Restaurants in South Carolina

A land of majestic barbecue and fascinating diverse sauces, including a unique mustard-powered sauce in the center of the state, South Carolina also boasts shrimp, flounder, and oysters that are second to none (shrimp and grits really should be the official state dish). Oyster roasts are big all along the coast, as is the festive sausage-shrimp-corn-potato gallimaufry known as Frogmore stew or Low Country boil. Here in the Low Country, rice is the important starch, and authentic dining experiences range from roadside Gullah cafes to temples of fine Dixie dining in Charleston. South Carolina produces more peaches than nearby Georgia, so its peach cobbler, peach ice cream, peach ham glaze, and peach pie all are noteworthy. The South’s beloved pimento cheese is big in every county; the state capital, Columbia, is where the pimento cheeseburger was invented (and where the best one is served).

South Carolina’s Most Famous Dishes

Burger on a tender bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo ... car hop service

Grilled Hamburger

Macaroni & cheese, spangled with herbs, comes in a small cast-iron pot

Macaroni and Cheese

Salad plate includes slices of orange drizzled with dark balsamic vinaigrette.

Salads

Crisp-edge, creamy-center French fries sprinkled with salt

French Fries

South Carolina’s Best Restaurants

Greer BBQ and Fine Foods - Baloney Biscuit
Greer BBQ and Fine Foods

GREER, SC

Sgt. White’s Diner - Sign
Sgt. White’s Diner

BEAUFORT, SC

Sweatman’s - Pork Plate
Sweatman’s

HOLLY HILL, SC

Morrison’s Burger Hut - Chili Dog
Morrison’s Burger Hut

HOLLYWOOD, SC

George & Pink - Scale
George & Pink

EDISTO ISLAND, SC

Po Pigs Bo-B-Q - Barbecue Buffet
Po Pigs Bo-B-Q

EDISTO ISLAND, SC

Summerton Diner - Baked Chicken Supreme
Summerton Diner

SUMMERTON, SC

Carolina Cider Company - Peach Cider
Carolina Cider Company

YEMASSEE, SC

FIG - Peach & Cucumber Salad
FIG

CHARLESTON, SC

Hominy Grill - Sauteed Shrimp On Cheese Grits
Hominy Grill

CHARLESTON, SC

Charleston’s Cafe - Kiawah Island Potato Casserole
Charleston’s Cafe

MOUNT PLEASANT, SC

Signe’s Heaven Bound Bakery & Cafe

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC

521 B-B-Q & Grill

FORT MILL, SC

Lee’s Famous Recipe

ROCK HILL, SC

McClellanville Diner

MCCLELLANVILLE, SC

Dave’s Carry-Out

CHARLESTON, SC

82 Queen

CHARLESTON, SC

Sugar Bakeshop

CHARLESTON, SC

Varsity

ROCK HILL, SC

Middleton Place Restaurant

CHARLESTON, SC

Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream & Sandwich Cafe

MOUNT PLEASANT, SC

South Carolina Articles & Guides

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Monster Hash

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Drive Ins

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The Few The Proud The Barbecue

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Going Coastal

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Top Dogs

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Curbside, America

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A full plate of fresh oysters on the halfshell a must order at any seafood restaurant

The Essential 22 Seafood Restaurants in the US

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Dinosaur Bar-b-que - Motorcycle Parking

Best Local Restaurants on the Hot Rod Power Tour Route

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Charlotte, NC: 2014 Eating Tour

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Aiken, South Carolina, Horse Country

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The One Must-Eat Food in Each State, and Where To Get It

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Road trip | Seattle to Yakima Washington

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Carminuccio’s - Stern Special

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View of Caro-Mi across the river ... heaven at the Blue Ridge Mountains

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78-gallon cauldron of cooking hash

The Best Hash on Rice in South Carolina | Roadfood Bests

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Bunned sandwich of fried bologna, chili, cheese, and onions

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The original Sisters of the New South Cafe

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Anderson’s Frozen Custard - Frozen Custard

9 Places to Go For Great Soft-Serve

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Double bacon cheeseburger, fully dressed

13 Best Places to Eat a Burger Outside this Summer

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Exterior view of Dave's showing gas pumps ... legendary chili dogs

Memorable Gas Station Food in America | Roadfood Bests

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America's Great Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

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Best 1-Day, 5-Meal Binge in Columbia, South Carolina

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5 Best Places to Get Hash in South Carolina

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Where to get Menudo aka the Ultimate Hangover Cure

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Randy's donuts exterior view

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The Best Places to get Hummingbird Cake

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Spicy shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage all heaped together

Best Frogmore Stew in South Carolina

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4 Good Barbecues in Augusta Georgia | Roadfood Bests

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Blackstone's Cafe - Sign

A Day in the Low Country

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The OTHER Peach State

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Paper-thin crepes, dusted with powdered sugar, envelop bananas, walnuts, maple syrup and brown sugar

Brunchtime

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Peach Desserts

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Laurel Diner - Corned Beef Hash

Heavenly Corned Beef Hash

The only possible happy exclamation incited by corned beef hash spooned from a can is "Arf!" But freshly chopped and sizzled to a crisp, crowned with poached eggs eager...

Banana Pudding at its Best

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The Varsity - Exterior Night

America's Best Remaining True Drive-In Restaurants

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The sign at Little Miss BBQ in Phoenix. AZ

Barbecue's Delicious Dozen

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Urban Burgers

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A plate of creamy grits, topped with shrimp and sided by butter beans

Greatest Grits

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Cochon Butcher - Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie

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Cozy Corner - Baloney

Bologna Sandwich

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Julian Pie Company - Apple Crumb Pie

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Columbia, South Carolina gave birth to the pimento cheeseburger in the 1960s. It happened at a long-gone restaurant called the dairy bar, run by J.C. Reynolds. (In fact, some...

South Carolina Barbecue | Roadfood Best of the Best BBQ

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Lima Beans Glory | Pork Makes The Difference

Lima beans are known everywhere, loved mostly in the South, and a signature dish of Charleston, South Carolina. Soul food cooks simmer the khaki-colored pods with plenty of pork,...

Red Rice at Bertha's Kitchen

The Best Charleston Soul Food

You can dine high on the hog in the sophisticated downtown restaurants of Charleston, South Carolina; you also can feast low, on pig tails and neck bones larded into...

Great South Carolina Recipes

A crockery cup holds midnight-dark chocolate pudding topped with snowy-white whipped cream.

Hominy Grill Chocolate Pudding

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