On the menu —

Where to Eat in Charleston

From the rooms with reservations open six weeks out, to the corner spots we go to alone on a Tuesday. The Charleston food scene, ranked by where we actually go.

King Street
Seafood & Oysters · $$

167 Raw

Twelve seats, no reservations, and a Maine-meets-Charleston raw bar that locals will queue half an hour for. Lobster roll, tuna poke, and oysters from yesterday morning's tide.

Bertha's Recipe
Lowcountry & Southern, Soul Food · $

Bertha’s Kitchen

A North Charleston institution and a James Beard America's Classic. Smothered pork chops, lima beans, and rice that tastes like four generations of practice. Lunch only, cash king.

Locals Love
Fine Dining, New American · $$$$

FIG

Mike Lata's neighborhood standard-bearer for two decades. Seasonal, ingredient-driven, and the kind of place where the fish stew alone justifies the booking.

Steakhouse
Fine Dining, Steakhouse · $$$$

Halls Chophouse

Family-owned, white-tablecloth, and the warmest greeting in the city — the Halls family genuinely meets every guest at the door. The wagyu is famous; the Sunday gospel brunch is legendary.

Classic
Fine Dining, Seafood & Oysters · $$$

Hank’s Seafood

A 1920s-era warehouse turned the kind of fish house that feels like it's been there forever. She-crab soup, seafood platters, and a bar where the regulars know your name by the second visit.

Husk

Explore the Menu & Make a Reservation “Equal parts neighborhood gathering place for locals and bucket list dining destination for travelers, Husk is as elegant and welcoming as the city it calls home, where life moves…

Upper King
Seafood & Oysters · $$

Leon’s Oyster Shop

A converted body shop turned the kind of place you want to spend a Tuesday afternoon. Char-grilled oysters, fried chicken, frozè, and a backyard that hums until last call.

Since 1990
Brunch, Fine Dining, Lowcountry & Southern · $$$

Magnolias

The grandfather of contemporary southern cooking. Shellfish over grits, fried green tomatoes, and the dining room locals book when they need to impress out-of-towners.

Haunted & Beloved
Brunch, Fine Dining, Lowcountry & Southern · $$

Poogan’s Porch

An 1888 Victorian house turned beloved brunch spot. The biscuits are the size of your fist. Allegedly haunted by Zoe St. Amand. We say: stay for a second mimosa and decide for yourself.

Oyster Lovers
Fine Dining, Seafood & Oysters · $$$

The Ordinary

Mike Lata's other masterpiece: a bank-turned-fish-house with marble columns and the freshest raw bar in town. Sit at the counter and let them feed you.

On the list —

The Weekend Brief

One email a week. Where to be Friday, what to book before Saturday, and the new openings worth knowing about.