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New In Charleston

New Restaurants And Shops Coming To Charleston

Even in the midst of a pandemic, Charleston is still expanding, with the addition of new restaurants and shops.

Downtown Charleston is welcoming a new restaurant that is serving up fresh poke bowls. Sweet Bowl Poke & Tea is opening in the WestEdge area of downtown Charleston and has a variety of made-to-order items as well as boba tea available for customers.

Over in Mount Pleasant, the Panera Bread will soon be serving early risers with a new cafe on Muhlenbergia Drive. The cafe will offer customers indoor dining options, drive-thru, and delivery services, as well as curbside pick-up. 

Mount Pleasant also recently welcomed a new Maple Street Biscuit Co. in the Queensborough Shopping Center. This popular chain offers patrons delicious comfort food through a variety of biscuit-based meals.  

In addition to restaurants, a new vintage women’s apparel store, Portal, recently opened on St. Philip Street in downtown Charleston. Portal allows customers to buy, sell, trade, and/or rent clothing.

A new 11,000 square foot Dollar Tree Store is also opening on College Park Road in Ladson.

Be sure to check out some of the new businesses coming to town! 

Eat & Drink

Have a Plant-Based Diet? Charleston’s Got You Covered.

Featured Image: Gnome Cafe

Gnome Cafe

Gnome exists to show you the power of plant-based food! For both breakfast and lunch, they use high-quality ingredients to serve up bold flavors to satisfy any craving.

Dellz Uptown

A Charleston staple, Dellz Uptown has mastered the art of creating classic, feel-good foods like pizza and nachos that are also friendly to vegetarian and vegan eaters. Their Vegan Jazzy Pizza is a must-have. Be sure to try one of their smoothies for the ultimate experience.

The Harbinger Cafe & Bakery

Another great option for those with plant-based diets is The Harbinger. With a kitchen that features locally-sourced, seasonal dishes alongside a bakery with fresh pastries, including gluten-free options!

 

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A well balanced meal if you ask me. ?? ? ?

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Huriyali

Creating food with your health in mind, Huriyali serves up some of the freshest plant-based food in Charleston. From fresh-pressed juice and nut milk to creative deli favorites, you can trust that your health is in good hands when eating at Huriyali!

 

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Cuz who packs a lunch on a Monday?!✨??? #goldenbudhabowlwithcurry

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Tu

Grounded in tradition and culture, Tu delivers delicious dinners from the Indian Subcontinent. Tu takes classic dishes and gives them a unique twist while still paying homage to their origins, a challenging task. The team at Tu works hard to develop relationships with local fishermen and farmers to ensure the quality of their entire menu.

Butcher and Bee

Butcher and Bee started out as a small shop specializing in gourmet sandwiches but has quickly grown into a full menu with a new location serving up a mix of unique and exciting dishes, many of which are vegetarian and vegan-friendly. Using local and sustainable ingredients is a culture and mindset that Butcher and Bee makes a priority.

 

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That moment when you see your dinner approaching the table ?

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Eat & Drink

The Best Spots for Barbecue in Charleston

Featured Image: Eater

No one is surprised when they hear about the rise of Charleston’s food scene, and the expanse of barbecue restaurants is no exception. These five Charleston barbecue restaurants will give you plenty of southern food that you’ll be hungry to write home about.

Lewis Barbecue

Just two years ago, John Lewis changed the barbecue scene here in Charleston. Having established himself as a prized pitmaster in Austin, TX, he made his way to the Holy City to make his mark on Charleston with the opening of Lewis Barbecue. Welding the custom-designed smokers himself, Lewis wakes up at 4 a.m. to tend the fire that slow cooks meat for 18 hours.

 

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Welcome to the Monday morning smoke show. #pitcrew

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Rodney Scott’s

Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ is deep-rooted in heritage and tradition. At a young age, Scott learned to cook whole hog barbecue watching his family do the same in the hog pits they built behind their convenience store in Hemingway, SC.

Word got out about how good the smoked meats the Scott’s were selling out of their convenience store was and people began traveling hours each week just to try it. With so much popularity, Rodney Scott decided to leave the family business and open up his own BBQ joint here in Charleston in 2016. In 2018, Rodney was named the James Beard Best Chef in the Southeast for his restaurant.

Home Team BBQ

With several locations, now expanding as far as Aspen, CO, Home Team BBQ is a fresh and local-minded restaurant right down to their sauces. With experimentation always in mind, the Home Team crew is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to use smoked meats. With award-winning dishes, an expansive bar, and a fun, family-friendly environment, Home Team is the whole package!

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How much for one rib?

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Smoke BBQ

In the heart of Charleston on upper King Street is Smoke BBQ. Smoke is one of the most diverse options of the Charleston BBQ scene. With plenty to choose from, including tacos and pastrami that is cooked 16 hours, Smoke stands out in the crowd. Check it out the next time you’re downtown and looking for some southern barbecue.

Swig & Swine

Swig & Swine features classic, all-wood smoked barbecue that delivers the juiciest smoked meats the Lowcountry has to offer. With four locations in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville and West Ashley, Swig & Swine restaurants are serving up to barbecue lovers all around.

Guest Columns

Bike For Booty, Booze or Views: Charleston’s Offers Something For Everyone

Featured Image Credit: Holy Spokes Facebook

With summertime temperatures in full swing and the kids out of school, what better time is there to get out and pedal your worries away? Whether you want a scenic view, a killer workout or a few drinks stops along your ride, we’ve picked out the best places to ride your bike around the Charleston area.

Folly Beach

Biking around Folly is perfect for the casual rider who wants to enjoy a breeze and some booze. Starting at Center Street, there’s just a 4-mile bike ride and a short walk to the far end of the beach where you can see the Morris Island Lighthouse and Cooper River Bridge. On your way back to Center Street, you can swing by Bert’s, grab a quick bite to eat, then hop back on your bike and pedal your way to all the restaurants and bars on Center Street.

Intensity: 1 out of 5

 

Sawmill Branch Trail

The Sawmill Branch Trail is a 6.5-mile bike ride just on the outside of Downtown Summerville. This trail is perfect for those trying to escape from people for a day and enjoy nature. You should expect to see plenty of wildlife and greenery and most of the trail goes under roads, keeping you away from the traffic. People have been known to spot alligators in the canal, owls and many dogs, as the trail is dog-friendly.

Intensity: 3 out of 5

 

Ravenel Bridge

This bike path is far more so for the fitness seeker than the day drinker, with its 2.7-mile span and intense slope, but the views make it worth the workout. Spanning from Downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant, there’s plenty of room on the path for both runners and bikers, and gives each a spectacular view that will give you the perfect excuse to stop and catch your breath.

Intensity: 4 out of 5

 

Sullivan’s Island

Starting at Breach Inlet in between Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms and biking down to the Charleston Harbor end of Sullivan’s Island will give you a 7-mile ride and access to Fort Moultrie. Don’t worry, if you work up an appetite on your bike ride, there are plenty of delicious restaurants to stop and grab food before finishing up back at Breach Inlet. There’s always room for a burger from Poe’s Tavern.

Intensity: 3 out of 5

 

Downtown Charleston

One way streets and busy roads can make Downtown a stressful bike ride, so we recommend going early Saturday and Sunday mornings, but Charleston makes for a beautiful bike ride. There are so many routes to choose from, whether you bike along the Battery, Waterfront Park, White Point Gardens or a few random streets with historic homes, you’re sure to get Instagram worthy pics.

Intensity: 2 out of 5