The Best Eating 'Hoods in Charleston, Ranked

The list of"must - try " restaurantsin Charleston is getting longer by the calendar month , which is great for shaking up your dining routine , and frightening because it feel like you ’ll never be able to try them all ( especially if you ’re just visiting ) . To aid your search for the best place to eat around the Holy City , we outrank neck of the woods by their dining potential . Find a ' hood and pick a few restaurants in that area so you’re able to eventually quit have so much food FOMO .

15. West Ashley

Perhaps the slowest area of Charleston to jumpstart on the culinary caravan , West Ashley is slowly set up less stress on chain eating place and more emphasis on local gems with flavors from around the mankind . Our darling areBoxcar Betty’s , Zen Asian Fusion(where you may find an upscale sushi burrito),Early Bird Diner , andR. Kitchen West– another expansion of a popular business district eating house .

14. Mount Pleasant

Just over the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge , you ’ll find tasty eating house to fulfill your craving for a neat dining experience . Ignore the Golden Arches and freckled ginger in pigtails for more authentic local chuck . Some of the best let in the falafel atAli Baba , the mac & cheese atCrave Kitchen & Cocktails , pickled veggies atThe Granary , and pretty much any of the sandwich atMozzo Deli .

13. Summerville

Summerville should just be called Charleston 2.0 , because it seems like all your pet Charleston eating place are opening up second location just up the road . Here , you ’ll findSwig & Swine , Persimmon Cafe , Five Loaves , Graze , and Boxcar Betty ’s .

12. Cannonborough/Elliotborough

Some of the ripe , most under - the - microwave radar dining options business district are in the Cannonborough / Elliotborough neighborhood mashup . Take your tastebuds on a hitch ofR. Kitchen , Hominy Grill , Xiao Bao Biscuit , andTrattoria Lucca , and you wo n’t be disappoint because they ’re each as good as the last !

11. Folly Beach

Folly Beach is the most casual of the three beaches in Charleston , and its restaurants stick with suit . You do n’t take to be fancy to appreciateBowens Island , Lost Dog Cafe , Taco Boy , andRita ’s Seaside Grille , but you do take to revel well food and perchance a moth-eaten drinkable or two .

10. East Side

The East Side of Charleston used to be in earnest lacking in any sort of eating place at all , have alone those that were deserving talking about . But now there ’s a slap-up mix of culinary art that are completely different from each other , ranging from soul food to more foodie offerings . You ’ll definitely want to addHannibal ’s Kitchen , Mercantile & Mash , Spero , andBay Street Biergartento your list ASAP .

9. Sullivan’s Island

Tourists and topical anesthetic alike tidy sum to Sullivan ’s Island for the picturesque beach and great dining options . Despite law of proximity to the water , Poe ’s Tavern , The Obstinate Daughter , andHigh Thymewill make you forget about your silly beach - body diet .

8. Isle of Palms

Many people wrongly assume that the only good places to eat on Isle of Palms are in the Wild Dunes resort . ButCoda del Pesce , Acme Lowcountry Kitchen , andLong Island Cafeare all excellent and tasty places to take hold of a bite without really having to purchase any property on IOP .

7. North Central

A few age ago , there was really no honorable ground to go north of the Crosstown unless you were enrolled at The Citadel . Now , however , the modern American menu at terrific restaurants likeMoe ’s Crosstown Tavern , The Park Cafe , Little Jack ’s Tavern , andLeon ’s Oyster Shopgive you four beneficial reason to trudge so far off from Downtown .

6. Johns Island

you may repose assured that Johns Island is a great dining ‘ hood , because otherwise there would be no ground to make the drive all the room out there ( you have to cross , like , threebridges to get to the island ) . eatery likeWild Olive , Fat Hen , Tattooed Moose , andSunrise Bistroentice culinary enthusiasts to result the warm embrace of Downtown for fleeceable pasture .

5. Park Circle

North Charleston is known for having a lot more chain restaurants than what you ’d find downtown , but Park Circle is a nice exclusion to that rule . This endearing little neighborhood – reminiscent of Mayberry , with its tree - lined street and favorable community standard atmosphere – is where you ’ll find the casual - but - mouthwatering restaurantsEVO Pizza , Lotus Vietnamese , Madra Rua , andIron Dog Diner , among others .

4. James Island

Just a few miles outdoors of Downtown , you ’ll find the tranquil townsfolk of James Island . Although not widely praise for its culinary scene , JI features restaurants likeStereo 8,Baguette Magic , Sermet ’s Southernterranean , andThe Lot , which are working hard to render and exchange that . Rather than offer the traditional fried seafood fare , they truly strive to think outside the batter for something a little more creative and appealing to your discernment buds . strain the crab fry Elmer Rice at Stereo 8 or the Frogmore raviolo at Sermet ’s .

3. NoMo

NoMo has ( perhaps unfairly ) gotten a reputation as a hipster dining promised land . But it ’s also been something of a critical darling lately , with the likes of brewpubEdmund ’s Oast , gourmet sandwich havenButcher & Bee , and eagerly anticipated meat domicileLewis Barbecuegetting interior acclaim on the reg .

2. Upper King Street

saunter a little further due north on King St and the solid food gets a short more grown - up ( read : expensive ) , so this is where you should go if you just got pay and are looking to ball out a little . Restaurants likeHalls Chophouse , Indaco , andThe Ordinaryare all scrumptious and unique in their own ways , whether you ’re looking for steak , pasta , or seafood ( respectively ) .

1. Lower King Street

The orbit between Calhoun St and Broad St is generally known as “ Lower King ” and encompasses a number of solid eating place offer wide-ranging and delicious fare . On Lower King , you ’re pretty faithful to the CofC campus , so prepare to see a bunch of college kids mill about . Choose between neighborhood gems likeCO(which serves up some of the best Vietnamese and Thai food Downtown ) , the fantastic sandwich atBull Street Gourmet , andFulton Five , which is perfect for particular date night .

The Obstinate Daughter