Restaurants near James Island

“Been searching for an authentic Philly cheesesteak for a year. All places advertise that they are the real deal and we end up disappointed every time . A friend that we met recently is from up north and told us to try . Today we stopped in and thank GOD we did!! Literally our prayers have been answered. Soft bread , delicious meat , melty cheese. Authentic Philly food! We got a cheesesteak , Italian hoagie and turkey hoagie. If you’re looking for soft customer service , this may be alittle hard core for you as in normal Philly fashion , we loved it ! This is a MUST!! GO BIRDS!”

“Dairy Queen serves up great burgers hot dogs and more. DONT FORGET THE TREATS, NOT only that, they have great deals when you download the DQ app.. I LOVE DAIRY QUEEN ON JAMES ISLAND SO BRIGHT SO CLEAN .STAFF is unbelievably friendly...”

“This is the best Wendy's in the tricounty area. They're fast, efficient, accurate, and very friendly! Ms Stephanie, Ms Lynn, and Mr Chad always greets me with smiling faces, and also recognizes my voice when I'm ordering! Such a great crew!”

“FABULOUS smoked brisket/turkey ...sides are southern at its best...Local favorite....can't wait to go back!!!!!”

“Great experience,fast friendly service”

“Tried and true for 20 years. Absolutely best restaurant in Charleston. Food always incredible, service always perfect.”

“Incredible. From the service, the atmosphere, the food, simply incredible. My wife and I had lunch here and shared 7 courses including dessert. The hardest part is choosing from all the amazing options on the menu! You seriously cannot go wrong. Our waiter was the most friendly person ever, helped us navigate the menu and wines like a pro. Had exceptional recommendations and was amazing. It is a small intimate atmosphere, very relaxing. Not loud.

Now for the food, every course was phenomenal. Truly. I think the two stand outs for me were the wine braised beef cheek and the sobrasada con queso. But honestly every course was exquisite in its own right. The beef cheek was unlike any beef dish I have had, literally melts in your mouth , has immense rich flavors of butter, collagen and bone marrow. Out of this world. The sobrasada is one of the best bread dishes I have had in my life, words can't explain the emulsion of flavors and how they all come together so well. Compliments to the chef.

We cannot wait to come back and try the rest of the menu. This is truly a gem of a restaurant. Every single person working there was making sure the experience as perfect.”

“We had the most amazing night celebrating our 10th anniversary. The entire team went above and beyond and we left feeling so filled with joy—and OUTSTANDING food. Flavors that we never will forget and memories for a lifetime. WC team, thank you for making our first night in Charleston one we will never forget.”

“Leon's is literally in my dreams! My boyfriend and I went there for the first time three years ago. It blew our minds! Affordable, delicious food, and such a fun atmosphere. We returned a couple of times on the same trip. We live in NJ... and set up a trip last year JUST to go to Leons. I am actually scared to post a review because I selfishly want to keep it a secret for my boyfriend and I. Man, if you like chicken and oysters... you cannot go wrong. Damn, now I need to set up another trip. :)”

“OMG, The food, service and overall experience was amazing. Dan and the guys behind the bar made sure it was an excellent experience. Will be going back every year on St. Patrick’s day.🍀”

“10/10 experience at Doar Bros! Trinity was genuinely one of the best bartenders we’ve ever had.

Rick ordered cocktails from the menu, while I basically gave Trinity free rein to make mine straight from her brain—and every single one was incredible. 😂 She made multiple cocktails for us throughout the night, and somehow each one was better than the last. She was creative, knowledgeable, personable, and clearly knows her craft.

The drinks were amazing, but Trinity truly made the experience. If you’re in Charleston and appreciate a really great cocktail, go to Doar Bros and sit at the bar. And if Trinity is working, you’re in very good hands.

10/10 drinks, 10/10 service, 10/10 Trinity. We’ll absolutely be back!”

“We went for lunch, there were so many great choices! We had the Pimento Cheese for an appetizer and it did not disappoint. My friend and I shared the Chicken Tenders and Classic Vegetarian plate full of great southern veggies. Delish! The atmosphere was inviting and the service was great. Definitely highly recommend!”

“The best, freshest seafood! Best fish taco i ever put in my mouth. And love the atmosphere!”

“Great food; great service”

“We enjoyed oysters, yellowfin tuna, clam chowder, steak and the fish basket plus some delicious drinks! Service was amazing as well as the entire experience. Highly recommend!”

“Very good! We had excellent service at Lowlands, beautiful table & the food was quite good. We had cocktails that were Yummy (blue cheese martini) & had a nice selection of wine with dinner followed by after dinner drinks with an Amahzing Dessert! We had several appetizers- cornbread, tartare, fish dip. Entrees were vegetarian bucatini, squid ink shells with seafood & NY Strip. Dessert was to die for- craveable & for drinks a regular esspresso, espresso martini and a grasshopper. Highly recommend!
The squid ink shells & bucatini was even better the next day absorbing the flavors without destroying the composition of the pasta. I was told the steak was perfectly executed to the proper temperature & flavor.
Will be back! Yum!!!”

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

“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.”

“One of my top 5 restaurants in Charleston. Quality and taste is EPIC and getting to chat with Kazu and Chris just makes the experience so much more intimate. Such a fantastic value for the quality and quantity of food - my main recommendation is to keep a running list of the dishes served because at the end of the meal, you get to order more of whatever you liked a la carte. If you ever get the chance for a hard to get reservation here, TAKE IT!!!!”

“Fantastic atmosphere. Saturday brunch with Beth, server as pleasant as con be. Highly recommend Shrimp and grits with Bloody Mary. A must when visiting Savannah.”

“DOPE very well thought out menu, top notch ingredients, top to bottom an amazing experience. 10/10 wait in line it's worth it”

“We hosted our daughter and son in law's wedding dinner reception. We live in Virginia and planning this event from two states away was daunting, but Eli made planning flawless and easy, answering every nervous mother of the bride question promptly with so much interest and attention to detail. We had some food allergies that were handled with ease. The food was delicious, the private dining area was perfect, the patio cozy. The service was impeccable. This was such a memorable experience from planning to the bride and groom's send off. Perfect in every way!”

“To say we’ve been sleeping on this culinary gem would be the understatement of the year 🫠 Unbelievable meal and wonderful service by Kim tonight!”

“Great food and service. Highly recommend.”

“This is a MUST!! It’s like a beautiful art museum as soon as you enter, beautiful exhibits!! It’s definitely a VIBE, mature crowd and the food was delicious!”

“My new favorite bake shop near downtown Charleston. Great selection of exceptional pastries and spot on coffee. Very limited seating inside, but a fair amount of outdoor seating in the alley.”

“The Kwei fei experience is beyond words. First off the staff is amazing and super knowledgeable about the food. Second, the food is light years ahead of anything I've had. The home style tofu was great and the dry fried green beans were epic. Oh, the cocktails were fantastic. Cannot stress enough to go with an open mind and an empty stomach.”

“Stepped out of our typical places to eat to try Azur and we were really impressed. Food, drinks, and service were all top tier. Pedro and Chris were great bartenders who made sure our experience was absolutely excellent.”

“Simply perfection! The oyster selection is otherworldly. The chargrilled oysters the best Ive had in my life. (Florida born an culinary chef.) The peel & eat shrimp so plump and served ice cold I have craved them since I had them. The service was above and beyond. The atmosphere encouraged private chatter but also conversation with next table easily. Friendly and cheerful and above all excellent food served with smiles, suggestions, and ease. I will never visit Charleston again without making sure to dine here. (Do not eat the soup. I actually sent it back to the kitchen. Never have I had to do that. ) Highly recommend again and again for everything else.”

“Delicious meal & friendly staff”