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Charleston is blessed with a bevy of Southern-inflected selections, from barbecue parlors to fish shacks to casual places serving Lowcountry fare like shrimp and grits. If you'd like to try something new, there are plenty of places serving updated, inspired versions of classic dishes. Before you leave, you'll definitely see why Charleston is considered one of the greatest food cities in the world.
The city's dining scene status continues to rise, boosted by a group of James Beard Foundation repeat award winners. Robert Stehling of Hominy Grill, Mike Lata of FIG and The Ordinary, Jason Stanhope of FIG, and Sean Brock of McCrady's and Husk each earned the designation of Best Chef: Southeast, in successive years. The city boasts other prodigious talents, too: Alex Lira of Bar Normandy, Jeremiah Bacon of the Macintosh, Michelle Weaver of Charleston Grill, Ken Vedrinski of Trattoria Lucca, Jacques Larson of Wild Olive and The Obstinate Daughter, and Josh Walker of Xiao Bao Biscuit. It's the establishment of the New South, circa now.
As for attire, Charleston invites a crisp yet casual atmosphere. Don't forget, it was recognized as the Most Mannerly City in the country by Marjabelle Young Stewart, which means that residents are slow to judge (or, at the least, that they're doing so very quietly). On the whole, the city encourages comfort and unhurried, easy pacing. The result is an idyllic setting in which to enjoy oysters on the half shell and other homegrown delicacies from the land and sea that jointly grant the city its impressive culinary standing.
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.
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.
Mount Pleasant's culinary ambitions perhaps reach their apex at the Shellmore, an unassuming wine bar with a chalkboard menu and some of the most romantic nooks in town. Chef-owner Eric Milley always has cheese and cold shucked oysters at the ready, but devotees know he's prone to work wonders with hulking cuts of beef, including prime rib and veal chops.
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.
Operating as a one-stop butcher shop and deli counter, Ted's sells beef, game, seafood, and homemade sausages to complement its selection of artisanal cheeses, wine, and other specialty foods. Among the lunchtime favorites are the house-roasted Wagyu beef panini and the ever-changing bacon-of-the-month BLT. On Friday nights there are wine tastings and a bargain prix-fixe dinner.
Stop in for the coffee, stay for the delicious seasonal desserts: heavenly sweet 'n' salty brownies, cheesecake bars, and whoopie pies.
James Beard Award semifinalist Alex Lira and some of his industry buddies opened this chill hot-dogs-and-raw-oysters joint as a neighborhood hangout with killer cocktails. Locals gather here to sprawl out on the velvet couch with a tiki cocktail and challenge each other over pinball. Even more cross bridges just to pick up a half or whole Peruvian rotisserie chicken to go.
On Folly Beach, this 24/7 quick stop for gourmet sandwiches, local ice cream, and 75-cent hot dogs has been a mainstay for decades.
Grab a latte at this charming coffee shop that's staffed by people with developmental disabilities.
There's a distinct European flavor to this sidewalk café where you can grab a sandwich to-go or stay and relax with a sorbet or glass of wine.
Come for the carefully constructed coffee, but don't leave without a to-die-for egg and country ham biscuit with jam.
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.
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.
Locally sourced ingredients form the basis of breakfast ricotta biscuits, kaleidoscopic salads, and sandwiches stacked on housemade focaccia at this delightful, female-owned neighborhood coffee shop and cafe.
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.
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.
Don't pass up the sweet and savory crepes, named for Charleston's islands and neighborhoods, at this venerable neighborhood institution that also serves pressed breakfast and lunch sandwiches, smoothies, cold brew, and craft beer. The art-filled space doubles as a wine shop—pick up a bottle on the way to a picnic at nearby Colonial Lake.
This no-frills spot serves meaty masterpieces—no, really—like the Super Butt, house-braised pork with smoked sweet onions and potato cream cheese, and a generous rib-eye cheese steak. Add a hearty beer list and poutine (fries covered in gravy), and it's worth the drive. Heading to Kiawah Island? It's also an excellent weigh station en route.
