was ok. We had the crab cake dinner. Really nice lump crab cakes with little filler. However, the cakes had a bit too much lemon taste for our taste. The crab was served with shoestring fries and Cole slaw. The fries were perfect! The coleslaw was bad. Sadly it didn't have any taste. We also tried the Prime Rib Melt. Excellent! Wonderful au jus with a nice crusty roll with cheese and sumptuous beef. Bravo! We started with the French Onion Soup and wedge salad. Both good but unremarkable. I give the overall experience a 2.735. My advice is to wait for them to get the kinks out. For the cost of the meal...you will get better value once they correct some of the start up issues. read more

The staff could not be nicer, they were lovely in fact. The atmosphere is ok, new and nothing out of the ordinary. As a tequila drinker, there was not a lot to choose from. I drink reposado or anejo tequila , so it was slim pickings. That said , I ordered a reposado, a very measured pour, only to find out that 2 ounces were $24. Three ounces maybe, but 2? Come on. Which brings me to the food. My spouse and I ordered the tuna tartare to start. I should have sent it back, but felt badly since the waitress was so sweet. The tuna was cooked, shaped like tartar, covered with shaved horseradish (with potential), but tartare is raw, and should not be cooked. We each had a burger, that was good. However the coleslaw was too salty to eat and fries not cooked well enough. The meal was on the whole disappointing, and the cost would better be spent somewhere else. Also to note; this was my "give it another chance" visit to The James. read more

The James is just what James Island needed! Excellent food, attentive service (shout out to Robert), in a relaxed/yet upscale atmosphere. A lot of people came out to try it and I was really impressed with how the team handled the crowd. The prices are very reasonable for the quality of the food. read more

Well, this is a new level for James Island. We have many good and comfortable restaurants. But, The James is a definite step up! Downtown pricey, but definitely worth it. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Our waitress was on top of the fact that I have an allergy, checked with the chef, and appropriately steered me away from a dish that could have been adapted, but the chef thought that it wouldn't be really good if it was adapted. My partner had that dish (a garlic shrimp pasta) without the allergy issues, and he thought it was great. The French Fries are, without a doubt, the best in Charleston. A worth it, just to go and have a cocktail and fries. And, by the way, the cocktails are creative and excellent. I had the Tuna Tartare. It was complex in flavor, beautifully presented, and plenty for my entree (after some fries!) The manager, Melanie, came by and she was gracious and enthusiastic. What a great addition to James Island! read more

We dined at The James for the first time yesterday. The space is very open with lots of windows and the seating is comfortable with booths against the wall and tables down the middle of the room. The service is very prompt, efficient and courteous. The menu selections are varied. We noticed that prime rib is on the menu daily, however it isn't available until 5P and we arrived at 4P. Will have to try it another time. We opted to split a Wedge salad of iceberg lettuce, bleu cheese, tomatoes and a green goddess dressing. A large plate with about half a head of lettuce was placed on the table----we had to ask for another plate. Even with a small plate it was difficult to eat this salad which could've had a bit more dressing on it. Our server explained that this restaurant prefers to serve it this way for presentation purposes. We also split an order of Baby Back Ribs with grilled pineapple and fries. They were excellent----fall off the bone tender and lightly coated with a flavorful sauce that had just a bit of heat! It was a full rack, so an ample amount of food that is easily shareable. We also shared a vanilla creme brulee for dessert----very creamy with a nice caramelized crust! We'd like to return again and sample the prime rib! read more