First time visiting Vern's that opened to a lot of hype and it was worth it. There aren't too many, if any, restaurants that Vern's would compete with in Charleston. The food and the ambiance are definitely unique and a welcome addition to the Charleston Food Scene. The vibe is small European bistro and the ambiance does not disappoint. Menu is meant to be shared and served as courses. We ordered the tuna tartare appetizer, the heirloom tomato salad, the rabbit pasta and the pork "cutlet" (this was subbed as they did not have pork cheek that evening.) We also went with dessert - the blackberry and creme and it was one of the most delicious things ever, light and tasty at the same time! Everything was so delicious, there are nightly specials as well. Service was incredible, our server, Bekah, was helpful in deciding how much and which dishes to order as well as what wine to order. They do NOT have a full bar, only beer and wine, not sure if that license is in process or they just don't plan to have it, but we didn't miss it with such great wine selections. We will definitely be going back sooner rather than later and can't wait! read more

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I have never been to Verns but the experience I just had with their team to setup a reservation made me write this up. April was a huge help in getting a reservation scheduled for my grandparents who are ecstatic to be checking out the spot! If the food is half as good as their customer service has been then they'll have a Michelin star in no time read more

What a special place! We were sad to see Trattoria Luca close during the pandemic, but Vern's was nothing short of amazing. My wife and I ordered a variety of items from the menu and nothing disappointed. Our favorites were the cucumber dish and the yellowfin tuna. The wine was excellent as well. read more

Unbelievable. We ordered every starter. Then he had a bavette which is now my new favorite cut of steak and I had a pasta. The food made me cry. I was so sad to leave. Worth a flight to Charleston to come back here. A true gem. read more

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Food and service were excellent but the table next to us had a dog under the table for the duration of the meal. It was not a service animal and it was pretty clearly just a pet that multiple family members (6+) were playing with and petting throughout the meal. Vern's (and all indoor dining restaurants) need to take a stand to not allow animals in a restaurant. This isn't a trend that fine dining restaurants need to begin allowing. read more

Loved my experience at Vern's! The tuna is a must as is the sourdough! Our pasta, mafaldine, was good just very over salted which was disappointing. The pork was delicious with classic flavors. The candy roasted squash was good but just an interesting flavor. Not what you'd expect with squash. The service was amazing! read more

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Everything about Vern's is fantastic. The cozy feel inside, the service, the food. We didn't have a single complaint about anything that we ordered (see note below), which was: two beers, one glass of wine, one bottle of wine, The charred sourdough, raw yellowfin tuna (amazing), bitter lettuce salad (much larger than we anticipated), campanelli with rabbit (just superb), grilled pork loin (tender and flavorful), turnips (who knew turnips could be so good?) and the braised char with polenta (again, amazing). We will definitely return! Note: The only gripe I have is that they do charge a 3.5% credit card processing fee, which in my opinion should be disclosed online when you're booking a table. We did bring cash and paid with cash- just because we didn't want to pay a credit card fee. Unfortunately, I really believe that fees like this cause people to not tip their server as much, and they should be built into the price on the menu. Just my two cents. I do not fault the server for this, and have been a server myself, so really hope that these fees that are now appearing everywhere are capped at a certain percentage or just built into the price of the food. Again, LOVED the food, service, ambience and will return with cash. read more

This place was a total miss for us. Service was good. I think that's the only good thing I would say about it. We ordered several dishes (bread, escargot, tuna tartare, tomato salad, carrots and trout). I'm not exaggerating when I say that every single dish (except maybe the tartare) was doused in vinegar or lemon juice. It was so overpoweringly sour or vinegary (in what world is escargot supposed to be like that??). The tartare was mixed almost 50/50 with red bell peppers which was a very strange choice and basically made everything taste of bell pepper. At first, we thought we were imagining the vinegar part or not that hungry. That said, I also had a glass of California Chardonnay with dinner, which is usually a more buttery wine (and was relatively buttery at first before the food came). By the end of each dish, the wine tasted so sour it was like a totally different drink. That's when I officially concluded that something was very off about our entire meal. I'm not a usually a stingy restaurant-goer but $200 (pre tip) for this meal was really ludicrous. I can drink a bottle of vinegar at home. read more

We had a perfect experience in every way - cozy atmosphere, amazing service and perfect food.

an incredible dining experience! everything was perfect from the atmosphere, to the food, to the service! if you order ANYTHING off the menu, get the sourdough with the most delicious butter and dill topping. read more

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We have been here a couple times and love the unique flavor blast you can get from the menu. I had the salmon for brunch and wanted more I came back for the tuna and loved it. My husband had the omelet and sandwich both of which he really enjoyed. read more

This might be the easiest review I've ever done. Vern's is simply superb on all levels. First the physical restaurant space is so welcoming plus great music help create the perfect setting for a great dining experience. Next our server,Alex, was perhaps the most cordial and knowledgeable server we've ever encountered . Then the food. What can I say except every bite was so flavorful I had to pause each time to savor every morsel. The shareable plates allow you to experience so many different items and enjoy the different tastes. My advice is to make a reservation now and get over there to experience perhaps the best dining you will find in all of Charleston. read more

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Came in on a Sunday for an amazing brunch at Vern's! The food was really inventive (do not miss the egg sandwich or the pancakes) the restaurant is nice and the staff is AMAZING. Our waitress was a unicorn. We ordered 75% of their menu and she coursed it out perfectly. We normally have food dumped on our table when we try a few things which leads to cold food and a crowded table. It's a small detail but it makes all the difference and exemplifies the pride they take in making the dining experience special. Can't wait to go back! read more

I dined here Sunday evening with my fiancé, it was our first night out living in Charleston. Of course we wanted to try somewhere nice for a date and also food driven. What a delight it was at Vern's! The server may have been one of the best well versed in a menu servers I have ever had, having moved from Las Vegas that says a lot, she was amazing and smooth with transiting courses. Every item on the menu we had (everything besides 4 items on the menu) was outstanding! I will definitely be back. read more

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Is there a 6th star Wow oh wow Every single aspect well managed and thought over If you can get a table - book it and just enjoy Spectacular read more

Whew! My partner and I have been really looking forward to trying this place out. Early dinner date on a Saturday. We came a bit early before our reservation to just feel out parking in this area. It's a bit of a challenge but we secured a good spot. Service was great! The restaurant is minimally and tastefully decorated. It's a smaller intimate space with large windows which was perfect on a beautiful Saturday. We ordered beers (munkle and the verns collab lager with westbrook), lamb skewers, sourdough bread, ground rabbit pasta, bavette entree, and the chocolate and hazelnut desert w/ a layer of house made vanilla ice cream. So so so damn good! Very well seasoned and thoughtful ingredients! Everything tasted incredibly fresh and well balanced. Just really really pleasant. Looking forward to returning to try the other entrees we were eyeing. read more

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Overall, felt that it was a little overhyped. Maybe we didn't order the best dishes and that may have skewed things, but just felt things weren't quite executed right tonight. Lamb shoulder skewers were good, but nothing to write home about. We got two of the pastas. We were told they were out of duck and the bucatini was now being served with ground pork. The rabbit pasta was ground rabbit and the meat/sauce combos for both pastas were too similar to really tell a difference besides the chard in the bucatini. Both pastas were way over cooked, to the point that the bucatini was splitting in half lengthwise. The flounder was great and would recommend. Maybe an off night, but left just a little disappointed. Would again say that maybe we just didn't order correctly because other dishes seemed to have more rave reviews. read more

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It's good. I'm nonplussed at anyone who has said they "licked their plate clean." The tuna tartare was good, but I've had better. The lamb special was good, but tasted like what you make at home on a cold Sunday. The bitter lettuce salad was a salad you could create on your own from reading Food and Wine magazine. The gnocchetti was fine. I am not sure the people raving about this dish have ever eaten a meal In Italy. The roasted chicken was simply that, a roasted chicken. I'm not saying anything was bad. Nothing was bad, at all. But, absolutely nothing was amazing. A far cry from the 'most amazing meal' as many of these reviews suggest. read more

Still trying to understand why this restaurant has 4.5 stars. My advice is ensure you know what you're getting into. Menu is tiny and lacks variety which is fine if the dishes are executed well which they were not. No excuse for improperly cooked steak. Overpriced for the portions. $40 for a boring and under seasoned flank steak which varied from rare to well done depending on your bite. They don't have a full bar which is fine because the wine list was a highlight along with the charred bread appetizer. Very dark and loud in a living room of an old house. There was some charm for sure, but after $200 for 3, I left unsatisfied. Least enjoyable experience while dining in Charleston. Just know what you're getting into... read more

If you have a special occasion- and especially if you can share with another couple - AND money is not a concern, Vern's offers a wonderful experience. It is a small venue and we had to wait several weeks to get a reservation, but it was well worthwhile. Mixed drinks and alcohol always add to the bill, so if on a budget you can save a chunk of change there. Nearly all the plates are shareable if you go for that sort of thing, and makes some of them a real value. Ones we shared amongst the four of us including the gnocchetti, cucumber, bread, and tuna dishes. We might have stopped there, but for timing issues you have to order everything except dessert initially. No regrets here though! The trout and the rack of lamb each couple shared. Speaking for the lamb it was just simply delicious- cooked perfectly a little on the rare side of medium rare, moist and well seasoned, and was plenty to eat after the appetizers. One of the best lamb preparations I can recall. The Remelluri Rioja stood up very well. We all took a bites (or two!) of chocolate dessert! Service was informed and pleasant enough, if a bit abrupt - which I attributed to the crazy busy-ness of the place. If you are looking for a quiet conversational spot though, this can get loud when at full buzz. But if you can get a later reservation, it clears out around 7:45 and the noise gets less obtrusive. Definitely gets a high-five recommendation for you to check it out. read more

Such a treat! Service 100%. Food extraordinary! Will be back! Blackberry Creme Fraiche this is a must have! read more

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I'll keep this review short and sweet. We went to dinner here while on vacation. My girlfriend took a video of me licking my plate. Need I say more?? read more

One of my top meals in Charleston. The service is excellent. The food is properly coursed, high quality, and no one is being ushered out for a table turn. It is designed for the table so don't plan on going and ordering individually. The poor reviews don't seem to understand the facts above. We started with the sourdough and a pork and mushroom kabob special. Then we had the chicken and rabbit campernelli. It was all excellent! Highly recommend. read more

Maybe I am spoiled by living in NYC, but Vern's was beyond disappointing. The food was horrible. The Crispy Shrimp was a sad attempt at shrimp toast. The shrimp was over cooked and the accompliants were - well not accompanying. The chicken was also overcooked and dry. The sauce that it came with can best be described as motor oil with a touch of vinegar. Stay away. The hype ain't worth the meal. read more

I've been back here three times now. The third time I came with my hunni and we tried a whole bunch of items: the sourdough bread, trumpet mushrooms, lamb skewers, bitter salad AND the honeycrisp apple salad, escargot, and then ended with the roasted chicken entree in au jus. All of it STILL DIVINE! read more

Great good, great drinks and excellent staff. Small place with nice energy. I would definitely make reservations, as the restaurant fill up quickly. read more

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Vern's did not disappoint. We went on a Sunday night and had a terrific meal. The small plates allowed us to try several different items, which we always prefer. The highlights were the hen of the woods mushrooms and gnocchetti. Flavors were out of this world and the tenderness of the mushroom was unreal. We also really enjoyed the farro dish, surprising crunch that really drove home the flavor. Mains were the pork and red snapper. I'd say the pork was an A and the snapper was a B/B-. The mustard with the pork made the dish, while the snapper was in a cold tomato/caper based sauce/broth. The acidity of the broth did tend to take over the flavor of the fish. Finally, the peach tart dessert was spot on. A little more lime than I would have liked, but that was a theme throughout the meal so I'm guessing it wasn't accidental as a finish. Top notch service. Quick food to the table. And an overall great ambience. read more

This place is perfection when it comes to food, drinks and service. I came here once with friends and took my family tonight and we all loved it. It's a favorite in Charleston! read more

Absolutely delicious. Though it is small inside, the atmosphere is inviting and cozy. Everything we ate was amazing. We got the bitter lettuce, sunchoke dish, and the chicken. Definitely recommend all three. Our server was lovely and was very helpful in helping us make our selections. We had a gluten/dairy free guest in our party and our server went and marked up a menu just for her to know what she can eat. Above and beyond! If you can snag a reservation here, I would definitely go try it out! read more

Wow! Love everything! Get the bread! Get the pasta and always get the steak! One of our new favorites in Charleston!

Too dark ambiance. Food had a middle eastern flavor which I don't care for. Service was good

Food was excellent! Service started off a bit snooty but later the service improved. Very noisy! Chicken is a must! read more

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Escargot was amazing. Wagyu was perfection! Had a great seat (corner booth)! Nice low lighting, and great service. read more

Vern's - Champagne in elegant coupe - New American Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Best restaurant in Charleston, hands down. It may take weeks to get a reservation, but there is valid reason for that. The menu is impeccable, and not a single course has ever disappointed. The cozy ambiance puts you at ease right away, and your servers attend to your every need without being overbearing. The wine list is impressive, and includes niche options that are hard to find dining elsewhere. Every single menu item is worth enjoying, but don't miss the tuna tartare or escargot if you are lucky enough for them to be offered when you visit. read more

Top to bottom an excellent dining experience. Ambiance was on point, food was perfectly executed, creative cocktail list and beer selection, extensive wine list, our server was friendly and knowledgeable. Parking can be a little tricky, so make sure you allow for some time to find a spot nearby. We'll definitely return. read more

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Small portions. Very expensive. You order in groups 2,3, at a time, brought out to you. Carrot dish, salad dish, steak dish, spaghetti dish, etc. a wonderful experience. Everything is tasty, high quality. We must have ordered 6 dishes. Desserts, 3 of them, cake, k-lime pie, fruit custard, to melt in you mouth. A really really different dining experience. Frank G read more

Super accommodating to my girlfriend's allergies, nice atmosphere/not over crowded. Food lived up to the hype for sure! read more

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By far the best food in Charleston! We had the gnocchi, steak, salad, escargot and several other dishes we split. The food was unique and delicious! I can't recommend this place enough. A must visit if you're in town. read more

unbelievable execution of how to run a restaurant. Well trained, friendly staff coupled with delicious food! Vern's is Charlestons best kept secret read more

Vern's, welcome to the neighborhood! I could not wait to try this place! Everything was delicious. Our server, Becca, was wonderful. We ordered a bottle of wine to share (2020 Verdejo) which was great. For food, we started with the charred sourdough, buttery and delicious. We tried two pasta dishes, the gnocchetti (pesto, arugula) and bucatini (garlic, tomato). The pasta was made beautifully. For entrees, we chose the crispy pork loin and chicken. The chicken was super tender and the jus was addicting. The space is absolutely beautiful, definitely has a local feel! Can't wait to go back! read more

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