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Best Restaurants in James Island

The 7 James Island restaurants TasteSignal ranks this month, in order of their Charleston-wide Best Overall rank. Each one links to the reasons and sources behind its rank.

Updated November 2026

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  1. 1

    Bowens Island Restaurant

    #41 overall in Charleston · $$–$$$ · Crowd Score 4.0

    Critic recognition from Charleston City Paper and Post and Courier in the last five years.

  2. 2

    Kwei Fei

    #56 overall in Charleston · $$–$$$ · Crowd Score 4.5

    Critic recognition from Charleston City Paper and Post and Courier in the last five years.

  3. 3

    The James American Grill

    #94 overall in Charleston · $ · Crowd Score 4.5

    Critic recognition from Charleston City Paper, Charleston Magazine and Post and Courier in the last five years.

  4. 4

    Crust Wood Fired Pizza

    #140 overall in Charleston · $$ · Crowd Score 4.5

  5. 5

    Ellis Creek Fish Camp

    #145 overall in Charleston · $$ · Crowd Score 4.5

    Critic recognition from Charleston City Paper and Post and Courier in the last five years.

  6. 6

    Duke's BBQ

    #146 overall in Charleston · $$–$$$ · Crowd Score 4.4

  7. 7

    Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint

    #148 overall in Charleston · $$–$$$ · Crowd Score 4.6

The best of James Island by category

The top James Island picks in each TasteSignal category. The number is the restaurant's Charleston-wide rank in that category.

Frequently asked

What is the best restaurant in James Island?

As of November 2026, Bowens Island Restaurant is the top-ranked restaurant in James Island on TasteSignal, followed by Kwei Fei and The James American Grill.

How does TasteSignal rank restaurants in James Island?

Every restaurant is ranked Charleston-wide from named, dated evidence: critic and local-guide coverage, diner ratings on Google, Tripadvisor and Yelp, recent news and staying power. This page lists the James Island restaurants in that order. Rankings refresh monthly.

Other neighborhoods

Downtown Charleston · West Ashley · Mount Pleasant · North Charleston