Post House, Lenoir, CudaCo and More: Charleston Dining’s Best in 2021

Mount Pleasant sometimes has a negative nickname of “Mount Plastic,” but there’s nothing artificial feeling about Post House in Mount Pleasant. It instead feels like both a true neighborhood spot and a destination restaurant, a clever tightrope to walk. There’s a Backbar cheeseburger and a savory shrimp curry alongside seasonal oysters, ceviche, and at-their-peak vegetables. Despite some initial chef shuffles, the kitchen has calmed, and chef Nathan Hood isn’t creating flashy, showy dishes, but instead takes inspiration from the Shem Creek (steps from the door) and the farms to which he has access. In doing so, he’s anchored the restaurant in a real place and time, namely the Lowcountry in 2021—and that’s solid, no flimsy plastic included.

This neighborhood doesn’t have a shortage of tables and tipples to enjoy, so Berkeley’s could have felt like, “Another restaurant is opening?” Instead, it felt like the opposite, a place so well-suited to the fabric of the neighborhood it feels like home. There’s a dog-friendly patio, an indoor/outdoor bar that almost always has folks ready for a friendly chat, and plenty of delicious comfort food choices, from Philly cheesesteak and eggplant Parm, to French onion soup and a side salad. The wine and beer list is eclectic, there’s some sundries — including those aforementioned bevvies — to take home, and the staff remembers your name, and more importantly, the name of your dog.

Technically not on James Island but on a hammock island between James and the Folly River, this James Beard America’s Classic restaurant celebrated its 75th anniversary this year. Although a few things have changed — there are oysters on the half shell, a fancier building, and a focus on local brews and spirits at the bar — the oysters still come from the river and creeks surrounding it, the oyster room still is scented with the smell of the sea and roasting oysters, and it’s still owned by the same family who built it. Bowen’s Island is as much a part of Charleston these days as the family tradition of oyster roasts on which it was based. As we’re in the heart of local oyster season, now is a perfect time for a visit.

Located in the Renaissance Historic Charleston Hotel, Lenoir is Vivian Howard’s latest restaurant, and along with Handy + Hot next door, her first foray outside her eastern North Carolina home. She brought some of the Tar Heel State with her, from family mementos that decorate the space, to menu items including fried collards and her signature blueberry barbecue sauce, but she isn’t stuck in tradition. Lenoir is “how she likes to eat now,” as it were— with lots of small plates, which has proven to be a way many Charleston diners also enjoy. The airy, feminine space and well-organized staff only heighten the effect, and as the menu shifts with the seasons, there’s always a reason to return.

Playful, delicious, and with a welcoming air that recalls the best of meat-and-three diners, you’ll be hard-pressed to visit on a night when there’s no chef or other culinary professional from the region chowing down on rice bowls, dumplings, Sichuan hot karaage, and whatever whole fish chef Shuai Wang has secured from local Abundant Seafood. If food is a language, co-owners Shuai and Corrie Wang are telling you exactly who they are with every detail and every dish: a unique blend of Chinese and American heritage, humor, and an occasional homage to Shuai’s beloved Taco Bell.

This tucked-away spot has weathered the pandemic with hand-written menus and rustic elegance intact, the little window still open to chef Jill Mathias cooking and overlooking the courtyard. It’s a slice of European countryside seasonality and preparation that shows up daily in six dishes from which to choose. But choosing to visit is easy, since Chez Nous is useful for so many things, from date night to a leisurely lunch to mom’s birthday, and it’s consistent excellence is impressive, especially for such a small staff. Pro tip: Do not dither if trout with hazelnut brown butter is on the menu.

Although this teal-blue spot of Gullah Geechie culinary perfection has been included in many publications and is a James Beard America’s Classic, there’s something very everyday about jostling for a parking spot and then standing in a line that quickly snakes out the door. Cars of tourists, construction workers, office dwellers, and families with children are all waiting to get up to the steam table where fried chicken, silky okra soup, red rice, pork chops and lima beans are waiting just for them. One Instagram user called it a “religious experience.” We suggest you stand in line for your own conversion.

The pandemic provided an opportunity for transition at Shiki, Charleston’s oldest spot for sushi in the city. Beloved by locals since it opened next to a Blockbuster Video (remember those?), it recently received a renovation and a refresh, which included passing the torch for management to James Park, who grew up in this restaurant run by his parents. There’s banquette seating, a new wine list, even more delectable varieties of the freshest seafood, but Chef Park is still your omakase guide, and if locals loved it before, now they’ve made it one of the most sought-after reservations in town.

Just the presence of the deliciously-scented smoke wafting over King Street from Rodney Scott BBQ would bring the crowds, but add in a mountain of press (including a Netflix “Chef’s Table” episode) and a new cookbook, and the crowds never stop coming to stand in line. The restaurant staff, however, takes it all in stride, keeping the line moving and filling those cafeteria trays full of whole hog pulled pork barbecue cooked low and slow, ribs, collards, and mac ‘n’ cheese. It’s some of the best in the South, and if you’re lucky, pitmaster Rodney will be in the house, stopping by tables to say hello.

A little bit wine cellar, a lot fishmonger, and all James Island, this Folly Road spot captured our hearts with one perfect fish sandwich, fried to order and eaten on a picnic table adjacent to the parking lot. That table faces a tidal creek where Spanish moss dances in the breeze with the tides, and it’s a good symbol for this spot that many might drive past in traffic. Just as it’s a surprising view, so is the quality coming from this petite kitchen. With your bushel of oysters or filet of fish for dinner, there’s also grab-and-go smoked fish dip, ceviche, and bubbling hot baked oysters to entice you into a pre-dinner snack and a glass of albariño.