You Won’t Find Better Soul Food Than At These 7 Charleston Restaurants

By Emily Abrams   ‧   04/05/2018   ‧   Eat /

@foodiemagician

If you’re looking for a weekend getaway filled with beautiful historic homes, beaches, comfort food and gardens, Charleston, South Carolina is right up your alley. Over the course of the past decade, Southern chefs and farmers have made huge strides to bring the South Carolinian food scene into the spotlight. This tiny city is jam-packed with culture and a cuisine that’s respectful to its roots. Here are seven soul food spots you need to try on your next trip to Charleston.

1. Hannibal’s Kitchen

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This friendly family hangout is known for one thing: Crab rice. This simple dish has humble origins in Lowcountry cuisine, but Hannibal’s Kitchen has a reputation for being the best. The crabs are picked locally, lightly pan-fried and served over white rice. This may not be the biggest tourist attraction, but Hannibal’s Kitchen is serving true soul food and it’s a favorite among locals.

2. Bertha’s Kitchen

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This unpretentious bare-bones restaurant has some of the most real-deal soul food in Charleston. Bertha’s Kitchen will give you that grandma’s house vibe with all of the home cooking. You’ll find okra soup, fried chicken with red rice, cornbread, chicken stew, mac and cheese, oxtail, lima beans and everything in between. This soul food spot was named an American Classic by the James Beard Foundation for its timeless appeal.

3. Husk

For a little bit more of a refined soul food experience, Husk is one of the most critically acclaimed restaurants in the South, helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock. Husk has an ever-changing menu of locally sourced Southern cuisine. The menu changes up to twice daily depending on what’s in season or available. The restaurant is housed in a beautifully restored Victorian-era home.

You’ll want the skillet cornbread. If you come on a day when the shrimp and grits or pig ear lettuce wraps are available, take full advantage.

4. Jestine’s Kitchen

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For an old-school restaurant with guaranteed killer fried chicken, you’ll want to check out Jestine’s Kitchen. Order all of the shrimp creole, okra gumbo, pickles, catfish and cornbread with honey butter. The menu is huge with other southern classics like pecan-fried chicken, blackened shrimp, pimento cheese, shrimp and grits and fried green tomatoes. There’s also a daily catch so you can try the local fish that’s available.

5. Gillie’s Soul Food

An ode to the chef’s grandmother, Gillie’s serves classics like fried seafood, smothered turkey wings, crab soup, meatloaf, country style ribs, pork chops and collard greens at this casual roadside joint. You’ll find customizable meat-and-three dishes and a comforting homey atmosphere. Don’t forget to order the sweet tea and check out all of the pictures of grandma while you’re chowing down.

6. Nana’s Seafood And Soul

Tucked away on a quiet corner of a residential neighborhood, Nanna’s Seafood and Soul is decked out with bright yellow walls and serves up grub like fried whiting, devil crab, bread pudding, fried scallops, garlic crabs, pork chop sandwiches and hot chicken. The pineapple sweet tea is a must-order. The comforting service keeps customers coming back here.

7. Martha Lou’s Kitchen

With an eye-catching pink exterior and vibrant murals painting onto the building, Martha Lou’s Kitchen has been bringing in customers for decades. The restaurant is helmed by Martha Lou herself and she has developed quite the reputation among locals, Charleston chefs and celebrity chefs from all over, who come for her soul-soothing cuisine. Martha serves up the same home-cooked meals that she serves to her family with dishes like okra soup, lima beans, beef stew with oxtail and her legendary fried chicken.

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