LAST UPDATED BY Clare Sweeney
April 27, 2016
Peninsular Charleston, South Carolina may be better known when it comes to being a foodie town, but Mount Pleasant is not-so-quietly stealing the show with some truly impressive restaurants east of the Cooper. Make a trip over the bridge from downtown and you'll discover a wide variety of restaurants adored by both locals and visitors to Charleston, with, in many cases, a more reasonable price tag, shorter wait times, and more space.
If it's Mount Pleasant waterfront dining you seek, look no further than on beautiful Shem Creek, where dolphin spotting is a regular occurrence. Old Village Post House, a restaurant-inn hybrid located within the historic Old Village residential neighborhood of Mount Pleasant, is within walking distance of one of the lowcountry's prettiest views from Pickett Bridge Rec Area.
For an authentic sampling of what the Charleston metro area has to offer, visit one of the many Mount Pleasant restaurants that prioritize locally grown produce, meats, and seafood, such as The Granary in Belle Hall Shopping Center, The Pickled Plate garden cafe on Coleman, or Red Drum's southwestern-style gastropub.
Want to scope out a lively brunch or Sunday Funday across the bridge? Check out Crave Kitchen & co*cktails, or kick back on the lighted patio at Sesame Burgers & Beer.
Wherever you choose to dine, you'll quickly realize the true identity of Mount Pleasant as a culinary destination all its own.
Advertisem*nt
8
Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant
Photo courtesy of The Pickled Palate
Located just past Shem Creek between peninsular downtown and the town of Sullivan's Island, this colorful, eclectic cafe is an easy choice for your next leisurely weekday or weekend lunch. It's not that the service is slow - the pressed sandwich combos at the Pickled Palate come out quickly enough. It's The Pickled Palate's unique backyard garden setting, complete with vintage yard art, that causes patrons to linger. Serving up a variety of soups, salads, and paninis using fresh herbs from the restaurant garden, The Pickled Palate specializes in simple presentations for familiar, comfort-food ingredients. All paninis, like the Tuna Salad, Pimento Cheese, Caprese, and Roast Beef, come with choice of chips or side salad for just $8.95.
Recommended for Mount Pleasant's Best Restaurants because: The Pickled Palate is a comfortable neighborhood cafe serving fresh from the garden comfort foods - what's not to love?
Clare's expert tip: Unfortunately, The Pickled Palate is only open for daytime lunch hours, and closed both Sunday and Monday.
Read more about The Pickled Palate →
7
Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant
Photo courtesy of Sesame Burgers & Beer
Casual yet delicious burgers & salads that are sneakily good for you, with beef, black bean, turkey, and chicken varieties on the menu at Sesame Burgers & Beer. A sister restaurant to the well-known Five Loaves Cafe, this laid-back Mount Pleasant hotspot brings local food and beer across the bridge in the best possible way, sourcing ingredients locally and seasonally whenever possible. The relationships with community are apparent, noting which ingredients come from which farmer, the personal touch of owners Casey Glowacki and Joe Fischbein, and the lighthearted atmosphere of the nightly crowd. The name says it all at Sesame Burgers & Beer--beer enthusiasts will nerd out on the selection of brews sourced from the Charleston area and beyond.
Recommended for Mount Pleasant's Best Restaurants because: Sesame is an easy choice for a delicious, casual meal that's highly flavorful and healthy, but easy on the budget.
Clare's expert tip: This may be a burger joint, but there are plenty of vegetarian options on the menu at Sesame! Come one, come all for this restaurant's varied (and healthy) menu.
6
Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant
Fresh, creative interpretations of classic dishes grace this restaurant's addictive menu. Open for lunch, dinner, and brunch, Graze offers a varied menu that's heavy on fresh seafood with items like lobster mac & cheese, shrimp & grits, lump crabcake, and cornflake-crusted catfish. There's a slight lowcountry theme to the menu as well, and all dishes are well-presented with bright, colorful produce as the focus. Grazing entrees range from $16-$36, while craft tacos, each served with salad, are all $12. Graze is made even better by a great selection of craft beers on tap, alongside a long list of white and red wines by the glass or bottle.
Recommended for Mount Pleasant's Best Restaurants because: Graze refers to its signature style as "creative casual," and it fits in nicely with the fun-loving Mount Pleasant dining out scene.
Clare's expert tip: Love Graze but want to avoid the dinnertime wait? Graze is open for lunch hours every day of the week (except for brunch on Sunday)!
Read more about Graze →
Advertisem*nt
Advertisem*nt
5
Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant
Photo courtesy of Page's Okra Grill
Ideally located for visitors staying in both downtown Charleston and Mount Pleasant, Page's Okra Grill is the go-to spot East of the Cooper River for home-style Southern cooking. The Page's Okra Grill menu is huge, and stuffed to capacity with lowcountry favorites such as the Country Fried Steak, Shrimp and Grits, Southern Fried Chicken Livers, and Fried Oysters. Even the sides are southern; add butterbeans, field peas, hush puppies or (of course) stewed okra to your order for what's sure to be a filling and satisfying meal. You don't need to get fancy for a visit to Page's Okra Grill - come as you are to this casual spot for a booth inside or a counter seat on the outdoor patio.
Recommended for Mount Pleasant's Best Restaurants because: Page's Okra Grill is an ideal way to wrap up a day at Sullivan's Island or start your weekend with a belly-busting Southern brunch.
Clare's expert tip: Page's Okra Grill is known for some of Mount Pleasant's best Southern food. Order a lowcountry classic like the Shrimp & Grits or Country Fried Steak.
Read more about Page's Okra Grill →
4
Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant
Photo courtesy of Coleman Public House
With a kitchen that's open late each night, a comfortable locals' atmosphere, and 10 varieties of burgers for $10.95 or less, Coleman Public House is one of Mount Pleasant's best picks for an easygoing and delicious night out. Craft beer enthusiasts will enjoy the 13 rotating draft selections from here and abroad, kept up to date on the Coleman Public House website. It's the combination of great beers and a slightly more robust and upscale pub menu that bring in the crowds each day of the week. Popular shareable apps include the mini lamb sliders, Asian glazed baby back ribs, and the smoked Gouda mac & cheese, while the flatbreads, burgers and other plates round out the entree offerings.
Recommended for Mount Pleasant's Best Restaurants because: Ask any Mt. P local about their go-to date night or dinner out, and they'll probably point you towards a burger at Coleman Public House.
Clare's expert tip: Coleman Public House serves up a hearty, belly-busting brunch menu both Saturday and Sunday, 11:30am to 4pm.
Read more about Coleman Public House →
3
Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant
Photo courtesy of Tavern & Table
What better way to enjoy farm-fresh Charleston dishes and crisp co*cktails than waterfront on Mount Pleasant's Shem Creek? Tavern & Table offers up that very experience, serving shareable snacks, cheese and meat boards, small plates, brick oven flatbreads, soup and veggie apps, fresh-ground burgers, sandwich melts and well-portioned seafood and meat mains. There's no shortage of variety on the Tavern & Table menu, with the popular Daily board a highlight of the restaurant's dedication to pleasing a crowd; expect unique burger and small plate specials, flatbread offerings, and the Barkeep's Daily Toast co*cktail posted on the chalkboard wall each day. While food and co*cktails remain the culinary focus, another obvious draw of Tavern & Table is the ample waterfront dining space along Shem Creek, complete with wide open sunset views and favorable conditions for local dolphin spotting from the outdoor deck.
Recommended for Mount Pleasant's Best Restaurants because: Tavern & Table offers up an upscale, heavily Southern-influenced menu which pairs nicely with the serene sunset views of Shem Creek.
Clare's expert tip: Come to Tavern & Table for the views, but be sure to book reservations in advance, especially on days when the weather is ideal for outdoor dining!
2
Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant
Photo courtesy of Crave Kitchen & co*cktails
This appropriately-named eatery has visitors pining for its menu long after leaving Mt. Pleasant. Crave's deliciously imaginative American Fusion cuisine, welcoming ambiance and superb service make it a highly-acclaimed favorite, with menu musts including brioche French toast with hot cream cheese icing for brunch and savory herb roasted chicken over grits for dinner. Of course, it's not a Crave-worthy meal without dessert, so save room for the decadent coconut cake or chocolate-covered cherry martini. But what Crave is really famous for is it's highly coveted, award-winning mac and cheese! The Crave recipe is so popular that they've even launched a food truck spin off called The Mac Daddy.
Recommended for Mount Pleasant's Best Restaurants because: Crave is a fun gathering spot for Mount Pleasant folks with a craving for great food and variety on the menu, without much fuss.
Clare's expert tip: Mac & cheese. Go for the mac & cheese. You'll thank us later.
1
Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant
Photo courtesy of Red Drum Gastropub
A welcome piece of culinary diversity in the Mt. Pleasant dining scene, Red Drum takes on the gastropub concept in its own unique way, by combining local lowcountry ingredients with a Southwestern style set of menu offerings. Red Drum is open 7 nights a week for dinner, as well as lunch and brunch on Saturday and Sunday, with menus changing seasonally to reflect the bounty of their trusted local purveyors. Try Red Drum for a group dinner, ordering many items to be shared and sampled around the table, such as the BBQ Wood Grilled Shrimp, Quail & Venison Sausage, or whatever local fish preparation is being offered that evening. If the weather is nice, take your brunch, lunch or dinner on Red Drum's brick patio, complete with umbrellas and heat lamps.
Recommended for Mount Pleasant's Best Restaurants because: Red Drum carves its place in the Mount Pleasant culinary scene with a rare combination of traditional lowcountry flavors and ingredients and Southwestern recipes.
Clare's expert tip: Get over to Red Drum for Sunday Brunch and an order of some of the eggs benedict in town (think red chile hollandaise)!
Read more about Red Drum Gastropub →
Meet Clare Sweeney
A South Carolina native and avid locavore, Clare is always venturing between traveling abroad and her beloved Lowcountry.
Clare works and plays in downtown Charleston, spending her days...More About Clare
