Balao

When it was announced that one of my favorite restaurants, Burwell’s, was opening up a rooftop seafood restaurant, I was pumped as hell. I went in to try it with my bar set really high, knowing already what the Burwells team was capable of accomplishing. I’m happy to say that Balao (pronounced Buh-Lay-Oh) met and exceeded my already high expectations. Let’s talk about everything I ate, shall we? (Just keep in mind that they change up the menu daily, so what I had might not be on the menu when you visit!)

First up, it’s pretty much impossible to hang out on a rooftop bar without a drink in hand, so I started with the Summer Rose cocktail (pureed, rosé-soaked watermelon, tequila, elderflower liquer, mint, topped with sparkling rosé, $11). For as sweet as it sounds like it would be, it was actually super pleasant and very drinkable.

 

Next up, a group of us split the Ahi Tuna Nachos (poblano queso, blackened tuna, guacamole, corn pico, pintos, chiles, crema, $18), and holy shitsnacks were they good. That poblano queso is something else! It’s the perfect combo of cheesy and smoky. My favorite part is that they layer the toppings throughout the chips, so you’d be hard-pressed to find a naked chip in the stack.

Next up was the Ceviche (fresh catch, mango, chiles, cucumber, celery, cilantro, onion, fresh citrus, $15), which was like summertime in a bowl. It was served with more of the delish chips from the nachos (minus all those toppings, obvious). It was super fresh and refreshing and made me feel really healthy.

After that, we of course had to get some Roasted SC Oysters (ramp butter and herbed bread crumbs, $15). I’ll basically order anything on a menu if there are ramps involved and these oysters were buttery and garlicky and so decadent. Even if you’re not normally a fan of oysters, you should give these a try!

Our next drink was the The Irie (Dark Rum, Frangelicao, Coconut water, Pineapple, Cinnamon, House Falernum, $11) which almost tasted like the tropical cousin of a Dark & Stormy. It was a little dark for my tastes, but if you’re into dark rum, you’d definitely enjoy this drink.

We followed up drinks with the Louie Sandwich (shrimp, Rouille Louie sauce, bibb lettuce, tomato, fresh shallot, (1) $9 or (2) for $17). These were basically like a really delicious shrimp roll served on the softest grilled bread you can imagine.

We also ordered some Calamari (baby arugula, banana peppers, bresaola and soft cheese, $12), which typically isn’t my favorite, but I actually really enjoyed it! There was enough going on with the dish that I didn’t feel overwhelmed by all the breading and distinct “fried” taste that calamari always seems to have.

Our final drink was the Lime In The Coconut (Rum, Coco Lopez, Lime, served frozen, $10), which was BY FAR my favorite, and tasted like the beach. I especially liked that it tasted fresh and not cloying like a lot of frozen beachy cocktails do. This was only the good stuff, people.

Our final dish of the night was the quintessential Charleston dish, Shrimp and Grits (SC white shrimp, black grits, yum yum peppers, duck tasso gravy, ramps, $15). Yay, more ramps! Also, I love that Balao put their own spin on it by including the black grits (which get their color from squid ink) and a duck gravy, which was super unusual. And the shrimp were huge and sweet (the way they should be). The whole dish was really well-balanced and a definite crowd pleaser.

Now that the weather’s warming up, you should mosey on down to Balao and enjoy the rooftop with a few cocktails and snacks (again, if you don’t get the tuna nachos, I don’t know if we can stay friends).

Balao
16 North Market Street
Charleston, SC 29401, US
843-737-8703