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.
Consider it your essential resource for dining in Charleston: a monthly-updated guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Four Things In Charleston Not to Miss This Month
- Lunchtime Express: Haven’t been able to snag a Resy at Barnyard Chicken near Park Circle for dinner? Well, you’re in luck with the new “express” lunchtime deals, with various plates + one side offered for $16.95. (Pro tip: Chicken fat fries and garlic noodles … not necessarily in that order.)
- Cozy Szn: January brings great opportunities to duck into a new cozy spot to beat the dropping (-ish) temps or just find a table during the tourist doldrums after the holidays. Make yourself comfortable at Renzo, grab a cocktail at Doar Bros., order a bottle at La Cave, or score a rare table at Melfi’s.
- Dreams of Sushi: Snag a Resy today as 167 Sushi Bar, the pint-sized sushi-focused sister to 167 Raw and Bar167, continues its omakase nights. Thirteen courses await, with nigiri, izakaya goodies, and dessert all for $180 per person, with sake pairings available.
- Joyeux Anniversaire, Jacques: To mark legendary chef Jacques Pépin’s 95th birthday, restaurants from across the country will celebrate with a dinner in his honor. In Charleston, Husk chef Ray England will collaborate with Husk chefs Jacob Hammer and Ben Norton from Savannah and Nashville, respectively, to serve a family-style dinner with the flare of haute cuisine. Each seat is $275, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Jacques Pépin Foundation. And that’s but one of lots of great Resy events going on in town.
New to the Hit List (Jan. 2025)
Azur, By the Way, The Italian Boy after dark, Lillian’s Petite Market & Eatery, Marbled & Fin.
1. Vern’s Elliotborough
Photo courtesy of Vern’s
Even with its national profile, the low-key digs of this Cannonborough-Elliottborough spot don’t immediately telegraph how epic chef-owner Dano Heinze’s menu can be — serving up 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. And that classic but inventive approach extends to the wine list, curated by Dano’s wife and business partner, Bethany. What gives? 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. That bicoastal experience has helped shape Vern’s well-deserved reputation, and made it a local gem.
Photo courtesy of Vern’s
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. The Italian Boy after dark Cannonborough Elliotborough
Chef Anthony Marini tested the waters in Dec. 2024, turning The Pass, his knockout neighborhood sandwich shop, into a full-blown chef’s table joint when the sun goes down — meet The Italian Boy after dark. There’s one seating a night, at 7 p.m., with a chef-selected Italian menu. Offerings shift, but early tastes included two takes on sandwiches (that’s the Italian Boy’s day job, after all), like an inventive spicy zucchini gratin with stracciatella and sun dried tomatoes, tucked into a crispy seeded roll. Fresh pasta, like housemade cavatelli tossed with a rich pork sugo rounds out the meal, before Marini sends you off with a cannoli and a nightcap.
4. Marbled & Fin Downtown Charleston
It would be hard to walk into this unassuming dining room, tucked into the corner of a newly up-fitted strip center, and not find something that grabs your attention. Styled as a “modern steakhouse,” your options include caviar, lobster and tomahawk steaks. The raw bar stocks fresh specialties pulled from the seas, from stone crab to shrimp cocktail. The wine list features selections under the Angel Oak label, sourced from the ownership group’s Argentine vineyards, along with a generous array of wines by the glass. Cocktails lean classy with bits of flair, like I’ll Take Five, described as a “Pisco sour with Dave Brubeck.” (And along with several others, it’s available N/A.)
5. FIG Ansonborough
Photo by Lindsey Harris Shorter, courtesy of FIG
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 more than 10 (!!) years ago, rock-solid preparations remain simple, but creative enough to leave an impression.
Photo by Lindsey Harris Shorter, courtesy of FIG
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 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
In 2023, Jason Stanhope departed FIG 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. Azur Harleston Village
Owners Florence and Dominique Chantepie have been serving up welcoming dining experiences for Charleston diners for going on 10 years, first at Bistro a Vin, then evolving into Azur while also helping develop Bistronomy by Nico. On Market Street, Azur is steps away from Charleston’s busiest dining stretch, but it serves as an escape fit for savvy locals and visitors alike. Many offerings stick close to the Chantepies’ native French cuisine, with fresh pasta (ravioli, tagliatelle) and enough delicious small-bite shared plates (like cheese, cured meats, escargots, and pan con tomate y jamon) to satisfy any party. Or pick a selection from the hearty selection of entrees, like beef Bourguignon or duck leg confit.
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 remains among our most cherished spots in town 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. Blanca Estrada Downtown
Chef Michael Toscano is at it again, this time with tacos. Market Street’s Blanca Estrada is the latest addition to Toscano’s local portfolio, which already includes Le Farfalle, Da Toscano Porchetta Shop, and Fugazzi. On offer are carnitas, chicken, carne asada, and more, all done Toscano-style, so expect a little something extra. Yes, margaritas (and more) are available and yes, they’re open for lunch. Walk-ups only, with small indoor seating area.
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. Coda del Pesce Isle of Palms
Chef Ken Vedrinski has long been one of the Charleston area’s best chefs, and Coda del Pesce has been his proving ground for Italian seafood creations since opening on the Isle of Palms beachfront strip some 10 years ago. Today, you can still find fresh seafood and housemade pasta, including the gnudi that earned Vedrinski one of his two (!!) victories on TV’s “Beat Bobby Flay.” In the rush of summer or the sleepiness of the off-season, you’ll find a nice-but-laid-back dining room and generous wine list that’s a nice escape from standard beach seafood. And later in 2025, keep an eye out for Vedrinski’s next project, Volpe, in downtown Charleston.
15. SHIKI Ansonborough
Refreshing and new-feeling without being too fancy, this strip-mall sushi spot in the heart of downtown is a local favorite for a reason. For lunch and dinner, some of the best sushi flows from the quick sushi bar, alongside a few more complex offerings like housemade katsu and tempura plates. And while you might be there for the nigiri or rolls, the bite-sized shrimp shumai dumplings are some of the best in town. The spot took on a new life since a full renovation during COVID by its multigenerational family owners and regularly fills up, so grab a Resy now.
16. Taco Boy Downtown North-Central
17. Linnette’s Kiawah River
Tucked steps away from the picturesque Kiawah River, the flagship restaurant of the new Dunlin hotel was one of the splashier openings of 2024, despite being a short drive from downtown. Chef Michael Deccio, most recently from Thomas Keller’s Michelin-starred Surf Club Restaurant in Florida, has created an impressive, yet comforting, menu stretching from raw bar to duck confit. Expect nods to Southern standards (Cheerwine has appeared as an ingredient, after all), with luxe beach club touches, including a sunny dining room with a comfy bar.
18. Lillian’s Petite Market & Eatery Westside
A new neighbor for Hampton Park-area residents (taking over the former Harold’s Cabin space), Lillian’s aims to be your neighborhood market and cafe. You’ll find the essentials you’ll need, along with a few gourmet grocery items, beer and wine for purchase, along with a full menu available at the walk-up service counter. Yes, you can grab a bottle, some fruit, and a coffee to start your morning. But you can also order entrees, sandwiches, or full breakfast, and settle in.
Find more info here.
19. By the Way (“BTW”) Cannonborough Elliotborough
This newly renovated space in Cannonborough-Elliotborough is poised as downtown’s splashiest new space. Opened in November by Uptown Hospitality Group along with Southern Charm stars Austen Croll and Craig Conover, expect a darker, moodier vibe than Uptown’s other local establishments (Bodega, Share House, Uptown Social). The menu offers familiar bar choices like a shrimp cocktail, wings, and burgers, each dialed up a few notches. Cocktails lean classic with a handful of house-special spritzes. But they’re turning the dials on the drinks as well, like the Pornstar Martini, a Tito’s martini zhuzhed up with Chinola, vanilla, and Champagne foam.
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.
