Yes, I am indeed a fan of the Blind Tiger Pub.
As others have noted, the main selling point of this "divey" pub is the epic back courtyard. The space is huge with an outdoors bar, numerous walkways and arches, overflowing foliage, and seemingly endless nooks and crannies that you can settle into and enjoy a good beer and some good times. Add to that the string lights above and (hopefully when you're visiting) a star filled sky, and you've got yourself a great evening.
Prior to reaching the patio, the inside of the pub isn't too shabby either with two large spaces and some comfy big couches towards the back. There definitely is a dive type feel to this joint, though the crowd doesn't really seem to exemplify such a spot (ie, not an abundance of hipsters...at least not normally). In general, the patrons here seem pretty laid back and friendly, although perhaps a bit further along in age than you would expect. Service can be very variable, and definitely leans towards the lack thereof end of the spectrum when it's hopping in here (as seems to happen pretty frequently). However, the bartenders always seem to be pretty cheerful and more than willing to grab you a draft even if you're not a good looking girl.
In my opinion, the food is definitely a step above dive bar status with pretty decent offerings of appetizers, salads, soups, wraps, sandwiches, and tacos. Portions are reasonable and prices won't break the bank. Personally, I'm a fan of the sweet potato fries and the black bean burger (you gotta pretend to be healthy sometimes, right?). In that vein, they also have vegan options available for many of their dishes (or at least that's what the menu says). The craft beer selection (in draft, bottle, and can form) is decent although not overwhelming and probably doesn't stack up to some other spots in the area. They do offer a few local brews, however, and that is always a good thing in my book. Of note, the drafts on tap at the outside and inside bars always differ, but the bartenders don't seem to mind getting you a pint from the station that they aren't manning should you request such a drink.
All in all, Blind Tiger Pub is definitely a solid spot to grab a bite and a pint, and believe me when I say that the patio never disappoints!
Several different bar areas make up this pub. Two in the main dinning area and at least one other in the patio. The saving grace of this pub is the "historic courtyard." Which is impressive. A seemingly endless patio of uneven brick, and arch ways. Which is a great place to relax with a beer.
Other than that, not much more to the place. It is huge, a ton of people, mostly tourists visit. There are a few local brews on tap, but nothing along the lines of Closed for Business or the new Craftsmen. Plenty of macros round out the beer list.
Along with an extensive menu. Fried pub grub, aps, sandwiches, and daily specials. The pork chop sandwich is good. Though nothing particularly inspiring or unique.
Service is hap hazard, especially when the place is busy, which is often. I don't know...it is a decent enough space that is more of a tourist spot than anything. Still, a few local beers available with a great patio. If that is all you want. Â Though just a few blocks north is an entire street of excellent to world class restaurants for the taking.
Wonderful outdoor seating. Â Very helpful and attentive wait staff. Â The food is just okay, however the charming outdoor patio is stunning. Â I ordered BBQ and it was dry. My friend ordered the gyro, which was a little disappointing, but still okay. Â Somewhat loud ambiance. Â Nice choice of draft beers. Â Definitely go here for the beer and the great outdoor seating.
Review Source:Really cool bar slightly off the grid but not really because it's on Broad st. The history is probably the most interesting thing about it. It used to be a speakeasy and remnants of the speakeasy are now the patio that is lit up with a canopy and dangling lights. Outdoor bar games, open concept, and live music. Two inside bars and one outside bar.
My sister and I had a great experience with the bartender Victor who had just got off his shift and was hanging by the bar. He chatted with us, bought us shots, and helped us get a table. He was so kind and checked on us making sure our service was good as well as coming by and sitting with us to chat for a while. He was extremely kind and told us about cool events going on downtown.
The only reason I don't give this place 5 stars is because the service took forever. I ordered nachos and my sister ordered a sandwich and it took forever. Otherwise the food was delicious and the experience was great! Definitely sit on the patio when you come!!
great food + cheap bar prices = great go to in the city with seating!
Came here the other day and was blown away by their Bloody Mary soup. Â It was fantastic. Â So was their Fried green tomato caprese salad. Â It was delicious! Â The drink prices were reasonable and the service was friendly. Â Overall this was a great place to put my feet up and eat tons of great food away from the crowds.
Outdoor patio is what you come to The Blind Tiger for. Really cool area surrounded by plants and trees.
That's really the only reason you go to the Blind Tiger and my only good review.
One single bathroom. Takes forever. Horrible spot to line up to wait.
Bartenders take awhile. We threw one a five and they were quick the rest of the night. Five dollars and better service all night? Ill take it. BUT I get much better places many other places before they even see I tip well for it. Bullshit if you ask me!
The multiple times I've gone huge parties seem to go there for the back patio. So as nice as it is you end up getting cornered by a huge wedding group. Or else I just went at the wrong time.
Never tried the food.
Blind Tiger has turned into one of my favorite downtown destinations. It's a little off the beaten path comparative to most of the other bars squished together on East Bay, King and Market...but I like that. Â The outside courtyard is absolutely beautiful and really opens up a lot of room for additional guests if either area of the inside bar gets full. Â The food is tasty, drinks are cold, and the atmosphere is great...the bartenders are totally hit or miss. Â Our last visit was a couple weekends ago and the first bar on your right when you walk in and the outside bar had great service and bartenders. Â The bar on the other side was staffed with two girls who were VERY slow moving, had to ask over and over again what we ordered (there was only 5 of us so it wasn't like a huge list), and totaled up everything wrong. The only other downfall with Blind Tiger is their bathrooms...or lack there of.
Review Source:The Blind Tiger is great for all occasions. I do believe it is Charleston's oldest bar as well.
Lunch is always great. They have delicious bar food and I fully recommend almost anything on their menu. They have salads, wraps, pitas, burgers, and great apps. My boyfriend recommends the Elk burger and the gator burger and I always recommend the pimento cheese stuffed grilled cheese. You will never leave lunch with an empty stomach.
Late night here is fun because they have 3 bars. They have 2 inside and one on their back patio. Indoors they almost always have live music on the weekends. The back patio is why I go here though primarily. It looks like the secret garden. There are historic brick walls and arches with porch swings and tables to sit at. The bar outside has the quickest service I've found. The bar is a great crowd of people. It's a mix between locals of all ages and college kids. This bar is not fratty at all which is what I look for.
Brunch here on Sunday is delicious but let me warn you that service is slow and your order might get messed up. Each time I've gone every server is always so far in the weeds with no hope of coming out. They have too many tables and there is no sense of teamwork anywhere to be found from management. That is not the servers fault mind you so please be weary of that. The food has always taken way too long and it comes out staggered from each person at the table. One time everyone finished their meals before my father even got his food and when he did it was cold. So I give brunch about 2 stars if you are looking for quick hot food and great service. Which is sad because whenever I do get my food it is so good. I recommend the huevos rancheros.
But seriously lunch time is great and the scene at night is right up my alley. When I worked as a hostess in the area I recommended this to locals who were looking for fun place to hang out, great drink prices, great beer selection, and a patio. If you are in this area going to bars I also recommend the Griffon on vendue range.
The back patio deserves 4 stars. Â The food deserves 3 and the service 2 stars. Â I've had a couple of good experiences but there's been too many times over the last 3 years that I've been working on Broad where I've sworn off Blind Tiger. Â It's such a shame too. Â Broad doesn't have many restaurants so it's sad when there's an establishment that is only a couple of doors down from where I work that I vow I'll never return to. Â Instead I walk right past Blind Tiger and into Brown Dog where the food is almost always good and the service is heaps better than Blind Tiger.
In all fairness, the food is not too bad. Â In fact, it's been really good at times. Â The burgers and fries are never a bad choice. Â I had shrimp and grits a few months ago that would've rivaled any of Charleston's pricier restaurants. Â I was in shock at how good it was. Â Alas, the service is what really does BT in. Â Service is always slow. Â I Â (both when I've been alone and with groups) have been blatantly ignored so many times it's ridiculous. Â I've been overcharged and then given back the incorrect change. Â I've seen a server sneeze in her hands repeatedly and then go on about her business with not even a thought to go wash her hands.
I've given Blind Tiger so many chances to change my mind but I think I'll just stick to beers on their back patio, because let's face it, that's the best thing about this place.
I really like this place. Â Physically, it's very slightly dive-y but has a good group of customers, the food is good (nice choices), the service is usually good and many good beers on tap. Â Prices are great for downtown Charleston.
I has a very nice outdoor area, which, in good weather is really cool. Â I guess smoking is OK out back, which I'm personally not too keen on.
Even with all the choices downtown, I'll be back.
Love this place. Â We always stop for lunch when we go to Charleston. Â Their chorizo tacos are amazing. Â We have eaten all over Charleston and I can honestly say that the tacos are one of the highlights of our trip every time. Â Love the atmosphere and the staff are always great. Â Give it a try, you will love it.
Review Source:My second visit in 2012 to Charleston and decided to stop by the Blind Tiger Pub for dinner, it was a brisk 55 degree evening but still ate at the awesome patio with a warming propane lantern. Enjoyed a fun conversation with our well traveled server Chris, and we all enjoyed our awesome meals, and the fried green tomato appetizers too! The cold $2.50 Newcastles are a must too! Â
This is one of my favorite Charleston's pubs.
This is a pretty cool place to go. The food is REALLY good. They have a great burgers and fries, but what sealed the deal for me was the Pimento Cheese and Bacon grilled cheese.. Holy crap, it's totally decadent, but delicious! It's gooey and melty from the pimento, and smokey from the bacon. You won't be upset if you get this, promise!
Review Source:Basically a charity 3 stars because of the hot waitresses. Â Not to be confused with the Blind Tiger in the West Villiage in Manhattan which the owners of this place should go to to see why their bar is terrible. Â This is a great looking bar with a great looking feel in a great part of Charleston. Â We stopped in for a bite and ordered the burgers. Â We felt like wings but for some odd reason they don't carry them. Â They were "out of" both the gator burger and the ostrich burger. Â We ordered our burgers with lettuce tomatoes and pickles and onions. Â They arrived with no lettuce (they were "out of" it) one small tomato, one small red onion circle and a grand total of a single pickle chip. Â For a ten dollar burger can you be that friggin cheap? Â Also your steak fries are not steak fries. Â I suggest you google image steak fries and change your menu. Â The beer selection is sad. Â They have a beer menu with about 8 on draft and, surprise, Â the first three I asked for they were "out of." I storngly suggest a new manager who isn't satisfied with being "out of" everything or you are going to be "out of" customers real fast. Â I won't be back.
Review Source:It was a yet another beautiful Charleston day. We happened to enter Blind Tiger with no expectations whatsoever. We were tried of walking around and just wanted to have a beer. It also happened to to be the St. Patrick's Day which might have slightly altered our experience with all that St. Patty loving. The back patio was gorgeous in the early evening. We sat on the sunniest bench as the evening sun glistened on our faces. I loved that they used benches, swings, random comfy chairs etc rather than conventional tables, stools and commonplace barrels. We ordered our beers at the bar and sat on our bench and chilled. I believe a mixed crowd where everyone feels welcomed makes a good bar. There were all sorts of people from middle aged to old parties, to drunk frat boys and sorority girls. I strongly recommend this place to everyone!
Review Source:Hubby needed a break from galleries, etc so we stopped in just for a drink. They have a great outside courtyard - some shade and some sun. Â The courtyard is surrounded by interesting old brick walls and they had a porch swing. How cool is that! Â We didn't have any food or even drink specials, so all that I can really talk about with enthusiasm is the courtyard and I would love to go back just for that.
Review Source:I came here based on Yelp reviews and the fact that my boyfriend could have the Gator Hater burger (which he loved) if we came here, but there were some regrettable missteps that don't permit me to give it more than 3 stars.
One was service. It was quite slow, as some others have mentioned. We weren't in a big hurry, but it was getting to that level where you suspect they may have just forgotten about you. We arrived about 5:30, so the bar wasn't packed.
The bartender didn't know what a saison was. (It's a type of beer, which I wouldn't know either if not for my boyfriend... but I'm not a professional bartender.)
Finally, my food: I ordered the regular, non-gator burger medium rare. It came out solidly medium well and was unremarkable besides. I didn't send it back, but I was unable to eat the charred edges. I was really expecting more based on the other reviews of the food, and I was disappointed.
The good parts were the cheap drink prices and a good location, as well as Mark's alligator burger. Maybe I'd go back for a drink when it's warm enough to experience the patio, but I won't be ordering food again.
I'm giving them three stars. Â I want to also give them two stars, and four stars, but I have to average my three experiences there.
First, the pub is beautiful. Â Sitting outside is truly an excellent experience. Â There are wild vines growing on the aged brick walls, they have plenty of overhead coverings to let you stay outside while it's rainy, and heaters everywhere so that you can deal with the *gasp* 55 degree January days! Â I kid!!!
Anyway, the first time we went, we had an excellent meal. Â I had the bahn mi, and while the jalapeno slices were very thick (thinner slices means more flavor and less heat), it was very good. Â The beer list is decent, but the server knew next to nothing about what's on tap...not even the names of the beers! Â The real star of the meal was the Hangover Helper tomato soup. Â It's made with vodka, and is amazing!
The second time, we took my sister and cousin, and again, I ordered the bahn mi. Â The meat was absolutely terrible, and it had little on it in the way of toppings. Â It was so bad, that even though the first bahn mi I had was great, I'll never order another one at the Blind Tiger. Â Again, the server knew nothing about the beer selection. Â This was my two star meal, and I think I'm being generous.
The third time, we brought my sister-in-law and her husband along for the ride. Â I had the Caprese Grilled Cheese with sweet potato fries, and it was fairly good, though they were very light with the cheese, and heavy with everything else, so it was more of a grilled tomato and basil sandwich with a couple small, thin pieces of fresh mozzarella. Â The bread was also somewhat saturated, so rather than it being nice and crispy, it was a bit soggy. Â This time, we finally got a server that knew about the beer selection, and could give us descriptions of what each beer was like.
TL:DR; Sometimes good, sometimes awful. Â Sitting outside is awesome.
Holy four star day, Batman.
Yup, another good place to have a meal! I had a burger and it was perfect! Â Husband had the Bahn Mi and said it was excellent, only misstep was the too thick cut jalapenos on it that overwhelmed a bite.
Service was ehhhhh - you'd ask for something and he'd run away before you could finish your sentence, but no big deal.
The back area is every bit as awesome as people say it is. Â Go for it, you'll enjoy your afternoon!
Ordered the alligator. Â It was a-mazing!!!!
Back patio is nice - some seating is under an awning with fans, so even on a hot day, it wasn't unbearable. Â Waitress was friendly, was seated immediately for lunch on a Saturday, and it didn't take too long for our meal to be brought out. Â So good!
So I'm wandering the streets of Charleston looking for my kind of place. Â That would be a divey, pubby, non-chain, hopefully with great food. Â With a little help from the Yelp mobile app I sauntered into this place a grabbed a seat at the front bar. Â
I said front bar as this place has multiple bars including one in a gorgeous back patio. Â This place has different drafts at each bar. Â I was in the mood for a Fat Tire which was at a different bar. Â The accommodating bartender was happy to get it for me.
As I perused the menu I could also observe the kitchen. Â The grill guy was a trip. Â He was breaking into impromptu dance moves and clearly enjoying his job. Â What was more interesting was the delicious looking plates he was quickly creating.
Many Yelp reviewers raved about the fried green tomatoes. Â I thought about it another moment and ordered the Fried Green Tomato BLT with red onion, lettuce, tomato, apple-smoked bacon & horseradish sauce on a toasted bun. Â It was going to cost me $8.00. Â
So I watched my dancing cook create it. Â When it was done the darn thing must have been six inches high! Â It was packed with the signature fried green tomatoes and thick, thick slices of delicious bacon. Â It was an amazing sandwich which I would order again in a heartbeat. Â Unfortunately it was accompanied by frozen fries. Â What a shame. Â A sandwich this good should come with fresh cut fries.
Even with the fry misstep, this was a four star experience for me.
A guy with stockings sent us here. Don't get excited, he was a lovely fellow in period dress, ushering folks into the Old Exchange at the end of Broad Street. (The people there are quite warm, and the dungeon tour is entertaining. Check out the armor in the dungeon.)
Back to the Blind Tiger. We almost walked past it. Don't walk past it. Go in, ask to sit in the 200+ year old courtyard, and go to the back, past the bar.
Though it was a bit warm that day (85+ with dear god, please rain already humidity), we decided to sit outside. So glad we did. The courtyard is beautiful, with lots of spindly trees and foliage, many tables, some under a covered walkway, and a swing, should you like to bask in the sunlight while you await your lunch.
Our server was casual and answered all of our questions with good humor. We ordered the Half-Pounder (cheeseburger and fries) and Rosemary's Baby's Uncle (rosemary mayo, chicken, greens, bacon, etc wrap).
The food was delivered hot and fresh off the grill. The fries were crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside, perfectly seasoned with salt and pepper. The burger tasted like a fire grill, and was juicy and cooked just right. Go for the medium or medium-rare. So good it'll make you wanna slap yo' mama. :D But don't do that. I restrained myself, since I was dining with my mother. The quality of the burger was really quite a surprise, a pleasant one, considering I haven't had pub food that food since the Alf Alfa in Clifton closed (you'd have to be a longtime Cincinnati resident to know what I'm talking about there--it's been about 20 years.) The burger is huge, by the way. Ask for a box, because you'll only be eating half of it. The wrap is massive, too. Great deal for the price. Serious.
The wrap (Rosemary's entire family) must have been good, because I was dragged back before the drive out of Charleston, to have lunch there before the beginning of the road trip home.
The moral of the story is: always take the recommendation of men wearing tights. A guy badass enough to stand around in those shoes is worthy of a listen. :) Check out this place if you're in Charleston. Sit in the courtyard. Soak up the beauty.
(Though I didn't try them, a valet at the Doubletree swears by their fried green tomatoes. So if that's your thing, go for it.)
When I think of a pub I typically don't expect the best food. This place proved me wrong. I ordered the fried green tomato BLT with potato salad and it was amazing.. even the potato salad was great (with bacon on top).
The bloody mary was impressive as well. They have a special recipe.
My husband got the caprese grilled cheese and it was also really good.
Wish it hadn't been raining so we could enjoy the outdoor courtyard but eating at the bar was fine.
Blind Tiger Pub has to be my favorite bar in Charleston by far. The patio out back is what MAKES this place. Whenever I step out onto the patio I feel like I'm entering a jungle with lush trees, and awesome fountains and brick walkways. Such a strange setting, but in a super good way.
On the weekends in the summer, this place gets busy. There is a full bar outside along with tables and other benches on the patio that are perfect for people-watching and chatting with friends.
They also have LIVE music at nights and the vibe is always a ton of fun. Every time I've been, the bartenders have been extremely fun and friendly and the bar guests are equally as enjoyable.
I've only eaten here once but when I did, I was actually surprised that such a cool BAR would serve such great good. The portion sizes were large and the quality was excellent. During lunch, though, it's a completely different atmosphere than what I've experienced at dark while throwing a few back.
If you're in Charleston, go to Blind Tiger, eat dinner and stay for after dinner drinks and the fun to be had on the patio. Trust me, you will NOT be disappointed.
This was my second visit to Blind Tiger Pub. Â First time---maybe four years ago---was after I was already pretty crunk, and this time was to eat. Â I was very pleasantly surprised by how good the food is! Â I went with the fried green tomato Caprese salad. Â Their panko-fried green tomatoes are done to perfection. Â SO good. Â Slices of fresh mozzarella, basil chiffonade, Mediterranean sea salt, and cracked black pepper served over a bed of field greens and drizzled with a balsamic reduction. Â It was really quite excellent!
My husband had the Executive Club wrap and said it was great. Â I sampled a few of his steak fries, and they were lovely.
There are three bars here. Â One on one side, one on the other, and a third outside. Â The beer selection isn't, in my opinion, quite as spectacular as it should be, considering all the bar space, but there is something that will do for everyone.
I find the service great, particularly for such a laid-back, no-frills kind of joint. Â Pretty sure every bar in Charleston was playing the same late '70s / early '80s Pandora station this weekend, because I heard the same Cure, Talking Heads, Smiths, and---my personal favorite---David Bowie at every place I visited. Â I am so not complaining. Â The best music of all time. Â LOVE.
The back patio here is pretty sweet. It's mostly shaded and surrounded by misters. Plus it's made of this old brick (pretty), not too crowded, and really does feel like a hidden gem.
The food here is waaaay better than I expected from the appearance of the bar. Not that the bar is sketchy or anything. It just looks like a bar so you'd think their focus would be on drinks and food might just be an afterthought for drunk people. But, that's not the case. While the menu is suffering from slight identity crisis (you can order pierogies, a gyro wrap, a Hawaiian shrimp salad, or a fresh catch for example) Nick and I were both really pleased with everything we ordered.
One word of advice - get something with fried green tomatoes. Whether it's a fried green tomato caprese salad and or fried green tomato BLT, it'll be enjoyable.
Our server was nice as pie and I think I'd probably be a regular if I lived in the area.
Two things...
1 - I learned just how different it is to eat barbecue in the South. Â I ordered the pulled pork sandwich here and it was literally the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had. Â That either means they have amazing bbq OR that Denver, CO just doesn't. Â Either way I was reveling in the deliciousness of the meal and savored every bite. Â I couldn't have been more pleased with my choice.
2 - They actually sell the ring game here! Â You know, that game with the ring on a string that you try to swing onto a hook? Â Yeah that game. Â For very little investment, you too can have this in your backyard, just like me!!!
Thank you my LadyHawk for touring me through the South to find such wonders.
This was one of our first stops in Charleston. It was more of a late lunch. As soon as we came in, the bartender introduced himself and asked our names, which he then addressed us by name as we dined. The vibe was totally chill. Â
He suggested the Bahn Mi sandwich, which turned out to be very delicious. On the side we got fried okra, which also was yummy.
Drinks were dirt cheap, $2 beers and my mixed drink was a few dollars. On Tuesdays they do $4 burgers. I heard they are pretty good. There is a courtyard in the back but we stayed at the bar with the locals. If you are wondering on the name, a local told me "blind tiger", was the code to get into a speakeasy!
Blind Tiger was hands-down one of the best pubs/bars I've ever been too. Trust me, I'm well-traveled.
1) Great, cozy ambiance. Wonderful back patio that reminds me of a secret garden. There are little alcoves and areas where you could steal a quite moment with a significant other.
2) No reason to dress fancy to come here. It's laid-back and chill. A favorite with the college crowd.
3) Friendly service.
4) Live music.
5) New Castles for $2.50. Unreal! You could leave without blowing the bank on your bar budget.
6) Delicious food to absorb those $2.50 New Castles. The Spicy Tuna Tartar was out of this world amazing. It's basically tuna tartar on a crispy wonton with spicy mayo and other dressings. The Fried Green Tomatoes and Pirogies were bland...and would have been better with a bit more seasoning or a sauce to complement the flavors.
7) Convenient location on Broad Street.
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