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.
4 spots
Bar Polari describes itself as a special hideaway for the LGBTQ+ community in Charleston, on Reynolds Avenue in North Charleston. The site names Brent Compagni as owner. It was the LGBTQ Bar runner-up in City Paper's 2026 readers' poll.
Open late. Go earlier if you want a calmer room.
Weems Pennington taught himself to make ramen about five years ago, went to Japan in 2025 to study it, and opened this ramen bar on Reynolds Avenue in December 2025 with Sharon Brown as general manager. There are four bowls ... shoyu, shoyu lite, miso and a vegetable ramen on fennel and shiitake broth ... plus karaage three ways and korokke. Cocktails are named after albums. It serves food until 12:30am, walk-ins only, behind a bright green mural near King BBQ.
Open late. Go earlier if you want a calmer room.
Rebel Taqueria describes itself as tacos, tequila and cold beer on Reynolds Avenue in North Charleston. A regular on r/Charleston plugs two dollar street tacos on Tuesdays and an all you can eat taco brunch on Sundays. City Paper readers voted it runner-up for Best Tacos and Best Margarita in 2026.
A speakeasy hidden inside Holy City Brewing, run by Johnny Caldwell, one half of the Charleston duo The Cocktail Bandits. The Post and Courier reported on 30 January 2026 that it sits behind the brewery bar, behind what looks like a wall of beer cans and taps ... give the wall a nudge and it opens into a small room with its own bar, a few tables and chairs, a record player and shelves of vinyl. A light above the wall is green when the room is open with space and red when it is closed or full. The menu is split into Classics, Signatures and Bites, and a raw bar is available on request.
The same over 50 spots, sorted by the reasons people actually pick them.
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