The Swamp Fox Restaurant

I’ve never written a review before, but felt the need to speak up about my experience. I have been blown away by almost every restaurant I have been to in Charleston but this place was wholly underwhelming. The caesar salad was dry and croutons were chewy, and the she crab soup my girlfriend ordered was very sweet and had no texture. For the main course I ordered salmon at a medium temperature and my fish was overcooked to the point of crispy edges; not to mention for the price paid, about 24 dollars or more, my piece of salmon was disappointingly small. My girlfriend had shrimp and grits with very little flavor, very bland and the shrimp was basically just ‘there’. The service was also very slow even though this was a weeknight and the restaurant was not at all busy. Also I feel the need to mention, the place smelled noticeably unpleasant when we walked in.
Overall there are so many other great places to eat in Charleston there is no way I would go back, and definitely would not recommend this place to anyone. It was overpriced and underwhelming.

Really a fantastic night! We had won the Golden Ticket which included all kinds of stuff including a 3 course meal at this establishment. We got the Farmers Market Special. All ingrediants were local. They work with the vendors from the farmers market across the street to get local providers to keep them stocked with whatever is in season. We started out with a grilled Romaine salad with a delicious dressing, pickled onions, country ham, and blue cheese. I loved this. Very big which made it tough to handle but I understood why. I thought only the croutons were unnecessary and a little stale but just pushed them aside. Our 1^st course was followed by Pecan Encrusted Grouper sitting atop Chard, sweet potatoes, oyster mushrooms, and some very tasty beets surrounding it all. Each part separate was pretty good but combining most of it was delightful! The fish was cooked a little more than I like but really as a whole enjoyed this dish. The desert was a bread pudding that I was sure I would not like. It just came with the meal so. But alas, it was fantastic. Just the right size and with a fresh strawberry on top with some homemade whipped cream. I loved it. So overall a great experience, especially for a hotel restaurant. I would come back and probably will!

We went on 2÷16÷2016 around 9pm. My husband and I had just got back from an urgent care and were not dressed up yet for dinner. The staff was so courteous and made us comfortable to sit and enjoy dinner. The hosts were so personable and welcoming. The waiter was quick and efficient. The bread was amazing. We started with she crab soup which was delicious. It was a very heavy soup so I do wish I had only gotten a cup. My husband had the friend Chicken which he though was excellent. We weren’t fans of the mac and cheese but everything else was great. I had gotten the NY strip steak. It was cooked perfectly and was huge. This was a great dining experience and I would definitely go back.

Really enjoyed our anniversary meal. I had the grilled grouper special and it was excellent. Attentive staff!

Me and my husband ate dinner there last night. He had shrimp and grits. I had crab cakes w asparagus,. They were both very good, he would have liked a bigger portion but mine was just right

Pleasant setting’ nice staff, good food. Nice walk here from any direction, take a stroll along King St and enjoy the window shopping.

Upon checking into the Francis Marion hotel, hubby and I decided to have lunch at their on-​site restaurant, Swamp Fox, instead of walking around researching. It turned out to be a good decision as we had some pretty awesome food there.
Hubby and I decided to split everything, so we could try more things without getting stuffed. Here’s what we got:
FRIED OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER — This is a little deconstructed version of an Oysters Rockefeller since the oysters were without their shells and fried. But all the flavors were there: creamed spinach, bacon, parmesan. We did enjoy this very much, although I do prefer the traditional baked Rockefeller.
CRAB CAKE SLIDERS — Exactly as you’d expect: crab cakes on a bun with remoulade. They were good but nothing out of the ordinary. We figured they would be pretty easy to split between us, and we both like crab cakes, so WINNER.
SHRIMP & GRITS — The star of the show, and the thing that made the entire lunch worth the money. These are award-​winning grits, and anytime you throw that word out there, I immediately want to try it. Thankfully, it earned its title. Hands-​down the best shrimp and grits eaten on my entire 10 day trip through GA, SC and NC. Delicious lobster-​tasso gravy made such a huge difference in the flavor. Heavenly. If you are undecided on what to order, just stop thinking and get this. Undeniably good.
All in all, excellent lunch. The crab cake sliders were pretty standard, but the oysters had a twist that others may really appreciate. Hubby certainly did. But those shrimp and grits put everything over the top.

I came here with a
coupon with a friend while visiting the town and the brunch was exactly what we were looking for. It was so much food and we even had a live pianist while we were eating. It was a lovely experience on our last day in Charleston.

The service was great. The food itself was so-​so. I really liked their Caesar Salad, but I got the NY Strip Steak and it completely fell flat. The mashed potatoes that I ordered with it and the steak were both under-​seasoned. The steak itself didn’t seem like a great cut for the price — it was very very chewy.

Had the crab soup which was good, but lacked actual crab meat. Then I had the fried green tomatoes which were very delicious with their special jelly and goat cheese. Finally I had the shrimp and grits which was heavy, but very good. I couldn’t even finish it all, which is perfect, especially because I really wanted to. If you go get the shrimp and grits!

Pretty disappointed in a place that boasted it had «the best breakfast in Charleston». The buffet is 15 $ and the only unique about it was they serve smoothies that were pretty great but not for the price. I actually enjoyed the complimentary breakfast at the Embassy Suite we stayed at much more which also includes eggs made to order. Honestly the only difference in the two were the smoothies and the Embassy served better potatoes, oh yeah and it was free. My boyfriend had steak and eggs for 15 $ and it was okay but nothing special. I would note that the service is quite impeccable and the maitre d quite charming.

It’s a hotel bar. Prices are high, beer is cold. Better than no bar at all!

What a wonderful unexpected surprise! Visiting Charleston for the day and using a
coupon and just picked this place out randomly. Wow! The food was excellent! Southern style with a touch of class! Fried green tomatoes with goat cheese and red pepper jelly. Shrimp with roasted tomatoes and fennel. Crab cakes with more crabmeat than breading, and a shallot, caper lemon butter sauce. Butterflied fried chicken with collard greens seasoned to perfection. Chef Phil’s creations are not to be missed!

DO NOT GET THE FREE COMPLEMENTARY BOTTLE OF WINE!!! We had vouchers in our room for a free bottle of wine with two entrees so we tried it — SO GROSS. The wine was incredibly cheap, we couldn’t even take more than two sips, and we aren’t even wine snobs!
We didn’t feel like walking or driving to another restaurant so we settled for the Swamp Fox in the Francis Marion Hotel where we were staying. The reviews were pretty much saying it was «OK» but we decided to try anyway. The reviews were correct — the spinach pasta dish was bad, the fried chicken tasted like KFC and it wasn’t impressive at all. The desserts were literally better than the entrees, and they were probably bought. Like other reviews say, I would only go here if I got in late and had no other choices. There are soooo many other better choices in Charleston, especially down by the Market and the waterfront for the same price.

The Swamp Fox
Hidden Breakfast Treasure
While staying at the Francis Marion Hotel I decided to have breakfast at this great restaurant which sits at the entrance to the hotel in the hallway to the lobby, right across from Starbucks.
I ordered the Francis Marion breakfast with options, eggs over well, grits with cheese, bacon and an english muffin. Each of these I consider as good as I’ve ever had in any restaurant however the grits were incredible. I am generally not a fan of grits however being here on business I decided why not try them in the heart of where they’re from. The coffee was as good as any Costa Rican coffee I’ve ever had. Funny, this restaurant is located right across the hall from Starbucks
My waitress Melissa was an awesome person with a fabulous personality. She too agreed it was one of Charleston’s hidden treasures. Melissa said the Saturday and Sunday brunch is to die for. Based on my breakfast I totally believe her.
The décor is professional and the restaurant is quiet. Perfect place for a business breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Food was delicious; everyone was happy with their meals — I had crab cakes. Service was friendly and fast.
The only thing is that it’s in the hotel and it looks like your average hotel restaurant and a bit dated. I think they could do with some updated décor for better ambiance.

We had the weekend buffet here (hotel guests). It was $ 20 per person and included beverages (including a mimosa or a bloody mary, in addition to coffee and juice). They had all the basic brunch items as well as a made-​to-​order omelet station. Not a large dessert bar, but the strawberries and cream was delicious.

The swamp fox is located in the Francis Marion Hotel. Pleasantly surprised with dinner
started with excellent she-​crab soup. As previous reviewer said perfectly: Delightfully creamy with just the right amount of crab. (Actually better soup than the steak house I dined at yesterday)
Had Crab Cakes for entrée: ok NOT as good as Baltimore crab cakes, but VERY GOOD (tip: ask for the butter sauce on the side, it was overwhelming and waitress saw my expression and got me a replacement without the butter sauce that was just right)
was feeling guilty on calories so i asked for a fruit plate (NOT on menu, but put together in minutes and great and cheap)
Service excellent /​price VERY reasonable.

The Swamp Fox is inside of the Francis Marion Hotel, in a great location across from Marion Square. They have a nice menu selection featuring many Southern favorites. When I inquired if the chef would be able to accommodate my need for gluten free food, the host assured me he would and sent over the server pre-​informed.
Our server was very friendly and patiently went through the menu with me, showing me what the chef would be able to modify for me. I ended up with the Roasted Half Chicken, which came out perfectly juicy and tender. It was accompanied by a potato and goat cheese gratin, which had a nice bubbly browned top, and the local vegetable preparation was an absolute delight — long ribbons of veggies nicely seasoned and well cooked.
My husband absolutely loved his fried chicken, which came with mashed potatoes and gravy and collard greens. It was a very enjoyable visit.

If I base this review on my husband’s meal, I’d say this place is quite good. His shrimp and grits were spot-​on.
I, on the other hand, ordered a dinner-​sized salad: field greens with bacon and blue cheese. The salad had an over-​abundance of bacon, but the thing that really threw me off were the mushrooms. Though I guess it was indicated on the menu, sautéed mushrooms had absolutely no place in this salad. (Raw mushrooms would have made better sense.)
We started our meal with she-​crab soup. Not yummy scrumptious, but not bad: a few chunks of crab, a hint of sherry… not bad.
The restaurant appears to be staffed by College of Charleston students: all very pleasant and polite. There is sort of an old-​world ambience here, in keeping with the Francis Marion hotel, where it’s located.
Swamp Fox is hardly the best restaurant I’ve patronized, but if you order the right thing, you can expect a pretty good meal.