Last Tuesday I had the opportunity to attend the media lunch for The Buccaneer, the newest restaurant from the people who brought us McCrady’s and Queen Anne’s Revenge.
The Buccaneer is occupying the Faber St. location that has been empty since City Bar shut down a couple years ago. The McCrady’s ownership group, never one to skimp on decor, dished out a whopping $500,000 to fill the massive restaurant with one of the most impressive collections of pirate memorabilia in the country. The restaurant is dedicated to the Carolina coast’s “golden age of piracy.” Don’t be turned off when you hear about the restaurant’s pirate theme, it’s anything but campy.
The cuisine is described as “American bistro-meets Lowcountry,” but these official descriptions never really help much. Basically you’re going to find a lot of typical Charleston items (e.g., She-crab soup, crab cakes, shrimp & grits) and a few unique twists (e.g., fried green tomato fries, shrimp and ham stuffed collards). The prices are reasonable, with entrees ranging from $11 up to $18. The restaurant’s kitchen will also be open until 1 a.m. on the weekends, serving a late night menu with a variety of appetizers and sandwiches from the lunch menu.
The media lunch gave me a chance to sample a variety of things, so I won’t get into everything, but here were the highlights. As I expected, the fried green tomato fries were fantastic. I was afraid the batter would get soggy, but they maintained their crispness and were complimented nicely by the tangy remoulade. The crab dip was rich and creamy with a nice full crab flavor.
For my entree, I chose the fried green tomato and crab blt. It was stuffed full of big pieces of lump crab meat, thick slices of tomato, and crisp bacon on a crunchy baguette style roll. Other people at my table opted for the Queen Anne’s crabcake and chicken orecchiette corfu. While the chicken didn’t particularly stand out to me in taste, it certainly did make an impression with its size. In fact, the portions at The Buccaneer are almost uniformly huge. Compared to most other places around the Market, this place represents a tremendous value. If it isn’t hurt too badly by the just-off-the-beaten-path location, The Buccaneer is going to steal some serious business from the Bubba Gump’s and A.W. Shucks of the the world.
Of the three desserts I sampled, I was most impressed by the warm, delicious pecan pie. Then again, I’m a sucker for pecan pie in general, so I may be biased.
In general, I think The Buccaneer should be a welcome addition to Charleston’s downtown dining scene. The Market really needed a more value oriented alternative to its plethora of fine dining and overpriced fried seafood options. The restaurant is now open, so I encourage you to check it out and let me know what you thought.
(DH’s note: I think I deserve some sort of award for writing that entire post without one pirate pun or use of “booty” or “plunder.”)
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I was sad I couldn’t go with you and missed out on this. I was especially jealous of the green tomato fries, they sound delicious. Thanks for bringing back the desserts for me though. Th pecan pie was my favorite too although I did like the hint of orange in the carrot cake, I thought it was a nice touch.
The Buccaneer offers guests the Signature Roast of Prime Rib, specially selected, aged and slow roasted, with your choice of house or caesar salad and a delicious side item for an economical price of only $13. Come in for dinner at 4:00 p.m. daily between now and February 28 to take advantage of this incredible bargain. This offer is not valid with any other offer or on Valentine’s Day. Dine-in only.
Also check out the $3 Buccaneer Happy Hour. Don’t miss your chance to rummage and explore the treasures of the Buccaneer bar every evening from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. $3 libations include: Emerald Bay chardonnay, merlot, and white zinfandel, well liquors, and 23-ounce pour of Bud Light, Samuel Adams Seasonal, and Sweetwater 420.