Husk

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Landmark of Modern Southern Cooking

When Husk opened its doors in 2011 inside a restored two-story Victorian on Queen Street, it arrived with a clear conviction: that Southern American cuisine, rooted in local ingredients and long-standing food traditions, deserved the same serious attention as any great regional cooking in the world. Bon Appétit named it the country's Best New Restaurant that same year. More than a decade later, the recognition has only deepened — Michelin Guide Recommended, ranked #15 on Robb Report's 100 Greatest American Restaurants, and holder of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — yet the restaurant's purpose has remained consistent.

The Philosophy Behind the Plate

Husk's approach begins with an uncommonly direct commitment to provenance. The culinary team works with a carefully assembled network of local farmers and purveyors — among them Keegan-Filion Farms in Walterboro, Storey Farms on Johns Island, and Crosby Seafood right in Charleston — to build menus from the region's seasonal bounty. Heirloom grains, aged country ham, and the produce of South Carolina's coastal plain form the foundation. Subtle global influences are layered in not to obscure Southern flavors but to reflect what the restaurant calls "the modern American South — its people and its palate."

The Team

Executive Chef Rick Ohlemacher grew up in Columbus, Ohio, with his earliest food memories rooted in his grandparents' garden and Sunday family meals. He cooked in Chicago's Michelin-starred GreenRiver before relocating to Charleston and joining Husk in 2022, eventually stepping into the executive chef role. His focus is on collaboration, mentorship, and sourcing the best Southern ingredients available — values that run through the entire kitchen.

General Manager Megan Schneeberger, promoted to the role in 2026, came up through Husk as Sommelier and Wine Director before becoming Assistant General Manager. Her wine program champions ethically sourced and sustainably farmed producers, and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence the restaurant holds is a direct reflection of that careful, principled curation.

The group itself was founded by David Howard, a James Beard Awards Semi-Finalist for Outstanding Restaurateur, who built The Neighborhood Dining Group on principles he literally handwrote in 1991 — respect, integrity, and genuine investment in staff well-being.

The Bar & Patio

Adjacent to the main house, the nineteenth-century kitchen house holds Husk's Bar & Patio, a space with its own distinct identity. An extensive collection of bourbons and traditional Southern spirits anchors a beverage program that moves between historic and modern cocktails, treating Charleston's drinking traditions with the same seriousness the kitchen brings to its food. The bar operates on a first-come, first-served basis and doubles as a private event space, accommodating everything from cocktail receptions to full buyouts with family-style menus and custom beverage selections overseen by the house Sommelier and Spirits Director.

Equal Parts Local Haunt and Destination

Husk describes itself as "equal parts neighborhood gathering place for locals and bucket list dining destination for travelers," and that balance is palpable. The setting — historic downtown Charleston, a Victorian house, a kitchen house patio — gives the space a sense of place that no amount of design could manufacture. The Southern American cooking here is not nostalgic performance; it is a living, evolving practice, grounded in the land and the people around it.