Across South Carolina, you'll find iconic hangouts that have become a home away from home for many of their patrons.
Here are some of the best iconic hangouts:
Iconic Hangouts: Where Everybody Knows Your Name
FLORENCE
Wooden Nickel
A more “upscale” establishment than the Fountain, the Nickel welcomes all ages with plenty of beers, food, karaoke and occasional live music. Football on TV, especially when owner Jimmy Langston’s University of South Carolina Gamecocks play, is also a big draw, as is its annual Christmas and Halloween parties.
Circle Fountain
Yes, it’s a late-night joint, the exterior is olive-drab green and brown, and the beer of choice is Bud Light. But no other place in the Pee Dee region has as much history—it’s the oldest continuously operated bar in Florence. Want to get a taste of local character? Pull up a stool and start a conversation
COLUMBIA
LaBrasca's Pizza
Tucked in a small strip shopping center, this eatery has been dishing out pies and their famed cheese salads for more than 50 years. Owners Brett and Milly Wilson treat their customers like family and make their pizzas using a "secret homemade sauce," fresh ingredients and hand-crafted custom crusts. It has won South Carolina's "Best Pizza" award year after year.
GREENVILLE
The Zorba Lounge
This East Washington Street standard for 50-plus years bills itself as a “no frills classic bar and grill” with “the best wings and steak sandwich in town…maybe the state.” It's also a cool place for families.
SPARTANBURG
Willy Taco
If you want Mexican food, the original Willy Taco (another restaurant is located in Greenville) is your destination. The place’s slogan is “Tacos...Tortas…Tequila,” which pretty much covers it. Load up on good Mexican, margaritas and friendly, down-home service.
Gerhard’s Café
Gerhard and Mary Grommer established this European-American restaurant and bar in 1993, and the food remains German and Austrian traditional. Located right off East Main Street in Spartanburg’s revitalized downtown, the café also has an extensive wine and beer selection.
CHARLESTON
Moe’s Crosstown Tavern
Talk about an endorsement, Moe’s has been featured in Esquire magazine’s “Best 50 Bars in America.” Located on Rutledge Avenue in downtown Charleston near Hampton Park, it’s a locals' favorite for beer, burgers and sports on TV. The menu features “bloodies and mimosas” along with other mixed drinks.
Blind Tiger Pub
This is another Charleston watering hole with a long history. The term “Blind Tiger” was coined in the late 1800s to describe then-illegal drinking and gambling establishments that cropped up when temperance legislation was the rule. The Blind Tiger Pub dates to 1992 and was part of a 2016 area restoration.
Tommy Condon’s Irish Pub & Seafood Restaurant
Part of Charleston’s “old Slave Market” area, this Irish pub features occasional Irish musicians—including bagpipers—a variety of beers and an extensive menu with an emphasis on local seafood. Condon’s has been around for 20-plus years and remains a favorite.
MYRTLE BEACH
The Bowery
In Myrtle Beach, “iconic hangouts” begin (and some say end) with this famed beach joint, open since 1944. From 1973-80, the house band was Alabama, now in the Country Music Hall of Fame; the current house band and others provide music most nights. It might not be your place if you like a variety of beers as The Bowery only has one, an unnamed draft beer served in a clear glass mug. Some bartenders and waiters have earned a reputation for their “chugging” skills. The atmosphere is very Southern, so you’ll see some Confederate influences in the décor, but everyone is welcome.
Ocean Annie’s
A gathering spot for locals since the 1980s, this classic beach bar at Sands Ocean Club is called “the one place where locals and tourists most naturally coexist.” Two house bands perform from late morning until 11 p.m., and the beach in front of the bar draws locals to play volleyball, horseshoes and cornhole. When the bar closes each night in the summer, patrons move to Sandals inside the hotel.
SENECA
The Spot on the Alley
A favorite of Clemson students and locals, The Spot has been voted Best Bar and Best Burger in the Upstate by the local Readers' Choice Awards. “Whether you’re a local, a Yankee or a half-back, or some mix thereof, you’ll feel at home” here, the website says. Entertainment includes big screen TVs, pool tables and video games, plus trivia, bingo, karaoke and more.
SULLIVAN’S ISLAND
Poe’s Tavern
The pub is named for famed poet Edgar Allen Poe, who, in 1827, was based at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island. A rustic little jewel, it's renowned for its burgers, but offers great seafood too and a large beer selection. Bonus: you might spot one of a number of retired football and basketball coaches who maintain homes on the island and frequent the place.
Dunleavy’s Pub
Dunleavy’s celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2017. A “little slice of New England,” it was founded by siblings Patti and Bill Dunleavy to fulfill their father's dream of owning a little Irish pub. The pub’s distinctive T-shirts have reportedly been spotted in Las Vegas, the Vatican and (where else?) Ireland. The menu features bar favorites as well as salads and 14 beers on tap.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND
British Open Pub
Anglophiles, this is your place in Hilton Head with authentic English food, American favorites and certified Angus beef. The selection of beverages includes English, Scottish and Irish beers and whiskys (that’s how they spell it), including fine Scotches. The décor is pure Open Championship, fitting for golf-centric Hilton Head. Originally opened in 1998 in the Village at Wexford, it added a second location in Bluffton in 2012.
Reilley’s Grill & Bar
Opened in 1982 and designed to recreate a “true Boston pub,” Reilley’s serves up steaks, seafood and pub sandwiches, indoors or—thanks to convertible walls—on one of the island’s best pet-friendly outdoor patios. The brunch was voted “best brunch” by Hilton Head Monthly magazine in 2015.
Up the Creek Pub & Grill
For a real island experience, Broad Creek Marina and its pub and grill are as authentic as it gets. Enjoy a meal and beverage while planning dolphin tours, parasailing, kayaking or a charter boat cruise, or watch the ferries that run to Daufuskie Island come in and out of the marina. Yes, the views are pretty nice, too.
