Between Christmas and New Year’s in Charleston, a number of restaurants shut down for the holidays, but more than enough stalwarts persevere, continuing to produce satisfying food for locals and tourists alike. Ernie’s is only a couple blocks from red hot Upper King Street, and the soul food emporium clearly caters to locals, with minimal décor and hearty portions of comfort food.

Ernie’s relatively plain storefront features speckled white and black tile floors, planters with faux plants, and order-at-the-counter service. When I asked the counterwoman how long Ernie’s has been around for, she said, “Forever.” Ernie Kinloch still owns his eponymous restaurant and also works construction in the Mt. Pleasant area.

There’s technically a printed menu, but Ernie’s counterwoman will tell you what they have. She rattled off a list that included red rice and fish, red rice and pork chops, turkey, okra soup and more.

Red rice and fish ($9) turned out to be deep fried, skin-on whiting fillets with thin sheathes and a generous salt seasoning.

My server handed me a bottle of Texas Pete hot sauce, which added vinegary spice. They studded the rice with bacon and two types of sausage, including andouille. Each plate comes with a choice of sides, which included collards, lima beans, and my pick, okra soup. The soup had a natural thickening agent, and the bowl included okra seeds and smoked pork. The final component of what turned out to be far from a light lunch was a square of cakey cornbread that wasn’t too sweet.

This was a small taste of Ernie’s soul food, but with a big, bacon-y lead-up for breakfast and a large dinner planned for later in the day, one plate was the best case scenario. My next visit will delve deeper into the “menu.”