Charleston Mac Off: Cherrywood Wins

Since 2009, restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina (one of the most competitive restaurant towns in America) have gotten together to compete on which restaurant cooked the best quintessentially southern dish, Mac and Cheese.  In its 7th year, Kiawah’s Cherrywood BBQ and Ale House only had one goal — win it all at the 2016 Charleston Mac Off!

Since the inception of the Charleston Mac Off, Crave Restaurant has won the Critic’s Choice Award for Best Macaroni & Cheese in Charleston. In 2011, Kiawah’s Cherrywood BBQ and Ale House entered the frey with Chef Jason Cote leading the team and winning the People’s Choice in 2014 and 2015.  This past weekend, chef Danny Coulter led the Cherrywood BBQ team into battle with over 20 Charleston restaurants at Patriot’s Point to compete for the title of Charleston’s Best Mac & Cheese.

As in years past, the Cherrywood team dished up its creamy, 4-cheese sauce with fresh basil and red pepper flakes, cavatappi mac.  And, for the third year in a row, Cherrywood was once again crowned People’s Choice ‘Best Mac & Cheese.’  But Chef Danny and his team had their sights on a bigger prize — Critic’s Choice.

We are proud to report that after six years of awarding Crave as Critic’s Choice (judged by area chefs and food writers), Chef Danny and the Cherrywood BBQ & Ale House team brought home the gold! Kiawah’s Cherrywood BBQ and Ale House won the coveted 2016 Critic’s Choice Award!  They now hold the People’s Choice and Critic’s Choice awards for the most southern of southern dishes — Mac and cheese — in the most southern of southern restaurant towns — Charleston, South Carolina.

So, next time you visit Kiawah’s Cherrywood BBQ and Ale House in the Osprey Point clubhouse, make sure you get a side of the AWARD WINNING Creamy 4-cheese sauce, cavatappi pasta, with fresh basil and red pepper flakes.  You won’t be disappointed!