Chubby Fish opened in 2018, and since then, it’s become one of Charleston’s best restaurants and stayed one of the most exciting. The seasonal menu, listed on a chalkboard right above the kitchen, focuses on locally-caught seafood with things like whole b-liner snapper, yellowfin tuna crudo, and several varieties of oysters including capers blades from South Carolina. This restaurant is a great date-night spot, and a must if sharing caviar sandwiches is your true love language.

Every corner of America has its own take on barbecue—brisket in Texas, ribs in Missouri—but in South Carolina, it’s all about whole hog and no place does it better than Rodney Scott’s. This North-Central spot smokes entire pigs 24/7, and while there’s always a line, their pulled pork and ribs are worth the wait. Add on some mac and cheese and a few beers and you have yourself the perfect weekend lunch, with a necessary nap scheduled for dessert.

Fig was one of the restaurants that made people take Charleston's food scene seriously, as the city started to become a culinary destination in the South over a decade ago. Like many Charleston classics, this neighborhood bistro uses seasonal and local ingredients in a menu that always changes. The chicken liver pate is a Fig staple that you should always start with, along with the ricotta gnocchi alla bolognese. Make sure that at least one of the fish dishes is on your table.

You’re never too far from a raw bar in Charleston and for good reason: the ocean is super close and the fresh seafood here is always high-quality. But when you want to turn a casual meal of oysters and shrimp into an event, head to The Ordinary on King Street. This 1920s bank-turned-restaurant serves a wide range of seafood dishes, but the main reason to come here is for the shellfish towers, which you can get in one, two, or three layers.

This Pakistani restaurant started out as a pop-up on Upper King Street in 2020, and finally got their own space this spring—there's an exposed brick interior with deep purple lighting and a large projection screen showing footage from street life in Pakistan. When it comes to food, the butter chicken is an absolute must, and you should add on the lollipop chicken and qeema samosas filled with freshly ground lamb. If it’s on the menu, end your meal with the cardamom and rice kheer.

Tucked in Cannonborough-Elliotborough is Vern’s, a restaurant that might look like an unassuming corner store, but is actually a quiet and cute neighborhood American bistro with a great wine list. Start with the charred sourdough, which is almost always on the menu, and then explore the pastas, fish dishes, and a roast spring chicken with a brown butter jus that might just be the best roast chicken in all of South Carolina.

There’s a lot happening on James Island. In addition to the retro movie theater and live music venue Pour House, there’s Bar George in the Riverland Terrace neighborhood. Like much of the surrounding area, it’s got a fun vibe: you can relax and play some pinball or stare at their vintage TV-turned-aquarium in the lounge area. The food doesn’t take itself too seriously, with a mix of things like daily crudos and oysters alongside hot dogs and Peruvian roast chicken.

A lot of spots talk about being farm-to-table, but Chasing Sage takes that label to the next level. The Cannonborough-Elliotborough restaurant uses a lot of ingredients from the owner's very own family farm, which dates back to the year 1770. All the dishes on the menu are smaller plates and get separated into three different price categories, but you can also choose the “Let Us Pick For You” option for a five-course meal curated by the chefs along with optional beverage pairings.

Pink Bellies began in 2014 as a small food truck near the College of Charleston, serving Vietnamese comfort food to students and locals. After growing and moving to a food hall, Pink Bellies is now at home in their new space on King Street, which is impossible to miss with its neon illuminated interior. The garlic noodles are a staple: a savory egg noodle dish with pulled pork, pickled onions, parmesan, and sriracha. An order of lamb dumplings is also necessary.

While the food scene in Charleston has evolved a lot over the past decade, soul food remains at the core of this city. Many places have closed during that time, but Hannibal’s Kitchen has continued to be a Charleston staple since first opening in 1985. This Black- and family-owned establishment serves both soul food classics like fried chicken and seafood dishes, including the excellent crab rice.