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Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Charleston, South Carolina area by diners

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siamionau pavel // Shutterstock
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There's just something about a hamburger—from the way the juices from the freshly grilled meat gently dribble down your chin as you take that first bite of the succulent patty to the way the cheese curves along the sides, melting slowly over the ground-beef goodness placed gently between two buns.

While a burger's je ne sais quoi may defy definition, one thing is certain: Americans love hamburgers. According to a 2024 YouGov survey, burgers are among the top three most popular foods in the U.S., tied with fried chicken and bested only by French fries. As further proof of hamburgers' dominance in America, chains where burgers are the star of the menu generated $110 billion in sales in 2024, according to the annual Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. Based on a Restaurant Business analysis of the Technomic report, that accounts for more than a quarter of the total sales among all Top 500 chains and more than double sales from chains where chicken is the main attraction.

The burger's origins stretch far beyond America, however. Named after Hamburg, a region in Germany known for its cattle, the Hamburg steak was the first step toward what would become the sandwich we know and love today. Served on a plate (sans buns, if you can believe it), the steak was said to have become popular during the Industrial Revolution after an influx of German immigrants into New York. To make the food easier for the workers to eat on their breaks, a now unknown cook sandwiched the steak between two pieces of bread, and the rest, as they say, is history.

While it may never be proven when and where the hamburger was first invented, the deliciously simple sandwich is here to stay. But who serves the best burger today? You'll find many restaurants around the U.S. that claim they do, from Au Cheval in Chicago and New York to The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based chain that USA Today named the #1 fast-food burger in America.

Of course, those restaurants may not be in your neck of the woods. To find the best of the best in your area, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Charleston area based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of March 2025. Restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "burgers" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Charleston were included. As a result, many restaurants featured may primarily serve other food items besides burgers. Also, to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with at least five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

Keep reading to see if your favorite burger spot made the cut—or maybe you'll find your new favorite on this list!

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#30. Planet Follywood

- Rating: 3.6/5 (83 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 32 Center St. Folly Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 30

#29. Triangle Char & Bar

- Rating: 3.6/5 (361 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 828 Savannah Hwy Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: New American, Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 30

#28. Sesame Burgers & Beer

- Rating: 3.7/5 (358 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 675 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, American
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 30

#27. JohnKing Grill & Dueling Pianos

- Rating: 3.8/5 (393 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 428 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: American, Burgers, Piano Bars
- Read more on Yelp

6 / 30

#25. Big Billy's Burger Joint

- Rating: 3.8/5 (448 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5070 International Blvd. North Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 30

#24. Cabana Burgers & Shakes

- Rating: 3.8/5 (193 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1801 Crowne Commons Way Johns Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Salad, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 30

#23. Carolina Butcher & Beer Garden

- Rating: 3.8/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 604 Coleman Blvd. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Beer Gardens, Salad, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

9 / 30

#22. Fuel Charleston

- Rating: 3.9/5 (767 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 211 Rutledge Ave. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Caribbean, Burgers, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

11 / 30

#20. Poe's Tavern

- Rating: 4.0/5 (1278 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2210 Middle St. Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, Beer, Wine & Spirits
- Read more on Yelp

12 / 30

#19. Bodega Todo

- Rating: 4.1/5 (29 reviews)
- Address: 218 President St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Mexican, Burgers, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#18. Big Gun Burger Shop and Bar

- Rating: 4.2/5 (276 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 137 Calhoun St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#17. Come Back Shack

- Rating: 4.2/5 (85 reviews)
- Address: 1132 Bowman Road Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

16 / 30

#15. Neighborhood Tap House Dorchester

- Rating: 4.3/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5101 Ashley Phosphate Road Ste 101 North Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, New American
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 30

#14. The Pub On 61

- Rating: 4.3/5 (60 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2366 Ashley River Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Pubs, Chicken Wings, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

18 / 30

#13. Commonhouse Aleworks

- Rating: 4.3/5 (166 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4831 O'Hear Ave. North Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Breweries, Barbecue, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

19 / 30

#12. Hugh-Baby's

- Rating: 4.3/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1028 St. Andrews Blvd. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

21 / 30

#10. Victor's Lab

- Rating: 4.3/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: Johns Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Food Trucks, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#9. Bumpa's

- Rating: 4.3/5 (314 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5 Cumberland St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Gastropubs, Cocktail Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Fam's Brewing

- Rating: 4.4/5 (249 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1291 Folly Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Breweries, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. Moe's Crosstown Tavern

- Rating: 4.4/5 (241 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 714 Rutledge Ave. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: American, Burgers, Wraps
- Read more on Yelp

26 / 30

#5. The Southern General

- Rating: 4.4/5 (264 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3157 Maybank Hwy Unit East Johns Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

27 / 30

#4. Betty Lou's Bistro

- Rating: 4.5/5 (175 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2408 Ashley River Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

28 / 30

#3. H & R Sweet Shop

- Rating: 4.6/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 102 Royall Ave. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Soul Food, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

29 / 30

#2. Heavy's Barburger

- Rating: 4.6/5 (204 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1137 Morrison Drive Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

30 / 30

#1. Smash City Burgers

- Rating: 4.9/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 47 Cooper St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Fish & Chips, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.

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