Highest-rated breakfast restaurants in the Charleston, South Carolina area by diners
Highest-rated breakfast restaurants in the Charleston, South Carolina area by diners
Breakfast holds a special place in American culture, serving not only as a source of nourishment to start the day but an opportunity to create traditions. It's a daily ritual for more than 290 million Americans and is often regarded as the most important meal of the day, according to data from the Department of Agriculture.
While staples like eggs, bacon, and pancakes are common nationwide, regional preferences showcase America's culinary diversity. In the South, biscuits and gravy are a staple, while the East Coast is known for dishes like eggs Benedict and bagels with lox. The Midwest often favors hearty skillet breakfasts, while the Southwest's spicy breakfast burritos and huevos rancheros reflect the region's Mexican influence.
There are a wide variety of restaurants that serve breakfast today. Traditional diners often feature laminated menus filled with pages of combo meals pairing eggs with a breakfast meat of your choice served alongside hash browns, buttered toast, and endless coffee refills. Then there are modern breakfast spots that embrace innovation, adding global influences and creative twists to traditional dishes. Avocado toast, kimchi fried rice, and churro waffles are some of the more recent popular offerings that reflect how multicultural flavors have become part of contemporary breakfast traditions.
American breakfast culture has evolved significantly over the years. In the mid-20th century, diners and coffee shops dominated the morning meal landscape, catering to workers and families with fast, affordable options. Then, the rise of fast-food chains in the 1960s and 1970s shifted breakfast trends, introducing convenient grab-and-go items like McDonald's Egg McMuffin. By the early 2000s, the brunch boom transformed weekends into social events, with restaurants offering elaborate dishes, bottomless mimosas, craft Bloody Marys, and vibrant atmospheres that encourage extended Saturday and Sunday morning dining experiences.
Today, breakfast culture continues to balance nostalgia with innovation as classic comforts meet modern trends in both casual diners and brunch destinations, ensuring that morning meals remain a meaningful and celebrated part of life.
Curious about where to head near Charleston for your next breakfast or brunch? Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated breakfast restaurants in the Charleston area based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of March 2025. Restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "breakfast & brunch" on Yelp that are open at 7 a.m. and are within a 10-kilometer radius of Charleston were included. Some restaurants featured may serve other food items besides breakfast food. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 15 locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Keep reading to discover new inventive egg-centric dishes or time-honored classics for your next leisurely morning!
#30. Vintage Coffee Cafe
- Rating: 4.0/5 (355 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 219 Simmons St. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#29. Smoky Yolk Cafe
- Rating: 4.0/5 (106 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1234 Camp Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Ruby Sunshine Charleston Downtown
- Rating: 4.1/5 (271 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 171 East Bay St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Cocktail Bars, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Toast All Day Coleman Mt Pleasant
- Rating: 4.1/5 (267 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 835 Coleman Blvd. Ste 100 Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American, Southern
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Second State Coffee
- Rating: 4.1/5 (359 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 766 South Shelmore Blvd. Unit 202 Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Clerks Coffee Company
- Rating: 4.1/5 (145 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 181 Church St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Handy and Hot
- Rating: 4.2/5 (99 reviews)
- Address: 68 Wentworth St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Bakeries, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Annie's Hot Donuts
- Rating: 4.2/5 (159 reviews)
- Address: 1247 Ben Sawyer Blvd. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Donuts, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Big Bad Breakfast - Charleston
- Rating: 4.2/5 (774 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 456 Meeting St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Charleston Coffee Exchange
- Rating: 4.3/5 (205 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2875 Ashley River Road Ste 1 Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Maple Street Biscuit Company - James Island
- Rating: 4.3/5 (324 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1739 Maybank Hwy Ste U Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Ruby's New York Style Bagels
- Rating: 4.3/5 (201 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 280 West Coleman Blvd. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Bagels, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#18. The Co-Op Frosé & Eatery
- Rating: 4.3/5 (205 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2019 Middle St. Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Bear E Patch Cafe
- Rating: 4.3/5 (345 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1980 Ashley River Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Diners, Breakfast & Brunch, American
- Read more on Yelp
#16. The Daily
- Rating: 4.3/5 (435 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 652 B King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Frannie & The Fox
- Rating: 4.3/5 (478 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 181 Church St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Page's Okra Grill
- Rating: 4.5/5 (3253 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 302 Coleman Blvd. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Seafood, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Ruby's New York Style Bagels - North Charleston
- Rating: 4.5/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5060 Dorchester Road North Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Bagels, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Holey City Bagels
- Rating: 4.5/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 43 Cannon St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Bagels, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Ruby's New York Style Bagels - West Ashley
- Rating: 4.5/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1836 Ashley River Road Ste O Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bagels, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Lost Dog Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1114 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 106 West Huron St. Folly Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Harken Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (316 reviews)
- Address: 62 Queen St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Biscuit Bros
- Rating: 4.5/5 (34 reviews)
- Address: 1124 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Sunrise Bistro Mount Pleasant
- Rating: 4.6/5 (150 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1039 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. Unit 12 Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, New American, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Island Provisions
- Rating: 4.6/5 (55 reviews)
- Address: 1803 Crowne Commons Way Ste A Johns Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Vicious Biscuit
- Rating: 4.6/5 (987 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 409 West Coleman Blvd. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Island Provisions Charleston
- Rating: 4.6/5 (70 reviews)
- Address: 221 St. Philip St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#3. The Harbinger Cafe & Bakery
- Rating: 4.7/5 (230 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1107 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Bakeries
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Kooben Cafe Mexican
- Rating: 4.7/5 (23 reviews)
- Address: 1268 Yeamans Hall Road Hanahan, South Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#1. The Biscuit Shed
- Rating: 5.0/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 1331 Ashley River Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cynthia Rebolledo, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 293 metros.
