One of our favorite parts of travel is trying all of the delicious new food. We search high and low and research all of the best recommendations and reviews out there to make sure we really are trying the best the city has to offer. Charleston is definitely a city full of good food. We are budget travelers (<$20 per meal) as well so we are always conscious of price, so while we did miss out on a few highly recommended restaurants because they were a bit out of our price range, we feel like we did find truly the best budget friendly food options in Charleston, South Carolina (obviously, budget friendly is a subjective term here and everyone is different). Here are the best places to eat in Charleston, South Carolina.

If you are considering a trip to South Carolina, I highly recommend it. The city is incredible and there is so much to see. It definitely needs to be on your list.

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The Best Places to Eat in Charleston South Carolina: Breakfast, Lunch/ Dinner

We only had a few days to experience all this incredible city had to offer, so while I know there are so many places to eat that we missed out on, but we loved everything we did try. We hope you love everything Charleston has to offer.

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits $ breakfast/ brunch -we ordered biscuits and sausage gravy, sausage egg and pimento cheese biscuit, and a biscuit sampler of different flavors… all were delicious. This was a heavier meal just a heads up, we didn’t have anything light to balance it with, but it was still super yummy and filling

Brown Dog Deli– $-$$- This place was so good. Classic sandwiches and salads and typical deli fare. We loved our meal here and they were super kid friendly. We ordered Rosemary’s Baby’s Daddy and Southern Charm. Such a good meal at a great price

Eli’s Table$-$$$- Beignets with Raspberry Coulis. We only tried the beignets and they were delicious. We heard the food was also really good but the beignets were highly recommended and were stuffed.

Little Jack’s Tavern $$- This was one of the best hamburgers I have ever had in my life. It really was so good. We shared the warm garlic knots, as well as the tavern burger. Both were amazing and a must try.

Poogan’s Smokehouse– $-$$$- We couldn’t visit South Carolina without trying Carolina bbq and this place had great reviews. We had the skillet Mac and Cheese, Sliders, and Cornbread Skillet. All were really good. While it wasn’t the best barbecue we have ever had, it was good.

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The Best Places to Eat in Charleston: Dessert

There were so many dessert options to choose from, but we kind of picked where we were closest to, as well as cooler options as we visited in the heat of summer.

Jeni’s Ice Cream $- ok ok I know this isn’t local to just Charleston, but if there is a Jeni’s in any city we go to, we will find it. The ice cream is just that good. The flavor combinations are always spot on and it really is just the best. My all time fav is gooey butter cake.

Peace Pie: $- Build your own ice cream sandwich. This place was yummy, but like it was a one and done. If I saw one in another city, we probably wouldn’t go back, but it was a good treat.

Kaminsky’s Dessert Cafe– $- if you are looking for a sweet treat, this place was full of them. I don’t even know what we ordered, but it was delicious and a perfect ending for our trip.

We also had fresh squeezed lemonade at the market, as well as a few other local treats.

Charleston is such a fun historic city, full of the most beautiful buildings. We loved our trip there and hope you make a visit there soon.

How to Save Money on Food While Traveling

Food on vacation can definitely add up but here are a few of our favorite tips and tricks that help us save a bit

-don’t eat out every meal, stop at a grocery store and pick up a few things for easy breakfast/ lunches
-share appetizers instead of both ordering entrees and try a few more different options
-share an entree and bring snacks for your kids so you don’t have to order them their own meals
-only eat out one to two meals instead of all three
-share meals with your kids instead of ordering them their own

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