We had time before our check in at a house nearby. This place waa recommended by our hosts. We sat outside and enjoyed the music and island vibe. A nice sunny Saturday having lunch outside with palm trees was a delight. We just flew im from the Midwest and left 20 degree temps. This place definitely made me feel like we are on vacation. Mahi tacos and grouper sandwich were great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tim M
I’ve stopped coming here because of the service. The waitstaff is there to hangout with their friends, and they act like customers are just a hindrance to that. You’ll stand at the bar for 15 minutes before anyone even acknowledges you. The Food can be good, but it is hit or miss and the draft beer is completely flat. The back patio is the best part about it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Jason Hall
Small parking lot but food was good very cool atmosphere. Nice waitress (Hailey)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alex Strittmatter
This place is shockingly good. My wife and I went on an anniversary trip to Charleston and happened to get some tacos and a salad for takeout one night when we were too exhausted to go to a proper restaurant. We were both surprised that we enjoyed our meal from Charleston Fuel more than the fancy dinner at a famous Charleston seafood place the night before.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mia Zinny
I usually love going to Fuel I was SO disappointed. I'm usually the biggest fan of their chips and dip. However, the guacamole was absolutely disgusting. It was sweet and tasted more like a sweet potato dish ( it was topped with pumpkin seeds). I understand that some restaurants try to be different for creativity, However, this was just not guacamole. I won’t be returning :/
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Tyler
Most bizarre expireince I have ever had at a resturant. This is not a resturant - its a hang out for all of the employees. They were all hanging out at the bar and there was barely any space for customers - yes - they were sitting on the bar stools.
I went by myself to eat dinner and sat at the bar. On a Saturday night - the staff was not at all worried about the customers and only worried about socializng. The menus and food was just as bad as the staff. One of the waitresses sat at the bar next to me the entire time I was there and never moved...I wanted to believe that some of them werent working but when it picked up a bit - I saw a couple of them grab their notepads to go take orders. I also saw a group of the guy workers go over and take more bar seats when they became avaiabile. All I could do was laugh. Cant believe this place is still in business...severly undermanaged.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Mark Boykin
Fuel Cantina is a cool little reclaimed and transformed art Deco style service station it's now just a great little Cafe. With a fun service station combined with beach vibe. We tried the BEACH and ISLAND bowls with grilled Mahi and grouper respectively . They've got a fair selection of food on the menu including a burger and a jerk chicken that I would probably try if I were able to go back, and some mixed drinks & beer, of course. There's a great covered patio in the back with lots of fans for Comfort on those warm days . There's just about enough parking around the building for the restaurant patrons. You might occasionally have to park on the street.. Not sure how that would be...but we've been there twice on this trip and were able to park in the Cafe parking lot .Great service, fun decor , and a very very tasty lunch!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chad Lexcen
Visiting from MN, stopped by this nice restaurant with a laidback atmosphere
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lawrence Bell
I will never go to Charleston again without eating at fuel. I had two suppers there and I can't figure out which one was better because they were both so dead gone delicious I just wish I had some now. :-)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Colby Fry
We had a group of 18 in Charleston for a bachelor/bachelorette party staying off Cannon St and wanted to book a reservation for a dinner and drinks nearby one night. We all work in the service industry and acknowledge that holiday weekends can be busy and that a party of our size can take a toll on staff. Knowing this, I reached out to Fuel over a month in advance to discuss setting up a private event for our group as we did not want to surprise them with an 18 party walk in the Saturday evening of Labor Day weekend. Whoever I spoke with to coordinate this event was incredibly friendly and was very appreciative that we wanted to choose Fuel for our event. We discussed having our party sit outside near the bar along a few picnic tables and everyone in the group could just go up to the bar and start their own tabs, rather than have a single server provide full service. This is exactly the sort of setup we were looking for that evening. Everything sounded great and this was something our entire group was really looking forward to during the trip. Unfortunately, it ended up being my largest regret of the trip and everyone in our party was utterly disappointed following our night at Fuel.
The moment we walked in the girl who met us at the door seemed agitated that we were even there and acted as if we were a surprise walk in, despite having explained that we had booked an event in advance. She then (rudely) explained what our options were for service for our dinner, which, is something that was already discussed and planned well in advance of the night. We were then directed to go sit at a group of picnic tables outside. Every single picnic table we were told to sit at was absurdly filthy. Each table was covered in food that had fallen off plates from the previous party. Every dish from before our arrival was still on the table and nothing had been wiped down. Not a single employee acknowledged this and we ended up wiping down and bussing the tables ourselves. We then went to order our food/drinks at the bar. The bar was crowded from every angle, the only exception being a small corner near the entrance to the bar for employees to go in and out of the bar, we stayed as far as we could out of the way of that entrance/exit as we could out of respect for the employees. We even asked the bartender if he was OK with us ordering from where we were before standing there and he said that was fine. A couple people in our group order without any qualm from the bartender from right there, then, the same rude girl who met us at the door when we arrived snootily told us we had to get out of the way and order outside because we were blocking the bar entrance for employees, which we were not, and again had already asked if we could stand where we were and had been told we could. So, we went outside, and ordered there instead. Cool, no problem, but don’t tell us one thing and then get snappy with us for doing something we were told we could do by another employee. Everyone has off nights but that kind of behavior is not acceptable in the service industry, especially not somewhere like Charleston which thrives off tourism.
We order all of our food/drinks. Some of the drinks are correct, some are not. Some of our orders come out in a timely manner, some took up to an hour or more. Most of the food was awful, especially anything that had “chorizo” in it. The “chorizo” was much more akin to unseasoned ground beef from the grocery store that sat in a pan under a warmer for hours, also burnt, and was unironically some of the worst meat I have ever had.
TL;DR I could go on a much longer rant but this entire experience from arrival to the end was nothing short of a massive failure on Fuel’s part, the restaurant should be embarrassed. We had such a high hopes based on other reviews and from initial discussions planning this event but will never again return due to how abysmal this whole experience was for all of us.
I’m not sure what was going on at Fuel last night but we had one waitress that was literally doing EVERYTHING. She was a brunette with an off the shoulder shirt on and she worked her butt off with no help. Food arrived and it was really good just barely warm because there is no way one person could do everything and get hot food out on time. The kitchen did great with taste and presentation but the food was just barely warm. Haven’t had Fuel in years and was so excited but I don’t think I’ll be suggesting that to friends and family. Please get the staff some more assistance, not sure if people called out or what….
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Rosanna Fini
Was in town and coworker suggested to try. Food was ok. Drinks were horrible. Ordered margaritas and it was horrible cheap mixer. The place was filthy. Flies everywhere. Never again.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 3
Andrew Pick
Amazing rice bowls! Pineapple salsa was some of the best salsa I’ve ever had. It’s a must try
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Becca H
The ambiance and service was very good. Unfortunately, the appetizer, grouper bites were filets and you could not eat them with your fingers. The guacamole was green/brown from having sat out a while. The rice tasted like minute rice — not fresh. Go for the experience and stick with the grouper sandwich and plantains.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
dailyn m.
Food was fine, but the service was rushed. Our apps took a little time to come out, and we weren’t upset about it at all. The server came over and asked if we wanted a box when I was still halfway through my sandwich and my boyfriend still had most of his food left. I hadn’t even touched my fries. We were sat for like 30-45 mins total and rushed out after getting the boxes at her suggestion, because it was obvious the server did not want us there. It was like 8:30 on a Monday when they are open until 11, so there was really no reason to rush us.
We had time before our check in at a house nearby. This place waa recommended by our hosts. We sat outside and enjoyed the music and island vibe. A nice sunny Saturday having lunch outside with palm trees was a delight. We just flew im from the Midwest and left 20 degree temps. This place definitely made me feel like we are on vacation. Mahi tacos and grouper sandwich were great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve stopped coming here because of the service. The waitstaff is there to hangout with their friends, and they act like customers are just a hindrance to that. You’ll stand at the bar for 15 minutes before anyone even acknowledges you. The Food can be good, but it is hit or miss and the draft beer is completely flat. The back patio is the best part about it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Small parking lot but food was good very cool atmosphere. Nice waitress (Hailey)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is shockingly good. My wife and I went on an anniversary trip to Charleston and happened to get some tacos and a salad for takeout one night when we were too exhausted to go to a proper restaurant. We were both surprised that we enjoyed our meal from Charleston Fuel more than the fancy dinner at a famous Charleston seafood place the night before.
Food: 5
Service: 5
I usually love going to Fuel I was SO disappointed. I'm usually the biggest fan of their chips and dip. However, the guacamole was absolutely disgusting. It was sweet and tasted more like a sweet potato dish ( it was topped with pumpkin seeds). I understand that some restaurants try to be different for creativity, However, this was just not guacamole. I won’t be returning :/
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Most bizarre expireince I have ever had at a resturant. This is not a resturant - its a hang out for all of the employees. They were all hanging out at the bar and there was barely any space for customers - yes - they were sitting on the bar stools.
I went by myself to eat dinner and sat at the bar. On a Saturday night - the staff was not at all worried about the customers and only worried about socializng. The menus and food was just as bad as the staff. One of the waitresses sat at the bar next to me the entire time I was there and never moved...I wanted to believe that some of them werent working but when it picked up a bit - I saw a couple of them grab their notepads to go take orders. I also saw a group of the guy workers go over and take more bar seats when they became avaiabile. All I could do was laugh. Cant believe this place is still in business...severly undermanaged.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Fuel Cantina is a cool little reclaimed and transformed art Deco style service station it's now just a great little Cafe. With a fun service station combined with beach vibe. We tried the BEACH and ISLAND bowls with grilled Mahi and grouper respectively . They've got a fair selection of food on the menu including a burger and a jerk chicken that I would probably try if I were able to go back, and some mixed drinks & beer, of course. There's a great covered patio in the back with lots of fans for Comfort on those warm days . There's just about enough parking around the building for the restaurant patrons. You might occasionally have to park on the street.. Not sure how that would be...but we've been there twice on this trip and were able to park in the Cafe parking lot .Great service, fun decor , and a very very tasty lunch!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Visiting from MN, stopped by this nice restaurant with a laidback atmosphere
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I will never go to Charleston again without eating at fuel. I had two suppers there and I can't figure out which one was better because they were both so dead gone delicious I just wish I had some now. :-)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a group of 18 in Charleston for a bachelor/bachelorette party staying off Cannon St and wanted to book a reservation for a dinner and drinks nearby one night. We all work in the service industry and acknowledge that holiday weekends can be busy and that a party of our size can take a toll on staff. Knowing this, I reached out to Fuel over a month in advance to discuss setting up a private event for our group as we did not want to surprise them with an 18 party walk in the Saturday evening of Labor Day weekend. Whoever I spoke with to coordinate this event was incredibly friendly and was very appreciative that we wanted to choose Fuel for our event. We discussed having our party sit outside near the bar along a few picnic tables and everyone in the group could just go up to the bar and start their own tabs, rather than have a single server provide full service. This is exactly the sort of setup we were looking for that evening. Everything sounded great and this was something our entire group was really looking forward to during the trip. Unfortunately, it ended up being my largest regret of the trip and everyone in our party was utterly disappointed following our night at Fuel.
The moment we walked in the girl who met us at the door seemed agitated that we were even there and acted as if we were a surprise walk in, despite having explained that we had booked an event in advance. She then (rudely) explained what our options were for service for our dinner, which, is something that was already discussed and planned well in advance of the night. We were then directed to go sit at a group of picnic tables outside. Every single picnic table we were told to sit at was absurdly filthy. Each table was covered in food that had fallen off plates from the previous party. Every dish from before our arrival was still on the table and nothing had been wiped down. Not a single employee acknowledged this and we ended up wiping down and bussing the tables ourselves. We then went to order our food/drinks at the bar. The bar was crowded from every angle, the only exception being a small corner near the entrance to the bar for employees to go in and out of the bar, we stayed as far as we could out of the way of that entrance/exit as we could out of respect for the employees. We even asked the bartender if he was OK with us ordering from where we were before standing there and he said that was fine. A couple people in our group order without any qualm from the bartender from right there, then, the same rude girl who met us at the door when we arrived snootily told us we had to get out of the way and order outside because we were blocking the bar entrance for employees, which we were not, and again had already asked if we could stand where we were and had been told we could. So, we went outside, and ordered there instead. Cool, no problem, but don’t tell us one thing and then get snappy with us for doing something we were told we could do by another employee. Everyone has off nights but that kind of behavior is not acceptable in the service industry, especially not somewhere like Charleston which thrives off tourism.
We order all of our food/drinks. Some of the drinks are correct, some are not. Some of our orders come out in a timely manner, some took up to an hour or more. Most of the food was awful, especially anything that had “chorizo” in it. The “chorizo” was much more akin to unseasoned ground beef from the grocery store that sat in a pan under a warmer for hours, also burnt, and was unironically some of the worst meat I have ever had.
TL;DR
I could go on a much longer rant but this entire experience from arrival to the end was nothing short of a massive failure on Fuel’s part, the restaurant should be embarrassed. We had such a high hopes based on other reviews and from initial discussions planning this event but will never again return due to how abysmal this whole experience was for all of us.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
I’m not sure what was going on at Fuel last night but we had one waitress that was literally doing EVERYTHING. She was a brunette with an off the shoulder shirt on and she worked her butt off with no help. Food arrived and it was really good just barely warm because there is no way one person could do everything and get hot food out on time. The kitchen did great with taste and presentation but the food was just barely warm. Haven’t had Fuel in years and was so excited but I don’t think I’ll be suggesting that to friends and family. Please get the staff some more assistance, not sure if people called out or what….
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Was in town and coworker suggested to try. Food was ok. Drinks were horrible. Ordered margaritas and it was horrible cheap mixer. The place was filthy. Flies everywhere. Never again.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 3
Amazing rice bowls! Pineapple salsa was some of the best salsa I’ve ever had. It’s a must try
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The ambiance and service was very good. Unfortunately, the appetizer, grouper bites were filets and you could not eat them with your fingers. The guacamole was green/brown from having sat out a while. The rice tasted like minute rice — not fresh. Go for the experience and stick with the grouper sandwich and plantains.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Food was fine, but the service was rushed. Our apps took a little time to come out, and we weren’t upset about it at all. The server came over and asked if we wanted a box when I was still halfway through my sandwich and my boyfriend still had most of his food left. I hadn’t even touched my fries. We were sat for like 30-45 mins total and rushed out after getting the boxes at her suggestion, because it was obvious the server did not want us there. It was like 8:30 on a Monday when they are open until 11, so there was really no reason to rush us.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 1
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