Mercantile

Ok, so I was little confused as to the idea of this place. It’s a gift shop when you first walk in, and then it’s a grocer in the back (meats and cheeses?) but it’s also great for brunch and lunch? I don’t really understand. It’s a little Eataly-​ish, but more laid back.
We found our way to the register to order our food and were given a sample of some sort of chocolate chai thing (too dairy-​y for me). We then had to fight through the crowd to find two seats together. Family-​style seating is great for saving space, but it’s really tough when people refuse to sit closer together, insisting on leaving a chair in between each party. I saw two half-​tables that were «reserved» by a single person seating at each half that sat empty for the entire hour that we were there. Not cool, people.
Anyhoo. The food itself was fantastic and worth a return trip (although I’d get it to-​go). We sat over at the pastry counter, watching various bakers run to and fro, working on cookie dough, cake frosting, and other tasks. Fun to watch and to smell.
We ordered a butternut squash bisque to share that had a drizzle of honey and granola. You could definitely taste the apple and I wish it had been more squash-​y, but it was really very good. I had also ordered the Mahi Tacos, which I thoroughly enjoyed. My sister ordered a green salad with chicken, that also had apple slices, pears, cheese, and other things sprinkled about. She was sad that we weren’t going home afterwards and had to leave a good half of the salad behind. It was large.
I think they could set up the store to be a little more customer friendly. It wasn’t until we had ordered and found our chairs that we noticed the pastry display stuffed into a corner; we may have forgone the soup in favor of a cupcake to split.
A friend works in the offices right next door and said she’s come there a number of times for lunch and has been pleased most of the time. The prices are a little high but as long as the quality matches, we don’t mind. It’s a very hipster-​esque place that seems to still be searching for its identity and I’ll be interested to see where it goes.

I was lucky enough to attend their grand opening a few months ago and I have no idea why I was just getting around to going back. My husband and I went for breakfast and couldn’t have been more thrilled with the food. Sometimes smaller menus make it easier to order but everything on theirs made my mouth water. I decided on the breakfast burrito and my husband got the lox bagel. We share a croissant because it just looked so tempting in the window. My breakfast burrito was perfect! Sometimes I worry I’ll just end up with a hot mess of a scramble but this had every component perfectly positioned inside: egg, beans, chorizo, avocado and it was a very generous portion. We put our number down and walked throughout and honestly thought about staying all day. I can’t wait to go back for another breakfast!
I saw a few people setting up shop to work from their chairs and thought that was pretty cool especially since I’m always on the lookout for grad school paper writing options.
Things worth going back to try: homemade macaroons, dinner for two options, gift for friends

This is located in the cigar factory, which is about 1 block from my house so we went there out of convenience for lunch but it was delicious! Great menu and prices, something for everyone. The store itself is really cute and has «grab and go» options too. We’ve been to the whiskey bar, Mash, which is next door and equally as good. The bartender there told us they also own the 2^nd floor to that section for people to rent for events.

I’m starting to think Charleston is filled with in cognito chain restaurants. I know they’re not chains and you know they’re not chains but you walk into a place and you feel like you’ve already been there on your first visit. Why? Because everyone’s interior design is rustic and industrial, everyone’s peddling the same local pantry staples and all the menus sound familiar.
I had the burger — it was really big even after I pulled out one of the patties and he had a breakfast burrito with eggs/​beans/​chorizo/​guac. Both came with tater tots we had no clue about until our plates arrived but it was a welcome surprise. What we ate was tasty and the portions were generous. We only ate half of our plates because we filled up quick. I hate to say it but Mercantile seems like a knock off of Butcher & Bee. I wouldn’t go out of my way to come back here but it seems like a good place for a group since they’ve got the space. They seem to be trying to dip into lots of segments — dine in, to go, bakery, butcher, bar. Which is it?

Going to just say one thing. OVER F’N Priced.
Burger, Fries and an Iced Tea. $ 20.
So not worth the price, but it’s a good burger and the people are a bit beatnik for my taste. Customer service is low and they seem annoyed that we were there. I don’t think I will be back very soon. Too many other options downtown where I get table service and a better food for less. :-) I’m not a cheap skate, so don’t think that. If I’m paying high price for a burger it will be where a server brings it to me, with at least a ice tea refill.

We picked a great day to visit Mercantile for the first time: free pic with Santa day! I knew it would be pretty busy so we arrived right at 9 am and got in line for pics. While we waited, we enjoyed looking at all the goodies on the giant table that the line formed around. The pics were adorable and we received two strips of 4 pics each. After pics, the kids were able to choose a giant cookie to decorate. They had a huge table set up with tons of frosting and sprinkles for the kids to use. They also had boxes so the kids could take home their creations. Once the kids were done decorating, we headed to the café to order breakfast. I ordered the Huevos Ranchero Wrap. It was sooo freaking good. It comes already cut in half so I shared a half with my teen who said it was the best breakfast she’d had out in a long time. My mom ordered the bacon cheddar scone and the cranberry muffin with orange glaze and said both were delicious. She and my daughter also got hot chocolate from the adorable hot chocolate bar. They especially loved the candy canes in their hot chocolate. My son ate his cookie for breakfast but tried (and loved) the bottled Swamp Pop root beer. After we ate, we walked around and checked out the bakery case filled with drool-​worthy treats and the all the hanging meats. We also admired the fab décor (love the leather drawer and cabinet pulls) and wood floors. Mercantile is such a neat space– can’t wait to go back!

Very nice inside and the house blend coffee was great. Would rate it higher but haven’t tried the food. Highly recommend the house blend coffee (WoW)!!

Heaven. I bought one of everything. We had an array of desserts and didn’t even get to eat real food. The nitro Vietnamese coffee made my heart patter. The staff was so nice. I’m in love… Don’t tell my wife…

Came here for lunch a few weeks back and felt like Dorothy because I was BLOWN AWAY. Everything I tried was delicious, but that beef carpaccio with buttermilk fried sweetbreads is straight out of Oz because there’s no way anything this good outsides from this world. If you’re nervous about sweetbreads, don’t be! Think of them as grown up chicken nuggets. They weren’t chewy at all, like I’ve had them at other places, which was refreshing. The market area looks great as well and I can’t wait to come back by and do some shopping!

This place is really neat! I just came in here today with my husband to grab a bite to eat. The space is gorgeous and I am such a big fan of all the local products featured throughout the store. This place is part food café, grocery, butcher, bakery all in one. I got to grab a bite to eat and a carton of farm fresh eggs to go. There is lots of space with big open tables, the staff is so friendly and the food is great! I love how the open concept allows you to see everything from the pastry chefs baking, to the the baristas making coffee.
For brunch I ordered the huevos rancheros wrap. It had eggs, avocado, beans and chorizo. It also came with a side of tater tots. I mean who doesn’t love tots? Simple, but delicious with lots of flavor. My husband had this epic bowl that had tots, corned beef, pickled peppers, green onion, some sort of aoli and egg. I say egg on anything is always the right choice. He also had the Vietnamese iced coffee which wasn’t really iced but in a small espresso glass, and was super sweet because of the condensed milk. I’d recommend ordering a glass of ice on the side to dilute the coffee. That’s what I usually do when I make it at home. They had other brunch options as well like french toast, biscuits, and a DIY bloody mary bar.
I love the changing menu and the grab and go options. I think the prices are super reasonable with great portions and I can’t wait to come back again!

I haven’t experienced the food yet, but I was not impressed with the bar. Waited too long for drinks and our orders were messed up. Then, when fixed, they tasted gross. I never even finished mine. My friends and I were disappointed. We were excited to make this our new go to place. Other than that, I do love the overall look of the place. It’s cool

Wow… what a great place… enjoyed dinner at the bar… Teddy was amazing behind the bar… Mash Burger was over the top, two small patties with bacon pickles and shredded lettuce. New place at the Cigar Factory… put it on your list to eat and enjoy life.

Great bahn mi. Rich pork belly and chicken liver mousse balanced with killer crisp jalapeño carrots radish and celantro On soft fresh sub roll. Loved interior design. The staff was so friendly and helpful. Enjoyed watching chefs making pasteries and pasta while having lunch. Will have cured meats and cheeses on next visit.

Beautiful space! Excited to try the cold coffee brew mixed with lime! Michael is doing really interesting things here.

I went to Mercantile today for lunch with one of my co-​workers. The space is beautiful. They did a great job with the layout and design. We were planning on grabbing something to go and bring back to the office. Both of us thought there would be a larger grab and go selection in terms of sandwiches /​salads. There were only two types of sandwiches and one of them was labeled «Pork» without any further descriptions, so we had no idea exactly what was in that. Since we didn’t see anything grab and go sparking our interest for lunch, we decided to order something from the Café and eat there. We both had the burger which was delicious! There are about 9 different choices from the café with 1 being a salad. I was hoping for a few more healthy items, but everything on the menu looked delicious. I probably won’t keep this on my options for a grab and go lunch, but will definitely be back to try a different sandwich from the café.

I’m not so sure on how I should list this place as a new business on Unilocal,because it seems to be 2 separate businesses. Soooooo I’ll go with it like this. Mercantile (and Mash, for that matter) is so brand new, the paint’s still drying on the walls. This place actually opened on September 25^th and I was here on Saturday the 26^th. Yeah, brand spanking new. — Located in the newly renovated, old Charleston Cigar Factory right off of E. Bay at the foot of the Ravenel bridge. Essentially the space is broken up into 2 separate concepts. Mercantile is the gourmet food and provisions retail space offering fresh sliced cured meats and bacon. A fresh pasta bar and dessert cases for those with a sweet tooth. One thing you MUST know about this place. Mercantile is absolutely stunning. This is the type of place one would find in the trendy meat packing district of New York City where all the overpriced ladies of the house flock to because it makes them feel hip. This is VERY Dean & DeLuca-​ish. Even with that said, you’ll be able to find a little something luxury for yourself without breaking the bank here. I did notice a few tables, perhaps communal, for eating in the space, but I think for the most part, it may be a grab and go concept. — Final thought. Don’t skip on the prepared food offerings here. Mercantile has executive and expert pastry chef’s carefully watching over the delicate preparation of their menu items. This is NOT your ordinary, run of the mill Fresh Market people. This is high quality, with attention to detail. I can’t WAIT to spend more time here and try a little bit of everything Mercantile has to offer.