We're open Tuesday - Saturday, serving lunch from 11AM - 3PM and dinner from 5PM - 9PM, and are accepting reservations for seating indoors and on our new outdoor patio. Cru Caf is Charleston's home to some of the best gourmet comfort food in the Lowcountry. Cru Caf is the culinary creation of renowned Le Cordon Bleu graduate Chef John Zucker.
Opened in 2002 in response to overwhelming demand, Cru Caf is a culinary destination off the beaten path in a classic 18th century Charleston single-style home. Cru Caf and its award-winning Cru Catering division are consistently ranked as top eateries by locals and tourists alike. From our famous Four Cheese Macaroni to our tasty Thai Seafood Risotto, we feature something for everyone.
Opened in 2002 in response to overwhelming demand, Cru Caf is a culinary destination off the beaten path in a classic 18th century Charleston single-style home. Cru Caf and its award-winning Cru Catering division are consistently ranked as top eateries by locals and tourists alike. From our famous Four Cheese Macaroni to our tasty Thai Seafood Risotto, we feature something for everyone.
Services
For more than two decades, Cru Catering and Caf Executive Chef and Owner John Zucker has been creating a recipe for success in the Lowcountry. His award-winning catering division, Cru Catering, has been voted Best Caterer consecutively since 2001 and his restaurant, Cru Caf, is Charleston's hidden gem receiving accolades and write-ups yearly thanks to John Zucker's ambition to offer a delicious gourmet twist to comfort food.
Catch Cru Cafe & Catering this weekend at some tasty Charleston Wine & Food Festival Events! Cru Cafe is proud to be a small part of such an amazing city, and while our chefs, cooks and staff make it a wonderful place our local partners are a big key to our success. Bread is something we at Cru don't take lightly and that's why our local bakers mean so much to us, .
Reviews (20)
Jeffrey F.
Jan 28, 2022
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David Grossman
Jan 27, 2022
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Christine H.
Jan 24, 2022
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Three words. Fried green tomatoes. Get it. SO GOOD. White wine truffled mussels was amazing. So fresh and soooooo good. They give you a lot too. Seared local fish was very good. Basically, whatever you get here, you won't be disappointed. The biggest mistake my sister and I made was eating a late lunch (bc we were starving) before our early dinner meal here. If we had known how good this place was, we would've starved to death so we could have a huge appetite. I can't imagine what their desserts are like. My sister and I were really sad that we absolutely did not have room to eat
Christine P.
Jan 23, 2022
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Had an excellent dinner here with some girlfriends. Dakota was an awesome server, attentive but not overbearing. Started with the croquettes and pear Bibb salad, which were delicious. Everyone was happy with their entree, my favorites were the basil shrimp and Thai risotto, but the special fish dishes were also great. The 5 people in our party were a little crowded into a 4-top but overall we really enjoyed the experience.
Sarah Anderson
Jan 20, 2022
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Clay J.
Jan 03, 2022
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Cru Cafe is cute. It's small inside, with a spacious patio. It feels a lot like you're eating inside someone's living room. The menu is fairly unique by Charleston standards, and looking at it I couldn't wait to try some of the more unique items.
My wife and I thought it was fancier than it was for our "date night" away from the kids. I came downstairs in a pressed short sleeved button down and some jeans, and saw my wife dressed way way up, panicked, and ended up with a coat and tie on. And while she looked amazing, I think we felt a little bit out of place next
My wife and I thought it was fancier than it was for our "date night" away from the kids. I came downstairs in a pressed short sleeved button down and some jeans, and saw my wife dressed way way up, panicked, and ended up with a coat and tie on. And while she looked amazing, I think we felt a little bit out of place next
Terry S.
Dec 25, 2021
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I enjoyed the Pabolana and mozzarella fried chicken, served with a not-too-spicy rice and zucchini/ squash vegetable side. Unbelievably delishous. Like a fireworks display of flavor in my mouth. My wife enjoyed the red snapper. Outstanding said she. One of my favorites, if not the best value for the quality food. Chef Rachel has been here for 20 years! Cudo,again!!!
Qi Zhou
Dec 21, 2021
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Love the vibe! I’ve place is old fashioned and lovely, the service is great and the food is demurely on point. We had a duck confit that is very crispy and the calamari that is well mixed with the sesame oil and vegetables, the seasoning is great!
Lastly, hands down to the mussels that I almost drank up the sauce with the shells, it’s a must-have
Lastly, hands down to the mussels that I almost drank up the sauce with the shells, it’s a must-have
Megan Hinton
Dec 11, 2021
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Caity B.
Dec 08, 2021
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Mini Sharma
Dec 01, 2021
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Well….we wanted to like it but the experience fell short of the mark! We had a reservation and we requested to be seated inside because it was chilly outside. The hostess told us that it was comfortable outside (which really wasn’t for her to decide) and that we’d be fine. The whole experience felt very transactional from the beginning and unless we were willing to wait 30 minutes, our only option was outside. A few minutes later, she skimmed by and asked how it was and we said “okay” but didn’t seem phased by our lukewarm response. We finished our drinks and appetizer but decided not
Joe Alpha
Nov 10, 2021
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Todd Oney
Oct 13, 2021
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Lexi R.
Sep 23, 2021
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Hubbie and I came in in a Wednesday night at 7:30pm with no reservations and were able to be seated right away.
Truffle mussels 4.5/5: Delicious!! Absolutely loved the sauce. You can actually taste the truffle a bit. They have a couple extra pieces of crostini too since we had a bunch of extra sauce sauce left. Thigh the crostini were just okay. Almost too hard.
Fried tomatoes 5/5: The combination of the fried tomatoes and feta, balanced out with sweetness of the pork belly was absolutely fire
4/5 Thai risotto: what a pleasant, interesting twist on risotto! It turned out how I imagined it
Truffle mussels 4.5/5: Delicious!! Absolutely loved the sauce. You can actually taste the truffle a bit. They have a couple extra pieces of crostini too since we had a bunch of extra sauce sauce left. Thigh the crostini were just okay. Almost too hard.
Fried tomatoes 5/5: The combination of the fried tomatoes and feta, balanced out with sweetness of the pork belly was absolutely fire
4/5 Thai risotto: what a pleasant, interesting twist on risotto! It turned out how I imagined it
Steve I.
Sep 19, 2021
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2021 - another visit to Charleston, another good meal at Cru Cafe! Fried Green Tomatoes, and Vine-Ripe Tomato & Mozzarella were delicious appetizers. Fried Calamari was good. The Fried Oysters were a bit too fishy for our taste. For entrees, the Heritage Farm Pork Schnitzel, and the Poblano & Mozzarella Fried Chicken were delicious. The Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon was disappointing, especially at $12 a glass. Make sure to make reservations in advance!
2017 - Through a mixup, our table was delayed, so we went down the street for a drink. Upon our return, the manager comp'd us two appetizers
2017 - Through a mixup, our table was delayed, so we went down the street for a drink. Upon our return, the manager comp'd us two appetizers
Gaurav Kalani
Aug 15, 2021
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Chris Rosenquist
Aug 11, 2021
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Ed Egee
Jul 31, 2021
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Steve G.
Jul 30, 2021
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Joe V.
Apr 20, 2021
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Great place for food. Tables inside were socially distanced with only four tables in the main room. There was an option to sit at the bar. There are plenty of tables outside.
The salmon was cooked perfectly and came with a Greek salad. It would've been perfect if there was 30% less salt on top of the salmon.
I would skip the Asian slaw. It lacked vibrant color and freshness and didn't have much flavor. It gets busy so would recommend reservations.
The salmon was cooked perfectly and came with a Greek salad. It would've been perfect if there was 30% less salt on top of the salmon.
I would skip the Asian slaw. It lacked vibrant color and freshness and didn't have much flavor. It gets busy so would recommend reservations.
