Oak Barrel Tavern

Oak Barrel Tavern is a fantastic, hidden gem in Avondale! Although other places on the strip may be more tempting– bigger and flashier– don’t overlook OBT as a destination for a lovely evening out.
First off, the owner Gavin is awesome. He’s a super personable guy who obviously knows his beer. His collaboration with Sushi Ninja is great– allowing folks to grab some rolls while enjoying his fantastic craft beers on tap. The selection of draft beers isn’t exhaustive, but there are plenty to choose from (usually 10) — all of which represent a diverse range of flavors and styles, with a lot of small batch offerings. This does tend to push the average price up, but his pricing is fair and commensurate to the rarity and quality of the beer he’s offering. Many of his selections tend to be local as well.
Atmosphere is warm, dark-​ish, and pretty intimate– with comfy seating, board games, and great music that’s at just the right level to foster good conversation. Very easy to meet new people here and find yourself spending hours because the vibe is so friendly and inviting.
If you’re in Avondale, I highly recommend stopping by. It is most definitely worth a visit!

Our Bartender and the Chef were absolutely amazing. We don’t drink but we’re told by a friend about the sushi, they went above and beyond to make us feel at home and make sure our sushi experience was unforgettable. Thanks guys!

Oak Barrel Tavern is a great spot to go have a grown up happy hour in Avondale. It’s a cute intimate location with lots of craft beer to choose from. The bartenders are very knowledgeable and more than happy to be my beer spirit guide as I know next to nothing about beer.
Added bonus for the in-​house Sushi Ninja! There’s a sushi guy who makes sushi fresh to order M-​F 6 – 9 and it’s the best sushi I’ve had since living in Charleston.
If you’re in the area and looking for something low key, Oak Barrel is an excellent choice. Cheers!

This is a nice small tasting room basically. The intimate setting would be really good for a date night or to escape the loud bar scene later in the evening. They always have several beers on tap, most of which are small batch or craft brews.
Service is always good, as I said it is small so you are always within 20 feet or so of the bar. I give Oak Barrel Tavern four stars overall, because this might not be an enticing spot for some people since it is small and generally quiet; and beer prices run about $ 6 – 8, which is high in my book. Low key would be the best way to describe it… but not in a dive bar sort of way… in a nice small bar sort of way. This is not somewhere the younger crowd would frequent, which is pretty nice for us old folks.

This bar is really my style. It’s relaxed and has great rotating beers on tap. Probably perfect for light conversation since it’s cozy and not piped-​in over-​the-​top music.
They have an independent sushi guy called ‘Sushi Ninja’ that serves from something like 6−9pm M-​F. I would double check their facebook to be sure he’s there if food is what you’re going to want. The sushi was decent. I’ve had better, but I suppose this is a bar review…
Oak Barrel is right next to Roost, which is helpful if you need to decompress from the Roost’s apparent lack of fire code (it gets crazy packed at Roost Fri/​Sat).

Great local dive bar. Intimate setting with great customer service and knowledge on beers and delicious Sushi if you are lucky and your timing is right!

My husband and I went while the Sushi Ninja was there and the service, food and drinks were top notch. The bartender was so nice and the sushi was high quality, creative and delicious.

Always good service and great knowledge of the beer. Great SMALL spot for a drink. You can relax and play a game of connect 4.

Not very good. Place looks alright… clean, friendly folks. Food sucks! Really. Not just me but family of 4 and each one of us said the meal was not good and each of us had a different item off the menu. Beware of the «Fry Sauce» it tastes like cold basil tomato soup with mashed up sweet potatoes!

Love this place. Killer atmosphere for a easy date night. Great sushi rolled in front of you. Akai is a true beer guy. Great selection of craft beers. You can also fill your growler from any beer on tap. Good starting point for a fun night in Avondale. If they still have on tap I highly recomend the pumpkin cider.

Man, what a gem. Oak Barrel is great in every way a bar can be great. Excellent beer selection — DO NOT miss trying a Pepper Bros beer if they have one on tap when you visit. The bartenders are friendly as could be, they have free pretzels and happy hour specials.
The sushi is tasty, ambiance is casual and cozy (but also nice enough to be a date night spot), and they have a great happy hour.
One of my favorite spots in Charleston, hands down.

I came across this place with a couple of my buds the other night while we were looking for a place to get a drink. Though the venue isn’t the most spacious, it nonetheless comes off as cozy. The bartender who served us was quite knowledgeable and helpful in explaining the details of some of their available on-​tap beers, which is always great. Additionally, any place that allows for a smaller-​size pour is great in my book. I look forward to coming back again sometime to try out the sushi and whatever’s new and on tap.

Great beer selection, nice vibe, and good service. The guy at the bar was really sweet and highly attentive. The pretzel bowls were only filled up when we sat down and were thrown away when we left– this is simple but very important to me. He also brought us over a bunch of samples after he learned what kind of beers we liked and even let us try a beer he brewed he made personally. I’m looking forward to coming back.

This place is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots to visit on Wednesday nights, and that’s because it’s Sushi Ninja night. I wouldn’t usually imagine finding sushi in a tavern, the ninja visits only on Wednesdays. I had to try it, even if just out of curiosity, and I was not disappointed. The sushi was pretty good. He prepares it right there at the end of the bar to order, and everything tasted very fresh.
Now for my favorite part. The beer! Oak Barrel Tavern has a good selection of craft beer, and the bartenders have an abundance of knowledge. «Why,» you say? Because they brew a couple right there in house. The night I went wasn’t busy, so I had plenty of time to share beer knowledge (it was mostly him sharing, and me listening). He even busted out a didgeridoo and gave us a little show, which was definitely a new and exciting experience for me.
This place is a great place to go for a relaxing beer in Avondale. If you want to dance and get wild later, all you have to do is cross the street, or go next door.

I love that in a sea of party places in Avondale, this place exists. Much smaller than the other Avondale spots but that’s what gives it it’s own unique vibe. Limited food here. I’m pretty sure they just have sushi at certain times from an outside vendor. When I’m here, it’s to enjoy their excellent craft brew selection. Check with the bartender because they sometimes have house made brews as well. They know what they’re doing here when it comes to beer and it’s easy for me to find a handful of beers on tap that I’ve been wanting to get my lips on.

The craft beer selection is top notch and the HDTV is crystal clear. Very nice spot to watch a game if a rowdy sports bar isn’t going to do it for you. The bartenders know their brews, and they are friendly and helpful. Sushi Ninja is there to cater whenever you see the red flag out front. Great vibe.

This is great bar for an after work beer or low key night out. It’s got a fun Cheers type vibe, and it’s almost always got great beer on tap. Once in a blue moon they run out of their beer and that’s a bit of a bummer, but overall they are usually well stocked and have a nice selection. It’s my go to spot to have a drink, meet some nice people, and enjoy a delicious beer without music so loud you can’t think.
If you are looking to get smashed, hook up with someone, and have a wild night out I’d probably point you down the road to downtown Charleston, or at least the Roost.

Decent beer selection. Very friendly bartender who appeared hipster but didn’t act it. (Way too friendly & bubbly for a hipster. I am an expert. I live in hipster central.) Intriguing craft beer selection. My bro & I caught them the night after a Carolina Brewery night & grabbed a flight each of different beers. Nothing too exceptional, but I’d go back to do the same next time I’m in town & at the Roost, which is our usual hangout.
The ambience was a little off. Too bright for the type of bar it is, & the back bar is way too deep for the size of the place. The décor is a little strange, including stickers stuck directly to the wall behind the bar.
Decent selection of bottles for sale, too.

Awesome draft selection!

Not a fan… my wife and I hit this place before dinner during a recent trip to Charleston, and we did not have a great experience.
Our first glass of wine was bad (old bottle), and the bartender, who was very personable, did not have any idea of a recommendation for a sub. Given that, I switched to beer (it’s harder to screw up beer, right?), and it was fine. Their draught beer selection is ok and features some craft beers, but not that many good ones.
The one impressive thing about this bar was the amazingly sharp HDTVs perched over the bar. If you can get a good stool and want to watch the game, this is great.
Overall, my subjective impression was that the Oak Barrel Tavern cannot decide if it wants to be classy or casual. If classy, train your people so they know the wine, and for goodness’ sake, make sure it’s not bottle-​skunked. If casual, beef up the beer selection and put peanuts on the bar.