Charleston Pour House Charleston SC & Kwei Fei Review

Toward the end of our one month remote work stay in the James Island area of Charleston, we finally went to a show at the Charleston Pour House. All of the other nights we had tried to go the weather was iffy. It turned out to be one of my favorite nights in Charleston if not my favorite. Charleston Pour House Charleston SC is a magical place.

It’s perfectly aligned with what I love – good energy, great music, craft beer, good food & supporting local artists, which is why I had to write my experience down here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

*I’m not being paid to write this review

Charleston Pour House Charleston SC Review

I was so happy to finally make it to Charleston Pour House on our last Friday night in Charleston. It was a perfect mild Charleston Fall day.

Charleston Pour House Charleston SC tends to have jam band type music, although they have a huge variety of shows, and they usually have multiple shows every night on their three stages – the Mani Stage indoors, the In the Lot stage which is the large outdoor stage that is sometimes up, and the Deck stage – the smaller outdoor stage.

Tickets usually go for about $5 – $20 but they can be pricier for higher tier bands and performances. I soooo wish we had something like this where I live. 

*This section contains an affiliate link and if you choose to purchase, I will receive a commission at not additional cost to you.  

The night we decided to go, Oteil Burbridge & Friends were playing in The Lot on the large outdoor stage starting at 6:00pm. We unfortunately couldn’t get off work early enough to make it in time to justify paying for a ticket to see the end of the show, and we were lucky enough to have just seen Dead and Company months ago, so we decided to pass on that show.

Instead we bought a ticket to see an Allman Brothers tribute band which was playing afterwards indoors on the Main Stage called Steeln’ Peaches. You can see their full event schedule here.

Also, a quick word about Charleston Pour House parking. There’s a private lot in front and in back which is super convenient, and of course there’s always Uber or Lyft although sometimes there will be a wait or relying on taking them home. 

Since we hadn’t explored the area right around the venue yet, we decided to head over right after work and find some food before the show. I had heard so much about Kwei Fei at Charleston Pour House from all the research I had done prior to visiting the city, and even read that one particular local had moved apartments specifically because Kwei Fei moved, so of course I was sold. Luckily when we showed up there was no wait and we were seated right away. 

We were completely blown away by the food here, and I’m so glad you decided to try it!

I was a little hesitant to try it because I’m really sensitive to spicy food and the spice level at Kwei Fei can be intense, as it’s a Sichuan style restaurant. Most food items there are not going to be for spice adverse diners, but they are able to make certain dishes less spicy, which is what our waiter told us as soon as we sat down.

First I got a sake flight, which I had always wanted to try, and quickly after our meals came out. I can’t remember what either of us got, but we loved both of our meals and mine was not too spicy at all. They did a great job of creating a dish that had TONS of flavor and was super unique but without the spice level of other Sichuan food.

As a side note, I wasn’t aware that Jack of Cups Beebop was also available at Charleston Pour House. Jack of Cups is one of our favorite restaurants in Charleston, so I’m bummed we didn’t get to try a few things from there too! Next time.

Once we were finished eating and paid out, we were ready for some live music! I was hoping that we would be able to get in early and catch the end of Oteil and I was correct!

When we showed up to Charleston Pour House Charleston SC with our tickets about 30 min before the Steeln’ Peaches show, they let us in right away and we headed to the bar and saw Oteil & Friends were still playing with a big crowd expanding outwards from the In the Lot stage in all directions.

As always during a jam band concert, the crowd was so nice and we were able to walk up to where we had a great view without pushing and dance a little in the lawn after we grabbed some drinks at the bar. 

The set up was as basically a big crowd surrounding the front of the stage and sides standing and then a bunch of people who brought their own chairs and blankets behind them. Since the stage is raised everyone can see. The sound and lights were great and really made the show fun. Keep in mind there aren’t any screens, so if you have trouble seeing far and want a good view of the musicians, then you should probably plan on standing so you can get a good view. 

Oteil and Friends were amazing. It felt like we were seeing Dead and Company again. What a magical night, especially because we weren’t really expecting it. After looking them up more I realize we were very lucky to see them on a whim like that. Makes sense – tickets were upwards of $50. Thank you Charleston pour house! 

Once the crowd started clearing out we re-upped our drinks and made our way to the indoor stage where Steeln’ Peaches had already started. The first thing I noticed is that the sound is so so good. We go to a lot of small venues and I wasn’t expecting it to be so good. It wasn’t the madhouse I was expecting – there was plenty of space to see the stage and dance without feeling squished.

We danced and loved watching Steeln’ Peaches who had great chemistry with the crowd and really look d like they were enjoying themselves. When we were danced out we left wishing we had somewhere like Charleston Pour House Charleston SC at home. 

If you’re visiting the area, make sure to read my complete guide to Where to Stay In Charleston SC where you’ll find out about all the best hotels based on your budget and the best neighborhoods to stay based on what you plan on doing during your vacation. Enjoy!