McCrady's is a brick structure of English bond construction, originally built in 1788 by Edward McCrady.

McCrady previously built a four-story Georgian house known as McCrady's Tavern, on East Bay Street in 1778. Before and during the Revolution, many notable Charlestonians, such as the Rutledge brothers, the Pinckney's, the Gadsden's, the Horry's, and Charles Alston met to drink and discuss politics at McCrady's Tavern.

After being imprisoned with these and other Revolutionary leaders in St. Augustine , McCrady returned to Charleston . He built Two Unity Alley in 1788, connecting the structure to his Tavern via a second-story double-piazza. The site of many of Charleston 's festive celebrations and early musical and theatrical performances, McCrady's Longroom became an instant local favorite. The most notable event held in The Longroom was a dinner party thrown for George Washington during his Southern tour in 1791. Presently, McCrady's Longroom again plays host to private receptions and dinners.

After McCrady's death in 1801, the property passed through many hands and was used for many purposes. However, the kitchen (now the dining room of McCrady's) always seemed to retain an association with food, either as a tavern or coffee house, until the 1850's. As times changed, so did McCrady's, first becoming a warehouse, and finally standing abandoned for many years.

1982 saw the building restored to its former glory. McCrady's is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Landmarks.

New York firm Bentel & Bentel, known for the design of Danny Meyer's restaurants in New York such as Gramercy Tavern, designed McCrady's interior. The architects and designers focused on the bare historic essentials - the hardwood floors, the original brickwork and fireplaces - and added modern touches, such as soaring skylights, bluestone tiles, leather banquettes and a dramatic honey-hued bar. A series of four rooms intertwine to create an intimate ambiance- an inviting bar area with brick arches and a glass skilight (built over where an alley used to run beside the building); a robust dining room with exposed brick walls, beamed ceilings, two fireplaces and dramatic chandeliers; a cozy rear dining room with intimate banquettes and cypress wood-lined walls, and a more casual yet sophisticated Wine Bar with copper ceiling tiles that contribute to the warm, amber glow spread throughout.