Husk

I have no idea how much time passed while we were in there; it was like we had taken a magical portal to the kind of tastebud bliss generally only described in a theoretical sense, possibly in the cookbook equivalent of a steamy romance novel.
Not only was this a taste sensation that will forever remain dear to me, but the food portions were reasonable (none of that «we artfully placed a teaspoon of actual food amongst some garnish» sort of thing).
Just bear in mind, if you select a drink from the“Asylum” section of the drink menu be sure to drink water. Lots of water. You’ll be feeling that drink in the morning.

Ah, the oh so desired destination — Husk. Had lunch last week during a short visit to Charleston.
In summary –
— my cocktail was quite good; called a «something tipple» and my dining companion enjoyed an «Apple something»
— my first choice, fried chicken, had been 86’d
— settled for the butter lettuce salad with shrimp — meh.
— rolls were ok, butter was enjoyable
— dining companion enjoyed the ham sandwich
Sad to say, I think the wonderful Charleston food scene has passed Husk by. Just my opinion. The food wasn’t really photo worthy, but I did capture a photo of a flower and a sign.

I have been wanting to go to Husk for YEARS so when I recently found out I would be traveling to Charleston I IMMEDIATELY made a reservation. Good thing I did too because the woman who walked in behind me the night I went had a three hour wait!
I was eating alone and I thought it was really nice that they put me (and another girl eating alone) at tables right against the windows so we could, you know, people watch and not look so bored eating by ourselves. My waiter Chris was fantastic! And they refilled my water constantly which is good, because I’m usually drinking water like a camel (or whatever animal drinks a lot of water) and my water never gets refilled quickly enough for me. A+ for that!
I wanted to try IT ALL but not overreach so I ordered four appetizers and a dessert. Of course.
Rolls and butter — Rolls were totally forgettable, but I liked the bacon butter.
Wood Fired Sewansecott Oysters — definitely a woody, roasted flavor. Can’t go wrong with raw oysters but not my favorite.
KY Broadbent Country Ham with biscuits — the ham was delicious as were the biscuits.
Glazed Pig’s Ear Lettuce Wraps — these were my favorite dish! Crispy, crunchy, sweet. I could eat these all the time! I can see why they are a favorite.
Bibb Lettuce and Vegetables salad — Nice and light, with really fresh veggies. I liked the dressing.
I got a high five from the waiter when I finished all of this. That was a personal first.
I also brought home the Smores dessert and totally waited more than an hour before I ate it. It was really nice, especially liked the marshmallow on top.
Overall, none of the food really blew me away like I expected it to. I actually think McCrady’s, Sean Brock’s other, less popular, restaurant is better. But I really enjoyed my dinner here, service and ambiance were excellent. 4 stars for experience, 3 stars for food.

The food was absolutely amazing. I had the duck and my friend had the steak. Both were mouth watering. The appetizer salad we shared was even amazing. The place is well lit and although it was full of people it wasn’t noisy. Highly recommended

Them fried chicken skins
Be bangin.

My partner and I planned a trip to Charleston, scheduled around a dinner at Husk on our 1^st anniversary, ²⁄₁₃. We had heard a lot about Sean Brock’s food and were very excited for this experience! Unfortunately, the dinner did not live up to our (granted, very lofty) expectations.
Drinks: 3. My partner and I each ordered a glass of wine at the bar as we were waiting for our table (we arrived early for 9:15 pm reservations). My partner also ordered a cocktail, the Copperhead, as we were eating our appetizers. It was, hands down, the booziest drink either of us has ever had, and we both felt that the menu did not describe it adequately (and perhaps the waiter could have warned against its consumption with food).
Food: 4. The food was generally well cooked and representative of the great ingredients the chef is known to work with. We received rolls and butter after we ordered — they were delicious, but we only got a bite before our appetizers came out. We ordered the ham & biscuits and the pork ribs. The highlight was the ham, which was unadorned and perfect! Mustard and pickles were nice accompaniments. The biscuits (I’m sorry) were horrible — tiny, crumbly, and clearly not meant to be a vehicle for the ham. Of the three pork ribs, one had decent meat on it — although the sauce was very nice. Pork rinds tasted like cool ranch Doritos. For our mains, I ordered the cornmeal crusted catfish and he had the chicken and dumplings. My catfish was well cooked and the dish was fine — although the «shrimp bisque» had a film on it and was cool underneath. His chicken was AMAZING… wish I could learn to cook chicken that well! Dumplings were also good, and the parsnips in the dish blew us both away.
Service: 2. Unfortunately, Husk seems to be suffering a bit from its renown. When we asked about being seated early (both via phone call earlier in the night and when arriving), we were given the same rote, scripted response: «If a table is available, we would be happy to accommodate your request; but if we are running right on schedule you will be seated at your reserved time.» We were seated promptly at 9:15 pm, to their credit. But I would have preferred even a slight delay if it meant more humanized, attentive service. Issues with service included:
* We made it clear that we ordered everything TO SHARE. We were not brought plates to facilitate such sharing, and much of the plating made it difficult to improvise (e.g., ham is served on a long, thin board in five distinct piles).
* Appetizers were brought out immediately after rolls & butter, which were brought out immediately after we placed our order. The timing was NOT conducive to enjoyment of the meal, nor of digestion. We might have considered dessert if there had been more time during the other courses.
* Our waiter asked us if he could clear when we were halfway through our appetizers — and before he had asked whether we were enjoying the meal (which was a question we were never asked).
* After appetizers were cleared, my wine glass was empty but no one came to ask if I cared for another — UNTIL our mains were delivered. Why wait until my food is in front of me to ask if I would like another glass of wine? I was planning on asking for a recommendation to accompany the catfish, and when my food showed up I just decided to forgo a second glass.
* My main was clearly done before my partner’s — my sauce was cool, as was the fish. There was a film on the sauce. Food was tasty, but clearly had been sitting.
* After our mains were delivered we didn’t see another waiter for an extended period of time. I’m not sure if they received word from the hostess stand that all tables had been seated and they could lay off the time pressure or what, but we did sit and stare at our plates for quite a while. It was also strange that a couple of other tables in the room had finished eating their mains when we arrived but were still seated and enjoying wine/​dessert/​conversation when we left — they did not seem to be getting the same time pressure that we felt. Very inconsistent service.
* This is a minor point, perhaps, but when we made the reservation on Open Table we indicated that it was for our 1 year anniversary in the comments section. I understand we were likely not the only people celebrating, but how difficult is it for the hostess and/​or waiter to comment on it? I suppose very difficult, for a restaurant like Husk that seems to have sacrificed its heart for glory.

One of the best meals of the trip. Looking for what’s good? Everything we had was good. So I’m sure you can’t be wrong with anything you order. Maybe we shouldn’t have ordered too much though. It was just my wife and me. We were so full.

The W made reservations for a Sunday Brunch at Sean Brock’s Husk. We started with some corn bread that wasn’t on the menu. It was piping hot served in a cast iron pan. The omelette with chorizo and pepperoni with a side of bacon looked good, but I went for his famous Cheeseburger that did not disappoint. For dessert Smores and an Ice Cream Mint Sandwich.
There had to be several bachelorette groups on that Sunday morning. They must have a special salad item on the menu for those groups.
Parking in downtown Charleston is free on Sundays. There is a large parking garage across the street from the restaurant.

In my opinion, the best experiences at Husk are at brunch and at the bar. I’ve been for lunch and dinner, and while I wasn’t disappointed, brunch has always been a cut above. If you get a chance, also check out the bar and get their fried chicken when it’s available – it may be the best fried chicken in Charleston. If they’re out of fried chicken, which they often are, the burger is always a good bet.
This may be obvious, but unless you’re going to the bar, MAKE RESERVATIONS. This restaurant has gotten insane press (maybe not warranted), and if you don’t plan ahead you may not get a seat. It’s over-​hyped, but definitely worth a visit!

This review is about the bar only. I’ve eaten at the restaurant 3 times, and I just don’t get the hype. There, I said it. I’ve eaten once for dinner and twice for lunch. I gave the burger 2 tries. It’s not bad, but it’s not the best thing since the sliced benne seed bun it comes on. More power to all you Husk lovers.
Anyways, the bar is great. I love the feel of it with the dark woods and brick. It’s a tight squeeze, but there’s an upstairs which is great and can host groups. I had the CWBS Punch. It’s made with bourbon, Barbados rum, citrus juice, honey, and raw sugar. I tend to like drinks on the sweeter side, and this was just right. The bourbon cut some of the sweetness, but the bartender told me she could make it sweeter if I wanted. It was great just the way it was. Highly recommend. The bartenders are great and very attentive.

So I know GQ told me I’m supposed to hate this place, but I’ve never been the best at following mainstream ideals anyway. Had drinks at the bar, which is actually next to the restaurant. Super. Freaking. Cool. Think «Dexter’s Laboratory» meets hipster’s apothecary. But with much less pretension than either of those could project. Drinks are, I don’t want to say «made» because it’s more «constructed with the skill and ease of a maestro conducting a symphony. Beverage ingredients sit on the bar in glass jars with handwritten labels. So they’re either amazing at marketing a la Whole Foods, or they just create their own mixtures and really freaking care about ingredient. Either way, I’ve enjoyed my visit, so I’m cool with it.
Visit on a Wednesday evening in January 2016 with my fiancé. The two of us sat at the bar alone. Looking forward to our next experience here.

Came here for dinner last weekend and everything was perfect. The confit duck leg was out of this world. I devoured mine and also ate a good chunk of a friend’s after he started feeling a little stuffed. We also shared several starters, including the fried chicken skins and the fire roasted oysters. I could have made a meal out of both of them.
The service was quick and friendly and the host was very accommodating about adding an extra person to our reservation. I recommend arriving a little early and checking out the bar, which is in its own building a stone’s throw away from the restaurant. Loved the atmosphere in there and they had a great list of beers and cocktails.

Another great example of a restaurant that needs no Unilocal to convince you. My recent dining experience at Husk was sensational. I don’t think I’ve experienced a first bite at a restaurant quite as captivating as the wood fired clams. I could bathe in that broth and use the crostini to scrub my sins away. This is the kind of place that makes me proud to live in the Lowcountry. The menu very much captures the spirit of our local ingredients and presents them in such splendor that words can not describe. With that said, please check out some photos:

Loved Husk! Loved the service. Loved the food. I don’t give 5 stars unless I feel like I need write the review right then and thought this place was well worth the commitment I was not moved to write just then.
We have the pigs ear wraps and pork entrée and grits and the broccoli appetizers. All were really fantastic really. My wife didn’t like some of the flavor a as her palate is a bit more narrow than mine.
Drinks were good but not strong and the restaurant itself is simply southern! Charming as all get out. Y’all should stop here no matter what. Like that I even through in a y’all…

Dinner at husk was the meal I was most looking forward to before my recent visit to charleston in October, and I did not come away disappointed.
Husk is located in a beautiful, classic charleston building that exudes class, history, and flavor befitting of its reputation. We were seated promptly after arriving on time for our reservation and were lead upstairs to the spacious and well lit dining area. The tables were spread out so it was easy to have a conversation with your table and this also kept the noise level down.
Our waitress was not the most outgoing, but she was certainly a professional! She recommended the famous pig ear lettuce wraps and the crisp texture and superb flavor made it a fantastic recommendation. The tennessee ribs were also a hit for us and we’re some of the best ribs we’d ever had.
for our main course, I ordered the nc snapper while my girlfriend ordered the pork chop. I loved both of these dishes, but especially the snapper as the awesome presentation and flavor of the fish, rice, and other accompaniments. I really liked the fact that all of our food was bursting with flavor that was fresh and interesting with often a kick of spice that made each bite interesting and fun!
Make a stop at husk while in charleston — you won’t be disappointed. Also make sure to check out the bar at husk located next door for a cool, laid-​back vibe at this awesome bourbon bar.

Pork Fat Honey Butter. Yes, it’s a thing. No, it’s not sweet lard. It’s an actual butter that you’re served with a couple of delicious sea salt topped slightly crispy rolls to start out your meal at Husk. Think bacon grease meets sweet cream butter. I won’t write an entire review about the butter even though it’s perfectly deserving of one.
I stopped here for lunch and tried the fried chicken skins, the Husk cheeseburger and brown butter cauliflower. I started off with a non-​alcoholic ‘Summah Lovin” grapefruit lemonade type soda. Everything was great! The burger has bacon ground into the patties and comes with American cheese, bread and butter pickles and a house made sauce. Simplicity can be great when it’s executed well like this!

I have no idea how this place has any bad reviews… every restaurant has it’s off days I guess.
anyway our first meal had to be here as I’ve read about this place, heard about it, couldn’t wait to come to Charleston one day just to eat here. not even kidding. anyway our burgers (we both got one) there aren’t even words. not even words for the deliciousness. the grits we had here btw were the best grits I’ve ever had. I’ve only been eating grits for a few years now but I’ve had them in Nashville, New Orleans, Savannah, the good places. I really think I’m spoiled for life for grits, and I never thought that could happen after Nashville’s grits. My only complaint is I wish we had come here twice :) and if we ever get back to Nashville we will be definitely checking out their other location there… we also decided one of our best meals in Charleston was this place.

Every time I mentioned to a resident of Charleston that I was going to Husk, they always said good choice and I can definitely agree. The restaurant itself was quite lovely, being situated in one of those southern charming houses. The wait staff was great and attentive. We came in with a 9pm reservation on a Sunday and was not surprised to see that it was still quite busy for a Sunday night.
Appetizers:
Glazed Pig’s Ear Lettuce Wraps — Super flavorful. I won’t deny that I’ve had my share of pig ears and this was completely different from what I am used to, in a good way. The pig’s ear was super crunchy which was a great with the lettuce wraps. It was sweet and sour due to the pickled radishes. It got a little messy because there was sauce dripping from the wraps but it never hurts to get your hands a little dirty. Plus their bathrooms are nice so no big deal.
Fire Roast Oysters — Honestly, it tasted like buffalo wild wings but in oyster form. Great, strong flavor to it with a great crunch from the fried chicken fat. Oysters were warm and had a nice spice from the pepper mash.
Entrees:
Fried Catfish — fried nicely with plenty of fresh fish flavor. The sides I thought were a bit saucy to my liking but still top notch ingredients in the dish.
American spot heritage pork — It was a mix of pork belly and shoulder I believe. Super hammy. I am not a huge fan of ham so I personally didn’t love it but my friend who LOVES ham LOVED this dish so it definitely hits the spot for ham lovers.
We ended it with a crunchy and warm apple crisp which is just a good typical apple crisp.
Overall, great experience, great meal!

For my first (and hopefully not only) visit to Charleston, SC I researched which restaurant I «had» to visit. The overwhelming response was Husk — a fine dining restaurant boasting southern cuisine.
I booked a lunch reservation 2 months in advance, and I’m glad I did. Walk-​in customers were told they’d have a 2+ hour wait. The ambiance is adorably charming. The restaurant is in an old mansion on a quiet road just off King Street. I can’t speak to the dinner setting but for a weekend lunch it’s quite casual (blue jeans and tee shirt crowd).
We didn’t order much but I’m sad to say that nothing I tried blew me away. Or even made me wish I could either have more or come back and order it again. I started with the pig’s ear lettuce wraps. While I appreciated the crunch of the pigs’ ears, the rest of the dish left a lot to be desired. The lettuce was too flimsy and the pickled cucumbers had too much liquid. Overall just a bad execution. The waitress recommended the country fried steak which I’ll admit was delicious and perfectly cooked. But not so great that I’d tell my friends to go try it. The corn bread was crunchy yet tender but void of any bacon flavor it supposedly included.
I hope to revisit Charleston again but next time I’ll pass on Husk and try somewhere else instead.

Went with a group of six for a Sunday lunch and started out with the boiled peanuts and jalapeños, wings, and bean salad with feta. The salad was fresh and excellent, the wings were slightly fatty but nicely seasoned, and the peanuts were over boiled making them a bit hard to eat.
As for drinks, I tried the Bloody Mary and it was the best I’ve had in a long time, would certainly order one again if I came back.
For entrees, having had my share of low country cuisine in the prior two days, I kept it simple with a cheeseburger. It was a bit greasy, and the absence of toppings other than cheese and pickles left the greasiness top-​of-​mind.
Service was generally attentive but there was perhaps ten minutes too long between the completion of the appetizers and the arrival of the entrees.
A good, but not great, Sunday lunch.