There's a bright green mural on the brick facade. Inside, the vibe is eclectic, youthful, and a little unexpected.
But the ramen? That's the main character.
Bar Weems opened at 1921 Reynolds Ave. in December, and it's already turning heads in one of Charleston's most quietly exciting dining corridors.
The Origin Story
Owner Weems Pennington didn't go to culinary school. He didn't train under a Japanese master.
His girlfriend bought him a noodle-maker.
That's it. That's the origin story.
From there, Pennington — alongside girlfriend and general manager Sharon Brown — fell hard into Japanese cooking. Their research eventually took them to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka in 2025, eating their way through ramen shops and bringing those lessons home to North Charleston.
Five years of self-teaching. One life-changing trip. One really good bowl of noodles.
What's in the Bowl
Bar Weems offers four ramen styles: shoyu, shoyu lite, miso, and veggie. The first three are chicken broth-based. The vegetable option leans on fennel and shiitake mushrooms.
Beyond the bowls, the menu includes pork rice, wood ear mushrooms, korokke (a Japanese-style croquette), and karaage — fried boneless chicken thighs in three styles: classic, spicy, or dusted in "snow cheese," a dehydrated Parmesan-cheddar-sugar-salt powder that sounds completely unhinged and probably incredible.
The Bar Is Serious Too
Beverage director Jonathan Minor runs a cocktail program where every drink is named after an album.
The ingredients are just as creative — matcha-infused vodka, coconut oil fat-washed scotch, Earl Grey-infused rum. These aren't garnish-and-go drinks. They're built with intention.
A Neighborhood on the Rise
Bar Weems joins a growing cluster of solid spots in this stretch of North Charleston — King BBQ, the Burgundy Lounge at The Starlight Motor Inn, Herbert's Vintage & Coffee, and the forthcoming Maya Del Sol Kitchen all within walking distance.
Reynolds Avenue is quietly becoming a destination. Bar Weems just gave you another reason to go.
The Details
📍 1921 Reynolds Ave., North Charleston 🕔 Wednesday–Saturday, 5 p.m.–1 a.m. (food until 12:30 a.m.) 🌐 barweems.com
This is a summary of an article published in the Post & Courier. Click here if you'd like to read that article.
