Diners' Choice: Best Service restaurants in Charleston

OpenTable

Updated 05 December 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best service in Charleston? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Nick’s German Kitchen

4.9

4.9 (1359)

$31 to $50

Contemporary German

Mount Pleasant

About the restaurant

Featuring scratch-made German specialties like Schnitzel, Spaetzle and more, Nick’s German Kitchen offers an authentic German kitchen infused with a modern vibe. Flavorful, fresh and appealing, Nick’s German will make you rethink everything you think you know about German food! Guten Appetit!

Top review

LynneVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Tops in every way! Superb first time experience. We shared the potato pancake app and every bite was delicious and reminiscent of our heritage. The schnitzels were amazing! Sad that they are not closer to our location!

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4.9

4.9 (1703)

$31 to $50

French

Downtown Charleston

About the restaurant

Maison is a French Bistro located in downtown Charleston, SC. Our concept is food forward with bright, balanced beverages to compliment. Maison's cuisine is inspired by classic French fare recreated with a breath of modernity and local influence. Tradition meets au courant innovation. The space is intimate and paralleled with energy.

Top review

Scott

Dined 3 days ago

Amazing food experience and our host Nate really made it a special evening.

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Experience

Happy Hour at Maison

Burwell's Stone Fire Grill

4.9

4.9 (3614)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Downtown Charleston

About the restaurant

Diners Choice Ten years running, aligned with extraordinary cocktail bar, make this 14 N Market Street stop a must for steak and seafood lovers. Burwell’s is a true leader in progressing hospitality, from use of the entire resource to local ingredients not harmful to our communities or environment. From shrimp to beef, you’ll only taste the best at Burwell’s. One of a kind, unlike any steakhouse back home, and one of the must visits in Charleston. Visit while in the historic Market Distirct.

You can expect a casual, thoughtful design features highlighting Charleston and its rich history throughout. Burwell’s takes great pride in being approachable to all, with high craft memorable food, ensuring guests a warm and welcoming Charleston visit. Don't miss the Wagyu!

Best place to dine in the low country - South Magazine
One of Charleston’s “local favorites” - bon appetit grub crawl

Walk-ins welcome, Burwell’s popular bar is available for full menu dining

Plenty of parking near by

Top review

Jen

Dined 1 day ago

Fantastic service! Great for a date night or celebration.

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Popular dish

8 oz Filet Mignon

Popular dish

Hummingbird Cheesecake

Popular dish

Creme Brulee

Bar Copa

4.8

4.8 (17)

$31 to $50

Mediterranean

Johns Island

About the restaurant

From the vibrant streets of Barcelona to the charming villages of Provence, we observed a common thread—people eating & drinking with purpose & intention. It was the beautifully orchestrated symphony of flavors & traditions that inspired us on a deep level.

The ritual of enjoying low ABV bitter aperitifs during "happy hour," savoring wine with dinner, & indulging in digestivos to conclude a meal—all done with a sense of appreciation & respect for the ingredients & flavors of each region.

These experiences laid the foundation for Bar Copa—a place where we celebrate the Mediterranean way of life through simple, ingredient-driven dishes & a curated selection of low ABV aperitifs, wines, craft cocktails, & beers. Join us on this journey as we bring a taste of the Mediterranean to your table.

Cheers to good food, great company, & of course, a full Copa!

Top review

Melodie

Dined on 4 Dec 2024

We enjoyed this “new to us” restaurant. All four of us liked our food. I know it’s meant to be “tapas” like food but they might want to expand to more items.

Anson

4.8

4.8 (4826)

$50 and over

Southern

Downtown Charleston

About the restaurant

Anson was named one of OpenTable's 50 Best Southern Restaurants in America for 2018 |

Top review

TracyVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Delicious food that is exquisitely prepared and served. Our service this evening was also wonderful, perfect balance of engagement and allowing us to enjoy the time together without interruption. Martinis were exact as always

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Popular dish

Whole Crispy Flounder

4.8

4.8 (2653)

$50 and over

Seafood

Downtown Charleston

About the restaurant

Everything at The Establishment begins with well-sourced ingredients from sea and field. Through developing relationships with local farmers and fishermen, our ingredients will be consistently seasonal, fresh, and pure. Chef Elliott Howells' menu will always reflect a clean, focused, and balanced approach, delivering a selection of thoughtful and refined cuisine.

Located in Charleston’s historic French Quarter a few blocks away from Rainbow Row, Charleston City Market, and Waterfront Park, The Establishment features an award-winning wine cellar, over 150 bourbon and whiskey offerings, and a lively bar scene complete with daily happy hour. We feature Live Music every Friday and Saturday starting at 8:00 PM, featuring multiple local artists performing an array of musical genres. Our private dining rooms are perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, or business meetings. We look forward to hosting you for a casual night out or an elevated dining experience.

Top review

Weldon

Dined 3 days ago

Head chef can be a bit picky when a customer may ask for a favor - favor like splitting a meal - last visit a request to have kitchen split meal but head chef refused to split meal in kitchen - meal had to be split at table (?) - just seems at this type of establishment they would accommodate the customer (?).

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Experience

Ring in the New Year at The Establishment!

O-Ku

4.8

4.8 (2737)

$30 and under

Japanese

Downtown Charleston

About the restaurant

O-Ku, a Japanese restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina, is a triumph of execution and concept. The restaurant's menu is a modern take on traditional Japanese cuisine, and it features fresh, seasonal ingredients that are prepared with care. The dishes are beautifully presented, and the flavors are both complex and delicate. Focused on incorporating authentically Japanese flavors into the fare, O-Ku's menu is comprised of signature contemporary Japanese entrées and traditional sushi of the season reflecting the uniquely designed space. Guests can enjoy chef specialties including kurobuta pulled pork don-buri, braised short rib with shiso pesto, coconut curry, and hakozushi a box-style sushi. A wide variety of nigiri, sashimi and crudos are also available. The beverage program at O-Ku is a sophisticated blend of specialty cocktails, premium sake, bubbles, red and white wines and unique beer selections.

Top review

Jamila

Dined 2 days ago

Yesterday, we celebrated my husband’s birthday at your restaurant, and everything was absolutely perfect! A special thank you to the chef for the complimentary dish and to our waitress for the outstanding service. Thanks to you, we had a wonderful and unforgettable evening. We will definitely be back!

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Oak Steakhouse - Charleston

4.7

4.7 (5542)

$30 and under

Steakhouse

Downtown Charleston

About the restaurant

Located on Charleston's historic Broad Street, Oak Steakhouse is a classic American steakhouse. A classic array of both wet and dry aged Certified Angus® Beef are featured on the menu. Ingredients are sourced locally and regionally from sustainable farmers and fisherman to accent the steakhouse menu. Items including local oysters on the half-shell, Clammer Dave's caper clams and a daily fresh fish selection depending on the season. Other popular dishes include the whole fried lobster, goat.sheep.cow artisanal cheese plate, wedge of Kurios Farms bibb lettuce salad, the house-made pasta and vegetarian plate. The expansive and impressive wine program at Oak Steakhouse emphasizes big California Cabernets and Old World reds from Italy and Bordeaux with more than 200 wines by the bottle and 20 wines by the glass. The bar attracts a loyal, local following from nearby businesses and neighborhoods with its great cocktails and happy hour. Inside a historic bank building that dates back to 1848, Oak's stately setting features three floors with five distinct dining areas. Arched windows, 20-foot ceilings, original metal work, fireplaces and 150-year-old heart pine floors, offers the perfect setting for enjoying a special evening.

Top review

Blake

Dined today

I went to Oak Steakhouse with my family Friday night. The drinks were outstanding in presentation and taste. Our server was great. I had the New York strip which was the best steak I have ever had. I highly recommend coming here for a date night or a fine dining evening with family.

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4.7

4.7 (2365)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Downtown Charleston

About the restaurant

Tempest has been named the country’s #1 new restaurant by readers of USA Today’s travel guide, 10Best. Located on historic Market Street next to sister location, Church and Union Charleston. Tempest features hyper-local, sustainable Coastal Modern-American food, with a seasonal menu curated by Chef Adam Hodgson and Bravo Top Chef Alum Chef Jamie Lynch.
Tempest’s noteworthy raw and roast menu features both chilled and charcoal roasted options, with a variety of meats, fresh produce, and chef curated accompaniments that go beyond the sea, offering a taste for every palate.

Top review

James

Dined 2 days ago

Fantastic experience all around! The service was top-notch, the bar was excellent, and the food was absolutely delicious!

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The King Claw - Charleston

4.7

4.7 (123)

$30 and under

Seafood

West Ashley

About the restaurant

"King Claw is inspired by the low country, viet-cajun style of boil-in-a-bag seafood that retains all the juicy flavor combinations of the sea. We then add our own unique blend of spices to seal the deal. You won’t find our flavor combination anywhere else. We prepare our seafood fresh to order and encourage our patrons to get their hands dirty with our signature seafood combinations. We firmly believe in bonding over great food and drinks with family and friends, and what better way than to dig right in with your hands? Come open up a bag, where the juiciness awaits you."

Top review

CarynVIP

Dined on 7 Dec 2024

The food was tremendous; just what we were hoping for based on the reviews. The GEM in your crown is your adorable server, Lysa! Her knowledge of the menu was outstanding but her CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE skills are 2nd to NONE!! She’s an outstanding representation of someone who enjoys what she does and it shows! We will be back and we will ask to be seated with Lysa if possible! 👍🏻👍🏻

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