The Pump House

The Pump House reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. JC

   JCHKCH1

   Charlotte1 review

   3.0

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Sitting on the balcony was preferred by several in my party, but the noise level was high. Also on this and several recent occasions the service from our main server was a bit sluggish, with the server not checking on our table quite as much as necessary to refill beverages, etc. The overall experince remains good.
   

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2. Q

   Qui Irby

   Charleston16 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This was great ! We met for a quick family brunch and it exceeded all of our expectations. This restaurant has always been good but the menu has exceeded past experiences. The food was exceptional!!! The shrimp and sausage omelette was amazing!!! We will be back soon
   

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3. N

   Nicole

   San Francisco2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   So glad we dined here!! The food was amazing and great value for money. The service was excellent, our server Jade was very organized and courteous. She delt with our table of 11 like it was easy. Bottomless mimosas were never empty and the kids were treated so well. I 100% would come back! Thank you again Jade for such a great start to the day!!!
   

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4. J

   John VIP

   Chicago23 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The ribeyes were so dense and chewy, didn’t seem to have any marbling at all. Just an outer layer of tough gristle. We actually wondered later if maybe they gave us a NY strip on accident, and maybe we didn’t notice when we dug in because it was under so many onion straws. Very disappointing. (The onion straws were good!) The cornbread starter was very good. Normally we add soups and salads and desserts but we held back, because we’d been disappointed in the past. Our waiter was attentive and friendly. Even upscale restaurants should (and usually do) have a proper burger on their menu. We’ve eaten here twice - love the building, and the ambiance and the river-side location - but two times not liking our food. We eat out a lot, and would really love to enjoy the food here
   

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5. B

   Brandon J.

   Charlotte1 review

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great food and great atmosphere. We were easily accommodated and service was extremely quick but the food did not lack in taste.
   

   The Pump HouseResponded 4 days ago

   Thank you for the great review! We appreciate the feedback, and look forward to seeing you again soon. Sincerely, Pump House Management
   

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6. B

   Brian

   Charleston1 review

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   It was our first visit to The Pump House and it proved to be an excellent choice. Our server was excellent and the food was very good. It's a roomy and comfortable setting and dinner on the patio overlooking the river was nice. I loved the uniqueness of the historic building.
   

   The Pump HouseResponded 4 days ago

   Thank you for the great review! We appreciate the feedback, and look forward to seeing you again soon. Sincerely, Pump House Management
   

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7. AH

   AlyH

   Charlotte7 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 22, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We were seated outside at a corner table with a beautiful view of the river. Food was excellent! Wine was delicious. Thank you!
   

   The Pump HouseResponded 5 days ago

   Thank you for the great review! We appreciate the feedback, and look forward to seeing you again soon. Sincerely, Pump House Management
   

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8. T

   Troy

   Charlotte1 review

   5.0

   Dined on March 22, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Great experience again. Sat on the 5th floor great view but louder with the bar area. 4th floor suggestion for a more intimate dinner. Food was great. Scallops and salmon were a new try this time. Peach cobbler and chocolate lava cake are a must try.
   

   The Pump HouseResponded 4 days ago

   Thank you for the great review! We appreciate the feedback, and look forward to seeing you again soon. Sincerely, Pump House Management
   

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9. JP

   JaneP

   San Francisco7 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 22, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food was delicious and the service was excellent
   

   The Pump HouseResponded 5 days ago

   Thank you for the great review! We appreciate the feedback, and look forward to seeing you again soon. Sincerely, Pump House Management
   

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10. T

    Tim

    Charlotte6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on March 21, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5

    Ambiance and service, great as always. Cocktails were great, cornbread is great. But a rare miss on most of the food. We’ve dined here quite a bit in the last 5 years, and this dinner was definitely sub-par. Fried okra was fine, we prefer it sliced lengthwise as they’ve done in the past. Does it change the flavor? No. But a basket of okra fries feels more upscale than a bowl of sliced fried okra. Yes, it was fresh okra. Yes, it was hot and good. It’s just the unceremonious pile of sliced okra in a bowl. Felt like I was at a meat and 3. But that’s a small complaint. The ribeye was…not stellar. I’ve started ordering medium, because usually mid-rare results in a rare steak (not necessarily at PH, just in general) and ribeyes eat better towards medium. My steak was on the far side of mid well. Very gray with a small hint of pink in the middle. It was tough, yet the fat cap hadn’t rendered and was chewy. Sauce was fine, mashed was fine if lacking salt, but the “Tabasco fried onions” were just fried onions. No hint of any Tabasco flavor, spice, etc. But, they were a garnish so no big deal. My better half 99% of the time gets scallops, as she did this time. They were very, very overcooked, and she prefers her seafood overcooked in general. But this was even too much for her. Solid white and tough all the way through, not translucent and soft on the inside. Very dry. They appeared smaller than in dinners past, and she only got 4. I seem to remember getting 5. The risotto was…odd. There was a mix of what tasted good, and then some very al dente rice grains mixed in. We aren’t complainers, and the food was definitely edible. But there was some sadness, as PH has been an absolute banger for us every other time we’ve been. We hope this was just an off night. It happens, but it shouldn’t be frequent. And this was on a Friday evening. We will absolutely return, and hope the gremlins have disappeared.
    

    The Pump HouseResponded 4 days ago

    Thank you for taking the time to write a review. Sounds like we had some opportunities for improvement. We apologize that our food this visit was not up to the standard that you are used to from us. We appreciate your feedback and will use it to coach our staff to make sure we do not drop the ball like this for anyone else, or for any of your future visits. Please feel free to reach back out to us, we would love to hear more about your experience whenever you have time! Sincerely, Pump House Management
    

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