Hominy Grill, Charleston, SC, Kiawah Islan

Hominy Grill, Charleston, SC, Kiawah Islan
Chowhound

This place is in a plain store front just outside the downtown of Charleston, 207 Rutledge, just off Cannon.

You wouldn't look twice just passing by.

However, it's the kind of place where while nothing is fancy, everything is done extremely well.
Also, everything is made on the premises, including their delicious pies and ice cream.

My wife had a plate of shrimp over cheese grits, said it was great. Came with mushrooms, scallions, and bacon over the grits. OK, we're from NY, what do we know about grits? Only that we know when something tastes good.

French fries, pretty simple, right? Except they're actually hand cut and fried, and come out slightly crisp, just the way you like them. All of them. Same for their apple sauce, simple, except it tastes like the filling of a good apple strudel.

They post their sides on a chalk board, they had 21 choices the days I was there. Yep, went back twice to see if it was a fluke, and also to enjoy lunch there.

Some of the sides were local (Southern?) items I hadn't heard of, like Hoppin John, fried cheese grits, tomato pudding, and others that just sounded good like mashed sweet potatoes, squash casserole, cukes and onions, and okra and tomatoes. We had six people in our party, and we tasted many items, all good. Shrimp creole, sesame crusted catfish, fried chicken with country ham gravy, low country purloo with chicken, sausage and shrimp, and others, all good. The fried shrimp was lightly battered, like a tempora, rather than heavily breaded. Great cornbread too.

Desserts great, including the homemade ice cream. Had buttermilk pie, first time, light and delicious.

Service also excellent, as were the prices, no item over $18.95.

If you're staying on Kiawah Island or Charleston, give it a try. Kid friendly too.

Another place near Kiawah Is. is Gilligans on Johns Is. Good food, and if you're with kids, great place. Prices very good. They have an early menu, no, it's not your parents early bird special. It's till 6pm, which is great with kids. For $10 you get salad, main, side, and dessert. Had the gumbo, nicely spiced with lots of shrimp and sausage.