The Resy Hit List: Where In Charleston You’ll Want to Eat Right Now

Nearly perfect crispy chicken and rich, satisfying ramen in one place? Meet Katsubō in Park Circle. The latest restaurant from chef Joe Nierstedt, who previously operated Kinfolk on Johns Island, here patrons will find a selection of ramen noodles, lightly breaded katsu chicken sandwiches, and Japanese-style fried chicken, along with sides and starters with more than enough to fill the table. (Three words: okonomiyaki waffle fries.) The spicy tantanmen ramen arrives rich and creamy, underscored by sesame and topped with chile threads, while its broth-less (“mazemen”) counterpart mixes most of the same ingredients for a completely different experience. If it’s been a minute, the burger and selection of bao buns are worthy newcomers on the menu. Don’t sleep on the veg options.

If you like the big-flavor Filipino vibes of chef Nikko Cagalanan’s Kultura, you’ll love the Japanese twists he and his wife Paula Kramer have added at Bareo. (And vice versa.) Drink selections are bright and refreshing, with sake and N/A versions available. The iced matcha grasshopper (non-alcoholic) matches creamy coconut matcha with chocolate and mint, while the sparkling Bakunawa Breeze is built on cedar-aged junmai sake, and pu-erh tea spiked with lemon peel. (An extensive sake list is also available.) The sneaky lunch deal features bites, onigiri, dumplings, a rice bowl with your choice of protein, and kakigori — the fun shaved ice concoctions you’ve probably seen on Instagram — all for $32. Dinner is similar, adding more onigiri (check the citrusy tuna yuzu kosho) and dumplings (pork longanisa and shrimp, please). Bites are generous, but don’t let that stop you from overordering. You won’t be disappointed.

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.

Grab your Resy and pull up to Lou Lou’s Tavern, located at The Refinery on the upper reaches of the Charleston peninsula (hello, free parking!), where the wide variety of smaller plates guarantees a table full of tempting bites, including freshly shucked oysters and charcuterie. Lou Lou’s aims for a sweet spot, slightly fancier than its siblings — local favorites Islander 71 and Mex1 Coastal Cantina — but decidedly comfortable and with welcoming fare for a couple or a group. Pro tip: Every Saturday and Sunday, Lou Lou’s opens for brunch with treats like the shaved prime rib sandwich and monkey balls — crispy fried and doused in cinnamon-sugar sauce when they hit the table.

Step off the patio at the Zero George boutique hotel downtown and into these elegant yet unassuming dining rooms situated in a historic Charleston single house, and you’ll find some of the most creative and thoughtful cooking in town. The six-course tasting menu devised under executive chef Vinson Petrillo sets the tone with playful snacks, including beef tartare rolled into the shape of a crispy cigar and dusted with ash-gray butter — that’s just one of clever bites that land on your table before your first course. Down the menu, Petrillo may play the hits with diverging takes on the local catch, with several opportunities to amp up your meal, like caviar service or wagyu at the ready for the beef course. Round out the experience with the generous wine selection, or “zero proof” (get it?) cocktails.

One of Charleston’s newest local go-tos opened in December on upper King Street in the North Central neighborhood. The brainchild of co-owner Megan Hill, bar director Joey Goetz (Bar George, Last Saint); and chefs Mason Morton and James Ostop (Bar George, pop-up Lupara), and Hank Weed, OK Donna is the perfect fit for after-work bites or an evening out. Highlights include crudo, “potato chip salad” with the requisite amount of crunch, riffs on rustic red sauce faves, and dishes featuring seasonal produce. That means spicy pork fusilli, lasagna, chicken Milanese, heirloom tomatoes, peach panzanella, and more. Behind the bar, martinis are offered four ways — from a dirty version with orange oil to a concoction featuring watermelon and fino sherry — and there’s even a “pool Negroni,” featuring gin, rum, coconut, mint, and lime.

Plenty of accolades, but bo reservations at this Elliottborough hot spot at the corner of Coming and Bogard streets; visitors instead queue up to enter starting at 5 p.m., choosing to hang nearby or step next door to Seahorse, the team’s newest addition, a teeny cocktail and seafood bar. Inside the main event, diners choose from staples like slider-sized caviar sandwiches, seasonal local seafood delivered daily, and even housemade pastas. This is all to say: You really can’t go wrong with anything plucked from chef-owner James London and chef Carlos Paredes’ menus. Drinks? They’ll bring them to you on the sidewalk while you wait or gladly replenish your A+ chilled selection at the table. 

Find more info here.

From the team that brought you Minero and Husk, this luxe “modern steakhouse” tucked into the unassuming corner of a newly upfitted strip center surely grabs your attention. Dining options include caviar and Japanese wagyu, lobster and tomahawk steaks, while the raw bar stocks fresh specialties pulled from the seas like ice-cold shrimp or dressed oysters, ready for the perfect bite. 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. Pro tip: Love the Charleston location? Check out the team’s latest Marbled & Fin in Savannah.

Pitmaster Hector Garate collected a strong local following as a pop-up for years before he opened the doors to his West Ashley restaurant in 2024. Garate channels the flavors of his native Puerto Rico, putting a unique spin on the beef barbecue that’s pulled from his pits, centering around whole hog pork barbecue and beef cheek rather than brisket. Sofrito-infused pinto beans and housemade sausage punctuate the menu with Puerto Rican flavors, along with barbecue hash, a quirky staple of South Carolina cuisine. The hash and rice, a traditional side treasured by locals but harder to find on splashy crowd-pleaser menus, may be the best around. The secret is out about Palmira (especially after Garate’s recent appearance on Food Network’s “Pitmasters”), but rest assured it’s worth the trip and a potential wait in line.

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The Cooper hotel’s opening marks one of the most high-profile openings on the Charleston shoreline in a generation, with The Crossing nestled inside, ready for diners in the second-story dining room overlooking the river. Executive chef Nick Dugan has crafted a three-meals-a-day menu stocked with Mediterranean-influenced knockouts, starting with morning shakshouka and ending with tender grilled octopus, fresh local catch, and Colorado lamb chops with chermoula and couscous. Beverage director Cameron Nadler, formerly of New York’s Polo Bar, pairs seafood-driven offerings with thoughtful cocktails like the Battery Rose Margarita, with reposado Tequila, hibiscus, rose, and citrus. If The Crossing’s introduction is anything like sister restaurant Sorelle, you’ll enjoy an impressive dining and hospitality experience that diners are growing to expect from Charleston’s blockbuster new additions.

Welton’s is a little less tiny these days, after moving its cafe next door (still small though!) late last year. For you, that means the pastries and baked goods are just as good, and a bit more plentiful. (Also: The Welton’s crew was named a Beard award finalist in 2026.) Croissants and other laminated specialties shatter at the first bite. And just like with the breads, cakes, and cookies, Welton’s signature honey pie can convert anyone into a sweet tooth. Among the faves: Cardamom sugar kouign-amann, traditional Portuguese pastéis; rotating biscuits, croissants, and kolaches; and fresh focaccia.

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Renowned chef Daniel Humm continues his yearlong residency at The Charleston Place, pivoting to a new a la carte format this spring. New tasting menu additions include fried chicken, and the bacon-wrapped “Humm Dog” with celery-truffle relish, served in griddled brioche. Starting in April, the pop-up will host a number of collaborations with visiting chefs. Announced guests include Sean Brock (formerly Husk Charleston and McCrady’s), James London (Chubby Fish), Dano Heinze (Husk Charleston), and Michelle Weaver, who retired in 2024 from the Charleston Place kitchen after a generation.

Odd Duck did it again. Now open downtown, the latest market brings an expansive outdoor patio steps from Hampton Park — making it a perfect companion for weekend walks. Of course, breakfast sandwiches rule the morning, from the venerable BEC, to the more elevated prosciutto and egg, tucked between bagels, focaccia, or bialy. There’s no shortage of daytime sandwich offerings either, making this OD the perfect place for a bite and a coffee any time of day. Love the latest location? Check out Odd Duck in North Charleston and Summerville as well.

Find more info here.

Featuring one of the best courtyard patios in Charleston, this Warren Street hideaway has spent years fine-tuning in the kitchen and behind the bar, with cocktails setting the tone. The Laotong unites chamomile-infused pisco with Coterie’s housemade tomato-strawberry shrub for a mellow summer spritz, while the Via Nera creates a Southern-style Manhattan. There’s even an okra Negroni (“okroni,” appropriately) with okra amaro in place of Campari. For dinner, the menu offers small plates like smoked fish toast, ceviche, and variations on Southern specialties like shrimp and grits spiked with chile oil. The Country Captain Chicken is another riff on a Southern fusion specialty, with bright tomato tikka curry smothering chicken alongside Carolina Gold rice.

Chef Mike Lata showcases the freshest seafood, mostly pulled from Charleston waterways, at this King Street seafood hall. Sidle up to the marble bar or grab a Resy with a friend 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? It’s time for a seafood tower, which is pretty much what it sounds like: tiers of select seafood from the raw bar with all the fixins (that’d be lemon, cocktail sauce, and mignonette — housemade vinegar dressing perfect for briny oysters).