Bertha's Kitchen: Low-Country Cooking and Civil Rights History in Charleston

What Bertha's Kitchen Is and Why It Matters

Bertha's Kitchen is a small restaurant in downtown Charleston that serves low-country food—shrimp and grits, okra soup, fried chicken, collard greens—in a space that was a site of the civil rights movement. Bertha Elise Simmons opened the restaurant in 1946 at 135 East Bay Street, when segregation laws meant Black-owned businesses had to serve their own community. The restaurant became a gathering place for activists, organizers, and everyday people during the 1960s sit-ins that challenged segregation at lunch counters across Charleston. Today, Bertha's serves the same food in the same building, and the history is woven into the experience.

The restaurant is small—a handful of tables, a counter, a kitchen you can see from where you sit. The food is straightforward and made fresh. It is not a museum or a performance of history; it is a working restaurant that happens to have a story. Many visitors come because of that story. Some come because they grew up eating there. Most come for both reasons at once.

Key Takeaways

• Bertha's Kitchen serves traditional low-country dishes—shrimp and grits, okra soup, fried chicken, collard greens—made fresh daily in a small downtown Charleston space.
• The restaurant opened in 1946 and became a meeting place for civil rights activists during the 1960s sit-in movement in Charleston.
• The building itself is part of the story; the restaurant occupies the same location where organizing happened during segregation.
• Seating is limited and the space is intimate, so arriving early or calling ahead is practical, especially during lunch hours.
• The restaurant is closed Sundays and Mondays, and hours vary by season, so checking ahead before visiting prevents a wasted trip.

The Food and What to Order

The menu changes based on what is available and what Bertha's is cooking that day. Shrimp and grits—shrimp in a savory sauce over creamy grits—is a signature dish and usually available. Okra soup, a low-country staple made with okra, tomatoes, and sometimes sausage, appears regularly. Fried chicken, collard greens, mac and cheese, and cornbread are standard. The portions are generous. Prices are moderate for Charleston's downtown restaurant scene.

The kitchen is visible from the dining area, and the pace is unhurried. Food takes time because it is cooked to order, not held under heat. This is not fast casual; it is a place where you sit and wait and watch. That slowness is part of what makes it feel different from most restaurants. You are not being moved through; you are being fed.

Bertha's does not take reservations, so timing matters. Lunch (typically 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) draws a steady crowd. Dinner (typically 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.) is quieter. Arriving at off-peak times—mid-afternoon or early evening—means shorter waits. Calling ahead to ask what is being cooked that day is useful; some dishes are not available every day.

The Civil Rights History and Why It Happened Here

In the early 1960s, Charleston's lunch counters were segregated by law. Black customers could not sit at the same counter as white customers. In 1960, students from the College of Charleston and other young people began sit-ins at downtown lunch counters, including at Woolworth's on King Street. These sit-ins were peaceful; protesters sat at segregated counters and refused to leave when told to. They were arrested, beaten, and jailed. The sit-ins lasted months and drew national attention.

Bertha's Kitchen, as a Black-owned restaurant, was a place where organizers could meet freely, where strategy could be discussed, and where people could gather without the threat of arrest for sitting in the wrong place. The restaurant was not a protest site itself; it was a sanctuary and a headquarters. The building at 135 East Bay Street became known as a center of organizing activity. That history is why the restaurant matters beyond the food, though the food matters too.

The sit-ins eventually contributed to the desegregation of Charleston's public accommodations. The change did not come quickly or easily, but it came. Bertha's Kitchen remained open through all of it and remains open now, still serving the same neighborhood, still in the same building.

How to Find It and What to Expect When You Arrive

Bertha's Kitchen is located at 135 East Bay Street in downtown Charleston, near the waterfront and the historic district. Parking on East Bay Street is metered and limited; nearby parking garages and lots are available a short walk away. The restaurant itself is small and easy to miss if you are not looking for it—no large sign, no storefront display. The entrance is modest.

Inside, the space is tight. A few tables, a counter with stools, a kitchen visible behind or beside the counter depending on where you sit. The walls may have photographs or information about the restaurant's history; this varies. The atmosphere is casual and unpretentious. You order at the counter or from a server, pay when you order or when you leave depending on the day, and sit at whatever table or counter space is available.

The restaurant is closed Sundays and Mondays. Tuesday through Saturday hours are typically 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner, but these hours shift seasonally and can change. Calling 843-722-7017 before you go confirms that the restaurant is open and asks what is being served that day. This is especially useful if you are traveling from outside Charleston or have a specific dish in mind.

Why Bertha's Matters Beyond the Meal

Many restaurants in Charleston market themselves as historic or as part of the city's story. Bertha's Kitchen is historic because it was there when history happened, not because it was built to commemorate history. The restaurant did not open as a civil rights museum or a heritage site. It opened as a place to eat. The activism happened around it and through it because that is what the community needed at the time.

Visiting Bertha's means eating food that has been cooked in the same place for decades, in a space where real people made real decisions about justice and risk. It means understanding that civil rights history is not separate from everyday life—it happened in kitchens and at lunch counters and in the spaces where people gathered to eat and talk. The food is good. The history is real. Both are worth the trip.

Nearby Places to Visit in the Same Area

East Bay Street and the surrounding historic district have other sites connected to Charleston's civil rights history and its broader past. The Aiken-Rhett House, a few blocks away, is a preserved antebellum home with slave quarters. The Old Slave Mart Museum, also nearby, documents the history of the slave trade in Charleston. The waterfront itself has walking paths and views of the harbor and Fort Sumter.

For dining and shopping, King Street (one block west) has restaurants, galleries, and shops ranging from casual to upscale. The City Market, a few blocks north, is an open-air market with vendors, restaurants, and galleries. None of these are required to make a visit to Bertha's worthwhile, but they are there if you want to spend more time in the neighborhood.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to make a reservation at Bertha's Kitchen?

No. Bertha's does not take reservations. You arrive, wait if there is a line, and sit when a table opens. Calling ahead to confirm the restaurant is open and to ask what is being cooked that day is useful, but you cannot reserve a table in advance.

What if I have dietary restrictions or allergies?

Tell your server or the person taking your order about any allergies or dietary needs. The kitchen is small and visible, so you can see who is cooking and ask questions directly. The menu is traditional low-country food, which is meat and vegetable-based; vegetarian options may be limited depending on the day.

Is Bertha's Kitchen expensive?

No. Prices are moderate for downtown Charleston. Most entrees cost between $10 and $20. The portions are large. It is affordable compared to most restaurants in the historic district and waterfront area.

Can I learn more about the civil rights history while I'm there?

The restaurant itself may have photographs or written information about its history on the walls, but it is not a formal museum or guided tour. If you want detailed information about the Charleston sit-ins and the broader civil rights movement in the city, the nearby Old Slave Mart Museum and other heritage sites offer more structured historical context.

What time should I go to avoid a long wait?

Mid-afternoon (around 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.) or early evening (around 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.) are typically quieter than peak lunch (11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) or dinner (7 p.m. to 8 p.m.). Arriving early in the day or calling ahead to ask about current wait times helps you plan.