Skip Poogan's Porch in Charleston, SC

[laurag2]

We are local and decided to give PP a try. Hands down this was one of the worst dining experiences we have had in our town. First, my coffee cup arrived with unwashed lipstick. Our waiter went missing for 10 minutes so I finally got up and poured myself a new cup from the sideboard. Then my husbands omelet arrived with pieces of oyster shell. Our waiter didn't come by to check on us at all. I poured my own coffee refill and ny husband went to get the manager to complain about the omelet. She comped the omelet but when we asked for a box for our We are local and decided to give PP a try. Hands down this was one of the worst dining experiences we have had in our town. First, my coffee cup arrived with unwashed lipstick. Our waiter went missing for 10 minutes so I finally got up and poured myself a new cup from the sideboard. Then my husbands omelet arrived with pieces of oyster shell. Our waiter didn't come by to check on us at all. I poured my own coffee refill and my husband went to get the manager to complain about the omelet. She comped the omelet but when we asked for a box for our biscuits she implied we were going to try to take home the uneaten omelet. Hello - why would we want your inedible food. Take it from a local; you can do better pretty much any place else in Charleston.

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Poogan's Porch
72 Queen St, Charleston, SC 29401

[observor]

Dined at PP last night, since they are still doing their rollback prices...spinach salad with sprinkles of goat cheese, a pile of caramelized onions, spiced pecans here and there, and a honey-balsamic vinaigrette; fried alligator, about 4-5 pieces, with a honey-jalapeno dressing that seemed like a ranch jalapeno dressing, with a pile of greens on the side; and a slow-braised short rib stroganoff that came with button mushrooms, narrow egg noodles in cream sauce and a blanket of parmesan cheese. Came with buttery biscuits with a mound of honey butter. I would say the food was quite uninteresting. The spincah salad was as labelled. The fried alligator, which I had never eaten before, tasted like, well, fried alligator. The beef stroganoff was quite bland and came out rather cold. I asked them to reheat it and it didn't come out much hotter. The biscuits were tasty, but I think it is mostly because they are laden with butter. Service was pretty unremarkable as well. $21.75. The food wasn't interesting enough to make me want to go back.

[lauracohenromano]

Now that I know where *not* to go, can you tell me where *to* go? Coming to Charleston for the first time at end of month, and although I tried asking this in another thread, this one's getting a lot more traffic so I thought I'd try here too. Seeking breakfast recs.

[observor]

What part of downtown will you be staying in? What kind of place are you looking for? What is your budget?

[lauracohenromano]

Will be in the historical district with no car, and it's breakfast I'm wanting to know about (coming for a 50th bday celebration weekend and all other meals are being planned by the birthday gal and her husband), so very open about both type of place and budget. Only restriction I'd give would be that I'm looking for breakfast, not big brunch. Thanks!

[observor]

It would be helpful if you were more specific about your location and interests, but for a breakfast place:

"Palmetto Cafe" in Charleston Place, Market and Meeting St.: expensive, but very nice surroundings.

"Toast" 155 Meeting St.: Quite inexpensive, casual place

"Dixie Supply Bakery and Café" 62 State St. (at Cumberland, next to L'il Cricket Convenience Store). Not the most pleasant of locations but puts on a fine breakfast run by locally trained chefs.

All three have online menus if you want to check them out. There are, of course, others depending how far you want to walk, if you want to take a trolley, etc.

[lauracohenromano]

Thanks, I just looked at Toast breakfast menu and it looks great!

I'll look at the others, too.

Re: location, I'm staying at the Fulton Lane Inn on King St. But we're willing to walk up to a half hour for our breakfast!

[observor]

Two more:

"Joseph's Restaurant": A bit closer than Toast at 129 Meeting St., it's family-owned, casual, was on Food Network, omelets, benedicts, pancakes, etc.

"Virginia's on King", at 412 King Street, about 3/4 of a mile from you, cozy southern style restaurant, nicer surroundings.

Both have menus online also.

[observor]

Finally, if you feel at all ambitious, the Marina Variety Store restaurant would be 1.2 miles from you at the city marina, 17 Lockwood Dr. and has large breakfasts at very reasonable prices as you sit on the water (inside, of course). Menu is also online.

[Sue in Mt P]

I love the City Marina. But there are no trolleys in Charleston. Tour buses, yes, a trolley car, no.

[BlueHerons]

How unfortunate. I've been eating at Poogan's (brunch) with my family for years and think it is one of the best in town.

Unfortunately I cannot say that about lunch and dinner because it is so hit or miss but I have not had a bad meal there in 20 years.

[wintersummer]

Absolutely agree with you - I wish I could remember the specifics, but our meal and experience (from about 2 years ago) was terrible. We were in Charleston several months ago and walked by the place - it brought back bad memories!

[observor]

They are currently having a 1978 rollback price special Sun.-Thurs. I had the cup of gumbo with okra, chicken, and sausage for $2.50 and sweet tea glazed salmon on risotto and squash for $8.99. The gumbo, though minuscule in size, was quite tasty and, most interestingly, *hot*. I wouldn't mind having four of them and calling it a meal. The salmon and risotto were not hot and the risotto was not cooked properly. The vegetables were fine and the salmon was very fresh, but it would have been much better if it had been hot. The biscuits were light and buttery. Overall, I didn't get the sense that the place was well-run, but for the rollback prices, the meal wasn't awful. Would maybe try it again for the $9.50 hangar steak with mashed potatoes...

[carolinadawg]

Cheap does not equal worth eating.

[observor]

cheap+isn't bad=worth eating

[danna]

I've said this before, but just in case some Charleston tourists are reading this...Poogan's makes the best biscuits I've had in Charleston. Go to Poogan's for breakfast and have biscuits.

[observor]

Dear tourists, breakfast only offered on weekends.

[danna]

good deal! that's when we tourists are usually there ;-)

Did Poogans used to be better? (This question is addressed to whomever might have been eating in Charleston for a LONG time) I remember going there a bunch when I was a kid on vacation with my parents. I liked it at one point, was it better , or have my tastes just evolved?

[Sue in Mt P]

I recently had 2 business lunches at Poogan's-they roll those biscuits out at lunch during the week.

danna, I think both. It used to be one of the best places in town (I first went there in '84), but now, with everything available, it's just not the best choice in town.

[BetsyinKY]

I agree that Poogan's serves some pretty tasty biscuits. We've been coming to Charleston at least twice a year for the past six years or so. We used to eat at Poogan's at least once every trip. I don't know that it was ever the most outstanding meal of the trip, but it was always decent. We never had an experience of the sort that the OP described. However, as Sue points out, there are so many better places in the area, that when I'm in town for a limited number of meals, I don't want to waste one at Poogan's.

[dschoonmaker]

The last time I was there must have been in the late '80s or early '90s. I remember it as being okay--especially when herding small children--but nothing extraordinary.

[lizzy]

I am under the impression that both Poogan's Porch and 82 Queen used to be two of the better restaurants in town, but they both have been resting on their reputation for a long time.

[Sue in Mt P]

I think you're right. And the locations of both are appealing.

[Tee]

Danna,
I was in Charleston in 1979 and I thought Poogans was bad then, and i was a poor Citadel cadet who would eat anything!

[JayL]

Amen to that!

It's not easy finding an affordable meal downtown.