Benne’s by Peninsula Grill

This little gem is wonderful. We had the spinach & feta egg bite, a sugar free vanilla latte, a half & half sweet tea, a mile high sausage and egg biscuit. The egg bite could have had a little more feta on it but overall, it was very good. My husband raved over the biscuit sandwich & said the tea was the best he’s had in a while. The service was awesome. The attendant was very nice, friendly and upbeat. He did a fantastic job considering he was working alone. The atmosphere was great; quiet, quaint, with many options on the menu. The desserts look absolutely incredible and yummy!

Was looking for a little coffee shop near city market and stumbled on Benne's. Coffee was good. Raspberry lemonade was perfectly sweet and tart. They even had Gluten Free pastries. I did not try The Ultimate Coconut Cake. However, I was intrigued at "17.00 a slice. They showed me the slices and "Wow"! The slice is a meal in itself. They sell a whole cake for $160 with overnight delivery anywhere in the country. I asked how many they mail overnight. The counter person did not know but said they go through about 8 cakes on an average day. Rumor has it Tom Cruise orders a couple hundred each year for delivery to his friends over the holidays. How do get on Tom Cruise's mailing list?

WOULD RECOMMEND!!! FOOD was AMAZING. Walked in, we were able to choose where to sit down. Waitress took care of our order right away, food was delivered minutes later fresh and SO GOOD! Ordered an everything bagel but they only had a plain bagel, gave us desserts for the inconvenience. Definitely a spot that cares about their customers. Big bonus that they are open late!! Would 100% recommend to friends and family!!

We visited this place specifically to try their famous coconut cake, and it did not disappoint—it was absolutely delicious! The ambience of the restaurant was warm and inviting, creating the perfect setting for a relaxing dessert experience. While the desserts overall were delightful and beautifully presented, we found them to be slightly overpriced for the quality and taste they offered. The outdoor seating area deserves a special mention; it’s charming and well-maintained, making it an excellent spot to enjoy a treat. Despite the price point, the combination of great desserts and lovely ambience made it a memorable visit.

I was spending the day in Charleston and found this place on Google maps. Loved the atmosphere and decoration! The service unfortunately on the day I went was slowly, there was only one girl doing her best to take the orders and to prepare them… so it took a while for us to get our order and she ended up forgetting my drink but see, I’m not complaining, I’m saying this so the owners can be more careful and hire another person to help them or maybe I just went on the wrong day haha The coconut cake is great! I ordered the tiramisu and it was delicious! It is a place worth of your money!

Lovely cafe on a lively street, with indoor seating and a serene courtyard with a water fountain. We visited for the ultimate coconut cake, and it was amazing! There were many tasty options on the menu, so that means we will need to visit again to try a few more things! The staff was nice and welcoming. They had a variety of alcohol and non alcohol drinks. We opted for the non alcohol hibiscus drink. It was refreshing!

Cute little bar/cafe with attentive, very gracious wait staff. We skipped in for a slice of the famous coconut cake and some tea. It was heavenly and light and delicious! Have I had equally delicious coconut cake? Probably but it was amazing.

Cute place - quiche was good but the greens with it were quite wilted and had to pick most of it out. Biscuit was good but not warmed up? Would think they'd warm it for $5 and maybe offer butter. But the peach jam served with it was good. Few minor things and attention to detail would make it 5 stars.

I came here with a friend one slow evening as the rain began to fall in sheets. We were the only ones there and were treated with ultimate Southern hospitality as the two employees were gracious and accommodating. They seemed unbothered by the slow night keeping themselves busy by organizing, cleaning, and inventory checks in between checking in on my friend and I. We came here for desserts having heard nothing of the place from anyone. We had walked past it the night before and fancied dropping in after dinner nearby. Once the rain started we settled as we had not brought an umbrella. My friend ordered two slices of cake not anticipating they could feed a small village of people. She thought the coconut cake was a bit dry but absolutely loved, loved, loved the slice of chocolate cake she had. I decided to drink my dessert and started with the La Provence which was a bright gin drink, very florally especially with the lavender. The Ultimate Coconut Martini was fabulous. It was creamy, well balanced, and the vanilla soared on coconut flavor. I am a fan of a great dessert cocktail. All in all it was a fantastic moment out!

This was the last stop on our Charleston food tour and it did not disappoint! I'd had this amazing cake before at dinner at Peninsula Grill and was so excited for the rest of my party to try it. Service was great, cake was unreal, and the space is super cute. Definitely a must go!

We heard great things about the coconut cake. It was dry and not anything special, especially for the price, good lord.

We had this on our list to try because of the Coconut cake. The cake itself while pricey is very good. We almost didn't try it because service was so bad that we almost left. There were very few people in the restaurant at that time and we sat until we almost left. Literally believe a manager had to come over to help us. Again the cake is great but the service was not.

Coconut cake for the win! This was our last food stop of our Charleston trip. I had read about this cake, so I had to give it a try. My husband and I shared the cake and still couldn't finish it all. It was so delicious and I'm sure I'll have dreams about it. Our waitress was helpful and kind. I loved the seating choices.

Best Coconut Cake Ever! Our shuttle driver must sell hundreds of slices. We got dropped off in front of this place and after hearing how delicious it was, we just had to try it. It did not disappoint! Their spinach and ricotta croissants were delicious also.

Whelllll, our tour guide, Alice told us all about this crazy big coconut cake and we were all so full from our foodie tour, that we were thinking: No WAY it could tempt us. But I'm here to tell you it lives up to the HYPE! I had a THIRD of a piece and it was delicious and creamy. Had my fill til next trip!

When you're craving dessert but you only have the same boring spots to go to? Just kidding! Benne's is there for you! I'm so glad we have another dessert spot in Charleston and am sore to just now be learning about it. We snagged the cheesecake and an espresso martini. I'll be honest, I don't like cheesecake but I know my boyfriend does so I made sure we ordered it. That is probably the best slice of cheesecake I have ever had. It wasn't too sweet, not too cream cheesy and the CRUST was perfect. The interior is really pretty and we were fortunate to come in before it got too busy. Benne's is a nice treat that is well known for their "world famous coconut cake". They have an assortment of drinks and dessert options. I look forward to going back!

Amazing coconut cake. Perfect sweetness. They even ship their cakes! Expresso Martini was a bit bitter and unnecessary with the sweetness of the cake. We shared 1piece cake between 3of us and it was plenty!

I've heard race reviews about the big coconut cake from one of our food tour couples that we met earlier in the day, I know Opera loves it too. Benne's was right around the corner from our hotel so we stopped in and purchased a a slice for later. The portion was a good size (I'm not sure if it was $18's big) but as a coconut cake with rave reviews goes, it was... fine. A little dry and just kind of expected more for the price and the way people talk about it. The location was nice and the servers were super friendly and made sure we had utensils for our to go order. It's certainly a spot I'd stop in to grab coffee but the menu looked a little traditional and at the time I was in need of an iced coffee with a little flair to it.

Probably the best coconut cake and espresso martini we have ever had. Pro tip: start eating the cake from the back, that way you'll get bits of the toasted coconut shavings instead of being too full to finish the back and miss out on that little slice of heaven! They were super busy on a Wednesday evening as they only had 1 server on the floor (it's a small cafe setting), but the bartender came over to our table between customers to take our order. Very nice staff.

First morning in Charleston and we decided to walk around and look for a few breakfast spots. Come to find out, Charleston isn't really much of a breakfast town? My wife is telling me when we retire, we'll open a cute diner here. We = Me working? We walked past Benne and decided for some coffee and bagels. I also noticed this beautiful coconut cake on display? My sister in law did some research, this is a famous cake. Like, people plan their weddings around this cake?! As we're talking, I bite into my bagel with cream cheese and salmon. What the hell!?? Ok, so Charleston isn't known for bagels. Now at my diner, I'm baking. Great. The cake has slowly entered into my consciousness... After dinner, we were walking around town and came across Bennes. We sit down and I see the restaurant is an after hours type spot? The table next to us ordered a few smokey Old Fashioneds. The coolness level just jumped up to 100. The guy behind the bar seemed pretty cool, I asked him if the coconut cakes are sold by the slice? It is sir. Be still my beating heart... The cake comes to the table quickly. One bite and I can see why people are losing their minds. The frosting isn't overly sweet and the coconut flavor is there, layer after layer after layer.. I'm in a coconut coma at this point. If you're in Charleston, make it point to stop by Bennes. Amazing Coconut cake and the cocktails look delicious too!

I try to pop by anytime I'm in town. I like that their red velvet cake doesn't have a ton of cream. Today I stopped by for it, but they didn't have it so I went with their key lime fruit tart. Which was delicious. The service here is always kind and welcoming. I would recommend for desserts and small bites with friends or by yourself ^_^

We went for the $15 slice of coconut cake. It was good, but pricey. They have great ambiance and had a live violinist the night we visited. You can order at the counter for take away or take a seat and be served. All seating is indoor.

This place had a really nice setting making it immediately comfortable to chill for a bit. Workers were nice and the food was solid. Service was kind of unorganized and we had to ask multiple times for our food only to then find out it was sitting on the counter and no one brought it to us. Then we ordered a coconut cake which was phenomenal and someone actually delivered it to our table. Overall, the food was solid, service was kind of messy and the setting was decent!

Great little find. Was just the right spot for an after dinner drink coupled with something sweet. My wife and I shared a MASSIVE slice of their signature coconut cake. It was to die for!! Also had a great cup of coffee and a wonderful chocolate martini. The seating in the middle of the room are super comfortable. A great place to relax with great eats and a friendly waiter staff. Hope to go back!

Visited as a part of the Hispanic Heritage Month Bar Crawl coordinated by the Cocktail Bandits. Great diner vibes. Cute inside, and nice area outside in the back. This was my first time there, but I'm planning to return and try items on their menu that sound very appealing. The service was awesome. We were able to taste a great cocktail and slice of coconut cake. The drink was delightful. I'm not a fan of coconut, so I ate around the coconut. The cake was moist and not too sweet, as well as the icing.

Coconut cake...worth the trip. I don't even like coconut very much but this cake was great!

This place is such a gem! The atmosphere is so calm and fun. They have live music and the performer is sooooo good. The desserts are super yummy. We had the tiramisu, coconut cake, and chocolate mousse with raspberries. All 10/10s. I also had the espresso martini, which was very smooth and perfect balance of espresso and vodka. Overall, this place is amazing! I'll come back for sure!

My wife and I were down in Charleston for our anniversary. We happened to walk by Benne's in the afternoon and the coconut cakes in the window caught our eye. We had dinner reservations down the street later that evening but decided to have dessert afterwards at Benne's. We came back and sat at the bar. We ordered a slice of the coconut cake and enjoyed every bite. This coconut cake is the best I've ever had. I learned later that night that they are known for having the best coconut cake in America! Even Oprah knows about it! Amazing is all I can say. I haven't stopped thinking about it in two days!

Great spot . I've been there last year as well . This time service was so poor can't even describe fully . Brought the bDay candle asked my Server to place it and light it up , they brought desserts with the candle with NOT FIRE . First time in my life . Luckily bDay person was not a child . Asked to go boxes at the end no bags was offered . Unfriendly service needs to be changed . Coconut dessert was as always nice . Management and service are vital part At customer service and staff should be trained accordingly!!! I'll be back hope to get better service...

I stumbled upon this place and boy was I impressed! It was a bit of a walk from the hotel and that could be good/bad thing. I would have been here every evening. Our waiter was great and seemed to be enjoying the work. It is relaxed and you can get cafe 'correctto' (true Italians will know what this means). There was live music (violinist the evening of our visit). There are food options and desserts. Their signature dessert is the coconut cake and if you like coconut, you must get a piece. If I find myself in Charleston again, I will be stopping in.

Pretty new, modern premise. It's a bit different than most others in Charleston. You feel comfortable and service was good. Coconut cake was delicious, but on the other hand expensive.

The coconut cake is a must!!!! I truly cannot say enough good things about it. As a coconut cake lover I was obsessed with this cake, but even my husband who doesn't like coconut enjoyed it too. It was so creamy, moist and light. Each slice is pretty expensive at $15 but well worth it. Im from out of town and would consider coming back to town just to try this cake again. The cafe itself is so cute. They had coffee/tea, bakery and lunch items.

Participated in the Cocktail Bandits Hispanic Heritage Month Bar Crawl. The last stop was phenomenal! The bartender was amazing! So sweet & accommodating. He created a delicious cocktail. The restaurant is a hidden gem on Market Street. Full bar with plenty of desserts. Welcoming environment with a beautiful & intimate patio area.

Friendly service and pretty good coffee! I didn't try any of the pastries, but they looked delicious. If you need a pick me up after shopping at the Charleston City Marker, this is a good spot to pop in for a coffee.

Came through on a Saturday night and needed some fuel before a ghost tour! Aka coffee!! At times it's hard to find local coffee shops that are open after 4pm so we were walking towards a hotel cafe when we saw Benne's along the way. I like how they're open until 11pm and offer not just coffee but cocktails and mocktails as well. I got a yummy pumpkin spice latte that wasn't overly sweet, my Dad enjoyed his regular hot coffee, and my sis got a refreshing hibiscus tea. We shared a slice of the coconut cake, between us 3 we were stuffed!! The interior is very well designed, from the tiles to the light fixtures so kudos to the design team for that. The mirrors help to make the space look bigger as well. Bathroom was clean and gender neutral. Service was quick. Great spot we found on a whim and highly recommend y'all take a visit.

I am a little uncomfortable reviewing Benne's Cafe and Bakery and giving a low rating as I have remained a loyal patron at the Peninsula Grill for many years. I have to say that the cafe was NOT In keeping with the 5 star food and quality as you would find at The Peninsula Grill in the hotel. I had higher expectations for Benne's and was very surprised to say the least. The Cafe's website make the sandwiches, salads and baked goods look garden fresh and made to order but in reality you are handed a ready made item that is cold and marginal in ingredients and packaged in a "to go" container. I ordered the mixed green salad with chicken ~ only to open box and find the chicken was missing. When I inquired the Manager retuned with cold "pegs "of luke warm white chicken which was totally unacceptable and inedible. My husband's smoked salmon on a bagel was skimpy in serving size and one half of a bagel only in serving--who knows when it was composed ---so he left the cafe still hungry. He did comment that it was tasty but not the full portion as one would expect and more should have been included for the price! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Benne's will make some changes before it's too late. I know the focus of The Peninsula Grill is their famous coconut cake and believe they will do well selling slices to the tourist population. I think it's great that the bakers at Peninsula Grill now have a nice cafe in order to sell their world famous cake! The Planters Inn/ Peninsula Grill's famous Coconut Cake is on display everywhere and for the thirty minutes I sat at my table I observed several customers walk in and ask the price of the cake- btw $15.00 slice. It will feed two easily and you still may have leftovers! I believe Benne's will do well with the after dinner dessert crowd looking for a special treat before their walk back to their hotel. If you want quick and easy takeout then Benne's will be for you.

Every time I am in Charleston , I have to get a piece of the Peninsula Grill coconut cake . Layers of coconut deliciousness in every bite . The icing is perfect too and not overly sweet .

3 stars so they read this review: 1) the food and cocktail options are great. The coconut cake is a Charleston staple for a reason 10/10 2) the cocktails are also outstanding. Their espresso cocktails; the wine selection, the vermouth, digestif; great 9/10 3) Brandon the Bartender/ Server 12/10 outstanding; what a knowledgeable, charleston native. Love love love his energy and enthusiasm. Here's where bennes fails: The baristas. The management team. Tell us why everyone looks like they hate working there; why were the (very young) baristas acting like they own the place, smashing glassware and being condescending to the guests? The one barista, showed us to a dirty table and was talking under her breath from the counter and then, a man in a suit, -I guess the manager? Came to clear the table. Unorganized operation. Should just be open for dessert and cocktails. Completely unacceptable.

Service was awesome. It's hard to find truly gluten free/friendly foods at a bakery. The hummingbird cake was wonderful and my husband had the coconut cake (of course). He said it was delicious. Where else can you get cocktails and a good GF cake? They also have live music on Friday nights, but not so loud that you can't talk with your party.

Located right next door to Peninsula Grill, it is the perfect place to grab the famous Coconut Cake of Charleston while also sipping delicious cocktails. There are other dessert options as well and you can grab a table or take it to go. They had a guitarist playing while we were there and it was a great way to enjoy the end of the day. The coconut cake was definitely large enough to split and our server was excellent. Very clean, very spacious and a great place to duck into for after dinner drinks and dessert without having to go to all the "usual" places around Charleston.

Pre-packaged food was a major surprise. I came for the coconut cake and saw a cake that was on display and looked like it was cut on the spot for orders. So when I placed a takeout order they brought me a pre frozen cake slice from the back and when I told her I wanted the fresh one the lady at the register insisted it was fresh. I know it was not fresh. Later when I bit into it also did not taste freshly made. The one on display that was cut for dine in looked better. Big deceptive bait and switch tactic with what you see in the display and the frozen tv dinner you get to go. Skip this scam.

I am so happy I stumbled upon this little gem! I was about to walk into Peninsula Grille and get me a slice of the infamous coconut cake, and as I was walking, in the window was the cake!! I walk in thinking "I hope it's as good as the cake in Peninsula Grille". The cashier greeted me and I asked her if that was the same cake and she said yes! They shop is adorable! Same southern regal flare. The lighting was perfect! They also make coffee beverages and had other dessert options! I will definitely go back!

I hate leaving bad reviews! I felt like management should be aware though that the morning staff on July 26th around 11am were really struggling! There were two servers working and that's all, there was a group ahead of us that were having a hard time with them about not receiving their food and while this was happening other customers were getting ignored because they both were cleaning or standing around. After everyone had left we were waiting for our pastries and iced tea and they still stood around not prepping anything. When asked about the wait for the tea there was some attitude! This place had good tea and pastries and a great vibe but service could improve!!

Coconut cake - absolutely delicious. Just wish the cake itself was not dry. It was 12 layers. The place itself is not too exciting but the people are nice

Stopped in for lunch, server took our order and we never saw her again. She gave us water thankfully but we did not get the drink we ordered. The cheese on the cheese plate had mold on it and we had to get our own silverware and napkins. We had high hopes but left let down.

This seems to be a tourist trap. The drinks and pastries are average. The service was okay, but they did get our order wrong.

Super cute little dessert and cocktail place. My vanilla eclair was amazing! Definitely come if you're in the Charleston area looking for dessert or a drink

Such a cute spot to have light eats, dessert and cocktails. I stayed for about 2 hours catching up with friends. We had drinks, charcuterie and took some cheesecake to go. Such a cute vibe inside, too. Wait staff are very cool :)

All around amazing experience. Tyler was a fantastic bartender who made delicious drinks. As if it couldn't get better the other bartender, Katie was even BETTER!!!! She was so funny, a wonderful bartender, and kept me at the bar for HOURS when I just wanted to spend 30 minutes there! Ambiance was wonderful with beautiful clean bar and seating. 12/10 recommend!

Benne's came up as a "brunch" place; would not recommend for brunch necessarily. All of the food is made ahead of time and they heat it up in the microwave for you. If they run out of food, they do not have any way to make more, so unfortunately at 9am they were out of 70% of their breakfast menu. 2 lattes, 1 danish, 1 parfait and a breakfast sandwich ran us about $50. Good quality was a 3 of 5.

Stopped in for some afternoon desserts and cappuccino after shopping at the City Market. They had a very nice dessert selection. We enjoyed the chocolate mousse cake with raspberry, espresso crème brûlée, peanut butter pie, cinnamon bun and cappuccino. Beautiful place and service was great as well!

Really beautiful establishment, furniture and decor really great. Live in music was awesome. Had the coconut cake that is a must have, bought to slices while visiting Charleston. Feeds two people twice, wonderful dessert.

Great idea for a cute cafe with desserts, coffee and light food. Quality of the food however is low. Dessert selection was great! However none of them looked fresh, and the two we tried didn't taste fresh either. The cafe space is quite nice, with booth seating and regular cafe table options as well. Service was good!

T H E C O C O N U T cake is A M A Z I N G! So too is the bourbon pecan pie and the espresso martini. Love the staff and it's a really relaxing environment.

Espresso martinis- 10/10 Cappuccino- 10/10 Coconut cake- 10/10 Reeses Pie- 10/10 This is the cutest little shop with the best service and atmosphere!

This little coffee shop on market street serves the best coffee in Charleston. Service was outstanding and manager always opens it on time. It's the cleanest shop in Charleston with beautiful decorative interior. Pastries and coffee was excellent on both of my morning visits there. Employees are super friendly and happy to serve customers. Highly recommend!

We picked up dessert from here on our way home. This place was extremely overpriced and the quality was not so good. We won't be back at. $35 for two pieces of cake.