Eat well in Charleston for under €15 a plate: the locals'-budget edition.
Eat well in Charleston for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Hannibal's Kitchen has fed the Eastside of Charleston soul food since 1985. Lunches under $15 include crab rice, smothered pork chops, fried whiting and rice with two sides.
Try: Crab rice, smothered pork chop, fried whiting, lima beans
Tip: Counter order, dining-room seat. Lunch beats dinner; the line peaks 12:30 to 13:30 weekdays.
Bertha's Kitchen in North Charleston has run soul food cafeteria-style since 1979, the Grant family at the steam table. Fried chicken, okra soup, red rice; James Beard America's Classics 2017.
Try: Fried chicken, okra soup, red rice with two sides
Tip: Cash and card both fine. Lunch only, Mon-Sat; arrive before 13:00 or the chicken sells out.
Dave's Carry-Out runs a Charleston counter-only soul food and seafood window on Morris Street. Shrimp platter at $9, fried fish under $11; benches inside while you wait.
Try: Fried fish sandwich, fried shrimp platter
Tip: Tue-Fri lunch and dinner only, closed Sat-Mon. Order ahead by phone if you want to skip the line.
Jack of Cups in Folly Beach runs a seasonally evolving Center Street menu of Asian and Indian inspired comfort food. Southern Living named it South Carolina's best cheap eat.
Try: Globally inspired comfort food, Asian and Indian flavored plates
Tip: Closed Tuesdays. Vegetarian and vegan options run alongside the omnivore menu; sidewalk seats out front, courtyard in back.
Callie's Hot Little Biscuit on King Street fires miniature buttermilk and cheese biscuits to order from a walk-up window in Charleston. A full breakfast for under $10.
Try: Buttermilk biscuit with cheese-and-bacon or country ham
Tip: Single biscuits start under $4. Open from 06:30 weekdays, latest 14:00 close; an upper King go-to before fresh espresso.
Brown Dog Deli on Calhoun Street is a quick-service Charleston sandwich shop that has fed MUSC students and downtown lunch crowds for years. Counter sandwiches, salads, acai bowls.
Try: Philly Collins cheesesteak, Folly Beach Crunch Wrap, sandwich plates
Tip: Order at the counter for grab-and-go or sit-down. Sidewinder Fries and the Buffalo Chicken Crunch are the most-ordered items.
Pearlz Oyster Bar on East Bay Street keeps Charleston's reliable happy-hour table: $1.25 oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp and crab dip, weekdays 16:00 to 19:00.
Try: Happy-hour oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp, crab dip
Tip: Walk-in only at the bar; happy-hour menu is bar-only. The West Ashley Magnolia Road location runs the same special.
Smash City Burgers on Cooper Street runs a stripped-back smashburger counter in the old Fair Deal Grocery on the Charleston Eastside. Classic Single under $10, fries to share.
Try: Classic Single cheeseburger with crinkle fries
Tip: Open Wed-Sun for dine-in, delivery to midnight. Cash or card; build-your-own option for catering orders.
Roti Rolls in Charleston runs the city's longest-running food truck (since 2010), wraps under $12. Creole mac with smoked pork, butter-poached shrimp, Cajun chicken with cotija.
Try: Roti flatbread wraps under $12
Tip: Check eatrotirolls.com for the green truck's daily location. The Mother Clucker is the budget standard.
John Lewis's central-Texas pit fires brisket and sausage every morning at the Nassau Street counter. A two-side plate under $18 is Charleston's best-value barbecue lunch.
Try: Brisket sandwich, sausage plate with two sides
Tip: Order at the counter, sit at the picnic tables. The brisket sandwich at lunch is the move when the full plate is too much.
Peak food season in Charleston is year-round.
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Charleston rewards trust.