181 Palmer

Really one of the best deals in Charleston. $ 15 for 3 courses? With 4 choices each? That’s like 64 different combinations (don’t hold my math on that one)
Make sure you book in advance and remember it’s lunch only. Tip: they tell you it will take 1.5 hours for meals, but I was out of there in less than an hour. Check it out.

181 Palmer is one of two restaurants run by the culinary students at Trident Tech, offering a lunch service on weekdays during the semester. It’s awesome! They offer a 3 course menu for $ 15, and you have four choices from each course — apps, main + dessert. I went with my mom and hubby and got to try everything they had too, so sampled most of the menu. The chilled pea and asparagus soup, fish of the day, and white chocolate cheesecake were my favorites. The short rib was also delicious.
Presentation, service, price were all right on. You have to go in there expecting that you’re part of someone’s learning experience, so they may not be as suave as your regular server, but it’s part of the fun.
You do need to make reservations, so check the website and use OpenTable before you go.
The only reason I didn’t give the 5-​star-​as-​good-​as-​it-​gets rating is because the only vegetarian options were desserts, and there was little available for our lactose-​intolerant or vegan friends. It may have been possible to get things without bacon on them, but it would’ve been nice to see something thought up by the chef specifically for veggies.