Maybe you’ve seen it. Maybe you haven’t. But the former Sloppy Cow on James Island has gotten a bit of a makeover in the form of a fresh coat of paint. And there’s a good reason why: Rollin’ South Kitchen is set to open at 1023 Harborview Road in September, and if owner Josh Clayman gets his way, it will fulfill James Islanders’ need for a back-to-basics breakfast, lunch, and dinner diner throwback.
“I don’t want to offend anyone, but everything today is progressive, all crazy toppings and getting away from the basics,” says Clayman. With that in mind, the owner of Rollin’ South food truck and catering (and former GM of Folly and West Ashley Jack’s Cosmic Dogs) decided to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant focusing on his sweet spot, well made traditional eats.
“We’ll do a Southern diner breakfast like eggs and bacon, gravy biscuits, pancakes, and a local James Island favorite, fish and grits. That will be with fried flounder or whiting over creamy grits, with tomatoes and toast. That’ll be our staple,” Clayman says. Breakfast will be offered every day until at least noon, maybe later, the owner adds.
As for lunch and dinner, the menu will be the same with a variety of hot and cold sandwich baskets. Options will include house-cured corned beef; house-smoked pastrami; roast beef; flat-topped smashed burgers; ribeye cheesesteaks; Italian sandwiches with mortadella, capicola; egg and chicken salad; and a portobella sandwich on rosemary and sea salt focaccia bread, ranch, feta, fresh spinach, roasted red peppers, red onions, and feta cheese, to name a few. Clayman says basket prices will range from $5 to $9 and come with a sandwich, fresh fried chips, side, and a pickle.
“This isn’t light dainty stuff, no $15 croissants. It’ll be a fun mix of a deli sandwich-driven menu,” he says.
In the evening Clayman plans to offer blue plate specials that will rotate daily and change with the seasons. “Might be Monday flounder and Tuesday mahi or salmon or steak,” he says. Beer and wine will be offered too, with local beers on tap. And for a sugar fix, there will be a variety of sweets. “We’ll have pies or ice cream cakes, apple pies, monster Oreo pies, all made in-house or from local bakers,” says Clayman
The Citadel grad and James Island resident says his hope is to offer the island community a comfortable place to go for reasonably priced, traditional fare.
“James Island is a stubborn culture and tight-knit,” says Clayman. “But I’ve been on James Island for 15 years and consider myself a local. I’ve been getting a lot of calls from people on the island excited about what we’re doing. The word is out.”
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