Food and Recipes Chefs The 20 Best Restaurants In Charleston, South Carolina By Robert F. Moss Robert F. Moss Robert F. Moss writes about food, drink, and travel. Based in Charleston, South Carolina, he is the Contributing Barbecue Editor for Southern Living and the author of five books on food culture and culinary history. Connect with him on Instagram and Twitter, as well as at robertfmoss.com. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 19, 2024 Close Photo: Peter Frank Edwards It’s been a long time since Charleston was just a she-crab soup and shrimp and grits town. Upscale versions of those Lowcountry classics may have put the city on the national culinary map, but recent years have brought an influx of bold new chefs and restaurateurs who keep pushing the dining scene forward. Today, Charleston’s restaurants offer a vibrant blend of old and new, embracing the region’s unique culinary traditions but looking outward around the globe for fresh inspiration, too. In just the past three years, a flurry of ambitious new restaurants have transformed the culinary geography of the city, spinning fine dining and international fusions outward from the old downtown corridors to James Island and Mount Pleasant and up the peninsula to North Charleston The Best Time To Visit Charleston, South Carolina, According To Locals From delicate preparations of fresh local fish to bold noodle bowls brimming with barbecue smoke, Charleston’s culinary palette is diverse and ever-intriguing. Here, in no particular order, are 20 must-visit restaurants that embody the rich variety of Charleston dining today. Bintü Atelier Bintu Atiler Downtown Bintou N’Daw Young’s small Eastside restaurant links Charleston’s culinary past with its present, serving dishes from her native Senegal along with specialties from different parts of the African diaspora. Savory goat and spinach stew is thickened with ground egusi (melon seeds). Crab rice is studded with onions and peppers and accented by dried conch and spicy shito paste. Bintu’s signature plate, the beloved Senegalese dish thiéboudieun, places a tender slab of fresh grouper atop a foundation of broken rice cooked in tomato-laced jollof sauce. The flavors are novel yet familiar at the same time, underscoring the deep-rooted connections between West African and Lowcountry cuisine. 8 d Line St; bintuatelier.com Chez Nous Andrew Cebulka Downtown Inside a yellow single house just two blocks from bustling King Street, Chez Nous is small in size and quirky in style. The slim menu changes daily and offers just two appetizers, two entrées, and two desserts, blending French, Northern Italian, and Spanish cuisine. One day might bring roasted duck breast with flageolet beans alongside poached shrimp and salmon roe. The next, lamb loin with caper sauce may be joined by olive oil poached snapper or clams with nduja and spring onions. It’s simple, elegant, and always surprising. 6 Payne Ct,; cheznouschs.com Chubby Fish Andrew Thomas Lee Downtown Chubby Fish is a prime example of the new mode of fine dining in Charleston, delivering intense local flavors in more casual settings. In his small restaurant on Coming Street, Chef/Owner James London takes superbly fresh fish and vegetables from local purveyors and transforms them into remarkable plates. The raw bar offers oysters, crudo, and tempting wagyu beef tartare finished with trout roe and “bama white” sauce. A slate of small and large plates deliver unexpected treats from both land and sea, like smoked wahoo curry, triggerfish tempura, and tender lamb ribs with romesco sauce. No reservations are accepted, and guests line up well before opening to put their names on the list, but bold, fresh flavors like these are well worth the wait. 252 Coming St.; chubbyfishcharleston.com FIG Lindsey Harris Shorter Downtown FIG is now entering its third decade, and it remains one of the standard bearers for fine dining in Charleston. Over the years it has evolved from a modest corner bistro into a nationally-acclaimed destination restaurant, but founders Mike Lata and Adam Nemirow remain true to their passion for fresh local ingredients and simple but classic technique. The ethereally silky chicken liver pâté is now a local legend, and it appears alongside a rotating cast of tempting preparations like Duroc pork with cider vinegar, slow-baked local fish with heirloom peas, and a flawless bouillabaisse with white fish, shrimp, tender and brown rice in an herbal broth. The precision of the plates is matched by spot-on service, creative craft cocktails, and an award-winning wine program. 232 Meeting St,; eatfig.com Hannibal's Kitchen Peter Frank Edwards Downtown Hannibal’s Kitchen has been an East Side fixture since 1985, and it’s now one of the last bastions of traditional Gullah-Geechee cooking on the peninsula. Recent renovations have added a fresh color scheme and an outdoor dining patio, but Hannibal still feeds the soul of the city with hearty plates of pork chops, gravy-smothered turkey wings, and grilled or fried whiting. Bursting with rich seafood flavor, the crab and shrimp rice has become the house specialty, and the smoky lima beans and thick okra soup are standout versions of two Lowcountry classics. It’s an essential Charleston dining experience. 16 Blake St; hannibalkitchen.com Jackrabbit Filly Ruta Smith North Charleston Restaurants like Jackrabbit Filly have made North Charleston’s Park Circle a must-visit neighborhood for adventurous diners. The small storefront on Spruill Avenue is Shuai and Corrie Wang’s first brick-and-mortar operation (they now own King BBQ, too), and it delivers the bold flavors of a self-described New Chinese American cuisine. Savory pork dumplings and potato leek pierogies are followed by the ever-popular karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and Singapore fried rice studded with crab and ham. There’s even a dim sum brunch on Sundays. With yellow-painted booths amid mismatched tableware, the current spot on Spruill Avenue has a definite DIY feel, but a new and larger location is now in the works just two blocks away on East Montague Avenue. 4628 Spruill Ave #101; jackrabbitfilly.com King BBQ Sully Sullivan North Charleston With a set of Lang offset smokers out back and two green guardian lions flanking the front door, King BBQ delivers a unique culinary fusion. It’s the second restaurant from Shuai and Corrie Wang of Jackrabbit Filly fame, and it gives traditional Chinese-American barbecue a decidedly Southern twist. Meaty pork ribs are lacquered with red char siu glaze. Five-spice duck legs deliver silky, luxurious dark meat beneath a crisp skin that prickles with floral flavors. The most remarkable fusions are the noodle bowls, which pile chopped pork, chicken, and even slow-simmered South Carolina-style hash atop tangles of chewy noodles in a rich, savory broth. 2029 Carver Ave; eatkingbbq.com Kultura Ryan Belk Downtown With bold flavors and vibrant colors, Kultura is one of the most exciting newcomers on the downtown scene. Chef/co-owner Nikko Cagalanan puts inventive spins on the cuisine of his native Philippines, creating remarkable combinations like tender pork ribs painted with banana ketchup barbecue sauce. A bowl of arroz caldo adorns warm ginger-tinged rice porridge with chili oil, orange trout roe, and half a soft-boiled egg, and the larger plates offer wide-ranging flavors like scallops adobo over coconut grits and baked salmon in red curry sauce. 73 Spring St Unit A; kulturacharleston.com Leon's Fine Poultry & Oysters Jacob Dye Downtown The headliners at this funky downtown favorite are plates of crisp-battered fried chicken and New Orleans-style chargrilled oysters. There are plenty of other delights, too, like the fragrant Siam Salad, which blankets napa and red cabbage with peanuts, fried onions, and cilantro. Fried shrimp or oysters are tucked inside buttery toasted rolls, and the exemplary fried chicken sandwich features a breast breaded with seafood seasonings and piled into a soft seeded bun with Duke’s mayo, slaw, and bright housemade pickles. Frozen gin & tonics and rosé slushies will make you want to linger awhile. 698 King St; leonoystershop,.com Obstinate Daughter Sullivan’s Island There’s plenty of great dining out on Charleston’s beach islands, and the Obstinate Daughter on Sullivan's is a fine example. Chef/owner Jacques Larson's eclectic blend of Lowcountry ingredients and European technique includes long-running favorites like Frogmore chowder brimming with shrimp and sausage and cool, savory shrimp rolls with Marsh Hen Mill “frites” (fried grits) on the side. The housemade pastas are always spot-on, and a wood fired oven turns out splendid thin crust pizzas with an eclectic array of toppings. 2063 Middle St, Sullivan's Island; theobstinatedaughter.com The Best Islands In South Carolina, According To Our Readers Palmira BBQ Erin O’Connor West Ashley Charleston enjoys a nationally-acclaimed barbecue scene, and newcomer Palmira Barbecue has raced to the front of the pack. After several years operating as a brewery pop-up and in a food hall stall, owner-pitmaster Hector Garate has settled into his new permanent location on Ashley River Road. It’s a splendid stage for Palmira’s unique style, which blends South Carolina and Texas traditions with accents from Garate’s native Puerto Rico. Smoked beef cheeks are so tender they seem to melt on the tongue, and the house-ground sausages sing with Caribbean flavors like allspice, cinnamon, and plantain. Most impressive is Palmira’s chopped whole hog barbecue, which is made from local heritage breed pigs seasoned with sofrito as they cook 12 hours over the coals of a wood-fired pit—a remarkably modern spin on traditional South Carolina ‘cue. 2366 Ashley River Rd Building 1; palmirabarbecue.com Rancho Lewis Gately Williams Downtown At Rancho Lewis, acclaimed barbecue pitmaster John Lewis pays homage to the cuisine of his native El Paso. The menu is built on a foundation of red and green chili peppers trucked in from Hatch, New Mexico, along with fresh heirloom corn tortillas from the restaurant’s in-house tortilleria. They come together in a flavorful array of enchiladas, tacos, and burritos, and they’re joined by a parade of mesquite-grilled steak, shrimp, and quail. Boldest of all are the seven-bone racks of beef back ribs that are smoked overnight on a mesquite-fired pit and get a crisp finishing char from the wood-fired grill. 1503 King St; rancholewischs.com Rodney Scott's BBQ Andrew Cabulka Downtown South Carolina’s old-school barbecue tradition meets 21st century food celebrity at Rodney’s Scott BBQ on King Street. Scott earned international fame as the second-generation pitmaster at Scott's Barbecue in the small town of Hemingway before moving down to Charleston in 2017 to open a restaurant of his own. The offering is anchored by classic Pee Dee-style whole hog cooked on wood-fired pits, but the city menu includes plenty of more contemporary items like smoked chicken wings, brisket chili, and a sloppy but delicious pit-smoked prime rib sandwich. 1011 King St; rodneyscottsbbq.com The South's Best Barbecue Joint In Every State 2024 Slightly North of Broad Marie Rodriguez Photography Downtown In the 1990s, Slightly North of Broad helped launch New Southern cuisine, which merged local ingredients with French-inspired technique and proved Southern cooking belonged on fine dining tables. Three decades later, SNOB remains as relevant as ever. The old standbys still impress: shrimp and grits with housemade sausage, BBQ tuna, and fried oysters topped with country ham butter. They’re joined by a rotating selection of newer plates like local flounder with couscous salad. The housemade charcuterie plate is consistently one of the best in town, too. 192 E Bay St; snobcharleston.com Stems & Skins Justin Croxall North Charleston East Montage Avenue is North Charleston’s long-standing restaurant row, and wine bar Stems & Skins is now a fixture of the Park Circle neighborhood. A deep list of natural wines is joined by classic cocktails and beers from around the world. The food offering is built around a delightful selection of imported tinned fish accompanied by charcuterie, cheese, and Mediterranean-style small plates. 1070 E Montague Ave # B; stemsandskins.com The Charleston Grill Courtesy of The Charleston Place Downtown In 1989, Louis Osteen founded what was then called Louis’s Charleston Grill inside what was then the Omni Hotel, and regular reinventions over the decades have kept the restaurant one of the city’s top destinations for a big night out. Chef de cuisine Suzy Castelloe took over the kitchen in 2023 from long-time executive chef Michelle Weaver, and her ever-evolving menu blends pristine Lowcountry ingredients with flavors from around the globe. The famous crab cake, a massive puck lump crab seared golden brown on top, still anchors the appetizer selection. Delicate strawberry gazpacho and spring pea panzanella tee up more luxurious plates like lobster ricotta cavatelli and shawarma-spiced venison tenderloin. It’s all served in one of the city’s most elegant dining rooms with smooth live jazz purring in the background. 205 Meeting Street; charlestonplace.com The Grocery Courtesy of The Grocery Downtown A big wood-burning oven is at the heart of chef/owner Kevin Johnson's kitchen, imparting a kiss of smoke to everything from cauliflower and asparagus to whole roasted snapper. An array of seasonal vegetables and fresh local fish are joined by a few long-running menu staples, like fried oysters with deviled egg sauce and a deft Lowcountry pilau with shrimp, crab, and fried fish over a bed of field peas and Charleston Gold rice. The Grocery was among the wave of restaurants that transformed the old retail district of Upper King String into Charleston's hottest dining strip, and it’s still one of the best purveyors of the Southern-inflected farm-to-table style that has long defined Charleston dining. 4 Cannon St; thegrocerycharleston.com Vern's Lizzy Rollins Downtown Bethany and Daniel Heinze made a splash on the Charleston scene when they opened Vern’s in the summer of 2022, and a seat in its cozy dining room is now among the hardest in town to snag. Daniel is the chef, and his deceptively simple preparations belie an inventiveness and depth of flavor. His brilliant escargot preparation blankets tender snails with melted Gruyère and a buttery tarragon-laced sauce, and the roasted spring chicken with brown butter jus is an exercise in firm richness. They’re perfectly matched by Bethany’s carefully curated selection of natural wines from small-scale producers, which tilts toward savory orange and earthy reds that consistently surprise and delight. 41 Bogard Street, vernschs.com Zero Restaurant + Bar Zero George Downtown The restaurant inside the boutique Zero George Hotel offers an intense but playful culinary romp amid a serene, elegant setting. Chef Vinson Petrillo and his team spin out an array of stunning plates in a multi-course tasting menu format with tightly-calibrated wine pairings. Each meal opens with an array of tiny clever "snacks" followed by a succession of inventive small plates with fresh local ingredients transformed by molecular gastronomic wizardry. 0 George St; zerorestaurantcharleston.com 167 Sushi Bar Mike Ledford Downtown This hidden gem on East Bay Street is half sushi bar and half izakaya, and both side of the dual menu deliver. Sushi rolls shine with clean, nuanced flavors, like salmon with lemon confit and green shiso and tuna with sriracha and pickled shiitake. Standouts among the izakaya plates include roasted pork tucked inside pillowy bao buns and brown-seared dumplings filled with pork, ginger, and shallot. The real sleeper is the duck fried rice, which pairs a whole flash-fried duck leg confit with rice tossed with furikake and chili jam. 289 E Bay St.; 167sushibar.com Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit