Edmund’s Oast

Charleston, SC: Downtown

Website and Menu

A new find in Charleston! Thanks to Tiffany, a reader who commented on my Gluten Free in Charleston post, I was introduced to this fabulous spot. Oddly enough, a friend of mine is friends with both the Head Chef and Pastry Chef. Julia Ingram, Pastry Chef of Edmund’s Oast, is a young entrepreneur who opened Sweet Radish bakery a couple years ago and is gluten-free herself. She recently closed the dedicated gluten-free bakery and decided to work at Edmund’s Oast full time, but brought her gluten-free expertise with her. This, coupled with the fact that her fiancé is the head chef, makes for an incredibly gluten-free friendly environment!

Gluten-free options will not be noted on the menu, but our waitress, Kenley, was beyond knowledgeable and really had everything I could ask for in a waiter! She started by saying that nearly everything on the menu could be made gluten free and that it was their “favorite” food allergy (going on to say, that other food allergies can be more tricky but gf is easy for them). Gluten-free options even include the lamb meatballs, fries, and charcuterie and cheese boards. Although they offer gluten free bread, I did not order something with bread, so was unable to try it. If you do, please let me know how the bread is! I asked about the spring vegetable griddle cakes out of curiosity and the waitress said she was 97% sure but even so always likes to check with the kitchen first. I knew I actually wanted the farm chicken more, so I didn’t make her ask. But this is exactly the answer I like to hear and made me relax in my chair!

I started with the My Essential rosé of Grenache and Cinsault, California, 2013. It was very tasty – not too dry and a good amount of sweetness.

My boyfriend, Gabe, ordered the lamb meatballs, which I was able to taste. I soon found out I am not the biggest fan of lamb. On the flip side, Gabe is a huge fan and he ate every last bite!! We quickly realized how many great details were in the restaurant, including the beer glasses (which look like tiny wine glasses), the very special meat knives, water glasses bulges, and decor with cutting boards on the walls and canning/pickling jars on ledges.

I ordered the farm chicken, and since in addition to being gluten-free, I am also dairy-free, it can get a little bit more complicated. The waitress said they could happily substitute the polenta and were able to switch it out for fries! She was so quick and knowledgeable, sharing that there was butter in the polenta and whey which is a by-product of one of the cheeses…etc so they would be sure to leave it out. I was impressed. I also asked if I could sub the mushrooms for asparagus (making clear it was a preference, not allergy) and they even gave me a side of asparagus with the meal. Impressively accommodating! Without me asking, she told me she would write dairy free as well to make sure there isn’t anything funky in another part of the dish. It came in a cute black skillet, as did the fries.

Gabe got the non-gluten free bacon and egg cheeseburger, which I assume could be made gluten-free as well if they have a gf bun. He said the egg was really yummy but felt the mustard overpowered the flavor. Otherwise, he loved the meal and also finished every last bite of this.

Lastly, for the non-gluten free folks, or if you have beer-loving friends, Edmund’s Oast is considered a “brew pub” and has 48 beers on tap! They also have a great wine selection for us gluten-free folks, and many cocktails made fresh at a full bar, plenty of which are gluten free.

Since I am sugar free, and Gabe was just stuffed, we did not order dessert. However, I do know they have gluten free dessert and I know it must be good. Julia had a wonderful bakery in Sweet Radish and I know she has carried over many of her fabulous experience and recipes to create a tasty dining experience for gluten free customers.

Also, I loved this quote on a business next door and just had to snap a pic. What a great phrase to see before entering dinner with loved ones! If only I could turn my phone off and quit taking pictures of my food for this blog 😉 😛

The outside seating is under a barn-like structure and really has a beautiful area that I would really enjoy eating in on my next visit.

Overall, the food at Edmund’s Oast has a lot of fish and cheese in it, so it’s not the menu with the most number of options for me. Even still, I loved the chicken dish I got, and I know the restaurant would accommodate anyone, no matter their food needs. I would easily and quickly recommend Edmund’s Oast to anyone visiting Charleston for some very, very safe food. In fact, for those with Celiac, I would put this in my top three because I know they will be taken care of. It’s not within walking distance to many of the typical restaurants downtown, but has a large parking lot without the craziness of finding parking in the super touristy area.  Go check it out!

Very nice bathroom too! [These things are important!]