50 Best Italian 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!“

“Great food; great service“

“Great experience,fast friendly service“

“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!“

“When you go sit at the kitchen counter. Loved watching the cooks.“

“We came in to celebrate parents night out and my birthday, and our waitress Alexis made the whole night. She was fabulous -- attentive, fun, and made me feel incredibly celebrated and special. She really went above and beyond to make the evening memorable.

The food was 10/10 across the board. The focaccia with the brown butter whipped ricotta was the perfect start. The tortellini wagyu was incredible and the ravioli did not disappoint either.

Highly recommend, and if you can, ask for Alexis.“

“If you love authentic Italian sandwiches, Porkchetta is the place to go. Their sandwiches are served on fresh, homemade focaccia bread and packed with high-quality, fresh ingredients. Every bite is full of flavor, and the staff makes you feel right at home. An outstanding experience from start to finish — highly recommend!“

“Can't wait to visit! Looks amazing!“

“We visit Le Farfalle every time we visit Charleston, as it is a tradition for me and my son. We love the food and the atmosphere. We can’t wait to have many more trips together to enjoy there.“

“Fantastic food with personal service“

“Amazing food. Everything is homemade. My fiancé and I live an hour away and it is always worth the drive. Must try! We have loved everything we have tried. After developing a gluten intolerance I can still enjoy their delicious gluten free lasagna. Even their homemade breads are much easier to digest than anything else I have tried! Such a treat to get their food 🥰“

“Mt Pleasant has a REAL Italian restaurant. The food is authentic tasty and cooked to perfection. I felt like my family & I were back in Italy w great Italian food. You can taste the love that this restaurant has for their food & their customers. The service was impecable and out waiter Jim was very attentative. My family is from NY, FL,SC and we all enjoyed a taste from Italia.“

“The food was absolutely delicious with good sized portions and a great value for the price.“

“The service, food and atmosphere are outstanding.“

“I wanted to like this place. But left hungry - I was afraid of this, plus bread is an added charge. To leave a restaurant hungry is a failure. However the food i had was yummy. Just not enough when splitting between 4 people. I don't think this concept will make it. Plus the noise level was off the chart we could not hear each other talk.“

“This is the closest thing to San Francisco North Beach Italian on the east coast. I had carpaccio, penne alla vodka and crème brûlée. O M G YOU MUST EAT AT CIAO BELLA“

“Drinks, food and service— all fantastic!“

“I have been to numerous Italian restaurants in my life. Out of every Italian restaurant this one is the absolute best, everything was so outstanding. Everything was made from scratch it had tons of flavor. Great service great atmosphere. I cannot highly recommend this place enough, today was my first day going there and I will be a regular there multiple times a month because it was that good. I can no longer hold other Italian restaurants that I’ve been to at such a high standard because this place was so outstanding and delicious.“

“Being from NY, it has a hometown feel with excellent food, good sized portions and the best waiter ever in Joel.“

“Great Food, baked clams, chicken parm YUmmy“

“I can confidently say it was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had! Although we didn’t have a reservation, the staff went above and beyond to accommodate our large party and quickly arranged a lovely table for our group. When we asked for recommendations, our waiter suggested a family-style three-course meal, and we couldn’t be happier with his suggestion! Each course was beautifully presented, and simply delicious. From appetizers to desserts, every dish was crafted with care and creativity. It was a wonderful way to experience the menu and share in the joy of great food together. If you’re ever in the area, do yourself a favor and dine here—you won’t regret it! Thank you for an amazing experience; I can’t wait to return!“

“delicious meal with great service. everything was wonderful, from the bread to pasta to tiramisu. Dogu took good care of us.“

“Really authentic Italian at reasonable prices! So good! We especially like the Bolognese and Penne Ala Vodka. Great focaccia bread too. And we can't not order without getting my mom a Tiramisu! You can't support a nicer family-run business!“

“Just ate dinner at the reopened Mondos and loved it! Great atmosphere, excellent server and delicious food! Highly recommend“

“Good atmosphere and terrific food“

“The pizza was good, but the watermelon gazpacho special didn't do much for me, personally. The waitress seemed put off and moody the entire time, but did her job. I'd browse more pizza places in the area before immediately going back to Crust.“

“First timing eating here last night. Amazing food, service, etc!“

“Chicken piccata was amazing. Our server Dominick is a true professional. Our experience was terrific. Compliments to the chef🫶“

“Delicious and creative menu!“

“Gah! This place was so delish! The guy at the checkout was helpful in helping us make a decision. My husband and I both loved our sandwiches, BUT we kicked off our meal with a cheesecake cone and I’ll dream about that treat until I can eat it again. I look forward to grabbing their take and bake meals soon. Definitely worth swinging by! So great!“

“Ive had Tollis before for dinner but first time having it for lunch today! Holy smokes so good! Sandwiches are HUGE and DELICIOUS! The bread is light and airy on the inside with a crunch on the outside and it’s made from their pizza dough. 🤤🤤 I already told my husband I want to come here again for lunch! Really great prices too!“

“I took my wife on a mini food tour and this was our last stop. The food was very delicious! We only ordered the Disco Fries and the Bruno Bianco pizza. The fries were very flavorful with vodka sauce, pesto, and fresh mozzarella. The Bruno Bianco was extremely fresh and very delicious. You could definitely taste the aromas of the parmigiano and basil pesto ranch sauce. It was phenomenal!! I completely recommend this place and these options.“

“Best food and service in all of a Charleston. Ask for Gage Jenkins. Best server in town.“

“I went for the first time and it was awesome. I saw that they had amoroso rolls and had to have the meatball sandwich. It helps to take the crave away if your from the Philadelphia area.“

“We dined at Renzo after it being recommended by multiple people. The space is cute. It’s in more of a neighborhood. We started with the potatoes with the lemon aioli. They were fantastic. We got the Kevin McCallister and the Porco Rosso with dipping sauce. Both were really good. Service was awesome. He was super friendly and answered all our questions. Highly recommend.“

“👊 Pizza A Modo Mio continues to impress with their quality. Definitely the best in the area and love to see them prosper!!!“

“Excellent food and service-everything we ordered was over the top and there were 8 of us, each ordering a different appetizer and entree!Our server Pat, was so well informed about the food, and his service could not have been better!“

“Great pizza. Excellent service. We always love eating here when we are on DI !“

“I had such a fantastic time at this spot. The atmosphere was exactly what I was looking for—it felt relaxed and welcoming, with just enough energy to make it feel lively. The drinks were crafted perfectly, and the staff were genuinely friendly, which really made the evening. It is definitely one of my new favorite places to unwind.“

“I am so upset that we’ve never ordered from here before!! It was the best pizza and pasta we’ve ever gotten in the Charleston area. I would even compare it to the food we got in Little Italy in NY. The pizza is superb with the best crust, sauce and mozzarella!! The spaghetti with marinara and the Lasagna were AMAZING as well. It’s our new go to for pizza and pasta!!“

“Absolutely best Italian combo sandwich ever! The ciabatta is out of this world. Crispy and fresh. You have to try this one!“

“Very busy time before a concert and they accommodated the crowd! Bianca pizza was extraordinarily good! Meatballs very good too. Service was very good from both the female server we had as well as the gentleman bartender. It was also cool to watch at the small bar where you can watch the pizzas cook.“

“JI has a message saying you can't place online orders and there not answering the phones . they keep a problem. it's a shame because the pizza is good. The business is just not being ran right.“

“Only have one question…how come you are not open at 9am. So glad you are here to make these amazing pies. Never disappoints, well except having to wait for you to open!“

“La Mejor Pizza Que Hemos Comido En SC ✨ 10/10 Excelente Servicio Al Cliente!“

“Just got an everything pizza, it’s probably the BEST pizza I’ve ever tasted!! The pizza was fast and fresh and amazing, what more can you ask for!! My new Charleston tradition will definitely be Suna’s pizza!! Thanks guys 😀“

“Visiting Charleston,SC, needed something filling . Found New York Pizza on East Bay Street. The young lady April who took my order over the phone was wonderful. She was most helpful in suggesting the amount and toppings. My mobility issues allowed me to go to the Lobby and receive my Pizza. Leo brought it to the desk, he was very nice, appreciative and caring. April and Leo are great employees to have, they accommodate others issues and make it happen. I am most grateful and thankful. My Pizza,Side Salad, Strawberry Lemonade mad the difference also. Thank you again and again April and Leo.“

“We ordered an Italian sub, a steak sub and a medium thin crust pizza with 4 toppings, from Ryan. Everything was fresh and tasted great ! Ryan really has it going on !!!“

“Waiting 1 1/2 hrs for the rest of our group to arrive wasn't in our plans, but Giovanni's pizza ended up being worth the wait. We had a church youth group of 22, traveling from Utah for a service mission, and Giovanni's was our meeting spot. Oh my, biggest pizza any of us had ever seen and just as yummy. With 16 teenage youth, there wasn't anything left! Thanks for accommodating our big group and starting the mission trip off with a great meal.“

“Food was good- pepperoni and basil on gluten free crust & another pepperoni on regular crust. Pizza is wood fired and has that thin crust, rustic, floury thing going on. The kids tried the hot honey on theirs and loved it! The meat and cheese board was good as well. We went on a weekend and there was competing music between here and the bar across the street, lots of people, lots of kids playing on the playground in the seating area.

Dietary restrictions: Gluten free crust available“