Close to the iconic city of Charleston in South Carolina, Mount Pleasant is a charming city that boasts high-quality restaurants. It is also home to Shem Creek, where shrimp and seafood abound and play an important role in the city’s cuisine. Here are ten great restaurants to try when you’re in Mount Pleasant.
Langdon’s Restaurant, led by Chef Patrick Owens, is a place where local ingredients are revisited for a refined and high-quality menu. It takes pride in its attention to detail and elegant approach to food. The restaurant has an intimate atmosphere and impeccable service that ensure you will want to come back time and again. Local seafood definitely shines on the menu, but you will also find delectable meat- based meals and dishes to suit all tastes. As it is also a wine bar, Langdon’s has a wide selection of delicious wines to choose from. Its delicious food and wine and its great atmosphere make for a wonderful dining experience.
With an eclectic menu filled with creative, Southern dishes to fulfill all dietary requirements, Graze is a refreshing addition to the Mount Pleasant food scene. Located inside a shopping center, it is well worth looking for. Once you step inside, you are welcomed by a modern interior, warm atmosphere and delicious food, such as lobster mac n cheese or spicy tuna tataki. A place for ‘creative, casual cuisine’ showcasing local and seasonal ingredients, Graze will surprise and charm you.
A sister restaurant to Langdon’s Restaurant and Wine Bar, Opal offers Californian-Mediterranean cuisine of the same high-standard as Langdon’s – and they take their food quite seriously. Fresh pasta is made in-house, and you will also be treated to local seafood and high quality meat, in the same spirit as Opal’s counterpart. A very recent addition to Mount Pleasant’s range of restaurants, Opal has already become an integral part of the city’s food scene and adds an exotic touch to the local cuisine.
A perfect venue in which to have a typical Lowcountry meal, Page’s Okra Grill was awarded the Best Shrimp and Grits award in the Best of Mount Pleasant Awards in 2014. This family-run restaurant has a wide-range of dishes on the menu, from smoked meats to cakes, and places a lot of importance on variety, with an average of three specials a day, all created by head chef Ashleigh Page.
Metamorphosing into different style venues after darkness falls, Stack’s offers a day and an evening menu consisting of local seafood as well as many other options. They make desserts on the premises, offer a great selection of wine and the owner is never far off to greet his customers. With a simple yet effective menu, Stack’s will enchant serious foodies and culinary novices alike. The seared tuna nachos are a must have.
Describing itself as a ‘part tavern, part inn’, The Old Village Post House offers excellent local food in a cozy yet historic setting that takes you back to the roots of the town. You will feel welcome as soon as you cross the doorstep, but locals know that the hidden treasure lies in the dining area at the back, by the bar – a quiet place for long, friendly conversations surrounded by delicious food. The chef is mindful of where his ingredients come from and strives to make them taste their very best. Stay in their patio area to sit back and enjoy the South Carolina sunshine before you wander out into the neighborhood.
A restaurant with a conscience as well as a taste for good food, the Five Loaves Cafe offers options for vegetarians, gluten free diets and allergies, and sources its food carefully to respect ethical, health and environmental concerns. The food options consist of light meals – you will find salads, soups and sandwiches – and the atmosphere is friendly. Their ethical concerns mean that the owners have had to get creative with their ingredients, which include homemade condiments and mozzarella.
Coleman Public House | Courtesy Coleman Public House
Coleman Public House
Coleman Public House offers a choice of burgers, flatbreads, salads and other dishes which are beautifully complemented by a large selection of beer on tap and wonderful fries cooked in duck fat. The place is welcoming, with colorful and original artwork on the walls and friendly staff.
Despite its name, the Charleston Café is a Mount Pleasant venue known to serve the best brunches or breakfasts in town. Its menu offers traditional breakfast food as well as lunch options with southern influences. Even the classics are given a fresh twist, such as the Southern eggs Benedict, paired with green tomatoes. The owner has filled the place with thoughtful touches, such as fruit and herb infused water and mouth-watering homemade desserts.
At the Mustard Seed, you will find traditional American dishes as well as Middle Eastern and European influences. The wine selection is small but of very good quality. The Sicilian owner, after falling in love with the state of South Carolina, opened the Mustard Seed, the first of five other restaurants in Mount Pleasant alone. He brought with him from Italy his passion for cooking, and though he is not a Mount Pleasant native, he has learnt to master the region’s best ingredients and recipes. Be sure to leave enough room for the coconut cake when you stop by, it would be a shame to miss it.
