Big John's is Charleston's oldest tavern, and the history check holds up - it opened in 1955 after Big John Cannady came home from playing with the New York Giants. The building on East Bay is all dark wood, red leather stools, and enough wall décor to fill a museum, and they even run a hidden speakeasy called Scotty Doesn't Know on the back side. It's walk-in only, it stays open till 2 a.m., and live music on the weekends means you can lose an evening without planning to.
The food surprises people who only came for drinks. The turkey burger is the one locals swear by, the smash burgers and clothesline bacon are the staples, and the steak tartare earns its own mention in more than one review. Bartenders know the regulars by name and the tourists by curiosity, and the crowd skews older and local - exactly the kind of dive you take visiting friends to when you want to skip the King Street performance.