Mortgage Broker in West Ashley, SC

The Charleston sushi scene has been slowly expanding over the years. Just a few years ago, there were many places in the Lowcountry where you could grab a California roll or rainbow roll, but there were fewer places with fresh wasabi or rare delicacies like uni. Today, many sushi aficionados put Sushi-Wa Izakaya at the top, but there are a few other stops in town to quell nigiri cravings.

Read More

Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Kyoto-trained chef Yuichiro “Junior” Takebata runs the sushi side of this Japanese steakhouse in West Ashley. He specializes in nigiri and sashimi, but Hachiya also offers an extensive signature roll menu as well. Takebata sources most of the fish he uses in his sushi bar from purveyors who order directly from Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo.

Tired of eating cheeseburgers and wings while at a sports bar? Locals offers an extensive sushi menu, full of classic rolls and nigiri, but most customers are in for the super-stuffed signature rolls. For example, the Charleston roll is yellowtail, shredded “krab,” cream cheese, jalapeño, asparagus, and avocado, topped with sweet mango, crispy onions, and sweet chili sauce. It’s not for sushi purists, but its fun.

Sushi Wa Izakaya offers some of the freshest fish around. Chefs Kazu Murakami and Chris Schoedler offer high-end sushi, chirashi, sake, and small plates in the intimate dining room. Experience the nigiri-focused omakase Wednesday through Sunday, beginning at $100 per person. Reservations are difficult to snag, but the restaurant will occasionally announce openings on Instagram.

O-Ku is a major King Street hot spot, but it still commits to a solid sushi program. From the lemon and salmon roll to the otoro nigiri, there’s something for everyone. The popular happy hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays is a fun way to try out the restaurant for less.

Shiki is a tucked-away space on East Bay Street beloved by locals since 2001. The long-standing sushi eatery is an intimate space to catch up with friends. The rolls are super fresh, the service is solid, and the sake is affordable. It's a relaxed night with raw fish and perfect rice.

In 2021, the team from always-packed oyster outlet 167 Raw turned their attention to even more seafood with the opening of 167 Sushi Bar. The sliver of a restaurant, which is 50 percent chef’s counter, offers a menu of the classic choices of nigiri, sashimi, and hand rolls. The eatery also offers izakaya options like a katsu sando and yakatori.

Chef Sean Park puts the utmost care into every plate and scores some of the freshest catches around. Kanpai was one of the first Lowcountry spots to put live uni on the menu. Mount Pleasant residents should definitely make a stop at Kanpai.

Kyoto-trained chef Yuichiro “Junior” Takebata runs the sushi side of this Japanese steakhouse in West Ashley. He specializes in nigiri and sashimi, but Hachiya also offers an extensive signature roll menu as well. Takebata sources most of the fish he uses in his sushi bar from purveyors who order directly from Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo.

Tired of eating cheeseburgers and wings while at a sports bar? Locals offers an extensive sushi menu, full of classic rolls and nigiri, but most customers are in for the super-stuffed signature rolls. For example, the Charleston roll is yellowtail, shredded “krab,” cream cheese, jalapeño, asparagus, and avocado, topped with sweet mango, crispy onions, and sweet chili sauce. It’s not for sushi purists, but its fun.

Sushi Wa Izakaya offers some of the freshest fish around. Chefs Kazu Murakami and Chris Schoedler offer high-end sushi, chirashi, sake, and small plates in the intimate dining room. Experience the nigiri-focused omakase Wednesday through Sunday, beginning at $100 per person. Reservations are difficult to snag, but the restaurant will occasionally announce openings on Instagram.

O-Ku is a major King Street hot spot, but it still commits to a solid sushi program. From the lemon and salmon roll to the otoro nigiri, there’s something for everyone. The popular happy hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays is a fun way to try out the restaurant for less.

Shiki is a tucked-away space on East Bay Street beloved by locals since 2001. The long-standing sushi eatery is an intimate space to catch up with friends. The rolls are super fresh, the service is solid, and the sake is affordable. It's a relaxed night with raw fish and perfect rice.

In 2021, the team from always-packed oyster outlet 167 Raw turned their attention to even more seafood with the opening of 167 Sushi Bar. The sliver of a restaurant, which is 50 percent chef’s counter, offers a menu of the classic choices of nigiri, sashimi, and hand rolls. The eatery also offers izakaya options like a katsu sando and yakatori.

Chef Sean Park puts the utmost care into every plate and scores some of the freshest catches around. Kanpai was one of the first Lowcountry spots to put live uni on the menu. Mount Pleasant residents should definitely make a stop at Kanpai.

Eric Fore and his wife didn’t anticipate that becoming homeowners would be one of the most stressful experiences of their lives.

When they bought a home in West Ashley on Boone Hall Drive in 2021, they'd heard the house was prone to flooding — it was swamped during the Great Flood of 2015. But they didn’t realize just how bad it was until they moved in.

"I was in the military for eight years, deployed and everything, and I’ve never been as stressed as I was about this house," Fore told The Post and Courier.

But Charleston County will be taking the house off the Fores' hands — alleviating their stress. On Aug. 13, County Council voted to approve a federal grant of over $414,000, allowing the county to acquire the house and demolish it.

The county is buying the property by using the flood mitigation assistance program under Federal Emergency Management Agency. Sean Dove, county floodplain management coordinator, said most of the grant money — around $343,000 — will be used to purchase the property at just around market value, according to estimates on the real estate website Zillow. The rest will go toward inspections, demolition and site work. He added there's also contingency funding for any unforeseen events.

Fore said the purchase would be enough to cover what's left of their mortgage, and put a little away for their next home.

News

Dove said while this buyout is a special circumstance, the county is looking into acquisition and buyout programs for anyone whose house is prone to flooding. It's not something widely available to residents, but Dove said if more people want the county to buy out their flood-vulnerable house the county will look into it.

Initially, the county's plan in 2019 was to elevate this house, along with one on James Island using the grant funds. The house on James Island was successfully elevated.

But Dove said the county couldn't find any contractors confident they could elevate the house on Boone Hall Drive.

As a result, the county was left with a house that floods severely, and a homeowner who inherited the grant and the danger of living in an area prone to flooding. While the county wasn't able to elevate the house, they were able to work with the state to change the scope of the grant, Dove said. Now, they'll be able to demolish the house and use the property to help with maintenance to a drainage canal behind it.

It won't be the first flood mitigation project the county has done on Boone Hall Drive. Chris Wannamaker, county stormwater and utility manager, said the county finished installing a pipe from the street to the canal in August to help with drainage. He said Fore had reached out to him after Tropical Storm Debby to let him know that the project was a success and his yard didn't flood.

Building a fortress

Fore said he spent four days preparing for flooding from Hurricane Ian in 2022. He had around 60 sandbags around the house — barricading all doors, and even the inside of the garage door. He described the house as a fortress after he prepped it for the hurricane.

During the storm, floodwater rose up to around 1.5 feet around the house, Fore said.

"The only thing that kept water from coming in was the fact that I had Flex-Sealed the front door shut," Fore said.

Two months after Dollar Tree closed its Sam Rittenberg Boulevard location, the discount retailer has found a new home not far away.

The chain will open a new 23,683-square-foot store at West Ashley Shoppes, taking over the former Bed Bath & Beyond that has been vacant for the better part of a year.

The retailer will join World Market, Party City, Once Upon a Child, Monster Music & Movies and the West Ashley DMV in the 140,000-square-foot Orleans Road shopping center, across the street from Citadel Mall.

Dollar Tree, which currently operates more than 8,000 stores throughout the U.S., signed a lease with Continental Realty Corp., a Baltimore real estate investment firm that also owns Mount Pleasant Towne Centre .

The chain's Sam Rittenberg store was closed as part of a renovation project.

Business

Home at last

After 26 years, sisters Carlene Browner and Cassandra B. Richardson have a permanent storefront.

The owners of BR Design Co., a clay jewelry company, have sold their wares in the temporary tables of Charleston's historic City Market for more than two decades.

That's two decades of boxing up their handmade jewelry and bringing them home every night, just to begin again the next morning.

"It feels great to be in such a good place, not having to pack up every single day," Richardson said.

On Oct. 5, she and her sister will celebrate the grand opening of their new indoor space at the downtown market, just through the doors past Callie's Hot Little Biscuit.

BR Design replaced a jewelry store that had been situated inside the City Market for 39 years and recently left.

"You just never know when a space will open up in the Market, or where it will be," Richardson said. "But we jumped at the chance."

The sisters will have giveaways, special guests and more to celebrate the opening starting at 9 a.m.

Bargain shopping

Consign Charleston is hosting its fall sale Oct. 5 in its West Ashley parking lot at 1610 Sam Rittenberg Blvd.

The secondhand store, established in 2007, will offer discounts from 20 percent to 50 percent off all items. Shoppers can also enjoy bottomless mimosas.

Consign Charleston offers a curated selection of men's and women's clothing, home décor, jewelry, brand-name accessories, kitchenware, art, furniture and more from upwards of 17,000 consignors.

Lunch time!

Savi Cucina + Wine Bar is now serving lunch seven days a week.

The restaurant in Mount Pleasant Towne Centre offers a variety of fresh dishes, including soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas and pastas daily from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are available for those who need to plan ahead.

Savi also offers happy hour specials from 3 to 6 p.m. daily, with a full dinner service at 5 p.m.

Starting in October, the restaurant will introduce weekend brunch to its offerings.

Block party

The Hayes Park community on Johns Island is having a blowout of a celebration Oct. 12.

New Leaf Builders will be showcasing the model home it built in the new neighborhood, while also showing off its new design studio in the shopping center. The Charleston-based company relocated from its offices just down the street to the development.

Business

Enjoy local food truck Big Boned BBQ, a wine tastings by Beth Jeffcoat, and sushi and light bites at the staged Atrium Villas model home and New Leaf's studio.

The event from 12 to 3 p.m. will celebrate all the businesses in the community, including Emily Daws textiles, which opened in September at at 505 Hayes Park Blvd., Somm Wine Bar, High Steaks butcher shop and Opal Aesthetics, Modern Chiropractic and Simple Tree picture framing.

Business

All that glitters

Freshfields Village on Kiawah Island has gained a new tenant.

Hanebrink Jewelers opened its doors at 140 Gardeners Circle on Oct. 1. The veteran- and family-owned jeweler also has a location in Summerville on S. Main Street.

The full-service jewelry store offers ready-to-wear and custom-designed jewelry. Staff can also perform appraisals and change watch batteries.

Owner Frances Hanebrink is a graduate gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America and a member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers. She has been in the business for more than 25 years and is joined by her bench jeweler who has more than 30 years experience in the industry and is an expert on all things metal.

Business

Another locally owned jeweler, the century-old Croghan's Jewel Box, is having a trunk sale Oct. 5. The owners of the King Street store are celebrating a decadelong relationship with Los Angeles-based family-owned jeweler Single Stone from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Husband and wife duo, Ari and Corina Madilian of Single Stone, will showcase their heirloom and fine jewelry collections of bands, bracelets, charms and pendants, and earrings. They'll also consult on custom one-of-a-kind designs.