Now Open

The newest restaurants in and around Charleston

By Elise DeVoe

Charleston’s culinary scene is an ever-changing landscape and it can be tough to keep up with new openings. Coming off a tough two years from the pandemic, restaurants in Charleston are continuing to move forward, opening many new locations and concepts in the last six months alone. If you’re looking for a brand-new spot to go for a date night or want to add a spot to your never-ending lists of restaurants to try, check out these places that are now welcoming diners.

Southbound

72 Cannon St.

Charleston

@southboundchs

Ryan and Kelleanne Jones, the owners behind successful restaurant concepts Community Table and Kiki & Rye, have opened their first downtown location later this year inside of a restored Charleston house. The style of food is live wood-fire cuisine, with local, high-end ingredients cooked simply over the wood fire. Guests can enjoy local prawns hot out of the wood-fired oven accented by guanciale, tuscan kale, preserved lemon and garlic calabrian chili oil. This concept has been in the works since 2018 and is now coming to fruition after overcoming the unique hurdles of transforming a 2,200 square foot house into a restaurant. Southbound will serve dinner seven nights a week starting at 4 p.m. and will offer brunch on Saturday and Sunday. 

Locals Raw - Seafood & Raw Bar

545 Belle Station Blvd.

Mt. Pleasant

@localsraw

The team behind popular Locals restaurant is bringing a completely new concept to Mount Pleasant, no sushi involved. Locals Raw is a celebration of Charleston products, from the food to the cocktails to the beer. The expansive 4,000 square foot dining room features a standalone raw bar, showcasing local oysters, shrimp, and seasonal “fresh catch.” Get a taste of the Lowcountry with items like flounder nicoise and Lowcountry boil. The large indoor dining area has a covered patio to match, with plenty of space to bring the family or furry friends along to enjoy live music or special events. They will also be serving brunch on Sundays, which is centered around local ingredients from Charleston purveyors. 

Tierra Al Mar

778 S. Shelmore Blvd. 

Mt. Pleasant

@tierraalmarmtp

Chef Patrick Owens of Langdon’s, Opal, and Wood & Grain opened his latest concept, Tierra Al Mar, in March 2022 in Mount Pleasant. While the restaurant is close to his other concepts in proximity, Tierra Al Mar sets itself apart as a Latin American-inspired restaurant featuring local ingredients. The dishes are inspired by the chef’s travels, but his Lowcountry roots shine through in the use of local seafood and seasonal produce in items like the tempura fish taco. To complement the vibrant flavors, they have a full bar offering a large array of mezcal, tequila, beer and wine. They are open Tuesday through Saturday starting at 5 p.m., just in time for happy hour. 

Bexley Fish and Raw Bar

100 W Richardson Ave. Suite A

Summerville

@bexleysummerville

Summerville’s newest neighborhood seafood spot opened in January of this year and is led by chef Jeremy Holst, formerly the executive chef of NICO, Anson and several other Charleston restaurants. Fresh seafood is the basis of the menu, with the most popular item thus far being their octopus served with butter beans. To accent the seafood, they make their own “Greenwave” hot sauce, which can be washed down with a glass of wine from their small, curated menu. They do not take reservations, tables are first come first serve from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Share House and Bodega

23 Ann St.

Charleston

@sharehousechs and @bodegachs

Uptown Hospitality Group has transformed an 8,000 square foot former train depot into two concepts under one roof, Share House and Bodega. You may recognize Bodega from the temporary pop-up at Uptown Social, but now it has its very own space, which will be filled with colossal, Manhattan-style breakfast sandwiches, a full coffee bar and brunch cocktails served all day long. Bring your appetite to take down “The Cow,” which has double bacon, egg, white American cheese, home fries, ketchup, and hot sauce. Right next door is Share House, which is more of a nighttime destination and offers a coastal cantina vibe with dishes like seared tuna sliders and shrimp and avocado empanadas. 

Thailicious

1975 Magwood Dr. Unit T

West Ashley

@thailicious_sc

A new destination for authentic Thai food has arrived in West Ashley, thanks to husband and wife team Atiya and Jason Sharon. Atiya is originally from Thailand and aims to share a taste of her childhood with Charleston. To capture the true Thai flavors, they import jasmine rice, spices and sauces directly from Atiya’s home country. Diners can enjoy the vast variety of Thai cuisine in dishes like noodle soups, curries, Bangkok street food and more. Their duck noodle soup will warm you up from the inside out with a five spice broth topped with rich slices of duck. Although they opened very recently, they already have plans to open a second location at 7013 Dorchester Road this May. 

Brasserie la Banque

1 Broad St.

Charleston

@brasserie_la_banque

The iconic 1 Broad Street building, which first opened in 1853 as the State Bank of South Carolina, now houses a neighborhood French restaurant. The seasonally-driven menu is inspired by classic French cuisine with items like steak frites and gnocchi Parisienne alongside more innovative fare from Executive Chef Jeb Aldrich. Start your meal with a selection of local seafood from the raw bar or indulge in caviar service, which includes warm potato blini, house creme fraiche, chive, and farm egg. Explore entrees from the land and sea like braised Carolina rabbit and grilled Tarvin shrimp. After dinner, head downstairs to Bar Vaute for a nightcap. 

Pink Bellies

595 King St.

Charleston

@pinkbellies

Pink Bellies has developed quite a cult following over the years, with fans of their signature garlic noodles following them from their food truck on St. Phillip Street, to their residency at The Workshop, and finally to their brick-and-mortar on King Street. The modern, vibrantly-decorated dining room first opened for takeout in March of 2021, with a line out the door with guests hoping for a seat at the counter. Now, diners can stay a while and enjoy Thai Phi’s Vietnamese fare while sipping a craft cocktail. Their most popular items include their spicy lamb dumplings and the phô mai burger. They are open Thursday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and plan to open for lunch soon. 

Crust Wood Fired Pizza & Bailey’s Oyster Bar

45 Romney St. Suite 100

Charleston

@crustwoodfiredpizza

Crust Wood Fired Pizza recently opened their third location downtown and what sets this space apart from the James Island and Summerville restaurants is the addition of Bailey’s Oyster Bar. The oyster bar is separated from the dining room to create its own unique ambiance and showcases a variety of oysters, small plates and other seafood-focused dishes. In the main dining room, patrons can enjoy favorites like arancini, house made meatballs and crustacean pizza. The space is completed by an indoor/outdoor bar with 24 rotating beers on tap. They are currently open from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, with plans to stay open later during the spring and summer. 

Warehouse The Lux

45 ½ Spring St.

Charleston

@warehousethelux

Chefs Zach Woody and Brandon Andrist, with the help of Warehouse owners Joey Rinaldi and James Groetzinger, are bringing a modern, seasonal tasting menu to Warehouse. The chefs hope to bring something completely unique to Charleston’s dining scene and patrons can certainly expect the unexpected with Chef Woody at the helm, who has experience cooking avant garde cuisine with the Alinea Group in Chicago. The spring menu just debuted in April and guests can expect vibrant green elements on the plate to reflect the brightness of the season. There will also be Asian-influenced courses like ochazuke, which is traditionally a rice and tea dish. To go along with the elevated dishes, they have a curated wine selection that also rotates seasonally.