I went into Charleston expecting to eat well and still came out surprised by how well. This is a short, specific list of what earned its spot on the trip, straight from three days of eating on a mission.
Worth booking ahead
Husk: Southern fine dining in an old house, and the kind of menu that changes with what’s actually in season nearby. I got a waitlist spot by booking almost two weeks out. Do not show up and hope.
Worth the line
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit: A tiny counter-service spot that does exactly one thing extremely well. The biscuit itself is worth rearranging your morning around, and the line moves fast enough that it’s never actually a problem.
Worth going back for
Poogan’s Porch: Shrimp and grits that reset my expectations for shrimp and grits everywhere else. Go for an early dinner and sit on the actual porch if the weather cooperates.
167 Raw: A tiny raw bar with a rotating menu and a line out the door most nights. I got a tuna poke bowl that I still think about, and the wait was genuinely worth it.
That’s four stops in three days, and I’d defend every single one of them. If you only have time for two, do Callie’s for breakfast and Poogan’s for dinner and call it a very good day.
More on the trip itself, horse carriages and all, is in the full Charleston write-up.
