Hey, Bartender!
Four years ago, a little outdoor taco joint opened up across the street from Bert’s Market. With homemade tortillas, a small-but-good beer selection at its tiny hand-built bar, and its dangerously close walking distance from my house, I became a rather frequent patron. That’s how I got to know owner Hank Weed and his cousin/bartender Charlie Neely.
Fast forward to present day, and Chico Feo has built onto its bar and seating area, its food and drink menus (where else can you get curried goat?), and has exponentially grown its dedicated following among locals and visitors alike.
One thing that thankfully hasn’t changed is the presence of Neely behind the bar, serving up a quick smile and a dry wit that is as integral to Chico’s ambiance as Ladypants the cat. Ladypants refused to let me interview her, so I sat down with Charlie instead.
FOLLY CURRENT: How did you find your way to Folly Beach?
CHARLIE NEELY: I was born and raised in Annapolis, MD. I moved down here 8 years ago. Hank was already down here, and I had a couple of buddies living in Mariner’s Cay, so I crashed on their couch for a month before moving downtown and working at the Vendue Inn as food and beverage director. I started working here as soon as it opened, and officially moved to the island two years ago.
FC: What is your favorite thing about the island?
CN: I love the community out here, everyone looks out for one another. You just don’t find that in too many places any more.
FC: What is the most interesting thing you’ve witnessed as a bartender at Chico Feo? (The craziest story he told me is unfortunately not suitable for print, so I will let you ask him on your own and proceed with the runner-ups).
CN: There are so many, like the one time we had a music act where the front-man punched the drummer in the face, or when the lady from NASA was here working on her research paper studying the effects of space flight on the brain, or just last night getting hailed on at 2 in the morning!
FC: If there was a taco called “The Charlie”, what would it consist of?
CN: It would be the rarest of tacos, made from the finest California Condor. Served with ketchup.
FC: What is one thing your neighbors would be surprised to know about you?
CN: That I’ve been filming them for years. Just kidding (or is he?). Well, I was on the men’s national lacrosse team for a year in the ’90s and we traveled to the UK to play. Also, I once went on a white-water rafting trip and almost died after falling out of the raft and ping-ponging my way across rocks down the river. Oh, and I’m an avid fly-fisherman and make my own lures. Not too many people know that my middle name is Batcheller. Or that I make sea salt. And that I once had a quack doctor tell me I needed a heart transplant. I got a second opinion.
You can visit Charlie and his original heart at Chico Feo at 122 East Ashley Avenue, open daily until 2am.
Writer Miranda Jordan is a guidance counselor, musician, and freelance writer. To reach her, you can email her at mirandaalicejordan@gmail.com.
