News Article :: "So into Voodoo"

Publish Date :: 02.03.05
Author :: GEORGE GEORGAS
Publication :: The Post and Courier

So into Voodoo

BY GEORGE GEORGAS
Special to The Post and Courier

'When I walked into the room, there was voodoo in the vibes," begins that '70s classic by the Atlanta Rhythm Section. Similarly, when I walked into Voodoo, there was room enough for vibe.

The West Ashley establishment is a split-room, bi-hemispheric groovefest, with "the tiki room" on the right where the bar sits poised, long, and hockey-stick shaped.

To the left, partitioned by a thick, golden bamboo-papered wall is "the lounge," which represents the dining area, but can accommodate omnivorous social tastes.

The overall effect of this get-high hybrid with respect to the name, look, drink and food menu, is alternative tropical. As I told my friend, Sam, the other night, Voodoo is alternative without being brooding...

The good vibe began with the presentation of colors. That is, we walked in and instantly surveyed a world of sensuous, varied shades, along with other trappings of eclectic splendor: scenic couches, retro coffee tables, tiki artifacts, and other tropical relics. Saturday's bartender Mike Kulick, who doubles as co-owner and operator (along with Jen Rieck), was playing Cake as part of that evening's music mix.

"These are all good signs," I thought as my group ventured through the doorway to the larger lounge area. We noticed that all the very high-backed booths were taken, so we settled for a circle of table-centered chairs near the plate-glass window that faces Magnolia Street .

We began with two rounds of beer, and I noted that our premium drafts — I had a Paulaner and my friends Harpoon — were of average Charleston price ($3.75)

I decided to justify the coldness of these beers by ordering some hot appetizers: A barbecue duck taco and crawfish spring roll (about $7).These were really good, and jibed swimmingly with the much ballyhooed Voodoo cocktail ($18). This was served in a large volcano bowl and was comprised of four liquors: light and dark rums, bourbon and vodka. The grain-alcohol-imbued center of this very festive bowl is ignited by a staff member for effect...

I am trying these days not to be given to overstatement, but I think Voodoo is the coolest bar in West Ashley.

Its doors have been open for only two months but it has already cultivated a distinct identity in the area. My friend, Li, who sat with her boyfriend, opined: "It's a place we need, where people are either married or in love." She apparently spied lots of coupling going on, which wasn't the case on the more mellow Monday of my second visit. There were just singles on that night, but an attractive, inspired lot at that. Of course, their vivacity was deserved.

Rebecca played a nice shuffle of music — Morrissey, NWA, Portishead, Flaming Lips, Pink Martini, and Massive Attack...

The lounge ethic came and went in the late '90s and appears to be rearing its head again. If you aren't into that, Voodoo offers the more tropical tiki experience, what with its refreshing drinks (chi chi/ coconut kiss ($9/$11), and Singapore sling ($5) and vibrant music.

And I am so into that.

*content edited for space and to reflect current pricing