167 Raw moved from a tiny room at 289 East Bay Street, now 167 Sushi Bar, to a long narrow 19th century building on King Street with original brick walls and a walnut bar. It takes no reservations. City Paper readers voted it Best Oysters and Best Raw Bar in 2026, and on r/Charleston the tuna burger is the dish people name.
167 Sushi Bar is the sushi and yakitori room from the 167 Raw group, in the East Bay Street storefront where 167 Raw itself began before moving to King Street.
39 Rue de Jean is a French cafe, brasserie and bar on John Street just off Upper King, with exposed brick, a patio and a private room upstairs. Explore Charleston reported in spring 2026 that it was marking its 25th anniversary with themed wine dinners and expanded lunch. It belongs to Holy City Hospitality, a Charleston group, and City Paper readers voted it Best French in 2026.
82 Queen is the Lowcountry restaurant on Queen Street that City Paper readers voted Best She-Crab Soup in 2026. The top answer in a r/Charleston she-crab soup thread agrees. Opinion on the rest is split: it is offered as the most Charleston restaurant in one thread, and in the same thread a commenter says it is not as good as its reputation.
BellyUp! Charleston / Over 50
Good places to eat and drink in Charleston, minus the nightclubs. When a spot gets loud later or draws a lot of kids, the card tells you.
69 spots
39 Rue de Jean is a French cafe, brasserie and bar on John Street just off Upper King, with exposed brick, a patio and a private room upstairs. Explore Charleston reported in spring 2026 that it was marking its 25th anniversary with themed wine dinners and expanded lunch. It belongs to Holy City Hospitality, a Charleston group, and City Paper readers voted it Best French in 2026.
82 Queen is the Lowcountry restaurant on Queen Street that City Paper readers voted Best She-Crab Soup in 2026. The top answer in a r/Charleston she-crab soup thread agrees. Opinion on the rest is split: it is offered as the most Charleston restaurant in one thread, and in the same thread a commenter says it is not as good as its reputation.
Acme describes itself as a no-frills beach grill with a full bar and deck serving Southern coastal cooking. City Paper readers voted it Best IOP Restaurant and Best IOP Brunch in 2026. A regular on r/Charleston says they always plug it for dinner and brunch that is not high-end.
Nikko Cagalanan and Paula Kramer opened Bareo on 13 February 2026 in the Spring Street room where their restaurant Kultura started. The Post and Courier describes Japanese-Filipino cooking built around hand-rolled dumplings and kakigori, the Japanese shaved ice, along with onigiri, noodle soup, bento boxes, sake and tea. It has a patio.
Berkeley's is a sandwiches-and-suppers spot at Rutledge and Huger from Marc and Liz Hudacsko, who later opened The Archer on Meeting Street. City Paper says it feels like going over to a friend's home for dinner. Readers voted its cheesesteak the best in Charleston in 2026.
The Post and Courier describes casual American food with a reliable beer list ... soft pretzels, fried chili-spiced shrimp, bacon cheeseburgers ... and patio seating. City Paper readers voted it Best James Island Happy Hour in 2026.
A family fish camp at the end of its own island road, founded in 1946. City Paper's Charleston Classics list says it grew from a grimy cinder block outpost into a place serving fried seafood, hushpuppies and cold local beer in an upstairs dining room, and tells readers to follow their nose downstairs to the all-you-can-eat oyster tables, where local oysters come by the shovelful. The paper also singles out the Frogmore stew. The restaurant's own site remembers the old room as an aging pile of cinder blocks and boards held up by layers of graffiti.
Charleston Crab House is a family-owned local seafood group that has served the Lowcountry since 1991. The Market Street room has a rooftop that looks over the City Market. Its other two rooms are on Shem Creek and on Wappoo Creek on James Island.
The restaurant of the Charleston Harbor Resort at Patriots Point. Every table looks across the harbor to the Charleston skyline, the USS Yorktown and the marina, and the Bridge Bar on the roof is the sunset perch. The kitchen is a member of the Good Catch program and says it sources locally and responsibly.
The James Island room of the family-owned wood-fired pizza group. The Post and Courier says each Coastal Crust has a spacious outdoor area for children.
Wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza from a family-owned group that began with a vintage mobile kitchen. The Post and Courier says the Mount Pleasant spot has fire pits, picnic tables and plenty of room for the whole family, and that every pizza is made from scratch.
Coterie describes a lush courtyard and an intimate dining room on Warren Street in Radcliffeborough. Resy's write-up points to small plates with a Southern fusion bent and house cocktails. A lower-priced happy hour runs 5pm to 7pm.
CudaCo. is a seafood market with a small kitchen, founded by chef Shaun Brian and seafood distributor Chris John around turning overlooked fish into good eating. The site says they want to 'become a catalyst for change in the seafood industry'. Seating is limited indoors with a picnic area outside. In 2025 the owners added a crudo bar on Folly Road with crudos, ceviches and wine, per the Post and Courier.
Daps opened in 2018 on Ashley Avenue and calls itself a beloved neighborhood spot for breakfast, brunch and lunch. It also caters.
Delaney Oyster House is a raw bar and seafood restaurant in what the venue calls a quintessential historic Charleston home on Calhoun Street, with a second-floor porch. Elliot Cusher is executive chef. It belongs to The Neighborhood Dining Group, the owners of Husk.
The newest bar in a building with a long local memory. The Post and Courier reported in August 2026 that Dive In opened in June 2026 at 525 Meeting Street, a single-story building that was once home to the Black-owned Thunderguards Motorcycle Club and then to Palace Hotel, which closed in 2025 after less than two years at the address. Owners Fitz Gaines, Lamar Bonaparte and Tyler Wicker have been involved in Republic Garden & Lounge, Red Palm Tavern and Bourbon N' Bubbles downtown. Picnic tables sit on the patio in front.
Edison is owned and run by husband and wife Chef Joel and Chelsea Lucas, and the site says it is now in its tenth year on James Island. The menu is seasonal and changes. Dinner only, with a shaded patio the site calls secluded.
The brewery and taproom of the Edmund's Oast group. The Post and Courier calls the kids menu reliably good ... cheeseburgers and chicken fingers ... and describes a huge courtyard where children can run around, with easy parking. It also notes the area around the brewery is under renovation through late 2026 while the taproom stays open. Dogs are welcome outside only.
Edmund's Original is the restaurant formerly called Edmund's Oast, now run by The Indigo Road group as what it calls a modern tavern serving American tavern fare inspired by the Lowcountry. Its courtyard, The Bower, has covered and open seating, fire pits and garden tables. City Paper readers voted it Best Outdoor Patio in 2026.
Eli's Table is a Charleston Hospitality Group restaurant on Meeting Street named after the owner's son, Eli. Weekend brunch is served in a courtyard.
Ellis Creek Fish Camp is a casual, camp-like seafood spot where you order at a window and sit inside at the bar or outside over the marsh and Ellis Creek. The site says 'Bring your best dog friend with you!' and there is a dog menu.
Fam's is a James Island brewpub on Folly Road that makes both New York-style and Chicago-style pizza, plus wings and burgers. Its site says it has been open nine years. It was the Porter/Stout runner-up in City Paper's 2026 readers' poll.
Frannie & The Fox is the wood-fired Italian restaurant in the Emeline hotel on Church Street, a block from the Market. It has a courtyard and a greenhouse with open-air seating, and the menu is built around shared dishes. The Den, its lounge, runs to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
A West Ashley brewery with a full kitchen and its own arcade room. The venue's site says 'Family and Dog Friendly!', welcomes leashed dogs on the patio and points families to the arcade.
Garage 75 is a James Island bar on Folly Road full of games: billiards, skeeball, Golden Tee, bowling, Mario Kart and dozens more. It was the Arcade Bar runner-up in City Paper's 2026 readers' poll.
Chef Frank Kline owns and runs Grace & Grit, which he opened in August 2017. The kitchen works from local seafood and produce, and its calling card is the Grit Flight, a sampler of the house grits. Tables sit inside or under the oaks on a dog-friendly patio.
The Post and Courier calls it 'the mecca of family-friendly restaurants': covered outdoor seating, picnic tables, and beyond them a large area for children with a basketball net and full-size Jenga blocks, on a property that sits along Noisette Creek. The Walrus is the in-house raw bar. The venue lists four event spaces, live music on Fridays 5pm-8pm and team trivia on Wednesdays.
Live music some nights. Go before the band starts if you want to talk.
Founder Aaron Siegel came from fine dining, per Destination BBQ, and Home Team cooks a multi-regional menu instead of one barbecue tradition: smoked wings, pulled pork, brisket, ribs, turkey. The frozen Gamechanger cocktail is the house drink. The venue lists a kids menu and a sauce list; wood species is not stated on the pages fetched. Charleston-born group, also in Columbia, Greenville and Aspen. The downtown room has a fenced gravel yard with chalkboards for children, a large bar and a big courtyard.
This is a music venue. It is loud when a show is on.
Founder Aaron Siegel came from fine dining, per Destination BBQ, and Home Team cooks a multi-regional menu instead of one barbecue tradition: smoked wings, pulled pork, brisket, ribs, turkey. The frozen Gamechanger cocktail is the house drink. The venue lists a kids menu and a sauce list; wood species is not stated on the pages fetched. Charleston-born group, also in Columbia, Greenville and Aspen. The venue says the Sullivan's Island room is a block from the beach, with band posters and island artifacts on the walls, an open window bar, a covered porch, and regularly scheduled live music from local and touring artists.
This is a music venue. It is loud when a show is on.
Founder Aaron Siegel came from fine dining, per Destination BBQ, and Home Team cooks a multi-regional menu instead of one barbecue tradition: smoked wings, pulled pork, brisket, ribs, turkey. The frozen Gamechanger cocktail is the house drink. The venue lists a kids menu and a sauce list; wood species is not stated on the pages fetched. Charleston-born group, also in Columbia, Greenville and Aspen. The Post and Courier says the Mount Pleasant room has a huge outdoor area with tables, TVs, a chalkboard and room for children to roam.
Founder Aaron Siegel came from fine dining, per Destination BBQ, and Home Team cooks a multi-regional menu instead of one barbecue tradition: smoked wings, pulled pork, brisket, ribs, turkey. The frozen Gamechanger cocktail is the house drink. The venue lists a kids menu and a sauce list; wood species is not stated on the pages fetched. Charleston-born group, also in Columbia, Greenville and Aspen. The venue describes West Ashley as rustic, with tin paneling and gas lanterns in the spirit of old honky-tonks, two outside porches, Monday team trivia, and says it is home to University of Georgia alumni on game days.
Husk has been cooking Southern food from local purveyors since 2011, and the Charleston room on Queen Street is the original; Nashville and Savannah came later. Sean Brock was the founding chef and is no longer involved, as The Post and Courier notes. Charleston City Paper lists Ray England as chef in its Summer 2026 Top 50. The Bar and Patio sits next door in a nineteenth-century kitchen house and pours a deep list of bourbon and Southern spirits, first come, first served. The Post and Courier ties the kitchen to biscuits, country ham and Carolina Gold rice. It is Recommended in the inaugural MICHELIN Guide American South.
A marina restaurant on the Intracoastal Waterway. The venue calls itself family-friendly, with direct access by boat, weekly live music and sunsets. Explore Charleston lists yard games, kid-friendly trivia nights and a full kids menu; the Post and Courier mentions corn hole on the spacious patio and says to start with hushpuppies.
Live music some nights. Go before the band starts if you want to talk.
A small Folly Beach room with a courtyard out back that the street does not show. The saloon quotes Charleston Magazine on its own site: 'a haven for vegetarians, vegans and omnivores alike, with sidewalk booths and a sunny back courtyard'. City Paper's Top 50 for summer 2026 says co-owner and chef Lesley Carroll rotates the menu with the seasons, with dishes such as red curry mac and cheese and Tom Kha Gai gnocchi. The Post and Courier's food editor calls it his Folly Beach favorite.
A Sichuan kitchen attached to a music hall. City Paper's Top 50 for summer 2026 says it is set next door to the Charleston Pour House in the space once occupied by The Lot, and that nothing about it is subtle, from the food to the music to the chef. The menu is sorted into blocks labeled 'Loud', 'Hot' and 'Vibes', and the paper recommends starting with the crescent dumplings.
Le Farfalle is Chef Michael Toscano's Italian restaurant on Beaufain Street, a block off King. The venue describes a modern approach to authentic Italian cooking. The patio and bar stools are kept for walk-ins. Dinner only.
Pitmaster John Lewis serves Central Texas barbecue here, sliced to order at the counter from smokers he designed and welded himself, as the venue tells it. The Post and Courier says the Charleston original opened about a decade ago and has since spawned rooms in Greenville and Atlanta. It is known for smoked brisket, beef sausage and corn pudding with Hatch green chiles, and it has a large bar and a backyard patio. This is Texas-style beef barbecue, not a South Carolina sauce tradition. It was named a Bib Gourmand on 3 November 2025.
Owner Heather Greene opened Lillian's in the corner building that used to be Harold's Cabin, and City Paper calls it a comfortable follower for that much-loved room. It runs all day ... a coffee bar from 7:30am, weekday breakfast, a market selling flowers, prepared foods, wine and goods from local makers, then happy hour and dinner. Executive Chef Todd Garrigan works with local growers, fishermen and ranchers. Private parties use the Jackalope Dining Room, the Jackalope Bar or the upstairs terrace.
LoLA stands for Low Country Louisiana Seafood Kitchen and says it was established in 2016. It serves Louisiana Cajun and Lowcountry cooking in Park Circle with a colorful patio where pets are welcome. City Paper readers voted it Best Soul Food in 2026, ahead of Bertha's Kitchen and Hannibal's Kitchen.
Locals is a sushi restaurant that is also a sports pub, with nigiri and rolls beside tacos, hibachi and wings, and a sushi rolling class on the third Thursday of each month. The Post and Courier notes a patio and a second-floor loft at the Folly Road room. City Paper readers made it runner-up for Best Sushi in 2026.
Dave and Chrissy Lorenz of Epic Hospitality, who also own Islander 71 and Mex 1 Coastal Cantina, opened Lou Lou's Tavern on the Tracks in May 2026 at The Refinery, in the space where Cleats used to be. The Post and Courier describes approachable small plates such as Aleppo pepper wings, harissa-glazed shrimp and Spanish croquettes, with a patio that looks onto the amphitheater. Weekends bring brunch.
Justin and Iryna Moore's restaurant sits in an old Navy building beside Riverfront Park on the former base, looking over the Cooper River. The tourism office describes the house as a historic Panama-style home from the naval base years and says the kitchen buys from local fishermen and farmers. The patio has heaters and a fire pit facing the water.
The Post and Courier's alphabet guide describes the approach better than the restaurant does: Maison is 'housed in an odd-looking blueish-purple building on King Street. Enter by walking through a quiet patio, guarded by a mural of the Eiffel Tour. Inside, a slim alleyway passes a bar on the left and booths to the right before the room opens up in the back.' Chef Vandy Vanderwarker runs the kitchen, and the paper ranks it alongside Chez Nous as the area's top French restaurants.
Malagón opened in 2019 as a neighborhood market and tapería from chef Juan Cassalett, his wife chef Jill Mathias, and Patrick and Fanny Panella, the same partners behind Chez Nous a block and a half away. The Post and Courier says it took over a former gourmet sandwich shop. Cassalett cooked at FIG and Xiao Bao Biscuit before this, per Charleston Wine + Food. The market side imports Spanish wine, canned seafood, cheese and charcuterie, and the wine and beer list is Spanish only. It earned One MICHELIN Star in the inaugural American South guide on 3 November 2025.
West Tennessee-style whole hog. The venue says the hog is smoked over local hickory for more than 20 hours, starting at 5am each day, alongside spare ribs, smoked wings and scratch-made sides and pies. Discover South Carolina lists the sauces as Sweet Dixie (tomato), Alabama white, Jack's Creek (sweet and spicy vinegar) and Devil's Nectar. Live music on Fridays from 5pm to 8pm.
Live music some nights. Go before the band starts if you want to talk.
OK Donna opened on 20 December 2025 from Joey Goetz, Megan Hill and Hank Weed, the team behind Bar George and Last Saint, with chefs Mason Morton and James Ostop. It calls itself a neighborhood restaurant. Pastas are made in house, the pizza is Sicilian style, and the lasagna layers egg yolk pasta with red sauce, ricotta, bechamel and mozzarella. There are about 80 seats indoors and out.
A family owned and run Southern restaurant on Coleman Boulevard serving breakfast, lunch, supper and weekend brunch, walk-ins only. Its signature is Ashleigh's Shrimp & Grits, which the restaurant says has been voted Best Shrimp & Grits ten years running. The family has since opened a second restaurant in Summerville's Nexton and runs a food truck in Moncks Corner.
Prohibition is a bar and restaurant on Upper King with music most nights: bands on Thursdays, DJs on Fridays and brunch sets at the weekend. It has a large heated patio and a private room for up to 150.
Go early. It turns into a late-night spot later in the evening.
John Lewis's West Texas and El Paso inspired room, a short walk from Edmund's Oast Brewing Co. Explore Charleston points to the 'Los Ninos' menu of corn dogs and cheese quesadillas, strawberry limonada for children, and an astroturf lawn right outside for them to play on.
A dockside beer-and-seafood spot on Shem Creek that calls itself 'a friendly spot to enjoy a cold beer & fresh seafood in a laid back setting', with views of the creek's wildlife and the sunset. It lists Best of Charleston wins going back to 2004, including Best Waterfront Bar and Best Outdoor Patio.
Rita's sits at the foot of Center Street, steps from the Folly Beach Pier, and its site calls it a family-owned restaurant of the Hall family. The site lists scratch-made American food, house-smoked barbecue and seafood, a patio, live music, and a separate puppy menu for dogs. Breakfast runs on weekdays and brunch on weekends.
Live music some nights. Go before the band starts if you want to talk.
The newest room in the sector, open by late September 2026 on the roof of Storehouse Nine at Navy Yard Charleston, the redevelopment of the naval base that closed in 1996. It belongs to Charleston's Indigo Road Hospitality Group, the people behind Oak Steakhouse, Indaco and O-Ku. Executive chef Sean McMullen came from Luminosa in Asheville and cooks coastal Italian ... crudo, head-on shrimp, handmade pasta, whole fish, pizza ... with the Cooper River in view.
A Southern take on Southwestern cooking, with a wood fire in the kitchen, fresh-juiced margaritas and a long tequila list. The bar is built from a reclaimed cotton mill. Sunday brunch comes with endless mimosas. It is a small local group with other Charleston-area rooms.
Live music some nights. Go before the band starts if you want to talk.
A Front Beach restaurant and rum bar on Ocean Boulevard that pitches itself as a family friendly spot with patio views, craft cocktails and local beers. Moultrie News named Benj Farmery as owner or co-owner of Smugglers, IOPizza and Papi's Taqueria in March 2026, when he told the island's chamber that winter cash calls were heavy and argued against restaurants shutting for the season.
Southern Roots says it works with local meats, produce and beers. It has live music, outdoor seating, a private room called The Edisto Room, and a locals night every Wednesday with half-priced prime brisket smash burgers.
Open late. Go earlier if you want a calmer room.
The room traces back to a casual neighborhood restaurant that first opened on this spot in 1988. It now runs as a modern fish camp led by chef and partner Jason Stanhope, whom the site calls a James Beard award-winning chef. He buys from Abundant Seafood, Kindlewood Farms, Tarvin Seafood and Lowcountry Shellfish. A side patio can be bought out for up to 24.
A Charleston-born taqueria group that also has rooms in Folly Beach, Summerville and Asheville. Explore Charleston points to the 100 percent vegan scratch-made guacamole, vegan black beans, build-your-own nachos, burritos and rice bowls, and the crispy avocado taco. The downtown room has a large back patio and a kids menu.
Tattooed Moose is known for Mike's Famous Duck Club, which the site says was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and for duck fat fries. City Paper readers voted it Best Fries in 2026. The kitchen runs late ... to midnight most nights and 1am on Friday and Saturday ... and the bar stays open to 2am.
Open late. Go earlier if you want a calmer room.
A seafood house at the foot of the Breach Inlet bridge, family-owned since 1997. The restaurant says it pioneered a focus on fresh local seafood when it opened, and the daily fish comes grilled, broiled, blackened or roasted. Upstairs is a rooftop bar; the screened Waterfront Deck looks over the inlet, the marsh and the sunset. Sundays are seafood boils.
Live music some nights. Go before the band starts if you want to talk.
The Crab Shacks say they have been locally owned and run for more than 30 years. The Folly room has a raw bar that stays open an hour later than the kitchen and a patio with a dog-friendly area. Its West Ashley sister on Ashley River Road closed for good at the end of 2024.
The Daniel Island Market & Eatery ... DIME for short ... opened in 2021 at the Daniel Island Waterfront. It runs from morning espresso and house pastries through sandwiches and wood-fired pizza, in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a patio.
The Harlow calls its cooking Island-Americana ... Southern seafood traditions next to classic American dishes, led by Chef Brett Riley. There is a covered patio the site describes as kid-and-dog-friendly and an open-air bar that seats walk-ins first come, first served.
The Obstinate Daughter opened in 2014 on the second story of a building on Middle Street, behind a live oak, per The Post and Courier. The venue says the name honors 'the spirit, sass and determination of Miss Carolina Sullivan'. Chef Jacques Larson, a two-time James Beard nominee, cooks Lowcountry seafood through Italian, French and Spanish habits, with a wood-fired oven, a plancha and house pasta. The restaurant holds Green Restaurant Certification and buys from local farmers and fishermen. Beardcat's Sweet Shop is downstairs. It is the only Michelin-designated restaurant in the Charleston area off the peninsula: Recommended in the inaugural American South guide.
A bar and music room in an old ironworks on the upper peninsula. The venue says it is in the Ole Charleston Forge building and has served food, drink and live music since 2011, with the kitchen open until 1 a.m. every day. The Post and Courier's 2026 itinerary sends readers there for $5 pitchers of Miller High Life on a patio that faces the Ravenel Bridge, and City Paper (June 2026) points to the $13 disco fries and the $12 patty melt.
This is a music venue. It is loud when a show is on.
An oyster-led neighborhood restaurant inside I'On Village, with indoor and outdoor tables. The daily menu is posted on Instagram rather than printed on the site. The homepage carries a line of praise from the food writer Michael Ruhlman.
The Moose is known for the Duck Club ... duck confit, applewood smoked bacon, hickory smoked cheddar and garlic aioli on a Hawaiian roll ... and for a long craft beer list. Guy Fieri featured it, and the venue notes a 2024 return on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Its own site now lists two rooms, Park Circle and Johns Island, and the tourism office says it has been a local favorite since relocating to Park Circle.
Open late. Go earlier if you want a calmer room.
Charleston Magazine's dining guide tells readers to find this out-of-the-way dive behind the Shem Creek docks, and says it is named for a ship stranded on the same spot during Hurricane Hugo. The seafood is sourced fresh and the locals' orders are the deviled crab and the fried seafood platter. The restaurant has no private dining room; its outside patio rents to groups of 35 or fewer, and events and buyouts are only booked October through February.
Three Little Birds Cafe opened in August 2007 in the Windermere shopping strip in West Ashley, with indoor and outside seating and carry out. City Paper readers voted it runner-up for Best West Ashley Brunch in 2026. Locals name it for breakfast, with one saying the prices keep it from being a regular stop.
Tideland is a North Charleston brewery on Dorchester Road with a 5,000 square foot beer garden, a fire pit and a full kitchen that does lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
Live music some nights. Go before the band starts if you want to talk.
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