Charleston Dining: Atmospheric,yet economical?
 

Our family of 4 will be staying at Seabrook again this August since we enjoyed it so much last year! Last year we had some great meals at 82 Queen St., Hominy Grill, Inn at Middleton Place, Jasmine's Porch at the Sanctuary to name a few!

This year we'd like to try 1 or 2 "high end" restaurants in Charleston, but are also looking for more restaurants with a "local" ambience. Charleston environs are OK, as we will have our own vehicle.

We also plan a full day trip down to Beaufort, so any recs for this area are also appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Lori

So family of four is ... two adults, two children? Where are you from, and what kind of food are you looking for? Barbecue, seafood, fusion, sous vide, sustainable, an adult menu, a mixed menu ....

Based on where you've eaten, I'd probably recommend Plums for lunch in Beauford -- not spectacular, but good sandwiches, a great view over the marina, which helps since service can be slow. Sgt. White's for barbecue, if it's still around (it's been a while since I was down), or go to the Shrimp Shack, a local favorite for fried seafood in Port Royal, next small town over.

SNOB
Peninsual Grille

Hi!
Family of 4 includes 2 daughters, ages 10 and 20. We like all types of food and are always looking for new experiences.
Thanks,
Lori

Dinner at the Boathouse on Isle of Palms is always a lot of fun - the place has a lot of energy right on the water. I don't remember it being too expensive.

Lunch in the courtyard at 82 Queen is pretty nice and a good deal, but you've already been there.

Something different and something new (I haven't been but my adult kids actually enjoyed it) is Buccaneer, which sounded horrible but they claimed was good, and good fun. Something for all ages, lots to look at, sustainable seafood, and not terribly expensive. Tucked away on Farber Street, right behind East Bay off Cumberland. Note: I could not get into their website, noted as potentially containing malicious software. Check yelp or trip advisor for reviews though.

SNOB of course is a classic, always wonderful.

since you are on Seabrook, you should check out Wild Olive and Fat Hen, both on Maybank Highway on Johns Island. There are a number of locals who think these are two of the best places around Charleston right now.

Both tend to be very busy on Friday nights, less so on Saturdays. We usually aim for a weeknight or Sunday night. Both are good for families and yet are sophisticated enough to keep adults happy. Highly recommend.

The King Street Grill at Freshfields is a good family casual place, also on Johns Island. Best lunch may be Rosebank at the Bohickit Marina.

If you're dining on Kiawah itself, make a reservation at the Ocean Course Atlantic Room. While it is pricy for dinner, it has a good and reasonable lunch menu. Only place on the Island with an ocean view. Kids can run around on the putting green and then take a walk down to the end of the Island. You will need to call ahead to get through the second gate.

Also the Oyster Roast at Mingo Point on Kiawah on Monday nights is a treat. Roast pig with all the trimmings plus roasted oysters and live music. Great for kids who can search the marsh for fiddler crabs.

While we appreciate the downtown restaurants, it really is nice to dine nearby in the summer.

Love, love, love both the Fat Hen and Wild Olive. Wild Olive was so good that we ate there twice during our week on Sullivan's Island last month.

My mother just got back from the Charleston area and had the news that the Fat Hen is not open for lunch any longer. I don't know when this changed...but I thought I would pass on the info. I haven't tried Wild Olive (no lunch either) but I really like the Fat Hen.

We've also had many good meals at The Jasmine Porch at The Sanctuary. My mother and her friend had appetizers at Hege's at Freshfields and dinner at Red Sky (open again on Seabrook in a much larger space, new chef) and said they were both good.

Openings and closings of restaurants happen almost daily now in the Lowcountry. Be sure to call ahead to find out the operating times of restaurants.

On our visit to Seabrook this summer, my daughters(ages 13, 19) and I finally tried the Bistro at Bohicket. We had the place to ourselves. It is not cheap for dinner (we tried to go back for lunch and it was closed that day--so back to our trusted Rosebank Cafe).

Don't miss the Fried oreos at Bistro. It sounds crazy but my daughters now refer to them as "angel pockets" :-)

I'm hearing good things about Shrimpers over on Kiawah. Kiawah has recently changed its restaurant offerings. Actually, the restaurants now include a low-end, mid range, and high end with price points to reflect.

Restaurants I usually suggest near Seabrook Island are:

Red Sky,
Rosebank Cafe-Bohicket Marina
Up Da Creek-Bohicket Marina (a great place to have a drink and watch the sunset)
Bistro at Bohicket

Over at Freshfields, we like King Street Grille's variety (bruchetta rocks!); Ladles for lunch (soup and sandwich)

Main Rd and Maybank--El Mercadito-hard to believe a mexican food restaurant could find a home on John's Island- The servings are huge and the margaritas plentiful

Maybank Hwy--Fat Hen, Wild Olive, Mustard Seed

Downtown--I had the Buccaneer on our list this summer (we had younger children visiting us) but we never made it down town.

Mt. Pleasant--SeeWee Restaurant--This place is an institution on Hwy 17. Be warned you'll want to keep driving right past (it looks like the building could fall in). The ambiance here is "old Lowcountry"--it's an old country store that has been converted to a restaurant. Most everything is fried but you're on vacation;-)

Enjoy!

In Beaufort I loved Wren's. Plum's is good for a lunch as is Blackstone's. I did a mini trip report of a long weekend there last month.

Enjoy your visit.

I just noticed you don't appear to have tried Magnolia's or Fig in Charleston. They are both very good.