Title says it all - we’re set to enjoy a long weekend getaway to Charleston and Savannah in early April! We are flying to CHS in Friday night and leaving early Tuesday morning, so we’ll have three full days to split between the two cities. We haven’t booked hotels yet so we’re still flexible on which days in which cities, but I am leaning toward driving to Savannah on Friday night after we arrive and spending Friday and Saturday nights there, then driving back to Charleston on Sunday morning to spend the rest of our time there.
We’re open to any cuisine or price range, although being New Yorkers we don’t feel the need to do a lot of fine dining while traveling (or other things NYC does well). Some great BBQ, Southern classics and Gullah cuisine are a must. We’re not big breakfast eaters but we wouldn’t say no to a great brunch on Sunday! Thanks in advance for your recommendations on food and anything else!
Looking at
Charleston: Fig, Chubby Fish, The Grocery, Rodney Scott’s BBQ, The Ordinary (might be too seafood heavy for DH), Hannibal/Bertha’s/Nigel’s for soul food. R. Kitchen looks great but is fully booked through April!
Husk - this one is a must, I think, and has locations in both cities!
Savannah: Local11ten (along with Perch for cocktails), The Grey, Olde Pink House (for the experience!), Alligator Soul, Cotton & Rye, The Public
Its been 3 years since we’ve been driving to Florida with stops at both cities. In Savannah, we had a great time at the Olde Pink House & recommend starting at the bar before getting seated at a table. We weren’t thrilled with Alligator Soul (too many ingredients on every dish) & really wished we went to The Grey. In Charleston, I really liked Fig. Ask at the market about getting to a real Gullah place; from what we gathered, they’re not in the center of town and, since you have a car, you can get to a more authentic place easily. One more thing: before locking in your itinerary, make sure the places you want are open for dinner on Sun & especially on Mon. Hope that’s helpful.
Just snagged a Husk res for Sunday night at 9:45pm - Monday is completely booked. Looks like it’s the most popular spot in Charleston! I grabbed Monday night at Poogan’s Porch for lack of any better idea - the entire city seems to shut down on Monday. Magnolia’s and Amen Street are also available on Monday - any thoughts on those?
I was underwhelmed by brunch at Magnolia - aside from a fabulous Bloody Mary, the food was not great. Poogan’s Porch is a favorite of a friend’s, but we haven’t made it there yet. The best meal I’ve had in Charleston was at SNOB, which stands for slightly north of Broad (street) Excellent food and service, with old Southern ambience. FIG was great too. Don’t forget a stop at The Gin Joint - fun place. I also like Xiao Bao Biscuit, but haven’t been in about 4 years, same for the other places as well.
Oh in Savannah we had appetizers and drinks at The Olde Pink House, and they were decent enough. There’s a large bar, and some outdoor seating, a busy, bustling ambience.
Thank you! SNOB is open AND has availability on Monday - booking now! Thanks much for the tip. Olde Pink House is totally booked for Saturday night but perhaps we can get in for lunch. I think we’re going to end up going to Husk for dinner in Savannah since the Charleston location is so booked up.
For barbecue, I second Rodney Scott’s and would add Lewis Barbecue in Charleston. It’s non-native – Texas bbq, but well up to TX standards.
In Savannah, Try Randy’s for barbecue. Have a drink on the roof at Perch.
Miller’s All Day for the best cinnamon roll ever!! Made with biscuit dough, covered with a soft cream cheese icing…and plenty of it!!
Francis Marion Hotel has recently been updated.
Hank’s Seafood, downtown Charleston. Bouillabaisse, shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, wonderful seafood. Popular with locals, busy all the time, reserve now probably.
Thank you everyone! Right now I have a late dinner at Husk Savannah on Saturday night, Poogan’s Porch Charleston on Sunday and Slightly North of Broad Charleston on Monday. We more or less chose this order of operations in order to eat at Husk - the late res in Savannah was basically all I could get! I’ll check out all of these others for lunch options. Also taking recommendations for stuff to do in both cities!
Rodney Scotts is a must! I am a certified BBQ judge in South Carolina so I eat a lot of it
I live right outside of Charleston so I dine there a lot. Also road trip to Savannah frequently.
The best meal I have in Charleston lately is The Delaney Oyster House.
I like Husk, but not the love I had for it when Sean Brock was attached.
It looks great, but was unfortunately booked! Any suggestions for a “haunted” spot for lunch in Savannah? My husband is a horror buff so I’d like to make sure we hit at least one of Savannah’s spookiest spots. Vic’s on the River worth a visit?
