12 South Carolina Soul Food Spots Locals Say Rival Grandma’s (But No One Dares Say It Aloud)
Nothing beats grandma’s cooking, or so we’re supposed to say.
But here in South Carolina, there’s a secret whispered between bites of collard greens and spoonfuls of mac and cheese.
Some restaurants serve soul food so authentic, so mouthwateringly perfect, they might just outshine what’s coming from grandma’s kitchen.
Of course, no one would ever admit this out loud—especially not at Sunday dinner—but these spots have locals sneaking second helpings and taking mental notes.
1. Bertha’s Kitchen: The Holy Grail Of Okra Soup
Y’all, I nearly fell out of my chair the first time I tasted Bertha’s okra soup. This North Charleston institution has been serving up plates that make you close your eyes and hum since 1979. The James Beard Foundation didn’t make a mistake when they named it an American Classic.
What makes Bertha’s special isn’t fancy techniques or secret ingredients—it’s pure, unfiltered love. The lima beans and rice might change your relationship with vegetables forever. Three generations of the same family still run the place, using recipes that haven’t changed in decades.
Pro tip: Get there early because when they run out, they’re out. I once saw a grown man almost cry when they sold the last piece of fried chicken right before his turn.
2. Hannibal’s Kitchen: Where Seafood Meets Soul
Hidden in Charleston’s Eastside neighborhood, Hannibal’s Kitchen serves crab rice that haunts my dreams. This no-frills spot has been family-operated since 1985, and locals will fight you if you claim any other place does seafood soul food better.
The walls are covered with decades of newspaper clippings and photos of satisfied customers. Their shark steak—yes, actual shark—converted me from a skeptic to an evangelist in one bite. The sauce is something they guard more carefully than Fort Knox.
My cousin from New York visited last summer and insisted we eat there three days straight. When we couldn’t make it on the fourth day, he threatened to extend his vacation. The plastic chairs might not be fancy, but your taste buds won’t care one bit.
3. Martha Lou’s Kitchen: The Pink House Of Flavor
I remember my first visit to Martha Lou’s like it was yesterday—that little pink building calling to me like a soul food lighthouse. Though the original location closed in 2020, Martha Lou’s legacy continues through her daughters at Bertha’s Kitchen, keeping those heavenly recipes alive.
Martha Lou Gadsden cooked for over 30 years in that tiny kitchen, creating fried chicken so perfect it made you want to slap somebody. The chicken was always hot, the lima beans were always silky, and the sweet tea was always teeth-achingly sweet.
Charleston food writers and tourists eventually discovered what locals always knew. Anthony Bourdain himself made the pilgrimage! But us locals had been standing in line for decades, knowing that sometimes the best things come from the humblest places.
4. Rodney Scott’s BBQ: Whole Hog Heaven
Lord have mercy on my waistline since Rodney Scott opened his Charleston BBQ joint! This James Beard Award-winning pitmaster smokes whole hogs the way they’ve been done in the Pee Dee region for generations. The smell alone will make your stomach growl from three blocks away.
Rodney started cooking pigs when he was just 11 years old at his family’s store in Hemingway. Now his signature vinegar-pepper sauce has people lining up like it’s giving away free money. The skin—oh that crackling, perfectly crispy skin mixed into the pulled pork—should be illegal it’s so good.
My vegetarian friend came to visit last year and left town a changed woman after one rib. “Don’t tell my yoga instructor,” she whispered as she ordered seconds. The banana pudding isn’t an afterthought either—it’s the perfect cool ending to a smoky feast.
5. The Glass Onion: New School Meets Old Soul
The Glass Onion tricked me at first. With its farm-to-table ethos and West Ashley location, I expected fancy food that just nodded at Southern traditions. Boy, was I wrong! Their Tuesday fried chicken special has locals marking calendars and canceling other plans.
Chef Chris Stewart blends Louisiana and Lowcountry influences with reverence and creativity. The buttermilk fried quail will make you question everything you thought you knew about game birds. Their pimento cheese—which I could eat by the tubful—uses local sharp cheddar that would make any church potluck champion jealous.
Last summer, my grandmother (the family’s cooking legend) asked for their recipe for butterbean and bacon soup. That’s the culinary equivalent of Beyoncé asking for your vocal tips. The cocktails aren’t traditional soul food fare, but their bourbon selection would make any Southern patriarch proud.
6. Carolina Kitchen & Barbecue: The Buffet That Breaks Diets
Carolina Kitchen & Barbecue’s buffet should come with a warning label: “Abandon diet, all ye who enter here.” Located in Conway, this place has become my Thursday tradition whenever I’m in Horry County. One flat price for access to what feels like a hundred Southern classics.
The fried chicken stays crispy even under the heat lamps—a miracle that defies physics. Their hash and rice could settle family feuds and bring peace to warring nations. I once watched my usually health-conscious sister go back for thirds of their banana pudding, muttering something about “special occasions” between spoonfuls.
The sweet potatoes taste exactly like my great-grandmother’s, which is suspicious since her recipe supposedly with her. The owners walk around making sure everyone’s happy, like they’re hosting Sunday dinner for their extended family. In many ways, that’s exactly what they’re doing.
7. Workmen’s Cafe: The Lunch Counter Time Forgot
Stepping into Workmen’s Cafe in downtown Charleston feels like time travel to when lunch counters ruled and everybody knew your order before you sat down. This place doesn’t need Instagram—it’s been packed daily since 1920 based on word of mouth and plates that never disappoint.
The lima beans and rice might not look fancy on that Styrofoam plate, but one bite explains why construction workers, lawyers, and tourists all stand in the same line. Their fried pork chops somehow stay juicy while maintaining a crust that crackles with each bite. No one talks much while eating here—there’s a reverent silence that falls over the room, interrupted only by occasional sighs of satisfaction.
My dad claims their meatloaf cured his bad mood after a terrible work meeting. “Better than therapy,” he declared, ordering extra gravy. The prices haven’t changed much over the years either, making it a rare authentic experience that won’t break the bank.
8. Gullah Grub: Authentic Island Cuisine
My first visit to Gullah Grub on St. Helena Island near Beaufort changed my understanding of what “authentic” means. Owner Bill Green serves dishes that tell the story of the Gullah people who’ve preserved West African cooking traditions for generations on the Sea Islands.
The garlic crabs come smothered in a sauce that’s both simple and profound. Their Frogmore stew—a Lowcountry boil with shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes—tastes like it was made by someone who invented the dish. The restaurant itself feels more like someone’s home than a commercial establishment.
A framed photo of the late Anthony Bourdain hangs on the wall from when he visited. Even with that celebrity endorsement, locals still make up most of the clientele. The cornbread arrives hot enough to melt the butter instantly, creating a golden pool that’s worth the drive alone. This is living history on a plate.
9. Lizard’s Thicket: The Meat-And-Three Mothership
Columbia folks speak of Lizard’s Thicket with the reverence usually reserved for religious institutions. This family-owned chain started as a small curb-service restaurant in 1977 and now has multiple locations serving what they call “real country cooking.” They’re not lying.
The fried chicken livers might sound scary to the uninitiated, but they’ve converted more skeptics than a revival preacher. Their country-fried steak comes smothered in a pepper gravy that I’m convinced contains some form of happiness in chemical form. My college roommate and I survived final exams fueled almost exclusively by their mac and cheese.
The restaurant’s name comes from the founder’s nickname for their first small restaurant space. Now it’s practically a South Carolina institution. State politicians regularly hold meetings here, proving that good food transcends party lines. The biscuits alone deserve their own holiday—fluffy, buttery clouds that make any problem seem temporarily solvable.
10. Big T’s Bar-B-Que: The Mustard Sauce Kingdom
The Carolina mustard BBQ debate ends at Big T’s in Gadsden. Henry and Etta Miller opened this place in 1996, but the recipes taste centuries old. Their mustard sauce—tangy, sweet, with just enough vinegar bite—could make cardboard taste delicious.
The hash and rice alone is worth the drive from anywhere in the state. This thick, gravy-like stew served over rice is a South Carolina specialty that Big T’s has mastered completely. Last Fourth of July, my uncle skipped his own backyard BBQ to drive 40 minutes for Big T’s ribs. Nobody blamed him.
The restaurant doesn’t look fancy from outside—just a simple building with a smoker that perfumes the air for what feels like miles. Inside, the wood-paneled walls are covered with photos of satisfied customers and community awards. The sweet potato pie tastes exactly like what you hope for when someone mentions soul food dessert—rich, fragrant, and clearly made by someone who cares.
11. Duke’s Bar-B-Que: The Friday Night Tradition
Friday nights at Duke’s in Orangeburg are sacred in my family. This buffet-style BBQ joint has been serving pork so tender it falls apart if you look at it too hard since the 1950s. Their mustard sauce recipe is supposedly locked in a vault somewhere—at least that’s what the owner tells curious customers.
The hash and rice brings people from neighboring counties. Duke’s makes theirs with a perfect balance of meat, potatoes, and secret seasonings that create something greater than the sum of its parts. My great-uncle claims he proposed to my great-aunt after a particularly good meal here in 1962.
Unlike fancy BBQ places with their craft beers and artisanal sides, Duke’s keeps it simple: perfect pork, reliable sides, and sweet tea strong enough to stand a spoon in. The dining room buzzes with multi-generational families every weekend. Some locations are cash-only, which somehow makes the food taste even more authentic—like you’re participating in a delicious tradition untouched by time.
12. Dave’s Carry-Out: The Late-Night Soul Savior
Charleston locals know that when the clock strikes 10 PM and you need a soul food fix, Dave’s Carry-Out on Morris Street is your salvation. This tiny spot—seriously, blink and you’ll miss it—serves fried seafood and soul food classics from behind a bulletproof glass window until the wee hours.
The flounder sandwich is bigger than the paper plate it comes on. Their fried shrimp would make New Orleans jealous. I once brought a friend from California here after a night out, and he declared it better than any Michelin-starred restaurant he’d tried.
The prices feel like they’re from 1990, and the no-frills approach is refreshing in a city that’s gotten increasingly fancy. There’s usually just one person cooking and one taking orders, moving with the efficiency of people who’ve done this thousands of times. Most nights you’ll find a mix of service industry workers getting off shift, locals who know what’s good, and lucky tourists who stumbled upon the real Charleston.