PoPville » Sweet Charleston’s Coming to 1348 H St, NE

Sweet Charleston’s Coming to 1348 H St, NE

Photo of 1348 H St, NE via evolvedc

Evolve’s facebook page announces (via Frozen Tropics):

“The deal is done! The owners of Evolve, LLC and Carolina Kitchen bring you SWEET CHARLESTON’S opening at 1348 H Street NE in 2012!!!”

Carolina Kitchen is located in Hyattsville, MD. Their Web site says:

“The Carolina Kitchen is the most amazing and popular southern cuisine restaurant group; it has a unique charm that appeals to everyone. From the moment one enters, they are transported to another world designed to stimulate the soul and indulge the senses. It was created to offer its guest taste buds an amazing journey through the South. Using only the freshest ingredients to our menu, we combine unique blends of Cajun and Creole spices with traditional and savory home-style cooking.”

You can see their menu here.

Anyone ever check them out?

Category: Coming and Going, H St. NE, Restaurants

By: Prince Of Petworth | 02 August 2011 4:30 PM | 38 Comments

textdoc

I hope their food is good, because the grammar of that excerpt from the Carolina Kitchen website does not inspire confidence. Yeesh.

August 2, 2011 at 4:37 pm
- Anonymous
  
  Great point! Because I never step foot into a restaurant unless they can prove their wordsmith abilities, and have college certificates on the wall.
  
  August 2, 2011 at 10:55 pm
  - Grand Funk
    
    Ha
    
    August 3, 2011 at 8:21 am
- Anonymous
  
  i would never hire a a plumber if he is unable to sing well.
  
  August 3, 2011 at 7:01 am
SF

I did not see this coming. I thought the latest idea was for a Tryst-style coffee house… oh well. Another week, another new restaurant on H Street.

BTW, what is up with the facade? Those blue stripes do not scream ‘Soul Food’.

August 2, 2011 at 4:42 pm
- Anonymous
  
  while, sadly, not every place can be like barrel house liquors, i think the building remodel was designed before the tenant was chosen.
  
  August 3, 2011 at 7:02 am
alkebulan

I love Carolina Kitchen. I frequent the one in Largo. I can’t wait for this place to open up! Great Southern cuisine and soul food.

August 2, 2011 at 4:43 pm
Elle

H Street needs more retail, less food. : (

August 2, 2011 at 4:46 pm
- dcwunderlust
  
  People say the same thing about Adams Morgan.
  And if there is one thing this blogs’ reader comments teach us it’s that Adams Morgan is everyone’s favorite and it is without problems. … That and maybe that cyclists are a divisive issue.
  
  August 2, 2011 at 5:02 pm
- anon
  
  They should open a Walmart there.
  
  August 2, 2011 at 5:19 pm
- H Street Landlord
  
  Sure H could use more, but we’ve got:
  
  1 grocery store
  
  10+ (?) clothing/shoe stores
  
  multiple convenience stores
  
  multiple drug stores
  
  multiple grocery stores (Safeway @ Starburst, HT @ NY Ave metro, Murrays, Aldis coming soon, Giant coming soon)
  
  pet store
  
  florist
  
  video game store
  
  what else do you want?
  
  August 2, 2011 at 5:24 pm
  - H Street Landlord
    
    Oops first one should’ve said “one hardware store.”
    
    August 2, 2011 at 5:29 pm
  - Elle
    
    Are there really 10 clothing/shoe stores? That is surprising to me, and perhaps part of the problem. They need to make themselves more memorable.
    
    Also, I’m talking mostly right on the strip — H Street itself, not the Atlas neighborhood. I guess I’d like to see, I dunno, a (used) bookstore? Maybe a stationary shop (like papersource, but not that terrible). Perhaps unfairly, I’m thinking of either Damen, Division or Milwaukee in Chicago as a model. The retail currently in place doesn’t encourage window shopping or otherwise wandering along the street. There’s nothing unique — no places where I would stop in to, say, buy a gift for someone (other than a really awesome bouquet).
    
    August 2, 2011 at 5:32 pm
    - Elle
      
      Other ideas, now that they’re flowing a bit: (homemade or otherwise small-scale?) soaps and bath products, local clothing designers, fair trade gift store, small produce stand, bicycle shop, kitchen store, toy store, furniture (used, new, refurbished)…
      
      August 2, 2011 at 5:38 pm
      - Stan
        
        Bicycle shop +1
        
        August 3, 2011 at 8:40 am
    - H Street Landlord
      
      I agree with what you said re: desirability of current retail.
      
      But let’s be honest, who is going to drop 500k or a million to a open a new bookstore or a stationary shop. They are failing all across the country.
      
      August 2, 2011 at 6:59 pm
    - just you
      
      Paper Source is terrible? here i thought it was a nice store. why is it terrible to you?
      
      August 3, 2011 at 6:56 am
  - Rayful Edmond
    
    A gym.
    
    August 2, 2011 at 5:34 pm
  - dt
    
    How about… a store that is open after 5 or on weekends?? I have never seen most of those retail stores, as they are nothing but steel shutters whenever I’m home. A store that’s only open when most people are in the office is pretty pointless, don’t you think?
    
    August 3, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Well then

Well then, why don’t you open a store?

August 2, 2011 at 4:49 pm
- Elle
  
  I would! If I had any retail sense, financial sense or other attribute for shop-keeping. But a sustainable business corridor should have both, and as of right now, non-comestible retail is in short supply…
  
  August 2, 2011 at 5:05 pm
anon

Can’t wait for this…sounds like what TruOrleans tried to do, but it’ll be done well.

August 2, 2011 at 4:56 pm
Anonymous

Let’s hope the quality of the restaurant can overcome Evolve’s disfunctional management. It will be no small task, I’m sure. Evolve is a disaster.

August 2, 2011 at 5:04 pm
aaron-anonymous

Carolina Kitchen’s food is amazing. They used to be located in downtown Silver Spring across from the discovery building, before their building caught on fire due to an electrical problem in the adjacent building. I’ve been to the one is Largo, not as good, but still above average creole cuisine. Hope this restaurant delivers on the goods! Will definitely check it out.

August 2, 2011 at 5:16 pm
- ET
  
  No offense but this if this is a southern cuisine place then it isn’t Creole cuisine.
  
  August 3, 2011 at 9:49 am
Just a thought...

do these people realize the streetcars are never coming?

August 2, 2011 at 7:17 pm
- Anonymous
  
  it doesn’t really matter either way.
  
  ( but no )
  
  August 2, 2011 at 9:39 pm
positive vibration

no walmart, we don’t n eeddd a walmart or target

August 2, 2011 at 7:52 pm
just me

Is it my imagination or does a new restaurant/bar open on H street approximately every three weeks? Unbelievable the momentum on a street thats pretty much only served by the X2. When will it be GA avenues turn??

August 2, 2011 at 9:08 pm
- just you
  
  your sense of what serves h street is a bit off. maybe it’s your understanding of the geography and demographics.
  let’s take bus service. yes, the x2 serves H street from downtown. but the 90 bus is also one of the city’s busiest bus lines ( x2 IS the busiest.) and connects woodley park to u street to h to barracks row to anacostia. a HUGE and very diverse swath of the city.
  
  also, tons of people drive, bike, walk and take the train.
  plus there is a university nearby.
  and its the coolest strip around for both SE and NE dc.
  it’s a long strip, but definitely still one neighborhood, so one way of marketing it.
  
  georgia doesn’t have the same advantages.
  
  August 2, 2011 at 9:38 pm
  - Anonymous
    
    Agree with everything you said, tho the X2 isn’t in the busiest bus line in the city. That honor goes to the 90s, followed by the 50s and the S-series. As of May 2010, the X2 ranked 8th in average weekday ridership, just behind the A2-8, A42-48 series.
    
    Stats obtained on Page 15 of this WMATA PDF:
    
    http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/docs/2010_Media_Guide.pdf
    
    August 2, 2011 at 10:17 pm
    - just you
      
      i apologize for my incorrect facts. thanks for the correct info!
      
      August 3, 2011 at 6:52 am
shark

Yep. The X2 has about 11,000 riders a day but some of the H street restaurants and ANC 6A asked DDOT not to replace the bus stops after the street construction was finished. The bus stops are gone in the 1200 and 1300 blocks of H, and those are some long blocks to walk in this heat.

August 3, 2011 at 4:20 am
- Anonymous
  
  is that to gain mor parking spaces? or just to avoid having the bus taking masses congregate in front?
  
  August 3, 2011 at 7:05 am
Nikki

Carolina Kitchen is nauseating. It’s absolutely what Northerners think Southern soul food is – lard soaked, sugar crusted crap. I swear they sugared my meatloaf.

August 3, 2011 at 10:04 am
dubali

The food at Carolina Kitchen is pretty good. I visit the one in Hyattsville on the regular. As a native southerner, gotta have my southern food fix. Went to Largo a couple of times and food was never as good as Hyattsville. Anyhoos, hope H Street will be good. Real as well as good southern cooking is very difficult to get around these parts.

August 3, 2011 at 3:40 pm
Joi

I love the Carolina Kitchen!! Food is awesome and service is great. I’m from Charlotte and a tough critic of Southern cuisine. But my my my I have never been disappointed! Love the grilled salmon, blackened catfish, BBQ Ribs, collards & the meatloaf was amazing…. Yummy yummy

September 15, 2011 at 10:02 pm
Chris

If Sweet Charlestons resembles anything of Carolina Kitchen I welcome them with open arms! The Hyattsville location is gorgeous and the southern cuisine is delicious. Welcome Welcome Welcome!

September 15, 2011 at 10:18 pm