South Carolina Dining

South Carolina is home to thousands of restaurants, from the award-winning Five-Diamond eatery to places that mostly only the locals know about.

Many of them sit along the back roads of South Carolina, others are hidden treasures inside of historic buildings, but they’re all staples in their particular areas. They are restaurants where the locals eat.

Venture off to where the locals go for their mid-week family outings, lunchtime conversations, good eats, and traditional weekend gatherings. Every region has one - serving everything from barbeque and burgers to good ol’ Southern fried chicken.

A hot menu item at Walhalla’s The Steak House Cafeteria is – no not steak - the juicy, crispy fried chicken. Add a side of green beans, mac and cheese, and rice and gravy, and prepare to loosen a button or two. Oh yeah, and don’t forget their homemade desserts. Now you’ll need a nap. Located in historic downtown Walhalla, The Steak House Cafeteria is one of the area’s prominent landmarks.

Another upstate fixture is Mac’s Drive-In. Ask any Clemson Tigers grad about Mac’s, and they’ll likely have a personal story to go along with the info. The burger joint has been around long enough for a current student to tell you their parents ate there frequently as students at the nearby Clemson University. But Mac’s is not just for students. Longtime Pickens County residents and alums visit the small brick building (that bleeds purple and orange) for a burger, fries and a shake.

Lake Murray Country Restaurants

Amid classy boutiques on Columbia’s Devine Street is Devine Foods. Enjoy a fresh Greek salad outside on a warm spring day or enjoy a gyro, pork souvlaki or roast leg of lamb.

For a good hotdog, pull over to Edna’s #1 off River Drive in Columbia. It can be best described as a hole-in-the-wall type place, but good chilidogs and cheeseburgers come from this hole.

Got a taste for some barbeque?

That’s pulled pork in the South. Try Jackie Hite’s Bar-B-Q and Shealy’s Bar-B-Que in Batesburg-Leesville and Big T’s in Gadsden and Columbia. The smoky mustard-based meat is good over rice or between a pair of buns.

Old 96 District Diners

The Village Grill in Abbeville is a favorite with locals. Open daily for lunch and dinner, The Village Grill has freshly prepared fine foods, including rotisserie chicken, gourmet burgers, sandwiches, ribs, seafood, pastas and aged beef. Popular menu items are baby back ribs and steak Diane.

Another well-liked restaurant in the Old 96 District is The Red Barn in Gray Court. The building looks just as the name indicates. The interior is elegant. The food is American gourmet. It’s simply “Fine dining in the country.”

Rightfully so, but the former Hattie’s Kitchen deserves two thumbs up. You might think your grandmother’s in the kitchen at this restaurant, now called Hattie and Fannie’s Two.

You know how grandma’s food always seemed to be seasoned just right, and no one could duplicate the flavor, no matter how hard they tried. Everyone loves the cornbread. No, it’s not Jiffy, and don’t expect Fannie or her daughter Darlene to fill you in on how they bake it.

Hattie and Fannie’s is down-home Southern cooking at its best – soul food. Chitterlings, stone soup, fried chicken, smothered pork chops, fatback and beef stew.

At Aiken’s New Moon Café, you can’t go wrong with a blueberry milkshake (well, unless it’s 20 degrees outside, but that doesn’t happen too often in South Carolina and if it does, black bean soup or crab bisque can warm you up). Soups and sandwiches are your choices for a filling lunch alongside potato salad, veggie pasta salad or a bag of chips. And a cup of coffee is a must have!

Experience railside dining at Eatery at the Depot in Branchville, located at the rear of the town museum. Diners love the fried seafood and the prime rib, which are featured on Friday and Saturday nights.

Everyone (in Orangeburg) knows about Duke's Bar B Que. Here you’ll find the basic barbecue dishes – hash and rice, tender pulled pork barbecue, crispy pork rinds and of course, cole slaw. At Duke’s locals meet up with everyone they haven’t seen in a while. They’re only open Wednesday through Saturday, so plan accordingly when headed to Santee Cooper Country.

In the Pee Dee many are familiar with Darlington Raceway, Frances Marion University and Russell Stover Candies. How about The Charcoal Grill in Dillon or Shug’s Smokehouse Grill and Tavern in Hartsville?

Offering country-style cuisine, The Charcoal Grill also has a buffet filled with okra, rice, country fried steak, string beans and catfish.

Shug’s, housed in a former convenience store, serves ribs, chicken, beef, seafood, salads and sandwiches. Try the quail and gravy, listed on the menu as Beach Grits and Shrimp, or Uncle Bubba’s Seafood Pot Pie.

You’ll never run out of dining options in the Myrtle Beach/Grand Strand area. If you think you’ve tried them all – think again.

You might have just driven by some delicious offerings on your way to beach. Stop by Big E’s Seafood next time you’re passing through for some fresh seafood. Beware: large portions are served here.

How about a fresh fish sandwich? You can find it at Mrs. Fish Seafood Grill in Myrtle Beach. What’s even better is you can feed two for $20 or less. Sounds like a deal during tough economic times.

Shrimp and grits and she-crab soup are like a hand-in-glove to Charleston, Jack's Cosmic Dogs - Mt. Pleasant, SC

SC. Diners can find them on the menu at nearly any restaurant in the area. You can’t find Coca-Cola cake anywhere though.

Jestine’s Kitchen bakes it. A slice is great after a helping of meatloaf, fried chicken or pork chops with all the fixings.

If you’re not in the mood for anything fancy and you don’t feel like dressing up, Jack’s Cosmic Dogs is the perfect spot for you. Here you can have a hotdog prepared more ways than you can imagine.

Eva’s has been a fixture on South Main Street in Summerville more than half a century. Specializing in Southern home-style cooking, Eva’s serves great breakfast dishes, Southern-style meats and fresh vegetables.

The Lowcountry is known for frogmore stew and Steamer Oyster & Steakhouse on Lady’s Island serves it. Famous for its huge steamer burger and shellfish platter, Steamer’s also serves ribeye and gumbo. Many celebrities have dined at Steamers. There must be something good about it.

Take exit 21 off of Interstate 95 and next to the Comfort Inn is Jasper’s Porch. The owners tell us people come from near and far to have dinner at the lakefront restaurant. The buffet is popular during lunchtime.

Opened in June 2008 by owner/chef JJ Kern and his wife April, Hucks Lowcountry Table on the Isle of Palms features an unbeatable view of the Atlantic Ocean. The goal was to create a modern yet comfortable atmosphere where local diners could come together with friends and family to celebrate the community. The menu is extensive, creative and embodies the soul of Southern cuisine.

Where the locals eat in South Carolina