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Cru Cafe
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New) [Edit]
18 Pinckney StCharleston, SC 29401
(843) 534-2434
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
103 reviews for Cru Cafe
Review Highlights
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"I started with the Duck Confit Arugula Salad." In 3 reviews -
"She had an amazing shrimp blt." In 10 reviews -
"Good idea to make reservations." In 8 reviews
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103 reviews in English
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Review from Nico F.
Sacramento, CA
5/9/2012
Was visiting from out of town and found this place on Yelp. Great little bistro-like restaurant off the main drag in downtown Charleston.
I didn't have time to make reservations, but I lucked out and sat at the small bar overlooking the kitchen. The place is a former residence with a nice outside deck in which to dine. People were friendly and the food was wonderful; I had salad with crab and a fish dish special with grits. A nice little find and experience during my stay in Charleston. -
Review from Lauren A.
Avon, CT
5/7/2012
My mom was in Charleston visting me for the week, and wanted to try a restaurant she's never been before. When she comes down to visit, we always try to find new places since we've tried almost everything. That's when my friend suggested we go to Cru Cafe, which is a little old southern house that was converted into a restaurant. I'm so glad we went, because the food was amazing!
We went for lunch and ordered the Fried Calamari appetizer and the Mac & Cheese for the table to split. Both of these dishes were gone within minutes! The Fried Calamari was paired with a slaw that balanced it perfectly. The Mac & Cheese was creamy and should be made into a meal, because I would definitely order it!
For my main meal, I tried the "BBQ Beef Brisket, Country Slaw, Zesty BBQ Sauce, Brioche Bun" and again it was delicious! The brisket was perfectly cooked and matched the slaw very well. It was a perfect example of how southern BBQ and sweet tea should be served.
The only suggestion I have is that you made a reservation at least a couple days in advance. The restaurant is so small and the food is so good, that everyone wants to go. So avoid waiting for hours, and just get a reservation! -
Review from Grace R.
Cary, NC
5/3/2012
My boyfriend and I spent last weekend in Charleston and decided to try getting a table here at Cru Cafe without a reservation on Friday night... and I am so glad we did! They were very busy but we lucked into a little 2-seater and had a lovely time.
We decided to order three small plates and share everything. We ordered the Duck Confit Arugula Salad, the BBQ Crispy Pork Belly and the White Wine Truffled Mussels. Everything was absolutely delicious - especially the pork belly! It wasn't as heavy as I expected, but perfectly crispy on the outside and melty-delicious on the inside. The only thing I didn't absolutely adore was the duck in the salad, it was cool and I just feel like it would have been a little better if it had been warm. But the flavor was spot on. And the truffled mussels were perfectly tender and the sauce was amazing to soak up on their bread!
Service was a little bit slow, which is typical in a fine dining place but our server was very knowledgeable and friendly.
Next time I'm in Charleston I will be sure to make a reservation and visit Cru Cafe again - it's a winner! -
Review from Matthew G.
Lynchburg, VA
5/22/2012
Very nice little resto in a converted old house. I found this restaurant from Yelp reviews and it was as-advertised.
The wife and I were celebrating our anniversary and had a night out on the town to celebrate. I ordered the swordfish and it was quite tasty. Wife had the Tilefish special. My entree was the better choice as it quite tasty. My only complaint would be that the lemon sauce served with the fist was just a bit too much--it overpowered the delicate flavor of the swordfish.
Same thing with my wife's dish. It was slathered in a red sauce and included sausage and spinach that just didn't seem to pair well with the fish. The fish was excellent (both pieces), but the plates just didn't seem to harmonize.
We ordered dessert to go--the key lime tart--and it was good. Nothing to die for.
Summary: A nice, quaint place to eat. We would eat there again. We would probably pick different entrees. I think if you find what they are really good at making, it would be excellent. Their fish is fresh, but I think their forte may be in something else. -
Review from Jerry T.
Tulsa, OK
4/23/2012 Seated via OpenTable
My wife and I are in Charleston for our 25th wedding anniversary, and I've tried to hit as many high points as I can. Cru Cafe helped with an outstanding meal to top off a day of sight-seeing around town. The quaint setting, just off East Bay on Pinckney is perfect and the service was impeccable. Alex was helpful and attentive without intruding.
Now to the meal. My wife ordered the mesclun fried goat cheese salad and I had a top notch Caesar salad that came with a most interesting crouton. I wish I had taken a picture! The specials for this evening were a double cut pork chop which my petite wife consumed. It came with whipped potatoes and grilled asparagus.
I had pan seared tile fish toped with a pineapple salsa with roasted fingerling potatoes and a sweet pepper medley. Amazing!
Needless to say, dessert was not needed but we did manage to split a mixed berry bread pudding topped with a rich whipped cream. Coffee completed this first of several wonderful meals! So many restaurants, so little time! -
Review from Jess H.
Tampa, FL
4/25/2012
Perfect spot for a big lunch! This was our first stop in town after traveling all morning and purposely skipping airport food so that we could enjoy all the culinary fabulousness Chucktown has to offer.
Hotel suggested I call ahead to make sure we had a seat. Glad we did. The truffle fries were perfectly crispy and didn't stand a chance hanging around our table for long after one bite! The sandwiches were huge and full of flavor. The hubby and I couldn't decide on which to order so we split half of each others and were glad we did. I'll be back for sure. I've got my eyes on that duck confit arugula salad! -
Review from Liana L.
3/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fresh, good food in generous portions and low prices - I'd totally come here often if I lived in Charleston. I came here with 8 friends and the majority of them raved about it while they were eating (notably the turkey, brie and apple chutney sandwich and the bread pudding). I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the head chef graduated first of his class from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, but that might have contributed to ridiculously high expectations. I adore French food, and although I saw a slight French influence (duck confit salad, use of brie in a sandwich, the name itself - Cru Café is apparently based on "crudité"), it did not come across very strongly. The food was very good, but not as spectacular as I would've expected. However, I do love that he used his prestigious education to make excellent, healthy, and inexpensive food. :D
I shared the fried oyster wrap with a side of fruit with a friend and it is absurd how large it was; they split it into two plates, and my portion was exactly enough. The chipotle mayo was subtly spicy and the wrap itself was well-prepared. I don't think a ton of flavor came through from the fried oyster (or the tomato / lettuce), but I enjoyed it.
I tried some of my friend's portabella wrap, which was decent. I don't think I would get it, though; it leaked a lot and was a little difficult to eat. The taste was alright, but I think the turkey brie apple chutney one was a clear winner out of all the sandwiches on the table. (I actually didn't get to try it). The crostinis with salmon is a lot smaller than the burger, but it's definitely good enough for a small-medium appetite. My friends report that the salmon was very fresh. Yay :D I tried some of the duck confit salad, but I was not impressed by the duck confit. I have absurdly high expectations for duck confit though, so I don't think I would recommend against it; some of my friends really enjoyed it.
I also am generally not a fan of bread pudding (except for a pumpkin bread pudding based on smittenkitchen) and the bread pudding that my friends got confirmed it. Surprisingly, some of them said that they normally don't like it and actually liked this one a lot. It was an interesting combination of chocolate, vanilla, and peaches - and the waitress said it was her favorite. Go for it (:
Service was great; I got my hot water refilled pretty often, and the waitress was very approachable. We asked her a lot of random questions and she was very obliging. (Yes, there is buttermilk in the mashed potatoes).
The only reason why Cru Cafe isn't getting 5 stars is because I didn't fall in love with my food, nor any of the food that I did try. However, I'd heartily recommend it. :) -
Review from Stephanie L.
Charlotte, NC
5/14/2012 Seated via OpenTable
We were told to make reservations since "the guy is like the soup nazi." We had a large group and they were able to accommodate us for a late lunch. And everyone was nice - we never saw the soup nazi! The food was delicious - white wine mussels with chunks of tomatoes, fried brie with small sweet figs, and a tart spring time arugula salad. It was a warm summer romantic, laid back setting and we will definitely be back!
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Review from Diana S.
Chicago, IL
3/18/2012
Truly one of the best meals we've ever had. We made reservations several weeks in advance (and you need it, unless you hit it at the right time). There are very few tables inside and a few on the porch--but the size and intimacy adds to the experience. We had mahi mahi that was the best we've ever had and my son had the pork--fantastic. Try the mussels for an appetizer.
Skip the restaurants that everyone talks about and walk/run straight to Cru Cafe-- -
Review from Blake A.
Summerville, SC
2/1/2012
Holy shmoley. This place is FANTASTIC. It has sort of a laid back atmosphere in and old Charleston style home... with a touch of finesse that makes for a great experience.
We got extremely lucky to be able to get a seat without reservations. The food is memorable - I had fish steamed in a pouch with potatoes, squash and zucchini. On the side, fresh greens with almonds, green beans, and a light home made dressing. The food was well prepared and refined. I also tasted the shrimp BLT. Simply amazing. Definitely my excuse for a return trip. -
Review from Janis F.
Westchester, CA
4/11/2012
We recently spent 5 days in Charleston and dined at many of the top restaurants. Cru Cafe was an accident and my oh my what a wonderful accident it was. We had just finished our carriage ride and we were wandering around looking for a bite to eat. Alas we stumbled upon Cru Cafe. We got table right away. I had the duck confit salad and it was wonderful. Hubby had the tomato soup and the Capicola, Salami, Proscuitto and Mozzarella on Sourdough Bread and he thought that he died and went to heaven. There was something about the vibe of the place that was really enjoyable, I can't really put my finger on it. Cru Cafe will definitely be on my list for my next visit to Charleston!
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Review from Madonna H.
Baltimore, MD
3/2/2012
All the praises you have read are true. . . BUT as a woman with a restricted HEART
diet, it was so difficult to find anything on the menu that would be considered Heart Healthy. There are millions of us out there struggling with menus and food preparations. Our arch enemies, butter and cheese lurk everywhere!
The place is charming. The staff is exceptional. The kitchen ballet is worthy.
The bread pudding - beyond what you would expect.
I will send the Cafe a short letter describing my difficulties and see if the Chef can come up with one or two items for the menu to help me out! I know, I know - I was in low country and what did I expect ! Not everything needs butter, bacon or butterbacon,
cheese, fried cheese with more cheese finished with fried croutons - you get the idea. Even the veg dishes were heavyish. Here's the kicker - I will go back! good advice -
Make reservations. -
Review from Beth H.
Kannapolis, NC
2/29/2012
Based on s many great reviews, my husband and I made a reservation at Cru Cafe for my birthday for a recent Saturday at 8:45.
Upon arrival, a frazzled hostess looked at us and said, "Do you have a reservation?"
No hello, no greeting of any sort.
We were seated and our server came promptly to tell us about the specials (duck breast something and one other) and take our drink order. I said we'd order wine once we decided on dinner. When she came back, my husband ordered the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin and I ordered the braised lamb shank to which she replied, "Oh, we're out of the lamb."
It would have been nice to know that from the start - I was trained to do that as a server. But, everyone makes mistakes so I just went back to the menu.
She stood there and seemed kind of irritated and asked again for our drink order. Feeling I had let her down somehow, I said I decided what I wanted to have with the lamb but would need to reconsider based on my new selection.
Then she suggested since the lamb was hearty, I would like the grilled swordfish instead. Braised lamb.... grilled swordfish. Similar? Really? Not fully understanding that logic, I just wanted to look over the menu.
And that's where the fun started.
She just continued on about the swordfish as I tried to read, so I said I would just have the duck special.
Then I went to the wine list so I wouldn't continue irritating her by not having my drink selection at the ready. She said, 'Oh, I think they just told me we're out of duck. Let me see what I can do.'
Seriously? She had JUST told me about it.
She went to the kitchen came back and said, "Nope, no duck."
No duck AND no apology of any sort.
Granted, the menu makes the statement, "At times we may run out of certain items
to assure the freshest product possible."
But 1) that's a pretty weak excuse for poor planning in my opinion 2) I never would have known the duck existed if she hadn't told me about it in the first place! and 3) if running out of food is a common situation, the servers should be better prepared to communicate with customers when it happens
I told her this was becoming frustrating, that it was my birthday, and I was disappointed. She put her hands up and said, "Listen! I'm willing to work with you here!"
Work with me? You mean, continue to be my server?
While pretty astounded at her response, I thought perhaps the plan was to create a new special or offer something (not a freebie - just a suggestion or something) to help make what was quickly plunging from the special experience we were hoping for, better somehow.
Nope.
She stood there looking at me, obviously frustrated with my inability to make a decision.
I suggested to my husband that we just leave and she said "OK, that's fine."
Even though my eyes were now bugged out at that latest zinger of southern hospitality, he asked if I was sure that's what I wanted to do since I'd been so excited to go there.
Since I didn't know if the next thing I ordered would be available or not (I mean, they may have sold out of my husband's pork by now!), I asked, "Can you just tell me what you do have?"
All things considered, I didn't find this question unreasonable. But, it really seemed to further twist our server's knickers.
Rather than tell me anything else that may have been eighty-sixed or a simple, "We have everything else on the menu," she took my menu from my hands, placed it on the table in front of me and started going down the list item by item, jabbing at them with a pen.
In her continued attempts to work with me, he exchange went something like this...
Her: "Do you want the swordfish?" *stabbing menu with pen*
Me: "I said before, I don't care for the swordfish tonight ..."
Her: "Do you want the Poblano and Mozzarella Fried Chicken?" *stabbed that item, too*
Me: "no, I..."
Her interrupting me and still pointing with her pen: "It's good."
Me: "I don't like poblano pepper.."
Her interrupting again: "Then you won't like that. Why don't you just get what he ordered? *jabbed air with pen in my husband's general direction* It's good." *stabbed pen at pork description*
Me: sitting with my mouth agape, speechless at being treated like I didn't have the sense to comprehend a menu without pictures...and a wee bit scared she planned to stab me with that pen
Her: "Well, what do you want?"
I looked at my husband, and we just got up and left.
We had a lovely dinner elsewhere. -
Review from Susie G.
Mt Pleasant, SC
11/22/2011 2 photos
I have only heard a few things about Cru Café. 1) The food is great, 2) It's really hard to get in, and 3) You should make a reservation, so we did.
Cru Café is on a tiny one way street called Pinckney. It's off of East Bay, but the street sign is somewhat covered by an overgrown tree limb, so keep your eyes peeled. You should also bring your patience and a lot of quarters, as parking is tough.
We were lucky to quickly score a spot on East Bay, fed the meter and headed to the café. Cru Café is in a small antique home and including their outdoor patio seats about 45 people.
We arrived at the restaurant at 11:55 for our 12:00 p.m. reservation. My husband had forgotten something in the car so I was standing there alone. A gentleman approached me. "How many for lunch?" "Two," I said. "Do you have a reservation?" "Yes." I gave him my name and watched him walk away. I then watched as he went into the open kitchen area, picked up a plate and began eating. No, I can't make this up.
Whipping his mouth off with the back of his hand he looked into the dining room and then said, "It will be about two minutes." As I looked into the dining room there were two four-tops open. One of the four-tops was 2-two tops pushed together. In light of the volume we'd heard about we thought that he would seat us at one of the two tops and move the other away to accommodate other customers.
Back to the kitchen to finish his nosh and my "two minutes" became five, as the two tables in the dining room remained empty. "Right this way," He said.
He then proceeded to take everything off the table next to us and leave it pushed against ours. This seems incredibly strange to me leaving a barren table, but I thought it was part of a bigger picture perhaps? However, a couple arrived, asked for a table and they were told something would open up after 1:15. They said no thanks and left, and we had plenty of table space.
Our server was friendly and efficient and brought us our drinks and nice warm bread to start with. Since we had heard so much about the food at this place we didn't want to waste our appetites on bread.
The menu has a few salads, small plates, 10 lunch sandwiches and 5 lunch entrees. Many sounded very appetizing and it was hard to decide. We landed on the BBQ Beef Sandwich served with fries and General Tso's Chicken, Fried Rice and Slaw, or Salw as they have printed on their website. (Doesn't anyone proof anything anymore?)
I have just purchased the new Iphone 4s and decided to use timer function to see how long lunch would take. Time was starting to drag and I found myself thinking "how long is too long to wait for lunch?"
Unless I'm in a big hurry, I'm Okay waiting as long as needed as long as when I get the item I've ordered my "French fries stand at attention." So in this case it was TOO long on many levels.
Our lunch arrived in 33 minutes and 46 seconds. My husband's sandwich was nice, rich, tasty pork, fairly hot fries, he was really enjoying it. Mine? I got a rock.
Clearly I was served cold, dead food from the window. Really, after waiting all this time? So I asked to have it remade. So get this....
As we sat and waited, the host that ate his lunch before, during and after seating us came by and said, "Was everything cold on your first lunch?" What is this a quiz? If the rice was hot and the chicken cold would that make a difference? Or do I get more points if the entire dish was terrible?
There are some times in our careers when someone has leaned over in a meeting perhaps and said, "Just stop talking." This should have been one of those times.
Based on my Iphone 4s (thanks Steve), my new lunch was fired in less than six minutes. It was exactly 1 hour and 5 minutes since we arrived at the place. Unfortunately we were so rushed that I had a bite or two and had to go.
The gentleman came back and said, "Is this one better?" I wanted to say one of two things, "Better than dead food, yes," or "Probably not as good as your lunch." I chose however, to just say yes and will not return. -
Review from Brandon R.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
3/20/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
I had the Butterleaf salad (I think that's what its called), it was a great way to start the meal. My wife had the special Carrot Ginger soup which was smooth, creamy and very satisfying. My entree was the Mahi Mahi, and it was great. My wife's entree was the special Sea Bass over mashed potatoes. All very good. Oh, and the bread pudding for desert. Mmmmm. Go, the food is great. And it's in the right size portions too. (read: not too big).
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Review from Kristie W.
Marina del Rey, CA
1/1/2012
First off, definitely call ahead for reservations. When we arrived for lunch, it was fully packed and we had to wait about 15 minutes even with a reservation. Over a dozen more people began to roll in after us without a reservation and were being told the wait could be up to 2 hours!
As for the food, the most memorable for me (I went with three others and tried their meals as well) was the Shrimp BLT (my mouth is watering now just thinking about it), the brisket, croque madame, and perfectly baked mac 'n cheese were also tasty as was the carrot ginger soup. YUM.
Service could be improved a tad which likely translates to their need to perhaps hire another waiter or two.
As for ambiance, we quite liked the quaint charm of this place. Felt like we were dining in an old country home, complete with fireplace. While there were definitely tourists here, we were told this is where the locals eat. This is a great place for lunch, would recommend elsewhere for dinner. -
Review from Sean M.
Tulsa, OK
11/21/2011
This place was terrific !
We went in for lunch and I was a little worried when they asked if we had reservations, since we didn't have one. But, we got a seat right away.
Very cool atmosphere because your basically dining in some old Charleston home. The service was spot on. And the food was amazing!
I had the special of the day which was a perfectly cooked fillet of fish along with the best potato "pancake" I've ever had and some veggies. I also started with their truffle mushroom soup which was delicious.
Cru Cafe, you guys rock! -
Review from John M.
Mt Pleasant, SC
1/30/2012
Cru is the best . It is the first place i recommend to my out of town clients . It is a real taste of Charleston
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Review from sarah s.
Alexandria, VA
2/9/2012 Seated via OpenTable
LOVED this place. It was perfect for lunch. Soups, salads, sandwiches. I had the chinese chicken salad, which was absolutely wonderful. My friend had the general tso's caesar wrap, which sounded strange but was awesome. This place is busy, so get reservations, and a bit noisy, but the food is SO worth it. Awesome lunch spot!
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Review from Adam A.
Boston, MA
11/16/2011
Many of the meals that I had in Charleston were unbelievable or special in some way. Cru Cafe was just average.
For lunch, tt was a bit over priced for the small portions that they gave us. My girlfriend got a soup that was about 5-10 spoonfuls worth.
I had the fried oyster wrap which was good...but really wasn't much better than oysters or sandwiches that I had at other places.
Cru Cafe is a decent place...maybe it is better for dinner -
Review from Paul M.
Fernandina Beach, FL
There are a few tough reviews here, but this place is awesome. If you like cookie cutter food and corporate service go elsewhere, heck don't even come to Charleston. Croquet Madame and oyster poboy are super tasty lunch options.
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Review from Jeanine M.
Scranton, PA
2/13/2012
Excellent food, good beer selection. Friendly and helpful waitstaff. We made a point to visit twice on our trip. Make reservations even for lunch. Do not miss the mussels!
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Review from Michael M.
Washington, DC
7/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
The people were fabulous, the seating was fabulous, the food was fabulous....not a single downside.
I went with a couple small dishes for the night and they were all stellar... the shoulder, the mussels... and their wine selection is great.
The staff was super friendly and ready to answer any questions you may have. -
Review from Wayne C.
Brentwood, TN
9/13/2011
A solid 4 stars but it is in no way memorable yet was absolutely very good food. The service was very nice but walked the line of were stretched too thin and forgot about us (and our soup order) on occasion. If Yelp had 1/2 stars I'd be tempted to o 3.5 stars because of this bit I'd stay at 4 stars because the waitress apologized about our soup and comped it. As long as an establishment makes up for their mistakes and makes it right - then it shouldn't ding you.
The aforementioned soup - tomato basil soup was solid with a basil-infused -
Review from Charles V.
Alexandria, VA
4/5/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Excellent food and service. Located in an old, small house; feels very intimate and cozy. My husband raved about the fish with curry sauce and the flourless warm chocolate torte was delicious.
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Review from Emily S.
7/21/2011 Seated via OpenTable
On a recent trip home, I had the luxury of hosting my best's bachelorette party in Charleston. None of the girls had ever been to Charleston, so I wanted to show them all why it's such a spectacular place.
After picking them all up from the airport, we headed downtown where we did a bit of shopping on King street prior to our lunch reservations at Cru. Upon arrival, we were seated promptly at a huge table by the door, where we were served right away with much needed ice cold water. After ordering a round of ice teas, diet cokes and iced tea/lemonades, we decided on a few appetizers. We chose the fried green tomatoes and the scallops with blue cheese as well as a side of fries, all delicious.
For our mains, several of the girls chose sandwiches, one had the portabello wrap, several ordered the shrimp BLT, I had the Chinese Chicken Salad and the bride-to-be had the Butter Lettuce salad. All were fresh and delicious. I added shrimp to mine and it was cooked perfectly. The chicken in my salad was flavorful and very tender and the dressing was delicious. We were all very happy with our orders and thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Cru Cafe. -
Review from Lynn C.
5/20/2011
Best meal I had in Charleston.
I was walking down market street and asked one of the ppl working in those tourist booths where I should go eat, and the person said in an ultra enthusiastic tone that Cru Cafe is where I should have my last meal in Charleston. I trudged my way down to Pinckney street (you wouldnt see it unless you really looked) and there it was, a sign next to a house with some seats by the front balcony.
I was greeted by John, the man who started it all, who was extremely welcoming and friendly. I was given a seat at the chef's bar, in this cute homely looking place. I had the General Tso's Chicken Caesar wrap, as recommended by the tour guide. You would think the mixture between Sweet and sour Chinese chicken would taste weird in a wrap with romain salad and house caesar dressing might be a bit funky, but it is the most delicious food I have ever eaten. Even the side salad that came with it was delicious. Give it to John, who had his training in Paris to come up with these wonderful fusion!
The kitchen was making this most beautiful and decadent strawberry shortcake while I was finishing up my lunch and reisling. While the kitchen staff was making it, he was chatting with me and John asked him to make me a piece of it. I was extremely full by then, considering I ate that giant wrap and salad, so I was politely saying no; but they insisted. I don't regret eating it, even though I was ready to be in a coma afterwards.
The best part about all of this? The price. Extremely reasonable for high quality food.
Note that lunch menu and dinner menu are different. Lunch ends at 3pm. -
Review from Imrickjamesbc H.
Chicago, IL
Just got off the plane and drove straight here for lunch last week. So glad we made Opentable reservations, since we were able to walk right past people milling about waiting for a table and sit right down to a nice 4 top on the porch. Combined with the nice Charleston weather and the excellent lunch, all had a very nice meal.
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Review from Dave O.
Baltimore, MD
12/29/2011
Small cozy place. Food was very good, didn't wow us overall. They messed up timing of our main courses. My lamb shank arrived about 7 minutes befor SO's mac & cheese. Started with duck arugula pecan salad, quite tasty. Next the calimari and slaw. Calimari was fantastic, lightly breaded, crisp, not at all rubbery, hand made on site. Presonal preference - i would prefer a spicy dipping sauce rather than slaw. Lamb shank was fall off the bone tender, ok flavor, just lacked a "wow factor" i've come to expect in charleston's finest. SO loved the mac/cheese. Nice wine by the glass, our server brought several reds for me to sampe before commiting to a full glass to go with the lamb. Nice touch on her part, and overall she was great.
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Review from Neil J.
Greensboro, NC
1/28/2012
I walked in without reservation and was seated immediately at the bar. Everyone was very friendly, service was impeccable, and best of all: I got to watch my dinner being made. Had the fried oyster salad appetizer and chicken palliard entree. App was the best oyster salad I've ever had anywhere. Had a lovely, reasonable Albarino (Spanish white) wine with, recommended by my server, to make for one fantastic dinner. Even got a Kojak parking spot right at the front door. Will come hungrier next time and save room for dessert.
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Review from Pablo S.
Providence, RI
12/31/2011
The missing star is because it seemed a little inefficient and cocky to leave empty seats for the entire time we were there, while turning away dozens of people who didn't make a reservation. We did, and regardless of the glaring incompetence that left so many seats empty, I have to say the service was excellent and the food was feisty yet sublime. I didn't think anything was overpriced. The cozy house atmosphere and bright natural light made our meal friendlier than most. Great chow, but they really shouldn't take reservations.
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Review from Nicole P.
Charleston, SC
4/5/2011
I have vivid Cru Cafe dreams approximately once a week. I have literally never eaten anything that did not make me want to eat it 8 times over from here, and am basically always looking for an excuse to eat here.
Their lunch and dinner menu are fantastic (and the shells and cheese are my absolute favorite!), which is matched with excellent service and a very cute atmosphere (the restaurant is in a charming, little old southern home).
If I had things my way, I'd be eating here more times than is probably reasonable to admit. I love it here! -
Review from Morgan W.
Savannah, GA
3/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wow. Great find. My girlfriend was in charge of restaurant selection from the passenger seat as we navigated our way through the streets of downtown Charleston. Thai? No. Mexican? No. Well, what do you want? Modern american / southern? Hmmmm
5 minutes later, we are parking on a side street off of Market, pleasantly distancing ourselves from the hordes of tourists yet still in the heart of quaint downtown Charleston.
Beautiful 2 story mid 1800's home with a large outdoor balcony, straight up the steps we see people dressed to the nines sipping on their chardonnay and chowing down. Definitely popular with the locals, then, as tourists dress casually.
Group in front of us abandons the mission as the manager told them it was a 1.5 hour wait (for lunch!)
We slink up and ask for the verdict. Since we are only two, he gets us in with a 15 minute wait. Score.
Waiter comes over and asks for our drink order, we ask him to recommend. Killer sparkling for her, chard for me, both were delicious so we aasked him to order our lunches, too. The fried goat cheese salad....wow, just wow.
She had an amazing shrimp blt. Never would have ordered it, either. The shrimp were really like small langoustine, very different from typical coastal shrimp. She also had a side of the house mac and cheese. I hate mac and cheese, always seems to creep onto our holiday menus, blech. This was fantastic. Gruyere cheese maybe? They used the roundish shells and finished it in the oven..yum
I had an italian that was good, not great, but very good. The cheese and the sharp taste of the meat ended up tasting like a pizza but not in a bad way. Wouldnt order the sandwich again, but would go back here again and again and again. great service, great staff great location great great food. -
Review from Louis p.
Charleston, SC
12/18/2011
Okay, so some don't like the little things!!!! But the reason its so crazy there is:Its one of The Best places in Chucktown to eat. Where else do you HAVE to make a reservation for lunch???The burger(all the way) is unbeatable..duck salad..their cole slaw...etc....
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Review from Lacy H.
Columbia, SC
12/17/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Fantastic service and even better food. Intimate atmosphere. Great for dates and small groups. Warm, personable and accommodating staff.
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Review from Zachary T.
Charlotte, NC
3/14/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Cru Cafe doesn't disappoint! The seafood tasted so fresh. Make reservations or be prepared to wait as midday foot traffic was high.
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Review from Dexter M.
Athens, GA
1/2/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I was a tad disappointed that we had to wait 15 min for our res, but in their defense the people were sitting around taking a while and it's a tiny restaurant. That was the only negitive thing we can say about Cru. I had praline mahi mahi, and it was UNBELIEVABLE! I was worried it would be too sweet with the praline, but the sweetness was suble enough that the fish could stand up to the sauce. It was a truly memorable dish. My girlfriend had the ginger seared salmon and lemon ristto. Another home run! We couldnt agree on whose was better because they were both so amazing. I also liked how the chefs were in an open kitchen. I had to pop my head in there to tell them how supurb the meal was!
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Review from Maria K.
Hillsdale, NJ
5/23/2011
This cafe is so very charming, the service wonderful, and the food is fantastic. I suggest reservations as it is a small quaint place off the beaten path of the many city eateries. I stared out with the calamari salad, which was fried calamari, cooked perfectly on a bed of greens that had nappa cabbage, some red onions and an absolutely delectable sesame, ginger and I think a hint of orange dressing that was perfect.
My husband had the tomato, mushroom soup which was creamy sweet and savory. He had the salmon special that evening and cleaned his plate. I ordered the flounder dish superbly seasoned and served with sauted summer squash and of course rice. I accompanied this dish with a fine pinot grigio recommended by our sweet server that evening.
If I lived in Charleston...this would be my go to place. -
Review from F. P.
San Francisco, CA
11/27/2010
Located in the north part of the historic Charleston district, slightly off the beaten path near the horse carriage areas. Went on a chilly day (so did not go with the outdoor patio seating, which I'm not sure would be that great to begin with the smell of the stables nearby).
Very quaint building with a charming, rustic interior. Started off with the duck confit arugula salad, which was the best dish. Tender duck meat with peppery arugula, fried shoestring onion rings and vinaigrette dressing contrasted with the sweetness of the caramelized pecans toppings. You can order salads either as an app ($7.95) or in an entree size ($11.95).
The shrimp BLT ($9.95) was okay. Liked the freshness and generous portion of the shrimp but the aioli sauce was a bit overpowering and seeped through the bread a bit. Also tasted a lot more bacon than shrimp. Liked the side of asian slaw (w/ cabbage, carrots and daikon).
The mushroom meatloaf lunch special was yummy. Rich and savory, the mushroom sauce was earthy. The side of arugula salad was delicious.
Also had the famous four-cheese mac 'n cheese in seashell pasta ($6.75). Definitely rich; felt the taste was a little bland, however.
Good idea to make reservations. We got there early so no wait but by the time we left an hour later, there were quite a few parties milling around.
Very reasonably priced. Great deal for quality and freshness of ingredients. Friendly and attentive service. No surprise it's so highly rated. -
Review from Rachel L.
Medford, MA
7/13/2011
Loved this place!
My boyfriend and I visited Charleston for the first time this summer and stumbled upon Cru Cafe. We are so happy that we decided to go in. It's a cozy, little restaurant with an open kitchen concept.
The staff here are so polite and very professional. I actually ended up spilling red sauce on my dress and the manager ran out and got some club soda for me to dab the stain.
The food was amazing. I got the scallops and by boyfriend got the filet. Both dishes were superb. I will definitely go back if we visit Charleston again!!
