27 Best Restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina

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.)

It's not just what's in the pint glasses at this upscale brewpub that has locals raving. The kitchen's mac-and-peas and crunchy salad with shrimp, featuring the region's hallmark ingredients, are almost universally adored. The atmosphere is chic yet comfortable with large booths, canvas chairs, and a huge bar, while an outdoor patio invites you to sip in the sunshine. This is the original location—the restaurant shares its name with a more casual restaurant north of downtown.

Known to locals as EVO, this Park Circle pizzeria is considered by many to be the area's best, doling out Neapolitan-style pies with super-thin and crunchy crusts. The Food Network chose EVO's pistachio pesto pie—goat mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on pesto made with olive oil, salt, and pistachios—as the state's best slice. Another favorite is the pork trifecta pizza, a meat-tastic dish made with house-made sweet sausages, pepperoni, and smoked bacon. EVO also relies on local and regional purveyors for produce like grape and heirloom tomatoes and lettuce. Bonus: you're guaranteed a nice variety of drinks, from wine to a deep menu of local craft brews. 

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.

Known for the fine Italian cuisine he offers here on Sullivan's Island and a few bridges away at Wild Olive on Johns Island, talented Jacques Larson might be as known for his seafood, pasta, and pizza as he is for his affable, good-guy charm. At OD, choose from the excellent gnocchi, inventive pizzas, and spicy bucatini pasta, or dive into surprises like grilled octopus with white beans, collard flower kimchi, and scallops and squid fra diavolo. The music is vintage R&B, and the vibe is relaxed at the nautical-styled restaurant that manages to feel like a local spot that just happens to serve downtown-level fare.

This Johns Island roadside joint presents a banquet of locally raised delicacies. Owners and farmers Pete and Babs Ambrose maintain their 200-acre farm on Wadmalaw Island, which informs their menu. Hand-planted and handpicked fresh tomatoes, butter beans, cabbage, collards, cucumbers, and even rutabaga star as sides, in Southern casseroles, and as to-go treats. The veggies sit well with the Tomato Shed's other offerings, such as peel-and-eat shrimp from local waters, crab cakes, and roasted pork. Be sure to grab a bag of boiled peanuts on your way out.

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.

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.

The kitchen at this buzzy all-day hot spot balances guilt-free ingredients with tantalizing flavors, from tempura cauliflower wings to local fish with tabbouleh and mint yogurt. The vegan- and vegetarian-friendly bowls, burgers, and tacos are served in the bright and cheery dining room and a tucked-away garden out back.

One of Charleston's oldest speakeasies, the Blind Tiger can go toe-to-toe with any newcomer. Name the beer, name the backdrop, and the Tiger can deliver in spades, starting with two indoor bars and a historic, handsome outdoor patio. The kitchen also turns out solid bar food—the truffle duck sandwich and French onion soup make this a regular lunch spot for Broad Street attorneys.

Carmine’s serves fare that both draws locals and also compels I-95 travelers to go out of their way for dishes that even native-born Italians rave over. Fancy for Walterboro (think chandeliers, a baby grand piano, tablecloths), it’s got a casual-nice atmosphere that’s still quirky. Besides the kind staff, the real star is the food: The veal marsala with fresh mushrooms is a tender treat, the lasagna is divine, and the tiramisu is crave-worthy. 

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.

This local favorite, also known as Fast & French, has been a fixture in the neighborhood for 40 years, thanks to the consistent food, the esprit de corps of the staff, and the family-style tables for sharing breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Its popular fondue grew from a once-a-week special to a daily affair, and you can also get your cheese fix with the wonderful Bucheron cheese salad. Nightly specials, such as bouillabaisse, are reasonably priced and come with a petite glass of wine. The subtly sweet chocolate mousse cake is the best way to end your meal.

The Southern roots of this eatery's chef-owners show in the classic eats like deviled eggs, meat loaf, fried catfish po'boys, and overstuffed pimento-cheese sandwiches, along with sweets like bread pudding with whiskey sauce. The Saturday brunch is a must, with its fluffy buttermilk biscuits with gravy and savory pork tamales. Meals are served on sheets of brown paper that drape over the restaurant's wooden tabletops, another clever touch.

A DIY spin on the South's signature grain, grits here can be topped with pimento cheese or butterbeans, among other options.

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.

Grab a window seat at this casual spot for a pleasant view of East Washington Street while you dig into shrimp and stone-ground grits, a Philly-style cheese steak, or a juicy burger on a kaiser roll. Desserts like bourbon pecan pie are house-made and served in generous portions. The menu’s not for gourmands, but the basic pub fare works, especially if you’re there to catch the game over a bite and beer.

The owner of Marsh Hen Mill co-owns this breakfast joint that caters to the white-collar Broad Street crowd, balancing blue plate breakfasts with fancy morning entrées like lobster toast on house-baked brioche. It's hard to choose between the biscuits loaded with pimento cheese, fried chicken, or country ham with fig jam. There's a second location on James Island that's not as busy as downtown.

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.

Pink Bellies has followed the Gen-Z trajectory of food truck to food hall tenant to standalone restaurant, but the Vietnamese-leaning kitchen has thankfully never made radical changes to its noodle bowls. Still, it's the bar food that has inspired fans to follow Pink Bellies on its journey, including an In-N-Out-inspired burger and garlicky wings.

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.

From the moment that Kate and Ben Towill came to South Carolina to open an exceedingly Instagrammable vegetable-focused restaurant in downtown Charleston, fans have clamored for more of their spot-on style. That wish is granted in the form of Post House, an effortlessly tasteful neighborhood bistro featuring thoughtful takes on classics such as Caesar salad, steak frites, and peel-and-eat shrimp.

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.

This 1940s-era filling station—the pumps are still outside—has been converted into an eclectic bar and seafood restaurant. The menu ranges from bar bites like buffalo wings and burgers to local shrimp, crab cakes, and pan-seared mahi-mahi and never disappoints. While the interior is all dive with its concrete floors and bathrooms outside, the food is always fresh and local, plus the beer inventory consists of microbrews. Monday night brings karaoke and draws a lively mix of locals and visitors. Blues and rock bands regularly play on the weekends.