The food scene really is all you hear about! There are so many amazing restaurants and unique offerings all over town. From fresh seafood (our favorite), BBQ, local southern classics and everything in-between!
We always try our best to find the “local spots” and often ask anyone who we interact with what their favorites are! This time around we were very lucky, because we had some friends who call Charleston, SC home and could give us all of their recommendations.
We throughly enjoyed every restaurant we tried and have so many we sadly missed, but we will be back to try again soon!
Check out our favorites below:
Rappahannock Oyster Bar ($$) | We feel we had the best seafood in Charleston, SC here! Incredible selection of local fresh fish, a fun oyster bar where they shuck right in front of you and an awesome happy hour Monday-Friday 4:00-7:00pm. It is located off of the touristy path, in an old 19th century cigar factory! Incredible atmosphere! Another fun note is that the restaurant also features a new pantry concept which offers a seafood market inside the restaurant and also showcases all of the seafood they are serving inside the restaurant! There is a large seating capacity, so it is also great option for larger parties. 10 out of 10, put it on the list!
The Darling Oyster ($$) | Located right on King Street, The Darling Oyster is in the heart of the action and night scene downtown. It is open until 2:00am, so a great spot if you are looking to find delicious food on the later side. The Darling Oyster also has an incredible oyster bar, the best oyster shooters we had in town and a charming atmosphere located in a beautiful refinished 115-year-old storefront. A refined seafood menu offering brunch, raw bar, dinner, drinks and dessert…a new favorite for us right downtown!
Lewis BBQ ($$) | Another favorite off of the beaten bath is Lewis BBQ. It is a quick 10 minute drive outside of downtown in the pocket of town called NOMO. Surprisingly, Charleston is not known for its BBQ…but this place and Rodney Scott’s BBQ definitely put that reputation to shame. A true Texas-style BBQ joint and after you learn its story it all makes sense. John Lewis, a true mater of BBQ, moved to Charleston, SC in 2015 and opened Lewis BBQ on 2016. He has a crazy impressive resume in BBQ, having co-founded La Barbecue in Austin which was voted “Best BBQ in Austin”. If you are looking for a traditional Texas-style BBQ this is your place. Pick your meat by the pound, your sides, dessert and don’t forget to get some sweet tea.
Rodney Scott’s BBQ ($$) | While we were driving around, we stumbled upon this place. It was packed inside! We had just finished dinner, so we were absolutely stuffed already…but they have a drive-through! Tyler couldn’t resist and I wasn’t too hard to convince! We tried their ribs and man were they delicious!
Kaminsky’s ($$) | Charleston has a fun night life downtown. On Friday and Saturday night we saw lots of college students, bachelor and bachelorette parties and groups of friends ready to go out and have a fun time! Us on the other hand wanted to just find a fun spot to grab dessert, but it was late. Kaminsky’s is such a fun spot and it is open until 1:00am. It is a dessert cafe that has a local coffee shop feel, but it serves more than coffee! Kaminsky’s is know for their famous boozy and non-boozy milkshakes, dessert cocktails, barista offand case full of homemade rotating desserts. A fun place to land after a fun day exploring around town!
Playa Bowls ($$) | We headed over to Playa Bowls to enjoy a healthy breakfast! They are known for their bowls such as Açaí, Chia, Pitaya, Coconut and any other combination you would like! They are located right on King Street, so if you are staying close to downtown it is a quick walk to a fun spot. They are open everyday from 8:00am-8:00pm, so there is no limit to when you can enjoy a bowl! Playa Bowls has 65 locations nationwide, so you can also enjoy a bowl in multiple locations across the country! The fun, vibrant surfer decor also makes it a fun instagram-worthy location.
Shem Creek Bar & Grill ($$) | If you want a true local (more grunge-like) location this is your place. It is right across the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, in an area of town called Shem Creek. Shem Creek is right on the water, so the pocket of restaurants offer beautiful views. We were hoping to check out NICO, but they close mid-day and we just missed it, so we headed to Shem Creek Bar & Grill. We ordered one of the “favorites” a scallop, shrimp and local fish dish in a sherry sauce served with grits. It was incredible! The oyster shooter, not so much.
We were only in Charleston, SC for three days, so sadly we just couldn’t fit any more eating in; however, there are a few other restaurants we want to highlight that we will visit next time!
- FIG ($$$) | Let’s just say almost everyone we talked to mentioned this place! It offers a bit more upscale dinning experience, but we hear just stopping at the bar during happy hour is the best. We were told not to leave without trying the , so give it a try for us!
- 167 RAW ($$) | If you haven’t picked up on it already….we absolutely love seafood. This place, also highly recommended, looked adorable. Smaller location, so getting a larger party into the place might be difficult. They are known for their variety of tasty seafood dishes!
- Butcher & Bee ($$) | Are you looking for a sandwich? This is your place! It is located next to Edmunds Oast, a fun pocket of restaurants and breweries 10 minutes from downtown. Grab your food and sit outside on the beautiful patio.
- Tattooed Moose ($) | A true local spot. They are known for their famous duck sandwich! A fun upbeat watering hole serving elevated bar food and craft beer!
- 5 Church ($$) | This place is inside an old church! You might miss it off the street if you walk by too quickly, but walking inside you are in awe of the magnificent . It is a posh new American dining destination and cocktail bar. Stop by for dinner or a late night cocktail.
Crist Adventures 