The Refuge

Always enjoy the quaint atmosphere, fabulous food and excellent service.

We had a NYE reservation and had never been. We gave this place a shot and from the start it was a let down. We were asked if we wanted a seat in the coffee shop or the dining room for dinner - on NYE...we thought even the question was odd. The place is a very nice dining room which set expectations reasonably high. Then - we ordered two cocktails - one was simply a dirty martini. It was all olive juice. My bourbon drink was awful and we then tried Moscow Mules - again all lime juice. We then had a crab cake appetizer which was passable - not great and looked as if it had waited for some time to reach us. We decided that a full dinner was a risk - given the pretty lofty menu prices. We tried the $32 charcuterie board. Another massive disappointment. The server spent no time explaining what was on the board. It was small, basic and no silverware was provided. The value for $32 was well below par. At that point we wrapped it up and ordered pizza for our NYE celebration. With all of the great food in the area, this place is a hard pass.

Doing the best they can in Covid I guess. Kitchen was very slow with only two tables. Food was good

A must try deep in the corner of the Harris Teeter plaza on Isle of Palms. I went early, around 5 and had the place to myself. Before I left, The Refuge had a steady stream of diners coming in. I enjoyed a glas of Sparkling Rose Moscato. It was fruity, sweet, and light. As an appetjzer, I tried their New England style clam chowder. It was outstanding! Loaded with clams, bacon, potatoes and a little bit of scallion. Very very creamy and flavorful. Note: a cup will be sufficient if you are ordering dinner, a bowl is HUGE. I decided on the Ciopino for dinner. It had a lobster claw, several HUGE shrimp, and a dozen clams. I asked for no mussels. The Ciopino came in its signature red sauce and over some angel hair pasta also having 2 large garlic bread crustini's to sop up the broth. This Ciopino was delicious and very filling. The seafood was over the top fresh! I wish I had a bowl of it right now. The sauce could stand more seasoning/spices but it was YUMMY just the same. I know I will go back to Refuge for an awesome and fresh dinner with great service the next time I'm on IOP

Fantastic service and food! We will be visiting again soon!

Chicken was over cooked and dry. Steak was ok, but needed more char for taste. Our server was not very well informed, and the outside seating overlooks the parking lot in a shopping center.

Very enjoyable dinner. Good food, excellent service and atmosphere.

We always eat at Refuge whenever we are in town. The food is amazing and the service is fabulous!

The food was delicious. The staff was friendly and the restaurant was adorable.

Awesome food wonderful staff

Food is absolutely excellent. Outdoor dining available. Great option for a local restaurant on IOP with outstanding food that does not disappoint!

For indoor dining with delicious food-eat here! Well stocked bar. Pretty restaurant.

Second great meal this week at this super spot. Thanks bill

Extremely busy when we arrived for our reservation. I was very impressed with how promptly they addressed our party of 8. While we had to wait a little while for entrees, our drinks & appetizers arrived promptly. Food was excellent! And our server did a great job.

This has become one of my favorite restaurants in Charleston! Don't let the "laundry" sign below REFUGE keep you from going! Very deceiving. Have tried several entree's and all have been wonderful!

Always superb food and service. The menu is novel and adaptable to any culinary desires.

Highly recommend. We are frequent patrons even with other good options nearby.

Always a great meal at The Refuge! The salmon was awesome and the Cioppino fantastic! Great service too!

I prefer brunch

Great food and service!

Food was excellent but our server Laura was phenomenal! Try the Cioppino it was to die for.

This was maybe the most delicious meal my husband and I have had in our entire lives. It was the last meal of our honeymoon, and we definitely saved the best for last. Will be talking about this meal for years to come!!!

Good seafood dinners. I had the triggerfish with rice and it was seasoned and cooked very well. I would have liked a few more veggies on the plate , but that’s just my personal preference. My friend had the risotto and crab cake and enjoyed it as well. The interior was nice and not too crowded. The service was friendly and not overwhelming.

Food quality was inconsistent - my date had the triggerfish (loved it), we split a Caesar salad (exceptionally good), and I had the steak frites (hangar steak was unpleasantly tough, fries were undistinguished). The pricing is consistent with an upscale restaurant but the quality doesn't quite get there.

Nice place... food was delicious and presented beautifully

I love going there for the crabcakes and cioppino.

Ran out of tea sweet and unsweet tea by 7 pm. No ice. Food was ok. Not much of it for the cost.

Great food. Chef came to table to check on n us. Bre was a really sweet server. Recommend!

The Refuge was a last minute reservation and an unexpected surprise! We had a wonderful dinner sitting at the bar. Will definitely return!

We arrived for this reservation a few mins before the scheduled time only to find that the restarting wasn’t even open! No signs on the door - nothing

The food and service were beyond expectations. The chef even made a table visit to recommend one of his favorite bourbons. Great experience.

We went for lunch and I loved my salad! Beets, artichokes and asparagus with nice greens. Added blackened shrimp which was great! My friend had an ok salad. Cute place in a plaza. Very nice staff. Would go back again.

My husband and I had a great dining experience. We enjoyed the brussel sprouts appetizer, it was delicious! My husband had the filet mignon and I had the shrimp & grits. The filet was perfect and the shrimp and grits were creamy & savory.
We could tell out waiter was new but he was very attentive and gave us great service.
It was our first time to the area and we are happy we chose The refuge. We will definitely come back the next time we visit IOP.

We started with BLT Deviled Eggs and they were fantastic. I got Lobster Mac n Cheese and my boyfriend got the Breach Burger for our entrees and we both couldn’t decide whose meal was more delicious, especially those homemade french fries!! We finished our experience off with the Lemon Cheesecake and it was creamy with the perfect amount of citrus. I will definitely be back when I am in town again!

It was their 2nd night back open so the kitchen was very backed up and they seated too many people at the same time. The dining room was too crowded and there was not much social distancing that could be done. Wish they had posted that on their website so that we would know before we made a reservation. The fried green tomato appetizer was great. The rest of our meals were a bit too salty.

The Refuge is a fabulous restaurant to go to for breakfast. The quantity and quality of the food prepared and served there is outstanding; it’s going to be hard to find another location to top theirs. The decor and setting is extremely nice, you will be surprised, and there’s an coffee bar on location as well. You won’t be disappointed...

Their service has greatly improved since last year.

Very good food, ambience and service. Thought it was a little pricey, particularly $8.00 for craft beer.

Food not great. Large groups with little children made deafening noise

Our servers Tony and John were excellent !!! Jordan the chef even brought us a dish and asked how things were. Y’all win with the energetic personal touch.

This is the second time that we have eaten here within a week. My wife had the triggerfish. I had the Crab Cake. Both were excellent. And the service was also great.