Hello, hello!

Thank you for your patience and allowing me to get settled before publishing my Charleston blog posts! Today, I am publishing the most requested which is “Where We Ate,” while in Charleston, SC. Below, I will also include restaurants we wanted to eat at but didn’t have the chance to while visiting the Holy City.

Please keep in my mind that each restaurant has its own COVID guidelines and these guidelines are ever-changing. I will include info for what our experience at each restaurant was like however, just be mindful that things could be entirely different if you are planning a trip to Charleston soon.

Most restaurants went by the rule that masks were to be worn at all times unless you were seated at your table. So if you got up to go to the restroom, gift shop, etc. you must be wearing your mask.

Overall, I felt safe the entire time while visiting. However, use your own discretion when traveling and be sure to wear a mask, social distance and wash your hands frequently.

FRANNIE & THE FOX

This little spot was in the hotel we stayed at, The Emeline. We chilled here after we unpacked our bags. A few drinks went down the hatch and we also, ordered a small pizza to split since we were starving and had about two hours until dinner. The drinks were good and the aesthetic is on point. Plus, there is a stunningly large outdoor patio that is a real treat so try and get a seat out there if possible.

Tables here were socially distanced.

LEON’S OYSTER SHOP

Yummy seafood joint but also apparently famous for their fried chicken. I ordered oysters (duh) and Cory got a fried seafood platter with fish, shrimp and clams. However, I must say the absolute best thing I ate here were their hush puppies with honey butter. Oh em gee. The hush puppies originally came with Cory’s meal but after I tried one dipped in the honey butter we ordered another batch. The honey butter is phenomenal I need to find a copycat recipe stat.

Leon’s also has rose on tap and rose slushies – which I ordered and loved!

Tables here were socially distanced and menus were digital QR code to scan with phone.

CALLIE’S HOT LITTLE BISCUIT

We loved this place so much we ate at both locations lol. Cory and I are both biscuit lovers so it was no surprise we were big fans of this place.

Cory opted for the build-your-own biscuit and ordered the sausage, egg and cheese buttermilk biscuit with a side of gravy. I went with the mix and match minis. My three faves I had were the: sharp cheddar biscuit plain, cinnamon biscuit with cinnamon butter and the buttermilk biscuit with strawberry jam. I also tried the shortbread biscuit which is sweet but also tasty if you are into that sort of thing!

As you can tell from the picture, we ate in our car. Both locations are small and do not offer dine-in seating. In addition, for the restaurant on King Street, only one family was allowed in at once and after ordering you waited outside for them to bring your order to you. Masks were worn at all times.

The other location is in the Charleston City Market which was located directly beside the hotel we stayed at. Therefore, we grabbed our biscuits and popped into the coffee shop, Clerks, which we ordered from every single morning. We had an iced coffee and enjoyed our biscuits in a more comfortable way than the previous car dining experience we had.

Even though their were some challenges with the lack of dining obviously we would recommend this place because we ate their twice. It is 100% worth it!

SUGAR BAKESHOP

I really could go for a treat from this bakery right now. We ordered a caramel cupcake, M&M cookie and a vanilla blueberry cupcake. Everything was seriously so delish! Definitely try the vanilla blueberry cupcake, I mean it is literally painted on the outside of the bakeshop so it is bound to be fabulous right?! Spoiler: it was fabulous.

The bakeshop had a register and menu outside the front door. After ordering and purchasing they brought your treats outside to you.

THE RAREBIT

This restaurant was recommended by a friend of mine who lives in Charleston. Cory and I both ordered a fried seafood platter here and we both really enjoyed it.

The Rarebit turned out to be one of Cory’s favorites because he is a fried fish lover. He even said this fried fish was better than many of the local spots we frequent when we visit Florida.

Tables here were socially distanced and menus were a digital QR code to scan with phone.

MILLER’S ALL DAY

I like to consider myself somewhat of a brunch connoisseur. Literally anywhere we go I scope out the best brunch spot. Y’all this place, *insert praise hands emoji* seriously so dang good. I got the fried bologna and cheese biscuit and it is probably the best thing I ate the entire trip. Cory got the country fried steak with gravy, eggs and home fries and I don’t think I’ve ever heard him that quiet while eating lol. Then of course we got a cinnamon roll which obviously was good. Lastly, we sipped on a decanter of mimosas and ultimately thoroughly enjoyed our brunch.

Miller’s All Day had a long wait so be sure to make reservations ahead of time! Unfortunately, it rained this day but we didn’t let that stop us. I had an umbrella and Cory bought a cheap one for himself and we walked over to the Pineapple Fountain and Rainbow Row area. So definitely a great sight-seeing opportunity if you do have to wait and you are wearing the right shoes.

Tables here were socially distanced.

HOME TEAM BBQ

South Carolina is known for their BBQ. So the valet recommend Home Team BBQ and we headed over to check it out after our Cypress Gardens adventure. Don’t get me wrong this place was good but we have comparable restaurants in Tennessee so I wasn’t like overly impressed. It was a nice change of pace though since we literally had biscuits and seafood every other day haha.

We started with BBQ nachos which were yummy but way too big of a serving. Then we both ordered a pork sandwich with a sweet, vinegar based BBQ sauce. Cory is a major tater tot guy and he bragged on these so if you like tots order them here.

This restaurant was really roomy and large in comparison to most of the King Street restaurants we frequented. Here they had each table socially distanced and an outdoor, open air dining area.

OTHER PLACES WE ATE:

HALL’S STEAKHOUSE

This was where we went for our anniversary meal. The food was incredible and the service was impeccable! They treated us a glass of champagne to celebrate and even sent us home with a boxed up dessert on them, talk about making an impression.

Hall’s has a wide assortment of high quality wet aged and dry aged steaks ranging from Ribeye to A5 Wagyu. Of course Cory had to try the A5 Waygu while there since it is labeled as the highest quality beef in the world. This steak is priced at a whopping $29 an ounce with a two ounce minimum. He savored every bite and said it literally melted in his mouth.

For our main course we both ordered filet that was cooked to perfection and got the lobster mac n cheese as our shareable side.

This place is spendy but we both highly recommend making reservations here.

Tables were socially distanced.

CARMELLA’S DESSERT BAR

This place was hopping so we opted to take our dessert to-go. It is a literal dessert bar serving up boozy milkshakes and dessert cocktails so I understand why it is so popular. We went there two different nights to get our sweet tooth fix. First visit we ordered white chocolate macadamia cookies that were the size of our heads! Additionally, we got a mini cannoli cake to share. Turns out I don’t like cannolis so I wasn’t a big fan of it.

The second visit we got the loaded chocolate chip cookies and a mini strawberry shortcake to share and it was v good.

I really loved the fact that this place stayed open late since Cory and I are night owls. On the weekends it was open until 1:00 AM!

Definitely recommend taking your treats to-go from here because it can be crowded and outdoor seating is limited.

JENI’S ICE CREAM

I went to Jeni’s when I visited Columbus, OH, so I already had a love for this place. Also, we are obsessed with the Savannah Buttermint flavor but unfortunately they do not serve it in their brick and mortar stores they only sell it in pints at Publix.

Cory and I both ordered the milkiest chocolate flavor and he raved about that ice cream all night. I was shocked because typically he doesn’t order chocolate but he has a newfound love.

This ice cream shop only allowed one party in the door at a time and there was no dine-in option.

PLACES WE WANTED TO EAT:

HUSK

We originally had reservations here. I literally booked them weeks in advance but my extremely picky husband looked at the menu and got nervous. So we opted to go to Hall’s which ended up being a great decision. However, I did want to try this restaurant so maybe next time!

CAMILLE’S

Known for their stunning bar area that is v much my aesthetic. But it was only open two of the four nights we were there and I didn’t realize it. So we didn’t have a chance to go but it seems like such a dreamy scene.

5CHURCH

Cool vibe of a restaurant that is literally inside of an old cathedral. We passed by this place and it was impressive. Wanted to eat brunch here but was only offered on days we already had plans.

GOAT SHEEP COW

A little hole in the wall charcuterie and cheese board spot. Would be great for pre-dinner drinks but was closed on the weekday we tried to go.

POOGAN’S PORCH

A Charleston staple that we didn’t have time to go to. Definitely adding this one to our list for next time!

TOAST

A follower recommended this brunch spot! Cutesy interior and a stellar brunch menu so like win, win.

THE WATCH

A rooftop bar that is supposed to have an incredible sunset view. However, like with some of the other restaurants and bars, this one was only open on the weekend and we didn’t realize it.

Overall, I think we ate at the best of the best and we were satisfied with each restaurant we dined at! Thanks so much to those who gave me recommendations, I truly appreciate it!

I hope you find this post helpful! Have you visited Charleston, SC? If so, let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

xx KL