Chinese-American restaurant Jackrabbit Filly comes from the minds behind the super sought-after food truck Short Grain. Corrie and Shuai Wang bring the flavors of Shuai’s Chinese family to the menu with some Japanese and American influences thrown in. Many of the offerings conjure takeout menu comfort food vibes, like fried rice with ham and pineapple or pork and cabbage dumplings. The chirashi bowl is a solid lunch choice and brunch offers one of the area’s only dim sum menus.

Established in 1979, iconic soul food stop Bertha’s Kitchen is known for its fried chicken, fish, and sides, like slow-simmered lima beans. Tourists and locals in search of Southern comfort make the trek to the big turquoise house in North Charleston to take in the dishes established by the late founder Albertha Grant, like smothered pork chops and oxtails. Bertha’s has even drawn its fair share of critical acclaim. In 2017, the restaurant took home the James Beard Award for America’s Classic.

Sushi Wa Izakaya offers some of the freshest fish in the Lowcountry. Chefs Kazu Murakami and Chris Schoedler offer a high-end, nigiri-focused omakase Wednesday through Sunday, beginning at $80 per person. Reservations are difficult to snag, but the restaurant will occasionally announce openings on Instagram. Sakes are the star of the beverage menu.

James Beard-winning pitmaster Rodney Scott brought whole hog barbecue to Charleston by way of Hemingway, South Carolina, and it became an instant classic. Settle into a red booth at the North Central restaurant and order smoky pulled pork with a hint of vinegar or a comforting ribeye sandwich — don’t forget the collards and cornbread. There are plenty of picnic tables outdoors and takeout is easy at Rodney Scott’s BBQ. Everyone should leave with a bag of skins for snacking later on.

Restaurateurs Erik Hutson and Nayda Friere (of hip bar Faculty Lounge) opened North Central spot Renzo to feel like a party every night — the best kind of party, a pizza party. The gold embellished bar takes up half the room, with views of the kitchen and Friere’s extensive collection of natural wines. The booths are usually full of groups sharing the creative wood-fired pizzas, like the Cheli with lamb sausage, feta, honey, and za’atar. For non-pie items, the gnudi in a roasted tomato vinaigrette is a standout choice.

From food truck to food stall to pop-ups, Pink Bellies has been a staple of the Charleston community since 2015. A large fan base trailed chef/owner Thai Phi until he found a permanent home for his Vietnamese American cuisine on King Street in 2021. Now it’s easy to find his famous garlic noodles with pulled pork, spicy lamb dumplings, and pho mai burger in a stunning space. Bring friends, order one of everything, and don’t forget to take a few selfies in the sunset-colored dining room.

In a landscape where every other restaurant seems to tout “seasonal small plates,” Chasing Sage is doing them with gusto and keeping the ingredients interesting. Drawing from the abundance of Lowcountry farms, the kitchen uses fresh-off-the-truck produce in dishes like an asparagus terrine with green strawberries, English pea hummus, or a spring onion dumpling with chili oil and shiso. The sophisticated, yet slightly rustic, dining room always stays lively with friends discussing and sharing plates from the $12, $17, and $21 categories set on the menu — the fun cocktails don’t hurt either.

Many people say they want to create a neighborhood restaurant, but husband-and-wife team Daniel “Dano” and Bethany Heinze nailed it on their first attempt with Vern’s. Nestled in the mostly residential area of Cannonbourough/Elliotborough, the American bistro pulls from the couple’s strengths, with Bethany on the adventurous wine list and Dano in the kitchen. The menu draws from Dano’s work with hyper-local produce at the former McCrady’s, ingredient-based cooking in California, and travels through Europe with Bethany. Dishes include perfectly roast chicken in a brown butter jus, fresh campanelli with rabbit, or bouncy charred sourdough with allium butter.

Spring Street restaurant Wild Common is a tasting menu restaurant for people who don’t normally like tasting menus. It’s not stuffy or pretentious, but rather a chill atmosphere full of light installations, art, and vegetation — a place that makes it easy to relax into the four-course meal at $85 a person. Four courses may not sound like much, but the first course, “Bites,” includes substantial samples of rich chicken shio ramen, crab rice with kimchi, and chicken har gao. For those really wanting to indulge, chef Orlando Pagán can include a caviar supplement served atop a layered potato cake crisped in duck fat.

The little corner fish shack is a laid-back stop off the hectic hustle of King Street; as its name implies, the kitchen is very adept at the carryout game. For years, this corner shop has consistently served up big plates of crisp, golden-fried fresh catch and fixin’s. Those in the know pair the buttery flounder with a side of creamy lima beans and rice.

Mike Lata and Adam Nemirow opened FIG in 2003, and the Ansonborough restaurant continues to be a top destination for pristinely executed plates in Charleston. Go for innovative takes on seasonal produce, like the highly anticipated tomato tarte tatin, which appears each summer, and always opt for the chicken liver pate or the ricotta gnocchi topped with lamb bolognese. Make a reservation far in advance for one of the white-clothed tables or go right at 5 p.m. to grab a seat at the bar.

Combine Peruvian roast chicken, oysters on the half shell, inventive hot dog combinations, and a few surprises along the way to come up with the unique menu at James Island spot Bar George. Here, diners can eagerly expect the unexpected from the kitchen and the bar. The cocktail list ranges from a yuzu dirty martini to a shot of banana-flavored Jameson with a Miller High Life pony. It’s no surprise, then, that no matter what night you land, you’ll find a fun time at Bar George. 

Charleston was severely lacking in Sichuan options before chef David Schuttenberg came to town via multiple venerated kitchens in New York. His restaurant Kwei Fei brings the heat on James Island to adoring fans looking for lamb dumplings, spicy noodles, and mapo tofu. Order several dishes, like dan dan noodles and lamb dumplings, because leftovers are just as good the next day.