Parlor Deluxe

I loved it and I didn’t even have the tots everyone is raving about. I had the hot dog with the Red Clay Buffalo Sauce and the Clemson Blue Cheese and it was SPECTACULAR. Loved the setting, and desert was amazing as well. My wife had a veggie dog which she said was fantastic and the total for two dogs and a drink was right at $ 20. Not bad when you take into account that they were mostly local, quality ingredients. We will definitely be back!

We were driving through Charleston and looking for ice cream so we stopped at parlor deluxe. We ended up trying all of their hotdogs, icecream and of course tots. Everything was delicious, can’t tell you which hotdog I liked the most. The staff were really friendly too. I will definitely stop by again

perfect snack food joint!

As Meg T said in her review, I’ve been following this place for awhile on Instagram and have been drooling over all the amazing pictures. My husband and I split the Huevos Ranchero Waffle and the Poutine Tots.
I lived in Canada for a year so I already had a vision of what I thought the Poutine Tots should be and while it’s not what I think of as poutine, it was pretty delicious. The Huevos Ranchero Waffle was okay. I never would’ve thought to make a waffle like that so props for the creativity.
I definitely want to go back to try more things (and eat more poutine tots). If you haven’t been yet, their new spring menu just came out so be sure to check that out!

We stopped in since it has been on my «list» to try for a while now, and Xiao Bao had a pretty long wait. I called to see if they had any seating for two or what the wait was like and the woman who answered the phone wasn’t very welcoming, not even saying her name. When we arrived it must have been the same woman at the register because she wasn’t very warm.
$ 40 later I had a sub par root beer float, hot dog and some sort of sandwich. My husband and I shared everything and the tots were the best thing on the menu, but even those were just ok. The hot dog was super thin compared to all of the toppings as others have mentioned.
I feel bad writing this because I was really hoping to have found a neat new place and their marketing and branding were so neat, but sadly we will not be returning.

You know how they say size doesn’t matter? Wellll… with these wieners, it does. The flavors were good but the meat was just so skinny, it slipped out of the bun every time I tried to sink my teeth into it. I ended up having to fork and knife it, which is just weird for a hot dog. My friend had the same problem. We’re not being unreasonable, we just need more meat to be satisfied. I also think it’s a bit over priced for the slim Jim that it is.
The poutine tots were tasty; two of us couldnt finish a whole order though. Ice cream is a-​ok.
I love the décor and branding, it’s awesome! And to be clear, nothing tastes bad. I just prefer the dogs at closed for businesses and sweet flavas at Jeni’s so I can’t see myself heading back to parlor D.

Erika W and I took our husbands on a double date last night to Parlor Deluxe. I have been following their Instagram account forever (drool!), but after reading the wide array of Unilocal reviews, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Oh, and thanks to a fellow Unilocaler for posting the menu on here… Parlor Deluxe’s website still says «coming early summer 2015» — whoops!
The restaurant itself was very small (6 table seats and 4 bar seats), but at 8:00 on a Tuesday night, we took over the couple of table seats with no problem. My husband and I ordered the Chinese 5 spice tots, Tropic Hunger dog (bacon bits, guava-​smoke honey mustard, crushed avocado, and pineapple-​jalapeño relish) and Royale with Cheese (pork chili, cheddar cheese whiz, (sans onions or mustard,) on a pretzel roll). Don’t forget the drinks — an egg cream for him and soda float for me (Cheerwine and brownie cheesecake ice cream — SO GOOD). I believe Erika and Chris got the Huevos Rancheros waffle and Poutine Tots.
Everything came out quickly and was delicious. Besides the Cheerwine float, my favorite was definitely the tots. They were just a bit spicy with sweet honey mustard for dipping. The prices were a bit high if you think of yourself as «just getting hot dogs,» but if you think of it as a dinner out (and we were very full afterwards), $ 33 is pretty good for two people! While Mike and I have a few other hot dog places we want to try before going back to Parlor Deluxe, we will definitely bring all hot dog-​loving visitors to this cute spot!

I stopped by because I had just run 8 miles earlier that AM and was craving a milkshake. A buddy of mine suggested Parlor Deluxe so we stopped by. Not only was my pistachio shake perfect, my hot dog was sensational! It’s not cheap though, and I was a bit skeptical about paying $ 8 – 9 for a hot dog. But after I finished it off, I understood why. Truly incredible dining experience for a hot dog and a shake. I’ll be back.
Fyi, that’s my Clemson blue cheese and Red Clay hot sauce dog in the pic!

I want to start off talking about the customer service before talking about the food itself. The customer service was below average. I was asking for suggestions of which hot dogs were popular. She wasn’t knowledgeable whatsoever. In addition, she was not friendly or welcoming.
The food itself was below average. The bun and the toppings were delicious. However, the sausage itself was very, very small and thin. The hotdog itself is deceiving because the sausage is hiding underneath the topping. Their tots were delicious. I don’t think it is worth the price though. I did not try their ice cream and waffles.
I won’t be coming here again. The price of all the food is not worth their quality of food.

First off, the concept is amazing. I’ve been trying to stop by here since it opened earlier last year.
I was finally able to get by there a couple of days ago. I went in by myself for lunch. I got the blue cheese hot dog. It was good. I’d go back, but most likely sample a different dog from the plethora of combinations they have to choose from.* A side note regarding the hot dog bun, then we will get to the true reason for writing this review. The bread, it just was neither soft or dense enough.* Now, for my second experience at Parlor Deluxe:
My fiancé’ and I stopped in for a waffle after a very lack-​luster experience at XBB. We were looking for something unique yet sweet. We attempted to decide between the ice cream waffle sandwich and the PB&J waffle. We finally came to a consensus and went with the ice cream waffle sandwich and it was just… well bad. Imagine this: a room temperature waffle dipped in chocolate, then frozen and sprinkled with peanut brittle and given two scoops of pumpkin ice cream on top, served open faced. I understand the concept, however; when it came to fruition it was quite an unfortunate mess. The creators attempted to mirror the construction of a traditional ice cream sandwich; however, rather than a thin crisp cookie exterior, a ¾″ inch thick frozen Belgium waffle was present. Needless to say the giant frozen waffle doesn’t just break into edible pieces like an ice cream sandwich cracker and the only utensils provided were a plastic fork and knife. While attempting to dismantle the gargantuan waffle sandwich I managed to catch a glimpse of my fork, only to realize in the midst of this aggravating dessert debacle a tine of my plastic fork had broken off was nowhere to be found. So I assume it is somewhere in my duodenum by now. I ended up throwing most of it away. It pained me to pay for it, but thankfully the pumpkin ice cream was delicious enough for me to keep my mouth shut until now.
On a side note, perhaps it was made wrong today. I can’t imagine a chef would sit down and be satisfied with the food being sent out in the state it was today.
I’m curious to know if this is how the dish was intended to be served or if today was a fluke. Maybe if a craving for a giant frozen waffle ice cream sandwich hits anytime soon, I will give Parlor Deluxe a reprieve.

Great place, awesome food, and excellent service. This place has all sorts of stuff, including a great selection of vegan options. My wife ordered the vegan horchata ice cream and I ordered the carrot dog lunch special. The owners are very nice people. Definitely worth a try if you are in Charleston!

«Would you go back there?», I ask.
«3, I would for the tots.»
So a-​ok it is! We had the sour cream tots and a lemon ice cream. The tots were awesome and not heavy with oil. The ice cream was creamy and flavorful. I wish I was more hungry to try a waffle.
Cool looking place but tiny! It feels like there’s a spotlight is on you if you’re the only one in there because the workers have nowhere to look at but at you. We felt silly having a personal conversation while eating. I have no idea how they’re going to make it through the winter being off the main strip and with such a niche menu. I will say — the décor is so well coordinated with black, white and mint green. Whoever’s behind the design — great job. Like other reviewers have said prices are high but you’re paying for the concept being original??? I’m glad I poked my head in here and maybe we’ll be back again.

I was definitely wowed when we walked in by the awesome retro décor (and the cooks with their full beards/​mustaches definitely completed the hipster look). Then I looked at the menu and I couldn’t believe we were going to pay so much for hot dogs. Truthfully, despite all the interesting toppings, I wasn’t overly wowed at the hot dog itself, but the flavors were interesting. My options were limited as I don’t eat spicy food and I ended up ordering the Royale with Cheese and hoping for the best that the chili wouldn’t make my hot dog inedible. We also ordered the poultine since we’d never had it before and maybe we just didn’t eat it fast enough because our tots were soggy and everything was SUPER salty.
We didn’t have time for dessert, but I’m willing to go back and give the waffles and ice cream a shot. The matchboxes with the logo are a nice touch, but maybe it’s time to update the website that still says coming Summer 2015?

What a fun and different place! I wasn’t prepared for the tricked-​hot dogs and tots, but they were a great surprise! I was especially thrilled when my child jumped at the chance to try the carrot dog. She loved it! We couldn’t resist the uncommon ice cream choices, which were made even better when they charred the marshmallow topping right in front of us. I jumped at the chance to get a coke float for the first time in years, and it was very possibly the best I’ve had. Can’t wait to go back for waffles!

Nutshell: Adorable place, crazy overdone hotdogs. Details: this is styled like a retro ice cream parlor complete with milkshakes and egg creams on the menu. Ordered some hot dogs and poutine. I suspect the variety of dog doesn’t matter. The all beef wieners were cooked to a crisp, not juicy at all. The buns were heavy and the toppings were super salty. The poutine is a concept new to charleston, so I get that people are enthused at the novelty but this is not at all traditional. And it wasn’t very good.
Service was nice, venue adorable. Put a $ 1 normal hot dog on the menu with some shoestring fries, and I’ll be back often.

One comes to Parlor Deluxe for fancied-​up versions of four childhood favorites– hot dogs, tator tots, waffles and ice cream. If you are looking for a simple dog with mustard and a vanilla cone– well Sonic is a better bet for you. But if you are a foodie looking for a unique diner-​style experience with flavor combinations you have never experienced before– well then you have to check this place out! The same owner and chef as Warehouse, located right next door on Spring Street, Parlor Deluxe has interiors unlike anywhere else in Charleston, with retro décor, black leather seating, a marble bar and a vibrant mint sign that catches your eye right when you walk in the door. The place begs for an Instagram no matter where you are looking. With only three small tables and around 6 spots at the bar, the place is designed more for grab-​and-​go than sit down, although when my friend and I went we snagged a table no problem.
I, being way too intrigued, ordered the Carrot «Not Dog», which was essentially a thick, slightly tender, slightly crunchy carrot served on a toasted lobster roll style bun with a bunch of really sinister toppings like mushroom «chili“and beer cheese sauce. This is more an option for people wanting to try something new as opposed to healthy– since by the time the carrot is added to buttered bread and doused in cheese sauce, you might as well just go for it and order one of the meat options. Like my friend did with «The Big Kahuna” — a hot dog with guava honey mustard, avocado, pineapple and jalapeño relish. I tried a few bites and in addition to the dog having that really good necessary snap from the casting, the best part in my opinion was the guava honey mustard, which also comes as a dipping sauce for the «Chinatown» Tator Tots I ordered. Dusted with a generous heaping of Chinese 5 spice, these tots were the best $ 5 I spent all week. My friend ordered the «Poutine» Tots, which are the most filling of the four options, served with cheese curds and gravy.
I can’t wait to come back and try some of their savory Waffles and Ice Cream– which also come with tons of unique topping combinations. The «Mi-​So Hangry» Waffle with miso butterscotch, pear, 5 spice whipped cream and curried nuts sounds and looks out of the world. Also any place with burnt marshmallow fluff and lemon poppy meringues as ice cream topping options has my vote. No sprinkles here. Oh wait they do have them for .50. But who would order those? Boring people– thats who!

Classically decorated modern soda fountain serving THE best tots in town!
I was anxious to visit this new place given all the hype that surrounded it’s opening. It did not disappoint. I loved the throwback style of this corner store.
They serve fancy hotdogs and tater tots. Not much else. Although they seemingly were happy to offer bite-​sized samples of their homemade ice cream, which I’d love to try a different day… I’m only allowing myself a few thousand calories per visit and I just couldn’t make it work this time!
Being a non-​red meat eater, I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t a non-​beef hot dog option other than the one vegetarian option on the menu, the Not Dog. But it was delicious! Large marinated carrots on sweet toast slathered in mushroom «chili»…it was very tasty! My friend got the «cheeky greeky,» and the roasted/​toasted chick peas were a crunchy surprise on top!
Now…let’s talk tots. Poutine. Shut up. These tots were steaming hot and CRUNCHY and perfect. I’m going back to try every other tot option on the menu. I have a sneaking suspicion they would be even more epic around 1am… but I doubt this place caters to the 1am crowd DT :-)
So, it was $ 24 for only these 3 menu items (tap water offered for self-​service), which is a little expensive for hot dogs and tater tots. But I have to remind you that these are NOT your everyday hot dogs and tater tots!
Chef Emily Hahn, one of our many local celebrity chefs (recently featured in Food and Wine Magazine) was actually the subject of a photo shoot during my late Tuesday afternoon visit, interestingly, and has gotten amazingly creative with her deluxe dogs. People are catching on to her.
In summary, PD is highly recommended… as I mentioned, I’ll have more feedback on the other tot flavors in the near future! Holding one star because I would love to see what Chef Emily could create with a non-​beef meat hot dog! Challenge extended!

it’s been a while that I’ve been inspired immediatly after eating some where.
I’m still kind of doubtful wether I’m positively inspired…
When entering Parlor Deluxe, you enter a small corner store restaurant. Not a lot of seating if you don’t sit at the bar. My guess is that they are focusing more on foot traffic than on dine-​ins.
When we entered, the «waitress» behind the register pointed out that the menus were at the door. So we took one and started scrolling what was on there. Something that kind was disturbing me the whole time was the very loud speaker in a small area. This made it hard to understand eachother, especially if there was another table of four students in the place as well. Any way, the music they played I really liked and it matched the interior which is 50’s Ice Cream Parlor (get it?).
Another thing that immediatly caught our eye were the ridiculous prices! Don’t expect to get a cheap lunch here. The dogs start at $ 8 and go till $ 10 for one. The side of Tots puts you away between $ 4-​$ 6. Not quiet sure if they are reaching the right demographic this way in the area.
We sat at the bar since we like the interaction while they are cooking and so we could ask them some questions. Unfortunately, both of the cooks (i guess owners) were prepping with their back to us. Since at this time we were the only people in the bar, it was a missed opportunity for them to connect. Also the waitress was standing in the corner at the register. I would advice them to wait table to make it a better experience for the customer. It’s a small place and you can easily run it with three people without really overstressing. It will enhance the whole experience even more. Maybe give the waitress a 50’s outfit?
Once we ordered, we almost didn’t had the chance to sit down or our food was already there. Which is good for a quick lunch. I ordered the Lil’ Kimchi dog and flavourwise, it blew me away! There were crispy pieces of shrimp, nuts and the koriander wasn’t that overpowering which I like a lot!
We shared a side of tots and these were perfect. Normally tots are pretty greasy but these are very light and fluffy. With the poutine stuffing on top, it was perfect to accompany the dog and made it a perfect filling lunch
Overall, I like the food. They are doing a good job. But, due to pricing and atmosphere, I don’t think they will see me any time soon again.

8 – 10 dollars for a Hot Dog! Are you kidding me? No I’m not, but oh my lord is it good! You have never tasted a dog like this. Not kidding, never in your wildest dreams would you think of a Dog like this. I cannot describe the taste but to say you be the judge. The root beer float was something else. Had a taste, with vanilla ice cream, like no other, just a total different slant. I don’t know what they use, but don’t stop. The store reminds me of the old fashion ice cream Pallors, and the 50s/​60s music fits the bill. people are great, even gave me a refill on my float. They will start lunch hours next week, can’t wait. I would give them 8 stars. A must, no kidding, you will go back, you will love the Parlor…
Frank G

A really great niche spot that fits in Charleston perfectly. It’s like a grown up Sonic– now classy, more delicious, but still hitting that late night craving. They offer tater tots, waffles, and hot dogs, but the kid food is all dressed up with carefully selected toppings that make them more delicious than you’ve ever imagined.
We shared the Poutine Tots and the Tres Lattes waffle and both were incredible. Also sampled a few of their unique ice cream flavors– the honey lemon olive oil and the chocolate fudge were delicious! We’ll definitely be back to try more!