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What to Eat in Charleston, SC

Charleston is known for...
Lowcountry cuisine. Ingredients like grits, rice, crab and shrimp, and okra are folded into many of the most popular dishes in the region.

Casually elegant southern cooking. The refined architecture and charm of the city is reflected in the foods available in restaurants and shopkeeper’s shelves.

Charleston specialties
Charleston embraces the same food traditions you’ll find in parts of the Deep South (ie passion for all things fried), but geography and cultural history have played the biggest roles in shaping this area’s food culture. Many grand, sprawling plantations near the city serve as reminders of another major cultural influence. The slave communities of the 18th and 19th centuries and their descendents that inhabited this area played a profound role in shaping Charleston food traditions. The coastal location has given the people in this area deep appreciation for seafood that can be found in the brackish water in the marshes and close to the land--specifically shrimp and crab and fish like flounder.

What to eat when you’re in Charleston
She-crab soup: a velvety, cream based soup that uses blue she-crabs. It’s a cross between a bisque and a chowder

Shrimp and grits: many variations on this dish, but the best use coarse, stone ground grits as a base and are served with shrimp and bits of bacon/tasso ham/prosciutto

Pimento cheese: a mixture of extra sharp cheese, pimentos and mayonnaise. A classic at tea parties.

Boiled peanuts: raw (or green as they’re called down in SC) peanuts boiled in heavily salted water. Boiled peanuts have a bean-like texture, which makes sense since peanuts are legumes.

Hoppin’ John: this is a southern beans and rice dish that uses black eyed peas and rice.
Benne wafers: sweet and salty thin, circular crackers made from sesame (benne) seeds

Pralines, of course.

Where to Eat in Charleston, SC

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Denotes a Food & Wine Editors' Pick

Restaurants Robert's of Charleston 182 East Bay Street, Charleston, SC 1 (800) 977-7565 www.robertsofcharleston.com Robert's is the most unique dining experience in Charleston and the longest running. for 31 years, Robert's has been featuring a five course prix-fixe menu and wine pairings. Dining at Robert's is more than just dinner, it is an experience. One that includes lives piano playing and serenades of Broadway showtunes. Best show in town. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Peninsula Grill Address: Planters Inn, 112 N. Market St., Charleston, SC Phone number: 843-723-0700 Cuisine: Southern URL: "Restrained is not the word for chef Robert Carter's Southern cooking. At this warm, velvet-walled restaurant in a historic mansion, quail is stuffed with pecan cornbread and served with black-eyed-pea fritters, grits cake and oyster-leek ragout..." --Food & Wine, May 2003

Oak Steakhouse Address: 17 Broad Street, Charleston, SC Phone: (843) 722-4220 Website: www.oaksteakhouserestaurant.com Located within a fully-restored historic bank building dating back to the 1850s, Oak Steakhouse brings the sophistication and flavors of Chef/Owner Brett McKee's Italian-American upbringing to big steaks and bold specialties of the house, including the much-loved Lobster Macaroni & Cheese. Oak Steakhouse's intimate barroom is the ideal spot for enjoying a bottle from the Old World and New World wine list or a classic martini. Open for dinner Monday to Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m.

Louis’s at Pawley’s Address: At the Hammock Shops, 10880 Ocean Highway, US 17 Pawley’s Island Phone number: (843) 237-8757 Web address: www.louisatpawleys.com Cuisine: refined lowcountry Recommended dishes: Lowcountry she crab soup, shrimp and grits, shrimp three ways (at the Fish Camp) Comments Chef/owner Louis Osteen has created two restaurants that epitomize the personalities of this area. Off the beaten path, Louis’s at Pawley’s offers Lowcountry dining at its best. The more casual and less expensive Fish Camp bar, situated on a porch, gives diners the feel of being at a backyard party. Osteen has been named one of the best chefs in the Southeast: James Beard Best Chef Southeast 2004, Esquire Magazine “One of America’s Best New Restaurants 2002”, Saveur magazine “Top 100 People, Places and Things” 2003.

Tristan Restaurant 55 South Market St; 843-534-2155; www.tristandining.com Tristan is a AAA Four Diamond restaurant, offering a bold American menu with a global influence. The beautiful atmosphere exudes cosmopolitan flare. Open daily (lunch, brunch, dinner), it holds a Wine Spectator Award of Distinction. “I’m going for the whole epiphany of perfection and striving to make each dish the best it can be,” says executive chef Ciaran Duffy. The chef, who’s known for his use of unique ingredients and the culinary precision of a surgeon, puts them to good use in appetite-inducing creations like Organic Irish Salmon with Truffle Porridge, Braised Beet Tops and Buttered Lobster & Beet Jus and Ostrich with Foie Gras & Crepe Pave, Orange Emulsion and Grand Marnier Sauce.

Hominy Grill Address: 207 Rutledge Avenue Phone number: (843) 937-0930 Web address: www.hominygrill.com Cuisine: classic Southern/lowcountry Recommended dishes: sautéed shad roe with bacon& mushrooms, shrimp creole with okra peppers and ham, okra and shrimp beignets Comments This menu offers classic lowcountry cuisine using the finest local ingredients. These are better versions of the lunches and dinners that would be served at the finest dinner parties in Charleston. Best breakfast in Charleston. Get the shrimp and grits, biscuit on the side and a hot cup of coffee. You will not be disappointed!!!

SNOB (Slightly North of Broad) Address: Phone number: (843) 723-3424 Web address: www.mavericksouthernkitchens.com Cuisine: southern Recommended dishes: everything!

Charleston Grill 224 King Street, Charleston Place Charleston, South Carolina "French-trained chef Bob Waggoner produces 'contemporary low-country cuisine' to match, as in crab cakes with tomato-and-shrimp coulis....” --Food & Wine, May 2003

Blossom Café 171 E. Bay Street Charleston, SC 843/722-9200 Charleston, South Carolina

Sharky's Pizza 306 King Street Charleston, SC 843/722-7200

Vickery's Bar & Grill 15 Beaufain Street Charleston, SC 843/577-5300

Dunleavy's 2213 Middle Street Sullivan's Island 843/883-9646

Hank's 10 Hayne Street Charleston, SC 843/723-3474

Nacho Royale 439 King Street Charleston, SC 843/723-6224

The Wreck of the Richard and Charlene 106 Haddrell Street Mount Pleasant, SC wreckrc.com 843/884-0052

Circa 1886 A highlight at the Wentworth Mansion. 149 Wentworth St.; 843/853-7828; more...

FIG (Food Is Good) 232 Meeting St.; 843/805-5900 Featuring Mediterranean-American fare prepared with local ingredients. more...Very fun place that is great for a group or just the two of you. The staff is great and very fun.

Raval A Barcelona-inspired wine-and-tapas bar: the back room has DJ's and a throbbing young crowd on weekends. more... 453 King Street Charleston, SC 843/853-8466

Sticky Fingers Historic downtown (235 Meeting St.), Mt. Pleasant, N. Charleston, Summerville 843/853-RIBS www.stickyfingers.com Cuisine: Hickory-smoked ribs, pulled pork barbecue and chicken Homegrown, local favorite for fall-off-the-bone ribs, fall-outta-the-bun barbecue, smoked chicken and five sauces. Home to native son & Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert portrait-in-portrait.

Coast Bar and Grill 39 John St # D Charleston, SC 29403 (843) 722-8838 Try the buffalo shrimp at Coast Restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina Chef Jason Murphy is great

39 Rue de Jean 39 John St Charleston, SC 29403 (843) 722-8881

Where to Shop in Charleston, SC

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Butchers Ted's Butcherblock Address: 334 East Bay St., Charleston, SC Phone number: Website: tedsbutcherblock.com "At this quirky Charleston, South Carolina, shop and café, customers can choose expertly cut beef after enjoying a bacon-of-the-month BLT." --Food & Wine, January 2007

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Farmer's Markets Charleston Farmer's Market Marion Square, Between King and Meeting Now in its 18th year, the Charleston farmer’s market happens every Saturday from 8:00am-2:00pm. This is the place to buy grits from local vendors, bags of boiled peanuts, the best produce and local cheeses.

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Other Local Fruitstands Drive North on Hwy 17 towards Myrtle Beach to find some true Lowcountry gems. The sides of the highway are dotted with handpainted signs advertising Tomatoes, Watermelons, Squash and P-Nuts. These spots are where you’ll find the best looking produce in the area. These farmers with dirt caked under their nails will direct you to the stands that sell the freshest shrimp and fish as well, although they might be a bit of a drive down the road.