Kitchen 208

The food here is just fine, but nothing special, and the quality really varies day to day. Some days the French fries are perfect, some days rubbery and old. Some days you get three pickled okras with yr sandwich, some days none. Some days you get a lot of chips, sometimes just a few. Some times the BBQ is moist, sometimes it’s dry. They also don’t have many non-​dairy and gluten free options as sides, the sides are just unimaginative. The house made chips are great. I order takeout from here occasionally, and most of the time the order is wrong, so I always check it before leaving the store. It’s frustrating! I feel like this could be a really solid place, but it just isn’t. The food is pricey; if you add French fries instead of their house made chips, you’ll pay$ 13 for a hamburger. And down the street at Husk, you can get the highest rated hamburger in the USA for $ 10. The inside is loud, and over air conditioned, and it’s one of those places that puts branded tissue paper under everything. Tissue paper is a pain, because it makes your food hard to cut, and dissolves and tears apart. They used to have a meatloaf sandwich which was fantastic. But the menu changed last year, and the new menu is less creative. It feels like the owners really want this to be a new superstar chain, perfectly branded, with a cute little cups on sticks as table number concept, homey and welcoming. To do that, they need to improve their consistency, and offer a better value and better service. This place could definitely be anywhere USA, and it’s kind of a shame to see it try to take off in a place with such strong food history as Charleston and on a street as storied as King.

We came here for breakfast Saturday morning and couldn’t have chosen a better spot. We wandered down King street looking for a place to eat and saw this patio and decided to check it out!
After a little convo with the staff/​cooks in line, I decided and ordered the Charleston breakfast basket with black coffee and am so glad I did! It was eggs, bacon, a biscuit and breakfast potatoes. I got my eggs scrambled and with cheese. I added hot sauce and salt&pepper to my eggs and potatoes and it was so delish! The staff had also told us that we had to try the cinnamon roll so the three of us split one and it was great: so gooey, flaky and perfect.
We ate on the patio and it was so nice out. Not too hot and just covered enough. There was also the cutest Dalmatian pup at the table next to us which made it even better. Would definitely recommend to anyone who wants a delicious breakfast/​brunch in a cool place that’s very centrally located.

Better than average, good grits. Had the yougurt with fruit and granola. Pecan coffee was good. Nice environment. Fair prices.

My boyfriend and I were wrapping up a weekend that had been primarily focused on finding the freshest and best seafood Charleston had to offer, so we wanted something that reminded us of home.
We found it at Kitchen 208. It’s cafeteria style, so walk in, grab a menu and wait your turn. Distract yourself by taking a gander over the glass partition separating diners from the staff. See the food make its way from prep to finish until it’s finally your turn. Then, place your order, pay up front, grab some silverware and take a seat on the patio.
You can expect to find standard breakfast fare here, though the cinnamon rolls seem to sell out quickly. The white cheddar grits and strawberry mimosas are my personal highlights of Kitchen 208’s offerings, though we didn’t get to try the shrimp and grits or burrito, both of which looked beautiful.
This is definitely the place to be on Second Sundays in Charleston with great views of creatures both large and small strutting their stuff down Lower King… and their pets, too. :-)

Extremely nice staff the charleston sammich was amazing bacon arugula and tomato on a soft roll and wow they are fast eaten here twice for bfast!

Had the quinoa salad which was ok but lacked flavor. Portion was very generous. Found a large flying ant or termite in the bottom of my dressing. EWWW — NOT NICE. Brought it to the attention of the woman at the register who agreed it was nasty.

Amazing food. This place is only open for breakfast and lunch hours so it makes a great late morning place to eat. I had the king frittata which was delicious. We arrived around 11, which is when they change their menus over to lunch so I managed to still eat a breakfast item while my two parents had the lunch menu. The kitchen is right there so you can watch them make your food if you’d like. They have a very impressive outdoor seating area which was very spacious and had a nice cooling breeze. They bring your food to your table and will clear your plate if they aren’t busy. Otherwise, they have a few bins to put your dishes in. The menu was very versatile and I know I could come again and find something just as tasty as the frittata.

My chicken was so burnt. It was dark to the core. I waited a long time to get my food but PROBABLY because they were busy burning it. I am not going back.

Very trendy breakfast and lunch place. A rustic atmosphere and good southern food is the perfect combination. They have outdoor seating on the patio as well.

Stopped here on the Chow down Charleston food tour. Had the okra and grits. First time having grits and okra. I must say they did a great job. This place is super clean and the manager definitely takes a lot of pride in her establishment. I appreciated hearing about the history of the seed that made the grits. Nice spot to stop at! Very nice staff!

I loved the special of antelope burger with jalapeño jam! I was worried the jam would be too spicy for me since I have absolutely zero tolerance for spice but it was actually sweet and zesty. The bun tasted like a croissant!
I took off a star because I got an iced coffee and was given a soda cup with ice to pour coffee over. The fire alarm went off when we were finishing our brunch, and we quickly left afterwards.

Just OK. Lunch was interrupted by a Fire-​Alarm; Apparently someone burned some bacon in the ol’ kitchen. I had the special of the day which was an Antelope Burger.(in honor of the South Eastern Wildlife Expo). a bit under-​done for my taste. Bun was special. Side of cucumber & tomatoes were fresh tasting. My son had the house special «Smokey Joe». which is one of their signature dish. The food was OK, friendly staff, but I wish the level of food quality was that for what you are paying.

Best grits I’ve ever had (and I don’t like grits)! These were edible. not quite as «sandy» texture-​wise as others I’ve had. Served with tomatoes and okra, which is another slimy-​non edible veggie, in my book, but if you like grits, you’d probably enjoy them here. Curious to see what else is on their menu next time… I came on a food tour and wasn’t able to choose what to try.

Very disappointed. Food is ok.
Essentially self service though they do deliver the food to the table.
I’d wager that if people knew that you’d have to listen to light headbanger music with your meal, that business would drop off Substantially.
Never again.

We went there for Sunday breakfast. First let me say that the food was very good and plenty of it. Sat outside, loved the fresh air.
However, when you get in you wait on line to order what you want, and wait, and wait. Why, because the person taking orders has to take time out to delivery meals, drinks, etc… While you wait on line. You have to get your own silverware, napkins, etc. This is not good for the customer. You get a number and sit down, and wait, and wait. It took over 15 minutes for the food to get to us. The coffee does not stay hot due to the self service jugs that they are in. Ok, is this any way to run a restaurant? I think not. I gave 4 stars because the food was in fact very good. Is it worth all this waiting, I think not.
Frank G

This is a great place for brunch (if you don’t mind waiting forever). The line to order took about 10 minutes and they warned us the food wouldn’t be ready for an additional 30 minutes… So worth the wait.
We sat outside on their patio (one of the few places downtown you can eat outside). Everyone had their puppies outside with them and it was all under shade for the most part so it wasn’t too hot.
When we got our food we scarfed it down and every bite was very tasty. One of the best breakfast potatoes I’ve ever had! So flavorful and cooked to perfection.
I’m a vegetarian and I was pleasantly surprised when they let me trade the bacon for a fruit cup (more expensive) without upselling it. That’s rare and really appreciated.
I will say that their kitchen is in the open and you can hear everything the chefs say when you’re in line to order. I understand brunch rush hour can be stressful but they shouldn’t yell and get mad at their coworkers as much when they’re out in the open like that. It made me feel stressed hearing them bicker.
Overall, great experience. Worth the wait. Can’t wait to return.

Delightful experience. A dear friend who happens to work in the hospitality industry suggested this place for lunch and I am glad he did. I will be back because there were multiple things on the menu that sounded like me, making it hard to decide which to choose! I settled on the Belle Gem, a crispy piece yet juicy piece of chicken sandwiches between bacon battered waffles. I expected some sweetness but the pleasant surprise was the tangy honey mustard aioli sauce. Garnished with a picked okra, and generously plated with potato chips, this sandwich was a mouth full of yum.
Great for breakfast, brunch or lunch get here before 3! They also had a children’s menu, and bonus… Serve beer, wine, and mimosas!

Located across the street from my office, I have been to Kitchen 208 many times and have concluded that while the place has a great outdoor patio for enjoying a sunny lunch, the food isn’t all that great. Open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, I think brunch is the best option as their $ 4 Sake Bloody Marys are a steal. As far as cuisine, the menu does offer a few unique options such as the Belle-​Gem Sandwich (fired chicken on a bacon waffle) and the Bat Outta Hell (meatloaf + tomatoe marmalade) but both fail to deliver on taste in my opinion. And for $ 9 – 10 you should be getting one heck of a delicious sandwich in my opinion. Much better dining options on King Street than Kitchen 208 in my opinion.
If you do go, must-​order items:
Cobblestone Sandwich
Quinoa Salad
Sake Bloody Mary

I went here on a busy Saturday morning. The line was moderate (reached the front cooler), but took about 23 mins to get to the register where you order. When there, I was told it would be 30 mins before the food I ordered was ready. They told me this because they «want to be upfront» but after already waiting for so long that information really wasn’t useful.
The food came out in about 15 mins. I ordered the Cobblestone. The bacon jam was excellent and the fried egg was prepared perfectly. The bun was seriously lacking considering the rest of the ingredients. I’d order it on a biscuit if I went again. The frsh fruit was mellon with two strawberries. I ordered a regular coffee, which was good.

Ordered the belle gem and Smokey Joe. The belle gem is a bacon waffle… yeah I said it… bacon waffle with fried chicken, cheese, light mustard and lettuce. Personally I think its alot better nn with just the bacon waffle, fried chicken and syrup on the side. It kinda like an amazing McGridle. The rest of the ingredients deter it from its chicken and waffle spirit in my opinion.
The smokey joe was good. But I dont know what ot was the bbq sauce just fell short, and the meat didnt taste flavorful. So… wasn’t sure where the wow was suppose to happen on that one.
Service is great!
Highly recommend the belle gem and if you like McGridle do it the way I suggested.