Super friendly service and great food. Southern cooking at its best!
Majid Nasir
fast friendly services it's the only place that the owners literally ran out just to give us history after we had dinner.... looking forward to going back a second time.
Lauren T.
We found another gem... not really hidden, but a gem just the same!! If you are looking for true southern soul food, this is your place! The menu is something like out of the past!! Fried chicken, fried fish, collard greens, pies and desserts. All homeade!!! We started with corn fritters... they were good. Not the best I've had but still good. I had the fried chicken, green beans and Mac and cheese! I would highly recommend all of the above. My mom had chicken livers and collard greens. I didn't try livers but my mom loved them. Collard greens were some of the best I've had. Someone else in my party had pecan crusted chicken and they raved over it. Atmosphere was pleasant and our waitress was amazing!!! She was very friendly and we never sat and needed anything. I must see if visiting Charleston!!! Be prepared to leave very very full!!!
Shannon D.
My favorite spot for lunch! From the marinated cucs to the sweet tea and the fried okra. I've always had a five star experience, even when I was in college. I was so happy to share my love for Jestine's Kitchen with my family this past weekend. COVID response-staff wear masks, limited seating inside, take out orders available and sanitizing. I had the grilled cheese with fried okra! It's one of my all time favorite meals there. The cheese is in abundance with buttered Texas style toast. Huge! My oldest son had the two pice dark meat with fries and white rice. He said it was the best fried chicken he has ever had and gave it five stars. My hubby had the meatloaf with mashed taters and okra gumbo. He gave it four stars. I got to taste the meatloaf and it was delicious. You can't go wrong with anything on their menu. It is all so delicious and leaves you full. Sodas are served in glass bottles and my son thought that was the greatest. We had a fantastic lunch and I can't wait for my next visit. Highly recommend!
Roger G.
In a city known for its culinary delights, it is easy to get lost in the mix. Don't let this little haven of Southern cooking fool you. Starting with pickled cucumbers and moving to the green beans in a light pork roast sauce, the fried chicken or homemade meatloaf will dazzle you. Great food and service at reasonable prices! Delicious!
Gerard Krost
Our cab driver from the airport put us on to this place, and it was amazing. We stopped in on our first day in town for lunch, and it was right on. The fried pork chops, were perfect with the brown gravy. We went back again on our last day, and the fried chicken didn't disappoint. Save room for the banana cream pie. This place is the real deal, nothing fancy, just great southern cooking. A must when you are in Charleston.
Janie Jones Dyer
The fried chicken and okra were over the top good. My husband had the blackened pork chops and gave me a bite. The seasoning was some of the best blackened seasoning I have ever had. Will definitely return. Wait staff were very attentive.
Bill J.
Food here is nasty they season there chicken in the same sink that they wash there dishes in gross!
Steele McGonegal
I have been a regular guest of Jestine’s for 18 years. The Service is always top notch and the food is impeccable no matter what you order. I enjoy the family owned and operated aspect of the restaurant because it really makes me feel like a home cooked meal is being served each time! On this particular visit I was served by a waiter named Evan and he saw to it that our water cups never ran dry and that we had everything we needed to enjoy our meal. After we finished lunch I ordered some famous Coca Cola cake and, of course it was amazing as well. If you enjoy home cooked southern soul food this is the place for you!
Marsha H.
We walked in the front door only to get some disgusted looks from patrons. huh? Our party of three stood there waiting for a few moments and were seated promptly. After we were seated, we saw there was a waiting area outside along the side of the building. There was a large group waiting there. When we left, we saw the signs on the opposite side of the entrance said to wait outside for seating. Sorry, we didn't see those coming from the north side. The cucumber salad on the table was tasty. Our food was ok, I liked the variety of side dishes available. The waitress was super friendly and gracious.
Jestine’s is always one of the first places we eat when we come to town. Best fried chicken and coconut cream pie
PAValleyGirl
Jestine’s Kitchen offers amazing lowcountry fare, the best collard greens in the city, amazing grilled meat loaf and such good sugary coca-cola cake. Love it!
Jessica C.
So delicious! If you're looking for some Southern fried seafood, look no further. The fried oysters were amazing. They were fried perfectly and had great flavor. The fried okra was really yummy too. I also enjoyed the bowl of pickles with my dinner. The staff was amazing since we showed up with a group of 12 about an hour before they closed. It was a Wednesday night so they weren't too busy, but they were so friendly and accommodating to us. I highly recommend dinner at Jestine's.
Erin M.
Everyone said go to this place for some down home cooking and so we did. The place was small so it was packed,but we didn't have to wait for a seat. We ordered the daily special of the lightly breaded flounder served with 2 sides. I ordered the greens in the okra gumbo. The flounder was good. My friend ordered the 3 piece fried chicken with mashed potatoes and the okra gumbo. I wish this place did it for me, but it didn't. I had to add a lot of salt and hot sauce to my fried chicken. It didn't have flavor. The greens were sweet with not that normal ham Turkey flavor. And I don't think that that was gumbo okra because I saw some beans and lentils in it. The best thing on the menu was the mashed potatoes filled with butter yum and the Brown gravy that wasn't from the chicken. The lemon pie was good.
Julia Kolesnyk
The food was really good and fresh. We had shrimp grits and they were AMAZING! There was a small line (about 20 mins), but once we were seated, the food was served fast. I did not like personnel cleaning and wrapping the utencils at the same time that we were eating. Other than this, it's worth a visit.
Super friendly service and great food. Southern cooking at its best!
fast friendly services it's the only place that the owners literally ran out just to give us history after we had dinner.... looking forward to going back a second time.
We found another gem... not really hidden, but a gem just the same!! If you are looking for true southern soul food, this is your place! The menu is something like out of the past!! Fried chicken, fried fish, collard greens, pies and desserts. All homeade!!! We started with corn fritters... they were good. Not the best I've had but still good. I had the fried chicken, green beans and Mac and cheese! I would highly recommend all of the above. My mom had chicken livers and collard greens. I didn't try livers but my mom loved them. Collard greens were some of the best I've had. Someone else in my party had pecan crusted chicken and they raved over it. Atmosphere was pleasant and our waitress was amazing!!! She was very friendly and we never sat and needed anything. I must see if visiting Charleston!!! Be prepared to leave very very full!!!
My favorite spot for lunch! From the marinated cucs to the sweet tea and the fried okra. I've always had a five star experience, even when I was in college. I was so happy to share my love for Jestine's Kitchen with my family this past weekend. COVID response-staff wear masks, limited seating inside, take out orders available and sanitizing. I had the grilled cheese with fried okra! It's one of my all time favorite meals there. The cheese is in abundance with buttered Texas style toast. Huge! My oldest son had the two pice dark meat with fries and white rice. He said it was the best fried chicken he has ever had and gave it five stars. My hubby had the meatloaf with mashed taters and okra gumbo. He gave it four stars. I got to taste the meatloaf and it was delicious. You can't go wrong with anything on their menu. It is all so delicious and leaves you full. Sodas are served in glass bottles and my son thought that was the greatest. We had a fantastic lunch and I can't wait for my next visit. Highly recommend!
In a city known for its culinary delights, it is easy to get lost in the mix. Don't let this little haven of Southern cooking fool you. Starting with pickled cucumbers and moving to the green beans in a light pork roast sauce, the fried chicken or homemade meatloaf will dazzle you. Great food and service at reasonable prices! Delicious!
Our cab driver from the airport put us on to this place, and it was amazing. We stopped in on our first day in town for lunch, and it was right on. The fried pork chops, were perfect with the brown gravy. We went back again on our last day, and the fried chicken didn't disappoint. Save room for the banana cream pie. This place is the real deal, nothing fancy, just great southern cooking. A must when you are in Charleston.
The fried chicken and okra were over the top good. My husband had the blackened pork chops and gave me a bite. The seasoning was some of the best blackened seasoning I have ever had. Will definitely return. Wait staff were very attentive.
Food here is nasty they season there chicken in the same sink that they wash there dishes in gross!
I have been a regular guest of Jestine’s for 18 years. The Service is always top notch and the food is impeccable no matter what you order. I enjoy the family owned and operated aspect of the restaurant because it really makes me feel like a home cooked meal is being served each time! On this particular visit I was served by a waiter named Evan and he saw to it that our water cups never ran dry and that we had everything we needed to enjoy our meal. After we finished lunch I ordered some famous Coca Cola cake and, of course it was amazing as well. If you enjoy home cooked southern soul food this is the place for you!
We walked in the front door only to get some disgusted looks from patrons. huh? Our party of three stood there waiting for a few moments and were seated promptly. After we were seated, we saw there was a waiting area outside along the side of the building. There was a large group waiting there. When we left, we saw the signs on the opposite side of the entrance said to wait outside for seating. Sorry, we didn't see those coming from the north side. The cucumber salad on the table was tasty. Our food was ok, I liked the variety of side dishes available. The waitress was super friendly and gracious.
Restaurantji Recommends
Jestine’s is always one of the first places we eat when we come to town. Best fried chicken and coconut cream pie
Jestine’s Kitchen offers amazing lowcountry fare, the best collard greens in the city, amazing grilled meat loaf and such good sugary coca-cola cake. Love it!
So delicious! If you're looking for some Southern fried seafood, look no further. The fried oysters were amazing. They were fried perfectly and had great flavor. The fried okra was really yummy too. I also enjoyed the bowl of pickles with my dinner. The staff was amazing since we showed up with a group of 12 about an hour before they closed. It was a Wednesday night so they weren't too busy, but they were so friendly and accommodating to us. I highly recommend dinner at Jestine's.
Everyone said go to this place for some down home cooking and so we did. The place was small so it was packed,but we didn't have to wait for a seat. We ordered the daily special of the lightly breaded flounder served with 2 sides. I ordered the greens in the okra gumbo. The flounder was good. My friend ordered the 3 piece fried chicken with mashed potatoes and the okra gumbo. I wish this place did it for me, but it didn't. I had to add a lot of salt and hot sauce to my fried chicken. It didn't have flavor. The greens were sweet with not that normal ham Turkey flavor. And I don't think that that was gumbo okra because I saw some beans and lentils in it. The best thing on the menu was the mashed potatoes filled with butter yum and the Brown gravy that wasn't from the chicken. The lemon pie was good.
The food was really good and fresh. We had shrimp grits and they were AMAZING! There was a small line (about 20 mins), but once we were seated, the food was served fast. I did not like personnel cleaning and wrapping the utencils at the same time that we were eating. Other than this, it's worth a visit.