Five Loaves Cafe

Fantastic place to eat! Three of us had a half chicken salad on a croissant and a half salad and the other had the roasted turkey with a salad and everything was delicious. Also, the pickle slices that are served are made in-​house and are the best pickles, we even asked for a container to go. I highly recommend going here for lunch, it’s a little small so if you have a large party you may need to wait for seating but 2 – 4 people is perfect. Unfortunately we are from out of town or we would come back for dinner.

Great food, great service, great location just off of King Street in downtown Charleston. The summer squash soup was delish. Would highly recommend.

One of my favorite lunch of dinner restaurants. I typically always get a half salad, soup and/​or half sandwich. I love how the soups are always changing but always spectacular. I also like that there typically isn’t as long of a wait here compared to other downtown restaurants.

I should probably give it a five but the service was slow.
The arugula salad is incredible. I paired it with the garlic vinaigrette. I loved it. The taste and freshness was perfect.
I also had the blt. Normally you get a half a piece of bacon when you order these. I hate when they don’t give much bacon. Five loaves doesn’t let you down. It was packed with bacon. I got the wheat bread. I’d try a different bread next time with it. Tasty and filling. I only got half salad and half sandwich and didn’t finish either one!

I can’t rave enough about the Mt Pleasant location, staff and mgmt. They were able to accommodate our party of 15 at the last minute today, Father’s Day and did not miss a beat. Food and service was fabulous. They showed our party what Southern Hospitality is all about and why they are a MUST when you visit Charleston!

Came here for lunch and got the Ham and Brie sandwich with a side of She-​crab soup.
The sandwich was good, it looked like all of the sandwiches at my table were hard to eat because they drip. I love the option to get a half sandwich so you can grab a soup on the side.
The she crab soup was not the greatest, although a part of me expected it not to be. The atmosphere of the place isnt really geared towards seafood.
Parking here is a pain there is residential only all around. You basically have to go out to king st. I would leave early so you can make it there on time if you plan to come here.

Having never been here before, I relied on my wife to encourage me that it would make a good stop to have a lunch date. She’s rarely wrong, and I get to check in to a new location on Unilocal and embarrass her by taking pictures of our food and sharing it online. We got there around 11:30am, which was perfect timing, because by noon this place was packed and hopping. The menu gives you lots of options for gluten free and herbivorous meals, but I went with the pecan encrusted pork loin on a sourdough bread. Loaded with a spread of caramelized onions and some other goodness which I could do no justice by describing, I had the sandwich finished off in moments. The other half of my plate consisted of a tomato and mozzarella salad topped with a white vinaigrette that was pretty sweet (literally). I enjoyed that to the fullest extent, and then to wrap up my healthy meal, I washed it down with a bananas foster cheesecake. My wife got the salted caramel cheesecake, which was quite enjoyable from the one bite that I was privy to. There is a parking lot across the street that is free, but again, get there early because this popular place fills up really fast :-)

Five Loaves serves traditional sandwiches, soups, etc. made with fresh, local ingredients, standard for most reputable Charleston establishments. In fact, the crab meat in my tomato and tarragon soup was so fresh that there were frequent little crunches…
Enjoy a glass of wine and a sandwich away from the hustle and bustle of King and Market Streets.

Salads, sandwiches, and soups — perfect lunch fare to me! I’ve been to both this and their Mount Pleasant location and have had the same great food at both places. I always do a cup of soup and salad — their Mexican Chicken Chili and Sweet Potato and Brie are my favorite soups. As silly as this sounds, I love their chicken caesar salad because it has tortellini on it instead of croutons — yum! Lastly, vegetarian and gluten free friends, they’re great about denoting what items are good for your dietary restrictions!

I have eaten at five loaves several times now for lunch but finally had the opportunity to try them for brunch on Sunday. We arrived at 10:45am and it was already quite busy, luckily we were sat right away in their closed patio area.
The mimosa was tempting but I find it hard to pass up on their unsweetened raspberry tea. My friend however did try the blueberry skinny minny mojito but unfortunately it was quite tart, even with a little extra simple syrup added.
For brunch I had the breakfast enchiladas with a side of their house fries. I would have liked the enchilada’s to be a little bit more flavorful, maybe with a bit more spice. I found myself having to salt it quite a bit to make up for the lack of seasoning. Overall I did like it but if there was a bigger depth of flavor it would take them over the top. The home fries on the other hand did have a bit more of a kick in terms of seasoning, which I really liked.
For me their lunch is still my favorite time to go but I am happy that I finally tried their brunch. I will say that their French toast and Belgian waffles looked amazing so maybe next time that is what I will go for.

What a fantastic spot! I don’t think I’ve ever had a better soup and salad combo. I got the mixed green salad with baked oatmeal cakes on top it was delicious and so unique! The broccoli, bacon and goat cheese soup was also wonderful. I’m so glad I got the time to visit this spot on a work trip and I’ll definitely be back the next time in in Charleston! My waitress, Laurie, was super sweet as well!

My favorite lunch spot! Great for a quick bite to eat alone, meeting friends or a fast date with my hubby! Great deals on soups, salads and sandwiches! Food’s always 100% and staff is great!
I always get the arugula salad with garlic balsamic dressing, pork loin sandwich and Mexican chicken chili (which I craved and had to have for an entire month straight). Half portions of course– but sometimes I like to get a little extra to savor later on at home!
Dinner also has its perks and is good, but I prefer their lunch menu over their dinner menu any day.

5 stars for so many reasons. Lets start with the atmosphere, very open and eclectic. Then the service. Greated and seated promptly and politely. Waitress very polite and not overbearing but knew the whole menu. Started with tea and coffee. A bit of a let down due to no specialty coffees and the regular coffee wasnt hot enough. However great teas, all 3 (unsweet, sweet and rasberry) where awesome served in cold mason jars. So we had the oatmeal as an app and it was good. A bowl of asparagus parmesean soup that was obviously made from scratch and it was killer. I had the brunch enchiladas and they were great even though they were vegetarian. My daughter had the steak and eggs. Both were cooked perfectly and the demi glaze on the steak put it over the top. My wife had the Southern Beny which is english muffin topped with fried green tomato, crab cake and old bay hollandaise, nuff said. Finally my son had the chicken and waffles. They were real good but the pecan maple syrup put it over the top.
In summary, 5Star all the way. Great Job 5 Loaves keep on representing Charleston.

After about 5 decadent meals, each more excessive than the last, I was craving something light and dare I say healthy?! And immediately thought of the ol’ 5 Loaves, as it has become somewhat of a staple on our yearly treks to Charleston! It has a bit of something for everyone, veggies galore for myself and thick cut bacon for my meat-​loving friends. I also am a super big fan of the flexibility of the menu, which allows you to do half and half of pretty much everything. This versatility is very much appreciated by the indecisive!
I went with the ½ and ½ mushroom quinoa salad and Mediterranean veggie burger, both were super tasty! I love the dressings here too, the mushroom and soy was incredible on my salad.
The husband got the risotto cake salad and a tasting of 3 soups (yes, this is a thing here). All three soups were tasty, but my fav was the tomato kale, which also happens to be vegan.
Love this unique, little place, which continues to crank out delicious, fresh food year after year! We are definitely fans and will definitely be back!

I love the vibe of 5 Loaves on Cannon. Its a perfect mixture of something and something… maybe Charleston and casual, not sure, but I like it. I went last night for the Restaurant Week menu and was sadly soooo disappointed!
For the app, I chose the Zucchini and Tofu Fries with Parsnip Purée and had the Lamb Meatloaf with roasted potato and butter bean smash for an entrée.
The appetizer: I was served a exactly 3 zucchini fries and 3 tofu fries. The zucchini was drenched and dripping in oil. It was actually limp from the amount oil saturated in the little zucchini strip. The tofu strips though were not like that, and paired with the parsnip purée made for interesting pair. I would have preferred just the tofu fries because the zucchini fries were much too oily and heavy tasting.
The lamb meatloaf was also ok. The main problem lay with the roasted potato and butter bean smash. Only its not really a «smash». I saw smash and thought something like a mash up of butter beans and potatoes or something, which sounded pretty good. But its actually just the potatoes and beans mixed together, which isn’t a problem either. Unfortunately, there is no doubt the potato/​bean blend was old. They exterior was tough and looked dried out. The ones I ate were chewy and hard and definitely sitting for a while. The beans were also old tasting, just too firm, maybe stale tasting – as if it was, again, just sitting out. The lamb meatloaf was ok. I enjoyed the honey-​chipotle and mint glaze that accompanied it. That provided a nice sweetness to the savoriness of the meatloaf. That was a definite plus.
I ended up getting the GF chocolate cake, but didnt eat it because I was full, but the meal was a serious bummer. I had a wonderful waitress, and it wasnt packed or too busy, so the ambiance was pretty perfect, but my choices from the restaurant week menu were a definite thumbs down.
Not counting 5 Loaves out of course, because I still enjoy the place, and I would still recommend it.

This review is long over due since I was in Charleston back in May! This place was great– service, good, everything! I ate here as my last stop before heading home– it was a great meal to end my favorite trip this year.
I can’t remember what I got but I did post a picture. From what I remember, everything was super tasty and light! What I remember the most was the staff– the waitresses were the nicest, I think, I had met in Charleston… and that is saying a lot since Charleston was full of nice people. I really appreciate the conversation and suggestions the waitresses were able to give about the menu as well as travel locations and local hot spots.
If you are in Charleston, I would definitely recommend stopping by here and getting a nice, light lunch or dinner– it’s totally worth it!

So after a week of rich food and sitting around at a conference by day and networking by night, my friend and I were ready for a culinary reset. No more heavy cream, no more dark beers, just fresh food and a quiet dinner. Surprisingly hard to find, but when someone recommended Five Loaves we decided to give it a shot. Very glad we did.
This is probably the best veg-​friendly restaurant in Charleston. I had the falafel and a salad, which was plenty of food. It was all well-​prepared, light, fresh, and delicious.
The restaurant itself is set back a bit from the main drag, with a sort of rustic communal vibe. It was really nice to see it busy when we went, but we didn’t have to wait for a seat. The waitress was very nice and gave us great suggestions, in addition to pointing out that there was a wine bottle special on.
I’d definitely go back if I find myself in Charleston again.

Gluten-​Free Review
+Gluten Free Menu
+Gluten Free Bread (Udi’s)
You have to live within this area to be able to park here, I parked in a no parking zone and kept eye on my car through the window lol.
However 5 stars for serving Gluten-​Free Bread and having a menu that has all items noted with allergy restrictions. You walk in, sit somewhere and a lady runs up and hooks you up with water and takes care of you. I came in for brunch and got an iced coffee and a roast beef sandwich, forgot actually what it had on it but it was very tasty/​messy and served it’s purpose.
If I lived in the area I would come here everyday. The service, food, quality, and menu choices are superb.

I used to live on Spring St. and come here for lunch and pick up a delicious sandwich and soup to go and eat it at my house but recently I came here for dinner and it was AMA-​ZING!
Since having dinner, I try and come here as often as I can with friends and grab a bottle of wine and some dinner. Its such a neat little hang out spot with great food as well! Whenever I go, I always try and get the dinner specials because why not?! When I dont go for the special, I always get the cheddar potato soup (because its fabulous) and an entrée. The first time I went, my friends and I got a couple appetizers that are definitely my go-to’s. The goat cheese gnocchi is amazing if youre really into cheese like I am. We also had a vegetarian friend with us so that was a good appi option and so was the eggplant wrapped in goat cheese. How can you say no to goat cheese?! Our server Danielle (who was an excellent waitress) recommended some wines that we all enjoyed.
Last time I went for dinner I got half of the chicken feta oregano burger that had
tzatziki sauce, tomato artichoke olive relish, and artisan greens on it. It was really good if youre looking for a lighter option. I also think its pretty awesome that you can get half a sandwich and salad for both lunch and dinner.
5 loaves is a great date spot or if youre just looking to have a good time with some friends. I will definitely be back soon!

I’ll be honest, the roast beef sandwich I had wasn’t very good but I did order without two things and probably ruined it myself so I don’t hold any grudges. The chicken salad was much better. My wife gets some sandwich with chicken salad on it and really likes it.
I’ve tried maybe five soups here and they’re all amazing. I don’t even really like soup that much.
A hidden benefit is if you have someone in your social group who is only 100 pounds and eats half as much as normal, you can order little stuff here. The idea is you order a little sandwich and a little soup or whatever, so someone who eats a small amount can just grab one item and not have to pay $ 12 to throw away half their food.
The servers we have had here are also roughly 400% better than the average Charleston wait staff.