South Carolina Gem One Of America’s Best Cities For Neighborhood Restaurants
Chain restaurants get a bad wrap and I don’t think that’s one hundred percent deserved. But there is something so special about locally owned restaurants that truly bring the heart and soul to cities around the country. These eateries often reflect the local flavors and are the places the locals flock to. And I was pleasantly (not so) surprised to see that one South Carolina city was recognized by Food + Wine as one of America’s best cities for neighborhood restaurants. That city? None other than the foodie paradise of Charleston, SC.
The historical Southern city is known for its charming culture, gorgeous historical downtown, and of course fantastic eats. Charleston constantly ends up on these types of lists being recognized for outstanding cuisine, bars, hotels, ane more. Restaurants in Charleston are often featured on best-of-the-best lists. Some of the most noteworthy restaurants are in neighborhoods like King Street, Sullivan’s Island, and NoMo. It’s impossible to try all the top spots on a visit to Charleston but some of the “can’t miss” restaurants include 157 Oyster Bar, the Grocery, Bar George, Slightly North of Broad, Husk, 82 Queen, and Fleet Landing- just to name a few.
Charleston ranked 5th on this list joined by other cities such as Los Angeles, Savannah, Seattle, New York, and the number one city-New Orleans. What are your favorite Charleston South Carolina neighborhood restaurants?
This ranking was part of Food and Wine’s Global Tastemakers reader’s choice awards. The goal of the awards was to celebrate the best culinary destinations in the U.S. and abroad. To determine the winners F&W readers voted based on travel completed within the past three years, on categories including restaurants and bars. You can see all the winners at foodandwine.com/globaltastemakers.
Experts Say These Are The Best New Restaurants In South Carolina
There are new restaurants popping up all the time it seems. All claim to be unique and offer a “new concept”. But in all honesty many times it just the same things over and over again. And with the cost of going out to eat skyrocketing (like everything else in the world), how do you know what’s worth trying? The last thing you want to do is waste money on a below-average or terrible meal out. Well, I’m happy to share with you that two new restaurants in South Carolina were recognized by Southern Living as some of the best new restaurants in the South.
Our friends at Southern Living recently shared with us a list of the South’s Best New Restaurants of 2023! The publication’s expert editors evaluated new restaurants throughout the south. Restaurants were evaluated based on their food ( of course). But also on service, hospitality, and “how the restaurant supports and treats its staff and the wider community.”
The list contains 25 new restaurants across the south including Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas. They even go as far north as Delaware (though I wouldn’t consider that the south). And excitingly two South Carolina restaurants received the honor of being named The South’s Best New Restaurants. One is in historic Charleston on the iconic King Street. The other is in trendy Greenville, which can’t seem to get enough love these days! But don’t worry North Carolina wasn’t left out either with two spots making the list as well.
Next time you find yourself wondering what to try for dinner, try one of these new South Carolina restaurants! You can read the full list from Southern Living and what they love about each of the 25 spots here. Or keep reading to see which North and South Carolina restaurants are the best new restaurants in the South.
Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.
