Best Restaurants in Charleston for Curbside Pickup, To-Go, and Delivery
The coronavirus pandemic required that local businesses adapt to a new “normal” and develop new protocols, an unprecedented, mountainous task. The determination, innovation, and patience of our Lowcountry hospitality community have truly been inspiring. Not only are many Charleston local restaurants (and coffee shops) continuing to serve the food we love so much, but they’re helping others weather this storm, too.
We at Grit & Grace have so much gratitude for all those food and beverage employees working so hard to safely bring us our favorite comfort foods during this stressful time (there’s no shame in eating your feelings when you’re eating local, y’all).
We want to return the favor: we are giving any F&B employees who are working curbside pickup a free mask. We see you, we appreciate you, we want to keep you safe.
Charlestonians, it is more important than ever to acknowledge the “pearls” of our community, who have brought light and beauty to these gritty times. Let’s do our part to give our favorite restaurants the support they need!
Folks, charge your iPhone, pore over these mouth-watering menus, and savor some Holy City eats in the comfort of your home.
Charleston Breakfast Bites
Huriyali
Hallelujah for Huriyali keeping us locals eating fresh and healthy. Organic smoothies, colorful buddha bowls, and nutrient-packed acai dishes serve up all the vitamins a body needs. Call or order online and pick up at Huger St.; they will give you a nourishing bowl to-go to chase away your quarantine blues.
Pearl: The incredible team at Huriyali raised over $1,000 in 3 days for Lowcountry Food Bank!
The Daily
As always, The Daily is keeping things fresh. Whether it's a smoked salmon toast you’re craving or a pita filled with chicken shawarma, this Lowcountry bodega is boxing up your favorite comfort food.
A bonus: get your local groceries, too! Restocking Charleston staples like Stoney Farms eggs, whole roasted Joyce Farm chicken, and gallons of fresh milk is as simple as ordering online and pulling up at the white tent in their spacious parking lot.
Pearl: When you purchase a bag of grocery essentials, they give a $10 grocery bag to an F+B member in the community.
Holy City Coffee and Sweets
Kudu Coffee & Craft Beer
The coffee is strong and fresh (did you know they roast their own single-origin coffee bean?), and the pastries are still stocked. Kudu Coffee & Craft Beer jumped full swing into curbside pickup coffee (and beer too, of course) with their trademark hip edge. Although the patio will remain closed, the Vanderhorst St. entrance door is open. Simply place your order at their designated sanitation counter, and they’ll hand over that Instagram-worthy latte.
City Lights Coffee
French Quarter folks, fear not, you needn’t travel far for your caffeine fix. City Lights Coffee doors are open, and the lovely smell of roasted Springbok coffee beans wafts over Market Street. One of the comfiest cafes in town, you may miss the lively chats with Gregg Lambert as he pulls you an espresso, but you can still support his coffee crew!
WildFlour Pastry
Don’t worry, sugar addicts, Chef Lauren Mitterer is still baking her infamous Caramelized Apple Turnover at WildFlour Pastry. Try a blueberry lemon scone on your porch with a cup of joe to boost your mood. You can call ahead to have any of your favorite baked goods warmed in the oven and “accidentally” eat them during the car ride home.
Pearl: Wildflour teamed up with Feed the Need’s Pay It Forward program, providing grocery bags for F+B workers. Your $10 donation puts food on the table for F&B community members and helps support local farmers affected by COVID-19.
Lowcountry Boozy Bites
Edmund’s Oast
Not only is the Edmund’s Oast team bringing out ol’ favorites of Executive Chef Bob Cooks’ (like his infamous Italian Sandwich), but in addition to the weekday menu, they roll out the weekend “Porch Picnic”, which includes everything from fried chicken, aged cheeses, to coconut pie, and wine and beer… People, this is fine dining brought right to your doorstep.
Pearl: Edmund’s Oast partnered with Winebow to bring free lunch to 40 F+B workers!
Monarch Wine
Booze to go with a smile from the beloved Monarch Wine staff. Give ‘em a call, tell ‘em what you dig, and pull up curbside upper King Street. They’ll bring it right to your car. Even better: you can call them to have them deliver the bottles right to your door! Somehow this seems like this is how wine shopping should always be.
Asian Fusion
Bon Banh Mi
Can you say quarantine happy hour? The folks at Bon Banh Mi have always served some of the best happy hours snacks on Spring Street. On Fridays, they’re offering half-off sandwiches and tacos for MUSC workers from 4 PM -7 PM. On Sunday, these guys honor our hardworking food + bev scene by giving them half-off the whole menu all day. If you haven’t tried a Vietnamese taco with Nuoc Cham, now is the time. Use curbside pickup or Uber Eats for delivery.
Pearl: Bon Banh Mi has delivered lunches to healthcare heroes at MUSC and Roper St. Francis, and they are also collecting donations of kids’ drawings to donate to hospitalized patients in isolation.
Grab the chopsticks and put on some hip tunes. The Okonomiyaki is coming straight to you via Grubhub, or you can grab it via curbside pickup. Here’s a hint: fry your own egg to add on top of this notorious Japanese-style pancake! Follow their ever-evolving creations on Instagram.
As always, this family restaurant is rolling out some of the freshest sushi in the city. Order a “COVID Survival Kit” of beer, wine, and sake: mix and match any 6 items and receive 15% off. And if you’re running low on toilet paper, you can snag a free roll of TP with any order of 5 rolls of Shiki sushi. Sounds like the perfect excuse to binge on that Shi Ki SC Roll to us!
Basil
Give in to your pad Thai craving. Basil is still serving up all the local favorites like the Tom Sum Papaya Shrimp Salad, and the Pad See-Eu flat rice noodle stir-fry. Per their Instagram, Basil is currently offering dinner service only between 5 PM-9 PM.
Pizza
What differentiates Fridays from other days during quarantine? Pizza, duh. The Bakers Bar at 1 Broad is worth your dough, but make sure to pre-order your pie: they’re only dishing up ‘za on Fridays. Check the short and sweet menu @bakersbarchs, e-mail them your order by Thursday 11 pm, and pick it up on Friday. Keep in mind with that 18” pepperoni (or cheese/veggie), you can get a $10 growler fill.
D’Allesandro’s
Of course, we know you’ll be craving some ‘za on other days, too, and D’Allesandro’s is serving their extensive menu of Charleston favorites like the Public Educator and the Red Headed Salami. The D’Allesandro’s brothers would sling pies through an apocalypse, and you can grab yours through online ordering for curbside pickup or delivery.
Pearl: The hard-working D’Allesandro’s team delivered free pizza to workers at every grocery store downtown last week. That’s our community at its finest.
Full on goodness and ready to offer more help? To support the local economy and to support Charleston local food, we urgently need to reach members of Congress and ask them to fix the Paycheck Protection program (PPP). The PPP loans to small businesses help pay their employees during the COVID-19 crisis. The issue: independent restaurants are not receiving help. The Los Angeles Times reports, “The hospitality industry has fared poorly; despite being among the hardest hit, only 9% of loan approvals have gone to ‘accommodation and food services,’ according to the SBA.”
We need this fixed! We’re stronger together, so let’s join our voices and be heard. Visit The Independent Restaurant Coalition to learn more, and do your part for our foodie city.
One Love & Blessings,