There is always something going down in Charleston, South Carolina! On the weekends it’s utter madness in the Lowcountry but you can have just as much fun on almost any given weeknight.
That is… if you know where to go!
While Friday and Saturday are the biggest party nights in Charleston, a lot of the community does not work a 9-5. This, along with the young party culture, means there is an active nightlife almost every day of the week.
That’s why we’ve created this guide, listing the most fun bars in Charleston, SC for each night of the week, so you can find the most fun option for whenever you’re trying to get low in the Lowcountry 🕺
As an added bonus, we’ve also included an itinerary for the ultimate Walkable Charleston Bar Crawl!
Monday — Little Palm
One of Charleston’s hidden gems, Little Palm is a breezy poolside cafe and cocktail bar with a lively, spirited environment offering fresh, vibrant cocktails and seasonal, ingredient-driven dishes.
If access to the outdoor pool isn’t enough entertainment for you, they’ve got Charleston’s own Good Trouble Band playing from 7 pm – 9 pm on Music Mondays.
They also have Happy Hour from 4 pm – 6 pm Monday – Thursday!
Tuesday — Commodore
A vintage jazz club boasting a great dance floor and comfy booths, The Commodore hosts live music Tuesday through Sunday.
However, we recommend checking out Caribbean Tiki Tuesdays for one of the few opportunities to see reggae in Charleston.
Let your problems soak away as you drink a pina colada and listen to island music from 9:30 pm – 12:00 am.
Wednesday — Burns Alley
One of Charleston’s few remaining dive bars, Burns Alley Tavern is always a great place to score drinks under $10.
Come join the students and locals for Wednesday karaoke night if you’re looking for a laugh or want to practice the pipes.
Just a heads up, the crowd tends to be on the younger side!
Thursday — Prohibition
If you’re going out on a Thursday, you’ve gotta check out Prohibition where they have rotating bands.
All of these acts go on at 9:30 pm and have no cover! Prohibition is also a worthy stop for food and drinks seven nights a week, offering rustic-chic modern american cuisine and creative cocktails.
They also have Malin Wagon playing every Tuesday. Meanwhile their weekend brunch has Mike Huhn entertaining guests on Saturdays and New Ghost Town playing bluegrass on Sundays.
How often do you get live music with a boozy brunch?!
Friday — Share House
Owned by the same group as Uptown Social, Share House is one of Charleston’s liveliest drinking establishments.
There are multiple sections with different DJs playing throughout the week but our favorite time to go is on Fridays to get your weekend started.
The open garage doors connected to the massive patio create the perfect setting to kick back in the sun and ease into the weekend.
They will also have at least one, if not two DJs!
Saturday — Cocktail Club
Cocktail Club is one of our favorite drinking establishments in all of Charleston.
Their speakeasy-style bar serves delicious craft cocktails and they have great live music on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
We recommend going for Greg Keys & Company on Saturday nights. Also make sure to check out their rooftop terrace!
Sunday — Republic Garden & Lounge
Charleston’s hottest nightclub, Republic Garden & Lounge is always guaranteed to be a fun night.
Arguably their best showing is on Sundays when almost all of the other bars are still recovering.
It is also the setting for Bravo’s latest big hit, Southern Hospitality. So play your cards right and who knows, you may get on TV!
If you go on Friday or Saturday, we recommend either getting there early or reserving a VIP table with bottle service so you don’t spend your entire night in line.
Walkable Charleston Bar Crawl
1st Stop – 167 Raw Oyster Bar
Our first stop might not be the type of bar you expected. But trust us, you won’t want to miss it!
We’re starting off by ordering a 167 Dirty Martini and adding oyster brine along with a side oyster for the additional $3, because why not?
We’ll chase this down with a couple of oyster shooters and head on to a more traditional bar.
2nd Stop – Thoroughbred Club
Only a block away from 167, inside of the Charleston Place Hotel, The Thoroughbred Club feels like a true Southern institution.
Oak paneled walls, live piano and comfy leather chairs make this the perfect place for an old fashioned or some Kentucky bourbon on the rocks.
Just don’t get too comfortable because we need to see everything Charleston has to offer!
3rd Stop – Rusty Bull Brewing Co.
Once we’ve had our fill of class and elegance, we’re walking over to the only brewery in Downtown Charleston’s Historic District for some local pints.
If the suns out (which it almost always is in Charleston) we’ll grab a seat in the outdoor patio and stick to their lighter beers, as this crawl is a marathon and we’ve already been hitting the hard booze.
We recommend the Cougar Kolsch and the Bellyitcher. Though if you insist on an IPA, the Dance Naked is hard to beat.
4th Stop – Share House
We’ve already mentioned Share House as one of our favorite bars in Charleston so there’s not much to add.
Except that they are attached to Bodega, a walk-up-and-order restaurant that has hardy sandwiches, ideal for a bar crawl.
Once you eat, grab a Redbull vodka (or two!) because you’re gonna need some energy for the final stops.
5th Stop – Ritual
Charleston’s hippest rooftop lounge, Ritual is a great place to end the evening and start the night. If you time it properly, you should be able to see a beautiful sunset over the Lowcountry!
We’ll keep our energy up by ordering one of their delicious espresso martinis. And if we’re in a spendy type of mood we might even order bottle service.
6th & Final Stop – Trio
Less than a couple of hundred feet away from Ritual is Trio, Charleston’s OG nightclub.
Trio is the only nightclub in Charleston that puts on A-list DJs including Dom Dolla and Diplo.
They sell GA tickets as well as bottle service, both great options depending on your budget.
This will be our last stop on the walkable bar crawl of Charleston. We hope you enjoyed (and remembered) it as much as we did!
Transportation
If you’re trying to add an X-factor to your night out, there’s no better way to explore the town than with a Party Bus.
They are equipped with surround sound music, LED lighting and allow drinking while on the vehicle, making it almost as fun as your destinations, if not more so!
Along with standard hourly rates, we also offer half-day and full-day rates that allow time to be shuttled between the beach, shopping, dinner and the clubs without breaking the bank.
We even offer 20% off on all weeknights! We also offer round-trip rates where you only have to pay for the beginning and end of the ride!
Conclusion – Best Bars in Charleston
While there are too many great bars in Charleston to name, let alone write about, we believe this list covered some of our favorites.
Moreover, we hope it’s given you an idea on what to do with your night, no matter the day of the week it is.
If you’re part of a large group, you should tack on a Charleston party bus to your plans!
Double Black offers insane weeknight discounts that make the most luxurious rides in town affordable for everyone!