In January, I had the chance to visit Charleston for the first time with my friend Chelsea, driving down from her place in Columbia, SC. Now in July, as part of our anniversary visit this month to Savannah, Tyler and I planned a drive over to Charleston as well, where we would visit with Chelsea (great friends will drive two hours to meet you for brunch) and explore the city for a bit with our dogs.
With two visits to the Holy City just this year, I’ve spent a lot of time researching great food in the area – and now that I’ve returned from Charleston for the second time, I can confirm that these places are some awesome options that won’t break the bank. If you find yourself in the city, I would recommend eating at…
- Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit. There are few things I love in this world more than a fresh biscuit, and Callie’s delivered some tasty ones. Chelsea and I split a mini trio of these earlier this year to serve as our own “sampler” platter, and they were the perfect snack to kick off our day in Charleston. I would definitely recommend popping in for a taste, if not a whole biscuit (or three), but note – there will likely be a line!
- Eli’s Table. Eli’s is home to the “best grilled cheese in America,” so that made ordering easy for me. It was perfectly melty, with multiple kinds of cheese and basil (I skipped the tomato) on sourdough bread. Chelsea got the shrimp and grits, which she assured me were also excellent. The staff was friendly and attentive, and we had a great experience. I think this would be a top restaurant contender any time of day.
- Poogan’s Porch. You know a place is popular when you can’t get a reservation! Fortunately, we only had to wait about twenty minutes before settling into brunch. Our meal started off with cornbread and butter before we dug into our respective dishes. I had the chicken and waffles, while Tyler got Poogan’s Monte Cristo and Chelsea ordered the Calabash Fried Shrimp. Everything was delicious – especially Zoe’s Iced Coffee!
- Queen Street Grocery. “Not your average corner store” is right. They’re a little off the beaten path, but Queen Street Grocery had just what we needed for an afternoon pick-me-up. Chelsea and I both got smoothies (Bee Street and Vanderhorst), which were super fresh, and Tyler ordered a Cold Press Coffee with chocolate soy milk. We only got drinks, but they have an expansive menu and shop, so there’s something for everyone.
We’re still in Savannah, so there will be more to come soon on our time here, but if you find yourself in Charleston, South Carolina… you know where to grab a bite. 😉 If you have other recommendations in the area, drop them in the comments!