Old Bull Tavern

Great atmosphere with the noise of locals and visitors alike sharing their stories and catching up at the end of the day. They are always busy — make reservations! They make their own bitters and grapefruit juice (and more). The pizzas are always good but the pork shoulder blew my mind! Pot roast heaven on mashed potatoes. It’s what every small and big town needs!

Very rarely do I tack a 5 star review on to a first experience, but this is surely IT. Very non-​descript building: no signage or anything, but when you walk in you are in the middle of a hip restaurant in Beaufort SC of all places. Great energy in a space with comfortable seating, and a nice long bar make for great atmosphere. More so, we were impressed with high their exceptional cocktail program and a menu that will make you drool. We were just there for a few drinks and a couple small plates but that was enough to make a soaring first impression. I will say the chicken liver pâté is absolutely phenomenal and a ‘must try’ for anyone who seeks this funky little gem. I absolutely can not wait to get back in here for dinner the next time we are in town. The Old Bull Tavern is exactly what Beaufort needed: a hip gathering place with a modern menu and cocktail program. I am very pleased.

We love this place! We ended up going three nights in a row while we were in Beaufort for the film festival. The first two nights we had dinner. Between us we consumed the amazing green eggs and ham — wasabi deviled eggs (YOU MUST EAT THESE), the Scottish salmon (absolutely perfect crust), the gnocchi with shrimp, chicken liver pâté (even I, who eats no liver or chicken, loved this stuff), pork belly steamed buns, the asparagus and Manchego pizza from the late-​night pizza bar, and the lamb shank. We also had beer (high quality selection) and several cocktails including the Parker Posey, the Aperol Spritz, the Purgatory (dear God, so good), the LBJ, the martini…
First things first. The outer room where the bar is tends to get loud. The other two rooms are quieter but not usually open for late night. The service was great. The two servers we had were very nice and knowledgable.
Every dish we had was delicious. I haven’t had gnocchi like that. The pâté was beautiful. The pizza was perfect for our late night munchies.
The cocktails are much cheaper than they should be. Plentiful and delicious, also (we are picky and we loved them). The habanero in the Purgatory was sooooo good.
The fire pit outside in the cold was roaring hot, and delightful to stand around.
The food, the people, the drinks… We would go back!

My hubby and I are stationed at MCAS Beaufort and he just got back from Deployment. We had been wanting to try this place and FINALLY did tonight. We had a belated 5 year Anniversary celebration and a love day celebration all in one. Old Bull FAR exceeded ALL of our expectations!!! We had reservations and we got greeted by a very friendly man wearing a killer black fedora. Then we were promptly seated at our reservations time. We had Alex as a server and he was beyond phenomenal! We told him we were first timers and he offered us suggestions and walked us through the menu. My husband loves the Purgatory Cocktail (It is so different and a must try!) I had Champs. Then we had the Pimento Chez & Toast and the Winemakers salad. Both SO delicious!!! Then we had the bacon, sweet onion & gruyère pizza. This pizza was unique and delicious! Then we finished off with the decadent Tiramisu. The entire experience was fabulous and we will be back!!!

Loved it! Food was amazing! Atmosphere was one part business professional, one part hipster, but I honestly felt like anyone was welcomed in. I recommend any one of their pizzas or splurge on one of their steaks!
The bartenders were incredibly friendly and put together some of the best cocktails I’ll ever had.
Will be going back when I’m back in town.

I hate that I had to rate it so low. 4 of us went to dinner there last night before going to the drive in theater. Upon arrival they asked us if we had a reservation. (It was only 5:45/6 when we arrived) We did not have because no where that I saw online said you should really make one. The gentleman said there was nothing he could really do they were completely booked and then asked unless we wanted to sit outside. I personally took offense to this as it was freezing outside. Who would of even offered. The young lady must of seen this on my face and I over hear her say reservations didn’t start for another hour and a half that they would «work us in». I was grateful because I was super excited to try this place. Our waiter who only had 2 other tables to wait on seemed less than thrilled to take care of us. And when we didn’t order any alcoholic beverages and only coffee and hot tea to drink the service went completely down after that. While ordering our food we were completely rushed through it. I am a vegetarian and there was only 1 or 2 vegetarian choices on the menu that to me didn’t seem to be what I wanted. So I ordered a pizza that typically came with sausage without the sausage. At first he told me it couldn’t be done, but after explaining I was a vegetarian he said he would make it happen. During our wait for the food he filled up the persons cup who had been drinking coffee and kept looking at my cup empty of hot water. Everyone else’s food came out and mine did not. We sat for about 3 min and he come running over and said my pizza came out with sausage on it, but that there was another one in the oven. When it did finally come out 15 min later, everyone was done eating and my pizza wasn’t even cooked all the way it was a pile of dough. He then proceeded to say good thing it happened because now you don’t have to pay for it. !!! Excuse me?! I wanted a good meal. I had already told my friends that I would come back because things can happen like that, I completely understand. So overall super disappointed and debating on trying it again.

We loved the atmosphere and music. We had pizza and lamb shank. The pizza crust was very good although I was disappointed that they baked the ibreco Jamon with the dough. Usually this type of ham is so good to eat and it should just be warmed up on the pizza for few seconds. Baking the pizza with this ham was a waste of good ham. I thought the lamb was a little over cooked. Besides that, the service was great and they had great options for cocktails.

Beaufort has a restaurant for every mood, and when I’m in the mood to go somewhere fun and cool with great food, I go here. It’s usually pretty busy, so you’ll want a reservation if going for dinner, especially with a group. The appetizers, small dishes and meals will not disappoint. The service is neat and careful, and they take care of you very well.

The beer selection is great — lots of local microbrews, the wood fired pizza was as good as I hoped. I wish we could see the pizza baking in process. The decorations and ambiance were casual yet classy, if that’s even possible. I can speak for the beer and pizza, but as far as mixed drinks and other fancy-​sounding things on the menu, I cannot say.
I was impressed this place is in Beaufort.

My parents LOVE this place. However, I was less than impressed on my first visit.
Drinks: good beer selection, and I like they’ve joined the wine on tap movement. The mixed drink I got was Purgatory. I generally love spicy tequila drinks, but this tasted watered down from the moment it was set down and wasn’t flavorful or spicy. My mom had the Orient Express and it was delicious.
Food: goat cheese pizza was miserably dry, and when I asked my server for more sauce because of how dry it was she had an understanding look like that happens a lot. The pine nuts were virtually nonexistent on there as well. I like that their pastas are homemade and the gnocchi wasn’t bad, I’ve certainly had worse. The cheese plate was interesting… the pimento cheese had the texture of hummus… Never had pimento cheese like that before (and I don’t really want to again).
I appreciate what they’re trying to do. The menu had so much promise, but the execution fell short for me.

Not bad, but I wasn’t as impressed as the majority of reviewers seem to be. I wish I had been more into it, I feel like I’m missing something! To me, it just seemed like a normal restaurant.
The biggest turn off was that the place & some staff members had an air of pretentiousness. Their staff should keep it more casual, in my opinion. You’d think we were having tea at the Ritz or something.
But what you really care about is the food, anyway, right? It was decent & cooked well. The best thing by far was a shrimp small plate– best bite of our entire trip to SC! But I tried 7 other dinner items, & that’s the only one that stood out. Everyone else was super into their meals, though, so the place must be doing something right. The tiramisu was great as well. Their drinks were amazing, definitely indulge in those while dining! The service was paced well & the menu had a pretty good variety.
If I went again, I would order more small plates instead of an entrée.

Wow. This place is awesome. I struggled at first to find something on the menu. I went with the burger and it was the best burger I have had in a long time. The guy next to me had the pizza and there was none left when he was done. The bar staff was excellent!
The people eating there were all pleasant and that’s what you get when a bar/​restaurant makes everyone happy.

Outstanding food. If you can, sit in the small but comfortable outdoor section.
We had the house made pâté, which was smooth and flavorful. Pear chutney dollop was excellent. Lamb shank entrée is tender, delicious, and understandably popular. Wine list is well selected and fairly priced.
All of the staff were very gracious and helpful, including the owner. Loved this place, too bad it is so far from home.

Great spot! Were in town for 2 nights and decided to stop in here. Great atmosphere, tasty food and drinks and nice people. Would come back!

This was my second visit to the Old Bull Tavern. This gastropub has a eclectic atmosphere of old school tavern meets French Brasserie with a little Dr. Who mixed in. I arrived before six and easily found a seat the bar. However, the place quickly filled and had a vibrant pub feel. I highly recommend reservations for parties of two or more after 6 pm.
The bartenders are friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Needless to say, the drinks are terrific and consistent. I prefer the New Fashion, but ventured out of my comfort zone with LBG (Lemon. Basil, Canton Ginger and Vodka). I’ve got to admit I will be conflicted on my next visit.
The food was amazing from start to finish. I started with pork belly steamed buns. The pork belly was crisp with a nice chewiness. I think the highlight of the night was the chicken liver pâté with crostini. The pâté was smooth, creamy, delicate and perfectly accompanied with cornichons and what appeared to be a shallot marmalade. For the entrée I ordered the Parmesan-​crusted pork cutlet with a fennel. Delicious and my «go to» every time I return.

I have never been to a city or a bar where you needed reservations at a bar??? My girlfriend and I came to experience the taste of this place and I can say that we did not get past the door, much less a table. We were told that the hostess would «check to see» if something was open.
After a long pause in conversation with Stacy, she walked around the pub and informed us that there was nothing «available” — followed up with NO offer of putting us on a waiting list or EVEN giving us a time frame of when we could be seated. There was an obvious «to cool for school attitude» and a certain air this place gave off. Not for me and I would not advise it for you. But if you go, call ahead because apparently to get a beer and a burger you need to know the right people and make a phone call.

The food was pretty incredible (I had the cheese-​stuffed, prosciutto-​wrapped figs and some pasta topped with a soft boiled egg), but that was the only thing good about this place.
It was insanely loud, and the service took a very long time (we went on an ordinary Wednesday night). The noise doesn’t bother me, but the lack of attention when all of our glasses were empty does.
Worth mentioning, even though it didn’t happen to my group, the people at the table next to us had an experience with a rodent (it brushed by a woman’s leg as she was seated, and the staff came out to try to capture it), and then about 20 minutes later, we saw a bug of some sort crawling up the wall (the bartender did come out and kill the bug — it was large). Unfortunately, both of these issues happened AFTER we had already eaten. There didn’t appear to be any compensation given to the women at the table next to us (or anyone who witnessed it), despite the fact that she seemed very displeased (don’t blame her). It was as if the staff just wanted to pretend it didn’t happen at all. I get that sometimes these things happen, and that it doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s an unsanitary infestation, but I do feel that customer service dictates compensation after a rodent touches your leg in a restaurant.
While the food was very good, I just don’t think I could bring myself to eat there again after seeing TWO incidents with rodents and bugs on my first visit.

Old Bull Tavern is what I call a perfect gastropub. Not too fancy so you feel like you can’t be casual yet food that is superb and classic cocktails done right. On our recent trip to Beaufort we went on two nights. The first night my wife and I sat at the bar which is just a fabulous old long bar. Everyone was just having a wonderful time. Locals relaxing and the vacationers just glad to fit in. I enjoyed the fact that the locals do not look at you strange. I find this happens often in towns that have a lot of seasonal visitors.
We ordered cocktails and several tapas thru out the night. We just dined and drank and had a great time. 2.5 hours later we had only spent $ 85 with tip. The prices are so reasonable I just had to ask the owner why. He said «I want the place to be fun and people to come back. I know my cost and I’m making money.» That’s just so cool. I get so tired of a $ 14 old fashioned. His approach works because the place stays packed all night, not just dinner service.
The second evening we sat at a table in the second dining room that you access thru the phone both! It was a little quieter here but the food just as good. The lamb shank for $ 18 was just fall off the bone good. My wife ordered the duck breast with corn polenta that we just loved. If I have to say something critical the duck fat could have been rendered a little more.
All the dishes we saw coming out looked appetizing and they have recently added a pizza oven. You can watch them make pizza in the third dining room. All of these room were different stores but have been connected because the place is so popular.
Old Bull is in my top three of pubs I have every been in. Seriously. The experience and the food is worth every visit. It is a must for anyone in Beaufort.

Whatever you are doing at this moment, STOP, and go to this place! Matthew and the bar staff are amazing. The atmosphere is incredible and the people could not be more friendly!
Now, for the important part, THE MARTINI. You will notice that it is all capitalized, that is not a mistake… this was, hands-​down, the best martini I have ever had. (ask for Matthew) Do not forget to ask for the blue cheese stuffed olives.
Seriously folks, if you visit Beaufort and do not visit this bar, you have sold yourself short.
Ask for Matthew…

Loved it. Had an old school British phone booth to transition from main dining area to outside courtyard. Felt like Dr Who walking around in there. Food was phenom. Check out my photos as usual for some short reviews.
Ambiance chill and foodie-​like menu. Green Eggs and Ham spin is always nice option. Menu sets up perfect for sharing. There are small bites, apps, pizzas (super thin and brick oven baked), small plates, and entrees.
One small complaint, with a decent wine selection there are NO decanters. Would have loved my Cabernet to open up while we sipped on the Pinot. Other than that no complaints.
Thanks again to Brynn, hope that’s the correct spelling, for giving us excellent service. Left there and hit, Q by the Bay. Live music in the back bar. Live band on Thursdays are great!
Also, played Secession GC all week. Awesome time in Beaufort