Cru Cafe

Cru Cafe was our favorite meal in Charleston, by far. Our friends recommended it and suggested me make reservations and I'm so glad we did. The outdoor patio was lovely, the service was good and the food was absolutely delicious. We had the specials; a duck confit salad with goat cheese, walnuts and pickled onions. The duck was tender and the salad perfectly dressed. And we got the sandwich special with the truffle parmesan fries which were so good. Everything was awesome and we would highly recommend visiting.

This was my first visit to Cru and I was not disappointed. Before I forget, Emily was our server and she was great. She was extremely attentive and engaging and readily answered any questions we had for her. I read the reviews about what to try and went with the fried green tomatoes with pork belly and feta and these were amazing. The pork belly was delicious and the tomatoes were cut thin so they were extra crispy. We also split the Chinese chicken salad. This was good but I don’t know if I would order that again. It’s kind of a standard Chinese cole slaw flavor. For my main at lunch I went with the Italian and it was great too. It comes with a massive side of shoe string fries that are extra crispy. The sandwich had great flavor and was delicious. You could easily share this for lunch and be satisfied. I ended up taking the other half home. That being said, this is going to be on my regular rotation now. The food and service was just awesome.

Cru is sort of hard to find, but you will be glad you did. Be forewarned, if you choose to eat on the patio, you are across the street from carriage/horse stables. With that said, this is a funky little place in an old house down by the market. It has an open kitchen, which is always a plus, and the staff seemed to be having fun and enjoying each other’s company. The tomato and mozzarella appetizer was well-presented. The tomatoes were obviously fresh, and the mozzarella was a higher grade. Both were solid, but the dish could have used a little basil…admittedly I am a bit of a basil nut on tomatoes in the summer. I had the Italian sandwich, which was very, very good. They serve it hot, but would have been even better cold….given the heat index was over 100 on the day we went. However, in the end, it was delicious regardless. One of us had the Chinese chicken salad, a favorite of hers. Let’s just say the staff probably could have put the plate back up in the cupboard after busing it…that is how much was left. Finally, the last of our party ordered the turkey and brie, which was piled high with goodness. She said it was delicious, and it looked it. If sandwich envy is a thing, I had a touch of it. Throw in a cold beer, and it was overall a very good lunch….much better than the numerous fried seafood joints downtown which separate tourists from their money with lousy food. Search out Cru…you will be happy you did.

i love Cru Café. This restaurant is super tucked away and not a huge tourist spot. Situated in what looks to be a regular Charleston home this restaurant has an upstairs and downstairs in addition to boasting a rap around porch for seating. My party and I sat in the upstairs room and it was great. There were french doors that opened to the patio as the sun was setting and a breeze was coming through. Service was great. Food was great. If you stumble upon this restaurant please do not hesitate to dine here.

Read some good reviews, so decided to give Cru Cafe a whirl.... so glad we did!! They close for dinner prep at 3pm, and we arrived at 2:30... no problem. Our waitress, Emily, was super cool, and chatted with us, answering my questions about the history of the place while she prepped the dining room (we were the last people inside). The food was absolutely delicious! I ordered the Ginger Glazed Salmon, and added the fried onions from my daughter's Roast Beef Sandwich to my salad... best food we had while in Savannah and Charleston! My favorite part of our visit to Cru Cafe had everything to do with the staff... they were just having a great time interacting with eachother, and it was not uncommon to hear laughter coming from the kitchen. Beautiful place, delicious food, fantastic staff. Highly recommend!!

Great spot downtown, we sat on the porch. While the place was busy it wasn't crowded. We started with the fried green tomatoes with pork belly croutons. Dont miss it the honey glaze sauce was tops! I ordered the Shrimp BLT, and fries and it did not disappoint. The flavor of the lettuce and tomato topping though vinegary wasn't overwhelming and paired nicely with the sauce used to cook the shrimp. The addition of pepper jack cheese on lightly toasted sourdough bun was a flavor sensation. The chipper server was a delight, making our experience a great one. A big "Well done " to our server Ronda! Update 7 months later, Fried green tomatoes were better with the goat cheese on it! This time out we sat inside and the atmosphere was great! Everyone was very pleasant and we had the same server Rhonda. She is so dynamic and great for information about the area as well as the food. She insisted I try the goat cheese on the fried tomatoes and she was spot on. Try it you won't be disappointed!

Highly recommend sitting at the chef's counter. Great selection of wines; menu changes constantly but the local fish was divine. Ordered appetizer of fried green tomatoes with pork belly croutons, crumbled cheese and a smoked tomato caramel sauce - you absolutely must try if it's on the menu, God's work I say! Fresh catch of mahi which I had blackened over spaetzle with sausage shrimp and tomatoes for entree, with a side of fried oyster salad (some of the best fried oysters I've ever had btw), and for desert a bread pudding with strawberries, blueberries, and white chocolate topped with handmade whipped cream: chef's kiss! 🤌 All enjoyed with a fine bottle of Malbec, which I took home with me.

Such a great brunch place!! Definitely worth checking this place out if you are visiting Charleston. The food was amazing and the staff was very friendly. We tried many different items (most of their staples) and we LOVED them all. The truffle fries are crispy, thin and delicious, the truffle mushroom soup is the best if you are mushroom soup lover, the shrimp BLT is pretty good but we liked the roast beef sandwich more. It was the BEST roast beef sandwich I ever had. Oh and the mac n cheese… out of this world, so flavorful!! Prices were reasonable and the atmosphere was very unique. Worth making a reservation in advance to avoid any wait times.