Palmetto Ale House

It was a time of high prices, low wages and employment was hard to come by.

Sound familiar?

It was 14th-century England ("The English Alehouse: A Social History" by Peter Clark) and ale houses were finding their way in small towns and large cities.

In 1632, the streets of London were paved with them.

Ale houses were "drinking rooms." Ale came by the pail, people paid "on the slate" and the ale wives made good money.

History is repeating itself in 2010.

John Keener (of Charleston Crab House) opened the Palmetto Ale House this spring in the space of the former Nectar Bar and Grill.

His goal? To "provide a space where family and friends can kick back and relax."

In 21st-century parlance, mission accomplished.

Palmetto Ale House is a bar with a restaurant attached. An open dining room is flanked by booths and centered with tables that easily accommodate groups small and large. Families, 20-somethings with baseball caps, boomers dressed for a night on the town, college students in cargoes and flip-flops are finding a spot to "get hoppy" on Folly Road.

Live music rocks the outdoor patio and smokers can find a haven for their habit.

Palmetto Ale House is a work in brown. From the booths to the tables to the bar to the paint colors, brown is the operative color. Even the thatch-roof Tiki bar sports an oatmeal-colored weave. The beer is brown too. And the burgers ($6.99-$8.49). And the steaks ($12.79-$14.99).

And on this night when Mother Nature fired up the skies with more strikes of lightening than the light shows at the Winter Olympics and Super Bowl combined and the skies opened up in torrents, Palmetto Ale House was packed. It was gridlock on the gravel road that passes for the parking surface (leave your Jimmy Choo's at home).

It was standing room only in the bar; every booth was filled.

The decor is a sportsman's paradise. Bill fishing is the catch of the day, whether it is the Governor's Bill Fish Tournament at Kiawah or the local owner's catch captured in photos and displayed on the walls.

There are flat-screen TVs and a pool table in the bar.

The appetizers ($3.99)-$12.79) are golden brown, bronzed, fried, crisped, battered and crumbed. They are the standard assortment that you find in many restaurants and even grocery freezer cases.

Try the island conch fritters ($7.49) that blend conch bits, red pepper dice, batter and crust for savory golden nuggets to plunge into house-made Cajun ranch dipping sauce. Perfect for a Summer Ale pulled from the tap.

The starters lend themselves to sharing and range from chips and dips to quesadillas and sliders. Shrimp is boiled, Buffaloed or fried. There are wings and rings, chowder or soup.

The menu goes everywhere. Classic burgers ($8.59) are topped with Palmetto Ale House pimiento cheese.

Fried and grilled seafood is dipped in Palmetto Ale and crusted with house-made breading. Thai chicken served with "Ale House Smashers" ($10.79).

You'll find Cajun pastas and chicken Parmesan ($11.99).

A Philly cheesesteak ($8.99) is made with tenderloin tips, chicken Philly ($8.79) is made with a boneless, skinless chicken breast.

Salads span from Greek or Thai ($8.79) to Chinese ($9.49). This is a menu by committee, something for every appetite.

Stick with the flounder. Done as fish and chips ($8.99) during our visit, it was hot, crisp and fresh. The skin-on seasoned fries suffered from a generous hand at the salting station but had the starchy flavor of a quality Russet potato.

Grilled grouper ($13.49) did not fare as well. A tad dry and without discernible grill markings, it appeared as an afterthought to our order. The coleslaw side came in those mini-cups that seem more suited to condiments than a vegetable side dish.

But Palmetto Ale House is not all about the food. It is about family, friends and fun.

And short of the market price catch of the day, all the menu items are under $15.