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Stylish Southern coastal fixture with a full bar & wine list uses carefully sourced ingredients.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 12 Anson St, Charleston, SC 29401
Phone: (843) 577-0551
Website: http://www.ansonrestaurant.com/
Menu Photos
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Anson Restaurant – Charleston
Serving innovative and traditional Southern cuisine in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina.
Anson Restaurant – Charleston, SC – OpenTable
Book now at Anson in Charleston, SC. Explore menu, see photos and read 5296 reviews: “Delicious food and service.
Anson Restaurant | Charleston SC – Facebook
Savor the flavors of the Lowcountry at Anson. Please visit AnsonRestaurant.com or call (843) 577-0551 for reservations or convenient curbside pick-up.
Reviews
Matt Gelber
Anson stands as one of the very best Southern restaurants in Charleston, a place where the city’s rich culinary heritage is honored with elegance, warmth, and unmistakable care.
From the moment you step inside, the atmosphere feels both refined and welcoming classic Lowcountry charm blended seamlessly with an intimate, timeless dining room that invites you to slow down and savor the experience. The food is nothing short of remarkable, showcasing Southern cuisine at its finest: beautifully executed dishes rooted in tradition yet elevated with thoughtful technique, impeccable ingredients, and deep, comforting flavors that feel authentic rather than overworked. Each plate arrives as a quiet celebration of Charleston’s culinary soul, from fresh seafood to expertly prepared meats and soulful sides that linger in your memory long after the meal ends.
Equally exceptional is the service, which is attentive without being intrusive, polished yet genuinely warm, making every guest feel valued and cared for. The staff’s knowledge, grace, and obvious pride in what they serve elevate the entire experience, transforming a meal into something memorable and special. Taken together the outstanding food, the inviting atmosphere, and the remarkable service Anson is not just a restaurant but a true Charleston institution, one that exemplifies why the city is celebrated as one of the great dining destinations of the South.
… moreFrom the moment you step inside, the atmosphere feels both refined and welcoming classic Lowcountry charm blended seamlessly with an intimate, timeless dining room that invites you to slow down and savor the experience. The food is nothing short of remarkable, showcasing Southern cuisine at its finest: beautifully executed dishes rooted in tradition yet elevated with thoughtful technique, impeccable ingredients, and deep, comforting flavors that feel authentic rather than overworked. Each plate arrives as a quiet celebration of Charleston’s culinary soul, from fresh seafood to expertly prepared meats and soulful sides that linger in your memory long after the meal ends.
Equally exceptional is the service, which is attentive without being intrusive, polished yet genuinely warm, making every guest feel valued and cared for. The staff’s knowledge, grace, and obvious pride in what they serve elevate the entire experience, transforming a meal into something memorable and special. Taken together the outstanding food, the inviting atmosphere, and the remarkable service Anson is not just a restaurant but a true Charleston institution, one that exemplifies why the city is celebrated as one of the great dining destinations of the South.
James B
Atmosphere is great. It’s a small restaurant and very personable. Leah was great! Whole flounder was incredible, cannot possibly go wrong with this choice. Shrimp pasta was delicious and homemade but spicy and I loved it. Lobster “cargo” is a play on escargot and fantastic. I’m not a bread eater but it was really really good. The food was delicious. The vibe is local. Tables are laid out to be private. My second time here and really loved it.
… moreJessica Hill
We celebrated our anniversary tonight at the Anson. Our experience was first class from start to finish! The service was stellar, and the food was incredible (we had she-crab soup, baby beet salad, ravioli, and the halibut). Portions were perfect, and top notch. We highly recommend the Anson. Parking is close and convenient as well. We couldn’t have asked for better.
… moreAnna Z
Had dinner here today and overall really enjoyed the experience. Our waiter was incredibly attentive and gave thoughtful recommendations. Food was mostly great, with a few standouts and one miss for me.
– She crab soup: Rich, complex, and clearly made with top-tier ingredients. You get a burst of layered flavors in every spoonful, with little bites of veggies like celery adding a refreshing crunch. It’s the kind of dish that probably has 55 steps behind it.
– Beet salad: Unexpectedly amazing. Chilled beets with burrata, pistachios, and other tiny nuts made for the perfect balance of nutty, crunchy, sour and bright.
– Pork chop (special): My husband’s pick. Super crispy skin, peppery, and came with a rich mushroom sauce. He said it was the best pork chop he’s had.
– Whole crispy flounder: This one didn’t do it for me. First time trying flounder, and it just felt kind of bland—even with the sauce. The meat wasn’t as tender as I’d hoped. Not bad, but not something I’d order again.
Still, great experience overall and would definitely come back—especially for the starters and service.
… more– She crab soup: Rich, complex, and clearly made with top-tier ingredients. You get a burst of layered flavors in every spoonful, with little bites of veggies like celery adding a refreshing crunch. It’s the kind of dish that probably has 55 steps behind it.
– Beet salad: Unexpectedly amazing. Chilled beets with burrata, pistachios, and other tiny nuts made for the perfect balance of nutty, crunchy, sour and bright.
– Pork chop (special): My husband’s pick. Super crispy skin, peppery, and came with a rich mushroom sauce. He said it was the best pork chop he’s had.
– Whole crispy flounder: This one didn’t do it for me. First time trying flounder, and it just felt kind of bland—even with the sauce. The meat wasn’t as tender as I’d hoped. Not bad, but not something I’d order again.
Still, great experience overall and would definitely come back—especially for the starters and service.
Michele Miller Boykin
Anson has been one of my favorite fine dining restaurants since the 90’s, and definitely my favorite for fish and scallops! Still great! We had the grouper, halibut, brussel sprouts, and scallops for appetizer but the pork chop sounded tempting. Amazing!
… moreKendra Kinner
The service was perfect. I love that our server did not rush and could read the table. Our server was very professional, polite and helpful with all our questions. The food was delicious and well plated. We ordered green tomatoes and roasted oysters to start + bone in ribeye w/Brussel sprouts, lobster tail w/salad, lobster pasta w/caesar salad & the famous apricot flounder w/Mashed Potatoes. Everything was amazing! Will definitely be back.
… moreOribel Ray
Went to this restaurant for our sons 21st birthday. We were glad we picked this place! The staff, the atmosphere and the food was all perfect!! At the end even brought out a treat with a candle to celebrate our son. Would go back again for sure when in town again. Thank you guys!!
… moreAdam Reeves
07/31/2025 – Anson – on Anson Street
This is why I am doing this fun project of exploring the restaurants that Charleston has to offer. It is all worth it when I find a hidden gem like I did last night.
Anson has been around for over 35 years and yet I never knew of it. It is very simple looking from the outside. When walking from our garage to the restaurant, we had to pass by the horse stalls that serve as the horse drawn carriages that the tourists partake. But there is no fear of “horse smell” ruining an evening at Anson.
This restaurant has it all. It is the Triple Crown of eateries. It has ambience, great service, super friendly staff, and the food is THE BEST I have eaten in my experiences of dining out in historic Charleston.
We arrived at 5:30pm in order to have the dining room to ourselves and enjoy the ambiance and service. Our server was K.J. She was a delight. She has been working there for five years and gave us a complete background history on the Anson and its development. The main floor hosts a beautiful bar. The theme is red and black with comfy booths and chairs. Looking at the menu online before we arrived, we were worried that there was not going to be a large choice of meats to choose from. But K.J. informed us that the Anson is known for its steaks. She began listing all the meat entrees that were available. We had too many great choices and now we want to go back and try all of them! So do NOT let the online menu fool you or deter you.
We asked that they didn’t rush us, and they did not. We had a 2.5-hour experience wining and dining and loved every minute of it. We were not rushed. We were treated like royalty. And they only seemed concerned with making us enjoy the evening and dining experience.
There is an upstairs dining room that was pure elegance. It was like taking a tour of a beautiful old mansion with deep colors and chandeliers and plush furnishings. For ambience, it is a 10++++.
Knowing it was our first time there, the chef Shawn
sent out a complimentary appetizer of gnocchi drizzled with coconut milk and cheese. It was outstanding.
I started with the Shrimp de Johnge – baked Royal Red shrimp, sherry, garlic, breadcrumbs, and herbs. It was a new taste for me but a delight. Ron ordered the fried green tomatoes with bacon jam and pimento cheese. It was delicious and a very generous helping.
We had a relaxing break and then our main course arrived. The server, K.J., told us that their filet mignon is known for being a “melt in your mouth” delight. I have heard that term over-used too much where I don’t even hear it any more. BUT this time it was true. Every bite melted in my mouth. And it was cooked perfectly the way I like it. A side of mashed potatoes and I was a happy patron.
Ron had the veal parmesan. He also agreed it was the best he had ever had. I had a taste, and it too was light and flavorful.
Dessert was a pecan pie served warm with vanilla ice cream on top. By the time we finished, we were floating in an epicurean heaven.
I can’t say enough about this place. The staff kept coming by to say “hi”. The chef Shawn came out to our table to see how everything was and to thank us for giving their little gem a try. I think we met every one that worked there. So friendly and warm. They even sent us a round of champagne!
The entire time, we were both thinking about coming back and bringing friends with us so they could experience this place also. I want to come back and try more items. I want to come back and dine in each and every beautiful room upstairs and down.
So, for us:
Service – 10+++++++
Ambiance – 10++++++
Food – 10+++++++ The best we have ever had, and we have had a lot!!
Would we go back? In a heartbeat. I was just there last night and yet I yearn to return and see if it was all a dream.
… moreThis is why I am doing this fun project of exploring the restaurants that Charleston has to offer. It is all worth it when I find a hidden gem like I did last night.
Anson has been around for over 35 years and yet I never knew of it. It is very simple looking from the outside. When walking from our garage to the restaurant, we had to pass by the horse stalls that serve as the horse drawn carriages that the tourists partake. But there is no fear of “horse smell” ruining an evening at Anson.
This restaurant has it all. It is the Triple Crown of eateries. It has ambience, great service, super friendly staff, and the food is THE BEST I have eaten in my experiences of dining out in historic Charleston.
We arrived at 5:30pm in order to have the dining room to ourselves and enjoy the ambiance and service. Our server was K.J. She was a delight. She has been working there for five years and gave us a complete background history on the Anson and its development. The main floor hosts a beautiful bar. The theme is red and black with comfy booths and chairs. Looking at the menu online before we arrived, we were worried that there was not going to be a large choice of meats to choose from. But K.J. informed us that the Anson is known for its steaks. She began listing all the meat entrees that were available. We had too many great choices and now we want to go back and try all of them! So do NOT let the online menu fool you or deter you.
We asked that they didn’t rush us, and they did not. We had a 2.5-hour experience wining and dining and loved every minute of it. We were not rushed. We were treated like royalty. And they only seemed concerned with making us enjoy the evening and dining experience.
There is an upstairs dining room that was pure elegance. It was like taking a tour of a beautiful old mansion with deep colors and chandeliers and plush furnishings. For ambience, it is a 10++++.
Knowing it was our first time there, the chef Shawn
sent out a complimentary appetizer of gnocchi drizzled with coconut milk and cheese. It was outstanding.
I started with the Shrimp de Johnge – baked Royal Red shrimp, sherry, garlic, breadcrumbs, and herbs. It was a new taste for me but a delight. Ron ordered the fried green tomatoes with bacon jam and pimento cheese. It was delicious and a very generous helping.
We had a relaxing break and then our main course arrived. The server, K.J., told us that their filet mignon is known for being a “melt in your mouth” delight. I have heard that term over-used too much where I don’t even hear it any more. BUT this time it was true. Every bite melted in my mouth. And it was cooked perfectly the way I like it. A side of mashed potatoes and I was a happy patron.
Ron had the veal parmesan. He also agreed it was the best he had ever had. I had a taste, and it too was light and flavorful.
Dessert was a pecan pie served warm with vanilla ice cream on top. By the time we finished, we were floating in an epicurean heaven.
I can’t say enough about this place. The staff kept coming by to say “hi”. The chef Shawn came out to our table to see how everything was and to thank us for giving their little gem a try. I think we met every one that worked there. So friendly and warm. They even sent us a round of champagne!
The entire time, we were both thinking about coming back and bringing friends with us so they could experience this place also. I want to come back and try more items. I want to come back and dine in each and every beautiful room upstairs and down.
So, for us:
Service – 10+++++++
Ambiance – 10++++++
Food – 10+++++++ The best we have ever had, and we have had a lot!!
Would we go back? In a heartbeat. I was just there last night and yet I yearn to return and see if it was all a dream.
Shane Kleinpeter
I took the family here for my wife’s birthday and we had a nice time. The restaurant is high end but there is a mix of formal and casual that’s interesting. For instance they had basketball games on TVs in the bar during dinner which struck me as a bit odd for a high end restaurant.
We arrived on time for our reservation and were seated immediately. Our waiter was a pro and very good throughout the meal. We shared a few appetizers including the shrimp and the brussel sprouts which were both very good. Well, actually the brussel sprouts were amazing. My son had a cup of the she crab soup and he was a big fan.
The restaurant is known for the whole crispy (i.e. pan fried) flounder and so I ordered that and wasn’t at all disappointed. It was tender and flakey and perfectly seasoned. It was served with a slaw that wasn’t nearly as flavorful and just so-so. My wife had the tile fish and wasn’t super happy with it, so she gave it to my son to finish. My daughter ordered the burger which was huge and she really enjoyed it.
Given the location, you’re looking at street or garage parking but it wasn’t any issue finding a spot this time of year. The ambiance was really nice, minus the basketball. Oddly there is only one restroom to serve both sexes, so there was a line when I needed to use it. The restaurant was busy and buzzing, which I like, and the lighting was perfect. Dinner for four was $300 with minimal drinks, so budget accordingly.
… moreWe arrived on time for our reservation and were seated immediately. Our waiter was a pro and very good throughout the meal. We shared a few appetizers including the shrimp and the brussel sprouts which were both very good. Well, actually the brussel sprouts were amazing. My son had a cup of the she crab soup and he was a big fan.
The restaurant is known for the whole crispy (i.e. pan fried) flounder and so I ordered that and wasn’t at all disappointed. It was tender and flakey and perfectly seasoned. It was served with a slaw that wasn’t nearly as flavorful and just so-so. My wife had the tile fish and wasn’t super happy with it, so she gave it to my son to finish. My daughter ordered the burger which was huge and she really enjoyed it.
Given the location, you’re looking at street or garage parking but it wasn’t any issue finding a spot this time of year. The ambiance was really nice, minus the basketball. Oddly there is only one restroom to serve both sexes, so there was a line when I needed to use it. The restaurant was busy and buzzing, which I like, and the lighting was perfect. Dinner for four was $300 with minimal drinks, so budget accordingly.
teresa robbins
Hostess was most rude because we were 15 minutes early for our reservation. She told us the bar was full so we would have to go down the street. Not friendly. Waitress was all business and not friendly at all. I hope they don’t train their employees that way.. Food was good.
… more