I’m a wannabe Charlestonian – have been going multiple times a year for two decades now. Things have changed a lot including adding lots of good restaurants . No longer do people scoff at me when I tell them that Charleston has one of the best food scenes in the country. In fact, two top chefs in DC were sous-chefs at McCrady’s during their long run as “the place” in Charleston.
A lot has already been covered above. One of our favorite things to do is grab some Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits (download the app and don’t stand in line – there is a location in the Market), some coffee and sit on a bench in Washington Square for breakfast. The park is surrounded by tea olives which are in bloom during fall & winter. Their jasmine like fragrance is the best!!
Scott is dead on about Lewis’ brisket, but I prefer Rodney Scott’s ribs. Locals are about 50/50 on which place they prefer, but most mention the brisket at Lewis’. Both places can have long lines, but if you go just before noon or close to 2pm the wait is shorter. I’m also a huge fan of the Grocery.
Informal places not yet mentioned:
Minero for lunch is a must for my wife and daughter.
Both Hank’s & 39 Rue de Jean are close to where you are staying. They are touristy, but the food is good.
Indaco – rustic Italian - never disappoints.
Caviar & Bananas is a Dean and DeLuca knockoff, but you can get a great bite there. They have a scaled down location in the airport if you want something before your flight.
The Bar at Husk is worth a stop for a midday drink and a bite. Most Charleston bars take mixology very seriously and you can find a great cocktail anywhere to be honest. When we first starting visiting, SC laws required all bar/restaurant spirits to be sold in miniature form. It was comical IMO. Once it went away around ’06 or ‘07, mixology really took off within a few years. Some bartenders had to learn how to mix drinks instead of dumping an entire miniature into a drink, but being able to truly mix a drink probably created the enthusiasm that’s still in place today.
I sent an email to a “local” friend asking about the Chophouse brunch and will PM you when I get a response. Dinner there is stellar!!
BTW – pedicabs are a great way to get around.