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Where to eat in Charleston
Lowcountry cooking with a Michelin star count of three: shrimp and grits, she-crab soup and oysters steamed by the shovelful, next to Gullah lunch counters, whole-hog barbecue and a new wave of Filipino, Senegalese and Japanese cooks.
Charleston at a glance What to eat Shrimp and grits; She-crab soup; Lowcountry oysters; Okra soup; Whole-hog barbecue. When to go Best: March–May and October–November. Also good: February, June, September and December. Hardest: July–August. Top tables This guide lists 8 award-winning restaurants, starting with Wild Common, Vern's, Malagón Mercado y Taperia and Leon's Oyster Shop. Where locals eat Local favorites off the prestige lists include Bertha's Kitchen, Hannibal's Kitchen, Kultura and Bintü Atelier. Markets Charleston Farmers Market and Charleston City Market. 45 places in Charleston, ready to save to your trip
What is in the 45 8 award-winning8 local favorites3 hot right now2 markets5 walking tour stops10 chef's picks5 sandwich shops5 romantic dinners5 breakfast spots5 new openings17 dish spots
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Food walking tour: Biscuits to oysters: a King Street eating day 9.0 hours on foot, 5 stops, in eating order. Add the whole tour to your trip, then give it a day.
See the tour Going with a group? Give Chef your dates and hotel and he drafts every meal. Then send the group one link: they heart what they'd go to, add their own, and see the morning each table opens.
Plan it with your group
Plan my Charleston food trip
Chef Amazing picks: where to eat in Charleston Our own FIG and four Charleston institutions for the classics, then five places where the city cooks now: Filipino, Senegalese, Gullah soup and whole-hog barbecue.
From our stories FIG Meeting Street
Order: Whatever the server says came in that morning. Start with the vegetables.
Twenty-plus years on Meeting Street and the menu still changes every day.
232 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Read the story: Food Is Good, and they mean it
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The well-known five Husk Downtown
Michelin Recommended (2026) Southern $$$
Order: Cornmeal-fried flounder
Southern ingredients in an old house on Queen Street; Michelin Recommended in 2026.
Best for: the Charleston classic · Reserve: book ahead; the bar takes no reservations
76 Queen St, Charleston
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Leon's Oyster Shop Upper King
Michelin Bib Gourmand (2026) Oysters and fried chicken $$
Order: Fried chicken and a dozen oysters
A converted garage with a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Best for: a casual dinner · Reserve: walk in or book
698 King St, Charleston
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82 Queen Downtown
Lowcountry $$$
Order: She-crab soup, shrimp and grits
The she-crab soup locals send people to, according to National Geographic.
Best for: the classic dishes · Reserve: book ahead
82 Queen St, Charleston
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Bowens Island Restaurant James Island
James Beard America's Classic Oysters, seafood $$
Order: Steamed oyster clusters, Frogmore stew
Shoveling oysters on the creek since 1946.
Best for: oysters at sunset · Reserve: walk in
1870 Bowens Island Rd, Charleston
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The discoveries Bareo Cannonborough
Japanese $$
Order: The $32 lunch: onigiri (tuna yuzu kosho), dumplings, kakigori
Nikko Cagalanan and Paula Kramer's new place, number three on Resy's Hit List.
Best for: lunch · Reserve: book
73 Spring St, Charleston
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
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Kultura Cannonborough
Filipino $$
Order: Kinilaw, crab pancit, arroz caldo
Filipino cooking both Resy and City Paper name.
Best for: dinner with friends · Reserve: book
267 Rutledge Ave, Charleston
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Bintü Atelier East Side
Senegalese $$
Order: Pepper soup, jollof, mafé
Senegalese cooking, Thursday to Sunday.
Best for: a small dinner · Reserve: book
8 Line St, Charleston
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Hannibal's Kitchen East Side
Soul food $
Order: Crab and shrimp rice, okra soup
Gullah home cooking on the East Side.
Best for: lunch · Reserve: walk in
16 Blake St, Charleston
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Palmira Barbecue West Ashley
Michelin Bib Gourmand (2026) Whole-hog barbecue $$
Order: Whole hog, smoked beef cheek, hash and rice
New Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2026.
Best for: lunch · Reserve: walk in
2366 Ashley River Rd, Charleston
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Showing only the picks we could confirm are open. The rest are still being checked.
New and buzzing in Charleston The top pick here; the rest are on their own page.
Bareo New opening reported
Cannonborough · Japanese
Nikko Cagalanan and Paula Kramer's lunch and dinner spot at 73 Spring St.
Order: $32 lunch: onigiri, dumplings, kakigori
☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change See all 4: The best new restaurants in Charleston →
Merci New opening reported
Harleston Village · French
26 seats at 28 Pitt St.
Order: Beef Wellington for two
☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change Shokudô New opening reported
Charleston · Japanese
Robata grill and izakaya plates.
Order: Robata, karaage namban
☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change Cane Pazzo New opening reported
Hanahan · Italian
1276 Yeamans Hall Rd, Hanahan.
Order: Pasta
Rivayat New opening reported
Cannonborough · Indian
210 Rutledge Ave.
Order: Creative Indian plates
☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change New places change fast. “Provisional” means a guide or directory lists it as new but we have not confirmed the opening date. Check hours and book ahead before you go.
Memorable breakfasts in Charleston Five places chosen for the food, the room, the history or the local character. In no ranked order.
Callie's Hot Little Biscuit Upper King
Order: Country ham or cheese and chive biscuits
Charleston's biscuit counter.
Expect a line on weekends; order ahead in the app.
☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change Millers All Day King Street
Order: Pork belly biscuit with blueberry jam
Grits and biscuits done carefully.
Walk-in.
☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change Vern's Elliotborough
Order: Sesame pancakes
Michelin-starred brunch.
Brunch; book ahead.
Lou Lou's Tavern The Refinery, North Charleston
Order: Monkey balls
A brunch on Resy's Hit List.
Brunch.
Odd Duck Market Hampton Park
Order: Breakfast sandwiches
A neighborhood market and café on Resy's Hit List.
Counter service.
☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change Orders are suggestions, not guaranteed menu items. Confirm opening hours and morning service before you go.
Sandwich shops in Charleston The top pick here; the rest are on their own page.
Ted's Butcherblock East Bay
Butcher-deli Order: The house-roasted wagyu beef sandwich or the BLT
Food Network Magazine's best sandwich in South Carolina.
334 E Bay St.
☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change See all 4: The best sandwiches in Charleston →
Middleton Place Ashley River
Plantation restaurant Order: BLT
A Resy staff pick, Sept 2026.
Outside the city.
☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change Odd Duck Market Hampton Park
Market café Order: Breakfast sandwich
On Resy's Hit List.
☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change Butcher & Bee Upper King
Café Order: The menu's sandwich of the day
A long-running sandwich-and-mezze spot.
Menu changes often.
King BBQ North Charleston
Chinese-American barbecue Order: Shrimp toast sliders
On City Paper's 2026 Hot List.
☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change Picks come from press and guide coverage. We have not confirmed opening hours or current menus for every shop, so check before you go.
Romantic dinners in Charleston Ten tables that come up again and again for date night, anniversaries and quiet candlelit evenings. In no ranked order.
Circa 1886 Wentworth Mansion
Romantic dinner Costa Broad Street
Romantic dinner ☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change FIG Downtown
Romantic dinner ☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change Frannie & The Fox Emeline hotel
Romantic dinner The Restaurant at Zero George Ansonborough
Romantic dinner ☆ Add to my trip Show on map Directions Report a change Picks come from romantic-dinner lists on booking and review sites. Confirm dinner service, menus and availability before you book.
Food walking tour
Biscuits to oysters: a King Street eating day A ham biscuit, the Saturday market, Japanese lunch on Spring Street, fried chicken and oysters, then the caviar sammich.
Start 9:00 at Callie's Hot Little Biscuit, 476 King St, across from Marion SquareTime 9.0 hoursDistance about 3.2 kmBest days Saturday from April to Nov 21 for the farmers market; Bareo for lunch (check its days). Chubby Fish is dinner only.
Upper King and Cannonborough are close enough to eat a whole day on foot. Start with a biscuit by Marion Square, walk the Saturday market, eat lunch on Spring Street, have oysters and fried chicken at Leon's, then wait in the Chubby Fish line for dinner.
1
Callie's Hot Little Biscuit breakfast Upper King
Order: A country ham biscuit and a cheese and chive
The city's biscuit counter.
The line: Weekend line; order ahead in the app
Around 9:00 · 30 min · $
476 King St, Charleston, SC
Worth confirming: opening hours.
↓ 2 min · 150 m on foot (approx.): Cross King Street into Marion Square.
2
Charleston Farmers Market Market Marion Square
Order: Walk the stalls, buy something for later
Charleston's Saturday market in Marion Square.
Around 9:45 · 60 min
329 Meeting St, Charleston, SC
Hours: Saturdays 8am to 2pm, April 4 to Nov 21, 2026
↓ 15 min · 1100 m on foot (approx.): Up Meeting Street, left on Spring Street.
3
Bareo lunch Cannonborough
Order: The $32 lunch: onigiri, dumplings, kakigori
New and on Resy's Hit List.
Around 12:00 · 75 min · $$
73 Spring St, Charleston, SC
Hours: Check the days it serves lunch
↓ 10 min · 750 m on foot (approx.): Back to King Street and north past Spring.
4
Leon's Oyster Shop oysters Upper King
Order: Half a dozen oysters and a piece of fried chicken
Michelin Bib Gourmand 2026.
Around 15:30 · 60 min · $$
698 King St, Charleston, SC
Worth confirming: opening hours.
↓ 15 min · 1100 m on foot (approx.): South on King, right toward Coming Street.
5
Chubby Fish dinner Cannonborough
Order: The caviar sammich and whatever fish is on
No reservations; get in line at 5pm.
The line: Line from 5pm
Around 17:00 · 120 min · $$$
252 Coming St, Charleston, SC
Worth confirming: opening hours.
Pacing: Share the biscuits and keep lunch light so there is room for oysters and dinner.
Plan B: If Chubby Fish's line is too long, The Ordinary at 544 King St has smoked oysters and a seafood tower.
Avoid: Summer afternoons are hot; walk early and late.
Bring: Comfortable shoes and a tote for the market.
Skip it if: Skip Bareo if it isn't open; Kultura at 267 Rutledge Ave is around the corner.
Ends at: Chubby Fish, 252 Coming St, Cannonborough.
Walking times and distances are approximate, and opening hours change: confirm before you go.
Hot right now in Charleston What people are lining up for and posting about this month. Entries expire after about four months unless they are reported again.
Hot now Reported Sep 2026
Chubby Fish Cannonborough · $$$
The thing: the caviar sammich
The line: No reservations; the line forms from 5pm
A small seafood room that sells out; the Seahorse bar next door is the overflow.
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Hot now Reported Oct 2026
Wild Common Cannonborough · $$$$
The thing: the tasting menu
The line: Booked out since its Michelin star
Charleston's newest star.
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Always a line Last confirmed 2026
Callie's Hot Little Biscuit Upper King · $
The thing: biscuits
The line: Out the door on weekends
Use the City Market counter or order ahead in the app.
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Crazes move fast. “Just spotted” means one report so far, and most entries rest on a single source: confirm hours and expect a wait.
Tell us what is hot in Charleston The Charleston food map Every place in this guide, pinned. Tap a pin to see what to order, then add it to your trip.
Open the full Charleston food map
Plan my days in Charleston Tell us what you like and we will line up the places on this page into a day-by-day plan. Only places from this guide, never anything else.
What to eat in Charleston, and where Each dish comes with the places that do it best. Tap Add to my trip on the ones you want, or find them on the map above.
Shrimp and grits Creamy stone-ground grits with local shrimp, usually in a gravy with sausage or ham
The 3 best places to eat it in Charleston
1 Slightly North of Broad
Downtown · $$$
Order: Shrimp and grits
A Resy staff pick, and a classic Islands names.
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2 82 Queen
Downtown · $$$
Order: Shrimp and grits
Named by Resy staff in September 2026.
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3 Coterie
Charleston · $$$
Order: Shrimp and grits with chile oil
On Resy's 2026 Charleston Hit List.
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She-crab soup Cream and crab soup thickened with roe, with a splash of dry sherry
The 3 best places to eat it in Charleston
1 82 Queen
Downtown · $$$
Order: She-crab soup
Voted City Paper's best she-crab soup many times over.
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2 Hyman's Seafood
Downtown · $$
Order: She-crab soup with sherry
A long-time award winner for the soup.
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3 Poogan's Porch
Downtown · $$
Order: She-crab soup
Another standing name on the city's she-crab list.
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Lowcountry oysters Clusters steamed or roasted and shucked at the table, best in the colder months
The 3 best places to eat it in Charleston
1 Bowens Island Restaurant
James Island · $$
Order: Steamed oyster clusters
Shoveled onto the table since 1946.
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2 Leon's Oyster Shop
Upper King · $$
Order: Raw and roasted oysters
Michelin Bib Gourmand 2026.
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3 The Ordinary
Upper King · $$$
Order: Smoked oysters, the seafood tower
An old bank turned oyster hall.
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Okra soup Gullah soup of okra, tomato and beef, served over rice
The 2 best places to eat it in Charleston
1 Bertha's Kitchen
North Charleston · $
Order: Okra soup over rice
James Beard America's Classic; Wed to Sat, 11 to 5.
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2 Hannibal's Kitchen
East Side · $
Order: Okra soup, crab and shrimp rice
On City Paper's 2026 Top 50.
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Whole-hog barbecue Pit-smoked pork, often with hash and rice on the side
The 3 best places to eat it in Charleston
1 Palmira Barbecue
West Ashley · $$
Order: Whole hog, smoked beef cheeks, hash and rice
New Bib Gourmand in 2026; the beef cheeks made the New York Times' best dishes of 2025.
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2 Lewis Barbecue
NoMo · $$
Order: Brisket, hot guts
Texas-style barbecue, Michelin Recommended.
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3 King BBQ
North Charleston · $$
Order: Shrimp toast sliders
Chinese-American barbecue from Shuai and Corrie Wang; Bon Appétit Best New 2024.
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Buttermilk biscuits Small, layered biscuits, often filled with country ham
The 3 best places to eat it in Charleston
1 Callie's Hot Little Biscuit
Upper King · $
Order: Country ham biscuit
Small counter with a line out the door; a second counter is in the City Market.
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2 Millers All Day
King Street · $$
Order: Crispy pork belly biscuit with blueberry jam
A breakfast-all-day room known for its biscuits.
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3 Vicious Biscuit
Charleston · $
Order: The Fat Boy: fried chicken, pimiento cheese, hot honey
A big biscuit for a big breakfast.
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Frogmore stew Lowcountry boil of shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes, also called Beaufort stew
The 2 best places to eat it in Charleston
1 Bowens Island Restaurant
James Island · $$
Order: Frogmore stew
The most-named place for it, by the creek.
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2 A.W. Shuck's
Downtown · $$
Order: Lowcountry boil
Islands' pick near the market.
Seen in
Islands · worth confirming hours before you go
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The most celebrated tables The top 8 restaurants in Charleston, per 2026.
More award winners
Wild Common Cannonborough · Tasting menu · Chef Orlando Pagán · $$$$
Michelin 1★ (2026) Resy Hit List
A tasting menu Wednesday to Sunday with seatings from 6 to 9pm.
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Vern's Elliotborough · New American · Chef Dano and Bethany Heinze · $$$
Michelin 1★ (2026) Resy Hit List City Paper Top 50
Escargots, crudo and gnocchetti at dinner; sesame pancakes at brunch. 41 Bogard St.
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Malagón Mercado y Taperia Cannonborough · Spanish tapas · $$$
Michelin 1★ (2026)
A Spanish tapas bar and market at 33 Spring St.
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Leon's Oyster Shop Upper King · Oysters and fried chicken · $$
Michelin Bib Gourmand (2026) Afar Resy staff picks
Fried chicken and a fish fry next to cold oysters, at 698 King St.
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Palmira Barbecue West Ashley · Whole-hog barbecue · $$
Michelin Bib Gourmand (2026) Resy Hit List City Paper Top 50
Whole hog, smoked beef cheek and hash and rice at 2366 Ashley River Rd.
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Rivayat Cannonborough · Creative Indian · $$
Michelin Bib Gourmand (2026)
New to the guide in 2026, at 210 Rutledge Ave.
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Merci Harleston Village · French · $$$
James Beard Best New Restaurant finalist (2026) Michelin Recommended 2026 City Paper Hot List
26 seats at 28 Pitt St; beef Wellington for two and steak tartare.
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FIG Downtown · Lowcountry, seasonal · Chef Mike Lata · $$$
Michelin Recommended (2026) Resy Hit List
Chicken liver pâté and the fresh catch; the bar is first come, first served. 232 Meeting St.
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When to go and what is in season Charleston food calendar: month by month → What is in season, what to eat and the food festivals each month.
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Peak Mar–May, Oct–Nov Shoulder Feb, Jun, Sep, Dec Hard Jul–Aug
Why these months Charleston Wine + Food runs in early March and the Marion Square farmers market runs Saturdays from April to late November; she-crab roe season peaks mid-May to mid-June; oysters are best in the cold months (Afar).
In season Oysters steamed by the cluster Jan–Mar, Oct–Dec Roast season; Bowens Island steams them by the shovelful. She-crab soup with fresh roe May–Jun Roe peaks mid-May to mid-June; other months use frozen roe. Farmers market produce Apr–Nov Marion Square, Saturdays 8am to 2pm, through Nov 21, 2026. Food events Charleston Wine + Food Mar Expected March 3 to 7, 2027; check the official site. Holiday Market in Marion Square Dec Dec 5-6 and 12-13, 2026, 9am to 3pm, plus Dec 19. Closures to plan around Rodney Scott's BBQ closed May 3, 2026. Bertha's Kitchen is open 11am to 5pm, Wednesday to Saturday. Chubby Fish takes no reservations; the line starts around 5pm. The Marion Square farmers market ends for the year on Nov 21, 2026 and is closed Nov 28. From published guides and tourism boards. Months are our mapping of how guides describe the seasons; 2027 event dates are expected, not confirmed. Prices come from single sources of varying age, so treat them as a rough guide. Compare cities by month
Secret discoveries
Locally loved places that are not on the big prestige lists.
Gullah lunch counter
Bertha's Kitchen North Charleston · $
Order: Okra soup, fried chicken, lima beans
A James Beard America's Classic family kitchen at 2332 Meeting Street Rd; open 11am to 5pm Wednesday to Saturday.
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soul food
Hannibal's Kitchen East Side · $
Order: Crab and shrimp rice, okra soup
A neighborhood soul-food kitchen at 16 Blake St, on City Paper's 2026 Top 50.
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Filipino
Kultura Cannonborough · $$
Order: Kinilaw, arroz caldo, crab pancit
Filipino cooking at 267 Rutledge Ave that both Resy staff and City Paper single out.
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Senegalese
Bintü Atelier East Side · $$
Order: Pepper soup, jollof, mafé
Senegalese cooking at 8 Line St, Thursday to Sunday.
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dim sum
Chef Loong Dim Sum West Ashley · $
Order: Xiaolongbao
Hand-made dumplings at 1662 Savannah Hwy, on City Paper's 2026 Top 50.
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Chinese-American
Jackrabbit Filly Park Circle, North Charleston · $$
Order: Dumplings, karaage
A Park Circle favorite at 1083 E Montague Ave.
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Japanese
Katsubō Park Circle, North Charleston · $$
Order: Katsu tenders, tantanmen ramen, okonomiyaki waffle fries
Number two on Resy's Charleston Hit List in September 2026.
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bakery
Welton's Tiny Bakeshop Charleston · $
Order: Honey pie, cardamom kouign-amann
A tiny bakery that was a 2026 James Beard finalist.
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Food markets in Charleston
Plan a food trip to Charleston
All 131 food cities Explore the 250 food markets
More in North America
Awards come from the guides named on each listing (2026). Researched November 7, 2026. Restaurants change; confirm hours, reservations and current stars before you go. Some addresses, phone numbers and websites come from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), so call ahead to confirm. Local favorites are editorial picks, not rankings.
Chef Amazing’s lists for Charleston : where locals eat, new openings, romantic dinners, ice cream, cooking classes and more, each place with what to order. Cooking classes in Charleston : who teaches, what you cook, how long and how to book.
Every place in this guide, A to Z (41) 
