Gentry Bar & Room

Food

The Bow Tie Gent 0 6105 May 1, 2017

The culinary scene in Charleston has become one of the most competitive in the South. Whether you’re opening up a new restaurant or revamping an existing establishment, you better bring your A game. One of the newest ventures by Gentry Hospitality is Gentry Bar and Room. Being no strangers to the scene with an existing bourbon company and the gentry hotel, the group definitely knew what to do to bring one of Charleston’s newest hot spots into the hustle and bustle of downtown.

Gentry Bar and Room is located at the corner of King and Wentworth Streets. Upon entering the doors of the corner front establishment, a smiling face welcomes you with true Southern hospitality. Exposed brick walls line the large dinning room where a guest has two options to enjoy their meal: sit at one of the high top wood tables for a more intimate experience or grab a stool at the marble top bar to be entertained by one of the bartenders.

One look at the menu and you are prepared to enjoy a “coastal soul” experience by Chef Marvin Woods. Chef Woods along with Charlotte Jenkins, a chef consultant and Gullah specialist, created dishes influenced by the Lowcountry and Gullah traditions to fill the plates of Gentry. In addition to the delicious dishes, one can also enjoy a drink from Gentry’s extensive list of bourbon and cocktails.

We began our experience on the second floor of Gentry. At the top of the stairs we were greeted by a second bar, luxury lounges, and a performance space. I started the night by ordering the Cannonborough Derby, a cocktail with none other than Gentry Bourbon and Cannonborough Basil Honey Soda. After a long day, it was a refreshing and tasty cocktail.

After grabbing our first round of cocktails, we sat and sipped at one of the luxury lounges while our table downstairs was prepared. The upstairs environment has been created for an intimate and fun experience. The decor and plush seating truly makes it easy to enjoy cocktails, bites, and live music with friends and family. Gentry has made it easy for parties and nights out with friends by providing bottle service Thursday through Saturday at these luxury lounges. To top it all off, the live music makes for an all in one place to kick back and enjoy the evening. Seriously, check out these lounges – in love with the decor:

We later decided that instead of sitting at one of the dinning tables, we wanted to experience Gentry’s cuisine from their bar. After all, who else to give us a more personable experience than the bartenders behind the cocktails and full of knowledge about the dishes. Within moments of sitting down, we knew every person behind the bar and it was like catching up with old friends.

Our meal immediately took off with several dishes:

I am a huge mac and cheese fan and this is definitely one to try and share. The dish is a blend of sharp & mild cheddar, smoked Gouda, and Parmesan. Truly a delicious dish that I hogged from my friends 😉

The deviled eggs come out in a great presentation, something you probably do not expect. They are deliciously seasoned. So good we had to get two orders of these. We also really enjoyed the deviled crab dish. Another great dish to shared and will blow your taste buds away. The casserole style dish has great texture and lots of flavor.

I did not think that I would ever find myself saying this, but the Spaghetti Squash – one of my all time favorite dishes of the night! SO much so that I have gone back and ordered the dish two more times since my first visit. It is a great option for vegetarians, but definitely give it a shot – the combination of stewed tomato & spring asparagus is quite flavorful. The dish can also be prepared with the option of downhome country ragout.

My second favorite dish was the Crispy Chicken. After hearing from various people that we needed to try it. The moment we all took our first bite, we found out exactly why! The crispy chicken is juicy, tender, and the perfect amount of crunch. The collards on the side are also quite tasty. It may be the best fried chicken dish in town!

Our last dish before dessert was the Awendaw 10-Mile Boil. A dish created with a variety of local seafood, sausage, and potatoes in a geechee broth. It was probably my most favorite dish to photograph. All the flavors truly show the restaurants attention to detail and patronage to Gullah traditions.

Our meal came to an end with the most delicious bread pudding that I have ever had! The dessert was garnished with fresh strawberries ad it stood no chance the moment it was placed in front of me…I may or may not have eaten two of these 😉

After our meal we were told about all the extra fun that Gentry has to offer:

Thursday Nights – Bourbon and Blues with Blues Legend, Kat Keturah and the Blues All Stars from 9:30-1:30pm.

Friday Nights – DJ Dinning room where the downstairs is turned into a lounge with DJs spinning beats starting at 10pm.

Secret Saturdays with Charleston’s favorite party and dance band – The Secrets starting at 10pm.

Kicking off this week – 7 days a week Late Night F&B Happy Hour featuring $5 vodka and bourbon and $5 select appetizers from 10pm – 2am.

Gentry Bar and room is a place where you can find entertainment and fine food in a comfortable and beautiful environment. The establishment has something to offer for everyone and with a full schedule throughout the week, it is certain to become one of your favorite spots in town. Thank you to the whole team at Gentry for giving us an unforgetable first experience! Looking forward to to the Launch Party tonight and celebrating the night with you all.