Mad River Bar & Grille: A ski lodge inside an old church that serves up food and drinks
For those in Charleston who want to visit a church that offers a bit more than communion wine will want to stop by Mad River, as the Bar & Grille has retrofitted an old church on Market Street into a very popular drinking spot for both locals and tourists.
If you were to look at Mad River while walking down the street, you may pass it on by as the bar has not changed anything about the exterior to make it look more like a pub and less like a church. And since the establishment is in Historic Downtown Charleston, one could easily confuse the old brick building for a still-in-use house of worship.
This changes the moment you walk in. Although the bar still has the original grand arching ceilings, the inside is outfitted with what the bar calls “a distinguished interior enveloped by an outdoors feel.” Which means they have mounted a bunch of outdoor sporting equipment like kayaks and snow skis to the walls.
Mad River’s overall theme is that of a ski lodge, or at least some sort of relaxing atmosphere for those who just got back from a day of rafting or fishing. Although the theme is geared for the sportsman, the establishment is filled with a younger clientele more apt to dance to club tunes or watch a game on one of the 13 flat screens than spend a night camping.
The grille aspect of Mad River serves “Continental American Cuisine,” a fancy way of saying bar food. Appetizers like wings, mini crab cakes and quesadillas will set you back $6 - $8 and burgers and chicken sandwiches are $9. Although typical bar food, small twists to the traditional recipe make it onto the menu like the “Baltimore Burger,” a ½ pounder topped with crab dip. They also serve a few pasta dishes and a few seafood items that run $12 - $13.
Mad River serves up half-priced burgers on Mondays, have trivia on Tuesday nights and serve brunch on Sundays.
HelloCharleston Tip: Think you have what it takes to bartend? Visit the Mad River website and sign up to be a guest bartender.
Posted by Mike D'Avria
