Big name in Charleston cuisine to open Southern-style restaurant in Columbia area
A longtime Southern staple in Charleston’s food scene is bringing its biscuits, grits and charm to the Midlands.
Poogan’s Southern Kitchen plans to open in Forest Acres at the Cardinal Crossing development, near the Lowes Foods shopping center.
Poogan’s announced the new location on its website, saying that the Cardinal Crossing restaurant will seat about 136 people indoors, with another 1,000 square feet of heated outdoor dining space. The outdoor patio will be pet-friendly.
Poogan’s Southern Kitchen is a spinoff of Poogan’s Porch, a longtime food staple in downtown Charleston. Opened in 1976, Poogan’s Porch bills itself as “Charleston’s oldest independent culinary establishment.”
Poogan’s specializes in classic Southern fare, including fluffy biscuits, fried chicken and, naturally, shrimp and grits.
In addition to the original restaurant, the Poogan’s brand now includes Poogan’s Smokehouse in Charleston, Poogan’s Courtyard events venue in Charleston, and Poogan’s Southern Kitchen in Summerville. Forest Acres will be the first expansion of the Southern Kitchen outside of the Charleston area.
The Cardinal Crossing location is targeting a spring 2022 opening, according to the restaurant’s website. When Poogan’s arrives, it will join Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, Nothing Bundt Cakes and several other businesses in the recently built development that was formerly the site of Cardinal Newman School.
