The Resy Hit List: Where In Charleston You’ll Want to Eat Right Now
There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
We’ve designed it to be your essential resource for dining in and around Charleston: a monthly-updated (and expanded!) guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Four Things In Charleston Not to Miss This Month
- Time to Make Turkey Day Plans: We know you can cook up a mean Thanksgiving spread, but no need to overdo it this year with a slew of Resy spots offering Thanksgiving dinners for you and yours. Get your Resy now to settle in at The Dewberry, Sorelle, The Select, Iron Rose, and Élevé, with more to come. (Keep an eye on our Resy Events page.) If you’re already looking past Thanksgiving, you know the Charleston Place is prepping its blockbuster Christmas experiences, like Nutcracker Tea at the Thoroughbred Club.
- Oyster-versary: The Harlow celebrates one year on James Island with a Sunday Funday oyster roast on Nov. 10. Snag your ticket via Resy for a $10 early bird discount — your admission gets you two drinks, fresh-steamed oysters, hot dogs, and chili. There’ll even be a jump castle for the kids (free for those under six years old).
- Popping Up: Chef Michael Toscano, with three Charleston concepts already under his belt and two others in New York, is at it again with plans for a pop-up taco stand, Blanca Estrada, in the storefront next to Le Farfalle. Get those tacos while you can, because you know the chef is always eying his next project. The idea, we hear, is for Blanca Estrada to find a separate location, with Toscano turning the pop-up spot into … a slice shop.
- Barbecue Bonanza: The Holy Smokes barbecue festival returns to North Charleston’s Riverfront Park in November, with appearances from low-and-slow royalty like Sam Jones, Rodney Scott, the crew from Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ, and more, including local friends from King BBQ and Palmira Barbecue. Secure a VIP pass for additional bites from the likes of chefs Jason Stanhope, Dano Heinze, Jacques Larson, Michelle Weaver, Kevin Johnson, Michael Toscano, and others.
New to the Hit List (Nov. 2024)
Delaney Oyster House, Kultura, Le Cave, Legami, Malagón.
1. FIG Ansonborough
In a city full of crowd-pleasing tourist fare, FIG remains an oasis. Celebrating 20 years in 2023, chef-owner Mike Lata’s first major restaurant still manages to lure locals downtown, either with a Resy in its modest, comforting dining room or to take a chance at the petite bar that’s always first come, first served. Diners return for seasonal offerings and well-executed specialties like chicken liver pâté and even the fresh catch (grilled triggerfish with mushrooms recently). For Lata, who also opened The Ordinary on King Street some 10 (!!) years ago, rock-solid preparations remain simple, but creative enough to leave an impression.
2. Kultura Cannonborough Elliotborough
Philippines-born chef Nikko Cagalanan has filly settled into his Spring Street dining room after grinding on the city’s pop-up circuit for years, earning a spot as a finalist in the 2024 James Beard Awards. With Filipino dishes inspired by Cagalanan’s upbringing (noted in this recent Resy “20 Questions”), chef’s ever-shifting menu delivers flavors not found in many other downtown Charleston kitchens, like adobo, pancit, and sisig. Local ingredients spiked with Filipino flavors like Cagalanan’s curry — a whole curry-topped snapper with sticky rice — also make appearances.
3. Sorelle Charleston
One of the hottest Charleston openings in recent years and new on Resy in fall 2024, this luxurious Broad Street space invites diners to dine first come, first served in the downstairs bar or to settle into the upstairs dining room with picturesque views of the historic “Four Corners of Law.” The menu is crafted in consultation with the Mina Group, and executed by chef Nick Dugan. Start with a cocktail like the mezcal-fueled Sorrento Sun, then move on to antipasti and snacks like burrata di bufala, followed by tender pastas like the “Pillows of Gold” ricotta tortelloni, creamy pasta sprinkled with prosciutto cotto and kissed with balsamic.
4. Malagón Cannonborough
Whether with one friend or a handful, this Spanish tapas hot spot on Spring Street has plenty on the menu for everyone. Get things started with delicate gildas, the anchovy, pepper, and olive in perfect proportions. Be sure to sample the “La Bomba,” a pork-stuffed mashed potato “bomb,” as well as the obligatory paella, then fill the table with cheese and meat. And the wine! Don’t forget to check the bottle list, with an ever-changing stock of Spanish specialties.
5. Vern’s Elliotborough
Photo courtesy of Vern’s
The low-key digs of this Cannonborough-Elliottborough spot belie the menu that chef-owner Dano Heinze serves up nightly, stacked with offerings you didn’t even know you needed in your rotation. Dishes include snails, fresh crudo, a simple-but-rewarding steak, and handmade pastas like gnocchetti. This classic but inventive view extends to the wine list, curated by Dano’s wife and business partner, Bethany. The couple spent time in famed Charleston locales like the now-defunct McCrady’s before a California sojourn that wound them back east to Charleston. Their deep experience has earned Vern’s a well-deserved national profile.
Photo courtesy of Vern’s
6. Palmira Barbecue West Ashley
Those of us who’ve followed Hector Garate’s barbecue pop-ups rejoiced in February when he finally opened the doors to his West Ashley restaurant. Channeling the flavors of his native Puerto Rico, Garate dishes out variations on ubiquitous Southern ‘cue with a little more flair. We’re talking sofrito-infused pintos and all-star smoked beef cheeks so tender that you won’t even realize brisket is nowhere to be seen on the menu. And don’t miss Garate’s housemade sausage, whole-hog pork, and barbecue hash — an uber-savory traditional South Carolina side, made with chopped meat, pan drippings, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and more. Palmira may be a ways off-peninsula, but it’s worth the trip.
No reservations. More info here.
7. The Ordinary Cannonborough
Speaking of Mike Lata, his ode to fresh seafood, mostly pulled from Charleston waterways, continues to make this King Street hall one of the most welcoming spots in town. Sidle up to the marble bar or grab a Resy and take your pick from oysters farmed in the Carolinas or delicate preparations of fresh-caught bluefin tuna, snapper, triggerfish, and more. Can’t decide? Dial up a seafood tower, which is pretty much what it sounds like: multiple tiers of select seafood from the raw bar with all the fixings (that’d be lemon, cocktail sauce, and mignonette).
8. Lowland Lower King
Jason Stanhope departed FIG last summer after 16 years, during which the restaurant and his menu as executive chef piled up accolades. Now, Stanhope is hoping to recapture some of that magic at not one or two, but three concepts operated by The Pinch boutique hotel at the corner of King and George streets. Expect a comfortable, casual setting with a handful of craveable dishes that both frame Stanhope’s interpretation of New Southern cooking and that will warrant a return trip: lobster bucatini, a burger, grilled triggerfish, crudo, biscuits, deviled eggs, and more.
9. La Cave Downtown
This new King Street wine bar recently opened next door to its sister establishment, Felix Cocktails et Cuisine. It may sit in the thick of the downtown entertainment district, but visitors will enter and surely notice the decorative heavy timber ceilings and plaster-washed stone walls — a tribute to the French countryside theme. Bottles from the six-page wine list start at $45, with more than a dozen also available by the glass. Specialty cocktails range from a light French spin on some classics, like the La Cave Martini, to Cezanne’s France, with Calvados. Snack on fries and cheese, or spring for the duck confit gnocchi or boeuf en croute.
Walk-in only. Find more info here.
10. Bintü Atelier East Side
Chef Bintou N’Daw planned to return to New York City after a year in the kitchen Chez Nous. But finding local menus lacked the flavors of her native Senegal, she decided to stay a while. Traditional Gullah cuisine carries traces of West African influence, but N’Daw’s dishes represent inspired adaptations that make her dishes unique. Yet, Charleston’s African ties proved formative for Bintü Atelier — a common thread. And Bintü found its way on to our top picks of 2023 for a reason, after all. Dishes like pepper soup come served with chicken, yucca, yams and crawfish in a spicy broth. Tucked off a Line Street sidewalk in Charleston’s East Side, which has its own rich cultural history as a historically Black neighborhood, Bintü is open for lunch and dinner Thursday through Sunday.
11. Barnyard Chicken North Charleston
The brainchild of chef-owner Eric Hara, Barnyard sits near the Park Circle neighborhood, between Holy City Brewing and Firefly Distilling. As it says on the tin, chicken is the focus — brick chicken, specifically. Sticky wings, Korean-fried chicken nuggets, and a couple variations on chicken sandwiches also highlight the menu. Step inside (no reservations) or order online before other diners get word.
Find more info here.
12. Legami Cannonborough Elliotborough
Originally, the family behind the three Pasta Beach locations across New England planned to make Charleston the fourth in their portfolio, but opted to create something new in the Holy City instead. The updated interior at 492 King St. awaits, with a number of different spaces for diners to experience: a downstairs dining room, upstairs lounge, bar, and a cozy, captivating patio. Chef Andrea Congiusta (who previously helmed Michelin-starred Il Pagliaccio, in Rome) has created a menu with Italian fingerprints: housemade pasta and veal Milanese, alongside beef Wellington and lobster tartine on focaccia. Cocktails like the Charleston Water, with rye and sweet peach tea, flow from the central bar as well as an Old World wine list.
13. Bowen’s Island Restaurant Folly Beach
This might be Charleston’s longest-running restaurant, in operation by the Barber family since 1945. For generations, Bowen’s has lured Charleston-area residents for family dinners, weddings, parties, community and political events, or just to watch some of the best sunsets around. Enter by the stairs and walk past the oyster room, where steamed bivalves are available by the half tray, full tray, and all-you-can-eat. (Oysters, harvested right off the marsh during “R” months, when they’re in season, are the main event here.) Upstairs in the dining room, seafood platters, Frogmore stew, shrimp and grits and more await.
Find more info here.
14. Delaney Oyster House Ansonborough
With the menu divided among “Cold” and “Not Cold” offerings, take your pick between oysters and other raw bar specialties, including peel-and-eat shrimp. Recent menus also offered a spicy tuna tartare along with a splurge opportunity for hackleback and ossetra caviar. Since this is the Carolinas, hushpuppies lead the “not cold” side of this menu, followed by tempting blue crab rice and a special catch with seasonal vegetables.
15. Sushi-Wa Wagener Terrace
Walk into Sushi-Wa and you’re in the hands of its generous chef-owners, Kazu Murakami and Chris Schoedler, who offer a sushi experience unlike anywhere else in Charleston. Five nights a week, Sushi-Wa serves some of the best sushi in town, omakase style — a traditional Japanese chef’s choice format. Murakami and Schoedler make the tough decisions for you, though enticing (and frankly, worth it) upgrades will be up for grabs, like A5 wagyu nigiri. Bar offerings focus on sake, with large and small-format bottles.
16. Taco Boy Downtown North-Central
17. Post House Old Village
Mount Pleasant’s Old Village is one of Charleston’s early suburbs east of the Cooper River, and the Post House’s classic feel indeed evokes a slower time in a neighborhood that’s a fixture in glossy national architecture and design magazines. With a tavern and restaurant nestled on the ground floor of the updated Post House Inn, a comforting house cheeseburger hits the spot, along with crudo, clams, and more. And notice is being taken: In September, the Inn was honored with a Michelin Key for its exemplary hospitality.
18. Ciudad Bonita North Charleston
This new Park Circle spot’s cocktails are worth the trip to North Charleston. The Lulo combines the traditional South American fruit that gives the drink its name, lime juice, agave, and Colombian-style rum. The Wake Up Colombia features aguardiente, a Colombian liqueur, with Tequila cream, coffee, and agave. On the menu, a handful of traditional bites like plantains and empanadas take the lead, with a slew of exotic burgers on offer.
Find more info here.
19. King BBQ North Charleston
The food coming out of the Chinese-Southern kitchen from chef-owner Shuai Wang (Jackrabbit Filly) already had a faithful following, and that only expanded when Shuai and co-owner and wife Corrie debuted this ode to barbecue of multiple traditions. Meats smoked on-site anchor the menu, with a mustard-tinged pulled pork paying tribute to a South Carolina standard, and crispy smoked duck providing a little something extra that you won’t find anywhere else in Charleston. Stop by on Saturday and the duck comes served with all steamed bao — “duck service.”
Find more info here.
20. Leon’s Oyster Shop Downtown
For years, the faithful have started queuing outside on King Street well before opening at 11 a.m. Leon’s has carved out a niche among locals and tourists alike, who flock for hot oysters or super solid fried chicken and a vibe so lived-in that you’d never guess it’s just shy of 10 years old. Can’t show up early? Find your five closest friends and grab a Resy. And don’t be fooled by the rustic environs, there’s plenty to enjoy on the drinks list, from “cheapish wine” on draft to local beers and frozen cocktails.
