Charleston is synonymous with next-level hospitality, and our restaurants are the hallmarks of this town. After nearly 20 years of covering the city’s food scene for local publications including the Charleston City Paper, I’ve learned it’s the people that set our restaurants apart.
As a diner, you can feel that attentiveness transforming a regular night out into a memorable experience for the books: A beloved schnitzel spot in Mount Pleasant urges diners to stay awhile with blankets on chairs; a Chicago transplant serves some of the city’s most meticulously plated food—minus any pretension; a Pakistani chef started a COVID-era meal delivery service that was so popular, she turned it into a full-fledged restaurant downtown.
This list represents just a small collection of my favorite restaurants in Charleston. These are 12 places that welcome me in, treat me like a regular, and have me wanting to return again and again.
Maison (Downtown Charleston)
Chef and owner Vandy Vanderwarker’s French bistro Maison is an all-around delight. Choosing what to eat from the tight menu can be difficult, so I let the vegetables guide me. Vanderwarker is a master at letting quality local produce sing and dressing it in irresistible French sauces. If the crispy flounder is accompanied by carrots and leeks in a vadouvan curry broth, that’s my move. Sometimes, though, it’s impossible not to go straight for the satisfyingly classic steak frites.
Bearcat (Avondale)
Chef and owner George Kovach’s 2020 move to Charleston from Chicago gave us an inventive New American restaurant. Kovach’s food is ambitious, tasty, and sometimes a little offbeat—but in the best possible way. Fingerling sweet potatoes dehydrated then simmered and served with a tuile of fermented black beans? Yes, please. Bearcat still feels like a hidden gem that the tourists don’t know about—yet.
Indaco (Downtown Charleston)
Tagliatelle with fresh farm egg, black pepper, and Parmesan was the most recent dish that had me smitten at Indaco. You can pop into this rustic downtown restaurant and sit at the community table for a spicy soppressata pizza and a glass of Barbera before a show nearby, or make a reservation and linger over antipasti, housemade pasta, and piatti with a bottle from the exciting wine list. No matter what you’re in the mood for, Indaco is a reliable Italian destination that can do it all.
Tavern & Table (Mount Pleasant)
Tavern & Table is a go-to when you want lunch or dinner with a waterfront view. The menu is a crowd-pleaser, equally great for satisfying large groups and romantic dates. I start with small plates, like raw oysters and peel-and-eat shrimp, before diving into pimento cheese and bacon jam with Ritz crackers. One day, I’ll make it to the mains and try the diver scallops or grilled swordfish. Until then, I’ll be watching the dolphins in the nearby creek, sipping a blood orange Paloma, and snacking to my heart’s content.
Rappahannock Oyster Bar (Downtown Charleston)
Few can compare to Charleston’s big and salty local oysters, but the Chesapeake Bay oysters grown by Rappahannock Oyster Co. are worthy of a place on your half-shell. Also get the Olde Salts, because they are indeed salty but also a little sweet, tasting of their home waters in Chincoteague, Virginia. The rest of the seafood menu is excellent, too, but it’s the oysters paired with a bracing glass of Grüner Veltliner that locals regularly come here for.
Ma’am Saab (Downtown Charleston)
Maryam Ghaznavi introduced Charleston to Ma’am Saab during the pandemic when she started making and delivering Pakistani street food. When she realized she had a rabid fan base, Ghaznavi and her husband Raheel Gauba expanded, opening Malika Canteen for street eats and planning a new location—and more upscale identity—for Ma’am Saab. The result is a glamorous and moody lair, a favorite for spicy curries like an irresistibly creamy butter chicken, plus sultry cocktails.
39 Rue de Jean (Downtown Charleston)
Rue, as it’s affectionately known, is close to being a certifiable Charleston classic. The 23-year-old favorite consistently delivers what you want from a French cafe: onion soup, Niçoise salad, bouillabaisse, and coq au vin. I regularly crave the moules (mussels), which come swimming in bread-sopping sauces like mariniere and bacon bleu. After all these years, Rue is a true-blue friend. You can slip in, reacquaint yourself, and they’ll welcome you back no matter how long you’ve been away.
843 Korean BBQ & Sushi House (North Charleston)
843 Korean is a fun family-run destination. It’s got heaping bowls of noodles, soju cocktails, Korean beers, barbecue tables, and karaoke, too. The sushi selection is equally huge, and we haven’t even gotten to the all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue yet. Make a karaoke room reservation in between bites of sizzling bibimbap and kimchi pancakes, then head to the back to sing your heart out.
Oak Steakhouse (Downtown Charleston)
Charleston’s original upscale steakhouse treats certified Angus beef like the treasure it is, even offering Oak steak boxes for home delivery. The restaurant isn’t light on your wallet, but it’s the place to book if you want to be treated like royalty. The hospitality is impeccable, and everything from the house-baked Parker rolls to the whipped potatoes and creamed spinach are what you want to eat with your expertly cooked prime beef ribeye.
The King Claw (West Ashley)
The signature here is seafood boils served in a bag. Order one, and it comes packed with all the sausage, shrimp, corn, and potatoes you can eat. You can also customize and add embellishments like boiled eggs, garlic butter with Cajun seasoning, or extra hot spice. For purists, this might be a travesty. But if you just go with it, you can have yourself a heck of a good time at the King Claw. The atmosphere is casual, the service is attentive, and the experience is fun—especially if you love seafood.
Peninsula Grill (Downtown Charleston)
Peninsula Grill is Charleston’s velvet-lined grande dame, delivering everything you’d expect from a sophisticated hotel restaurant. The menu is classic with a noticeable Southern accent. And even though it’s now sold and shipped around the nation, the 12-layer coconut cake is impossible to resist. For years, no matter where I ate dinner, I would stop in for a slice of this iconic dessert. The Peninsula version is ridiculously decadent and worth every penny.
Nick’s German Kitchen (Mount Pleasant)
Nick’s German Kitchen has amassed a loyal following of schnitzel and spätzle fans—including yours truly—since opening in 2019. The meat here is pounded thinly, breaded perfectly, and served on bacon-fried potatoes or tender spätzle, which also comes as an appetizer for those of us who can’t get enough. Welcoming touches like blankets draped over the back of each patio chair add a layer of warm hospitality.
Stephanie Barna is a food writer based in Charleston, SC. As the former editor of Charleston City Paper, she has chronicled the Charleston food scene for two decades.
