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Best Restaurants in Charleston — Ranked by Locals · CharlestonRanked

Home/Restaurants

Charleston · Restaurants

Best restaurants in Charleston

The places locals actually book — from neighborhood lunch spots to tasting-menu nights.

Showing 35 of 591 · May 7, 2026

1
41-A George St, Charleston
Legend Deli
Counter-order deli on George Street slinging sandwiches and cold beer steps from the College of Charleston.
4.9436 ratings
Open
2

Pizza54 Mexican39 Sandwich25 Cheap eats83 Late night8 Downtown240 West Ashley70 Mount Pleasant57 Seafood85 Outdoor seating416 Takeout525 Brunch232

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AreaDowntown240 West Ashley70 Mount Pleasant57 North Charleston49 James Island39 Sullivan's Island29 Folly Beach23 Isle of Palms20 Hanahan17 Daniel Island14 Summerville9 Johns Island7 Kiawah Island6 Goose Creek4 Seabrook Island4 Wadmalaw Island2

CuisineItalian45 Sushi35 Mexican39 BBQ25 Seafood85 Steakhouse17 Vietnamese3 Thai8 Pizza54

1291 Folly Rd #119, CharlestonTrending

Alvin Ord's Sandwich Shop - James Island

Counter sandwich shop on Folly Road where James Island locals queue for deli-built subs at lunch.

4.8★·8.7k ratings

Open

Antonio's Pizzeria

8636 Dorchester Rd, North Charleston

Antonio's Pizzeria

No-frills North Charleston pizza counter on Dorchester Road, drawing steady locals since the neighborhood long predates the city's restaurant boom.

4.7★·703 ratings

La Taqueria Express

2790 Ashley Phosphate Rd, North Charleston

La Taqueria Express

Counter-service Mexican on Ashley Phosphate, built on a loyal North Charleston following and straightforward tacos that don't need explaining.

4.7★·423 ratings

D'Allesandro's Pizza

229 St Philip St, CharlestonTrending

D'Allesandro's Pizza

Neighborhood pizzeria offering lots of sauce & topping options, plus happy hour & lunch specials.

4.6★·1.7k ratings

Gene's Haufbrau

817 Savannah Hwy, CharlestonTrending

Gene's Haufbrau

Classic pub fare & a long list of beers on draft at this lively tavern with pool & other games.

4.6★·1k ratings

Orlando's Brick Oven Pizza

295 Seven Farms Drive, CharlestonTrending

Orlando's Brick Oven Pizza

Airy, modern pizzeria with counter seating serving brick-oven pies with classic salads & draft beer.

4.6★·881 ratings

Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream & Sandwich Cafe- Mt. Pleasant

1502 N Hwy 17, Mt PleasantTrending

Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream & Sandwich Cafe- Mt. Pleasant

Local chain serving ice cream & shakes, plus sandwiches & sides, in a low-key, retro space.

4.5★·2.3k ratings

Toasted Crust

451 King St, Charleston

Toasted Crust

Counter-order pizza and wings spot on upper King, where craft pies and cold beer keep a loyal neighborhood crowd coming back.

4.6★·242 ratings

Circe's Grotto

85 1/2, 85 Wentworth St, Charleston

Circe's Grotto

Tucked-away sandwich shop on Wentworth Street serving lunch with outdoor seating and coffee.

4.6★·389 ratings

Bon Banh Mi Southeast Asian Kitchen

162 Spring St, Charleston

Bon Banh Mi Southeast Asian Kitchen

Bright counter-serve spot offering build-your-own banh mi sandwiches, tacos & salads.

4.6★·577 ratings

King's Pizza by: Italian Bistro

3786 Ladson Rd Suite 201, Ladson

King's Pizza by: Italian Bistro

Understated pizzeria with basic decor turning out New York–style pies & familiar Italian classics.

4.5★·2.2k ratings

Rio Chico Mexican Restaurant - West Ashley

1975 Magwood Dr Suite B, Charleston

Rio Chico Mexican Restaurant - West Ashley

Traditional Mexican dishes offered in a casual space with a bar mixing margaritas.

4.5★·1.7k ratings

Tacos El Pariente

2410 Clements Ferry Rd, Charleston

Tacos El Pariente

Cash-only taqueria on Clements Ferry serving straightforward Mexican street food to the construction and warehouse crowd on the north peninsula.

4.5★·283 ratings

Benny Palmetto's, Pizza

433 W Coleman Blvd, Mt Pleasant

Benny Palmetto's, Pizza

Industrial-style counter-serve pizzeria dishing out ample slices & pies in a quick fashion.

4.4★·752 ratings

Sabatinos Authentic New York City Pizza

151 Calhoun St, Charleston

Sabatinos Authentic New York City Pizza

Casual counter-serve pit stop from a Bronx native selling thin-crust pies & slices, subs & starters.

4.4★·936 ratings

MI LINDO OAXACA TAQUERIA

Wando Crossing, Mt Pleasant

MI LINDO OAXACA TAQUERIA

Family-run Oaxacan taqueria in a Mt. Pleasant strip mall, turning out tlayudas and mole alongside standard tacos.

4.5★·210 ratings

Tiki Taco

7089 Rivers Ave Ste A, North Charleston

Tiki Taco

Tacos, burritos & other Mexican staples offered in an informal venue with bright tropical decor.

4.4★·1.7k ratings

Mario's Italian Grill

1300 Savannah Hwy #4, Charleston

Mario's Italian Grill

Neighborhood Italian-pizza standby on Savannah Highway, doing dine-in, delivery, and gyros out of a strip mall since the West Ashley crowd figured it out.

4.3★·676 ratings

El PinchoTaco

616 Meeting St ste b, Charleston

El PinchoTaco

Counter-service taco spot on upper Meeting Street pouring beer and wine alongside straightforward Mexican street food.

4.4★·591 ratings

Juanita Greenberg's Nacho Royale

410 W Coleman Blvd, Mt Pleasant

Juanita Greenberg's Nacho Royale

Counter-service Tex-Mex spot on Coleman Boulevard slinging loaded nachos and cheap beer since the '90s.

4.4★·1.3k ratings

San Miguel Mexican grill & bar

1711 Shoremeade Rd Suite 110, Mt Pleasant

San Miguel Mexican grill & bar

Strip-mall Mexican in Mount Pleasant with margaritas, live music, and a loyal local following on Shoremeade Road.

4.4★·1.1k ratings·mexican · margaritas · cheap eats

Tiki Taco

1131 College Park Rd, Summerville

Tiki Taco

Casual strip-mall taco spot in Summerville slinging Mexican staples with beer and a loyal local following.

4.3★·1.5k ratings

Señor Tequila

1836 Ashley River Rd Ste A, Charleston

Señor Tequila

Low-key Mexican kitchen producing a familiar menu of fajitas, quesadillas, tacos & margaritas.

4.3★·2k ratings

Lucy's Deliveries y Mas

933 Red Bank Rd, Goose Creek

Lucy's Deliveries y Mas

Goose Creek strip-mall taqueria serving burritos, tacos, and Latin plates with live music on weekends.

4.3★·945 ratings

Ru Ru's Tacos & Tequila

159 E Bay St, Charleston

Ru Ru's Tacos & Tequila

Casual Mexican spot on East Bay slinging tacos and tequila to the downtown lunch and late-night crowd.

4.3★·1.6k ratings

Benny Ravello's

520 King St, Charleston

Benny Ravello's

Casual slice & pie shop with rustic interiors, high-top seating & colorful wall murals.

4.2★·803 ratings

Benny Rinaldi's

1079 E Montague Ave Suite 100, North Charleston

Benny Rinaldi's

Counter-order pizza spot on East Montague serving New York-style pies with beer and wine in a North Charleston strip mall.

4.3★·197 ratings

Woody's Pizza

39 Center St, Folly Beach

Woody's Pizza

Casual quick-serve shop serving pizzas, subs & salads near the beach.

4.3★·1.6k ratings

Pizzeria Di Giovanni

40 N Market St, Charleston

Pizzeria Di Giovanni

Pizza shop serving New York-style pies, catering to a late-night crowd till 3 AM Fridays/Saturdays.

4.2★·1.5k ratings

Juanita Greenberg's Nacho Royale

439 King St, Charleston

Juanita Greenberg's Nacho Royale

Colorful eatery & sports bar for Mexican-inspired bites & drinks, plus live music & patio seating.

4.2★·1.5k ratings

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

767 Coleman Blvd Suite 1, Mt Pleasant

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Health-conscious cafe chain featuring a menu of custom smoothies, sandwiches & wraps.

4.2★·127 ratings

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Westwood Plaza Shopping Center, 1808 Sam Rittenberg Blvd, Charleston

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Health-conscious cafe chain featuring a menu of custom smoothies, sandwiches & wraps.

4.1★·363 ratings

Santi’s West Ashley

1660 Savannah Hwy, Charleston

Santi’s West Ashley

Neighborhood Mexican spot on Savannah Highway serving tacos and cold beer in a no-frills West Ashley setting.

4.1★·501 ratings

Slice of Folly

16B Center St, Folly Beach

Slice of Folly

Counter-order pizza spot steps from the Folly Beach strip, serving slices and pies for the beach crowd.

3.9★·208 ratings

VibeDate night25 Brunch232 Cheap eats83 Outdoor seating416 Late night8 Clear

AmenitiesReservations310 Takeout525 Delivery300