10Best's Charleston Restaurants
-- Joey Hall, 10Best Travel Editor
Sitting on a front porch enjoying shrimp and grits, sweet tea and hot cornbread slathered with butter is a common Charleston memory, a city known for its outstanding hospitality and culinary greatness. Inviting local eateries, such as Poogan's Porch, Magnolia's and Hominy Grill deliver such distinctively Southern food and atmosphere. Seafood, from Lowcountry boil to raw oysters, is the region's specialty, and some of the best examples are found at rustic, locally owned fish houses by the water, like The Wreck of the Richard and Charlene in Mt. Pleasant or the Charleston Crab House on James Island. That said, diners continually welcome new establishments that add global flavors, fresh presentation and unconventional formats to the dining scene. For example, FIG, a contemporary dining room with communal tables, shared plates and local produce, draws crowds with its high end cuisine and fun bar scene, and Cypress Lowcountry Grille offers regional specialties at its modern digs in the heart of the city.