Popular West Ashley restaurant now serving breakfast, brings back Saturday brunch
by Lorne Chambers | Editor
For 17 years, venerable West Ashley eatery The Glass Onion has been a model of consistency. Owner and executive chef Chris Stewart has tweaked a few things along the way, but for the most part, The Glass Onion has remained steadfast in its mission of delivering delicious Southern-style lunches and dinners utilizing quality ingredients and well-honed techniques. Now, Stewart and company have begun applying this same philosophy to what many consider the most important meal of the day. Starting late last month, The Glass Onion quietly began offering a thoughtfully-created breakfast menu during the week.
“We get here at 7 a.m. anyway. Why not open the door at 8 a.m. and do what we know how to do?” says Stewart, who, before opening The Glass Onion in 2008, worked at some of Charleston’s top restaurants, including Slightly North of Broad and FIG, where he worked as sous chef under James Beard winner Mike Lata.
The first day The Glass Onion opened for breakfast was Monday, Sept 23, so at the time of this interview, it was impossible for Stewart to pin down what the most popular items were. But some early odds on bets would have to go to the Farm Frittata, which is four eggs, butterbeans, arugula, and Goat Lady goat cheese; the French Toast served with pecans, maple syrup, and blueberries; and the massive Buttermilk-fried Chicken Biscuit with pimento cheese.
“Everybody does a biscuit with a 3-ounce piece of chicken,” says Stewart. “Since day one, we always served what we called “overstuffed sandwiches.” So when we wanted to add a chicken biscuit to the menu, we used the same chicken we do on the regular sandwich, which is frequently one of our most popular items. It’s a 7 or 8-ounce breast.”
Other notable breakfast fare, includes everything from The Glass Onions famous Shrimp & Grits to a surprisingly delicious Granola Parfait, which includes Greek yogurt, honey, fruit, and homemade granola.
In addition to the launch of the new breakfast menu, The Glass Onion also brought back its wildly popular Saturday Brunch, which was a West Ashley favorite for 12 years. When Covid hit, Stewart says they had to change a few things, and sadly, Brunch was put on the chopping block. But now, it’s back by popular demand.
“I think the reason we’ve been in business for 17 years is we keep a pretty high standard in everything we do,” says Stewart, an Alabama native whose grandmother ran a small “meat and three” restaurant in Birmingham, learned the importance of using fresh, local produce. His grandparents had a massive garden filled with southern staples like corn, butterbeans, green beans, okra, turnip greens, tomatoes, watermelon, and more. He learned from his grandmother how to make her signature dishes, often during Sunday Supper—dishes like country-fried steak, fried chicken, cornbread, deviled eggs, pies, and cobblers—all items you see frequently served at The Glass Onion.
The Glass Onion is now open for breakfast from 8-11 a.m, Monday through Friday and for brunch every Saturday. It’s located at 1219 Savannah Hwy. For more information, call (843) 225-1717 or visit www.ilovetheglassonion.com.
