OCO CHANEL FAMOUSLY SAID, “FASHION CHANGES, BUT STYLE endures.” In the rush to bring trending culinary concepts to food-forward markets like Charleston, comings and goings are all too common. 39 Rue de Jean bucked the trends—enduring for more than two decades by staying true to the style and fundamentals of the classic Parisian brasserie. The brainchild of Michael Bennett’s Holy City Hospitality, “Rue” has become a local institution, delivering authentic French cuisine and Southern hospitality even as the city has grown and changed around it.
The new year marked a seminal milestone for the hospitality group—the 25th anniversary of Rue de Jean. The restaurant is celebrating a quarter century on John Street with special events throughout 2026, saying, “This is more than an anniversary—it’s a love letter to Charleston, our guests and the memories made around our tables.” Events will include monthly wine dinners, Fête de la Rue (April 2026), surprise complimentary bubbles and the much anticipated return of the daily lunch.
“Last night, I had the opportunity to do our first champagne toast,” notes Tony Cuajunco, Holy City Hospitality’s director of operations. “We stopped service for a few minutes to share our anniversary news, and on behalf of the Bennett family, I thanked that room full of people for coming in to Rue de Jean, and for being loyal to our restaurant.”
Of course, the main event at Rue is the menu, expertly executed by executive chef Letha McClary. But before the coq au vin arrives or you’ve tasted your shrimp Provençal, seared scallops or foie gras, you realize you’re in for something special. The Rue de Jean magic begins at the threshold. Every detail—from the organic art nouveau flourishes in the entryway to La Belle Époque-style posters on exposed brick walls and rich, dark woods—was planned to closely follow the design of the original brasseries.
“The team used Balthazar in New York City as a model when the blueprint for Rue was created,” explains general manager Michael Krajewski, who began his 20-year career with the company as a server. A self-proclaimed oenophile, he also manages the French-focused Rue de Jean wine program and holds two levels of sommelier certification.
The dining space is an expansive room carved into a variety of seating vignettes: a row of tables lined up along a broad windowed wall overlooks John Street, an aisle of booths and tables makes for casual seating near the bar, and across the floor, semiprivate banquettes provide a more intimate experience. Whatever your choice, the dining room exudes warmth and bustles with Continental energy. Outdoor seating on a slender patio under bright umbrellas offers alfresco dining, de rigueur for the brasserie model.
In anticipation of its upcoming anniversary, Rue was given a complete refresh in August 2025. Cuajunco teamed up with Michael Bennett’s son Jack to undertake the project to renew the restaurant inside and out.
“Rue de Jean is just getting better with age,” Cuajunco says. “We wanted to return it to its original look but give it something a little different as well. We made small tweaks to modernize it, like updating the lighting—we installed beautiful globe ceiling fixtures and illuminated the bar top.”
“We sanded and stained the original hardwood flooring to restore its natural beauty,” notes Jack Bennett, who grew up involved in the family business and now oversees much of the daily operations. “And we preserved the building’s original tin ceiling and repainted it along with the rest of the space.”
The cool late winter evening my guest and I visited, Rue felt like a warm hug, a respite from a frenetic world. Sitting in the comfort of a high-backed leather banquette, the table bathed in the glow of a petite brass lamp, our cordial server, Thomas Stanton, made us feel at home as we reviewed a menu that had barely changed since the restaurant opened. The list features brasserie standards such as steak frites, frisée Lyonnaise salad, charcuterie boards and an assiette à fromage—a selection of artisan cheeses with a variety of accoutrements.
We couldn’t resist choosing several favorites from the hors d’oeuvres list; soul-satisfying onion soup gratinee came out first. Chef McClary says she makes her richly flavored, velvety broth with a veal base, gently caramelizes the sweet onions and tops the bowl with a beautifully seared slab of Gruyère.
Escargot was next. The very tender, meaty snails were marinated in buttermilk and sauteed with garlic and a splash of brandy. They arrived at the table swimming in an unctuous butter-laden broth we sopped up with warm French baguette.
And of course, les moules—we chose mussels marinière from a hefty list of six preparations. The delicate shellfish were perfectly steamed in a classic white wine and shallot broth. Available in two sizes, the dish is a must-have for a true brasserie experience. Krajewski recommended a Hugues Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet from the extensive by-the-glass wine list, saying it would pair well with all six preparations.
While the Rue de Jean kitchen strictly adheres to brasserie style—cooking that is all about proper technique, freshness, simplicity and good wine pairings—McClary adds a bit of her South Carolina perspective through seasoning choices. A native of rural Kingstree, she occasions subtle switches, like executing beef bourguignon with rabbit. For the vegan diner, she added gluten-free trumpet mushroom steak to the menu.
We were treated to an amazing dish of deviled eggs created by sous chef Ashtin Stroud for the happy hour menu. They were light as a feather and nuanced with flavors from cornichon juice and candied bacon. A touch of sweet heat was delivered by Red Clay’s Spicy Peach Honey—a sauce created by Southern chef Geoff Rhyne, who, like McClary, holds a culinary degree from the Art Institute of Charleston.
For his entrée, my guest ordered the rack of lamb. The meat was marinated overnight in red wine vinegar, encrusted with herbed breadcrumbs, seared to his personal preference and served with richly flavored Dauphinoise potatoes.
I chose my longtime Rue de Jean favorite, duck cassoulet. The luscious duck leg had a gorgeous charred exterior that contrasted beautifully with the sweetness of the classic accompaniment of white beans flecked with bits of Italian sausage. For this dish—his favorite too—Krajewski suggested a glass of E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone.
After finishing our outstanding dinner, my companion and I shared a crème brûlée—its cool, light texture, not too sweet vanilla custard and candied crust the perfect end to a traditional French meal.
As with its menu, Rue de Jean takes pride in its staff and considers them a key ingredient in the success of the restaurant. “Genuine care and concern for our customers, that’s what true hospitality is,” notes Cuajunco. “When it comes to hospitality, there’s no one else out there as genuine as the Bennetts. Part of my job is ensuring that the people we hire reflect the same values and the abilities to provide that level of service to our guests. And our company strives for a good work-life balance—we’re like a family. COVID really affected the industry. Restaurants lost a lot of staff. We were able to retain people who loved their jobs and wanted to continue working at Rue de Jean.”
Bar manager Michael Moore is one of those people. The 21-year Rue veteran recalls how his enclave has transitioned from “a little party bar” in its early years to a convivial gathering space for cocktails and dining. Moore calls Rue a part of the community, a beloved place that people return to whether they’re local or visiting. “From my perspective as a bartender, there are so many wonderful connections you make over time,” he shares. “I was pouring a lemonade for a young girl 20 years ago, and now she’s coming in for dinner with her children. That’s a great way to live and work.”
Moore recommends a cocktail he calls an Artisanal Smash—a classic bourbon smash sweetened with an in-season local fruit.
Like so much of Charleston’s real estate, Rue de Jean has a storied past that the company loves to share. According to facilities maintenance manager Justin Sealey, before Rue came on the scene, the 19th-century property was one of several warehouses on adjacent Hutson Alley. In the 1880s, Charleston Manufacturing Company was producing burlap bags there for export.
Fast-forward to the 20th century: Michael Bennett purchased the entire block, an investment that transformed the historic alley into a popular dining destination. Sister restaurants Coast, Vincent Chicco’s Ristorante and Victor’s Seafood & Steak followed Rue, each offering a distinct culinary concept for guests. Nearby Virginia’s on King, named for his mother, was one of the first restaurants in the Holy City to offer authentic Southern cuisine—many of the dishes are her recipes.
One of Bennett’s early investments, Rue de Jean was a visionary project, filling a niche he saw in the Lowcountry for a French restaurant. Understanding how gentrification worked, he identified a property in a then fringe part of town and took a chance on it, joining a pioneering cadre of local developers pushing Charleston’s boundaries. 39 John St. became 39 Rue de Jean, launching his group’s portfolio of restaurant properties. “I was a foot soldier in (Mayor) Joe Riley’s army,” Bennett says. “He was a visionary … and very motivating. He’d say, ‘We’re gonna build the best waterfront park—the best of everything.’ There weren’t many young developers at that time; we saw it happening and loved it.”
Bennett’s entrepreneurial spirit has kept him busy since he was a boy, mowing lawns and renting mopeds in the Charleston City Market. He bought the first in a long string of investment properties—a downtown fixer-upper—in 1977 at the age of 21 and did all the “grunt” work himself. A descendant of Irish immigrants who landed in Charleston in 1850, Bennett credits his work ethic to his parents, who he says built their lives from nothing. He parlayed early successes into a dynasty: Holy City Hospitality—with five restaurants, event venues and a catering company—and Bennett Hospitality, which promotes luxury real estate development and management, leading with Hotel Bennett in Charleston and 25 others across South Carolina, Georgia and Montana.
On January 9, 2026, the College of Charleston (COC) officially launched the Michael and Amy Bennett School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Both Bennett and wife, Amy, attended COC. Their son Jack is a 2016 alumnus and now heads up Bennett Hospitality with Bennett’s sister, Kim Bennett Brown, one of the founding members of the company.
Twenty-five years ago, Rue de Jean brought the French brasserie to Charleston. Now, the School of Hospitality brings a legacy for the Bennett family. And more is on the way, with projects coming that will transform the Charleston area and keep Michael Bennett busy for the foreseeable future. He is famous for saying, “When you find something you love, you’ll never work another day in your life.” Bon chance, Mr. Bennett! *
Wendy Swat Snyder is a Charleston-based freelance writer (sweetgrassandgrits.com).
