Best of Charleston

Follow the Green Light

Published

12 years ago

December 27, 2012

As we walked through the slight rain down East Bay Street last week, Ms. Holy City Sinner and I saw an inviting green glow coming from the open doors next to Big John’s Tavern. The soft green light leaked slightly into the street with some intoxicating aromas following closely behind it.

We soon realized we were right outside of The Green Door, one of downtown Charleston’s newest restaurants. The same folks who brought the super popular Roti Rolls food truck to the Holy City had opened this “street eatery” where the Big John’s billiards section used to be.

The inside of The Green Door looks exactly like you would think the sister-location of Roti Rolls would look – bright, welcoming colors throughout and a whole lot of character. The centerpieces are, of course, the actual green doors that serve as your table.

The menu consists of many of your Roti favorites (Thurman Murman, Buddha Bowl, etc.), but also some new items. Whether old or new, everything I saw come out of the kitchen looked and smelled great.

It’s difficult to describe the food as anything besides a hybrid. Roti Rolls, and now The Green Door, offer a blend of Caribbean, Thai, Vietnamese, and other cuisines. A lot, but not all, of their dishes incorporate some spiciness which you can increase with their homemade sauces. If it’s there when you visit, I recommend the Fish Pepper sauce.

One of the reasons the food at the eatery looks and smells so great is because it’s so fresh. Most of the ingredients come from local farmers, the names of which they proudly display on their chalkboard.

Aside from the food, a pleasant surprise was their sweet tea. Be sure to grab some with whichever meal you choose.

The employees were all quite friendly and extremely helpful. They weren’t afraid to offer up some future suggestions or show off their new digs while we waited for our food. Their warm reception and exuberance made our experience that much more enjoyable.

The vibe of the restaurant was extremely relaxed and I could easily envision hanging out with friends well after our meals had been finished. It’s not hard to see that daydream coming true many times over because I know that green light will once again lead me in like a moth to a flame.