Henry’s is the best and most diverse bar on the market.The bartenders work hard and pour strong. It’s packed with people you know, and you won’t get judged even if you’re trashed and dancing on the tabletop.In a town that gets overrun by tourists and yuppies every weekend, AC’s was the last place that held onto some thread of familiarity. Then, as I got older I realized that I LOVE AC’s for that very reason.why would everyone willingly choose to go to the divey-ist, grungiest bar that blared punk rock music, and was always super crowded? For a long time in my college days, I was baffled by the fact that AC’s was the designated last call spot for all of our homies.So keep the beach party going, grab some nice salty nachos, or fish tacos, and a pineapple-infused margarita, and see how much longer you can fiesta before the inevitable siesta.Maybe all that salt from the ocean gets to my head, but definitely not as much as the tequila… Somethin’ about being on the beach all day just makes me crave margaritas.There are two locations, one is downtown and one is on Folly Beach. Taco Boy is the SPOT for margs and tacos! “Skip siesta let’s fiesta,” is their motto.You can throw some songs on the jukebox, and play foosball, while eating “tater tachos” (tater tot nachos,) and drinking $2 PBR’s. Everyone there seems to know each other, so there’s a friendly high energy, but also super chill vibe at the same time. There’s about a quarter mile of nothingness and overpasses you have to walk through to get there, which acts as a filter weeding out unwanted tourists. Rec Room is slightly detached from where all of the action is on King Street. It has been voted best downtown bar, best late night bar, and best dive bar multiple times in the “Charleston Best Of” publication. The first thing that comes to mind when you enter “The Rec Room,” is “Dude it smells like throw up in here!” However, this place is a favorite by Charleston locals, myself included.
If you're in downtown Charleston SC and you want to kick it like a local, check out some of the following bars and restaurants located near historic downtown, Upper King Street, The Charleston Market, and everywhere in between. Be sure to check out my> Ultimate Guide to the Top Charleston SC Beaches<< to learn about some of the best places to eat in Folly Beach SC, Sullivans Island, and Isle of Palms.