The Southern General

Food: Great quality, someone has a cooking degree or lots of experience Atmosphere: Dinky and not much room in the place. Looks like a corner bar. No waiting area. No signage on the building makes it hard to see from the street; It's in an industrial park-looking area. Price: Outrageous for what we got. We got 3 burgers, 3 sweet teas, 1 beer, 1 fry, and hush puppies. $80 without tip. Not much value here. That was a $60-70 meal at best. I get it that it's hard running a restaurant as a small business and the profit margin is razor thin, but give us some value for the money. It's okay. Burger was good and fresh, but the price was steep. I would not bang down the door to get back.

This is an awesome local sandwich shop if you’re looking for a quick bite. Good variety of fresh menu options. Love this spot. Prices are also very reasonable for the quality of food you get.

Picked up some food for me and my man and it was absolutely delicious, they made everything to perfection. The server was amazing with how she handled all of her tables along with delivery’s/ pick up orders. I will 100% be back, and can’t wait to try the next thing on the menu.

Mallory our waitress was outstanding. We ordered Poutine fries. The cheese curds & gravy was top notch! We felt the seasoning on the fries were a bit much and could have done without it. The veggie black bean burger was good and my husband enjoyed his pork butt BBQ sandwich. The cucumber salad was just the right touch of fresh and pickled superbly. Definitely would dine here again whenever we are in the Charleston area.

This is a nice little find! The service was ok, and the food was good. Had the Sloppy Joe, and it was one of the best I've had! If you like Cheese Curds, they are pretty good! The only thing that got me was when I thanked the chef, and he acted like I wasn't there. I did it 2 times. So I don't know if I will spend my money at a place that doesn't act like I'm a person! Lots of other places! Sooooo.... 🙃

A gem! We orders the Poutine, sloppy Joe, special melt, Cuban ba mi, and a kids burger and everything was amazing! Fresh ingredients and flavor all around. The cucumber salad that comes as a side was spectacular and refreshing. Can’t wait to come back again!

The cheese curds were such a delicious start to our meals at this small, low-key restaurant. The pulled pork sandwich was amazing with the best sauce on it. We tried the hand cut fries which were seasoned perfectly and the mac and cheese had that great southern thickness and taste. Our server was excellent and made sure our drinks were always full. The extra 20% they add to the bill for the kitchen staff is no big deal because the prices are LOW and the portions are very fair. We will definitely come back next time we’re in South Carolina!

OMG!! I wish I had come here sooner but we are leaving tomorrow. This place is a MUST VISIT!! Came here with my wife and one of my sons. We started with the Sweet Tea Wings and Cheese Curds. Wow! The light breading on the curds was perfection and they were so delicious! The Sweet Tea wings were absolutely fabulous! Such a fantastic dry rub that needed nothing more but dip them into the house made ranch and they were to die for! Shoot me now cuz I could stop there!! For the meal we had a Cubano, the Southern Pot Roast and the Cheese Steak sandwiches. They were all superb! They were so good we all had to share! Lol. Thank God we are family! Seriously, come here hungry and you’ll leave here filled up and more than satisfied! We finished off with the Black and Tan Brownie and a chocolate shake. So so good!! Oh by the way, the service was great as well! The server was super friendly and the food came out fast and piping hot!

I love that this place is close enough for take out. The cheese curds are my favorite thing on the menu along with the chicken schnitzel. They also have delicious daily specials. The staff is always kind and the food stays hot during the drive home. The inside of the restaurant is adorable, but a bit small which is why we typically bring it home. A gem on the island.

I always like trying new spots when I travel that I can't get at home. This is a little gem of a place tucked back in the corner. Service on point, food was amazing. Loved the cool feel of the place. Can't wait to visit again!

Sat at the cozy bar, which seats about six people. There are a good amount of local beers to choose from like Edmunds Oast and Revelry. The food was amazing! We sampled the onion dip, poutine, chicken schnitzel and sloppy joe. My favorite was the chicken schnitzel sandwich; however, the sloppy joe was a close second. We left feeling full and happy! It's hidden a little bit if you're driving by quickly! Make sure to pull into the parking lot and stop on by.

I've enjoyed my meals here and feel like the ingredients are fresh. Sandwich combinations are delicious and creative. I've only gotten takeout so can't talk much about the service.

The chicken schnitzel is the best!!! All the locals recommend and they were right. Great place for lunch. Good people.

Let me start off by saying the only downside is that I ate before my camera did, which should be a testament to how good the food is. We came on a Friday night so the place was busy, not a ton of seating inside, but after having eaten their food I can only imagine it stays pretty packed. This was my first time visiting, but the people I was with are regulars so they helped guide me through the menu until the bartender/waitress came back between tables. She was super personable, knowledgeable and had great recommendations. 10/10. Granted, this is my first time visiting, but this seems like the type of place where the employees will actually give you genuine recommendations, and do their best to accommodate you on what you want even if it's not explicitly on the menu. This is a burger/sandwich shop so, of course, I got a sandwich. I actually spent the first couple minutes inside on Yelp seeing what others had ordered and what looked good. It was because of this that I had the cu-bahn mi sandwich. It was excellent. All of the perfect things from the best sandwich you've eaten. The taste, the texture, the way you finish the sandwich and immediately contemplate ordering another or finding yourself licking your fingers clean in the meantime thinking about it. Their (pickled) cucumber salad was the perfect complement to the sweetness of the sandwich. The people in my party ordered one of their burgers and the other a Greek salad. They lauded that the burger was great, both in taste and in size, and how it doesn't fall apart on you as you eat it (which is always a plus). It's a quaint little place with a TV or two up on the wall behind the bar and a little gift shop type store as you walk in along the wall. It's here where you can buy some of the stuff you probably just ate (and loved) but already conveniently packaged, and you will also find some candy bars or house made sauce in jars. I'll definitely be back.

Got the pork loin but wound up being a pork chop and their brown gravy tasted like they had put a good bit of sugar in it so it was more sweet than savory (maybe appealing for some but not for us ). Also got the sweet tea wings and they didn't have any taste. Just very bland. Along with the Mac cheese (just no taste). The Greek salad wasn't bad but it seemed their Greek dressing wasn't really a Greek dressing more like a watered down honey mustard type of dressing. Wasn't super terrible but not impressive. Need more seasoning.

Damn good burger. We were referred to SG by a friend, read some reviews, then made our way over to see for ourselves. We enjoyed the 1/2 pounder, fresh cucumber salad, and crispy fresh cut fries. Presentation, temp, and taste were all delightful. It's important to note that SG has a really cool, smaller dining room reminiscent of intimate restaurants we've enjoyed in Chicago and Grand Rapids. You can see where SG is a "locals" kind of place where they remember you and you'll see some familiar faces. Our main feedback would be to confirm orders before putting them in to the kitchen, explain to customers that the confusing 20% "industry charge" *doesn't include gratuity (because hey, we WANT to tip our server appropriately) like it does in other restaurants, and discuss the floor "process"/workflow behind closed doors rather than in the main dining room. We understand that running a restaurant is challenging, however those process/flow conversations are better held in the break room.

Time to update my review of this regular Wednesday night place to eat. Really busy and crowded tonight when we arrived about 6:00 p.m. after the rain had been pelting the lowcountry but it slacked off quite a bit. We came in and were greeted by our favorite waitress Mallori who as always was really busy. Thankfully she had some good waitress help (Ashley?). Too busy for anything but a quick conversation and let us know that the special up there on the chalkboard of a chicken salad sandwich with bacon only had one left. Eventually my wife decided on that and it was so big that she brought home half of it. [The size of it can be seen in the photograph for today July 20, 2022.] Although Wednesdays are prime rib night where you can select one of two sizes, I opted for the Angus burger to which I added Applewood bacon slices (two of those) and cheddar. [See photo.] Beware of the big red, round onion slices which almost cover the entire large Angus burger. I always pull about half of them at least off of the burger when I have it. As we got there before 7, it was still happy hour (4-7 PM) and thus it was $1 off for my beer and $1 off for my wife's wine. The only complaint that I had is that the owner has changed the computer system to automatically put an "industry charge" of 20% on any bill whether it is for takeout or eat in. If it was not for the favorite waitress of ours and the always good food I frankly would go somewhere else and avoid the 20% upfront charge which supposedly is to be divided among all of the staff including the kitchen staff. I want to make sure that Mallori is covered so I always had a tip on for her. Will we be back? Of course.

Came back to give another 5-star review for our favorite spot! We don't live super close, so we don't visit as much as we'd like, but no matter what they never disappoint! Stopped in for lunch yesterday since we were in the area. Very happy to remember we saw they were open for lunch on Saturdays again. We started with the poutine... we do every time. The fries are delicious and topped with the fried cheese and good gravy makes it a plate of heaven for a French fry lover like me! My husband has the special - a turkey sandwich with Swiss, sautéed mushrooms and some other stuff I can't remember. He ate the whole thing! I went with the Chicken Schnitzel which has a lemony kale, garlic aioli and roasted tomatoes. I cuold only eat half after the poutine, but it was incredibly delicious. Their sandwiches come with house made pickled salad. You really don't need much else especially if you started with something before your meal. For years I have thought this was such a hidden gem. I'm glad they made it thru covid and wish them continued success. Food is always spot on and the service is the best!

An excellent cozy corner pub on John's Island in a little restaurant row. He was a great bartender/server. The sloppy Joe sandwich was delicious with a twist on this old favorite large selection of beers for happy hour. I'd return to this place in a hot minute.

We LOVED this place. We had our pre race Kiawah Island 1/2 marathon meal here. Sandwiches are amazing. We ordered the cheese curds appetizer with marina which were so fresh. For dinner we had the Greek wrap, the meatloaf sandwich special, & the chicken schnitzel sandwich which was amazing! All sandwiches came with a delicious cucumber salad. The service was great. The only warning is they charge a 20% industry charge instead of raising prices on the menu so you also have to tip on top of that. That is the only reason we wouldn't give this place 5 stars. Also they serve beer & wine only.

Great sandwich and great spot! Just don't charge me $2 for mustard on my sandwich next time ... OK? It's getting weird enough out there in restaurant land !

The Southern General is a craft sandwich shop and bar that opened in Johns Island, South Carolina in 2013. It was founded by Chef Tim Erwin. The menu features classic sandwiches such as pulled pork, cheese steaks, cubanos, and po' boys, but Erwin also offers modern crafty takes on the classics as well. The menu also offers soups, salads, traditional Southern sides, and a large craft beer selection. My family and I visited The Southern General while we were on an East Coast Road Trip. We were visiting our cousins who live nearby in Summerville (right outside of Charleston). One day we decided to do some sightseeing at Magnolia Plantation and the Angel Oak. Our cousins recommended The Southern General as a good lunch spot nearby. We arrived just before the busy lunch crowd came in. The staff were very friendly. To drink, I asked for a good local IPA and our server recommended COAST Brewing Company's "Hop Art". It was very refreshing! For food, I ordered the "Super Butt" (House braised pork, smoked sweet onion-mustard relish, spicy sweet potato cream cheese, house potato chips, grilled local honey white bread). My sandwich was nice and tangy from the sauces and had a nice little crunch from the chips! My wife had the Special of the Day: "The S.G. Crispy Chicken" (Crispy buttermilk fried chicken breast, spicy S.G. secret sauce, bibb lettuce and pickled green tomato on a grilled brioche bun). She loved it! Both sandwiches came with a side of Fresh Cucumber Salad. I also ordered a side of Pineapple-Green Chili Macaroni Salad for the table. It was delicious! Our son was very happy with his Chicken Nuggets and Fries from the Kid's Menu. Overall, we're very happy to have discovered the Southern General and we would definitely stop again on a future trip to the Charleston area!

Original sandwiches. Really good. Plus the basic local store with MOON PIES. Yeah that's right, old schools southern favorites.

What a find! Excellent food and great service! I had the cubano sandwich. Comes w a perfect cucumber salad- just a little heat!

This is a hidden gem. Great beer selection and great food at a good price. Service was stellar also.

10/10! Came here on a recommendation from a friend and wow, I should have been coming here since I moved to John's! Such a cool little spot. Nice bar area and very low lit / tasteful and cozy (my vibe). The food is incredible. I had the sweet tea wings and the special of the day (French onion steak sandwich) and my wife had the club. Excellent service too! We will be regulars now. Also- their house made ranch is amazing. Looking forward to trying all their sandwiches and more

The sandwiches are creative, filling, and fairly priced. My favorite sandwiches are the pit roast, the turkey pesto, and the CuBanhMi. Some of the daily special sandwiches are even better than the ones on the menu. I really like their Wednesday prime rib special. The servers are as awesome as the food.

Great menu and their macaroni salad is to die for. Get it every time! Very casual friendly staff ask for Mallory!

Delicious spot for hearty sandwiches. Nice menu with classic and crafty sandwiches. Beer and wine. Definitely will go back

So it isn't marked well in the front of lot but glad I randomly found it on yelp! The corn fritters were fabulous and I love their cucumbers. Reminds me of the kind my grandmother made when I was young. I got the burger with the pimento cheese and loved it. I took everyone's leftover cumcumers home and ate them. It is small inside but don't let the outside deter you. They have great food!

Love this place!! Great little sandwich spot! I feel like it's a hidden gem. To me it feels like a very local spot too. It's like one of those places you forget is an option because its kind of hidden but then you're so happy when you remember because it's always so good! My favorite is the turkey pesto sandwich! I love the roasted tomatoes on it!

I've only ever gotten take out here but the sandwiches are pretty good. I had the Cuban which is good but it's not a Cuban sandwich like they make down in Miami.

We stopped in to The Souther General looking for an afternoon bite. This understated establishment really packed a flavor punch!! It's at the end of a small shopping strip on a two lane road. You could easily overlook it. Inside are tables a small bar. It was clean and tidy. Service was friendly and quick. We started with the corn fritters which were delicious accompanied by a sweet potato cream cheese spread. Wow!! We ordered the special which was a Nashville hot fried chicken sandwich and the Super Butt sandwich. The chicken sandwich was flavorful, cooked just right with fresh lettuce and accoutrements. The Super Butt sandwich was amazing!! Some of the best pulled pork I have ever had! Juicy, full of flavor and aahhh!! The bread, made fresh, was toasted just right. The sweet onion mustard, sweet potato cream cheese and crunchy house made chips rounded out this handheld delight!! Sweet, spicy, savory, crunchy - this sandwich had it all!! I found myself licking my fingers at the end wanting another!!! The cucumber salad was fresh and light. The house made chips were crisp and made fresh. The tea made just like your momma on the stove top!! They also had a nice selection of local brews. This place is a well kept secret on John's Island! We are already planning our next trip back!! Thank you for a wonderful meal!!

Really good southern cooking. The menu offers lots of options, and all three of us enjoyed our lunch. I will definitely be back.

Best sandwiches in the Southeast! I can't choose a favorite because they're all delicious.

The Southern General is truly my husband's obsession. He already has daily burger cravings but his go-to request any time we don't have a lunch or dinner plan is to get a burger at Southern General. Favorites of mine include the JI3 and chicken schnitzel. All sandwiches come with a little container of cucumber tomato salad which is okay, my husband usually adds an order of fries which are a la carte. They also make all sauces in house which are tasty but not what you'd typically be used to (i.e. ranch is a very different experience here). All in all, we love our tried and true favorites at the Southern General and will certainly continue keeping this one in our regular rotation.

Great lunch -- delicious, nutritious, locally-sourced food and friendly, helpful service. We'll be back!

Delicious lunch every time and great service. The small restaurant is cozy and inviting

Well well well. Took me long enough in travels to enjoy a quick bite here. We called in for pickup because home is cozy. Got fried pickles, cheese curds, and two Philly cheese steaks. All DELICIOUS. Recommend all of the above. Was still fresh and piping hot by the time everything arrived at home. After having the Wisconsin style cheese curds (authentic) and fried pickles, we were full but wouldn't resist having some of our sandwiches. They were amazing and got another meal out of the buy. Thank you Bill Murray & Co.

Found this small restaurant after visiting Angel Oak. Intrigued by the wide variety of dishes on the menu. Not too busy on a Monday afternoon -- the service was wonderful. First time having Poutine and it was yummy. Their award winning sloppy joe and the mushroom and steak special were both unique and delicious. Not a fancy place, but highly recommended if you like something different.

We stopped here on our drive to the airport from Kiawah Island and it was our favorite spot of the vacation. The sandwiches are AMAZING! Perfectly cooked and the Reuben sells out fast, so if it's on the menu, get it!

What a hidden gem! As someone who is rarely on Johns Island I'm so glad I stumbled upon this place! It's within a little restaurant complex and the building is very unassuming, but their unique sandwiches will definitely be worth the trek. For my appetizer I shared the poutine, and it was so delicious! I'm glad that this Canadian dish is making its way to the south because I feel like the heartiness of it goes well with southern cuisine. This poutine was so tasty, and I love how they made the cheese curds with a crispy exterior. Definitely consider getting this app. I ordered the sesame shrimp sandwich for my entree. This was extremely tasty as well. The combination of sweet chili slaw and spicy mayo made such a good sauce on the shrimp, which were crispy and cooked very well. I also tried the southern pot roast sandwich which tastes just the way it sounds. It was super hearty and filling and a great option for a cold winter day. I honestly am so excited to make the trip back to this restaurant to try more sandwiches! They are all so unique and I'm sure there's more tastiness to come with each one.

Delicious! Stopped on a rainy day and enjoyed our meal. Courteous servers and prompt service!

My Mom and I stumbled upon The Southern General on our way to the Charleston Tea Garden and were so lucky we did! The restaurant was cozy and quaint, the menu was creative, and the food was excellent. I tried the Super Butt and my Mom tried the Club sandwich. Both were great and the portions were filling. We also loved the cucumber salad that came with our sandwiches. We couldn't NOT order some of their tasty sides to try and landed on the mac and cheese and pineapple chili macaroni salad. The macaroni salad was unique and flavorful. It had a subtle sweetness to it and the waitress suggested trying some special homicide hot sauce on it which was good, but I think I used too much of it because it was pretty spicy! A little definitely goes a long way! The macaroni and cheese was delicious also - very rich and creamy. We didn't have room for dessert but their options sounded delicious. If you are in the area or passing through, this is definitely a spot worth trying.

Lunched today at the Southern General and it was delicious! We had the burgers and they are some of the very best on Johns Island. Side of hand cut fries were perfect. Burgers come with a yummy cucumber salad that is light and refreshing. Our server was attentive and very helpful. Haven't been in awhile and it's just as amazing as it always was!

The Southern General on Maybank Highway on Johns Island is a great place to go for well made sandwiches and drinks in a low key and relaxing atmosphere. I like their selection of different sandwiches and each one tastes great. Good experience every time I have been here.

Great sandwiches, tea and hospitality! Made to order with a nice cucumber salad, but the brown and tan brownie was a must!

Outstanding experience. Excellent food and service. I tried the poutine, chicken schnitzel and vegetarian potato latke. Cucumber Salad served with the sandwiches is very good. Everyone in the group really enjoyed the meal. Nice selection of beer and wine!

Good gosh and chips and wings . Good service ! Live the sandwiches ! Small but you can count on it .

After living in Johns Island for a year now after moving from downtown, I had been wanting to try this place for a while and finally got the chance! We got it to go needless to say because of the times and it did not disappoint! I got the club sandwich and it was without a doubt one of the best I have ever had! I had been craving a club for some time and this definitely hit the spot. They put it on a hoagie instead of the traditional bread, but it honestly made it better and almost even made it easier to eat without anything falling out the sides! I was happy to help support a local business during this time and will continue to support this one when I can as it truly is a gem on this island! Their service for pick up was great and everyone was smiling and friendly! I would definitely recommend everyone to check them out and support them, especially now more than ever!

Came in and was pleasantly surprised with great food and intimate atmosphere. I had the chicken schnitzel sandwich and it was AMAZING!

The turkey pesto is one of the top 10 sandwiches I have had in my lifetime. Staff was friendly and fast. Don't miss it!

Thank goodness for Yelp because we wouldn't have even noticed this place, which was in a plaza at the end. We didn't see a sign with all the other restaurant signs, but we knew it was in there somewhere. The food, wait time, service, cleanliness & price were all awesome. We ordered the wings which was a pretty large serving- very tasty and hot (temp)! Hubs had the burger and said it might be the best burger he ever had (outside of home). I ordered the Greek wrap with grilled chicken and it was delicious. Very fresh veggies and a LOT of chicken. I had to pick out the olives pickled onions and peppers because I forgot to tell them, but that's no fault of theirs. Overall, we highly recommend! Very casual ambience and very homey eats!

The Southern General is home of amazing burgers and sandwiches, and we've become regulars over the past few months. I've always had prompt service with a smile, even when the restaurant's been busy. Over time, I've tried many menu items and enjoyed them all, but my favorite is the Sesame Shrimp sandwich. I love the lightly breaded shrimp and the sesame sauce pairs well with the grilled honey hoagie bread. The sandwiches all come with pickles, and the sides are large enough to share with the whole table. I've recommended this place to many friends who've visited Kiawah for triathlons or races or to swim on Johns Island, and no one has been disappointed yet. We'll continue to come here for a quick lunch on Saturday afternoons.

Small but nice atmosphere. Great place if you like unique delicious sandwiches. Waitstaff always treats us well. Off the beaten path which is a plus in my book.

Food was delish! Friendly service was so awesome too! We hope to come back next visit! Thank you!

I've recently made a lifestyle change and trying to eat more vegan/vegetarian. That said, yesterday was the first time I tried the Potato Latke sandwich and WOW!!! I was blown away. I usually always order the chicken schnitzel, but man I'm glad I switched it up. HIGHLY RECOMMEND trying, regardless if you're a vegetarian or not. So much flavor!

This place still never disappoints. I have had no issues since my first review. We had tried the macaroni salad today and it was DELICIOUS! Sandwiches were also on point. I love taking new people here who are visiting, my favorite lunch spot for sure!