When your parents come to town it’s time to fancy it up, and I don’t mean adding bacon to your easy mac, I mean table cloths and ice water in wine glasses. With the help of this list, you will be able to impress your parents for any occasion and prove your taste buds haven’t been burnt off from impatiently eating too hot ramen.
1. Rutledge Cab Co. for Breakfast
Serving all day breakfast, this gas station convenient store turned restaurant is off the beaten path but is a fun and funky place to eat. Just don’t get turned off by the alligator skin front door.
Recommended dish is the chicken biscuit: it comes with a side of eggs, so it really is the best of breakfast. However, anything with a biscuit is wonderful.
2. Circe’s Grotto For Lunch
Right near campus, this tiny cafe is a perfect lunch spot. The traditional salads and sandwiches are given a unique spin and the charm of the place makes the food taste even better.
Recommended dish: Really anything, but you just can’t go wrong with a grilled cheese. Or you can do the adventurous thing and just order whatever the special of the day is. But seriously, grilled cheese is always good.
3. Le Farfalle For Dinner
With a charming courtyard for dining al fresco, this classy Italian restaurant is perfect for brunch, lunch, or dinner. You may not know what some things on the menu are, but that means the place is fancy and a perfect place to impress your parents.
Recommended dish: Any pasta dish is a go-to; you really can’t go wrong. The sandwiches are also amazing, so really everything comes highly recommended.
4. Glazed For Dessert
Donuts, a dessert classic, is taken to the next level at Glazed. They keep the classic glazed, chocolate, and cinnamon sugar, but add in more untraditional gourmet flavors like Pb&J, strawberry and champagne, pumpkin and strawberry basil lime. They have recently added late night hours, much to our donut loving delight.
Recommended dish: Raspberry Donut, a perfect balance of tart and sweet. Make sure to check your teeth for seeds after you finish.
5. The Park Cafe For Brunch
This charming cafe is simple but elegant and perfect for a relaxing brunch with the parents. The food is simple but oh so good.
Recommended dish: The Avocado toast. This incredibly popular dish is both healthy and delicious. Sadly, when you order, it you don’t get a puppy as a side.
6. Spero For A Food Adventure
If you are feeling adventurous and want to show off how local you have become, hit up Spero. This tiny hole in the wall restaurant takes the traditional and puts their own unique and non-traditional spin on the dishes.
Recommended dish: The not fried chicken sandwich. Welcome your parents to the South with the fresh take on a southern staple. It is a usual combination of ingredients but it is just so good.
7. The Watch For A Great View
On the rooftop of The Restoration hotel, The Watch is the perfect restaurant for a great view. Indoor and outdoor seating both have a picture perfect view of Charleston. You can literally see across the peninsula from the Cooper River on one side to the Ashley River on the other side. An added bonus is that the food is great too!
Recommended dish: The Watch burger is pure deliciousness and perfectly paired with a side of the homemade salt and vinegar chips.
8. Coast For Seafood
Good local seafood in Charleston isn’t hard to find. Seriously, skip Hyman’s seafood and the tourist experience, and go to Coast instead. This upscale seafood place sits off John street in a charming alley. The menu has a wide variety of fresh local seafood, perfect to show off what Charleston has to offer.
Recommended dish: No brainer: get local seafood. The crab, shrimp, and fish tacos are all delicious. However, if you really want to show off how Southern you are, order the classic shrimp and grits.
9. Edmund’s Oast For the Atmosphere
With both indoor and outdoor seating, this restaurant is perfect for any occasion. With an unrivaled selection of beers, a working brewery, and in-house charcuterie program, this place makes anyone look sophisticated and cultured.
Recommended dish: Hard to say because the menu changes with the seasons, so ordering several items from the snack menu and sharing is the way to go. And for anyone who likes beer, make sure to check out one of the dozens of options.
10. Cocktail Club For Cocktails
The name says it all: The Cocktail Club sounds so sophisticated and fancy. With its 1920’s speakeasy feel and exposed brick and beam atmosphere, this place makes anyone look ten times more cultured than you actually are. So belly up to the bar, order a drink, and pretend you totally didn’t make easy mac for dinner last night.
Recommended drink: Really you can’t go wrong, but a classic like a martini is a good plan. Please save yourself the embarrassment and don’t say shaken not stirred, well, at least not in front of your parents.