Going to be in Charleston for Labor Day weekend (with my son for a baseball thing, so sadly I can’t do a dinner), but anywhere that is a “must eat”?
He’s a foodie too, and loves seafood.
The first place that comes to mind when I hear Charleston and seafood is The Ordinary.
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Better off posting in the Charleston thread, which is fairly current. Enjoy!
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Thank you! I saw the thread was older, and it didn’t show me how to up to date it was.
Lunch in Charleston is meant for Malagón. The best Spanish tapas you can get. Great wine list and they bake their own bread every day. The chocolate with sea salt and olive oil for dessert should not be missed.
+1 for The Ordinary. Also 167 Raw and Leon’s.
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Hey Ian - I was there recently.
I had a really good dinner at Bistronomy by Nico -great service and vibe.
Malagon was just okay for me.
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Excited to try it this fall!
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@MChang I was there a couple of weeks ago and this morel mushroom dish was spectacular. Of course the bottle of Tondonia didn’t hurt. You’re gonna love this place.
@Barry_L_i_p_t_o_n I will say the single best dish in Charleston I’ve had is the “Gnudi” at The Establishment. We always get two orders. So good!
Edit: Oops I see this trip has already occurred. Leaving it for others who may be traveling there.
I recently moved from Charleston after living there for four years. While it’s hard to find bad food, there are a lot of options that do not justify their high prices. Here’s a list of my top spots:
Meals:
- Vern’s: Amazing food, great wine list with wine-based cocktails. Reservations open on Resy well in advance and book up quickly
- Chubby Fish: Great fresh, local seafood with a constantly changing menu. No reservations. Get there around 4:30 to line up and put your name down. If on a Friday or weekend, even earlier. There are great nearby bars, including the Tippling House, to pass the time while you wait for your table.
- Lewis BBQ: Best bbq I’ve ever had hand’s down. Specifically Texas styled bbq with heavier black pepper. Amazing sauces.
- Marbled and Fin: Fine dining, steak house feel. Excellent cocktails.
- Sushi Wa: Another hard reservation to snag. Omakase menu. I would recommend the other options if you want more of a Charleston experience but this is great if you want to mix things up one night.
- Wild Olive: Amazing food, good Italian wine list. Same owners as Obstinant Daughter but my preferred spot.
- Bertha’s: If you want true, authentic soul food, this is the spot. Certainly away from the tourist oriented spots. Highlighted by James Beard in 2017.
- Leon’s: Another more casual spot. They take walk-ins. Known for the fried chicken and peel and eat shrip. Order one of their frozen gin and tonics.
Bars:
- Graft: Amazing wine bar with a very knowledgeable staff. Can get crowded. Great wine list. They recently opened a pizza shop next door. Haven’t had the opportunity to try it.
- Tippling House: More intimate wine bar with deep, well-curated list
- Bar George: One of the local spots IMO. No reservations. Great cocktails. Ironically known for their Peruvian chicken.
- Edmund’s Oast: One of the better breweries in Charleston. They have a more elevated food and drink experience at the downtown location. The one in North Charleston is more of a brewery atmosphere.
I would add Bintu Atelier to Alex’s list. As well as FIG and Jackrabbit Filly.
Agree on the Malagon suggestion.
Nobody asked, but here it goes anyway. We used to be in Charleston a couple times a year, but had not visited since 2023 prior to this past weekend. It was a spur of the moment trip, without realizing it was Charleston F&W weekend, oops, which didn’t help with getting into restaurants.
Bar 167- for lunch. As good as ever. Have always liked everything about the 167 concepts. The caviar cones are a usual kick-off for our weekends.
Chubby Fish - Ha! didn’t go. We arrived at 4:30 Saturday and the line was 100 deep waiting for the 5pm open. sorry, it’s just bizarre. People had lawn chairs and coolers in line. I may never eat here and that’s ok.
We walked around the corner to another line at Vern’s right before 5. But we managed to snag the last seats at the bar. Vern’s is so good. Love everything about it. We had a little place in Decatur called Cakes & Ale - that is one my all-time faves -homey, cozy neighborhood-y- honest yet creative cooking - and that is Vern’s. No wonder it’s still one of the hardest reservations in town.
Malagon- always great. It’s not easy to capture the Spanish tapas/wine bar vibe without seeming performative, but Malagon does it well. The tortilla is really good. As is the basque cheesecake.
Obstinate Daughter- I always tell folks to make the trip over to Sullivan’s Island as OD is worth it. And a walk on a beach always does the soul good.
Beers at Edmund’s Oast- still one of my favorite places in town.
Mercantile & Mash for an excellent breakfast on the way out of town.
And @Mattstolz messaged me to go to Bintu Atelier- which I will do next time.
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The Graft/Tutti combo is excellent if you’re looking for great wine and great pizza. It can definitely turn into a scene, especially on weekends.
I was in Charleston for the first time in 20 years last weekend. Two very good dinners at The Darling downtown and Jackrabbit Filly in North Charleston, where we were staying. My prerequisite was a place I could make reservations so a couple of the top seafood places were off the table.
The Darling quoted me $25 corkage on the phone, but when the bill came it was $35. Service was very good and I didn’t feel like quibbling over $10, so I let it ride.
Jackrabbit Filly was by favorite of the two meals. Four of us ordered and split most things on the menu. $20 corkage.
Odds and Ends:
We also had superb sandwiches at The Pass.
$5 cocktails for happy hour at The Grocery is an incredible deal.
We stayed in Park Circle in North Charleston. You trade the grand beauty of the peninsula for a very cool and walkable little stretch of restaurants and stores. Would stay there again.
E-bike rentals in Mount Pleasant and then a meandering ride through MP and Sullivan’s Island was a trip highlight. Prettiest houses I’ve ever seen.
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That’s a good weekend!
Park Circle is really an unknown to the visiting crowd, but the area has a lot to enjoy without having to be in the middle of all the craziness on the peninsula.
PS: A good pint of the “Black Stuff” can be had at Madra Rua in Park Circle. The home to the Holy City Celtic Supporters Club.
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It was great.
I originally rolled the dice on Park Circle because unremarkable hotels in the downtown area were very expensive, and a cool-looking new hotel with a large room in Park Circle—Hotel Circulo—could be had for something like $170/nt.
Not only was the hotel great, but the Park Circle area was surprisingly vibrant. Restaurants and bars were full of people, Holy City Brewing packed with families, some shopping opportunities that appealed to my wife, a good bottle shop for me to waste time in—yet we were downtown in 10 minutes.
I’d look to stay there first if planning a similar trip in the future.
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Considering Charleston hotels run $350+ a night, you save so much staying in Park Circle. Even after you factor in $50 for Uber round trip, that’s an extra $300+ you’ve saved over a long weekend you can now spend on wine.
#SmartMath
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Stems and Skins is a great wine bar in Park Circle. Used to visit often when we lived in the area.
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Last week we stopped in to the Porchetta Shop over by MUSC.
Their spicy Porchetta sandwich is baller level artistry with great crispy bread. The size and style of their sandwichs reminds me of All’Antico Viniao in Florence.
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