Planning a quick weekend getaway before my busy season starts. Any recommendations on hotels and restaurants are greatly appreciated.

Tons of restaurants. We did a food tour the first day there and chatted a little with the guide after. He gave us more recommendations than time we had there.

We used Charleston culinary tours. Don't remember the specific tour we did. But I'll see if I can't find an email.

Found it. We did the upper king walking tour. My mom and her sisters did the chefs kitchen tour and they enjoyed that one as well.

Hotel: French Quarter Inn - Top notch and very friendly staff.
Dining: Hall's Chophouse - Damn good steaks.
Beer: Westbrook Brewing Co.

For a more upscale dinner try Fig, Husk or Magnolia. The suggestion for Hominy Grill is excellent but not as upscale

Pougan's Porch

Some good suggestions so far......but..... You can get chops and steaks anywhere. If you're in Charleston, its got to be southern, or seafood, or southern seafood.

Jestine's - best fried chicken ever
Noisy Oyster - right on Market St and with the doors open good food and people watching
try the She Crab Soup
Charleston Grill - look up southern dining in the dictionary and there will be a picture of this
Pearlz Oyster Bar - great seafood
Charleston Crab House - I've seen mixed reviews but I was always satisfied

Jestine's - best fried chicken ever...

Stayed two days in Columbia for the football game last year and then three days in Charleston. Ate at Jestines twice...Don't know if it's the best fried chicken I ever had, but everything we had was great. Very nice people too.

Thanks for the recommendations folks!

Wife chnaged her mind and we are headed to our 2nd home instead....NOLa.

Bookmarking this.

We're headed to Folly Beach in July and we plan to spend a couple days exploring Charleston.

But don't see any of the sites. Just drink and eat. All the other things that make Charleston unique should be ignored.

Why don't you guys just drive down the road and eat? Why go anywhere?

Definitely do a walking tour. We actually did two. Love both.

Do the tours of the famous houses. Our walking tour including entrance to 2-3 of them.

Ft. Sumpter looked cool but we didn't have time to get out there.

We stayed at the Vendue Inn - love it.

Dinner recommendations: Magnolia, 82 Queen

One of our favorite cities, great trip.

Husk

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I know the OP has changed the plans to NOLA. but for those who are interested the for food also check out SNOB (Slightly North of Broad)

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Husk

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Yep. You should also grab a cocktail at The Belmont.

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But don't see any of the sites. Just drink and eat. All the other things that make Charleston unique should be ignored.

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Why don't you guys just drive down the road and eat? Why go anywhere?

If you care to read the OP, he asked for hotel and restaurant recommendations. That is what we gave him.

Jestines fried chicken is good, but try the buttermilk fried chicken breast at Magnolias. That's the best fried chicken ever!

I also had the fried chicken at Magnolias when I went there a couple years ago. It's freaking awesome.

Cru Cafe was a good lunch spot and their brisket sandwich was great.

Bump

We're leaving Sunday and already have most our meals in Charleston planned, but wanted to check in with you guys for any last minute or updated recs.

Dinners include Husk, SNOB, and The Ordinary
Lunches include Poogan's Porch and Pearlz

If one of your lunch spots doesn't work, I'd second Cru Cafe. Only see it mentioned once here - love the food and the setting.

Quick trip report

Husk - Awesome. The food was top notch and the Husk Bar next door was fantastic. Get there early and send time next door before dinner. Favorite place we are at all week.

SNOB - Ehh...I was a bit underwhelmed. It was good and the place was nice, but the food quality seemed a bit lacking. Was expecting more.

The Ordinary - Damn good seafood, especially the raw bar. Really cool ambiance and nautical theme. Very different drink menu that's built to pair with raw oysters, clams, etc. Had the raw platter and came away very impressed.

If you're there head up to the North end of King St. It's kinda the new up and coming area of Charleston with lots of bars and eateries. We heard good things about Leon's up that way. We stopped in at Prohibition and it was a cool bar that we really enjoyed. They make some great mixology type drinks. I enjoyed a few too many of the Applewood Smoked Bacon Old Fashion.

We also did one day on Kiawah Island and had lunch at the Ryder Cup Bar. I played the Ocean Course and the wife met me afterward for lunch. Sat on the patio and had mint juleps, raw oysters and fried shrimp. Was a great day and she actually really enjoyed it even though she has no interest in golf. It's full of tourist who aren't golfing so don't be shy about stopping in for lunch or drinks.

...seriously, go have a cocktail at The Belmont.

Might be my favorite cocktail bar ever...

Going next week. Food generally planned out but looking for things to do. So far King Street/historic district walking and Ft Sumtner ferry and tour. Suggestions

We enjoyed the carriage rides.

Just got back from to Charleston. Tried the Fleet Landing restaurant for first time, maybe my favorite now. I would recommend trying it.

Went fishing two mornings, not sure if you are into that. I can give you some recs.

Sumtner tour is cool, they also serve beer/wine inside the second deck which made it more fun.

We do the typical walk everywhere and eat way too much like most folks

I will second BClark's recommendations of 82 Queen and Magnolias. And also agree w/ malenurse - Charleston is about southern and seafood. Don't get me wrong, I make a living in the beef industry and I love my steaks, but it's southern / low country and seafood for me in Charleston (mostly because I can't find that anywhere in the Midwest).

EDIT: Sorry, didn't see he post where OP changed destinations.......but since the thread is titled Charleston I will leave this up.

So here is our tentative plan...

Arrive Saturday around 2:30pm

Magnolia for early dinner, stroll area, and Carriage ride

Sunday

Brunch at High Cotton at 10:00am with Jazz

Walk battery area

Walking tour at 2:00 with Charleston Sole

Dinner at Macintosh 6:30pm with Cocktail Club drinks after


Monday

Breakfast at Hominy Grill

9:30 Ft Sumter tour

Lunch at Fleet Landing (wife not big into seafood so may go somewhere else)may try Obstinate Daughter on Sullivans island but without a car for the trip

Market Area/ Old Slave Mart Museum

Dinner 82 Queen at 7:30

Prohibition/ Rooftop Bar at Vendue for Drinks

Tuesday

Lunch at SNOB (early)

Early Dinner ?? Undecided at this time before leaving for airport

My wife loves to pop in to places for desserts/ice cream after walks so any suggestions on desserts that are cant miss

FIG is all booked up so we may try to walk in for a very early dinner on Tuesday if available

Is there anything that could be done within walking distance of our restaurant choices that we are missing Purposefully left some time for window shopping for wife etc but don't want to miss out on anything not listed

Thanks in advance

That's solid except I highly suggest squeezing in a dinner at Husk. Get there early and have drinks at their bar next door.

Oh yeah and get to Hominy Grill well before you'd like to eat. It gets pretty crowded

Husk and FIG both have no reservation times available on open table while we are there. Would rather do FIG then Husk personally based upon recommendations but I would take either.

Heard the bar was fun area...we aren't drunks but like a social drink(s) while visiting a fun city

In Charleston airport waiting on delayed flight back to Houston.

Dinners were Magnolia, Muse, 82 Queen

Lunch/ Brunch. High Cotton, hominy Grill, cru cafe

Bit rainy off and on but for the most part if it rained we were sleeping, or at a resturant inside. Only got caught in real rain once the whole trip which seemed to work out really well

Took a walking tour of the historical district and king street shopping for the wife, strolled the streets quite a bit

Stayed at the Grand Boeheium right near FIG on meeting street. This place recently opened and we got a good rate as got the reservation before it actually opened hut it was a fun, quirky place that we would not hesitate to stay at again, especially at the rates during the high season. The hotel has a wine bar and classes where you make your own wine which the wife loved and made a personal label attached to it. It was her favorite part of the trip outside of the great places to eat. Missed out on Macintosh because of it but honestly glad we did. Talking to another couple at the wine creation class they suggested Muse which might have been the best of all places to eat. All were good just separated by degree

Ranking mine

Muse (baby lamb chops with a glaze that was unbelieveable)
82 Queen (get the she crab soup, best in town and the limonchello marscopone cake was great)
Cru Cafe (grilled salmon with a salad with a great dressing IMO)
Magnolias (best fried chicken breast i have had since Willie Mae's in NOLA) and a good blue crab bisque
Hominy Grill (vegetable plate included grits, sauteed green beans, creamy squash, mac and cheese along with a good butternut squash bisque)
High Cotton (bit unfair to be last and that good, went with the stuffed french toast)

My wife's ranking
Pennisula Grills's 8 layer coconut cake...this was a stop in bite not sit down this time
Cru Cafe (Turkey and Brie sandwich, tomato basil soup and 4 cheese mac and cheese)
Muse (she loved this but is more a soup/sandwich girl...she had the gnoochi which was best she had had before)
82 Queen (tomato pie, great house frieze salad and the bourbon pecan pie...we split out desserts)
Hominy Grill (vegetable plate as well with deep fried grits, mac and cheese)
Magnolias....didnt eat much but tomato soup but stole some of my chicken and sauteed collard greens and love it as she wasnt feeling well
High cotton ....i think she was more mad at herself because she just got a basic breakfast plate and it was uninspiring

Missed out on ft Sumter because of potential weather issues but will go back again in a heart beat

After flying in and out of Love for so long and so often seeing CHS yesterday was eye opening. Apparently it's been under renovation for 3 years! What a crap hole!