Shrimp and grits
Stone-ground white grits with sauteed Carolina shrimp, andouille, country ham or mushrooms. The canonical Lowcountry plate served at breakfast and dinner alike.
Where: Slightly North of Broad, Poogan's Porch, Husk, Page's Okra Grill
Charleston eats Lowcountry. The defining plate is shrimp and grits, the canonical version reworked by Frank Lee at Slightly North of Broad in the 1990s with stone-ground grits and house kielbasa. She-crab soup, Frogmore stew, Hoppin' John and benne wafers anchor the rest of the local canon, all rooted in the Gullah-Geechee cooking carried from West Africa through the Sea Islands. Chef BJ Dennis is the city's loudest voice for that heritage, hosting Gullah pop-ups and appearing in High on the Hog. The modern kitchen scene runs through Sean Brock's Husk on Queen Street, Mike Lata's FIG and The Ordinary, Jason Stanhope's Sullivan's Fish Camp out on Sullivan's Island, and Chez Nous on Payne Court. Lewis Barbecue and Rodney Scott's BBQ split the city's central-Texas and whole-hog pitmaster vote. Oysters arrive raw at 167 Raw on King and shovel-fed at Bowens Island near Folly Beach. Charleston Wine + Food in March and Spoleto in late May to early June frame the calendar.
Eat your way through Charleston
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Map of Charleston
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Charleston, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Must-try dishes in Charleston
The plates that define eating in Charleston.
She-crab soup
A rich blue-crab bisque thickened with cream and finished with a splash of sherry, traditionally made with the orange roe of female crabs.
Where: Poogan's Porch, 82 Queen, Slightly North of Broad, Hyman's Seafood
Hoppin' John
Carolina Gold rice cooked with field peas (or black-eyed peas), bacon and onion. The New Year's Day dish for luck, eaten year-round in Charleston.
Where: Husk, Bertha's Kitchen, Hannibal's Kitchen, Slightly North of Broad
Frogmore stew
A one-pot boil of shrimp, smoked sausage, corn on the cob and new potatoes seasoned with Old Bay. Poured onto newspaper, eaten with fingers.
Where: Bowens Island Restaurant, Hyman's Seafood, Page's Okra Grill, Hannibal's Kitchen
Benne wafers
Thin, lacy sesame cookies the size of a coin. Crisp, brown-sugar-bittersweet, with toasted benne (sesame) seeds throughout. A Charleston tea-room classic.
Where: Charleston City Market, Sugar Bakeshop
Carolina Gold rice
The heirloom long-grain rice that built the Lowcountry's plantation economy. Nutty, floral, with a defined grain that holds its shape under sauce.
Where: Husk, FIG, Slightly North of Broad, The Ordinary
Restaurants to know in Charleston
A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Charleston.
Husk
Sean Brock's Husk in Charleston opened on Queen Street in 2010 and rebuilt Southern fine dining around heritage Anson Mills grains, Sea Island peas, hyper-local produce.
Signature: Cornbread in a cast-iron skillet, Wood-grilled local fish
FIG
Mike Lata and Jason Stanhope's FIG in Charleston has been the neighbourhood-scaled dining benchmark since 2003. James Beard Best Chef Southeast for Lata in 2009, Stanhope in 2015.
Signature: Fish stew, Ricotta gnocchi with pork ragu
The Ordinary
Mike Lata's The Ordinary in Charleston turned a 1927 bank building on King Street into the city's most ambitious raw bar in 2013. Marble counters, tile floors, mezzanine bar.
Signature: Crispy oyster sliders, Seafood tower
Chez Nous
Chez Nous in Charleston runs a two-protein, two-pasta, two-starter handwritten menu daily out of a cottage on Payne Court since 2014. Six tables, no menu repeats.
Signature: Daily handwritten menu, Pasta of the day
Vern's
Dano Heinze and Bethany Heinze's Vern's in Charleston runs a 30-seat tasting room on Bogard Street since 2022, picked up a Michelin Guide nod in 2024 with personal service.
Signature: House pasta, Wood-grilled mains
Slightly North of Broad
Slightly North of Broad in Charleston has run on East Bay Street since 1993. Frank Lee's reworked shrimp and grits became the canonical restaurant version of the Lowcountry plate.
Signature: Shrimp and grits, Maverick Grits with sausage
Where to eat by neighborhood
Downtown and the French Quarter (downtown/french-quarter/south-of-broad)
The peninsula's southern half: Husk, FIG, 167 Raw and Charleston's most-walked dining blocks south of Calhoun Street. Carriage tours, cobblestones, oyster bars.
Best for: Fine dining, Oysters, Seafood, Lowcountry
Upper King and Cannonborough (upper-king/cannonborough/elliotborough/cannonborough-elliotborough)
The peninsula's northern restaurant row: Leon's, Xiao Bao, Chez Nous on Payne Court, Sugar Bakeshop and Babas on Cannon. King Street's crawl ends here.
Best for: Cafes, Casual dining, Pizza, Pan-Asian, Bakeries
Wagener Terrace and the Upper Peninsula (upper-peninsula/wagener-terrace/north-central)
North of the Crosstown: Renzo wood-fired pizza, Lewis Barbecue's smokehouse, Rodney Scott's BBQ and Sorghum & Salt. Industrial-conversion dining.
Best for: BBQ, Pizza, Tapas, Brunch
Mount Pleasant (mount-pleasant/mt-pleasant/shem-creek)
Across the Ravenel Bridge: Page's Okra Grill, Vintage Coffee, Westbrook Brewing and the Shem Creek seafood shacks. Suburban, family-leaning.
Best for: Seafood, Southern, Casual dining, Breweries
Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms (sullivans-island/sullivan-s-island/isle-of-palms)
The barrier islands: The Obstinate Daughter, Sullivan's Fish Camp and bracingly fresh seafood at Poe's Tavern. Beach plates and oyster bars.
Best for: Seafood, Pizza, Burgers, Casual dining
James Island and Folly Beach (james-island/folly-beach/folly)
Across the Ashley: Bowens Island Restaurant for shovel-fed oysters, Folly Beach surf-town counters and quiet Lowcountry kitchens.
Best for: Seafood, Oysters, Casual dining
When to come hungry in Charleston
Peak food season: March through November for produce and seafood. Charleston Wine + Food kicks off the first full weekend in March, Lowcountry Oyster Festival lands Feb 1, Spoleto runs late May to early June. Avoid late August into early September, hurricane season and brutal humidity close patios.
Local dining hours: Lunch 11:30 to 14:00, dinner 17:30 to 22:00, last seating typically 21:30. Many King Street rooms open earlier for brunch on weekends. Sunday closures are common; oyster bars and BBQ counters run latest.
Tipping: Tip 18 to 22 percent on the pre-tax total at sit-down restaurants. Bars and counters get $1 to $2 per drink or 15 to 20 percent. A few hotel rooms add automatic service; check the bill before adding more.
Charleston food, FAQ
When is the best time to eat in Charleston?
Peak food season in Charleston is March through November for produce and seafood. Charleston Wine + Food kicks off the first full weekend in March, Lowcountry Oyster Festival lands Feb 1, Spoleto runs late May to early June. Avoid late August into early September, hurricane season and brutal humidity close patios.
What time do people eat in Charleston?
Local dining hours: Lunch 11:30 to 14:00, dinner 17:30 to 22:00, last seating typically 21:30. Many King Street rooms open earlier for brunch on weekends. Sunday closures are common; oyster bars and BBQ counters run latest.
How does tipping work in Charleston?
Tip 18 to 22 percent on the pre-tax total at sit-down restaurants. Bars and counters get $1 to $2 per drink or 15 to 20 percent. A few hotel rooms add automatic service; check the bill before adding more.
What is the one dish to try in Charleston?
If you only have one meal, eat Shrimp and grits. It is the dish most associated with Charleston.