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Things To DoDowntownEditor's Pick
USS Yorktown Ghost Tour
Why we picked it
“Nighttime ghost tour aboard the decommissioned WWII carrier docked across the harbor in Mount Pleasant.”
4.9Beloved1,593 ratings
5.0 · 208
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“Nighttime ghost tour aboard the decommissioned WWII carrier docked across the harbor in Mount Pleasant.”
4.9Beloved1,593 ratings
Threaded through this week's Monday Briefing and Social Pulse — the places Charleston is actually moving toward.
Neighborhood taproom in a Mount Pleasant strip mall pouring small-batch ales brewed on-site.
Concerts, oyster roasts, markets, and the rest — at the places you already know. See the full calendar →
Editorial collections — the trails, itineraries, and short lists Charleston regulars actually keep on their phone.
Every Michelin Star, Bib Gourmand, and Recommended restaurant in Charleston — from the 2025 inaugural American South guide.
What locals are actually booking
Cold dozens, hot half-shells, and the bars that earn the line — the canonical Charleston oyster guide.
Beach + dock bars, dive bars, cocktail rooms, live-music late nights.
The places that earn the golden hour — rooftops, dock bars, beach piers, and bridge walks.
Eight rooms designed for the second drink.
The roasters and cafes Charleston actually frequents
The most romantic restaurants in Charleston — Michelin Stars, candlelit corners, oceanfront sunsets, the rooms locals book when the night is supposed to mean something.
Peninsula Grill prepares for its final service, Two Blokes Brewing settles into Cannon Street, and PURE Theatre's world premiere draws a sharp review.
A landmark closes, a taproom opens, and the performing arts got a pointed new work this week. Peninsula Grill, the white-tablecloth institution inside the Planters Inn on Market Street, announced it will shutter as the hotel heads into renovation — ending a run that shaped how visitors and locals alike understood fine dining in Charleston. Meanwhile, Two Blokes Brewing officially planted its flag on Cannon Street, and Big John's Tavern found itself entangled in more than $600,000 in debt litigation.
For theatergoers, PURE Theatre's world-premiere production earned a full-throated review from City Paper — get a ticket before the run closes. The Lowcountry Jazz Festival wrapped its 20th edition at the Gaillard last weekend; if you missed it, mark your calendar now for 2027. And Palmetto Moon, the S.C.-born retailer that started as a mall kiosk in 2002, is finally coming home to King Street.
Peninsula Grill, the white-tablecloth anchor of Planters Inn on Market Street, is preparing to close as the hotel embarks on renovations. The restaurant has anchored the upper end of Charleston's dining scene for decades, known particularly for its coconut cake and candlelit courtyard.
Why it matters · Last call is coming — if a farewell dinner at Peninsula Grill is on your list, don't wait until the door is locked.
Two Blokes Brewing, run by familiar local operators, opened its Cannon Street taproom on Aug. 11, giving the downtown peninsula its newest craft-beer destination. The Post & Courier and Charleston City Paper both covered the opening, noting the brewery's local roots and the significance of landing in the heart of the city.
Why it matters · Worth a walk-in on a weeknight — the taproom is new enough that lines haven't formed yet.
City Paper's review of PURE Theatre's world-premiere production calls it "a searing sendup of Southern sanctimony" that exposes the hypocrisy behind performative piety — and lands its punches. The production is running now on the downtown peninsula.
Why it matters · World premieres at PURE don't linger — check the run dates and secure a seat before this one closes.
The owners who took over Big John's Tavern in 2021 are now facing multiple lawsuits from investors, vendors, and the owner of a brewery they acquired — with total alleged debts exceeding $600,000. The bar, a longstanding institution on East Bay Street, reopened under the current ownership after a period of closure.
Why it matters · The legal picture is murky enough that regulars should keep an eye on whether operations are affected going forward.
Rodney Scott's BBQ will not return to 1011 King St., and the new tenant is confirmed: babas on meeting has signed a lease to take over the space. The handoff closes a chapter on one of Charleston's most prominent barbecue addresses while Rodney Scott's co-founder Nick Pihakis separately filed for bankruptcy with $44 million in listed debts.
Why it matters · A major King Street corner is turning over — babas brings a different register to the block, and it's worth watching how the space is reimagined.
Palmetto Moon, the South Carolina–rooted retailer that grew from a single collegiate-gear kiosk into a Southeast chain, has announced plans to open its first downtown Charleston location on King Street. The Post & Courier called it a "pinch-me" moment for the brand's founders.
Why it matters · A genuinely local retail origin story lands on the state's most competitive shopping corridor — the King Street address signals the brand has arrived on its own terms.
The waterfront Mount Pleasant resort and marina, which a Cincinnati-based insurance company had been trying to unload since March 2025, has sold for $182.5 million to a pair of buyers. The property at Patriots Point is one of the more prominent hospitality assets on the harbor.
Why it matters · A new ownership structure at a property this visible will shape what the waterfront experience looks like on the Mount Pleasant side of the harbor.
Downtown's dessert bars and Vivian Howard's biscuit counter compete for the weekend crowd, while West Ashley's wing-and-margarita circuit holds its own and Isle of Palms kitchens remind everyone summer resort season is fully underway.
The 12-layer Ultimate Coconut Cake at Benne's by Peninsula Grill has become a destination order — people are finishing dinner elsewhere and walking over specifically for a slice, citing Oprah's endorsement unprompted. The Coconut Cake Martini is now treated as a near-mandatory pairing, and the Chocolate Ganache Layer Cake is pulling second orders from anyone not on the coconut train. Weekend bar waits are accepted as part of the deal. Meanwhile, Bakehouse Charleston is running a parallel dessert conversation downtown around its salted caramel brownie and a pumpkin s'mores bar with a Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively co-sign that customers bring up without being asked.
The country ham, apple preserves, and white cheddar biscuit at Handy and Hot is the specific order people name when they tell others to go, but the potlicker stew with soft-boiled egg and tomato relish is what's earning the most surprised praise from anyone who wanders past the pastry case. The grab-and-go format gets consistent love; the price point gets flagged alongside it. Howard's name is what drives the first visit — the hand pies are what drive the second.
Stones Throw Tavern's $0.50 Monday wing night — backed by a homemade blue cheese dressing that gets described as 'garlicky and divine' — has locked in a West Ashley regular crowd that treats it as a standing weekly appointment. The BLT and loaded fries are the secondary orders; the heavy pours are the reason people stay. Across the neighborhood, Agaves Cantina West Ashley is running its own loyalty loop: one regular reports eating there eight out of ten times they go out, with the Quesadilla Jaliscos and original-mix margarita as the standing order. Service slows during peak hours — both spots are worth timing.
Coastal Crust at Wild Dunes is getting called out by name for its fig and prosciutto pizza — finished with bleu cheese and hot honey — and the meatball appetizer is earning 'best I've ever had' on its own. The insider tip circulating: order your pie well done to get the char the wood-fired oven is built for. Over at Hudson's Market, the Red Apron chef-curated dinner option keeps surprising people who assumed it was strictly a grab-and-go, while the breakfast sandwich and quiche crowd has already established its morning routine. Resort pricing is accepted as a given at both spots.
