11 South Carolina Brunch Cafés Everyone Loves Visiting (Taste It, You’ll Understand)

Brunch in South Carolina feels like a slow Sunday stretched into a celebration. The light is soft, the air smells faintly of biscuits and butter, and every table seems to hum with easy laughter.

From Charleston’s oak-lined streets to tiny coastal cafés with handwritten chalkboards, these eleven spots turn morning into something memorable. You’ll taste shrimp and grits that tell stories, coffee poured with care, and menus built on Southern heart.

I spent weekends exploring patios and porches where strangers chat like friends. Here are the cafés where South Carolina’s charm tastes best: warm, inviting, and impossible to rush.

1. Millers All Day – Charleston

Morning sunlight bounces off the marble counters, catching the clink of coffee cups and the soft chatter of early risers. The room feels crisp, modern, and calm—the kind of place where brunch lingers.

The menu celebrates Southern classics with flair: biscuits from heirloom grains, crispy hash, and that famous hot honey chicken sandwich that somehow tastes like comfort and ambition combined.

Charleston locals treat it like a second kitchen, and it’s easy to see why. You come once, and it slides neatly into your weekend routine.

2. Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit – Charleston

The first bite flakes, melts, and disappears before you even realize what happened. Buttery layers, a touch of salt, and steam rising from the paper bag, it’s simple perfection.

Callie’s has been serving small-batch handmade biscuits since 2005, a tradition that founder Carrie Morey built from her mother’s original recipe. Sweet or savory, they’re always impossibly light.

Tip: skip the safe order and go for the pimento cheese biscuit. It’s Southern charm pressed into pastry form, and worth every crumb on your lap.

3. Poogan’s Porch – Charleston

The scent of buttermilk and sage hangs in the air before you even step onto the porch. Ceiling fans spin lazily above white tablecloths, and the old wood creaks just enough to tell its story.

Inside, brunch feels elevated but never fussy, fried chicken with gravy, shrimp and grits that taste like home, biscuits that could make you stay longer than planned.

I sat by the window, sunlight spilling over my plate, and felt that rare balance of nostalgia and indulgence that Charleston always seems to master.

4. Page’s Okra Grill

Chef Ashleigh Page still starts mornings before dawn, moving between stations with the rhythm of someone who’s cooked in this kitchen for decades. There’s an ease to the chaos here.

The food matches the confidence, fried green tomatoes layered with pimento cheese, shrimp and grits that hum with smoky spice, and pancakes the size of plates. Every bite feels handcrafted.

Lines form early but move quickly. The trick is to get there before the heat hits and claim a seat on the porch.

5. Daps Breakfast & Imbibe – Charleston

Charleston’s weather can turn a morning into pure magic, and Daps makes the most of it. Tables spill onto the sidewalk, and the hum of conversation blends with the sound of espresso being pulled.

Since opening in 2017, this neighborhood spot has built its reputation on creativity: think banana bread pancakes, fried chicken sandwiches, and craft beer alongside cold brew. It’s casual without ever feeling careless.

The reaction is easy to spot: people leave slower, smiling, already planning when to come back.

6. Early Bird Diner – Charleston

The aroma here leans sweet and peppery, like syrup caught midair with a dash of hot sauce. It’s a breakfast perfume that doesn’t fade all day.

Cooks work the flattop with precision, flipping chicken and waffles, frying pork chops, and plating eggs with jalapeño grits. Every element feels intentional.

Regulars fill the booths, sharing weekend rituals and secrets about which pie to order. I joined them once and never quite stopped thinking about that pecan-topped waffle.

7. Café Strudel – West Columbia

Morning light filters through the tall front windows, landing on mugs of strong coffee and plates heavy with breakfast classics. The place buzzes softly; friendly, a touch sleepy, effortlessly local.

The menu hits both comfort and curiosity: the Hangover Hash is legendary, crisp potatoes under sausage gravy and fried eggs, but the cinnamon pancakes deserve equal fame.

Everyone seems to know someone here. That’s the vibe, no frills, just a slow, steady rhythm that makes the first sip of coffee taste better.

8. The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli – Columbia

The stars here are baked, not fried. Trays of enormous cinnamon rolls emerge from the oven every morning, each one gooey, golden, and almost indecently rich.

Opened by Jennifer Hill Booker and her husband, the deli pairs its famous rolls with breakfast sandwiches, quiches, and a solid espresso bar. The space stays bright and chatty all day.

Order the “Sticky Bun Supreme.” It’s best split between two people, though you’ll probably want to keep it all to yourself.

9. Tandem Crêperie And Coffeehouse – Travelers Rest

The hiss of the crepe griddle mingles with the hum of conversation and clinking silverware, forming its own kind of breakfast music. The air smells like browned butter and espresso.

Tandem feels cozy but not small: bricks, beams, and a steady flow of locals who always seem to be in good moods. Every crepe comes folded like origami, golden and soft.

I sat by the window watching cyclists roll past, their helmets glinting in the morning light. It felt like the town’s heartbeat, folded in pastry.

10. Johnny D’s Waffles And Benedicts – Myrtle Beach

Owner Jamie Saunders has turned brunch into theater. She moves between waffle irons and espresso machines with an easy confidence, and her team follows suit. The space hums like a good morning should.

Johnny D’s lives up to its name with airy Belgian waffles, eggs Benedict layered with crab cakes, and creative spins like red velvet batter dusted with sugar.

Crowds start early, and parking can be tricky. Go just after sunrise, when the first plates hit the pass and patience feels optional.

11. Croissants Bistro & Bakery – Myrtle Beach

Brunch changes with the seasons here, berries in summer, pecans in winter, sunlight on white linens all year. The dining room smells faintly of butter and espresso, a soft promise of what’s coming.

Opened in 1995 by Heidi Vukov, this European-leaning bistro became one of the Grand Strand’s most beloved breakfast stops. Locals come for the quiche, tourists stay for the pastries.

Reactions here feel universal. A sip of coffee, a quiet smile, then the sound of forks meeting croissants that flake like paper snow.