Word on the street
What locals are saying
Local 616 ran for twelve years as one of the peninsula's most genuinely unpretentious bars — a dive in the best sense, where sports scarves from Sweden to South America lined the walls near the pool table and the cocktail list leaned on locally-brewed ginger beer. Owner Dwayne Mitchell, a 27-year veteran of Charleston's food and beverage scene, closed it in February 2025 after liquor liability insurance costs became untenable — a creeping crisis hitting independent bars hard across South Carolina. The space didn't stay dark: it pivoted to Meeting at 616, an events venue where alcohol is served rather than sold, sidestepping the insurance trap while keeping the room alive for private parties, live music, and community gatherings.
closed Feb 2025 after 12 yearsliquor liability insurance killed itserious soccer bar — international scarf collectionlocally-brewed ginger beer cocktailsneighborhood-first, genuinely inclusive crowdreborn as Meeting at 616 events space
In the feed
