The September Hit List: Beautiful South, Lola Rose, Southbound, and More

Specializing in American-style Chinese takeout and Southern Chinese specialties, this is the newest spot for Tina and David Schuttenberg, with another popular restaurant, Kwei Fei, now going strong on James Island. Yes, that means you’ll find chef David dishing out lo mein, General Tso’s chicken, crab rangoons, and more. But unlike the takeout around the corner, some knockout cocktails await, like the Between Two Rivers, reminiscent of a tropical-spiked Negroni.

Some of Charleston’s best cocktails are being served at this sneaky spot, a block from the bustle of King Street. And with an updated cocktail menu unveiled over the summer, now is the time to revisit for some new flavors, like the Confidante — a supercharged old fashioned — or the Ginger #3 — a cool and spicy mezcal-based concoction. Hop on Resy and snag a seat in the Annex back room, where you’ll find an entire special cocktail and food menu.

Chef-owner Kevin Johnson’s second restaurant brings fresh pasta, wood-fired pizza, and Italian desserts to Mount Pleasant. The force behind long-running upper King Street mainstay The Grocery, Johnson’s focus on fresh, local ingredients carries over. At the bar, look for creative, Italian-inspired spritzes, like the Blind Squirrel, with lambrusco, Campari, and white vermouth.

Hitting its stride on Cannon Street, this husband-wife-owned venture in a renovated historic house is the definition of a hot spot — quite literally, with the wood-fired grill at the kitchen’s center. The menu changes daily (check Instagram), with crispy Peking duck and lightly grilled bluefin tuna making recent appearances. Of course, don’t miss the cocktails, like the Calle de Ray, with blanco Tequila, Aperol, lemon, cucumber, and simple syrup.

This light and bright hole-in-the-wall tucked off upper Meeting Street has quickly established itself for its array of cold beer and cocktails, like the blood orange habanero margarita. But just as a  the original Eastside dive bar iteration (the new one, like the original, is neither palace nor hotel)  the lobster corn dog is just one of the fun options on the “Dogs” portion of the menu.

Chef-owner Vivian Howard’s Charleston outpost has earned a reputation as a reliable destination for updates to Southern plates like a thick-cut pork chop from Peculiar Pig Farm, or fried collard greens topped with furikake for an Asian spin. Cocktails flow from the oval-shaped bar situated in the restaurant’s center, and range from the herbal My Cup of Tea with local Hat Trick gin to the margarita-esque Tight As a Tick with blueberry agave and Chartreuse.

P.S. Don’t miss Howard’s September Book Club with “Dopesick” author Beth Macy; tickets available on Resy.

The latest opening in an area with a dearth of bagel options for years, these Montreal-style creations are differentiated by being naturally fermented, boiled in honey water, and then wood-fired, creating a sweeter, chewier bagel. Varieties stick to tried-and-true standbys, along with blueberry lemon and rosemary olive oil flavors for good measure. Breakfast sandwiches and morning favorites (ahem, whitefish salad) grace the menu, as well as all-day sandwich options, like an Italian and the New York-style pastrami — served on bagels, of course.

Walk into this Spring Street hot spot and, as you’ll feel the welcoming, family vibe that attracts locals and visitors alike. The Southern offshoot of the D.C. original, the cuisine leans Spanish, with regional S.C. ingredients like local shrimp and fish on skewers and in crudos, respectively.

Hailed as South Carolina’s first “cannabis dry bar,” the High Rise Beverage Company is now serving (hemp-derived) THC-infused, non-alcoholic cocktails at its eponymous bar inside Charleston Hemp Collective off Maybank Highway. The company’s run of canned seltzers are available, and cocktails like the Connection include pomegranate, ginger, pineapple, non-alcoholic rum, and lime CBD or pineapple delta-8. With a nod to wellness-leaning mocktails popping up on menus across the U.S., all the offerings can be made without THC.

Wind down summer in this Folly Beach locals’ spot, which will make you feel like you’re in your best bud’s backyard. The rock-solid staff at the open-air bar pop cold local beers (and more!) pulled fresh off the ice and take orders for killer tacos that are the perfect pick-me-up after a late-summer swim (mahi-mahi, please).