Big John's Tavern

Big John’s Tavern Reopens in Charleston With a Speakeasy | Eater Carolinas

"After Cane Rhum Bar & Caribbean Kitchen closed in 2020, three Citadel alums—Christopher Houston, Scotty Sheriff, and Darren Bradley—purchased and spent a year and a half renovating the 251 East Bay Street building to revive Big John’s Tavern, evoking the original 1955 Citadel hangout while making it more sophisticated; the classic red leather stools return but the dusty posters and bras from the old dive did not. Rumor has it that original owner John Canady, aka “Big John,” would allow underage cadets a few beers if they didn’t cause trouble, which helped cement its Citadel reputation until its closure in 2015. A new addition is an intimate speakeasy, Scotty Doesn’t Know, in the former back pool room—a tribute to Please Don’t Tell and the ribald ballad from EuroTrip—accessible through a movable bookcase and slated to be reservation-only when it opens later this fall; patrons will be able to order wine, beer, and cocktails by pushing a button to signal bartenders in Big John’s, making it a quieter spot for a date or to escape rowdier crowds. The offerings have grown up as well: a dedicated cocktail menu includes theatrical drinks like the Smoke Show (served in a smoke-filled bottle) and a Four Roses Old Fashioned, most beers are local, and the wine list includes three sparkling wines by the glass plus varietals from around the globe. Executive chef William Sherrod, formerly of Fleet Landing, brings Southern-inspired plates beyond typical bar food, including steak Diane with gnocchi, local catch with savory bread pudding, a chicken cordon bleu sandwich, fried green tomato bruschetta with shrimp and pimento cheese, and Gullah hot chicken." - Erin Perkins