I recently went to Charleston for 10 days and had some of the best food of my LIFE. You heard that right – OF. MY. LIFE.
Drama aside, I owe many of the recommendations to my good friend who recently moved from Charlestown to Charleston. He and his girlfriend have impeccable taste and helped guide many of the recommendations.
For starters, I was there for two bachelorette parties, on back to back weekends. I’ll include the itineraries for each below with recommendations for locations.
The best thing I do when traveling is find where I like to go and star them in Google maps. That way if you’re already out, just pull up maps, see what’s near you and starred, and head there! You also definitely want to book early. The reservation scene in Charleston was a bit odd and some places booked up SO fast.
Coffee shops/breakfast:
- Babas on Cannon – this was such a sweet little spot that was near our AirBnbs. Great breakfast and little lunch options. They also have amazing cocktails!
- The Harbinger – cutest! this is the sibling restaurant to Harken and the food/coffee were amazing! You just gotta!
- Harken – further down near the wharf on King St whereas The Harbinger is farther north. They’re both equally adorable!
- Huriyali – the BEST little cafe for smoothies and juices. I walked here two mornings and got the Popeye Punch both times!
- The Daily – only about a 10 min walk from the heart of King St. Great options for a grab and go or sit down breakfast.
- Miller’s All Day – no reservations here so you just gotta go and pray. The food was excellent though and the ~vibes immaculate. I went with the cinnamon roll and frittata and they were both excellent.
- Basic Kitchen – went here for brunch during one of the bachelorettes (they accept large parties) and it was UNREAL. The beet margarita – you just gotta!
- Tavern and Table – didn’t get a chance to go here but heard great things. If you’re looking for a day at Shem’s Creek, would definitely recommend checking this place out for breakfast/brunch first.
- Poogan’s Porch – kind of famous and a bit overrated food wise. The fried chicken that came with the chicken and waffles was amazing though!
- Kudu – a very cute little spot that also has beer and mimosas!
Dinner:
- Stella’s – omgggggg the best Greek food I’ve ever had. Getting a reservation here was tough (had a larger party so called 2 weeks in advanced to book the one large table they had), but WOW was it worth it. They also offer pick up!
- Indaco – aHhHh another absolute must. The focaccia had a prosciutto vinaigrette that was UNREAL. And honestly everything else I had here was divine. YOU GOTTA GO, YOU GOTTA!
- The Obstinate Daughter – we went here with our friends and while it’s a bit outside the city, it is SO BEYOND worth your while. Highest recommendation for local lettuce salad, obstinate flatbread (the butterbean puree omgggg), farro with chicken, Campanella, and gnocchi.
- Frankie and the Fox – oh baby, came here exhausted and dehydrated and left satiated and quenched. We got the chopped salad (it was MASSIVE and such a good palate cleanser), green beans, kale and mushroom pizza, and local catch. All were absolutely excellent. They even offer a picnic menu! Ah!
- 167 Raw – recommended by friends and so, so good! I know it sounds weird but you HAVE to get the swordfish and pastrami sandwich. It was so weird and so delightful. Even better when paired with the diver sea scallops.
- The Grocery – went here for dinner during one of the bachelorettes and we loved it! The food was modern, inventive, and fresh.
- Taco Boy – came so recommended and got so close to ordering but they were swamped and we had to leave before our order was ready. Will definitely be on the list when I got back! There’s one in Folly Beach so it’s a great lunch spot if you hit up the beach one day!
- Didn’t get to go but wanted to: Chubby Fish, 82 Queen, Husk, Fig (friends said is overrated and suggested Husk over Fig)
Rooftop Drinks:
- Citrus Club at The Dewberry – expensive but the drinks are massive and STRONG. One drink was really two in my opinion and the views were spectacular.
- Vendue Rooftop – a cute spot that we went to during one of the bachelorettes. Lots of seating on the roof, though it didn’t open until 2:30pm.
Going out:
- Uptown Social – super fun going out spot. Loved the music here and the layout was large and prime for dancing!
- The Dispensary – more of a chill vibe, smaller, great little patio in the back and amazing live music at night.
- Cocktail Club – really cool hidden speak-easy type place that has good cocktails and live music at night. The interior is intentionally unfinished and oh so chic. They also have an outdoor area!
- Sharehouse / Bodega – cool outdoor spot that has…you guessed it…live music!
- Henry’s – 3 different floors all with a different vibe – first floor is jazz music, second floor more like a speak-easy bar, and rooftop bar is more modern music. Really cool!
- The Commodore – a hidden gem and more conducive to locals. We loved how weird and wonderful it was. The band was great and dance floor such a fun time!
- Shem’s creek / Saltwater Cowboy – a bit outside the city but super fun!!! And near Sullivan’s island if you want to do a beach day there.
Bachelorette Itinerary 1:
- Friday:
- breakfast at The Harbinger
- drinks at Sharehouse / Bodega
- dinner at Stella’s
- cocktails at Cocktail Club
- out at Uptown Social
- Saturday:
- breakfast at The Watch
- walked all the way down King street, down the wharf, and through Charleston’s Historic Market
- Rooftop drinks at Vendue Rooftop
- dinner at The Grocery
- we attempted going to Republic and it was…atrocious. Like panicked and fled within minutes. There was no room at all to dance and the crowd was…weird. We instead spent the night dancing at Silver Dollar (empty and fun to dance around with your friends!) and Uptown Social again.
- Sunday:
- rented beach chairs through Folly Beach Chair company on Folly beach – this was SO beyond convenient. They had everything set up for us when we go there – chairs, umbrellas, and even a cooler. If you plan to drink, definitely bring a koozie – no public drinking allowed on the beach. Folly is just a quick 20 min uber from downtown and a gorgeous beach!
- sunset boat ride with Kismet (Tyler and Nick are so fun!). You can also request breakfast/lunch to be included on this.
- dinner at Fuel Cantina (great tacos!)
- out at The Commodore
Bachelorette Itinerary 2:
- Thursday: got dinner and went out at Cocktail Club – they had a live band which was amazing!
- Friday: breakfast at Basic Kitchen, drinks at The Watch, dinner at Indaco, out at Henry’s then the Dispensary and Uptown Social (lol)
- Saturday: boat trip again through Kismet followed by an afternoon on Shem’s creek at Saltwater Cowboy
Location:
- highly recommend staying near King St., near the northern end. There are tons of restaurants and a really fun strip of bars to go to For my first AirBnb we stayed on Cannon St, and the second we stayed on Coming St. Both locations were amazing!!
