133 Best Restaurants in South Carolina, USA

If you're looking for a fun, casual, kid-friendly seafood restaurant, this vibrant joint offers creamy crab bisque, oysters on the half shell, and a sampler platter that includes crab legs, shrimp, and oysters. Open daily for lunch and dinner, plus a Sunday brunch, Captain Woody's has indoor and outdoor seating. A second location in Bluffton features a rooftop deck.

This perennial favorite inside Belmond's Charleston Place hotel provides what many regard as the city's highest gastronomic experience, with a menu divided into three parts: Roots & Stems, Waves & Marsh, and Field & Pasture. Chef Michelle Weaver creates the groundbreaking New South cuisine, while sommelier Rick Rubel stocks 1,300 wines in his cellar, with many served by the glass. The dining room is a soothing backdrop, highlighted by pale wood floors, flowing drapes, and elegant Queen Anne chairs. A jazz ensemble adds a hip yet unobtrusive element.

The menu may be nearly illegible, the space minuscule, and locating the tucked-away location like finding Waldo, but the food is almost always sublime. Each night only two appetizers, two entrées (like snapper with a vin jaune [type of white wine] sauce or gnocchi with chanterelles), and two desserts are offered. Sharing multiple dishes is a good option. Chef Jill Mathias writes down her menu daily, and her lovely calligraphy is often hard to read, but the attentive staff is happy to explain all the offerings. If the dining room feels too snug, head to the outdoor patio, perfect for dinner or brunch.

Spend an evening at this trendsetter for fresh-off-the-farm ingredients cooked with unfussy, flavorful finesse—the Food Is Good kitchen has produced two James Beard Best Chef: Southeast winners. The menu changes frequently, but the family-style vegetables might be as simple as young beets in sherry vinegar served in a plain white bowl. Main dishes get more complex: there's the must-have chicken liver pâté, slow-baked red porgy with Carolina Gold grits, and perfectly executed pan-roasted golden tilefish. The waitstaff is as inspired and informed as the masterpieces they serve.

The cuisine at this atmospheric establishment—combined with a staggering array of excellent wines and professional, caring service—makes Grill 225 a popular special-occasion spot. Take the opportunity to dress up; the elegant wood floors, white linens, and red-velvet upholstery call for it. If you enjoy red meat, indulge in the wet-aged steaks; the filet with foie gras bathed in a fig demiglace is equally excellent. Expect hefty portions, but save room for the pastry chef's shining creations, which include a contemporized version of baked Alaska with a nutty crust, flambéed table-side.

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 share a Coca-Cola float. You can get a pimento cheese on white bread for $2.30, and if you want a scoop of ice cream to go with it, that'll cost you $1.50 (just remember: it's cash-only).

With an abundance of accolades, Husk serves an ambitious menu steeped in the South, and the South alone—everything is sourced regionally, barring exceptions like chocolate and coffee. A large chalkboard lists the ever-changing artisanal dishes available, as the menu sometimes varies twice daily. Supper favorites include seafood such as snapper, catfish, and flounder, frequently paired with heirloom vegetables. Try the fried-chicken skins or skillet of smoky bacon cornbread—both are terrifically popular. The building itself, balcony intact, dates to the late 19th century, and the freestanding bar beside the restaurant is lined with 100-year-old exposed brick and several Kentucky bourbons and whiskeys. If you can't score a reservation, Husk Bar next door is arguably just as good for intimate drinks and a burger.

It's closed at lunchtime and on Sunday; it doesn't take reservations or have a view, but nobody fries up a mess of seafood like Lee's, which is something the restaurant has been doing since 1948. Even the biggest eaters will get their fill when they order the Shore Dinner: fried or broiled flounder, shrimp, oysters, scallops, deviled crab, and lobster, along with a shrimp cocktail, clam chowder, hush puppies, fries, and coleslaw. Sure, you can get your fish broiled or grilled, but why mess with deep-fried perfection?

Casual, quirky, and a tad Wes Anderson-y, this oysters-and-fried-chicken joint sports a kitschy ambience and blues-heavy soundtrack. Fried catfish, oyster, and chicken sammies come towering, dressed in fresh slaw or "comeback sauce" and nestled on perfectly prepared rolls. The oysters are from near or far, depending on the season. Don't forget to ask for a soft-serve ice cream before you go; you can grab it at the window outside the former auto repair shop.

This restaurant has a convivial spirit, and its innovative pairings and plate presentations are au courant. Expect fresh, top-quality ingredients, simple yet elegant sauces, and waiters who know and care about the food and wine they serve.

This popular local eatery still uses family recipes for its soups, crab-cake sandwiches, and curried chicken salad. Open daily for breakfast and lunch, Plums is the perfect spot to enjoy a meal outside and to take in the beautiful views of downtown Beaufort.

Appealing to locals and tourists alike, the menu at upscale Red Fish features classic seafood dishes, mouthwatering apps, and delicious desserts. The contemporary restaurant's wine cellar is filled with some 1,000 bottles, and there's also a retail wineshop as well as indoor and outdoor seating.

The windowed porch overlooking the ocean houses the best seats at this nautical-themed restaurant in a 1930s beach cottage (unless it's a perfect spring or fall day to sit outside in the ocean breeze). Menu highlights include sautéed crab cakes and jambalaya; it's the rare Myrtle Beach seafood restaurant that offers vegetarian and gluten-free menus. The fireplace inside the wood-panel dining room is a warm welcome on cool off-season evenings. Breads and desserts are baked on the premises; save room for a slice of cheesecake du jour.

Since 1972, Signe's has been serving freshly made baked goods as well as delicious breakfast and lunch options on Hilton Head. Signature dishes range from deep-dish French toast and crispy polenta to curried chicken salad and specialty quiches. The intimate eatery features indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a to-go counter. It's the perfect place to grab sandwiches or salads for a picnic lunch. Don't forget the hand-crafted cakes, pies, and pastries for dessert.

Affectionately known as S.N.O.B., this former warehouse with atmospheric brick-and-stucco walls has a chef's table that looks directly into the open kitchen. Many of the specialties, including wild game and other less common meats, are served as small plates that are perfect for sharing. The $14 daily lunch specials are often memorable, such as mussels with spinach, grape tomatoes, and smoked bacon, or a hearty chicken pot pie.

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.

Executive chef and owner Kevin Johnson's outstanding restaurant sits in impressive quarters near the corner of Cannon and King Streets. The menu suggests a humble, considerate approach, as the dishes represent local flavors: the wood-roasted carrots come with feta, raisins, and pistachio crumble, while the wood-roasted whole fish is delivered with salsa verde. The high wainscoting and tall shelving filled with jams and jellies, pickled vegetables, and vintage kitchenware add to the earthy, unassuming presence.