Highest-rated restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina by diners

Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans say they rarely or never try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, according to a 2024 survey of more than 1,500 diners from TouchBistro.

But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—67% of Gen Zers and 40% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on social media or online restaurant reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google. The TouchBistro survey found that 52% of Gen Zers have opted to try a new restaurant due to positive feedback on social media, and 67% of millennials have gone to a new dining spot solely because of favorable reviews online.

New restaurants in particular tend to garner a lot of online attention. About 50,000 new restaurants open each year in the U.S., and that number continues to rise. An analysis by Yelp published in June 2024 found that new restaurant openings were up 6% from May 2023 to April 2024. But some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established eateries that customers have been visiting for decades.

To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Charleston, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2025. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews and a 3.0 rating were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.

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#30. Chef Loong Dim Sum & Soup Dumplings

- Rating: 4.6/5 (48 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1662 Savannah Hwy Ste 105 Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Soup, Dim Sum, Noodles
- Read more on Yelp

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#29. 167 Raw Oyster Bar - Charleston

- Rating: 4.7/5 (3130 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 193 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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#28. Workmen's Cafe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (34 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1837 North Grimball Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Soul Food
- Read more on Yelp

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#27. Alvin Ord's Sandwich Shop - James Island

- Rating: 4.7/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 1291 Folly Road Ste 119 Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

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#26. Lewis Barbecue

- Rating: 4.7/5 (2185 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 464 North Nassau St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Barbecue, Caterers, Venues & Event Spaces
- Read more on Yelp

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#25. The Harbinger Cafe & Bakery

- Rating: 4.7/5 (229 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1107 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Bakeries
- Read more on Yelp

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#24. Charleston Cheese

- Rating: 4.7/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 226 Calhoun St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Bubble Tea, Comfort Food, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#23. Kultura Charleston

- Rating: 4.7/5 (75 reviews)
- Address: 73 Spring St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Filipino, Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp

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#22. Euro Foods Bakery & Cafe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1664 Old Town Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Imported Food, International Grocery, Georgian
- Read more on Yelp

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#21. Bitty & Beau's Coffee

- Rating: 4.7/5 (345 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 159 Church St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#20. Halls Chophouse

- Rating: 4.7/5 (3075 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 434 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Steakhouses, Seafood, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#19. AZUR

- Rating: 4.7/5 (81 reviews)
- Address: 159 Market St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Tapas/Small Plates, Desserts, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#18. Taco Kitchen

- Rating: 4.7/5 (105 reviews)
- Address: 2065 Savannah Hwy Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#17. Bintü Atelier

- Rating: 4.7/5 (51 reviews)
- Address: 8D Line St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: African
- Read more on Yelp

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#16. Second State Coffee

- Rating: 4.7/5 (35 reviews)
- Address: 1630 Ashley Hall Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Waffles, Coffee Roasteries
- Read more on Yelp

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#15. Cafecito

- Rating: 4.7/5 (87 reviews)
- Address: 471 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Cuban, Cafes, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

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#14. 17 Prime Steakhouse

- Rating: 4.8/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 2061 Savannah Hwy Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Gogibop Fusion Grill

- Rating: 4.8/5 (39 reviews)
- Address: 221 Spring St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. Ti-Ney Bangkok Folly

- Rating: 4.8/5 (39 reviews)
- Address: 1175 Folly Road Ste J & K Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Thai
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. Juan Luis

- Rating: 4.8/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 464 North Nassau St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Food Trucks, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. Legend Deli

- Rating: 4.8/5 (82 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 41 George St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

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#9. Dalila's

- Rating: 4.8/5 (39 reviews)
- Address: 441 Meeting St. Ste F Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Caribbean
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Bangin' Vegan Eats

- Rating: 4.9/5 (47 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Food Trucks, Vegan
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. Bistro A Vin

- Rating: 4.9/5 (78 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 40 Archdale St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Wine Bars, French
- Read more on Yelp

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#6. The Archer

- Rating: 4.9/5 (24 reviews)
- Address: 601 Meeting St. Ste 140 Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: American, Salad, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. 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

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#4. Honeysuckle Rose

- Rating: 4.9/5 (33 reviews)
- Address: 237 Fishburne St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. Cold Shoulder Gourmet

- Rating: 5.0/5 (42 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1684 Old Towne Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#2. Egy Dough

- Rating: 5.0/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 2578 Ashley River Road Ste I Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Egyptian, Desserts, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

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#1. Historic Charleston Supper Club

- Rating: 5.0/5 (28 reviews)
- Address: 30 Pinckney St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: French, Supper Clubs
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 318 metros.