Ernie's

"This actually is not a lima bean dinner. It is simply a bowl of lima beans. But there is enough meat among the legumes to make it immensely satisfying."
Michael Stern






"Bread pudding is a huge, heavy block of moist bread laced with fruit cocktail. It comes with plenty of crunchy-chewy strips from the edge of the pan."
Michael Stern



"Ernie's fried chicken has a good crunch to its skin and plenty of juice inside. You can buy it by the piece or as dinner; you can have chicken barbecued or stewed. Fried gizzards also are available."
Michael Stern



"Sweet and crumbly corn bread goes well with just about everything on Ernie's menu."
Michael Stern



"Charleston's sleeper meal, a staple of several soul food restaurants that are popular among locals, but seldom found by tourists: the lima bean dinner. This picture does not show the big plate of onion-laced rice that comes alongside, but that bowl in the foreground does indicate the ridiculously large amount of meat included."
Michael Stern



"A fork would be every bit as useful as a spoon to eat this astonishingly hearty bowl of okra soup. Note the succulent pig tail at 3 o'clock."
Michael Stern



"Before lunch hour, Ernie's has plenty of available seats. Even when all are occupied, there is a quiet, civil tone about the place that adds grace to the expertly made food."
Michael Stern



"The name of this place is not No Loitering. It is Ernie's -- enough of a local favorite not to need a sign."
Michael Stern