Burns Alley Tavern

Make sure you go on a weekend for Claire! Out of my top 3 experiences for my first time in Charleston (coming from DC) both Claire and the bar tied for 3rd place. Make sure to be nice and patient with the bartenders, and they’ll take care of you. Don’t be a jerk if your sugar free Fru fru Red Bull isn’t super chilled.

Burns Alley Tavern has a very unique atmosphere, almost like a piece of history is etched into its walls. It’s tucked away in an alley, which gives it a bit of a hidden gem feel. The dim lighting, graffiti-covered walls, and overall dive bar aesthetic make it seem like a cool place to hang out. It definitely has character, and I can see why some people love it. However, my experience was far from great. The biggest issue was the service—the server was unexpectedly rude for no reason. There was no warmth, no friendliness. A place like this should have a welcoming vibe, but instead, it just felt uninviting. On top of that, the prices were disappointing. I paid $13.50 for two normal beers, which didn’t feel justified for a dive bar setting. I expected better value, especially considering the atmosphere. It wasn’t anything special drink-wise, just standard beers at a higher-than-expected price. Overall, Burns Alley has potential with its unique vibe, but the attitude of the staff and the pricing really took away from the experience. I wanted to like it, but I left feeling like I wouldn’t go back.

One the best bars near King Street for live music. The place is a huge College of Charleston hangout, and the staff there are pretty cool to interact with. The prices of drinks and food here are great as well, but there is a very limited selection of food. They will occasionally have food pop ups, though. They usually have great live music almost every night right on the stage by the bar. There are two "floors" to the place as well, with a good amount of seats each. Overall a great place to spend a couple of hours at.

If you are looking for an Dive bar in a back alley... This is your spot!

An awesome hole in the wall style place. Bartenders were amazing and fast. Door man was awesome in recommending another place when we left to get away from unwanted attention. Will definitely go back next time we visit Charleston

Great dive bar! Beer, liquor, Jell-O shots! One pool table and arcade games. Always something going on the weekends, either a band or karaoke. Bartenders are always great. Bathrooms could use some work, and sometimes it gets crowded later at night (for good reason!). Overall, great local place to stop.

Honestly, I’ve never had a ruder staff. Not only is it not a weekend night, but respectfully they made degrading comments to my friend. Worst bar experience I’ve ever had in a college or non college town and it’s entirely the bar tenders fault. Also 60$ for hoodie? What is this supreme? Horrible bar, horrible service, as a native, I’ll never return.

Visited on a Wednesday night - decent size crowd. Was supposed to be karaoke night, but they didn't have it due to plumbing issues. Ordered several beers, a Jack & Coke, and a Mule. Cocktails were decently made. Prices very reasonable. Service was good and attentive. Fun, divey atmosphere. Would recommend for a fun drink (or several).

10/10 if you're looking for a cool dive bar! I really enjoyed this bar and Brenda was an awesome bartender!

came here on a Saturday night. They had a $10 cover and take cash or Venmo. Dive bar feels, drinks are affordable and a diverse crowd. They had a live band that night. We came here with a work group to grab some drinks. Was a chill place if you're looking for those vibes!

Excellent dive bar about a block away from the Francis Marion hotel. What a difference going from a historic 100 year old hotel to an awesome dive bar which is down an alley and around the corner. It was karaoke night so there was a $5 cover. We chose to drink some Larceny bourbon on the rocks while we got away from main group of conference attendees. We joked we should get them all to come here the next night to crash the place. I stayed about 2 hours but my colleague stuck it out much later. The bartenders were friendly, the pours were good, and the vibe was dive for sure. There was a small upstairs balcony where we hung out for a bit before going down for refills. I'd go back!

Came here for two things, beer and karaoke. Well... camaraderie too! Love the speakeasy feel with the walk down the alley and then entering at the back of the building where Burns is located. It's a small venue but does have an upstairs. Bartenders were great and super friendly, even as the night kept getting tighter with more people. It was a mix crowd of young college kids and older adults and great to hear both types of customers singing along to their favorite songs. Only thing I would recommend is probably a better sound system for the karaoke as at times it was hard to hear clearly people singing. Other than that Burns Alley is a fun place to hang out.

Cool, friendly, and hip dive bar that's a little bit tricky to find. A very lively crowd even on a Wednesday night...don't you people have to work? Unknown to me, it was a Karaoke night! Seemed these locals were in the know, as a lot of them seemed to be regulars, and all were quite talented singers! Craft beers on draft ran $7-8. Friendly bartenders and doorman...the $5 cover charge was a bit of a turn off, but what do I know about running a dive bar successfully?

When you're the designated driver because you don't drink but all the ppl you're with do and they say" tonight, I'm getting F***ed up" and do lol . This the place to definitely be. The band was awesome.

Fantastic dive bar that's nicely hidden. The crowd varies, but the age definitely gets younger at night (just be prepared to feel old if you've passed the 30 year mark). Cheap drinks, loud music, limited seating and some cool people watching. I'd definitely go back.

This place is LOUD AF. Has minimal drink selection (Smirnoff, bourbon, effen but no Tito's vodka or aviation gin). I'm here now on a Friday night, now Saturday morning. It's LOUD AF, however, the music is GOOD. It's too loud for the bartenders to hear you. But I had a good time

Cheap beer, live music, and good vibes -- what more could you want?? It can get really packed inside, but it's a fun spot!

The bouncers are the rudest guys I have ever met. We paid them the charge and when my friend was trying to pay, the bouncer yelled at her for not doing it fast enough. He threatened to kick out the whole group despite just having just paid. The short bouncer with the beard should no longer work here. The bar tender was amazing and the live music was great, but I would not come back with a bouncer who is that awful. I did not feel safe around him.

Great dive bar. Took me a few tries to find it. Google maps is confusing. Find Burns Lane. Walk down and through the parking lot. But maybe this is part of what makes it so special? Its a classic, local, make no apology dive bar. Sometimes you just want to kick back, toss a few down, hang out, and see who you end up talking to. This is the place.

Perfect dive for a relaxing night cap. Bartenders were so friendly and fun and the place was decorated exactly as expected. Super GEM of a find!!! Wish I could have spent more time there :)

We love a dive bar, but we LOVE a dive bar with games like skeeball or buck hunter. Could spend hours happily here. Heard they have good live music also, but we came on a night they didn't have it (came to watch hockey). Excited to come back!

Cool dive bar, stopped in for a round and to cool off l, will def be back. Friendly fast service.

Most bartenders were having fun and the one with curly hair and tall was complete trash. How do you let customers buy shots for workers and then she tried to get an attitude when were sitting there

Cool dive-ish bar in downtown, with plenty of drinks. It's a bar. It has a cool interior. I'm old as hell but I can definitely see them being filled with college kids during late nights. That's all I got.

Popped into the Burns Alley Tavern for a drink or three before the comedy show at nearby Theatre 99. Loved this clean, friendly dive bar on the back alley around the corner and hidden! Although there wasn't live music when we were there, I guess they do have rock shows starting 930pm. It was refreshing to order a round of drinks for two people under $10! Bravo!

This might be the most disgusting place I've ever been. Pee all over the bathroom floor, tiles missing, a surly bartender who was getting in arguments with patrons over nothing, etc. There are charming dive bars, and there are disgusting dive bars, and this unfortunately is the latter. I would only recommend if you want to get stabbed and / or get syphilis.

Great local dive in the heart of tourist country. Great prices and great vibe. Kinda tucked away which makes it even better! As a local, this is a "go to"!

Great dive bar in an area that can be slightly pretentious. I love Charleston, but there's definitely a snobby atmosphere at certain restaurants and bars. If you want a place with cheap drinks and live music, this is your spot. I'm not sue if they serve food here, but with such incredible restaurants in the area, I'd probably pass on a meal here anyway.

If you are looking for a crowded dive bar this is it! This place was popping, fun band, cheap drinks, and so crowded. Tight little ally where people come out to talk. This was our last stop after a long night out with a wedding party. Not really our preferred style anymore, but if you are getting wild or still in your 20's this is a great spot to end the night.

Fun dive bar that feels like a speakeasy due to the lack of signage. Cheap drinks, music, and just a feast for the eyes. Totally recommend!

Definitely the best dive bar in Charleston. Live music everyday. Fun people, good prices and we felt welcome.

Super fun dive bar for the end of the night. We went in the summer and there was live music and a very fun crowd. There was a mix of different people and even a handful of dogs! It can be kinda tricky to find since it is down the alley, but we could hear the music and it was a fun end to the night.

Came here on a Wednesday night for their karaoke night. It was a pretty good set up. Cover was $5/each. The karaoke guy has three or so microphones so a number of people can get up on stage. There wasn't much of a queue so all three of the songs we requested were sung within an hour or so. Not too crowded, but good energy. The bar has a second floor which has some arcade like games. We didn't take advantage but seems like you could spend a good amount of time there.

Rlly dissatisfied by their bouncer. This child is underage, he should be home playing chess. Denied my friend with a '98 id for it being expired.

Was visiting & stumbled upon this gem! Incredibly fun place!!! Comfy dive bar worth the cover ;) Can't wait to go back

We had trouble finding this gem, until the guy at the liquor store on King pointed us to the alley. Great drinks and service. We didn't stay for the live music but would come back again!

Brandy is awesome! Great music and cool vibe for an afternoon duck in to have a drink.

I haven't had any food here... not sure if they serve food! But the drinks are great.... Service is quick! It's a great place off the beaten path with mainly locals! Good vibes.

Great drive bar in Charleston, cheap drinks, live band on the weekends, pool table inside and skeeball. It's in one of the alleys behind the shops off the main street.

Cool place to go out and have a drink and just hang. Have music a lot of night later on. Pool tables and great service. This is a nice dive bar.

This place is awesome, but I LOVE local hole in the wall bars. We first stopped here because we were waiting to check into a B&B near by. The bartender was nice and the locals were too. The bartender had an adorable dog that followed her around! The drinks were strong and the price was right. We ended up coming back to the bar after checking in and dinner and the bartenders and patrons were amazing still. They did get quiet busy on a Thursday night because they had a karaoke night. I'd highly recommend this place.

I went there this past weekend, time until I went here. I have an out of state ID so I usually expect a little more of a thorough check when I'm going into bars, after 5 minutes of the bouncers checking my ID (which is very real by the way) my ID was handed off to a women who apparently worked at this place even though she wasn't working door which I find extremely unprofessional. Then this women proceeds to tell me that she "knows what's she's doing" and snaps my very real ID, I admit I got very heated but she also was extremely rude condescending and aggressive towards me and my friends. We were given a round of drinks of compensation, but I have never in my life been treated so poorly by what apparently is a coowner of this place.... Will not be returning obviously

Cool place. Great vibes, especially with a band playing. Drinks are spotty. Not sure how food is. I think it fits the bill for a hole in the wall bar for great times but maybe not a "cozy" place

I did not like the band that was performing when we were there. I like listening to live music but songs that are known. The band played their songs and it was not my type of music. I love when you go to a bar with live music and you hear songs you hear on the radio. That did not happen. Also the vocal singer sang with his eyes closed. It was really weird. I guess he was really feeling his music. I also did not like the crowd. It is a dive bar but most men here dressed like they rolled out of bed. If you are looking to mingle with people in their 30s or 40s, this is not the right place. People were either super young or really old.

This is a fun little place. It has a grungy feel, but it isn't dirty. They play punk and metal, so be ready for that. The decorations are a little over the top (oh look, a deer with beer cans on its antlers) but it contributes to the atmosphere. Good selection of beers on tap and fair prices. It's a little hard to find as it is down an alley, but I spent an hour cooling off while the wife shopped. We were both happy!

I loved this bar. My friends and I were in town for tonight, drank there during the day, got to know the bartenders, the playlist was WuTang and awesome. Left to go get dinner and told them we would be back, and when we came back, the bouncer tried to hit us up for $5 a piece. Made it clear we were just there, with guys who drink. The bouncer tried to "cut us a deal" and make the cover less, GTFO.

While visiting Charleston for an evening, we were looking for a cool local spot to have some drinks. Burns Alley came up in our searches, so we headed there. I loved the vibe here! It's a low key dive bar that's off the beaten path of the tourist areas. I enjoyed the music that was playing through the jukebox, the bartender was friendly, and the atmosphere was relaxed. Unfortunately our visit occurred during COVID-19, so we didn't end up staying too long because it started to get more crowded than what we were personally comfortable with. It looked like they were setting up for karaoke later in the evening which would definitely be fun! If I'm ever in the Charleston area again, I'd head back to Burns Alley for sure!

Bar staff was great, music was really good. We got lucky and it wasn't packed for a Saturday night!

Very eclectic and cool place, great atmosphere when not too busy. Love that it's away from other bars, long lines and obnoxious people!

best hidden dive bar in town! Good prices and live music! Usually a cover to get in but worth it for the drink prices

Great place to grab some low-key drinks and chill. Vibe is on point with a "dive bar" atmosphere, AWESOME jukebox, and great drinks. Service was absolutely on point with heavy pours and great attitude. Will be back for more shenanigans!

I love this bar. I stopped by in the middle of the day as well as in the evening. The vibe is different but lovely. The bartenders I've had contact with were kind and easy to talk to. Cool bar! Check it out if you are on king .

Great dive bar! I was there on a Tuesday night, and even then there was great music. Drinks were good, place was as clean as any dive bar, but better. Service was quick and efficient.

What can i say other than i am extremely disappointed in the fact that my credit card was charged for $130 when firstly our tab was paid by my friend and both of us confirmed with the bartender and secondly we were only in the bar for maybe one hour and had two drinks each for four people so a total of eight drinks. I own a bar and would be infuriated if something like this happened, i just don't see how it could. Your response it absolute Bull shit, I didn't sign anything because I didn't have a tab as it was transferred to my friend who paid for the groups tab so you need to get your shit in order if someone else signed my credit card slip you allowed a fraudulent charge, we left your place hours before 1:30am.

This place is an awesome find in Burns Alley. Went here twice on a recent trip to Charleston with friends. Definitely a dive bar with fun bartenders. They have live music as well. Careful if it rains, the roof leaks and you might get wet! Definitely worth a stop if you are looking for a cold beer or a cocktail and you like dive bars with interesting people watching

Exactly what we wanted an old, authentic, dive bar. Great patrons, awesome bartender. Cheap drinks, and a much needed getaway from the touristy college bars near by. Also $5 shot and beer combo.. come on!!!

This is my favorite bar in town. I met some cool people sitting at the bar. There were some younger love birds playing bogus music on the Touch Tunes so I hit them off with Maggot Brain to kill their party and bring them into my world. They left shortly after the mind melting mastery of Eddie Hazel.