Charleston is a gorgeous city, teeming with beautiful architecture and deep culture. One of the best parts of that culture is the food! No matter your tastes, you can find something delicious to eat in the Holy City, and we’re going to get you started with 8 of our favorites. These are listed in no particular order, and our picks don’t come even close to covering all of the great restaurants in Charleston, SC, but we hope these will whet your appetite.
Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ
Rodney Scott had already amassed a loyal following at his family’s first barbecue restaurant in Hemingway, SC. In 2017, he opened the Charleston location so he could show a much larger audience his amazing Carolina barbecue. Scott smokes whole hogs overnight, so you can smell the restaurant from blocks away. And the smell is intoxicating. Scott also takes his sides seriously, with hush puppies, cole slaw, baked beans, mac and cheese, and more all made from scratch. If you love barbecue, you need to stop into Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ on King Street.
Minero
Minero, with locations in Atlanta and Charleston, serves creative Mexican fare from their hip, bright location in Johns Island. The Charleston location has many locally-inspired touches, like tortillas made from a house-ground combination of Mexican and South Carolinian corn. Their tacos are a huge draw, including their fried catfish taco topped with green tomato tartar, cabbage, red onion, and radish. If you’re looking for a trendy Mexican restaurant, Minero is the spot for you.
Husk
From their location on Queen Street, Husk serves elevated southern cuisine, showcasing local and regional ingredients, farmers, fishermen, and other suppliers. Their glazed pig ear lettuce wraps highlight the southern tradition of using every part of your ingredients to create delicious dishes. If you visit Husk, you can expect to see dishes like wraps, shrimp and grits, fried chicken, and skillet cornbread. Dine at Husk for an original take on comfort food.
EVO
Located in the hip Park Circle neighborhood in North Charleston, EVO (short for Extra Virgin Oven) sings a siren’s song that locals from miles around find hard to resist. Delicious starters like wood-fired olives, puffy focaccia bread, ad house-made pimento cheese and pickles prepare you for their delicious Neapolitan-style pizzas, which are topped with EVO’s house-pulled mozzarella. Stop by EVO for one of the best pizzas you’ll have all year.
Xiao Bao Biscuit
Operating in a former gas station, Xiao Bao Biscuit often receives rave reviews for its transcontinental Asian cuisine. The chef and co-founder Josh Walker learned how to make his popular okonomiyaka (cabbage pancakes) while working on a Japanese farm and decided to give that delicious gift to Charleston. This restaurant also serves seasonal dishes using local veggies and seafood, as well as original takes on classic Asian dishes and plenty of vegetarian options. Xiao Bao Biscuit is a next level dining experience that you won’t soon forget.
Charleston Grill
Located in the upscale Charleston Place Hotel, Charleston Grill is an elegant and refined dining experience. Executive chef Michelle Weaver crafts creative, artful southern dishes, including their celebrated house crab cake with creek shrimp, tomato, and a lime-dill vinaigrette. Food is paired perfectly with carefully curated wines from wine director and sommelier Rick Rubel. For a special night out or anniversary, you can’t beat Charleston Grill.
Delaney Oyster House
Oyster houses are plentiful in Charleston, but none stand out quite like Delaney Oyster House. From the creators of Husk and Minero, featured earlier in this article, Delaney Oyster House has a tremendous raw bar selection, varied caviar service, and many classic and contemporary seafood preparations. Whether you want a cold specialty like ceviche or a hot dish like the fluffy saltfish beignets, you can get it at Delaney Oyster House.
Wild Olive Cucina Italiana
Wild Olive Cucina Italiana was founded by Jacques Larson, a transplanted Frenchman who loves southern and Italian cuisines. Located on Jons Island, Wild Olive feels like taking a trip to the Tuscan countryside just minutes from downtown Charleston. With delectable starters, such as the venison carpaccio, and delicious pastas, such as the ricotta-goat cheese gnocchi, you’ll want to come back to try everything on the menu at Wild Olive.
For more great eats in Chucktown, be sure to check out Trip Advisor and Yelp! Charleston is a city practically designed for foodies, so you can trust that the locals will have some fantastic recommendations. If you want to live in Charleston to enjoy all of the wonderful cuisine and are a licensed registered nurse, Trident Health is always looking for nurses like yourself. Trident is an amazing place to work, and their compensation and benefits are the best in town. Don’t miss the great opportunities available for registered nurses at Trident!
