The Resy Hit List: Where In Charleston You’ll Want to Eat in July 2025

There’s no place quite like this in Charleston. Chef-owner Thai Phi has captured a big-city feel — bright pink and blue lights accent the dark, moody dining room — with sophisticated cocktails to match, like the Yuzu Disco with dark rum, calamansi, lemongrass syrup, and tonic. Phi pulls from his Vietnamese heritage and Bay Area upbringing in dishes like his signature garlic noodles topped with pork, pickled red onions, sriracha, parmesan, and oyster mushrooms, and steaming hot bowls of pho during his Wednesday night Pho King pop-ups. Phi’s creations have evolved significantly from humble beginnings as a food trailer at the nearby College of Charleston, into the city’s “ultimate fun restaurant,” per Resy writer Stephanie Burt.

The Darling is what it says on the tin, and much more. Yes, you can throw back fresh raw oysters. (You’ve heard of an oyster shooter, right?) But you can also dial up crispy fried chicken, a lobster roll, blue crab tagliatelle, shrimp and grits, and more. Of course, since we’re on the coast: Say the word and a basket of fried fish, shrimp, or oysters lands on the table before you know it. There’s something about The Darling’s ice-cold marble bar when it’s pushing 100 degrees outside, so sit a spell with a Three Hour Tour, with vodka, pineapple liqueur, lemon, and strawberry. Or take your pick from more than a dozen wines by the glass.

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.

From the folks who brought you The Royal American downtown, its dive bar little brother sits in the perfect location on Folly Beach’s Center Street. Stocked with some of the same provisions you know from Royal, like icy rum, margarita, and Irish coffee punches served in a souvenir stadium cup, along with housemade beef jerky, Bounty Bar may be the perfect cool spot to take a load off this summer. Chow down on wings, nachos, fresh salads (katsu chicken and Greek, FYI!), or opt for one of the knockout sandwiches, like the patty melt, Italian hoagie, crispy fish, or a fried shrimp po’boy. If you’re looking for live music for a good hang while on Folly, stop by most any weekend night. 

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This neighborhood bistro in a recently updated (and designer-appointed) Charleston single house in Harleston Village has been eagerly awaited by neighbors and the throngs of folks who have lined up for Merci’s various pop-ups leading up to the opening. And the buzz continues: Chef Michael Zentner’s seasonal menu includes snapper crudo in ajo vierge, focaccia  stracciatella, slow-cooked chicken, and beef Wellington for two. Grab a Resy starting seven days in advance.

Chef Jason Stanhope, the former Beard Award-winning chef who previously led kitchens at FIG and Lowland, will soon make his mark on Sullivan’s Island, taking over Sullivan’s Seafood and Bar. With new owners, including Stanhope as a partner, the goal is to fine-tune things at a destination already popular with tourists and locals alike.  Stanhope pledges to return the Middle Street space to the earlier “Sullivan’s Fish Camp” brand, which it took on after an extensive 2022 overhaul that evokes the requisite down-home, fish camp, 1970s-esque dining room. On the menu, that means perfectly fried shrimp, hush puppies, and other fresh-catch offerings. Stop by Mondays for half-off bottles of wine under $60.

Meander off Coming Street and down Payne Court to find this cozy French eatery in a traditional Charleston single house — one room wide with a side porch — complete with a perfect patio and a petite bar tucked under the stairs. A bit of a hidden gem that everyone knows is great, the menu, handwritten daily, charts your course for the night: two small plates, two mains, and two desserts (ordered à la carte, bien sûr). Entrées lean toward delicate fish and seafood, and veggies minimally prepared to allow seasonality to shine. The bottle list is ample, with a few wines available by the glass. Impressed? Check out Chez Nous’ sister, Malagón, run by Matthias’ husband, chef Juan Cassalett. 

Given Charleston’s culinary stature, it may be surprising we have very few regular dim sum purveyors. Chef Emlely Yan is aiming to change that in West Ashley, and folks have taken notice. Soup dumplings are the main attraction at Chef Loong — one of the only places in town where they’re regularly on the menu. Filled with pork, chicken, or a low-key ode to tomato soup, Yan told the Charleston City Paper she serves upwards of 600 of the housemade dumplings every day. In addition to dumplings, Chef Loong offers crispy Peking-style roast duck to fold into steamed bao, Mongolian beef, Chinese restaurant standards, and a variety of noodles. Call ahead for a reservation or grab a spot in line.  

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Slightly North of Broad (or S.N.O.B. for the cheeky ones) has been a Charleston mainstay for more than 30 years. With industry pro favorite chef Frank Lee in the kitchen until 2016, it became known for bulletproof reliability for cherished traditional Lowcountry fare like shrimp and grits and barbecued tuna. Lee was a farm-to-table champion long before it became a trend; it was just the right way to cook. Now owned by the Hall family, executive chef Russ Moore is carrying the torch, and the standards remain high. Charlestonians know S.N.O.B. is also a go-to during the day, where a three-course lunch lets diners a chance to experience Moore’s stewardship of this Southern kitchen, where delicate preparations of proteins and vegetables compete for top billing.

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.

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The owners behind Pasta Beach (a beloved pasta restaurant all over New England) partnered with a Roman chef (Andrea Congiusta, who previously helmed Rome’s Il Pagliaccio), and the result is this King Street beauty. A number of different spaces await: will it be the downstairs dining room, upstairs lounge, the central bar, or perhaps the cozy, captivating patio? The menu shows Italian fingerprints in dishes like housemade pasta and lamb with artichokes, alongside beef Wellington and lobster tartin on focaccia. At the bar, try drinks like the Charleston Water, made with rye and sweet peach tea, or peruse the wine list, which features Italian and other Old World offerings as well as quite a few domestic pulls.

Take one look at the menu in Hotel Bennett’s signature dining room and you’ll see chef Edgar Kano is taking every chance he can to utilize the bounty of local ingredients at his disposal along the South Carolina coast. From a seafood tower featuring poached local shrimp to local mushroom cavatelli pasta, Gabrielle draws inspiration both from Southern foodways and Kano’s fine-dining experience across North America. Tucked into the hotel lobby just north of Marion Square on King Street, you’ll find three meals a day at Gabrielle, including Saturday and Sunday brunch. So, grab a Resy for Gabrielle, score a spot in the lounge or patio, or grab a Resy for its postcard-pretty sister Camellias.

Since opening in 2024, this Morrison Drive hot spot has attracted a devoted local following. Growing up working in a Columbia, S.C., Chinese restaurant, owner Herman Ng created a buzzy space befitting its spot in the heart of a fast-growing neighborhood at the northern end of the downtown peninsula. The menu matches that energy:  Sichuan wings, bao, and housemade dumplings, including pork, chicken, and blue crab (crab Rangoons, of course) lead things off, ahead of salt and pepper shrimp, Chinese-inspired lamb ribs, and the limited roast duck. The open dining room, lined with windows, is anchored by the open kitchen pass, flanked by a see-and-be-seen bar that makes XO a good spot for a date or an early evening bite with friends

The guys at Graft Wine Bar have teamed up with chef Anthony Guerra of Raleigh’s Oakwood Pizza Box to create an instant neighborhood-favorite, conveniently opening next to the wine bar on upper King Street. Set apart with its distinctive square pizzas, Tutti allows guests to get creative, with additions like sesame seed crust, shallots, Calabrian chiles, pepperoni cups, and more piled on 18-inch pies.

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This downtown tapas spot has everything you need if you’re looking for something new. Just a few blocks from King Street, Spanish-inspired specialties flow from the kitchen with Lowcountry flair, like local shrimp, crudo, an Iberian twist on pigs in a blanket, and all the gildas — like a perfectly composed skewer of anchovy, olive, and pickled pepper — we challenge you not to order another round. Securing a Resy is a surefire way to a good time, but the lively courtyard provides the ideal space to enjoy a bev and await your spot. Behind the bar, Spanish vermouth and Sherry tempt curious patrons, whether poured into a citrusy spritz, or served neat.