Every ranking on CharlestonRanked is computed from the same model: a Bayesian-smoothed community rating, a freshness decay, and small bounded editorial overrides for cases the data alone gets wrong. No pay-to-play. The full dataset is public.
Every entity is rated 1–5 by the community. We use a Bayesian-smoothed average that pulls thin samples toward a 4.0 prior — a single 5★ on a brand-new venue does not outrank a 4.7★ with 200 ratings. Sample size genuinely matters.
Our "Hot" sort applies a soft decay (~0.05★ per 30 days) so a venue that was great five years ago but has slipped naturally moves down as fresh votes arrive. "Top" shows the all-time smoothed leaderboard with no decay.
We surface — and link — local press mentions (Post and Courier, Charleston City Paper, Eater Charleston, Garden & Gun) and a synthesized consensus from public review platforms. These appear on the entity page; they do not silently move ranks.
When the data is clearly wrong (a venue that just opened and is already 4.9 with 6 votes; a long-running classic with low vote count), an editorial boost can adjust the rank. Boosts are bounded (~+1 star equivalent max) and logged. Boost is never sold.
Smoothed star = (avg × votes + 4.0 × 10) ÷ (votes + 10)
Top score = smoothed star + (boost ÷ 100)
Hot score = top score − (days since added ÷ 30 × 0.05)
The prior is 4.0 with weight 10. A boost of 100 ≈ +1 star. Decay is ~0.05 stars per 30 days on Hot, none on Top.
Placement on a list is never for sale. Sponsorships and ads are clearly labeled, live alongside the rankings, and never inside them. Boost is editorial, not commercial.
Charleston Ranked is run from Charleston by people who eat, drink, and walk the city every week. Editorial signals reflect what actually happens here — not aggregator scrape.
This page exists. The full dataset is available at /api/v1, with an OpenAPI spec and an MCP server. We license content under CC BY 4.0 — credit and link us, then use it.
If a venue closed, hours changed, or you spot a factual error, send it via /contact. Corrections typically ship the same day.