The Test of Time: These bars have been around for decades

By Brian Sherman

Many types of businesses have come and gone since the seed of what today is the United States of America was planted in the New World. You don’t see apothecaries around these days, though you could make a solid case that they were the forerunners of today’s pharmacists. You would be hard-pressed to find a chandelier – the electric lightbulb kind of did away with the necessity of lighting up your home with candles. The popularity of wheelwrights waned when getting from one place to another no longer depended on wagons, carriages and other modes of transportation requiring horses or their equine relatives. And coopers, well, they really aren’t necessary anymore. Who needs a barrel or bucket to store gunpowder, ale, wine or flour? Seems like the fridge would work for most of that stuff – except maybe the gunpowder. Bars, however, are a different animal. They were around when guys named Jefferson, Adams and Franklin were spending time in Philadelphia trying to put together just the right words to state in no uncertain terms that the Colonies would no longer be the property of England. And, of course, they are still here – and for good reason. Who doesn’t need a place to go where you can soak in a unique atmosphere, hang out with old friends or new acquaintances and enjoy a drink or two and, in some cases, a pretty good meal. A place where – to steal a line from a long gone but still popular TV show – everybody knows your name.

Charleston has its share of bars that have stood the test of time. Here’s a look at just a few of the local establishments that for decades have served as a haven of sorts for locals and visitors alike.

Genes’s Haufbrau

One of the Charleston area’s oldest bars, Gene’s has been at the same location in West Ashley – 817 Savannah Highway – since 1952. Described by General Manager Liam Tyrrell as “an old neighborhood-style bar with really good food,” its clientele is mostly locals. “We’re not really touristy, but tourists find us,” Tyrrell said. Gene’s carries more than 200 beers, 17 of them on tap, and a full bar. “We don’t really have a cocktail list, but we can pretty much make whatever most people can think of,” Tyrrell noted. Customers come to Gene’s to drink and play darts, shuffleboard and arcade games, but they also show up to eat. The menu includes burgers and wings, along with a different blue plate special each weekday. One of the most popular items is wiener schnitzel, which, for those who don’t speak or understand the German language, is a fried veal chop. Tyrrell pointed out that with its lengthy history in the Lowcountry, most people who live in the area and those who visit the Holy City often know about Gene’s Haufbrau. “It’s a Charleston institution. We’ve been here so long, everyone knows about us. We’re a no-frills neighborhood place to hang out,” he commented.

Burns Alley Tavern

The building is ancient, there’s no parking and no storefront, and the owner, Jimmy Evans, doesn’t do any advertising. Nonetheless, since he purchased the business at 354 King St. seven years ago, Burns Alley Tavern has somehow managed to survive and maybe even thrive. “Everything has gone against it,” Evans, who was a Charleston firefighter for 13 years, said. “I try to make that part of the appeal.” Burns Alley Tavern has been around under that name for nearly 19 years, but Evans pointed out that the building housed a bar way back in the 1800s. It also was a burlesque house prior to the Civil War and later a ham radio warehouse. He said he had been in the bar only once before he bought it – and was unceremoniously tossed out because he got into an argument with one of its regular patrons. A year or so later, he purchased the business. “A lot of people laughed. They couldn’t wait for me to fall on my face,” he remarked. “For what they were asking, I decided I could make it work.” Evans built a stage and started bringing in live music and karaoke – and attracting business. He said his customers include “tourists, locals, college kids, punk rock kids and drifters.” “It’s kind of a no-judgment zone. You could have a guy with a $15 drink swiping his black card sitting next to a guy counting in his head if he has enough cash to pay his tab.” In addition to nightly live music and Wednesday karaoke, entertainment at Burns Alley includes skee ball and a pool table. Evans admits, however, that his bar offers “limited food options.” And limited access as well. It’s located behind the now-closed La Hacienda restaurant, so to find the bar, you have to walk through an alley. “If everyone could find us, we’d be twice as busy,” Evans said.

The Griffon

The first thing you might notice when you walk into The Griffon is that the walls are covered with dollar bills – 80,000 to 100,00 of them, according to co-owner Scott London. Back when the bar opened in 1995, one customer started the tradition, and tens of thousands followed suit. “People write messages or maybe a dirty word on the dollar bills and staple them to the wall,” London explained. He refers to the business as “a very unassuming little pub.” Located in downtown Charleston on Vendue Range, it captures the tourist traffic headed toward Waterfront Park. In the middle of the day, people from all walks of life show up for “a Village People lunch.” “You’ll see a police officer, a lawyer and a construction worker all having lunch together,” London said. “It makes for a really good vibe. Sprinkle in a few tourists as well.” London said when he and Dan Wenz bought the business in 2008, it was “kind of a college bar.” “That scene moved up to Upper King. We’re a little more tourism and adult-focused now,” he explained. There’s no live entertainment at The Griffon, but there is a fairly extensive menu that features burgers, salads, appetizers and sandwiches, including “a really good Reuben.” And The Griffon sells more than two tons of fish and chips each year. There are 16 beers on tap and a full liquor bar, “provided you don’t get too complicated.” The Griffon offers six wines as well. “We definitely have a unique character. In the age of craft cocktails, we’re just a bar, and I think people like that,” London said. “We’re tagged with a dive bar moniker quite a bit, but I don’t think a dive bar sells two tons of fish each year.”

Moe’s Crosstown Tavern

Located on Rutledge Avenue near Hampton Park in Charleston, Moe’s will celebrate its 25th anniversary in November. The bar has 12 taps, six of them rotating, but its food menu also draws a wide array of customers, according to its owner, Mike Tronoski. “Good Beer, Great Food” is the way Esquire described Moe’s Crosstown Tavern when the Charleston icon was cited as “One of the Best Bars in America.” Moe’s also got a nod for its burgers from Southern Living magazine. Tronoski cited the Rutledge Burger as one of his best. Loaded onto a butter-toasted bun, it includes an angus beef patty, homemade pimento cheese, bacon, a homemade fried tomato and spring mix. The menu also includes Buffalo shrimp, quesadillas, wings, sandwiches, wraps and salads. And Tronoski, who is Polish, serves up Polish food as well. He gets pierogies and kielbasa from Ted at Ted’s Butcher Block, who has the ethnic delicacies flown in from Pulaski Meat Products Co. in New Jersey. In addition to beer, Moe’s has a frozen drink machine that offers everything from frosé to “The Dude,” which, according to Tronoski, “is like a frozen white Russian.” The regulars at Moe’s are “all over the board,” he added, pointing out that his customers range from contractors, lawyers and schoolteachers to college kids, professionals and Citadel cadets. “We are lucky enough to have a very diverse clientele – even tourists who find out about us,” he said. “We are a neighborhood bar with a great staff and high-quality bar food,” he added. “We are a locals type of bar, and the staff gets to know you very quickly. And we also have a good setup for watching sports.”u tell your story online can make all the difference.