So. so many people we know have been to and love Charleston, but I still thought it would be fun to roundup where we went and where we ate on our recent weekend trip there. It seemed like every time I posted something about us being there, I had five new people commenting and messaging their love for the city and favorite spots to go and eat at! This trip was a little unique because I feel like Charleston is less of a popular destination in December and January, but it was perfect for us!
Charleston has such an amazing food scene. The dining options are so similar to NYC, but right here in the heart of the south. Preston told me he wanted seafood, so I tried to deliver on that front, and you may see a reflection of that here. I do also want to note that we don’t really eat oysters, even though many of the places we went were known for their oysters. Make sure to check out my friend Katie’s blog post from Charleston, we got so many restaurant recommendations from that post!
Where We Stayed
When I was booking our hotel, I saw the one we chose was in the historic district. That sounded great to me, so I booked it immediately. Well, I wish I had done more research because we were actually really close to Charleston University, and the vibe near our hotel was very much akin to Cumberland Ave. in Knoxville if you know what I’m saying? I don’t think the fact that it was NYE while we were there + many of the city street cleaners may not be working because of COVID contributed, because the streets were trashed for the first two days of our trip 🙁 I don’t mean to sound negative, but it really felt like we were not in idyllic Charleston for a while. I know it’s not fair to judge a city during COVID, and I truly feel so strongly about supporting these businesses while they’re done!
All this to say, just be careful when you see anything like “historic district” on the hotel name! It can be misleading because all of Charleston is basically the historic district.
The hotel was a brand new Hilton, but because of the location I wouldn’t really stay there again or recommend it. I know my friend Katie stayed at Hotel Emeline, and I can already tell it’s dreamy just from us going in there to look around.
NYE //
Butcher & Bee
I waited way too long to look for reservations for NYE- for some reason I just didn’t think it would be that hard to get a reservation? I have no idea where that thought came from. Anyways, I am so glad I stumbled upon this place somewhere. It’s a lesser known spot to tourists, but every time we mentioned to locals where we had eaten for the weekend, everyone remarked on how much they love this spot.
You HAVE to get the whipped feta appetizer. Oh my gosh!! If you’re there with more than three people, I would get two orders. It’s the softest whipped feta cheese spread with a high quality pool of honey in the middle. They bring a plate of fresh carrots, cucumbers and homemade sourdough for dipping, and the combination of the flavors and tastes is just out of this world.
We tried walking to this spot because it was only 1.4 miles away from our hotel (we love walking!), but this was not a good idea. It’s in a less than pristine part of town and goes under the interstate quite a ways. We got an uber back from here, and that felt much safer.
Day 1 //
Hotel Bennet Patisserie
My friend Sarah recommended we go here, and she couldn’t have been more spot on with her recommendation. It’s beautifully refined inside, and you’ll have so much fun taking pictures of your treats and surroundings. We just got coffees since we were going to breakfast, but they were really good!
Poogan’s Porch
This is a classic Charleston spot! It’s the epitome of low country cuisine, and it’s right in the middle of the city. I like everything I have ever gotten here, so I don’t really have a standout recommendation. I also think they change the menu quite often so I don’t want to recommend anything only for it not to be there when you go.
We went for brunch this time, but I have also been for dinner multiple times and loved it a little more than their brunch I believe!
King Street shopping
Make sure you check out my what I wore and where we shopped in Charleston post!
Shem Creek
This is actually located in Mt. Pleasant, but it’s less than a 10 minute drive from the city. We had eaten here once before, and it was just as good as I remembered it. I got the fish tacos and Preston got a cup of the clam chowder. It’s just a great vibe if you have plenty of time to sit and enjoy the beautiful waterside.
Leon’s Fine Poultry and Oyster Shop
We ate here because of my friend Katie’s recommendation in her Charleston blog post-such a good roundup of places by the way- and oh my gosh, I couldn’t be happier we did so! It was so, so good, and I see us making this a must stop every time we are in the city now.
We started out with the hushpuppies, and they were great. The butter was so soft and melty. Preston got the Siam salad with shrimp (he got the small version, and it still filled him up for dinner!), and I got the two piece fried chicken. Both were amazing! The batter on the fried chicken was incredible and very unique.
The vibe here is really fun and unique.
Day 2 //
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit
We were eating lunch at 11:30, but I knew we would want something small to start the day with. One of the CHLB locations was right next to our hotel, so it was the perfect spot. We actually just split the 3 for $6 mini-biscuits because we really just wanted a bite. I believe we got the black pepper bacon, cheddar and blackberry jam biscuits. Amazing!
Caviar and Bananas
My other friend Katie recommended we stop here, and I was so glad she did! It was a tiny market on the corner near Charleston University, and Preston and I both agreed we would be regulars if we went to college there!
The Ordinary
Wow, wow, wow!! This place. It is amazing, but it is also very $$$ so just be prepared before you go! We split two small plates and one large plate. I’m not sure how often they change the menu, but we got the beeliner snapper, New Orleans Style BBQ White Shrimp and the crab fried rice. All amazing! If we go back and have a bigger budget, we would definitely get one of the seafood towers.
Palmetto Carriage Tour
I know everyone has a different opinion on carriage tours and the wellbeing of the animals that are involved, but I did my research and felt confident with the quality of care the animals at Palmetto Carriage Tours receives. I think these carriage tours are a classic activity for visiting Charleston, and we felt safe because masks were required to be worn the entire time. You can learn so much on these tours, and the tour makes it feel like you’re right back in the time when Charleston was founded!
Nathaniel Russell House Tour
We learned of this house when we were on our carriage tour, and once we saw it was only $12 a person, we decided to go. Preston and I love house tours like this and did so many on our honeymoon, so I knew we would like this.
Husk
I had eaten here before for lunch, and it was definitely as good as I remember. The menu changes almost every single day, so I don’t want to go into too much detail here! I do want to say, this restaurant would not work for vegetarians or vegans- it’s very meat and cheese centered because all their menus are based on the freshest ingredients from southern farms and vendors. Also, try allotting this as your biggest meal because there were so many dishes we wanted to try but didn’t have the room in our stomach or the $$ to try everything we wanted.
Jeni’s Ice Cream
This place doesn’t even need a caption. Ugh it’s my favorite ice cream ever I’m pretty sure. The brambleberry crisp!! Amazing.
Going home //
The Daily
We had planned to eat brunch at 5Church, but when it came to Sunday were well basically all spent out, including time and money! I had heard the Daily was a really good spot, but it’s kind of on the way out of town rather than in town. I am so glad we stopped because it ended up being one of my favorite places we ate! Preston go the avocado toast, and I got the BEPC on the everything bun. The menu here changes regularly too, but all the breads are homemade and so delicious. We didn’t know this until we got here, but this place and Butcher & Bee are actually owned by the same people, so that bread we loved with our whipped feta dip was the same bread Preston’s avocado toast came on!
______________________
Where We Wanted to go but Didn’t Have Time
There are only so many places you can eat in a few days time
The Peninsula Grill – Someone told us to go here for the coconut cake, and let me just say as soon as I looked up pictures of it online, I wanted it instantly! I tried to see if they were on uber eats or anything so we could just get that, but it wasn’t! They take dessert only reservations starting at 9:30 p.m., so next time we’ll plan on doing that!
Hotel Bennett Restaurants – I wish we had had time to check out any of the amazing dining options in Hotel Bennett, but maybe next time!
______________________
Please let me know if you have any questions about our time in Charleston! I love planning trips and talking about travel in any form.
