Charleston · United States
The Charleston food cheat sheet
One page from Chef Amazing · November 2026
The dish to eat
Stone-ground grits cooked slow with butter, topped with local shrimp in a gravy of bacon or sausage, onion and pepper.
Best at Slightly North of Broad, East Bay Street. Get: Shrimp and grits
Five places, and what to order
- Bertha's KitchenGullah lunch counter · North CharlestonGet: Okra soup, fried chicken, lima beans
- Hannibal's Kitchensoul food · East SideGet: Crab and shrimp rice, okra soup
- KulturaFilipino · CannonboroughGet: Kinilaw, arroz caldo, crab pancit
- Hyman's Seafoodfor she-crab soup · DowntownGet: She-crab soup with sherry
- Bowens Island Restaurantfor lowcountry oysters · James IslandGet: Steamed oyster clusters
The market
Open-air farmers market. Lowcountry produce, regional prepared foods
The line worth it
Callie's Hot Little BiscuitUpper King
Get: biscuits
In season this November
Oysters steamed by the cluster · Farmers market produce
How it works here
Tip: Tip 18-22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two a drink at the bar.
Book: Book the hot places on Resy or OpenTable, often the day tables drop (2-4 weeks out); counters and slices are walk-in.
When locals eat: Lunch noon-2pm, dinner 6-9pm; it gets late only in the big cities.