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Although some locals call it the "fancy place," Carmine's is a lively pizza joint more than anything. Local clams come in a red tomato sauce, and the veal marsala with fresh mushrooms is a tender treat. The only high-end furnishing is a baby grand, which is tickled by pianists on Friday and Saturday night.
242 E. Washington St., Walterboro, South Carolina, 29488, USA
Known For
- Hearty pizzas and pasta bowls
- Live piano music
- A charming amalgam of Italy and the rural South
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Credit cards accepted
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$$$$ | College of Charleston Campus |
Located on-site at the Wentworth Mansion, this former residential home is full of hand-carved marble fireplaces and stained-glass windows. The locally sourced menu is designed as a journey through South Carolina history, with dishes like heart of palm soup and venison loin that highlight ingredients used by presettlement Native Americans along with ones that celebrate the Lowcountry's Gullah-Geechee culture, like shrimp and rice grits. For those looking for an intimate, romantic meal, the low lighting and quiet comfort of Circa 1886 is hard to top.
149 Wentworth St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Outdoor dining in the courtyard
- City views from the cupola atop the mansion
- Local crab and clam pie
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch, Credit cards accepted, Closed Sun. No lunch, Reservations essential
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$$$ | Upper King |
Off a little alley in a restored indigo warehouse, Coast Bar & Grill has a stripped-down look with exposed brick walls and wood columns. Wood-fired seafood and heavy sauces are staples, but lighter dishes like fish tacos and ceviche make it a standout. Highlights include braised grouper served with tasty herbs, shiitake mushrooms, and decadent bacon-and-cheese grits, as well as the lobster and crab gratin, which comes complete with Parmesan mashed potatoes. The place can be noisy, but it's always fun. (It transforms into a boisterous bar in the later hours.) You can watch the cooks in the heat of the open kitchen in the front room or go in the back dining room where it is cooler. There are usually half-price wine specials, and there's live music on Sunday evening.
39D John St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Wood-fired oven
- Live acoustic music on Sunday
- Gatherings before shows at the adjacent Charleston Music Hall
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | Market |
The sunny wraparound porch in an 18th-century house lures people to this eatery from lauded local chef John Zucker, but it's the inventive menu that keeps them coming back. Fried chicken breasts are topped with poblano peppers and mozzarella, and duck confit is served with caramelized pecans, goat cheese, and fried shoestring onions. Meat dishes are laced with sauces featuring green peppercorns, port wine, pear sherry, chipotle peppers, and horseradish cream.
18 Pinckney St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Local produce and seafood
- Four-cheese macaroni
- Cozy dining in a centuries-old Charleston single home
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$ | Market |
The wood-fired oven is on full display at this Italian-leaning eatery that churns out decadent pizzas—including one dripping with taleggio and burnt honey—and shareable plates like blue crab fritters and a platter of rich pork and beef meatballs sizzling in a cast iron skillet. Spacious, green-cushioned round booths are the choice seating inside, but if weather allows, ask for a table in the lovely courtyard, a space shared with the Emeline Hotel.
181 Church St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- House-made mozzarella served with thin-sliced country ham
- Mezcal negronis on tap
- Lovely courtyard for outdoor dining
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$ | South of Broad |
This local favorite, also known as Fast & French, has been a fixture in the neighborhood for more than 35 years, thanks to the consistent food, the esprit de corps of the staff, and the family-style tables for sharing breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Its popular fondue grew from a once-a-week special to a daily affair, and you can also get your cheese fix with the wonderful Bucheron cheese salad. Nightly specials, such as bouillabaisse, are reasonably priced and come with a petite glass of wine. The subtly sweet chocolate-mousse cake is the best way to end your meal.
98 Broad St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Gourmet bites in an area of town short of restaurants
- Charming ambience
- Nightly specials, including fondue night
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | Cannonborough |
Years after shuttering the much beloved La Fourchette, Perig Goulet revived his French bistro setup in a roomier dining room on Rutledge Avenue. As the name implies, roast chicken and French fries are central to the kitchen's output, but there aren't any missteps on the tightly edited menu. The fairly priced wine list bulges with classics, with plenty of rustic red to underscore the restaurant's neighborhood feel.
210 Rutledge Ave., Charleston, South Carolina, 29403, USA
Known For
- Savory lamb chops
- Local clientele
- Reasonable wine list
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$$$$ | Upper King |
Thanks to its impressive 28-day-aged USDA steaks, Halls Chophouse is regarded as one of the top steak houses in town. The 28-ounce Tomahawk rib eye, the New York strip, and the slow-roasted prime rib are especially recommended. The bustling bar is a good place to rub shoulders with a variety of well-to-do locals. A heads-up: the service borders on excessive (or is it obsessive?); the staff takes uncommon heed of its guests, though the lavishly prepared steaks offer the restaurant's greatest source of hospitality.
434 King St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29403, USA
Known For
- Hopping upscale bar scene
- Sunday brunch featuring live gospel singers
- Amazing variety of steaks
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$ | Market |
This upscale fish house serves such Southern adaptations as Lowcountry bouillabaisse and seafood platters that come with sweet-potato fries and coleslaw. With a community table flanked by paper-topped private tables, the lively spot hearkens back to an earlier time in Charleston's culinary history. The atmosphere retains an authentic vibe, with waiters in long white aprons buzzing about.
10 Hayne St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Local following in a tourist-heavy district
- Generous seafood platters
- Oyster happy hour 4:30–6 on weekdays
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted
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$$$$ | Downtown Historic District |
This Charleston classic remains unchanged by time: lazily spinning paddle fans, lush palm trees, and exposed brick walls. The kitchen serves up regional classics like a Lowcountry boil and bacon-wrapped stuffed rabbit loin. If you want a traditional dinner, there are thick cuts of steaks and chops with your choice of sauce and side dishes like fried Brussels sprouts and creamy white corn grits. For dessert, the pecan pie baked with bourbon brown sugar caramel and the high-rising peanut butter pie are like rich Southern blessings.
199 E. Bay St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Live jazz and bluegrass music at the bar
- One of the city's finest Sunday brunches
- High-rising peanut butter pie for dessert
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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Creative Southern fare keeps this place bustling—it feels like the center of the small town action on weekend evenings. Opt for daily specials like Cajun crawfish pot pie or the sausage-stuffed pork tenderloin. Seating is inside the spacious brick former ice warehouse or on the inviting patio, where a playground (lorded over by a life-size Sasquatch) let parents eat while the kids get their energy out.
104 E. Doty Ave., Summerville, South Carolina, 29483, USA
Known For
- Fried pickles
- Jumbo chicken wings
- Hopping outdoor bar
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$$ | Upper King |
For sophisticated Italian fare in a vibrant (and sometimes boisterous) setting, this hip spot on Upper King is the place. A modern aesthetic of exposed wood and an open kitchen may drive the design, but the food isn't putting on airs. Start with the burrata cheese served with crisp flatbread, then dive into one of the many unique salads—the spring vegetable salad, with a cornucopia of seasonal veggies, is recommended. Don't miss the black-pepper tagliatelle crowned with a soft-boiled egg yolk.
526 King St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29403, USA
Known For
- An open kitchen that spills into the dining room
- Negroni cocktail on tap
- Black-pepper tagliatelle crowned with a soft-boiled egg yolk
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Reservations essential
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$$$ | College of Charleston Campus |
The fragrance of beef, lamb, and chicken shawarma wafts from the glass front doors of this Lebanese restaurant, bringing the authentic flavors of the Middle East to Charleston. Adventurous eaters can find beef tongue and frogs' legs on the huge menu, or skip straight to sweet treats with meghli rice flour pudding bedecked in cloves, coconut, and cinnamon. Generous portions make up for slightly high prices, and the service is friendly and informative.
298 King St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Authentic Middle Eastern fare
- Hard-to-find Lebanese wines
- Unique desserts like osmalieh (crispy shredded dough with pistachios)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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$$$$ | Downtown Historic District |
The theme at this extremely popular—and worthy—tourist destination is evident in the vivid paintings of white magnolia blossoms that adorn the walls. The menu pays homage to classic dishes like fried green tomatoes with white cheddar grits, caramelized onions, and country ham. Lunch is a more affordable way to sample the best of Lowcountry cuisine.
185 E. Bay St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Collard-green-and-tasso-ham egg rolls that spawned a Southern-fusion revolution
- Daily vegetarian entrée showcasing local produce
- Affordable Sunday brunch
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$ | |
Grab a window seat at this casual spot for a pleasant view of East Washington Street while you dig into shrimp and stone-ground grits, a Philly-style cheese steak, or a juicy burger on a kaiser roll. Desserts like bourbon pecan pie are house made and served in generous portions.
256 E. Washington St., Walterboro, South Carolina, 29488, USA
Known For
- Hearty takes on American classics
- Convenient place to recharge before more antiques shopping
- Local hospitality
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sat.–Tues., Credit cards accepted
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$$$$ | North Central |
After helping to establish the Ordinary as one of the city's finest restaurants, chef Vandy Vanderwarker set out on his own to create an exquisite salute to classical French cuisine. The energetic dining room is relatively casual, but the technique is decidedly not; known as a chef's chef, Vanderwarker is revered for his tartare and fish quenelles. Don't miss the cocktails, either.
708 King St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29403, USA
Known For
- Unapologetically rich dishes
- Stupendous cocktails
- Cozy outdoor patio
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch
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$$ | Upper King |
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.
451 King St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29403, USA
Known For
- Gourmet pizza
- A hip bar scene in the heart of Upper King's action
- Wine by the carafe
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | Lower King |
Set in a pale yellow building on Society Street, Muse lays bare Mediterranean stylings in sophisticated, relaxed quarters. The menu offers standout versions of classic fine-dining fare like veal scaloppini and a grilled pork chop, as well as the signature dish: a delicious, scarcely fried sea bass, served with head and tail intact, over a ragù of butter beans and pancetta. The bar functions as a drawing room, permitting easy introductions and closer inspection of the restaurant's impressive, 100-plus-bottle wine list.
82 Society St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- 75 wines by the glass
- Late-night weekend menu
- Ricotta cheesecake with blueberry coulis
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | South of Broad |
In a 19th-century bank building, this ornate dining room juxtaposes antique crystal chandeliers with contemporary art. Reserve a table on the third floor for the full effect and the best vistas. It's pricey, but the filet mignon with foie-gras-and-black-truffle butter is excellent, and the side dishes, like creamed spinach, are perfectly executed. Favorite appetizers include beef carpaccio and Gorgonzola fondue. The service is professional and cordial under the leadership of executive chef Jeremiah Bacon.
17 Broad St., Charleston, South Carolina, 29401, USA
Known For
- Excellent wet- and dry-aged steaks
- Burgers ground with a blend of strip, brisket, and fillet
- Massive, carefully selected wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch, Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | |
The old metal cages remain at this converted post office, but instead of mail you'll find Southern-inspired fare like a savory shrimp and grits that ups the ante with scallops. The seafood averse can opt for a filet mignon burger or a Carolina rib eye. When there's a piano man in the upstairs bar, so much the better.
1442 Hwy. 174, Edisto Island, South Carolina, 29438, USA
Known For
- Relaxed upscale dining out in the country
- Local seafood cooked near the source
- Lively local scene on weekends
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Jan., Sun., and Mon. No lunch, Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
