The mission of Ella & Ollie’s is to serve delectable, affordable food that keeps people coming back for more. Located at 21 Fairway Dr. overlooking the golf course, this Southern seafood-inspired restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday (closed on Sundays and Mondays) and offers both indoor and outdoor seating.
Launched in 2016 as a project of husband-and-wife hospitality team Brandon and Katherine Rushing, Ella and Ollie’s was selected as a “Top 10 Diner’s Choice” Charleston restaurant by Open Table and named as Chef and Food Network Host Kardea Brown’s number one Charleston restaurant. Their menu changes seasonally and they pride themselves on providing local, fresh ingredients that are rotated depending on availability. Executive chef and co-owner Brandon Rushing is a former Sous Chef from the Edisto restaurant institution The Old Post Office who also previously worked as Chef de Cuisine at downtown Charleston fine dining staple Blossom Restaurant.
Choose from among inventive, flavorful appetizers including their extraordinary Grit Puppies with andouille, smoked cheddar, charred onion and red pepper jelly, Nashville Hot Quail on hoe cakes with apple and celery root slaw or Goat Cheese Tart with pecan crust, tart cherry chutney, baby greens and cracked pepper crustini. Online testimonials enthusiastically praise the Table Bread, which comes equipped with whipped ricatta, balsamic and olive oil.
They prepare creative nightly specials as well as innovative entrees like a rich, mouthwatering Braised Short Rib paired with buttermilk mashed potatoes, broccolini, roasted shiitake mushrooms, demi-glace and pecan gremolata. One satisfied customer described it in a glowing review as a “hug on a plate.”
Ella & Ollie’s Local Shrimp Cakes are to die for and feature preserved lemon and butter pea perloo, citrus butter and mustard green chow. And who can resist a down-home comfort food meal such as their Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf, a hearty dish served with mashed potatoes, hericot verts and red eye gravy.
Or pop open some of their Beer Can Chicken, a Springer Mountain half chicken accompanied by potato salad and Alabama white sauce.
Ella & Ollie’s also crafts an impressive selection of pizzas made with fresh, quality ingredients, with seafood options like a Shrimp Scampi Pizza topped with local Edisto Seafood shrimp, roasted garlic, olive oil, red onion, basil, spinach, roasted bell pepper and mozzarella or a Clam Pie with littleneck clams, olive oil, mozzarella, provolone, parmesan and arugula. The Lamb Sausage Pizza is prepared with house-made lamb sausage, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.
Have one of their mixologists whip up a specialty cocktail such as their Cucumber Moscow Mule, a refreshing concoction of Effin Cucumber Vodka, Gosling ginger beer and blueberries. Meld sweet and spicy worlds with a Jalapeno Raspberry ‘Rita, a blend of jalapeno-infused Hornitos with raspberry puree and lime juice.
Ella & Ollie’s also carries an extensive wine list from Sauvingon Blanc and Pinot Grigio to Cabernet and Malbec. Both cocktail/liquor and wine menus are posted online at their website.
If you’re looking for a more upscale option on Edisto, check out the eclectic and original fare at Ella & Ollie’s. The food and customer service are first-rate, and its warm ambience makes it an excellent spot for a date night or celebrating a special occasion.
