Best Restaurants in Mount Pleasant, SC (Local Guide 2026)

Mount Pleasant has quietly become one of the best food towns in the entire Lowcountry. With hundreds of restaurants spread across the Old Village, Shem Creek, and beyond, this guide covers the restaurants locals actually recommend — broken down by category. For a midday-specific list — with prices, hours, and what to order — see our best lunch spots in Mount Pleasant guide.

Quick answer: The Wreck of the Richard & Charlene won Best Seafood in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant reader poll, NICO Oysters + Seafood won Best Raw Bar, Page's Okra Grill won Best Brunch, Big Bad Breakfast won Best Breakfast, Amalfi's won Best Italian, Iggy's won Best Locally-Owned Pizza Place, and Home Team BBQ won Best Barbecue and Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant. Our full picks, with addresses, prices and what to order, are below.

Updated September 2026. We check menus, prices and hours regularly — spot something out of date? Hit reply on any newsletter and tell us.

Guides by meal & cuisine: Breakfast & Brunch · Lunch · Italian · Coffee · Happy Hours · Shem Creek

Best restaurants in Mount Pleasant, SC at a glance

The short list, by what you're in the mood for. Details, addresses and what to order are below.

• Seafood: The Wreck of the Richard & Charlene — Shem Creek, seafood platters $19.95–$29.95 (2026 Best of Mount Pleasant winner, Best Seafood)

• Oysters and French: NICO Oysters + Seafood — Coleman Blvd, mains about $34–$36 (winner, Best Raw Bar and Best French)

• Brunch: Page's Okra Grill — Coleman Blvd, entrées $16–$42 (winner, Best Brunch)

• Breakfast: Big Bad Breakfast — N. Hwy 17 (winner, Best Breakfast)

• Italian: Amalfi's — Long Point Rd, entrées $14.50–$28.50 (winner, Best Italian)

• Pizza: Iggy's Pizza Shop — Ben Sawyer Blvd, 16" specialty pies $22–$29 (winner, Best Locally-Owned Pizza Place)

• Barbecue and kids: Home Team BBQ — N. Hwy 17, platters $13.25–$32.95 (winner, Best Barbecue and Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant)

• Sushi: Locals Sushi & Sports Pub — Queensborough Blvd, specialty rolls $13–$16 (winner, Best Sushi)

• Mexican: Agaves Cantina — W. Coleman Blvd (winner, Best Mexican Restaurant)

• Budget-friendly: Woodhaven Pizza — Shoremeade Rd, 16" specialty pies $19.95–$27.95 (winner, Best Budget-Friendly Meal)

• Date night: Post House — Old Village, dinner $19–$52 (Charleston City Paper Top 50, Summer 2026)

• Harbor views: Charleston Harbor Fish House — Patriots Point, skyline and USS Yorktown views

Awards are from the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant reader poll. Prices come from each restaurant's own menu or online ordering page, checked September 2026.

Where is the best seafood in Mount Pleasant, SC?

The Wreck of the Richard & Charlene — Won Best Seafood in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant reader poll. Simple, ultra-fresh seafood right on the water: fried seafood platters, deviled crab, bone-in fried flounder, boiled shrimp and oysters. No reservations — it's first come, first served.

📍 106 Haddrell St · Dinner Tue–Sun · Seafood platters $19.95–$29.95 · Order: the Fried Seafood Platter or the deviled crab

NICO Oysters + Seafood — French Master Chef and owner Nico Romo's oyster bar, with roasted oysters and French-leaning seafood from a wood-fired oven. NICO won Best Raw Bar and Best French in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll and was a Best Seafood finalist. If you only go to one restaurant on this list, make it NICO.

📍 201 Coleman Blvd · Dinner nightly, lunch Fri–Sat, Sunday brunch · Mains about $34–$36 · Order: roasted oysters, flounder meunière

Saltwater Cowboys — On Shem Creek since 2017, with some of the best sunset views in town and a menu that runs from smoked barbecue to fried seafood platters. It won Best Place to Dine Outdoors in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll.

📍 130 Mill St · Lunch and dinner daily

Red's Ice House — Cold beer and a table on the water with zero pretension — Red's won Best Bar Outside in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll. BBQ bacon-wrapped scallops and the Lowcountry boil are the go-to orders. Arrive right at opening on weekends or expect a wait.

📍 98 Church St · Lunch and dinner daily · Menu $9.95–$39.95 · Order: The Bubba (24 shrimp, $27.95), Great Grouper Sandwich ($20.95)

Tavern & Table — Rustic-refined Lowcountry cooking with one of the best sunset views on Shem Creek. The pimento cheese with bacon jam, cornbread and shrimp & grits are standouts, and the dockside bar is made for a pre-dinner cocktail. A 2026 Best Place to Dine Outdoors finalist.

📍 100 Church St · Lunch and dinner daily, Sunday brunch · OpenTable price range: $30 and under

Charleston Harbor Fish House — Harbor views instead of creek views: the restaurant at Patriots Point advertises the Charleston skyline, the USS Yorktown and the marina from every table. Classic Lowcountry seafood, from shrimp and bacon grits to jumbo lump crab cakes.

📍 32 Patriots Point Rd · Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily · Order: Charleston Shrimp and Bacon Grits ($28), jumbo lump crab cakes ($36), pan-seared scallops ($45)

Where is the best brunch and breakfast in Mount Pleasant, SC?

Page's Okra Grill — Won Best Brunch and Best Shrimp 'n Grits in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll. Ashleigh's Shrimp & Grits — fried cheddar grits, smoked andouille and pan-seared jumbo shrimp — has been featured on the Travel Channel and in Southern Living. Don't skip the house Bloody Mary.

📍 302 Coleman Blvd · Breakfast and lunch weekdays, brunch Sat–Sun, supper nightly · Entrées $16–$42 · Order: Ashleigh's Shrimp & Grits

Big Bad Breakfast — Won Best Breakfast in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll (and was a Best Brunch finalist). From James Beard Award–winning chef John Currence: biscuits baked daily, fresh-squeezed juice and brunch cocktails.

📍 2664 N. Hwy 17, Ste 101 · Breakfast and lunch daily

Vicious Biscuit — Over-the-top biscuit creations at the brand's original location. It won Best Biscuits in the 2025 and 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant polls. Try the Fat Boy: fried chicken, pimento cheese and hot honey.

📍 409 W. Coleman Blvd · Breakfast and lunch daily · Order: the Fat Boy

Water's Edge — The Shem Creek splurge: a Sunday brunch from 10am to 2pm with a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar, Deviled Crab Cake Benedict, big biscuits and gravy, and creek views. The pick when you want ambiance with your eggs.

📍 1407 Shrimp Boat Ln · Lunch and dinner daily, Sunday brunch · Dinner entrées $16–$49 · Order: Deviled Crab Cake Benedict ($20)

Grace & Grit — Southern comfort food meets modern brunch — Sea Island shrimp & grits, fried chicken & biscuit, and a grit flight. It won Best Grits in the 2023, 2025 and 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant polls.

📍 320 Wingo Way · Brunch Sat–Sun, dinner Wed–Sat · Brunch $14–$24

Five Loaves Cafe — A longtime local favorite for a relaxed, unpretentious meal, with half and full sizes on the menu. Sunday brunch is the move for families.

📍 1055 Johnnie Dodds Blvd, #100 · Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat, brunch and dinner Sun · Order: chicken feta burger ($15)

Eggs Up Grill — Opened in August 2026 at Belle Hall, serving breakfast and lunch: egg dishes, griddle combos, bowls, sandwiches, burgers and salads.

📍 608A Long Point Rd · Breakfast and lunch daily · Order: The Classic ($10.99)

See all 10 picks in our full guide to the best breakfast & brunch in Mount Pleasant →

Where should I eat lunch in Mount Pleasant, SC?

Lunch in Mt P runs from counter-service classics to a proper sit-down between meetings. These are the spots locals actually rotate through on a weekday.

For a quick great lunch, locals default to Boxcar Betty's in Indigo Square (the Box Car chicken sandwich ended the "where should we eat" debate) or Graze on Houston Northcutt when the occasion calls for a proper sit-down. But lunch in Mt P deserves more than two picks — we wrote a whole guide.

See our full guide to the best lunch in Mount Pleasant, SC →

Where is the best Italian food and pizza in Mount Pleasant, SC?

Amalfi's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria — Won Best Italian in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll. Tucked into an unassuming shopping center, Amalfi's is a local comfort-food institution: every entrée comes with soup or salad, and the Penne alla Siciliana is the go-to. It's not trendy. It's better than that.

📍 664 Long Point Rd · Entrées $14.50–$28.50 · Order: Penne alla Siciliana ($18.50), ossobuco ($28.50)

SAVI Cucina + Wine Bar — Coastal Italian with housemade pasta and pizza and a serious wine program. SAVI was a Best Italian finalist in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll, won Best Restaurant Wine Selection and tied for Best Happy Hour.

📍 1324 Theater Dr · Dinner daily, plus lunch Fri–Sun · Pizzas from $22, pastas and entrées from $27 · Order: Barolo Braised Short Rib

Abbracci Italian Cuisine & Cocktails — Italian with a Lowcountry coastal accent in north Mount Pleasant. A 2026 Best New Restaurant finalist and a Charleston City Paper Hot List pick (May 2026).

📍 1146 Muhlenbergia Dr · Dinner Wed–Sun · Pastas $26–$41, entrées $35–$56 · Order: Lobster Tagliatelle ($41)

Iggy's Pizza Shop — Won Best Locally-Owned Pizza Place in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll. Hand-tossed pies, wings and garlic knots — the Notorious F.I.G. is the signature.

📍 1220 Ben Sawyer Blvd, Ste H · Dinner Tue–Sat · 16" specialty pies $22–$29 · Order: Notorious F.I.G. ($29)

Woodhaven Pizza — NYC-style pizza from a New Jersey family recipe dating to 1933, plus wood-fired wings and garlic knots. Woodhaven won Best Restaurant Service, Best Budget-Friendly Meal and Best Takeout in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll, and tied for Best Happy Hour (weekdays 4–6pm).

📍 1701 Shoremeade Rd, Ste 620 · Lunch and dinner daily · 16" specialty pies $19.95–$27.95 · Order: The Godfather ($27.95)

See our full guide to the best Italian restaurants in Mount Pleasant →

Where should families eat in Mount Pleasant, SC?

Home Team BBQ — The big winner of the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll: Best Barbecue, Best Ribs, Best Wings, Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant and Best Restaurant to Take an Out-of-Town Guest. Barbecue from several regional styles, oversized picnic tables and a kids' menu.

📍 3563 N. Hwy 17 · Lunch and dinner daily, late-night menu · Platters $13.25–$32.95 · Order: Chopped Brisket Platter ($20.95), full rack of ribs ($32.95)

Other family picks: Woodhaven Pizza (above) was a 2026 Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant finalist, and Melvin's BBQ and Swig & Swine were the other Best Barbecue finalists.

Where is the best sushi and Mexican food in Mount Pleasant, SC?

Locals Sushi & Sports Pub — Won Best Sushi in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll (and was a Best Raw Bar finalist). Sushi and hibachi in a sports-pub setting, with half-price rolls on Mondays from 3pm (dine-in) and a weekday happy hour.

📍 1150 Queensborough Blvd, Ste B · Lunch and dinner daily · Specialty rolls $13–$16, hibachi dinners $18–$27 · Order: Holy City Roll ($16)

Crafthouse North — Co-winner of Best New Restaurant in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll. A craft-beer bar with 12 rotating taps and a full sushi menu from Max Sushi — you order at the bar.

📍 901 Warrior Way · Closed Mondays

Agaves Cantina — Won Best Mexican Restaurant in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll. Carnitas verde, chimichangas, quesadillas and free chips and salsa.

📍 320 W. Coleman Blvd (second location on Hwy 41) · Lunch and dinner daily · Order: carnitas verde

Mezcal — A 2026 Best New Restaurant finalist in Carolina Park, open since March 2025. Quesabirria, carne asada, mezcal salmon and plenty of margaritas.

📍 405 Faison Rd, Ste 101 · Lunch and dinner daily · Most mains $18.95–$24.95 · Order: Quesabirria ($18.95)

San Miguel Mexican Grill & Bar — A 2026 Best Mexican Restaurant finalist known for chilaquiles, street tacos and carnitas.

📍 1711 Shoremeade Rd, Ste 110 · Lunch and dinner daily · Mains $12–$22 · Order: Chilaquiles ($13)

What is the best date night restaurant in Mount Pleasant, SC?

Post House — A coastal tavern and inn in Mount Pleasant's historic Old Village, serving seasonal fare and classic cocktails. It made Charleston City Paper's Top 50 for Summer 2026. Pro tip: the Old Village is the most picturesque neighborhood in Mount Pleasant — stroll it before or after dinner.

📍 101 Pitt St · Dinner nightly, lunch weekdays, brunch Sat–Sun · Dinner $19–$52 · Order: Confit Duck Leg ($38)

Langdon's Restaurant & Wine Bar — Chef Patrick Owens' upscale dinner spot for anniversaries and special occasions, with an excellent wine list. It was a Best Steak finalist in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll, and Owens was a Best Chef finalist.

📍 778 S. Shelmore Blvd · Dinner nightly · Mains $28–$59 (dry-aged steaks run higher) · Order: shrimp & grits ($32), Prime NY Strip ($59)

Opal Restaurant & Bar — California-Mediterranean cooking with housemade pasta and charcuterie — Opal won Best Charcuterie Boards in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant poll. A cozy, stylish pick for a relaxed date night.

📍 1960 Riviera Dr, Ste C · Dinner nightly · OpenTable price range: $30 and under · Order: ricotta gnocchi with shrimp

Also great for date night: NICO for oysters and a serious wine list, Tavern & Table for a sunset table on Shem Creek, and Grace & Grit's dinner menu (all above).

What are the best hidden gem restaurants in Mount Pleasant, SC?

Nick's German Kitchen — A hip little hideaway near the IOP Connector serving schnitzel and spätzle in a striking black-and-white space that feels like nothing else in Mount Pleasant. Reservations are a smart idea, and if the plum cake is on the dessert specials, order it immediately.

📍 1150 Hungryneck Blvd · Dinner Tue–Sat · Entrées $25–$37 · Order: Jägerschnitzel ($28)

Philosophia — Greek and Mediterranean cooking on Houston Northcutt that made Charleston City Paper's Top 50 for Summer 2026. Start with the pesto hummus or Greek pimento cheese; pastitsio, whole branzino and stuffed lamb leg are the mains to know.

📍 909 Houston Northcutt Blvd · Lunch and dinner Tue–Sun · OpenTable price range: $30 and under · Order: pastitsio

Mì Xào Vietnamese Cafe — Sometimes you want a hot bowl of pho without the downtown parking headache. Mì Xào is an unpretentious Vietnamese cafe up Hwy 41 serving pho, fresh summer rolls and noodle dishes.

📍 1055 Hwy 41 · Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat · Mains $13.50–$18.50 · Order: Lemongrass Chicken ($15.50)

Where can I get Southern and Lowcountry food in Mount Pleasant, SC?

Page's Okra Grill — A repeat mention because it deserves one for supper, too. Page's makes its biscuits and sides from scratch and has perfected the art of cooking Southern food simply and extremely well. Don't leave without the shrimp and grits.

📍 302 Coleman Blvd · Supper nightly · Entrées $16–$42

Coleman Public House — A neighborhood pub with 16 rotating taps, good food and the kind of laid-back energy that makes it easy to stay for one more round.

📍 427 W. Coleman Blvd · Lunch and dinner Tue–Sun, plus brunch · Entrées $15–$26 · Order: shrimp 'n grits ($26), fried green tomato benedict ($17)

Red Drum — Chef Ben Berryhill's upscale, Southwestern-influenced Lowcountry restaurant, known for wood-grilled seafood and meats, a lively bar scene and a thoughtful wine list. A 2026 Best Happy Hour finalist.

📍 803 Coleman Blvd · Dinner Tue–Sun, Sunday brunch · Entrées $15–$85 · Order: Thick Cut Pork Chop ($42), Smoked Short Rib Ragu ($34)

Mount Pleasant restaurant FAQs

Where should I eat lunch in Mount Pleasant?

For a quick lunch, Boxcar Betty's chicken sandwiches are the local default. Barbecue fans split between Melvin's and Swig & Swine, SOL covers tacos, Carmen y Juan does home-style Mexican in Park West, and Graze is the sit-down pick when you have a full lunch hour.

What food is Mount Pleasant known for?

Lowcountry seafood — raw oysters, shrimp and grits, and whatever came off the boats on Shem Creek that morning. Barbecue and Southern meat-and-three plates are the other local food groups.

Where is the best seafood in Mount Pleasant?

The Wreck of the Richard & Charlene won Best Seafood in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant reader poll, and NICO Oysters + Seafood won Best Raw Bar. For harbor views instead of creek views, try Charleston Harbor Fish House at Patriots Point.

Where do locals eat on Shem Creek?

Saltwater Cowboys, Tavern & Table and Red's Ice House for the waterfront classics, The Wreck for no-frills fresh seafood, and NICO when you want the polished version.

Where is the best brunch in Mount Pleasant?

Page's Okra Grill won Best Brunch in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant reader poll, and Big Bad Breakfast won Best Breakfast. For creek views, Water's Edge runs a Sunday brunch with a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar.

What's the best date night restaurant in Mount Pleasant?

Post House in the Old Village for the neighborhood-tavern feel, Langdon's for a special occasion, and NICO for oysters and a nicer bottle of wine.

What's a good family-friendly restaurant in Mount Pleasant?

Home Team BBQ on N. Hwy 17 won Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant reader poll. Woodhaven Pizza and Coastal Crust were the finalists.

Where is the best Italian food and pizza in Mount Pleasant?

Amalfi's won Best Italian in the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant reader poll, with SAVI Cucina and La Pizzeria as finalists. For pizza, Iggy's Pizza Shop won Best Locally-Owned Pizza Place, with Woodhaven and Orlando's as finalists.

What are the newest restaurants in Mount Pleasant?

In the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant reader poll, Crafthouse North shared Best New Restaurant, with Abbracci and Mezcal as finalists. Eggs Up Grill opened at Belle Hall in August 2026.

How we pick: local knowledge, reader tips and the 2026 Best of Mount Pleasant reader poll. Addresses, meals and prices come from each restaurant's own website, menu or online ordering page (or OpenTable where noted), checked September 2026. Prices and hours change, so confirm before you go.