Weekend Getaway: Charleston, South Carolina

This coastal South Carolina city is one of the country's most exciting places to eat and drink. Plus, a can't-miss breakfast sandwich in Davenport, Iowa.

Greetings! This month, our featured destination is Charleston, South Carolina. We will be spotlighting the bars and restaurants that make that city such a delight to visit. Plus, we’ll also send along some dispatches from other parts of the country, including the Berkshires, where a New Orleans couple is bringing Big Easy flavors to their rural cafe and market, and Oregon, where a Portland cocktail bar is putting a focus on the classics.

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JOE RILEY WATERFRONT PARK

CHARLESTON, SC - When you want a vacation focused solely around eating and drinking, it’s hard to top Charleston, South Carolina. The historic port city is one of our favorite American travel destinations, not only for the sheer number of terrific restaurants, but also because of its manageable size — if you stay on or near King Street, many of the best places to eat and drink are walkable or a short Uber ride away.

On a visit to Charleston for a beverage convention, the conference hotel (the very conveniently located Hyatt Place Charleston) was right next door to The Ordinary, a lovely seafood restaurant located in an old bank. The Ordinary happens to have a fantastic rum-focused bar, so we found ourselves posted up there to start each evening with a couple of daiquiris and freshly shucked oysters.

Since then, we have returned to Charleston again and again, and while the Ordinary continues to play a key role in our daily itinerary, we’ve found other places we love as well.

Here are some of our Charleston favorites.