Featured Image Credit: Kaminsky’s Dessert Cafe

We all start the New Year with the best of intentions. We resolve to eat better, exercise, clean out our closets, and spend more time doing what matters to us. The diet resolution might be the toughest one to keep, especially in a town like Charleston where there is so much good food that’s not always good for you. So, now that the first month of the year has passed and February is flying by, you might be ready to throw those good intentions out the window. If you decide to cave and indulge in something calorific, we won’t judge you. We’ve even picked out our favorite spots in Charleston that are ideal for breaking your New Year’s resolution diet.

Ye Ole Fashioned Cafe & Ice Cream

Ye Ole Fashioned on Savannah Highway is the perfect joint to break your New Year’s Resolution diet. Of course, they have ice cream in multiple satisfying flavors, but don’t count out their sinful entrees and sides. They have a famous BLT piled so high with bacon that you might have a hard time fitting it in your mouth. Add some classic French fries and you have a mouthwatering meal not approved by Dr. Atkins.

Carmella’s

Carmella’s no doubt has some awesome desserts. Different flavors of mousse, gelato, Italian ice, the famous Peanut Butter Passion, and more will all satisfy your sweet tooth. But if you want something for lunch or dinner, Carmella has you covered. Salami and cheese boards complement the wine selection and there are sandwiches, paninis, baguettes, and even Stromboli will fill you up.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Splendid is in the name of this spot, and it’s not false advertising. With freshly made ice creams in a myriad of delectable flavors, you can’t go wrong at Jeni’s on King Street. Whether you choose one flavor in a waffle cone or multiple flavors in a dish, you’ll be thinking about this ice cream long after you’ve finished it.

Jestine’s Kitchen

Jestine’s is a Charleston institution and it’s well worth breaking your New Year’s resolution diet to enjoy what they have. It’s homestyle southern fare that will make you glad you live in the Lowcountry. Fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese, fried okra, fried oysters, fried shrimp, and of course fried chicken all feature on the menu. Don’t forget to save room for the famous Cola Cake.

Saffron Restaurant & Bakery

Saffron is one of the best bakeries in the area. Decadent baked goods like tiramisu, red velvet cake, cheesecake, brownies, tarts, scones, muffins, croissants, danishes and more await you at this Charleston gem. If you want something to eat before dessert, they have a Middle Eastern inspired menu that’s on the healthy side and a selection of sandwiches that aren’t on the Weight Watchers diet.

Recovery Room

Nobody expects bar food to be healthy. Recovery Room is great for late nights all week and hangovers on Sundays. Their Tater Tachos are legendary and they have the goods when it comes to fried delicacies such as onion rings and mozzarella sticks. Burgers and sandwiches are available for those looking for a meal and for brunch you can chow down on fried French toast, waffles, and their Famous Egg Sandwich. And you can wash it all down with a can of PBR. Gwyneth Paltrow would be disgusted, but you’ll be delighted.

Kaminsky’s

If you’re downtown in the French Quarter and you’re craving something sweet then make a beeline for Kaminsky’s. Their dessert case is beyond impressive. A multitude of cakes (including the classic southern red velvet), pies, and brownies are all available. Plus, they have some boozy beverages that will also satisfy that sweet tooth. Dessert martinis anyone?

Crave

Crave in Mount Pleasant is a primo spot to break that New Year’s resolution diet. With some of the best mac and cheese in the Lowcountry, maybe the country you can be confident they know what they’re doing. The famous melty masterpiece can be topped with: scallops, short ribs, sautéed shrimp, broccoli, grilled chicken, pulled pork, or bacon. If you’re not into the mac (what’s wrong with you?) then you can indulge in a sandwich like their 3/4 pound burger, fried chicken BLT, or spinach & tomato grilled cheese.