15 Best Restaurants in Upper King, Charleston

One of the Charleston area's great soul food institutions, Bertha's is owned and run by sisters Julie Grant, Linda Pinckney, and Sharon Grant Coakley, who have been awarded the America's Classic prize from the James Beard Foundation for being an essential component of the community (the restaurant was opened in their mother's honor). There's almost always a line at the counter-service restaurant, but it's worth waiting for exceptional okra soup, fried pork chops, and lima beans.

The menu may be nearly illegible, the space minuscule, and locating the tucked-away location like finding Waldo, but the food is almost always sublime. Each night only two appetizers, two entrées (like snapper with white wine sauce or gnocchi with chanterelles), and two desserts are offered. Sharing multiple dishes is a good option.  If the dining room feels too snug, head to the outdoor patio, perfect for dinner or brunch.

Casual, quirky, and a tad Wes Anderson-y, this oysters-and-fried-chicken joint sports a kitschy ambience and blues-heavy soundtrack. Fried catfish, oyster, and chicken sandwiches come towering, dressed in fresh slaw or "comeback sauce" and nestled on perfectly prepared rolls. The oysters are from near or far, depending on the season. Don't forget to ask for a soft-serve ice cream before you go; you can grab it at the window outside the former auto repair shop.

Austin pitmaster John Lewis transformed Charleston's smoked meat scene when he opened this Texas-style joint that serves prime rib, pulled pork, and "hot guts" by the pound. The meat is served on brown paper, the margaritas are tart; and Lewis's patio is uncannily evocative of Texas, thanks in part to the carefully chosen soundtrack. Opt for the monster El Sancho Loco sandwich if you just can't decide.

Rodney Scott became a darling of the region's barbecue scene in the early 2010s, when he branched out from his family's pit-cooked joint in Hemingway, South Carolina, to create this temple to whole hogs in downtown Charleston. Apart from the requisite sandwiches and platters, he also offers pit-cooked chicken, racks of ribs, and fried catfish. Come hungry and grab an extra handful of napkins.

Amid the boom in Charleston's dining scene in the early 2010s, one thing was distinctly lacking: Asian-influenced flavors, but then Xiao Bao came along and changed the city's trajectory. With curries, fried fish, and Sichuan pork dishes that draw on one of the three owners' Chinese heritage without directly replicating it, the casual eatery in a former gas station has gained national acclaim. The menu is designed for family-style sharing, which is smart because you'll want to try it all.

Against a backdrop of classic French-bistro style—think gleaming wood, cozy booths, and white-papered tables—Charleston's night owls feast on such favorites here as steamed mussels in a half dozen preparations. Order them with pommes frites, as the French do. Each night of the week there's a special, such as the popular bouillabaisse on Sunday. If you're seeking quiet, ask for a table in the dining room on the right. It's noisy—but so much fun—at the bar.

Avocado toast will never get old at this lively coffee shop, which since opening in Charleston has brought its Israeli-influenced menu and healthful beverages to an Atlanta extension of the popular brand.

A vestige of a past era in Cannonborough-Elliottborough, this stalwart soul food joint still boxes up fried shrimp, deviled crab, and juicy pork chops. The menu changes daily, and it's wise to follow the recommendations of the chef just behind the counter in the open kitchen. Most folks take their okra soup, turkey wings, and country ribs to-go, but there are a few barstools and a couple of simple tables just inside the door.

The successor to a popular sandwich shop, which for many years sat at the same address, Heavy's serves a seasoned smashburger good enough to wipe out memories of other lunches. Round out your order with estimable onion rings, a well-made cocktail, and pie.

You couldn't be blamed for thinking that this burger joint has been here for nearly a century—it's designed to look that way, and the effect works. Leather booths, checkered tablecloths, and plenty of black-and-white imagery create the perfect scene in which to sip a martini before chowing down on a sandwich. Proprietor Brooks Reitz is also the brains behind Melfi's and Leon's (as well as his nationally available Jack Rudy tonic syrup), and his talent for blending aesthetic good taste and flavorful style ensures that Little Jack's stays busy with regulars.

An homage to the Italian city of the same name, Monza provides genuine Neapolitan-style pizza and an introduction to one of the world's most historic motor-sport racing circuits: the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The pizza—baked in a wood-fired oven, in traditional style—boasts a thin, crisp crust and toppings like house-made sausage, pepperoni, eggplant, roasted red peppers, and locally farmed eggs. Locals are understandably wild for the butterbean salad.

John Lewis based his excellent and hugely successful Lewis Barbecue on the time he spent smoking meat in Austin, but he casts his gaze further back at Rancho Lewis, based on childhood memories of meals in New Mexico. Most patrons will mistake the menu for Tex-Mex, but the Hatch chiles and exceptional beans, sourced from Las Cruces, make his state allegiance clear.

Accommodating locals and out-of-towners alike, Taco Boy delivers tasty Mexican American treats to a bustling patio crowd. The ambience is half the allure of this eclectic outpost featuring rehabbed or reclaimed materials—right down to the bar counter, carved from a fallen North Carolina walnut tree, and the funky Mexican folk art adorning every inch of wall space. It's a forward-thinking and fun joint, perfect for downing margaritas and micheladas (beer with lime juice, tomato juice, and chilies) or sharing a sampler trio of house-made guacamole and two types of salsa. For beach-bound travelers, Folly Beach—south of downtown Charleston—boasts the original restaurant on Center Street.

If it looks like a cross between a veterans' hall and a dive bar, that's because the Tattooed Moose is going for a decidedly unpretentious vibe. With 90-plus beers on the menu and a large moose head behind the counter, the place cuts a distinctive figure; homey eats like house-smoked barbecue brisket, chicken salad, jumbo chicken wings, and fried turkey breast are just some of the offerings. The bar's famous duck club is a menu showstopper—it relies on duck confit, apple-smoked bacon, garlic aioli, and ripened tomatoes bounded by sweet Hawaiian bread. If you find yourself on Johns Island, the Moose now has a larger satellite location that caters to families and the happy hour crowd.