Recovery Room Tavern
Bar · Charleston ·
Dive bar with pinball, darts, pool & bocce; wings, sandwiches & beer
Dive bar with pinball, darts, pool & bocce; wings, sandwiches & beer
"Recovery Room (Rec Room) is the grown-up dive bar, thanks to its location away from the Upper King crowds and owner Chris “Boston” DiMattia’s no-nonsense attitude. Rec Room is also one of the largest sellers of PBR in the country. Go for the cheap beer, and stay for the tater tot nachos." - Erin Perkins
"For the ninth year in a row I report that this Charleston dive sold more Pabst Blue Ribbon 12-ouncers than any other establishment on Earth, moving 5,482 cases (131,568 beers) in 2022, a total owner Chris “Boston” DiMattia confirmed to Eater Carolinas. In a Facebook announcement the bar credited its “awesome patrons” and encouraged them to keep coming in and ordering the low-priced brew — cans are only $1.50 at happy hour — which helps the Rec Room try to nab the title again. A 2013 City Paper piece examined how DiMattia goes through so much PBR and quoted him: “This is beer. It is what it is. They’re not gonna give you an ad with a bunch of hot chicks dancing on a beach. You’re not gonna get laid drinking this beer, but you’re gonna get drunk ... you know, if you have about 15 of them.”" - Erin Perkins
"Dive bar Recovery Room declared it will host a hurricane party all weekend." - Erin Perkins
"A King Street dive run by owner Chris “Boston” DiMattia, Recovery Room was the world's top seller of Pabst Blue Ribbon 12-ouncers in 2015 and, DiMattia confirmed to Eater, the highest seller of PBR cans for the 2020 calendar year, and it appeared set to continue that title into 2021. Because of the pandemic, DiMattia says Rec Room only sold about half the amount of PBR cans it did the previous year, though customers continued to purchase cases to go; the 11 p.m. curfew really hurt business since many of his clientele are food and beverage workers who don’t get off work until after the cutoff. DiMattia's blunt appraisal of the beer captures the bar’s ethos: “This is beer. It is what it is. They’re not gonna give you an ad with a bunch of hot chicks dancing on a beach. You’re not gonna get laid drinking this beer, but you’re gonna get drunk ... you know, if you have about 15 of them.” Congrats, Charleston — you once again chug a ridiculous amount of cheap, hipster beer cans." - Erin Perkins
"On King Street I learned that the dive Recovery Room sold more Pabst Blue Ribbon 12-ouncers than any other establishment in the world in 2015, and—according to owner Chris “Boston” DiMattia—was the highest seller of PBR cans and bottles for the 2019 calendar year, a streak that looks likely to continue into 2020 after edging out competitors such as Tiger Town Tavern in Clemson and Moe’s and Joe’s in Atlanta. A 2013 City Paper feature explains how DiMattia moves so much PBR, and his blunt take captures the bar’s ethos: “This is beer. It is what it is,” he says. “They’re not gonna give you an ad with a bunch of hot chicks dancing on a beach. You’re not gonna get laid drinking this beer, but you’re gonna get drunk ... you know, if you have about 15 of them.” I see it as a classic Charleston dive that reliably churns through a ridiculous amount of cheap, hipster beer cans." - Erin Perkins