These days, it seems you can’t fling a charcuterie board without hitting a James Beard Award nominee, semifinalist, or winner. The city has cutting e... Read More
These days, it seems you can’t fling a charcuterie board without hitting a James Beard Award nominee, semifinalist, or winner. The city has cutting edge cuisine and haute dining in spades, but it also boasts ramshackle seafood joints, country kitchens, and southern soul, and the best restaurants in Charleston span it all. Boutique markets offer picnic provisions or quick bites (Mercantile & Mash, Caviar & Bananas, Ted’s Butcher Block, Bull Street Gourmet, Queen Street Grocery, or local wine and cheese favorite Goat.Sheep.Cow.). One great perk about Charleston’s dining scene is that talent breeds talent; chefs are working their way up the line, then moving on to helm their own kitchens.
Places to eat in Charleston typically focus on traditional Southern cuisine, exploring the region’s ingredients and history. Shrimp and grits, ribs, catfish, gumbo and other Lowcountry classics are at their best here. But Charleston restaurants are not afraid to innovate, and some of the most exciting eateries in the country can be found here. At Husk, get a taste of the greatest Southern ingredients, courtesy of James Beard Award winner Sean Brock. The menu changes daily, depending on ingredient availability. You might find rabbit paté, pork ribs, or an arugula-peach salad–who knows? There’s only one rule: “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door.” One not-to-miss venue is Spero—humble in design but big on flavor. And you can’t visit Charleston without treating yourself to a serious barbecue. Head to Swig & Swine, one of the city’s funkiest restaurants for all the standard BBQ favorites, with an impressive variety of beverages to wash it down with to match.
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Artisan Meat Share
Meat lovers will want to slide into booths at Artisan Meat Share ("AMS") and order up boards of artisanal charcuterie—perhaps even splurge on the $50 ... Read More
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Beardcat's Sweet Shop
Worth the short drive to Sullivan's Island, this bright little sweet shop churns out dreamy artisanal gelato and sorbets using locally sourced... Read More
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Black Tap Coffee
Black Tap is easily Charleston's hippest coffee purveyor, and for good reason: they roast their beans on a nearby island, achieve perfect pour-overs,... Read More
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Bowens Island Restaurant
At Bowens, fresh steamed oysters are served by the shovel-full. Hungry patrons line up for heaping portions of crispy fried whitefish, Frogmore Stew,... Read More
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Butcher & Bee
Deliciously inventive sandwiches with dedication to local sourcing (they even have a garden out back) make this hip and rustic eatery a go-to lunch spot... Read More
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Café Framboise
Tucked on a side street just off King, Café Framboise lures passersby with excellent coffee, freshly baked breads, creative crepes, puff pastry tarts,... Read More
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Callie's Charleston Biscuits
This small shop on upper King serves a variety of hot biscuits, like cheese-chive, buttermilk, country ham, fried chicken, or black pepper bacon, with... Read More
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Leon's Oyster Shop
Known for its well seasoned, crispy fried chicken, raw bar, and rustic chic, Leon's fills with locals and visitors for lunch and dinner daily. Read More
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The Obstinate Daughter
Dishes are freshly sourced, creative, beautifully conceived and executed, the ambiance comfortably chic. With both the kitchen and bar laser-focused on... Read More
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Parlor Deluxe
This newly opened neighborhood parlor serves up nostalgia in the form of gourmet hot dogs, loaded tots, dressed waffles, and unique ice creams like... Read More
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Sugar Bakeshop
An artisanal cupcake shop at heart (with a few other nibbles thrown in), Sugar Bakeshop is the place to go for individual pick-me-ups or build-your-own... Read More
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Swig & Swine
Pitmaster Anthony DiBernado burns the midnight oil to smoke his pork, brisket, ribs, turkey, and sausages to tender, pink-rimmed perfection. Read More
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The Drawing Room
Executive Chef Jon Cropf leads a talented team in the creative kitchen, producing dishes as engaging to the eye as they are to the palate, with nuanced... Read More
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The Macintosh
Offerings range from house-ground burgers with pecorino truffle frites, to seafood charcuterie, a seasonal house gnudi, stuffed local quail, and an... Read More
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The Ordinary
The Ordinary is Chef Lata's temple of fresh seafood, set in a renovated bank with soaring ceilings and handsome bar. Read More
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The Park Café
Near the white barracks of The Citadel and 60-acre Hampton Park, this sunny farm-to-table local café serves up breakfast, brunch, lunch, happy hour, and... Read More
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The Westendorff
Grab a plush leather swivel chair or an intimate booth for daily brunches, inventive cocktails, and sophisticated but unpretentious locavore dinners. Read More
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Twenty-Six Divine
The menu changes weekly at the chef's discretion, but you can count on fresh, innovative salads, panini, tacos, soups, house made pastas, and fresh... Read More
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Xiao Bao Biscuit
This trendy but unpretentious Asian fusion eatery packs in appreciative crowds for lunch and dinner daily. Read More
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Zero George Café & Bar
The intimate dining room, piazza, and enclosed brick patio lend a secretive elegance to Chef Vinson Petrillo's refined cuisine. Read More
