17 Best Restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina

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.

Hurricanes, fires, and the onslaught of trendy restaurants hitting downtown can't tamp down this family-owned seafood shack that's littered with oyster shells and graffiti. The menu is reliable: big ol' shrimp, fried or boiled; shrimp and grits; hush puppies; and the biggie—trays of piping hot steamed oysters. Dinner is served in an enclosed dock house, on a covered deck, and inside the main building. Find the local landmark on a slip of an island about 20 minutes from downtown and just before Folly Beach. When you see the sign, follow the dirt road until you see water. (Boaters can dock here while they eat.)

This spot is one of those delightful throwbacks, a drugstore with a soda fountain where the news of the day is discussed and young people can share an honest-to-goodness Coca-Cola float. Look for no-frills white-bread sandwiches—pimento cheese, bologna, egg salad, and more—fountain drinks and malts, and mainstay ice cream flavors.

This spot serves locally made vegan and old-school ice cream done right, plus nitro cold brew.

At first glance, the odd name appears to refer to this waterfront restaurant's exterior, topped off with a shabby screened-in porch (in actuality, the Richard and Charlene was a trawler that slammed into the building during a hurricane in 1989). Located in the Old Village of Mount Pleasant, the kitchen serves up Southern tradition on a plate: boiled peanuts, fried shrimp, and deviled crabs. The best option is the most expensive—the mixed seafood platter with fried flounder, shrimp, oysters, and scallops. Get here early, as the place shuts down by 8 or 9 each night.

Begin your meal here with a half-dozen raw oysters, then fill up with a platter of ribs, pulled pork, and brisket. That's the concept behind this raw-bar-meets-BBQ joint that sits directly on the water, above a water sport outfitter and within sight of shrimpboats. It’s so chill there’s a note on the menu allowing customers to buy the kitchen a round of beers ($10 for six; $20 for 12). The local spot is a sister concept by the chef/owner of nearby Ella & Ollie’s.   

Founded by two young local bar scene vets who believe unironically in the power of a good breakfast, Daps supplies the West Side with an array of hashes and exceptional pancakes, brushed with sugary cereal on request. The brunchy sandwiches, including an extra-porky take on the standard bánh mì, are especially smart.

If you're staying near I-95 or looking for a family-friendly bar to watch a game, this independent joint is a step above the fast-food and other chain restaurants in the vicinity. The menu of sandwiches, steaks, and seafood mixes with Southern comfort foods, and has a homemade look (and taste) about it. Prices are reasonable, and the patrons are mostly local.

Three words: maple bacon doughnuts. If that's not enough to get you in the door, any number of other creative options—think raspberry Nutella or berries and mascarpone—should do the trick. Mark Remi and the late Allison Smith opened their sweetheart of a store because they suspected there was an untapped enthusiasm for artisanal doughnuts. The verdict? Unqualified success. There are 7 to 10 varieties daily, filled with homemade jam and other fillings. Just name your flavor.

In Lowcountry vernacular, "sweet shop" has nothing to do with confections: It refers to a type of building. But everyone agrees H & R is very sweet indeed, with three-quarters of a century of history of serving homestyle plates and a terrific burger.

This bar and restaurant swiftly earned the endorsement of even the old-school barbecue set (the restaurant's newfangled pork tacos notwithstanding), and Home Team has done so with time-honored adherence to the oft-preferred technique of low-and-slow grilling, producing St. Louis–style ribs and traditional smoked pork and chicken. Side offerings are a good measuring stick for any barbecue joint, and they deliver with mashed potatoes, collard greens, red rice, baked beans, poppy-seed slaw, and potato salad. West Ashley's location is the original, but Home Team has grown—there's also a downtown location on Williman Street, an outpost on Sullivan's Island, and a satellite operation in Aspen, Colorado.

Creative Southern fare keeps this place bustling—it feels like the center of the small town action on weekend evenings. Opt for daily specials like Cajun crawfish pot pie or the sausage-stuffed pork tenderloin. Seating is inside the spacious brick former ice warehouse or on the inviting patio, where a playground (lorded over by a life-size Sasquatch) lets parents eat while the kids get their energy out.

The Galactic, Krypto, Orbit City, and Blue Galactic hot dog varieties at Jack's Cosmic are otherworldly excellent, with blue-cheese slaw, spicy mustard, sauerkraut, zippy onion relish, and Jack's own sweet-potato mustard, all swaddled in Pepperidge Farms split-top buns. Akin to a diner, Jack's serves milkshakes and sundaes, real custard soft-serve ice cream, draft root beer, and hand-cut fries. This place is a favorite among kids.

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.

The bar and restaurant is beloved among visitors and locals for its fish tacos and gourmet burgers, all named after stories by Edgar Allen Poe, who was stationed on Sullivan's Island with the Army in the late 1820s. (His stint inspired "The Gold Bug," a short story about a magical beetle, and, much later, Poe's Tavern). To wit, here you'll find: the Tell-Tale Heart, containing fried eggs, applewood bacon, and cheddar cheese; the Amontillado, with guacamole, jalapeño jack cheese, pico de gallo, and chipotle sour cream; and naturally, the Gold Bug Plus, done up in a variety of cheeses. Come early to enjoy the clever treats, as Poe's stays busy year-round.

This unassuming café set in a one-time bungalow is the island's go-to breakfast spot for omelets, biscuits, and piles of pancakes. Lunch and dinner offerings shift to an array of sandwich options, seafood entrées, and fried platters. It's kid-friendly and has a dine-outside deck, but come early if you don't want to wait for a table for brunch.

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.