50 Best American Restaurants in Charleston

“Charming southern fare in a beautiful Victorian setting! The shrimp dumplings are a standout—perfectly seasoned and bursting with flavor. The cozy, historic ambiance adds to the experience, making it a must-visit spot in Charleston. Great service and a menu that truly captures the essence of Southern cuisine. Highly recommend!“

“Get the ricotta gnocchi with the truffle service!“

“Delicious meal & friendly staff“

“Excellent service! The atmosphere was an amazing place to grab a drink and/or eat for the evening while socializing.“

“We LOVED our lunch visit a few weeks ago! great service, excellent food, loads of fun!“

“we had dinner there last night with 35 guests.we were served family style and everything was delicious.service was excellent even with the large crowd
That was probably the best prime rib I’ve had in a long time
Thanks for making our night special
Jack Krauss“

“Vern’s Restaurant in downtown Charleston truly exceeded our expectations and left us with an unforgettable dining experience. The food was exceptional—quite possibly the best meal we have ever had.“

“Great food, prompt service. The polenta was wonderful!“

“Not just a meal, but an experience. My taste buds are still craving everything at Wild Common. I would go back in a heartbeat. The food, wine som, creative cocktails, and atmosphere are 5 stars!“

“Delicious shrimp and grits and the fish and chips were cooked to perfection. We went at lunch and our server was friendly and checked on us several times to see if we needed anything and our food came out pretty quickly and piping hot!! Highly recommend Ms Roses!!“

“Had brunch today. Food was good. The chicken and waffle was really tasty.“

“Love coming here for the Catfish Sandwich and frozen Cin and Tonic!“

“Yet another great experience at Charleston Grill. We try to come here whenever we visit Charleston. The service is always awesome and the food is great. You get what you pay for... it's not inexpensive. The Crab Cake is always a great appetizer. And the scallops are beautiful prepared. We'll be back!“

“Excellent coffee excellent service“

“First stop on my way into town. My lunch was amazing. I had the Crab & Shrimp Rice. I think I might be obsessed.“

“Best restaurant in Charleston! It really is a must!“

“Always amazing!! Cooking class with Chef Tyler was so fun!! Zero George is our go to in Charleston!“

“Our favorite meal of our 24 hour visit to Charleston (and we ate a LOT!). The atmosphere was great, service was stellar, and food was to DIE for. The pork agnolotti is a must-order, as is the Italian chopped salad. Our server was the bartender (Scott? Steve?) and he was beyond knowledgeable on every part of the food and drinks menu. It added so much to our experience having him share his insights about everything we consumed. My husband is a Negroni critic and loved the one he got here. We would highly highly recommend this place to anyone who is in town!“

“Unique cocktails; friendly knowledgeable waitstaff“

“Had a great experience and stay… we enjoyed our time at the pool bar. Bartenders were very engaging and friendly.. great group and they make great drinks. Cozy and quaint.. just wish they played music around pool and not just on the bar side.“

“Best meal, service, and atmosphere we've had in Charleston! All our food was delicious, but the shrimp and grits was out of this world! Best decision we made was to eat there.“

“Visited this place about 5 years ago and we made it back here. They used to be very vegan forward but now they've seemed to shift towards general healthy dishes including vegetarian and fish options. All that to say, this is a great place to grab a healthy lunch!“

“Food was excellent! Our server was excellent as well. We will be back!“

“Great little place. I enjoyed my vegan sandwich. Garrett is very pleasant, made my day.“

“Jenn was the best waitress I have ever had and I go to restaurants for fun. She was caring and was passionate! The buffalo Brussels sprouts were amazing and the shrimp Gnocchi was to die for!!! 10/10 would recommend and ask for Jenn!!!“

“Everything was delicious! The wait staff were all quite welcoming and knowledgeable about the quality of the menu. I got a burger and my husband got the pork chop. We first split a Caesar salad. Wr also split the beef fat fries. The French press coffee completed a tasty dining experience.“

“Great food, excellent atmosphere and great service“

“Middleton Place restaurant is lovely. Experience the historical restaurant in the daytime as night time it is pretty darn dark. Long driveway, go in the direction of the small sign that says restaurant and it is the building that is not clearly marked restaurant except for on the front of the building. The atmosphere is beautiful inside. We felt like we walked right into 1717. Food was delicious, service was top notch, and the restaurant was clean.“

“Dinner was very good & everyone was so very nice. Had reservations & they seated us at 5. It was Mothers Day& graduation week so they were really busy BUT no one made us feel rushed. We will definitely come back..“

“We have celebrated many birthdays, anniversaries and special events at the Establishment. Never once had an experience short of excellent. The staff is always top shelf and the kitchen has never missed a beat. You won't be disappointed!“

“Beautiful place. Stopped in for a few drinks and absolutely loved the place. Can’t wait to come back for dinner. If anything like the drinks we will be in for a world class experience.“

“We were given a tip on this restaurant. While tough to get a table it was quickly obvious why. We had the rabbit roulade and the steak w wild mushrooms, but just as good as the main courses were the lamb dumpling appetizers. It was also a beautiful, refined atmosphere with top notice service.“

“Beautiful restaurant. I recommend to dine inside. I love ambience more than anything. The garlic knot appetizer is tasty. Hand cut fries. We got the sandwiches. Other cool restaurants near by. I highly recommend to make reservations. They have booths and chairs to sit on.“

“Came for lunch today and the food, service and portions were great! Highly recommend the Buttermilk Catfish Sandwich with the sauce that comes with truffle fries instead of mayo!“

“Sat by the window thoroughly enjoyed our meal We had wings, chicken pot pie, turkey club Was really homemade and delighted to finely have real turkey (not deli meat or turkey roll) and fresh chicken pie - service and food excellent!“

“Food and service was good but wish they kept their social media updated. Arrive at 4:30 and were out of the Double-barrel and ribs. If looking to go for their ribs, definitely suggest calling ahead as this was a huge disappointment. The wings however were amazing! The white hot and their hot honey and blue sauces were fantastic! The pork rinds with Tabasco honey and blue cheese were so fun and tasty! They arrived at the table popping with deliciousness!“

“We have mixed feeling about this restaurant. While the ambiance and food were outstanding (our favorites were the CICCIONES and the LINE-CAUGHT SWORDFISH), the timing of the kitchen left a lot to be desired. We also waited 20 minutes for our table in spite of having a reservation. This was on a Sunday night. We had a 7:30 reservation and didn’t finish our meal until around 10pm. One of the people in our party had to have her main course packed to go, because it got too late and needed to get home, due to the delay in seating and the food arriving at our table from the kitchen.“

“This was one of the best, if not the best, restaurant experiences I’ve ever had. The restaurant was absolutely beautiful and so clean. Our server Grace brought us a free glass of champagne for my birthday to start the dinner. She was very knowledgeable about the menu and all specials. The food was extremely fresh and flavored to perfection. Grace finished our experience by giving me a flower and us a free Brandy tasting. I could not be more impressed by this restaurant!“

“just a great experience, food , wine and service.“

“I found out about Southbound, through my job. I had to go do some work there, and found the owner and everyone there, super friendly. Most people at restaurants ignore working people while they are there. As my 42nd anniversary was quickly approaching, I decided to give this place a try. Some of my past picks, have not been the best. Southbound cleared EVERY hurdle I have about restaurants. From the moment we approached the restaurant, great service began! While coming thru the gate, the hostess yelled out, "HEY LARRY" and then said, "This must be your beautiful wife"! Like CHEERS, it felt great to go somewhere, "Where everybody knows your name" We were seated and got to view the open fire oven. I had dropped off 42 roses the week before for them to put on our table, for my wife. Tropical storm Debbie, and downtown flooding prevented us from going exactly on our anniversary. I was worried that store bought roses, would not last thru the weeklong delay, Joel assured me everything would be taken care of, and not to worry. As we were seated, there on the table, sat 42 roses. Fresh, and arranged with baby breath flowers included. I was told the young lady with the hostess had arranged them. They were gorgeous! They also had an anniversary card on the table from them, not something I had dropped off. The service was tremendous, the food indescribably outstanding! I have only had steak Tar Tar once before in my life, and was greatly afraid to try it again, as the first time was awful. It was superb! They take great pride in the presentation of their food products. I felt like I was in an episode of Master Chef. We had the steak, as well as the Sea bass, okra, corn, sweet potatoes, and the Caramel cake. Everything absolutely wonderful! This was a truly wonderful and memorable dining experience!! I would give 100 stars, and a Siskel and Ebert two thumbs up! There was only one thing I was disappointed about. No sweet tea! Were In Charleston SC, no sweet tea. Everything else totally made up for it though. The staff even had everyone present sign a menu, wishing us a happy anniversry1 I will most definatly go there again for a special occasion. Thanks to Andrew, Joel, and the entire staff, for making this night special!!“

“My wife and I visited Eleve for an afternoon refreshment and had a great experience. Katie, our server, was friendly and was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. We sat out on the rooftop patio which was very comfortable with a nice view. We can definitely recommend a visit here when you're visiting Charleston!“

“The best root beer ever! Tastes like Sarsaparilla to me and I love Sarsaparilla. Seriously too bad you don’t bottle and sell it. I rarely make it to Topeka. Major KODOS! The Cajun Chicken Pasta was great, too. Fantastic atmosphere and excellent service! I’m not a beer drinker but congratulations on all your achievements and awards, too!“

“Excellent service, creative fantastic food and the best cosmo ever!“

“I love sitting at the bar having dinner and a drink. There is always someone to talk to and the staff are awesome people.“

“Best bbq I’ve ever had. Brisket was perfect. Even the side dishes shined and were delicious in their own right. Coleslaw had some jalapeño kick to it. Lived up to the hype! Highly recommend.

Parking: Plenty of parking across the street in the shopping complex.“

“I have been coming to Park Cafe for years! The new short rib sandwich was delicious ? . The best EVER!!!! Staff was outstanding!!! I'm so excited to have them near me ?. There is plenty of parking ...

I'm coming back in a couple weeks for my Birthday, by the way. The espresso martini with whipped cream was amazing!!!“

“An entertaining chef, creative and exceptionally well-executed cuisine, a pleasingly funky ambience, and the delight at watching a fine chef at work, which equals a terrific experience.“

“Fabulous Service, staff, atmosphere. Food is excellent..“

“A little crowded but to be expected for King street. The cocktails are some of the best in Charleston. If you come you MUST try the pastry. It’s like a fancy adult pop tart! We had the blueberry cheesecake and split it four ways and it was the perfect amount. My wife had the melon baller and I had chocolate cherry martini I can’t recall the name but it was great! Definitely a great late night spot to close out the night for a night cap.“

“Great customer service and great food!“