11 Best Restaurants in Upper King, Charleston

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.

Executive chef and owner Kevin Johnson's outstanding restaurant sits in impressive quarters near the corner of Cannon and King Streets. The menu suggests a humble, considerate approach, as the dishes represent local flavors: the wood-roasted carrots come with feta, raisins, and pistachio crumble, while the wood-roasted whole fish is delivered with salsa verde. The high wainscoting and tall shelving filled with jams and jellies, pickled vegetables, and vintage kitchenware add to the earthy, unassuming presence.

The third entry in Brooks Reitz's geographically constrained restaurant empire (you can stand on Upper King Street and see all three venues at once), Melfi's is as evocative as the chophouse and oyster garage that preceded it. Styled after a quintessential Italian-American dining room, Melfi's mischievous streak darts through the shaken Negronis and ends with the restaurant's excellent Roman-style pies.

Although it's billed as a pizza parlor, this neighborhood trattoria stuns taste buds with its entire menu, including anchovies in pepper and grapefruit and entrées like swordfish with horseradish mustard. The thin-crust pizzas are complemented by an impressive selection of natural wines and a daily cocktail special.

The creation of Dano and Bethany Heinze—who amount to downtown Charleston's culinary royal couple, having made their names at the much-missed McCrady's—Vern's is one of the many high-end restaurants in the American South masquerading as a cozy neighborhood joint. But don't let the chalkboard and uncovered tables fool you: Interpretations of local produce here are among the city's best.

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.

Situated in a restored and windowed corner building, Chasing Sage sets the stage for just about any dish to look good, but the seasonal cooking here would probably taste just as good in the dark. (In fact, when the restaurant's opening was delayed for one year by the pandemic, its vibrant to-go program proved as much.) Order as many vegetable-forward small plates as you can.

Off a little alley in a restored indigo warehouse, Coast Bar & Grill has a stripped-down look with exposed brick walls and wood columns. Wood-fired seafood and heavy sauces are staples, but lighter dishes like fish tacos and ceviche make it a standout. Highlights include braised grouper served with tasty herbs, shiitake mushrooms, and decadent bacon-and-cheese grits, as well as the lobster and crab gratin, which comes complete with Parmesan mashed potatoes. The place can be noisy, but it's always fun. (It transforms into a boisterous bar in the later hours.) You can watch the cooks in the heat of the open kitchen in the front room or go in the back dining room where it is cooler. There are usually half-price wine specials, and there's live music on Sunday evening.

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.