At the corner of Blanding Street and Main Street, Hendrix is fusing a rooftop club atmosphere with an ethically sourced kitchen, according to its website. Hendrix’s dining area offers customers good service and food without “stuffy white tablecloth service."
"I want to serve that type of food and give that level of service but do it in a relaxed way so that you don't feel, you know, overwhelmed with it or intimidated,” general manager Wade Penland said.
Meanwhile, the outdoor bar area is a place for patrons to relax with live music playing or other forms of entertainment while overlooking Main Street.
“I had actually a magician come in one time and just play around with some people on the rooftop during happy hour. That was kind of fun,” Penland said.
The rooftop bar offers guests a "clubby" and late-night feeling once a weekend to top off the views, Penland said. While every night offers a different view from the elevated restaurant, its menu offers diversity as well.
Hendrix’s menu is changed two to three times a week, usually by beverage director Sebastian Griffin and head chef Frank Bradly, who work with local farms to get all of the restaurant's ingredients fresh.
Hendrix is currently transitioning to its spring menu.
“We’re going to get into tomatoes," Penland said. "They’re obviously going to be something that's huge for us. Whatever we do with those is going to sell really well 'cause it's South Carolina, and people love tomatoes.”
Summer also means Carolina red shrimp, which Hendrix gets out of Charelston from its Abundant Seafood supplier.
"It's really about the ingredients, so [Abundant Seafood] pulls up fantastic product out of the water down there in Charleston,” Penland said.
Right now, Hendrix offers brussels sprouts as one of its appetizers, and possible entrees include a mushroom shimeji burger, but those might not be on the menu for much longer.
According to beverage director Sebastian Griffin, some items are too popular on the menu to take off.
“My signature cocktail is this espresso old fashion. It's one I've literally had on since the first cocktail menu, and I can't take if off just because we have so many people come in, and they just get it.”
The Indah Old Fashioned cocktail isn't the only "old" thing worth cherishing about Hendrix.
Hendrix opened in 2019, but the history of the building goes back farther than that. The name Hendrix comes from a family grocery store from the 1900s that operated in the building.
“We wanted to kind of harken back to that, if you will," Penland said. "We use local products here; we try and stay as true to Colombia and South Carolina as we can."
The staff is a close-knit group.
“We have an amazing team," Griffin said. "I've worked in a lot of places where everyone is friendly with each other, but when we hang out with each other outside of work just about every single day."
According to Alex Robinson, front of house manager, "this is definitely the best of the best."
"We hold ourselves to a higher standard, I feel like," Robinson said. "We're all big family. Privately owned, so we don't have to worry about corporate ladders and whatnot."
Located at 1649 Main St., Hendrix is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 4 p.m. until close, which depends on how busy it is on a given night.