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.
5 spots
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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