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Home Team BBQ of Charleston, SC/Facebook

Where to Eat Well at Charleston’s Beaches

From Folly Beach to Sullivan’s Island to Isle of Palms

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Spread at Home Team BBQ
| Home Team BBQ of Charleston, SC/Facebook

Many of those visiting Charleston know that downtown is a hot spot for restaurants, but where should folks visiting one of the local beaches eat? From barbecue to noodle bowls, these island eateries can offer a wealth of choices for the hungry wave jumper or sunbather.

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Lost Dog Cafe

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Before a day at Folly Beach, frequent visitors know to hit up Lost Dog for brunch. The cafe has something for everyone on the menu, from huevos rancheros to fresh fruit parfaits. Relax with a mimosa before hitting the waves and sand.

A bowl of eggs.
Breakfast at Lost Dog Cafe.
Lost Dog Cafe

Jack Of Cups

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Full of surfers and deal-seekers, Folly Beach stop Jack of Cups offers filling curry nachos, dahl, and curry meatballs. The menu is a mash-up of different cuisines from across the globe, including nods to the South, which is always good while sipping a few craft beers.

A white bowl full of soup.
A filling soup from Jack of Cups.
Leslie McKellar

Lowlife Bar

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Self-proclaimed “chill ass bar,” Lowlife offers expertly crafted cocktails, queso, local shrimp rolls, double cheeseburgers, and more in a hip and lively beach space. Lowlife also serves brunch every day of the week, so it’s like a vacation within a vacation.

A bar with white stools.
Lowlife Bar on Folly.
Leslie Ryann McKellar

Taco Boy

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A visit to Taco Boy is all about the experience. The interiors are lively and full of fun details. It offers a long list of tacos with unexpected fillings, like the Korean beef tacos stuffed with kimchi and grilled flank steak or the sauteed shrimp tacos come with ancho chile yogurt sauce and cabbage. On a nice day, enjoy the patio with a few friends and a frozen screwdriver to go with the other selections.

Tacos and rice on a green plate.
A selection of tacos at taco Boy.
Taco Boy

Chico Feo

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Spanish for "the ugly boy," Chico Feo makes for a super chill stop after a day on the beach. The eatery feels like visiting a friend’s backyard. The menu is a mix-up of warm weather favorites from across the globe, like Cuban beans and rice, bun cha, and plenty of tacos.

Chico Feo
Mike Ledford

Bert's Market

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Bert’s Market isn’t a restaurant, but it is an icon on Folly Beach. The 24-hour corner store is well known as stop for made-to-order sandwiches and just about everything else you need for a day at the beach. Bert’s puts it best: “Patronized by freaks, surfers, skaters, crunks, retirees, tourists, stoners, day trippers, hippies, hipsters, and regular folk, Bert’s is the rockingest grocery in town.”

Sullivan's Fish Camp

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Dining at Sullivan’s Fish Camp is like stepping onto a sailboat out of the 1970s. The retro-chic restaurant is one of the chicest on the island. The menu includes fish camp classics, like peel-and-eat shrimp and smoked fish dip, paired with more modern offerings, like a tuna smash burger or Nashville hot grouper cheeks.

The Obstinate Daughter

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Diners can eat pizza, pasta, and fresh seafood just a few steps from the ocean. From the skilled hands of executive chef Jacques Larson, the Obstinate Daughter offers a stunning dining room to spend visit for lunch, brunch, or dinner. Visitors should order a craft cocktail, a few oysters, and try the ricotta gnocchi with short rib ragu at least once.

The Old Danger pizza at Obstinate Daughter
Andrew Cebulka

Home Team BBQ

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Home Team BBQ on Sullivan's Island is always packed with friends and families ordering pulled pork plates and catching a game on the televisions. The smoked wings with Alabama white sauce are addictive, as are the frozen boozy Gamechanger cocktails.

Chicken wings on a platter.
Wings at Home Team.
Home Team BBQ of Charleston, SC

High Thyme Cuisine

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Cozy bistro High Thyme offers a more upscale experience than most beach-goers expect. Guests visit this Middle Street restaurant for celebratory dinners and Sunday morning brunches. Find dishes like mussels in a coconut chili broth, cioppino, three-meat bolognese lasagna, lamb meatballs, and more comforting dishes.

Coda Del Pesce

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Contemporary Italian eatery Coda del Pesce sits right on the beach at Isle of Palms. Customers can watch the ocean while ordering from chef Ken Vedrinski’s seafood-filled menu. Make reservations early for dishes like the snowy grouper with peanut potatoes, grapes, and Castelvetrano olives.

Grouper in a yellow sauce.
Snowy grouper at Coda.
Coda Del Pesce

Lost Dog Cafe

Before a day at Folly Beach, frequent visitors know to hit up Lost Dog for brunch. The cafe has something for everyone on the menu, from huevos rancheros to fresh fruit parfaits. Relax with a mimosa before hitting the waves and sand.

A bowl of eggs.
Breakfast at Lost Dog Cafe.
Lost Dog Cafe

Jack Of Cups

Full of surfers and deal-seekers, Folly Beach stop Jack of Cups offers filling curry nachos, dahl, and curry meatballs. The menu is a mash-up of different cuisines from across the globe, including nods to the South, which is always good while sipping a few craft beers.

A white bowl full of soup.
A filling soup from Jack of Cups.
Leslie McKellar

Lowlife Bar

Self-proclaimed “chill ass bar,” Lowlife offers expertly crafted cocktails, queso, local shrimp rolls, double cheeseburgers, and more in a hip and lively beach space. Lowlife also serves brunch every day of the week, so it’s like a vacation within a vacation.

A bar with white stools.
Lowlife Bar on Folly.
Leslie Ryann McKellar

Taco Boy

A visit to Taco Boy is all about the experience. The interiors are lively and full of fun details. It offers a long list of tacos with unexpected fillings, like the Korean beef tacos stuffed with kimchi and grilled flank steak or the sauteed shrimp tacos come with ancho chile yogurt sauce and cabbage. On a nice day, enjoy the patio with a few friends and a frozen screwdriver to go with the other selections.

Tacos and rice on a green plate.
A selection of tacos at taco Boy.
Taco Boy

Chico Feo

Spanish for "the ugly boy," Chico Feo makes for a super chill stop after a day on the beach. The eatery feels like visiting a friend’s backyard. The menu is a mix-up of warm weather favorites from across the globe, like Cuban beans and rice, bun cha, and plenty of tacos.

Chico Feo
Mike Ledford

Bert's Market

Bert’s Market isn’t a restaurant, but it is an icon on Folly Beach. The 24-hour corner store is well known as stop for made-to-order sandwiches and just about everything else you need for a day at the beach. Bert’s puts it best: “Patronized by freaks, surfers, skaters, crunks, retirees, tourists, stoners, day trippers, hippies, hipsters, and regular folk, Bert’s is the rockingest grocery in town.”

Sullivan's Fish Camp

Dining at Sullivan’s Fish Camp is like stepping onto a sailboat out of the 1970s. The retro-chic restaurant is one of the chicest on the island. The menu includes fish camp classics, like peel-and-eat shrimp and smoked fish dip, paired with more modern offerings, like a tuna smash burger or Nashville hot grouper cheeks.

The Obstinate Daughter

Diners can eat pizza, pasta, and fresh seafood just a few steps from the ocean. From the skilled hands of executive chef Jacques Larson, the Obstinate Daughter offers a stunning dining room to spend visit for lunch, brunch, or dinner. Visitors should order a craft cocktail, a few oysters, and try the ricotta gnocchi with short rib ragu at least once.

The Old Danger pizza at Obstinate Daughter
Andrew Cebulka

Home Team BBQ

Home Team BBQ on Sullivan's Island is always packed with friends and families ordering pulled pork plates and catching a game on the televisions. The smoked wings with Alabama white sauce are addictive, as are the frozen boozy Gamechanger cocktails.

Chicken wings on a platter.
Wings at Home Team.
Home Team BBQ of Charleston, SC

High Thyme Cuisine

Cozy bistro High Thyme offers a more upscale experience than most beach-goers expect. Guests visit this Middle Street restaurant for celebratory dinners and Sunday morning brunches. Find dishes like mussels in a coconut chili broth, cioppino, three-meat bolognese lasagna, lamb meatballs, and more comforting dishes.

Coda Del Pesce

Contemporary Italian eatery Coda del Pesce sits right on the beach at Isle of Palms. Customers can watch the ocean while ordering from chef Ken Vedrinski’s seafood-filled menu. Make reservations early for dishes like the snowy grouper with peanut potatoes, grapes, and Castelvetrano olives.

Grouper in a yellow sauce.
Snowy grouper at Coda.
Coda Del Pesce

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