Best Restaurants in Charleston, SC

Chubby Fish

Walk-in-only dock-to-table seafood restaurant by Chef James London. Daily-changing chalkboard menu of hyper-seasonal coastal fish in creative, boundary-pushing preparations. Lines form before opening.

OK Donna

'Italian-ish' neighborhood restaurant at 1117 King Street from the team behind Last Saint, Bar George, and Lupara — pizza, pasta, shareable plates, hip-hop and jazz soundtrack, open late.

Zero George

Intimate, Michelin-recognized restaurant inside a restored 1804 building at Zero George Street hotel, serving elevated local cuisine with caviar and wine pairings.

Chef Daniel Humm x The Charleston Place

Five-course prix fixe dinner ($135/person) by three-Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park in the grand setting of The Charleston Place hotel — the ultimate 'special occasion' business dinner with maximum wow factor.

Callie's Hot Little Biscuit

Tiny biscuit shop celebrated for buttery, hand-crafted biscuits in flavors from plain butter to crab cake, a Charleston institution.

Lewis Barbecue

Texas-style Central BBQ counter service by pitmaster John Lewis — brisket sliced to order, beef ribs (weekends only), pulled pork, hot guts sausage, green chili corn pudding; gravel patio with picnic tables and a full bar.

Fleet Landing

Charleston's downtown waterfront restaurant in a converted naval degaussing station at 186 Concord Street, with a wrap-around outdoor deck over Charleston Harbor and views of the Ravenel Bridge and the Cooper River. Southern seafood classics including she-crab soup, Charleston shrimp and grits, Lowcountry seafood pasta, fried green tomato BLT, and crab cakes. Open daily 11 AM to 10 PM with a kitchen switchover 4 to 5 PM (the bar stays open). Reservations recommended via OpenTable; same-day walk-in waitlist maintained throughout service. Women-owned.

Grill 225

Inside the Market Pavilion Hotel, Charleston's first and only 100% USDA Prime steakhouse. Every cut wet-aged 42 to 50 days. White-tablecloth formal room downstairs, the Pavilion Bar rooftop with Cooper River views upstairs. The Nitrotini (Charleston's liquid-nitrogen cocktail) is the signature drink. AAA Four Diamond, Travel + Leisure featured, and Forbes Travel Guide listed.

Chubby Fish

A small dock-to-table seafood restaurant at 252 Coming Street from chef James London (James Beard Award finalist, Best Chef Southeast 2024). Under 50 seats. Menu rewrites every day based on what local fishermen bring in: whole fried fish, blue crab tagliatelle, grouper cheeks, chili garlic shrimp, tuna crudo, grilled oysters. Open Tue through Sat for dinner from 5 PM, closed Sun and Mon. Walk-in only. The line forms an hour before open and seasoned diners arrive 4 to 4:30 PM to claim either a 5 PM seat or a later return time.

Indaco

Rustic Italian institution from Indigo Road Hospitality (James Beard SF Steve Palmer) — wood-fired oven for pizzas and seasonal pastas; the beloved tagliatelle with Storey Farms egg is iconic.

O-Ku

Major hot spot on Upper King celebrating authentic Asian cuisine with a regional approach — solid nigiri and omakase-lite program, lemon salmon roll, otoro nigiri, and a popular weeknight happy hour.

Rancho Lewis

Pitmaster John Lewis (of Lewis Barbecue fame) brings West Texas to Chihuahua border food to Charleston. House-made tortillas, smoked-meat fajitas, Christmas burrito (green chile beef), proper margaritas, and cowboy-meets-Mexico flavors in a massive courtyard setting on Upper King Street.

Melfi's

Home Team BBQ (Sullivan's Island)

Aaron Siegel's original Home Team BBQ opened on Sullivan's Island in 2006 and remains the flagship locals reference, even after expansions to West Ashley, Mt. Pleasant, and beyond. A block from the beach, the casual room and covered porches serve dry-rubbed ribs, pulled pork, smoked wings, and the signature Home Team Salad alongside a serious bar with live music most nights. The Sullivan's location has held a TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice badge and a top-three Sullivan's Island ranking for years. Southern Living rated Home Team #34 nationally; the SC BBQ Trail calls it a must-stop.

Home Team BBQ

Award-winning Charleston BBQ institution with multiple locations serving smoked meats, creative cocktails, and live music that defines the Lowcountry backyard cookout experience.

Moe's Crosstown Tavern

A 20-plus-year neighborhood tavern in Wagener Terrace with a pub-burger menu that locals treat as the Charleston dive-burger reference. The 2025 Charleston City Paper Burger Throwdown named Moe's a Top-3 finalist for Best Place to Get a Burger and crowned The EdgeVegas — Moe's specialty build — Most Creative/Innovative. The regular bar burger remains the destination order: a thick patty, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a soft bun. Walk-in only.