50 Best Cocktail Bars near Johns Island

“the food is delicious and different from other restaurants. the staff is so friendly and the outdoor atmosphere is wonderful. I highly recommend this restaurant for dinner or a nice night out at the bar.“

“I have coined a phrase “I’m Loyal to Royal”. As a foodie, when it comes to quality food, fresh seafood , great ambiance and amazing staff they have no equal! In the past two years my mission was to try every item on the menu. Finally accomplished that feat and Royal Tern is still a 5 star rating. They also have non-menu specials that knock it out of the ballpark“

“The little hiding piece of perfection was awesome! Food, we had banners and corned beef, was delicious. Bartender was constantly making sure we were good. Servers was friendly and helpful.

Other than the perfect lighting, great selection and staff my only thought was some Irish music would have set a better tone.

Side note : save a little room for a small frozen yogurt next door. They staff was great too and their yogurt delicious!

Thank you for the experience.“

“I have been meaning to write a review for this place, we had such a great time there on Sunday, May 4th. Kiet and Claudia were very friendly and helpful. Kiet took us in the back and showed us around. We chatted about spirits and tinctures and everything else for quite some time, he was very knowledgeable! Please visit this spot if you want to learn more about and enjoy the craft. We loved it here!! (Bonus pts for a fun cocktail menu)“

“Love sitting outside and watching the boats come in and go out… ♥️“

“Spent several late afternoons/early evenings at Doar Bros. last week and had a great time! Jake and Stephen are artists in creating phenomenal craft cocktails! JD, one of the owners, very personable and welcoming! All great guys! If you're in to cocktailing, no trip to Charleston is complete without a stop at Doar Bros.! Cheers!“

“Had brunch today. Food was good. The chicken and waffle was really tasty.“

“It was an unplanned visit to High Cotton. Our party was very underdressed. The hostess was quite pompous and gave the impression we should go elsewhere. Obviously if it was a planned dinner we would have been well dressed. The food was exceptional. The staff were incredible. But our waiter, Jamal, made our experience very memorable. He made sure we were welcome despite our attire. Jamal and my 11 year old grandson became good friends for the evening. Jamal was impressed with my grandson's order of a pot of mussels in garlic sauce, smoked duck, lobster mac and cheese and strawberry shortcake. Jamal was the highlight of our evening. Our family highly recommend you ask for Jamal if you visit High Cotton. The next visit we will look our finest and definitely ask for Jamal.“

“Was absolutely mazing… but the little nibbles are over priced. You can come as you are to this place and I love that the champagne and whites are right there and ready to serve. Caviar cone; sooooo good, but a single bite for 13…..Oysters were soooo fresh and I am picky, but the vinaigrette they have is yummy!!!“

“Highly recommended. Staff were very attentive, and of course the view was amazing. We went just after dusk. Very stylish. Drinks were good. Went for after dinner drinks but menu included food. Slight wait for a table, but the hotel bar had an open space that was nice pass the wait.“

“The atmosphere was nice the food was amazing and the drinks were delicious! Also the dessert was yummy! Nice place to relax eat good food and unwind!“

“I found out about Southbound, through my job. I had to go do some work there, and found the owner and everyone there, super friendly. Most people at restaurants ignore working people while they are there. As my 42nd anniversary was quickly approaching, I decided to give this place a try. Some of my past picks, have not been the best. Southbound cleared EVERY hurdle I have about restaurants. From the moment we approached the restaurant, great service began! While coming thru the gate, the hostess yelled out, "HEY LARRY" and then said, "This must be your beautiful wife"! Like CHEERS, it felt great to go somewhere, "Where everybody knows your name" We were seated and got to view the open fire oven. I had dropped off 42 roses the week before for them to put on our table, for my wife. Tropical storm Debbie, and downtown flooding prevented us from going exactly on our anniversary. I was worried that store bought roses, would not last thru the weeklong delay, Joel assured me everything would be taken care of, and not to worry. As we were seated, there on the table, sat 42 roses. Fresh, and arranged with baby breath flowers included. I was told the young lady with the hostess had arranged them. They were gorgeous! They also had an anniversary card on the table from them, not something I had dropped off. The service was tremendous, the food indescribably outstanding! I have only had steak Tar Tar once before in my life, and was greatly afraid to try it again, as the first time was awful. It was superb! They take great pride in the presentation of their food products. I felt like I was in an episode of Master Chef. We had the steak, as well as the Sea bass, okra, corn, sweet potatoes, and the Caramel cake. Everything absolutely wonderful! This was a truly wonderful and memorable dining experience!! I would give 100 stars, and a Siskel and Ebert two thumbs up! There was only one thing I was disappointed about. No sweet tea! Were In Charleston SC, no sweet tea. Everything else totally made up for it though. The staff even had everyone present sign a menu, wishing us a happy anniversry1 I will most definatly go there again for a special occasion. Thanks to Andrew, Joel, and the entire staff, for making this night special!!“

“OMG, The food, service and overall experience was amazing. Dan and the guys behind the bar made sure it was an excellent experience. Will be going back every year on St. Patrick’s day.🍀“

“Stopped by on a whim. Excellent drinks, good food. Corn bread WONDERFUL surprise.“

“We are staying in the hotel and have loved a relaxed afternoon in the lounge. Service is 10 star. All the team are amazing and go above and beyond. If your looking a welcoming place to relax then look no further

Parking: There is a hotel valet service and I think street parking

Kid-friendliness: The cookies are amazing and fresh baked. It is an adult space but children are very welcome.“

“Dalila's was stop number 2 on our DIY Cocktail Crawl. We were told it was somewhat of a dive bar and very small. Small but MIGHTY! 💪
The atmosphere was fun and unique and the bartenders were friendly.
We were only in for 1 drink, but easily could've stayed longer.
🍹I had the Pin Up from their Happy Hour Menu (Monday - Saturday 5-7pm). It was very reminiscent of a Pornstar Martini, just lacking the vanilla, but this was GOOD! So fresh and so full of real flavor, not just sugar. I'd 100% order again.
🍵 Hubby had The Cougar and also enjoyed it.
They had a Pizza Martini on special that I would've tried but I wasn't feeling savory. Maybe next time?
Definitely put on your list to hit up for happy hour!“

“Exceptional wine selections in self serve machines and an owner that is extremely knowledgeable about wines throughout the world! Great service and a wonderful positive vibe. I can't wait to go back!“

“Lowlands was a fantastic find! I chose it because it was within walking distance to an event, though it wasn’t initially recommended. I was pleasantly surprised by the ambiance, food, and exceptional service. We sat at the upstairs bar, where Avery took great care of us. Thank you, Avery, for making such a great first impression! We’ll definitely be back.“

“I've only been there during the day and it was always really nice. Nice group nice crowd bartenders for amazing. Went on super bowl Sunday and they watch the game I just watched the puppy game and went home. Been there a long time now The owner had passed and his daughters are running it definitely visit them it's a great place. I did not order food so I don't know what they have. But I'm sure they have food cuz that's our kitchen. Very friendly

Parking: Plenty of parking behind the restaurant is where you find the bar

Wheelchair accessibility: It is a slab building I think so easy wheelchair slope to get in with wide doors. Outside smoking area very accessible. Nice place“

“Unique cocktails; friendly knowledgeable waitstaff“

“We enjoyed oysters, yellowfin tuna, clam chowder, steak and the fish basket plus some delicious drinks! Service was amazing as well as the entire experience. Highly recommend!“

“Amazing food and awesome staff. Highly recommend.“

“Gorge was possibly the greatest host I’ve had At a bar. We mentioned it was our first time and he generously gifted us a shot that was absolutely wonderful. Each drink is so layered and personable that I feel like I’m tasting a story. Making this my weekly regular, even if just for Gorge’s superb company. What an incredible team and gem of a speakeasy. I understand what’s it’s like to really taste liquor instead of just consume. Amazing!!!“

“Stepped out of our typical places to eat to try Azur and we were really impressed. Food, drinks, and service were all top tier. Pedro and Chris were great bartenders who made sure our experience was absolutely excellent.“

“literally everything we had here tonight was fantastic. the calamari strips are some of the best calamari I have ever had. the drinks were wonderful. I had this seard fish with the succotash which was so good. my boyfriend had the pot roast melt and loved it. the owner was absolutely fantastic. we will definitely be back repeatedly!“

“Wonderful ambiance and service. Fantastic drinks!“

“The food was incredible and our server, Courtney B was outstanding!! Courtney helped us select the perfect items and she made it fun!! Awesome!“

“Amazing food and drinks with great service.“

“I had the quesadillas on the shareable menus for dinner. It's the best quesadillas I've ever had. My wife had the lobster roll. Really loved it. Highly recommend coming here especially during happy hour!! Very relaxing vibe, not super busy so service awesome too! They should be flood d given the excellent food!! And drinks!! We came on a Tuesday. May be much busier on the weekend.“

“Great places to eat and enjoy a good drink and people“

“Gin in my favorite libation…I’ll have to frequent this tiny bar more often.“

“I have a long, productive day where I celebrating accepting a new job with CPI Security and hanging out with Dad today who lives adlund the corner on Society. Both my parents came here back in the 60's. It was phenomenal and very enjoyable! They staff killer - very friendly. Also, I'm a former craft cocktail bartender with a fairly refined palette and that Manhattan was fire! 🔥✌🏼“

“Amazing birthday celebration dinner.“

“The staff was amazing. It was our anniversary and the GM personally came to our table and poured us a glass of Champaign to celebrate. They also gave us a free dessert. The hostess, wait staff, and GM all took time to wish us a happy anniversary. The food was amazing as well! Overall it was a great dining experience!“

“This place we stumbled upon and I am so glad we did. The staff was so amazing and attentive, Timmy and Damien were so very helpful on pointing out key dishes and cocktails. The wine list is very impressive and not to expensive. We had the eggplant for a starter (yummy) and the Walnut bolognese for our main. Both unbelievably delicious and wow no meat in that sauce!!! Also don’t sleep on the bread and butter, they source fresh sourdough from the local bakery Grit down the street and the butter…….🤤 We loved the staff and the whole experience. We will be back for sure. Thanks for a lovely evening and memorable date night.“

“Thank you for having Charleston Society of Horror yesterday for our monthly meeting! We had a wonderful time. The food was great, service was even better and we will be back.“

“We went to Peacock for my Birthday dinner and it was amazing! This was our first time here but we will definitely be back! Aaron was our server and was so attentive and gave us the best recommendations for food to try. He knew about everything! From the appetizer to the dessert, everything tasted great! We split the Steak Frites and got the Blistered Green Beans as well. Oh my goodness, they were both amazing! The flavor of the steak and green beans were so great. Finished up with lemon cheesecake with blueberry compote and it was so good! It was a fantastic birthday dinner!“

“Phenomenal food and atmosphere. Get the “dessert bread” appetizer if you come. Had the grouper on special and it was incredible“

“Incredible food with wonderful southern charm. Server and hostess were incredibly courteous. Great service, we had Dillon. I loved the halibut and spouse had the prime rib. Both of us put this food toward the top of our experiences.“

“Reviews are all over the place. We walked past on day one of our trip and thought the decor was really cool. The gal at the door was so nice and that made us want to go back. We just wanted a light snack and cocktails so we sat at the bar. It too entirely too long to get a drink. I mean to tell you we almost got up and left. It was not well run or organized at all. The manger was useless and the 1-2 bartenders were really not that busy. It was disappointing. we did like the tacos and our cocktails were inventive. Although they did not have fresh cut cucumbers for my gin and tonic. They subbed in cucumber juice, which is just not the same. The ceiling artwork and other wall art is really worth a look.“

“Parking is the only problem. It is nearly impossible (free or paid) to find a parking space. The food, the service, everything was perfect and I almost got into a fight because I saw a guy getting ready to leave and asked him to wait until my guest could turn at the traffic light. Of course, he got irate because I nicely asked the gent leaving to wait, and he was in front of her. But the guy leaving put his car back in park and left the guy wanting his spot to move on. It was just the way it was.“

“Great BBQ. Fantastic sides.“

“We adored this place! We accidentally found the downtown Charleston location during our stay there at a close AirBNB! We visited 3 times in our 2.5 days there. Then, we passed by the John’s Island location on our way to Kiawah and decided to make the 25 min drive the next morning for our coffee and pop tart fix! Great coffee, service, pastries, toasts and local drink and food finds!“

“We had a wonderful experience last night at Bearcat. We had a rare "date night" and chose to sit at the bar while electing for the chefs tasting menu. WOW. The food was incredible, the service top notch and attentive. The whole experience was refined - plating, presentation, and even little history lessons while being served - but it was never "poncy" or "snooty" - it felt like anyone could come in, have an INCREDIBLE meal, fun conversation, and become part of the Bearcat family. We'll definitely be back- the scallops dish and the pork belly dish will be menu items I dream of until we return! P S. don't sleep on the cocktails! Whether ordering from the thoughtfully designed menu or requesting something creative from the bar team's minds - you won't be disappointed!“

“Bottom line up front: Amazing food and great atmosphere!

I’ve been fans of Kwei Fei since back in the days of their pop ups at The Daily. They’ve always brought the heat (literally) and have been eager to try this new venture, Beautiful South.

Stopped in for Sunday Brunch and it did not disappoint. The char siu fried rice had that familiar wok char and was on point! Also had the char siu bao, salt and pepper pork, and shumai. It brought back memories of dim sum in the Bay Area (big compliment) but without the old lady that gets mad when u don’t like what she has on her cart! ?

Wish I had taken pics, but honestly was too busy eating!“

“Very cool atmosphere! Very romantic! Live music, great food! Definitely 5 stars from me! ⭐️“

“Not just a meal, but an experience. My taste buds are still craving everything at Wild Common. I would go back in a heartbeat. The food, wine som, creative cocktails, and atmosphere are 5 stars!“

“Really wasn't in the mood for Mexican... but because of being hungry and it was convenient... we came in thinking by the name it was a steakhouse... thank god we did this. This has got to be the best we have eaten!!! Nacho piled high best tasting chicken on the tacos... ADDED bonus if you like heat and spice, this is your place. The salsa and /or the cheese dip is 10 out of 10, even though I could only stand a small amount.“

“We enjoyed an anniversary dinner here during our weekend in Charleston, and it was lovely! They left us a little card and decoration on our table which was so special. The atmosphere was upscale but inviting. I especially appreciated the lower noise level of music, which is harder and harder to find these days. Our server, Josh, was so friendly and helpful, and made sure we had everything we needed or asked for. The escargots were a particular highlight, as it's the newest take I had seen in a while on this iconic dish. Don't skip them! Finally, I felt like I really got a value for my dollar here, which was particularly noticeable in the wine menu with its balance of affordable (but good!) and higher end options.“

“Great little cocktail bar. Wide variety of drinks. Very intimate feel for friends or a date. I had a passion fruit Paloma which was good but a tad in the sweet side. The bartenders aren’t super chatty but they’re also super busy making drinks due to the variety. Would definitely come back to try more on the menu!“