Featured image: Piper Jones
While Charleston has recently taken the rest of the country by storm over the past decade as a growing city with a growing food scene, it has always been home to me. Growing up in an area rich in produce and fresh seafood, I have been spoiled to eat some of the world’s best food my entire life.
As times have changed, Charleston has moved away from only serving local and Southern cuisines to a more diverse collection of options. When I’m not cooking at home or for an event, here are a few places you can find me grubbing!
Bintü Atelier | East Side
Nestled in a neighborhood on Line Street lies Bintü Atelier. It’s the Charleston peninsula’s premiere African restaurant, showcasing foodways from across the continent from Chef Bintou N’Daw and husband Tracy Young. I love how they showcase West African cuisine which is deeply embedded in the Lowcountry’s foodways, in particular the Gullah Geechee. Dishes like okra soup and thieboudienne—Senegal’s national one-pot rice dish that is the relative of the red rice found in coastal South Carolina and Georgia—are a few of my personal favorites, but I also love everything on the menu.
Try smokey suya (grilled meat on skewers, a bowl of comforting egusi soup with goat meat, or the spicy shito crab rice—all of which will keep you wanting more. But even the beverages here are excellent, like the homemade bissap (a version of the red drink you find across the diaspora that uses hibiscus, spices, and a sweetener), and fresh pressed soursop juice. To finish off your meal, the homemade desserts (almost guaranteed to be allergy friendly and dairy free), are light, refreshing, and perfect to keep you cool in the humid weather. They also incorporate fun ingredients like moringa and baobab. If you want to try delicious food, engage and learn about the African diaspora, AND support a Black, woman-owned business—you have to stop by.
Bowens Island Restaurant | James Island
A real deal fish camp, the most beautiful sunset in Charleston (including dolphins!!!), and fresh fried hot shrimp? Find all of the above at Bowens Island Restaurant on James Island. It’s a hop, skip, and a jump from Folly Beach, and also hosts Charleston Outdoor Adventures if you want an excursion before or after eating.
Depending on what time of year you come down, you can eat the briny, plump cluster oysters that grow wild all over the nearby marshes the old school way (steamed hot just ’til they open up), or enjoy local single oysters farmed just a mile or two away.
Gaulart et Maliclet | French Quarter
Lovingly known by locals as Fast and French, Gaulart et Maliclet is one of the OG restaurants in Charleston, having been open since 1984 on Broad Street. G&M holds a special place in my heart-as a kid: it was the first place I had a croissant, the first place I experienced paté, and the first place I can remember being able to sit up at the counter; watching the cooks, smelling the French-pressed coffee, and taking in the art drawn all over its walls.
When I moved away from Charleston in my 20s, it was one place I always had to make time to stop by when I would visit home. There’s nothing like stepping in early in the morning, ordering a hot cup of coffee, and reading the paper shoulder-to-shoulder with other people in the community of all ages, races, genders, and nationalities. Gaulart et Maliclet was created by two artists to inspire and bring community together—and it’s been doing so my entire life.
Malagon | Cannonborough-Elliotborough
Rich Spanish wines, Iberico hams, delectable little tapas to nibble on… Malagon has a little bit of everything for everybody. It’s located not even a block away from historic King Street, it’s perfect for a bite and glass of wine before or after shopping or strolling.
Outside of the restaurant, there’s a gorgeous small-ish patio for outdoor seating, but there’s something about the inside of Malagon that’s very soothing: even on busy nights, the atmosphere always gives off a chill, relaxed, and romantic vibe. My personal favorite dish is the rabbit (when it’s available), but I love getting a bunch of small bites (like the papas) and sharing them with a friend. I always finish off a stop in the restaurant with the pan con chocolate—toasty bread with chocolate, amazing olive oil, and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Hannibal’s | East Side
Two words: Shark. Steak. Hannibal’s is one of the few places that serves up some of my favorite local seafood, Gullah Geechee, and soul food dishes. Okra soup, their famed crab rice, and the red rice are a few of my favorite dishes from this Black owned restaurant located in downtown Charleston, but every once in a while, you can catch a daily special of their deep fried shark steak.
If you’ve ever had swordfish or any other meaty fish, you’d love shark steaks. They are ethically caught and a part of Lowcountry culture that you mostly find served at home. It’s a treat when you can get the special—make sure you ask for some hot sauce to drip on top before eating the meat piping hot!
MoMo | Riverfront Park
Located near my childhood neighborhood, MoMo’s is serving up local dishes like shrimp and grits and fresh oysters right on the waterfront at Riverfront Park in North Charleston. Enjoy the outdoor patio year-round overlooking the new park, or eat inside the renovated Navy Yard building that the restaurant is perched in.
I personally think they have the best, most crispy french fries in the entire city, served alongside dishes like their juicy chicken sandwich or burger. Whether you’ve worked up an appetite while walking around Park Circle, you’re coming in hungry from fishing or crabbing off the adjacent dock areas, or you’re celebrating a family night where you can sip while the kids run around at the park, MoMo’s should be on your list to visit.
Odd Duck Market | Park Circle
At barely two years old, Odd Duck Market has turned into a great meeting point for breakfast and lunch for me while I work in North Charleston. Located in the heart of the Park Circle community, Odd Duck Market is part eatery, part wine shop, part park corner store for the neighborhood.
Inside, you’ll find a few two- or four-top tables, a wonderfully curated wine section, and a really cool pantry and refrigerated section that features local food and beverage items like jams, heritage pork and beef, and fresh fruit and veggies that can be grabbed to bring dinner together on the fly.
If you’re not looking to cook from the store’s wares, you can grab one of their amazing sandwiches (my favorite is the roast beef) and a great cup of coffee and enjoy the outdoor seating in the front of the building. Find and bring in a rubber ducky to leave your mark on the market.
Kultura | Cannonborough-Elliotborough
The story behind Kultura is an incredible one that matches the incredible food served. The small restaurant on Spring Street is putting out some of the best Filipino food in the city, and doing it in a kitchen the size of most restaurants’ walk-in fridges. Chef Nikko Cagalanan got his start as a nurse, but fell in love with sharing the food of his childhood and his culture inspired by his Lola, or grandmother, in the Philippines. Over a few short years, Cagalanan grew from a popular pop up dinner, to being named one of the best restaurants in the country. My favorite dish is the Arroz Caldo – a delicious bowl of rice porridge that feels like you’re eating a warm, comforting hug, but to be honest? Anything on the menu is a must try. The restaurant supports local farmers from the veggies they use to their heritage pork from Peculiar Pig Farms, which makes for an even sweeter dining experience.
Looking for more expert-curated dining guides from around the region? These are taste-tested.
