Laid Back East of the Cooper Watering Hole Designed For Foodies With Sophisticated Palates

Jeff Walker,  Entertainment Writer / Restaurant Review

Ten of thousands of cars pass by their location on either side of Hwy 17 in Mount Pleasant near Shelmore Blvd. on a daily basis. Additionally, several thousand pass within spitting distance to their actual location at 665 Johnnie Dodds Blvd.

Sadly, due to their rustic exterior many people consider the business on frontage road nothing more than another liquor store. Even worse still, some of the regular customers to ABC (Alchemist Beverage Company) fail to recognize right next door, ABC operate a thriving dining establishment offering a diverse menu.

The beauty of the ideally named Reserve Tavern is it's evolved over its somewhat short existence. It's grown from a relaxing place to enjoy a glass of wine or beer on tap, to a full-blown restaurant featuring charcuterie, lobster rolls, soups, salads, seafood, handhelds, pasta and more. 

The owner Garrett Taylor of Reserve Tavern along with General Manager Jason Mellin aren't interested in providing diners with ridiculously overpriced so-called upscale food. Rather as their name suggests, they serve up a decent variety of everyday comfort foods that reflect American and lowcountry appetites, with a slight hint of European flavor (mostly Italian).

Even though they have 12 big screen TVs (most of them behind the bar), Taylor suggests while Reserve Tavern carries a slight sports bar vibe, his dining establishment is designed for foodies with a sophisticated palate, who simply want to go out and enjoy a nice meal. Breaking it all down, let's just say Reserve Tavern serve up coastal influenced gourmet comfort food.

Furthermore, in his 30 second elevator speech, Taylor would say "We think of The Reserve as a tavern, wine bar, and market, with the bigger focus on the food and beverage than the people might expect."

He adds, "Beyond dining in, guests can also browse over 1000 bottles of wine and shop a curated market selection that includes cocktail ingredients, mixers, sauces, dressings, specialty foods, THC enhanced beverages. Some of the products we use in our own kitchen and beverage program."

Cleverly, the entire menu is designed to pair with a cold brew, a nice glass of wine, or your preferred cocktail. The Italian Stallion (ode to Rocky Balboa) easily satisfies a meat lovers appetite. Layered with an ample variety of four different porks (salami, capicola, mortadella, prosciutto) under a blanket of provolone, arugula, pickled peppers, and red wine vinaigrette, the Italian Stallion delivers a knockout punch. Pun intended!

The Stallion is just one of eight signature handhelds at Reserve Tavern, including their namesake Meatball Sub and a pub favorite the Beer Hall Brat Hoagie. Their Short Rib Melt comes oozing with gruyère cheese and caramelized onions, complete with au jus (natural juices). Kind of a French dip meets Philly cheesesteak sandwich. Friday thru Sunday the Lobster Roll becomes a marquee attraction. All come with a choice of a side. You won't go wrong with their creamy potato salad.

Prefer to eat your meal with a fork, maybe opt for any of the half dozen Tavern Plates. Meat lovers will have a hard time deciding between their filet-style Bistro Steak or the equally mouth-watering Braised Short Rib drenched in au jus over mashed potatoes. Want to sample a traditional Sicilian dish than I recommend Reserve's Anelli & Meatballs, circular pasta swirled in a creamy tomato basil sauce. Delicioso! 

Perhaps you and your group are going full tilt. Maybe order a couple of appetizers such as their warm homemade Crab & Shrimp Dip or Roasted Garlic Whipped Ricotta. Both served with toasted bread.

Beginning your journey with a cold brewski, best to pair them with an oversized Bavarian Pretzel or the Brat Plate complete with diced brats, kraut, pretzels, and crispy potato cake sticks. Both served appropriately with spicy mustard. Let's call the latter a working man's charcuterie plate. Feeling a bit more eclectic than perhaps the nice serving of their Petit Tender Butcher Bites served over a mushroom reduction might whet your appetite.

Eating somewhat light, the Greens & Soups portion of the menu includes a Wedge Salad blanketed under crispy bacon and bleu cheese, or their very robust Reserve Chef's Salad teeming with fresh mixed greens, roasted turkey, chipped ham, apple-wood smoked bacon, tomatoes, cucumber, diced hard-boiled eggs, and provolone cheese with your choice of dressing.

While the 'soup of day' rotates, the two spoon loving headliners include a French Onion created using a rich short rib bone broth covered a creamy layer or gruyère cheese. Ooh la la! Not feeling it or maybe lactose intolerant, maybe opt for their well seasoned Tomato Basil Bisque. Yum yum!

For all out seafood lovers who prefer their delicacies coastal & chilled, Reserve Tavern has you covered. One could easily make a meal out of Tuna Tartare with a nice glass of pinot noir or slightly chilled chardonnay slightly chilled. Perhaps enjoy a crisp sparkling wine with your Peel & Eat Shrimp plate, complete with cocktail sauce. Plenty of wines to mix and match with any seafood entree.

A quick recap. Although a select few dishes at Reserve Tavern appear a tad high-brow, they are just on the menu to provide multiple choices for varied palates. Taylor's place is meant for everyday men and women who just want to enjoy good food and drink pleasant surroundings.

For guests who want to keep it real, and bask in old school neighborhood pub fare, Reserve Tavern offer up a half dozen Stone-Baked Pizzas & Flatbreads, which include the everyday cheese or meat lovers. Great with a cold draft beer. Taking a step on the wild side perhaps a glass of vino goes well with their roasted Mushroom & Gruyère flatbread or Margarita pizza.

Following in that same vein, Reserve Tavern offer up five signature variations of a the ever increasingly popular smash-burger including an awesome Steakhouse Bleu, basically two juicy all beef patties covered in aged white cheddar and bleu cheese with a healthy slather of bacon onion jam.

It's only fitting a burger calls for an ice cold beer. Maybe one from their eight on tap that consist of a Mexican Lager from Charleston's own Estuary Brewing, or the highly acclaimed Maine Lunch IPA, featuring robust hop flavors with hints of tropical citrus, grapefruit, and pine aromas balanced by a subtle malt sweetness. Another two dozen beers available in cans or bottles including everyday favs from Bud, Coors, Mich, Miller, and pub standard a PBR.

However, you don't have to be sophisticated to enjoy a nice glass of fruit of the vine. As Garrett as indicated, the market carries some 1000 varieties of wines for your sipping pleasure. He (if he's in) as well as Kirk or any of their knowledgeable wait staff will be more than happy to assist diners in selecting a choice wine to accompany their meal. As a matter of fact, all their wines are available for consumption all day long on the premises, providing the doors are open. 

Although it's not written in stone, Kirk adds the Reserve Tavern has become an unofficial destination for 'ladies night', as several ladies and their BFFs congregate on any given night to enjoy an array of wines, while pairing them with the Reserve's build your own Charcuterie Plates overflowing with meats, cheeses, veggies, and fruits. The Burrata Board comes complete with balsamic caviar and hot honey. You pick the wine and the edibles. What could be better than that!

Of course there's cocktails aplenty, but if you're a bourbon enthusiast than the Reserve Tavern pour more than two dozen ages whiskeys, ranging from high-end to bourbon budget friendly, with a decent mix of blends in between.

True connoisseurs would be pleased to relish a glass of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, a vintage dated blend known notably for its floral nose, with a palate of toasted oak, vanilla custard, and baking spices. Just beginning your bourbon trek, the Weller Special Reserve presents subtle and sweet with flavors of honey, butterscotch, and soft woodiness. No matter which route you go, it's all good! 

Again, depending on your particular palate Reserve Tavern offer up five different Bourbon Flights, consisting or four 1oz. pours. Experienced whiskey types might decide for the Ultimate Flight priced at $87, while the bourbon curious may opt for the Rye Flight, priced appropriately at $21. Whatever flight you embark on, sip with pleasure.

Want more reason to occasionally dine at the Reserve Tavern. Of course you do, and they oblige by hosting a monthly four course pre-fixe dinner, billed appropriately as the Reserve Supper Club. Usually held on the first Monday of the month and beginning at 6:30pm, the evening begins with an appetizer followed by salad, main entree, and a dessert, with the menu revolving month to month. 

The innovative four course menu comes complements of the creative minds of Garrett and Kirk Bonnoitt (Special Events Coordinator & Manager). Limited to just 30 patrons, guests may dine on dishes such as Oysters Duo, a Burrata Salad, and 15 Day Dry-Aged Berkshire Pork Chop, (a premium, heritage-breed cut prized for its deep, concentrated flavor and buttery texture). Diners could complete their meal with a delicious Vanilla Crème brûlée. Ooh la-la!

While the Reserve Supper Club sounds upscale, it's just another way for the restaurant to offer east of Cooper residents a nice meal without having to travel downtown, and on the upside sample an eclectic menu. Of course guests are welcome from all over the lowcountry. Let's just say, the Supper Club is an interactive community experience combined with awesome food.

You're darn tootin' they provide tavern friendly entertainment throughout the week, however as their name depicts, the Reserve caters more to a subdued crowd. Drop in on Wednesday and take part in 'trivia night'. Thursday through Saturday you'll find a singer songwriter, someone like Molly Durnin playing music, usually accompanied with karaoke before or after. 

Aside from the monthly dinner, most of their menu prices fall between $10 - $30. Good food at affordable prices. That always taste good. If you live in Mount Pleasant, IOP, and Sullivan's Island, consider putting Reserve Tavern on your regular dining out list. Beats going downtown, overpaying for your meal, and having to deal with finding overpaid parking spots, often leaving you with a bad taste before you dine out.

Here's something you don't see that often. The Reserve Tavern host Mount Pleasant's premier happy hour from 4-7pm six days a week. You read that right, it's six days a week for three hours daily. With more specials than you can shake a stick at it's best to go directly to the source https://thereservetavern.com/best-happy-hour-mt-pleasant-sc/

Open around 3pm-9pm Monday through Thursday, and noon until 10pm on Saturday. Love to mix late morning breakfast with lunch. You got it! Beginning Sunday's in July they will be serving up brunch from 10am-3pm, transitioning to regular menu once at 4pm when football season kicks (pun intended) into gear. Basically a good mix of food, drink, and entertainment throughout the week. Who knows, they just might have something out of the ordinary on the menu on any given night at The Reserve Tavern. 

You get to enjoy all of this, the tavern, the market, the entertainment, and the above board hospitality in a relaxed atmosphere, overflowing with a contemporary wood tone warehouse kind of ambiance, featuring lots of window, and a laid back patio, ideal for cool summer nights. Hey, come as you are, but maybe get dressed up a little bit nicer if you join in on one of their monthly supper club outings. 

Coming full circle, Garrett's goal in opening The Reserve Tavern was to create a place that feels a step above traditional dining while maintaining an approachable feel, whether you're coming in for lunch, dinner, a late night drink, or welcoming gathering place to meet up with friends. For all you need to know on The Reserve Tavern visit https://thereservetavern.com/ 

An added dining out bonus:

Want more reasons to dine at The Reserve Tavern. Once a month, usually on the first Monday of the month, they host a four and sometimes five course prix fixe (aka pre-fixed) dinner. The title originates from the French meaning fixed price, whereas the entire meal comes at a set cost.

In layman's terms as far as the food, prix fixe dinners are a multi-course culinary meal offering a chef curated experience. Depending on the number of courses prix fixe meals usually include a lite bite, an appetizer, main entree, and a dessert, with The Reserve pairing a complimentary glass of wine to accompany their signature dish. 

While semi-regulars have dubbed the 90 minute gathering a 'supper club', the once monthly dinners carry an upside that is twofold. Depending on the courses and the type of foods offered up, diners know that cost of the meal well in advance, usually priced between $75-$90.

Secondly, guests get to wrap their taste-buds around an eclectic mix of items not normally presented on menus around the lowcountry. In fact, the menu is carefully planned out weeks ahead of time, with each course designed to please the palate.

A recent Dino Beef Ribs (succulent bone in brisket) prix fixe main entree has prompted Garrett to begin buying his meats from Hi Brau Beef Company. The family owned and operated farm out of Newberry has been named South Carolina's best. Hi Brau raise hormone and antibiotic free grass fed cattle and swine to provide restaurants and carnivore lovers real local meat. Totally awesome!

The Dino Beef Rib entree was served with an amazing sauteed spinach and butter bean puree. Absolutely superb! It's the unique sides and small plates such as Bone Marrow Toast and Shrimp au Gratin blanketed under garlic cream sauce over Bibb lettuce that set The Reserve prix fixe dinners apart.

Just as they do on their regular menu, Reserve Tavern do their best to incorporate local produce and seafood in their monthly prix fixe menus. The core group at Reserve Tavern are adamant about partnering with local and statewide farmers to insure they are offering up the best ingredients in the dishes they create. As it should be.

Primarily designed to entertain 30 guests, Reserve's monthly prix fixe (supper club) dinner is a nice variation from the norm. Several Charleston area restaurants offer up the same, but few if any do so east of the Cooper. By staying in Mount Pleasant you avoid driving downtown, paying to park and undoubtedly paying more.
While it's not something most people would do on a regular basis, it's just a nice way for friends to do something different on a select Monday night, while enjoying an eclectic menu comprised of good food, good wine, and good company. And if you happen to be a wine connoisseur perhaps you can browse the shelves for a particular wine you and your table prefer to sip during your meal.

Best to reserve (pun intended) in advance. Find out more on each first Monday of the month prix fixe dinner by calling the restaurant at 843-997-6471 or by visiting their events page at https://thereservetavern.com/events/ And for a new kind of beef experience visit Hi Brau Beef at https://www.hibraubeef.com/