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.

Pitmaster John Lewis brought the best-ever brisket to Charleston by way of Austin, and it’s been a hit since day one. The airy dining room is unlike any other barbecue space — it’s clean and modern with several nods to Texas and Mexico, including an 8-foot longhorn skull mounted on the wall and imported Oaxacan tile on the service counter. Some of the most popular dishes include the hot guts (sausage links), fatty brisket, green chili corn pudding, and ultra-moist turkey slices.

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.

Tucked away in the Eastside neighborhood, this Lowcountry legend has served classic Charleston dishes since 1985. Far off the tourist path on Blake Street, try Gullah Geechee cuisine staples like crab rice, lima beans with smoked turkey neck bones, okra soup, and local shark. Open for lunch and dinner, this casual spot meets the need for Lowcountry flavors in a relaxed atmosphere.

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.

If you’re driving down Coming Street around 5 p.m., you’ll likely notice a long queue of eager diners hoping to get into neighborhood restaurant Chubby Fish (it’s first come, first serve). The sailing-inspired dining room is always packed with customers looking to discover what chef James London has created with the day’s fresh local catch. The caviar sandwich is a must, but also try the chili garlic shrimp, blue crab tagliatelle, and roast oysters with crab-fat curry.

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 roasted chicken in a brown butter jus, fresh campanelle with rabbit, and bouncy charred sourdough with allium butter.

At this rustic, romantic French destination, chef Jill Mathias serves a concise selection of two appetizers, two entrees, and two desserts. The staff posts the menu daily on Instagram, but it’s usually a safe bet to grab a table without knowing what plates will delight the dining room that day. Recent offerings included sauteed shrimp with peppers, coulotte steak with chanterelle sauce, and whipped mascarpone with figs to round out the meal.

Chef Nikko Cagalanan and Baguette Magic co-owner Paula Kramer teamed up to make Filipino flavors a more permanent fixture on Spring Street with the opening of Kultura. For the karaoke brunch, the space offers coffee and pastries from Baguette Magic but with Filipino flavors, like ube lattes, guava “Pop-Tarts,” and egg sandwiches with pork belly adobo. In the evenings, the menu includes arroz caldo with smoked trout roe, pancit with lump crab, and twice-cooked pork ribs in banana ketchup. It’s a casual spot where you’ll find a mix of locals and tourists in the know.

Spring Street’s 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.

Perpetually packed seafood restaurant 167 Raw showcases the best that the ocean has to offer. The dining room feels like a party with a full room of friends and families enjoying plenty of cold frosé, oysters on the half shell, baked crab dip, and rich lobster rolls. 167 Raw doesn’t take reservations, so sign into the queue and take a walk around Charleston while waiting for the restaurant to text.

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.