John Lewis's Lewis Barbecue in Charleston runs central-Texas-style brisket and hot-guts sausage from a Nassau Street smokehouse since 2016. The pitmaster previously ran Franklin's smoker.
Signature dishes: Brisket by the pound, Hot guts sausage
Must order: A quarter-pound of fatty brisket and a hot-guts link, plus the green chile corn pudding side.
Tip: Order at the counter. Brisket runs out by 19:00 most nights; arrive earlier for the full menu.
Address: 464 N Nassau St, Charleston, SC 29403
Rodney Scott's BBQ in Charleston runs whole-hog pit barbecue from a King Street smokehouse since 2017. Scott won the 2018 James Beard Best Chef Southeast for his Hemingway pit work.
Signature: Whole-hog sandwich, Pit-cooked ribs
Order: The whole-hog pork sandwich with red sauce and a side of collards.
Tip: Walk-up counter. Plates run out by 19:00; arrive earlier on weekends.
Rodney Scott's BBQ in Charleston runs whole-hog pit barbecue from a King Street smokehouse since 2017. Scott won the 2018 James Beard Best Chef Southeast for his Hemingway pit work.
Signature: Whole-hog sandwich, Pit-cooked ribs
Order: The whole-hog pork sandwich with red sauce and a side of collards.
Tip: Walk-up counter. Plates run out by 19:00; arrive earlier on weekends.
Melfi's in Charleston runs upper-King-Street red-sauce Italian and Roman-thin-crust pizza out of a clubby tin-ceiling room since 2018. The Indaco team's casual sibling.
Signature: Roman thin-crust pizza, House-made pasta
Order: The Cacio e Pepe pizza and a glass of Chianti Classico.
Tip: Book on Resy. Walk-up bar seats serve the full menu.
Bowens Island Restaurant near Folly Beach has shovel-fed steamed Lowcountry oysters since 1946. James Beard America's Classics winner in 2006; rebuilt after a 2010 fire.
Signature: Steamed oysters by the bushel, Frogmore stew
Order: A bushel of steamed oysters opened table-side and a bowl of Frogmore stew.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Cash and card; no reservations. Tide-line tables fill at sunset.
Wild Olive on Johns Island has run handmade pasta and Italian-Lowcountry plates from a converted barn on Maybank Highway since 2009. Jacques Larson's first restaurant.
Signature: House-made pasta, Wood-fired meats
Order: Whatever house pasta the kitchen is running tonight.
Tip: Reservations required almost every night.
Poogan's Porch in Charleston has run since 1976 from a Victorian on Queen Street. Lowcountry brunch institution with shrimp and grits and house buttermilk biscuits.
Signature: Shrimp and grits, Buttermilk biscuits
Order: Shrimp and grits at brunch, biscuits to start.
Tip: Book on OpenTable. Brunch on weekends draws a queue from 10:00.
82 Queen in Charleston has poured she-crab soup for 40 years from three historic buildings on Queen Street with a courtyard garden under a magnolia. Lowcountry institution.
Signature: She-crab soup, Shrimp and grits
Order: The 18-time-award-winning she-crab soup.
Tip: Book on OpenTable. Courtyard seats are the best in the house.
