8 Best Restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina

This spot is one of those delightful throwbacks—a drugstore with a soda fountain where the news of the day is discussed and young people share a Coca-Cola float. You can get a pimento cheese on white bread for $2.30, and if you want a scoop of ice cream to go with it, that'll cost you $1.50 (just remember: it's cash-only).

Operating as a one-stop butcher shop and deli counter, Ted's sells beef, game, seafood, and homemade sausages to complement its selection of artisanal cheeses, wine, and other specialty foods. Among the lunchtime favorites are the house-roasted Wagyu beef panini and the ever-changing bacon-of-the-month BLT. On Friday nights there are wine tastings and a bargain prix-fixe dinner.

Three words: maple bacon doughnuts. If that's not enough to get you in the door, any number of other creative options—think raspberry nutella or berries and mascarpone—should do the trick. Allison Smith and Mark Remi opened their sweetheart of a store because they suspected there was an untapped enthusiasm for artisanal doughnuts. The verdict? Unqualified success. There are 7 to 10 varieties daily, filled with homemade jam and other fillings. Just name your flavor.

Grab a window seat at this casual spot for a pleasant view of East Washington Street while you dig into shrimp and stone-ground grits, a Philly-style cheese steak, or a juicy burger on a kaiser roll. Desserts like bourbon pecan pie are house made and served in generous portions.

Don't pass up the sweet and savory crepes, named for the islands surrounding Charleston, at this venerable neighborhood institution that also serves pressed breakfast and lunch sandwiches, smoothies, cold brew, and craft beer. The art-filled space doubles as a wineshop—pick up a bottle on the way to a picnic at nearby Colonial Lake.

Accommodating locals and out-of-towners alike, Taco Boy delivers tasty Mexican American treats to a bustling patio crowd. The ambience is half the allure of this eclectic outpost featuring rehabbed or reclaimed materials—right down to the bar counter, carved from a fallen North Carolina walnut tree, and the funky Mexican folk art adorning every inch of wall space. It's a forward-thinking and fun joint, perfect for downing margaritas and micheladas (beer with lime juice, tomato juice, and chilies) or sharing a sampler trio of house-made guacamole and two types of salsa. For beach-bound travelers, Folly Beach—south of downtown Charleston—boasts the original restaurant on Center Street.

If it looks like a cross between a veterans' hall and a dive bar, that's because the Tattooed Moose is going for a decidedly unpretentious vibe. With 90-plus beers on the menu and a large moose head behind the counter, the place cuts a distinctive figure; homey eats like house-smoked barbecue brisket, chicken salad, jumbo chicken wings, and fried turkey breast are just some of the offerings. The bar's famous duck club is a menu showstopper—it relies on duck confit, apple-smoked bacon, garlic aioli, and ripened tomatoes bounded by sweet Hawaiian bread. If you find yourself on Johns Island, the Moose now has a larger satellite location that caters to families and the happy hour crowd.