189 Best Restaurants in South Carolina, USA

One of the Charleston area's great soul food institutions, Bertha's is owned and run by sisters Julie Grant, Linda Pinckney, and Sharon Grant Coakley, who have been awarded the America's Classic prize from the James Beard Foundation for being an essential component of the community (the restaurant was opened in their mother's honor). There's almost always a line at the counter-service restaurant, but it's worth waiting for exceptional okra soup, fried pork chops, and lima beans.

Hurricanes, fires, and the onslaught of trendy restaurants hitting downtown can't tamp down this family-owned seafood shack that's littered with oyster shells and graffiti. The menu is reliable: big ol' shrimp, fried or boiled; shrimp and grits; hush puppies; and the biggie—trays of piping hot steamed oysters. Dinner is served in an enclosed dock house, on a covered deck, and inside the main building. Find the local landmark on a slip of an island about 20 minutes from downtown and just before Folly Beach. When you see the sign, follow the dirt road until you see water. (Boaters can dock here while they eat.)

French fine dining with a hint of Carolina flair is flawlessly executed at this stunning brasserie in a former bank with soaring ceilings and wide windows overlooking horse-drawn carriages on Broad Street. Yes, you'll find escargots, foie gras, and steak frites, all executed at the highest possible level, but save room for entrées like the duck breast cassoulet, served over a confit leg with the perfect amount of crispy indulgence. Before or after your meal, grab a drink downstairs in the speakeasy-esque Bar Vaute, built into the semi-underground former vault. 

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, as well as live music weekly. A second location in Bluffton features a rooftop deck.

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 white wine sauce or gnocchi with chanterelles), and two desserts are offered. Sharing multiple dishes is a good option.  If the dining room feels too snug, head to the outdoor patio, perfect for dinner or brunch.

Although it's billed as Italian, the focus at this popular bistro is fresh, local seafood, from savory local clams to juicy shrimp and diver scallops, tossed with pastas and worked into creative appetizers. The interior features open ceilings and a classy nautical theme in cool blues. It's off the water, away from the bustle of the creekfront dining scene. 

It's not just what's in the pint glasses at this upscale brewpub that has locals raving. The kitchen's mac-and-peas and crunchy salad with shrimp, featuring the region's hallmark ingredients, are almost universally adored. The atmosphere is chic yet comfortable with large booths, canvas chairs, and a huge bar, while an outdoor patio invites you to sip in the sunshine. This is the original location—the restaurant shares its name with a more casual restaurant north of downtown.

Known to locals as EVO, this Park Circle pizzeria is considered by many to be the area's best, doling out Neapolitan-style pies with super-thin and crunchy crusts. The Food Network chose EVO's pistachio pesto pie—goat mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on pesto made with olive oil, salt, and pistachios—as the state's best slice. Another favorite is the pork trifecta pizza, a meat-tastic dish made with house-made sweet sausages, pepperoni, and smoked bacon. EVO also relies on local and regional purveyors for produce like grape and heirloom tomatoes and lettuce. Bonus: you're guaranteed a nice variety of drinks, from wine to a deep menu of local craft brews. 

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.

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.

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 can share an honest-to-goodness Coca-Cola float. Look for no-frills white-bread sandwiches—pimento cheese, bologna, egg salad, and more—fountain drinks and malts, and mainstay ice cream flavors.

The focus is on local seafood and produce at this classy but casual spot that brings extra flair to entrées like pan-seared scallops, fried shrimp over grits, or a spiced tuna on Carolina Gold rice. There's plenty for landlubbers, like a pork chop with peach demi-glace (a rich brown sauce), and each dish has a suggested wine pairing. 

This ambitious Italian osteria serves inspired pastas and small plates that may be the city's most flavorful Italian fare. Co-owner and chef Michael Toscano melds far-flung ingredients into cohesive dishes—a bucatini blends chili, basil, and provolone with octopus and sweet peppers, or opt for squid ink spaghetti with shrimp and jalapeño pesto that leaves a lasting flavor memory.

It's only open four nights a week, for dinner, and 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 sandwiches 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.

Austin pitmaster John Lewis transformed Charleston's smoked meat scene when he opened this Texas-style joint that serves prime rib, pulled pork, and "hot guts" by the pound. The meat is served on brown paper, the margaritas are tart; and Lewis's patio is uncannily evocative of Texas, thanks in part to the carefully chosen soundtrack. Opt for the monster El Sancho Loco sandwich if you just can't decide.

The third entry in Brooks Reitz's geographically constrained restaurant empire (you can stand on Upper King Street and see all three venues at once), Melfi's is as evocative as the chophouse and oyster garage that preceded it. Styled after a quintessential Italian-American dining room, Melfi's mischievous streak darts through the shaken Negronis and ends with the restaurant's excellent Roman-style pies.

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.

Chef Nico Romo made his name at King Street's longstanding upscale seafood restaurant, Fish, before harnessing that name to venture out on his own in Mount Pleasant. Fortunately, his menu still combines his passion for local seafood with his knowledge of French cuisine, although with perhaps a few more liberties taken. Entrées emerge from the wood-fired oven and are best preceded by oysters from the raw bar that anchors the open dining room.

Known for the fine Italian cuisine he offers here on Sullivan's Island and a few bridges away at Wild Olive on Johns Island, talented Jacques Larson might be as known for his seafood, pasta, and pizza as he is for his affable, good-guy charm. At OD, choose from the excellent gnocchi, inventive pizzas, and spicy bucatini pasta, or dive into surprises like grilled octopus with white beans, collard flower kimchi, and scallops and squid fra diavolo. The music is vintage R&B, and the vibe is relaxed at the nautical-styled restaurant that manages to feel like a local spot that just happens to serve downtown-level fare.

This spot serves locally made vegan and old-school ice cream done right, plus nitro cold brew.

Award-winning chefs deliver every possible type of underwater delight here, from local littleneck clams to wahoo carpaccio. The two-story dining room of this former bank building fills up fast, but you can always belly up to the stunning bar while you wait and enjoy a variety of clever cocktails. Perhaps the best seat is at the oyster bar, where the freshest of bivalves await. And if you're looking for optimum indulgence, ask for the seafood tower. The triple decker will set you back $165, but spilling over with fruits de mer, it is worth every penny.

It's a heavenly experience at this Little River staple housed in an old country church that dates back to 1885. Renowned chef-owner Ed Murray Jr. brings the finest steaks and local seafood and produce to the table. You'll be praying for more after you try Murray's marvel of meats, like prime rib and braised short ribs. Stained-glass windows add to the charm.

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 wine shop. Add live music and both indoor and outdoor seating, and it’s a winner.

Although it's billed as a pizza parlor, this neighborhood trattoria stuns taste buds with its entire menu, including anchovies in pepper and grapefruit and entrées like swordfish with horseradish mustard. The thin-crust pizzas are complemented by an impressive selection of natural wines and a daily cocktail special.

Rodney Scott became a darling of the region's barbecue scene in the early 2010s, when he branched out from his family's pit-cooked joint in Hemingway, South Carolina, to create this temple to whole hogs in downtown Charleston. Apart from the requisite sandwiches and platters, he also offers pit-cooked chicken, racks of ribs, and fried catfish. Come hungry and grab an extra handful of napkins.

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.