Page's Okra Grill in Mount Pleasant has run family-owned Southern cooking on Coleman Boulevard since 2008. Ashleigh's shrimp and grits is the Travel Channel feature plate.
Signature dishes: Ashleigh's shrimp and grits, Fried green tomatoes
Must order: Ashleigh's shrimp and grits with andouille and tomato gravy.
Tip: No reservations; arrive at 11:00 or wait. Walk-ins only; cash and card.
Address: 302 Coleman Blvd, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464, Charleston
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
Order: The skillet cornbread with bacon-fat butter, plus whatever the wood grill is running tonight.
Tip: Book on huskcharleston.com. The bar serves the full menu walk-up from 17:00 onward, no reservations needed.
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
Order: The fish stew with house-cut potatoes and aioli; rotates by season.
Tip: Book 30 days ahead on Resy. Bar seats are first-come.
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
Order: The crispy oyster sliders on Hawaiian rolls, plus the seafood tower for the table.
Tip: Book on Resy. Mezzanine bar takes walk-ins and serves the full menu.
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
Order: Whatever pasta is on the day's chalkboard; it's always the strongest plate.
Tip: Book on Resy weeks ahead. The room is tiny and tables turn slowly.
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
Order: Whatever the day's pasta is, then the protein from the wood grill.
Tip: Resy bookings open 28 days ahead and go in minutes. Walk-in bar seats sometimes free up at 17:00.
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
Order: The shrimp and grits with stone-ground grits and house kielbasa, on the menu since the 90s.
Tip: Brunch and lunch are easier seats than dinner. Bar seats are walk-in only.
