The Best & Worst Restaurants in Charleston (from our 3-day sampling)

Some of you asked where we ate while we were in Charleston. Let’s discuss, shall we?

Hominy Grill: This was the first place we went right after we arrived in town. It’s pretty famous and was just one block away from where we were staying.

One of our goals in Charleston was to eat as many quintessential Southern foods that we could, so I ordered the pimento cheese sandwich which was very possibly the worst sandwich in my entire life, and we shared hummingbird cake for dessert, which was just mehhh. Hominy Grill: 2 thumbs down.

Hummingbird cake at Hominy Grill

Poogan’s Porch: They served biscuits when you were seated. Score! I love biscuits, and theirs were perfectly flaky. The mac & cheese appetizer that we ordered was really creamy but a little under-seasoned for my taste. For my entrée, I ordered shrimp & grits, another Southern classic I’d never tried. I liked the texture combo of shrimp & grits but not really the flavor profile of this restaurant’s take on it. 

We also tried Peanut Butter Pie at Poogan’s Porch. It was reeaaaally rich but pretty tasty. Poogan’s Porch: 1 Thumb Up

Other restaurants we visited:

Cru Café: I had salmon with lemon risotto. It was some of the best salmon I’ve had in my life. It was perfectly cooked and the lemon risotto was had a light flavor but a really satisfying creaminess to it. Cru Café: 1 Thumbs Up

Tristan: Their menu was unique, the service impeccable and the food impressive. My salmon here wasn’t quite as good as it was at Cru but the rest of the food was excellent. Their presentation was fun too. Tristan: 2 Thumbs Up

Cupcake: The cupcakes were dry and tasted like pure sugar instead of rich chocolate or creamy vanilla. Cupcake: 2 Thumbs Down.

Christophe’s Artisan Chocolatier-Patissier: Small, quaint shop right on King’s Street with beautiful French macaroons and truffles. Too bad they lacked any memorable flavor. Christophe’s: 2 Thumbs Down

Baked: We tried their key lime cheesecake and dark chocolate sea salt brownies. And I wish we’d visited there on our first day instead of on our way out of town because I would get dessert there everyday. SO good. Baked: 2 Thumbs Up

Lucca: This is one of those meals that we’ll talk about for years. Easily in the top 3 meals of my life. Their pasta is handmade in house; their cheese selection unique and from the few we tasted, incredible; their cauliflower appetizer was very aptly described by a journalist as “so sensual that it’s almost downright embarrassing to eat in public”; and despite the quality of food, the meal was pretty affordable. Lucca: 2 Thumbs Up Doesn’t Even Do This Justice. It’s on an entirely different scale. The scale of….You Must Go There if You Are in Charleston.

Overall Worst: Hominy Grill

Overall Best: Lucca

What’s considered local fare where you live? North Carolina is known for it’s BBQ. And not red-sauce and ribs bbq. I’m not a fan of that, but NC BBQ? Especially the vinegar-based kind? loooove. My favorite place is Prissy Polly’s Pig Pickin’ BBQ (previously posted here under Always Marry an Ugly Girl. Yep, that’s right.).