Fun Places to Eat in Charleston, SC: Fuel Cantina

Food is fuel. Choose wisely. I’ve seen this quote as a meme, printed on notebooks and on gym walls. Charleston, South Carolina is one of America’s most famous food cities. In this place of culinary royalty, that quote takes on a new meaning. There are so many fun places to eat in Charleston, SC. Where should you eat when visiting Charleston? I suggest a restaurant that takes two things seriously: its food and its history. Fuel on Rutledge Avenue.

History & Vibe

This café was featured on Food Network, so when you’re narrowing down your Charleston options, this is a great place to start. It’s housed in an old gas station, which you’ll figure out the second you approach. The garage bay doors still function, after all. By the way, parking is limited because it sits on a small corner lot and because Fuel is not a secret. It’s popular. If you’re staying at the Marriott Charleston, a 15-minute walk will get you to Fuel and then you can walk off some calories on the way home. Whimsical gas pump light fixtures have been custom-made to honor the building’s history and out back on the large patio old Shell gas pumps remain, albeit functioning as plant stands now.

On a very chilly Fall afternoon, we braved the breezes and ate lunch on the patio. The interior is actually quite small, but the patio at least doubles the restaurant’s size. It took only 15 minutes after our arrival for tables to fill up. . . first one group of eight and then another. Clearly college students hang out here. On a Saturday afternoon, I felt a relaxed camaraderie but, be aware that on a Saturday night the place may feel quite different.

Food

Fuel describes what they do as Caribbean-inspired, therefore, it seemed obvious to me that I needed to try their shrimp tacos. I needed a quality shrimp taco like a surfer needs a wave. But first, there was Queso Carne. I don’t often order appetizers because they are one of the most overpriced items on any menu. However, at Fuel $8.00 bought us a bowl of cheese dip with chorizo, a couple of tortillas to tear up, and a MOUND of warm tortilla chips. You think that sounds amazing? I haven’t told you the best part yet.

The tortilla chips were not just dusted in paprika; they were thoroughly painted with paprika. This was a twist I had never seen and it was brilliant. The queso did arrive only lukewarm but our server took it back to the kitchen and warmed it up for us. A thick layer of shredded cheese coated the top. When we stirred it in, we were rewarded with a stringy, ooey-gooey queso that made me forget my own name. Frankly, it was so rich and delectable that I could have made myself sick overeating. However, there were tacos calling my name, so I controlled my animal impulses.

My husband ordered a burger and fries ($14.00). I know this doesn’t sound adventurous, but my long-time readers know that there are two things my husband knows better than anyone else, 1) fried chicken and 2) burgers. This burger was two four-ounce patties, cheese, lettuce, pickles and “fill-up sauce.”

When my husband inquired as to whether the bun would be toasted. Our server, Matthew, replied something akin to, “Well, duh, of course.” This was an excellent sign. No customer should have to request that their bun be toasted. A restaurant should just know that that’s the proper way to make a burger. I was granted a bite of said burger and was shocked and pleased to discover that it had a flame-grilled flavor that I don’t find often. My husband declared it nearly perfect. The only burger that has surpassed it on our recent travels was at The Karol Hotel’s K-Club Bistro in Clearwater, Florida.

My order of two shrimp tacos came with one side ($13.00), but we’ll come back to that. The tacos were large, filled with fat shrimp and augmented with a mound of slaw. At first, I thought the slaw was bland. Then, I pondered that perhaps the chef didn’t want the flavor of it to compete with the star of the show (the shrimp). I squeezed a little lemon on top of the whole affair and. . . Bang! There were the fireworks I had been waiting for!

For my side dish, I could have chosen pedestrian fries or, since it is a Caribbean-inspired restaurant, beans. Ultimately, my heart grew wings when I saw that the menu offered maduros. These are sweet plantains and I love them. Half a dozen fat wedges arrived glistening with. . . I don’t know. . .crack? Later, I reviewed the menu and discovered that it was not illegal narcotics, but rum sauce. Whatever. It was addictive all the same.

Music

I don’t know anything about music. At. All. I know what I like but I seem to have a unique learning disability wherein lyrics (and many titles and artists) are immediately lost in an abyss. It could be my favorite song of the moment and my husband will still say, “Why aren’t you singing? You love this song.” To which I just mmmphff louder and sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher trying to hum a tune. I have no idea what the lyrics are no matter how many times I’ve listened to the song.

As a result of my affliction, I don’t notice restaurant music often. I noticed at Fuel. In fact, I used my phone’s Shazam app many, many times. To the management of Fuel: thank you! I discovered Kat Cunning, Gary Clark Jr. and Lukas Nelson thanks to you! Don’t worry, I won’t bother trying to sing along next time. I’ll leave other diners in peace.

Our leftovers made us happy all over again the next day and the waddle back to the hotel gave us time to reflect on our dishes, the music, and the relaxed atmosphere. Good food doesn’t have to be complex or have an ingredient list a mile long. Fresh. Simple. Local. It’s true. We do need to choose wisely. Food is fuel and Fuel is pretty darn close to food nirvana.