The May Hit List: Lenoir, Hall’s Chophouse, Taco Boy, Madra Rua, and More

The long awaited finer dining restaurant from chef, cookbook author, and PBS star Vivian Howard is named after her home county in eastern North Carolina, and celebrates the food of the rural agricultural South. The early returns from Charlestonians? It was worth the wait. Dishes such as cornmeal dusted catfish and air-dried pork sausage with lemongrass and shrimp paste complement a beautifully bright and fun cocktail list, all in a beautifully light and lovely space. This restaurant promises to be an addition to an increasingly unusual Charleston category — spots beloved by both visitors and locals — so get those Resys in early. 

Dining Status: Open for indoor and outdoor dining.

Sure, there are plenty of places to watch the dolphins play in Shem Creek, but if you’re looking for more than a view, Tavern & Table is our choice. Chef Ray England works with local producers to build his seasonal menus, and the selections are always top-heavy with good appetizers, charcuterie, and raw bar selections, perfect for snacking and sharing. Still, nothing’s too staid, and that includes a soft pretzel with fondue that we’d much rather keep to ourselves, plus a great happy-hour menu with drink specials, including a barkeep’s daily drink for $5.  

Dining Status: Open for indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout. Call 843-352-9510 for reservations.

Located at the Pacific Box & Crate development on King Street Extension, the chances that you’ll rub shoulders with a chef here on their day off is extraordinarily high. This spot is a darling with those in the know who are looking for beautiful sushi and other traditional Japanese favorites. With more than 30 years of experience between them, chef-owners Kazuyuki Murakami and Chris Schoedler have assembled an exceptional omakase experience, so choose from the bottle sake list, which includes favorites such as Amabuki’s Pink Lady junmai, and they will take it from there with perfect dishes to pair. 

Dining Status: Open for indoor and outdoor dining, as well as limited times for takeout.

We know a lot of you are out at Kiawah (we see that Main Road traffic), and after a day of Lowcountry breezes and exploring sun and sand, maybe a trip back into the city feels like too heavy of a lift. FortyEight wine bar gets you on this, and long-time Kiawah Island residents and owners Amy and Loren Beadle are here to help. They provide all the usual hits, including cheese and charcuterie, and yes, plenty of wine, but they have (at least) two things that set them apart: one killer steak sandwich with mozzarella on a brioche bun, and wine towers, which is a combo of wine bottles sold in a tower. See, we told you they get you. 

Dining Status: Open for indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout.

When no other food but steak will do for that special celebration, many in Charleston can’t imagine heading to any other establishment than Hall’s to treat themselves to seared beef perfection. Hall’s is old-school at its best: dark wood interior, all the impressive wines and whiskeys (and a hopping bar business to go along with it), and a staff that treats you like the VIP you are, if just for the evening. And the menu is classic steakhouse, from shrimp cocktail to a 26-ounce porterhouse you can order rare warm. Just don’t use the order “still mooing.” They’ve heard that one before.

Dining Status: Open for indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout.

Summerville is now in the summer mix with one of Charleston’s favorite spots to meet friends for a casual lunch or dinner, joining the OG Taco Boy on Folly, which opened in 2006 and recently moved to more spacious digs, along with the downtown location that debuted in 2009. The appetizer trio is the solid way to start no matter the time of day, and then you can’t go wrong from there, with tacos, margaritas, and even a vegetable rice bowl. The added bonus of all this taco temptation is that the Summerville location delivers as well, so you can make your pool party into a taco party for without having to get out of your bathing suit. 

Dining Status: Open for indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout.

It’s all about the love of the water at this iconic spot, right next to the bridge between Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms — from the view of the ICW from a rooftop deck, to the their commitment to local seafood as part of the Good Catch initiative by the South Carolina Aquarium, to the two first-come, first-served boat slips so you can arrive with the tide. While the Lowcountry’s dining scene might ebb and flow, folks that love the Boathouse will be taking it all in stride while they enjoy a margarita and share an order of crab fritters. 

Dining Status: Open for indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout. Call 843-886-8000 to reserve.

When two local favorites, Holy City Brewing and EVO Pizzeria & Craft Bakery, announced they were teaming up for this new spot, locals got a little weak in the knees. Luckily, there are plenty of spots here to take a load off and regain your composure, from the ample covered deck to a big indoor dining space, making it easy to accommodate that group of friends or your kickball team. And everyone’s going to be happy because all your favorite menu friends are there too: the pistachio pesto, the pork trifecta, and Pluffmud Porter and Washout Wheat on draft. Just don’t get distracted and miss the exclusive drafts — or the wood-fired cauliflower. 

Dining Status: Open for indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout.

The community was devastated many months ago when mainstay Irish pub Madra Rua sustained a damaging fire, but it’s now reconstructed, back, and better, with a sunny patio that has its own bar. What hasn’t changed is the perfectly poured Guinness, the Rua Reuben (big enough to split if you want to save room for fries), and all the soccer games with all the locals enjoying it. This is ground zero for the Circle’s St. Patty’s day festivities, of course, but it’s well worth a visit the other 364 days of the year, too.

Dining Status: Open for indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout. More info here.

By now you’ve probably heard that this throwback spot has one of the best burgers in America. If for some reason you haven’t done so yourself, we are here to confirm for you that, yes, it is that good. The petite couple bites of perfection of onion, cheese, beef, and bun are terrific, but still, it’s not all this King Street spot has to offer. There’s an excellent chopped salad, a shrimp burger that you can have as a “surf and turf” option with the aforementioned Tavern burger, some cool, well-shaken cocktails, thoughtful wine picks, and a fun dose of nostalgia in every detail, from the menu design to the bathroom decor. 

Dining Status: Open for indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout.