What to Eat in Charleston: Locals Recommended
We actually went to Charleston after our first fertility treatment! We wanted something warm and a lot of boils to celebrate this chapter of our life! So this is the fun part: what to eat in Charleston, from the trip where we ate our way through it.
We stayed over the bridge in Mount Pleasant, ate on Shem Creek every single day, found our favorite boil of the whole trip and went for ice cream three nights in a row. No shame in it, okay? Here’s every spot, plus the top recommended places we’re saving for next time. 🤍
Want the whole trip day by day? Here’s our 4-day Charleston itinerary.
What to Eat in Charleston, at a Glance
All in one place for your notes app, so you know exactly where to eat in Charleston:
- Red’s Ice House, 98 Church St, Mount Pleasant: seafood on Shem Creek with a view of the shrimp boats.
- Saltwater Cowboys, 130 Mill St, Mount Pleasant: seafood and smoked BBQ on Shem Creek, dog friendly patio.
- Shem Creek Crab House, 508 Mill St, Mount Pleasant: steampots and boils on a big deck over the marsh.
- Sunsets, 97 Ronnie Boals Blvd, Mount Pleasant: Lowcountry seafood and sushi right on the water.
- Poogan’s Porch, 72 Queen St, Charleston: Southern comfort food in a Victorian house downtown.
- Bodega, 414 W Coleman Blvd, Mount Pleasant: New York style breakfast sandwiches, bagels and coffee.
- Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream & Sandwich Café, 1502 N Hwy 17, Mount Pleasant: 36 flavors, open until 10.
Food Tours and Things to Note
Things to Note:
- Shem Creek gets busy at dinner. Parking near the restaurants fills up, so go a little early and walk the Shem Creek Park boardwalk while you wait. It runs out over the marsh and it’s free. If you want, do a shrimp boil cooking class
- Bring the dogs. Saltwater Cowboys has a dog friendly patio and even a menu for dogs, and pups are welcome at Poogan’s Porch, which is named for a dog.
- Save room for dessert. Ye Ole Fashioned is open until 10 every night, so it works after any dinner on the creek.
Where to Stay
Checkout the map that has hotels AND VRBOs so you get the best pricing, but if you are in a hurry, we have our top 3 hotels!
In a Rush? Here Are Our Top 3 Hotels in Charleston
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Vendue: a downtown art hotel with a rooftop bar, steps from Waterfront Park and the Pineapple Fountain. Click here for rates & availability
⭐️⭐️ Shem Creek Inn: right on Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant, so you can walk to dinner. Every room has a balcony. Click here for rates & availability
⭐️ Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina: on the harbor in Mount Pleasant, with pools and views of the bridge and the city. Click here for rates & availability
These are affiliate links. If you book through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Heads up: this post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our full disclosure.
Where to Eat Dinner in Charleston: Shem Creek
Red’s Ice House
Red’s was our very first dinner in Charleston, and an easy first place to eat on the water. It’s a laid back seafood spot right on Shem Creek, with big windows and decks looking out at the shrimp boats and the docks. It rained that night and a window table did the job just fine.
We loved being able to see the local dolphin swim through. He has a pretty scuffed up fin- let us know if he is still there.
We ate oysters and fish our first night, because we were gearing up for the seafood.
Fun fact: we went when they were filming a tv show, you may have heard about it – Outer Banks. You will be able to spot tons of locations on Shem Creek that they filmed at.
You can watch it all on our YouTube
- Address: 98 Church St, Mount Pleasant, SC
- Phone: (843) 388-0003
- Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
We liked it so much we went back for a late lunch on our last afternoon: coconut shrimp, buffalo shrimp and a crab cake sandwich out on the deck.
Saltwater Cowboys
Night two was Saltwater Cowboys, just down the creek from Red’s. The menu is seafood and smoked BBQ, cooked over hickory and oak, and the shrimp come in off the boats right there on the creek. We sat out on the deck with a whole row of BBQ sauces on the table and watched the boats come in.
We love a good BBQ, but here you can get seafood and BBQ, so we were in heaven. Taste all the sauces!
- Address: 130 Mill St, Mount Pleasant, SC
- Phone: (843) 856-0700
- Website: saltwater-cowboys.com
Shem Creek Crab House
Tuesday night we went a little farther down the creek to Shem Creek Crab House. It’s one of three family owned Charleston Crab House spots (they’ve been around since 1991), and the deck sits under a big oak with string lights and marsh as far as you can see. If you only eat one boil in Charleston, order a steampot here and get messy.
Though this one was a little back on the creek, we still saw Outer Banks filming and this was our favorite boil from the whole trip!
- Address: 508 Mill St, Mount Pleasant, SC
- Phone: (843) 725-4902
- Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
- Website: charlestoncrabhouse.com
Where to Eat Lunch in Charleston: Shem Creek and Downtown
Sunsets
Tuesday lunch was at Sunsets, right on the water a few steps from Red’s and Saltwater Cowboys. It’s Lowcountry seafood plus sushi, with a deck that looks out at the boats. We shared charbroiled oysters, crispy Brussels sprouts in a little cast iron skillet and tacos.
- Address: 97 Ronnie Boals Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC
- Website: sunsetswaterfrontdining.com
If you like a good appetizer, this is where you need to go… These oysters were superb. The staff is friendly, and it was so nice to sit on a patio and watch boats drive up.
Poogan’s Porch
Downtown, lunch was at Poogan’s Porch on Queen Street, a Charleston classic since 1976 inside an old Victorian house. It’s named for Poogan, the neighborhood dog who claimed the porch when the restaurant opened. Think shrimp and grits, fried chicken, banana pudding stuffed pancakes and fried green tomatoes, all the Southern food you come to Charleston to eat.
It’s claimed to be haunted- FYI. But the only thing haunting me is not having more of these fried green tomatoes!
- Address: 72 Queen St, Charleston, SC
- Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. daily
- Website: poogansporch.com
Breakfast in Mount Pleasant
Bodega
Our last morning started at Bodega on Coleman Boulevard, a breakfast and brunch spot inspired by the New York corner store. Stacked breakfast sandwiches, bagels, benedicts, pancakes and big iced coffees, with a patio out front. Go hungry.
- Address: 414 W Coleman Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC
- Phone: (843) 891-6300
If you need a good breakfast, this is the place. Their portions are so big, which is nice to share a healthy breakfast!
Dessert: Ice Cream Every Single Night
Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream & Sandwich Café
Ye Ole Fashioned on Highway 17 is a local family business that’s been scooping since 1972, with 36 flavors, sundaes and shakes, and a classic ice cream parlor feel. We went three nights in a row, so yes, ice cream is on our list of what to eat in Charleston.
There is a reason we went every night. If you like the old charm of creameries, trust us. I am a Rocky Road girl, but Hannah loved the espresso.
- Address: 1502 N Hwy 17, Mount Pleasant, SC
- Phone: (843) 849-3698
- Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Top Recommended Spots Locals told Us About
We didn’t make it to these, but they come up on just about every list of what to eat in Charleston, so they’re first on our list for next time. Tell me if you’ve been!
- Leon’s Oyster Shop, 698 King St, Charleston: fried chicken and chargrilled oysters in an old auto shop on Upper King. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
- Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, 476 1/2 King St, Charleston: a tiny grab and go biscuit shop. Open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, and the line can spill onto the sidewalk.
- Husk, 76 Queen St, Charleston: Southern cooking in a big old house, right next to Poogan’s Porch. Dinner nightly from 5, plus brunch on Saturday and Sunday.
- Bowens Island Restaurant, 1870 Bowens Island Rd, Charleston: a family owned seafood spot near Folly Beach since 1946. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 11, and the steamed oysters start at 4.
- The Wreck of the Richard and Charlene, 106 Haddrell St, Mount Pleasant: a no frills seafood spot tucked behind Shem Creek. Dinner only, 5 to 8:30 p.m., closed Mondays, no reservations, and bring cash (cards have a fee).
- Lewis Barbecue, 464 N Nassau St, Charleston: Texas style brisket and smoked meats. Opens at 11 a.m. every day.
Charleston, We’ll Be Back (Hungry)
Boils on the creek, oysters at lunch and ice cream every single night. If you’re wondering what to eat in Charleston, start there. We’d eat this whole trip again.
Planning more trips? Here’s our 4-day Charleston itinerary, what to eat in St. Louis and our favorite Louisiana gas station food.
Tell me if you go! Come say hi on Instagram and tell me your favorite bite in Charleston. 🤍
Pin this post for your Charleston trip!
Heads up: this post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our full disclosure.
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