Hey friends! I had the pleasure of spending my labor day weekend in the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina. My aunt, who is always down to travel, joined me for this first time adventure. We loved the city and I of course have so much to share from the food to what to see. Let’s start with the food! Here are all of the great places we ate in Charleston in my Where to Eat in Charleston Guide!
Felix Cocktails et Cuisine
This was my first meal in Charleston and it set the tone for a great weekend! Located next door to our hotel, Felix featured small bites and French cuisine. Over the course of the weekend, I saw that Felix brought in a crowd pretty much all day (brunch, lunch and late night). For my visit, I enjoyed the burger (amazing!) and a French 75. Highly recommend!
Beautiful lobster deviled eggs from Bar Felix.
Hank’s
Some of the best crab cakes ever!
If I am on a coast, seafood is a must! We had a few recommendations to visit Hyman’s, but locals described it as a tourist spot. Instead, we went to Hank’s on the recommendation of one our Uber drivers. Hands down my favorite meal of the weekend! I ordered the Seafood A La Wando, seafood served in a saffron cream sauce with a fried grit cake. Such a great dish!
Seafood a la Wando!
Parcel 32
I managed to sneak in a few brunches over the weekend including Parcel 32. Like many of the other restaurants on King Street, Parcel 32 has a nighttime vibe in the evening, but serves a trendy weekend brunch. My aunt and I took a table in front of a large window enjoying the people watching. It is a beautiful spot with a pretty good brunch.
Best seat in the house!
Cane Rhum Bar
Several people recommended Cane Rhum Bar for our trip and this little reggae bar is definitely worth adding. Good food, great music and most importantly great drinks! It is open late too making it the perfect spot to wind down after sightseeing.
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit
Arguably one of Charleston’s most famous restaurants. These little biscuits are sold and shipped nation wide and will likely have a line during your visit. We visited the biscuit stand on King Street and selected several biscuit options from their large menu. I would say Callie’s is worth the wait! You can also stop by their Charleston City Market location while too which is a bit bigger.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream
I may or may not have eaten at Jeni’s multiple times during my visit. Listen, it is open late making it convenient! Then they make their own waffle cones and waffle bowls that you can smell as you walk buy. They also have unique ice cream flavors like Gooey Butter Cake and Lavender Vanilla. It is just begging you to come in! Jeni’s did not start in Charleston, but Charleston is one of few places with a storefront so for that reason it makes the list!
5 Church
I snuck in another brunch at 5 Church, a restaurant housed in an old church. It seemed fitting for a city named “The Holy City” but at the same time it kind of felt wrong to sip mimosas in an old church! Despite a few issues with service (the kitchen got backed up), we enjoyed our experience overall and my aunt called their french toast her favorite dish of the weekend.
This isn’t a photo you see often! Mimosas with a stained glass background.
French Toast
Chicken Sandwich
Jestine’s
Several locals recommended Jestine’s for “southern food” and since we were in Charleston it seemed like a must stop. I thought the food was decent and enjoyed many of the desserts as well. The lines here were long so I would recommend going during off times like 3pm versus 7pm.
House made pickles.
The dessert spread. We ordered four because we couldn’t decide!
Fish Dinner with sides.
Fried Chicken dinner
The Takeaway
We ate GOOD in Charleston! The food is part of the reason I cannot wait to go back. On my next visit, I would circle back to pretty much all of the places. I would also add Rodney’s Whole Hog BBQ and Nana’s both of which are black owned. Stay tuned for my What to See in Charleston post!
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