Cold Shoulder Gourmet is closing
The sandwich shop at 1684 Old Towne Road in West Ashley is closing at the end of June after four years. Founded in 2020 by Kenyan-born chef Craig Edmunds, the brand will continue through pop-ups, guest kitchens, and new sandwiches. An exact closing date wasn’t announced.
New coffee & cocktail place opening in Charleston
Chef Michael Toscano, owner of Le Farfalle and Da Toscano Porchetta Shop, is opening The Larrikin later this year, an all-day eatery serving espresso and cold brew in the morning, grain bowls and salads midday, and cocktails at night. The 60-seat spot sources coffee from roasters across the Carolinas. It’s currently popping up at Blanca Estrada.
Hungry Howie’s is coming to Goose Creek
The Michigan-based chain known for Flavored Crust Pizza opens mid-July at 134 Saint James Ave. in Goose Creek – its fifth South Carolina location and first in the Charleston area.
Ms. Rose’s is closing
The West Ashley restaurant announced in a Facebook post that it will close on May 30th. The post mentioned rising operating costs and the difficulty of staffing a kitchen.
Cuoco Pazzo is relocating to Oakland Market
The Italian restaurant is relocating from Fairmount Shopping Center to 1181 Oakland Market Road after RCB Development bought the property and tripled rent from $4,800 to nearly $16,000. Owner Davide Davino secured the new space for just over $12,600 monthly, with a larger patio and kitchen. The current location closes July 31; the new one opens around August 1. [Post and Courier]
Lou Lou’s Tavern on the Tracks sets opening date
The restaurant by Dave and Chrissy Lorenz of Epic Hospitality (Mex 1, Islander 71), opens May 21 at The Refinery (1640 Meeting Street Road) in the former Cleats space. To start, the place will serve 20-30 small plates plus four entrees. Hours: 4-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, with brunch and lunch added later.
CudaCo opens new spot
James Island seafood spot CudaCo is introducing a new concept – DECKHOUSE Crudo Wine Bar, located right next to CudaCo at 765 Folly Rd. The new spot will be open Wed-Sun from 3-10 PM and serve bar snacks, ceviche, and crudo alongside wine and beer.
Johnny’s Garage new cheesesteak
The pizza place that opened late last year in Hanahan has a new menu item – Philly cheesesteak with sliced sirloin steak, grilled onions, and Cooper Sharp.
Nigel closes last Charleston location
Nigel’s Good Food closed its final location in Hanahan’s Bowen Village in April, concluding a 15-year run. Owner Nigel Drayton, who began his culinary career at Hyman’s Seafood, opened the original restaurant in 2011 following a catering business launched in 2005. At its peak, Nigel's included three locations and a barbecue outpost, all of which have now closed. Drayton continues to operate Nola’s Creole and Soul in Summerville, which opened in September 2024 and serves select signature items from the Nigel's Good Food menu.
Rodney Scott’s BBQ has closed
The BBQ place closed its King Street location on May 3 "until further notice." According to a report, the closure follows an April 27 breach of contract lawsuit filed in Charleston County, alleging Rodney Scott's BBQ, RSBBQ Partners, Nick Pihakis and affiliated entities failed to repay a $350,000 loan from Itria Ventures.
JINYA Ramen closes Charleston location
The ramen spot at 850 Morrison Drive has closed on Saturday. This was the second location in SC for the ramen chain, which has about 70 restaurants. The Charleston spot was opened in January 2025.
WildFlour Pastry adds lunch menu
The West Ashley spot has introduced new sandwiches, served on its breads & croissants. Some highlights include The Smokin’ Bird: smoked chicken salad, cheddar, pickled red onions, & lettuce served on Croissant, and The Maverick: roast beef, provolone, Swiss, caramelized onions, and arugula, with horseradish mayo served on ciabatta. WildFlour Pastry is located at 1750 Savannah Hwy. Check out the lunch menu, which is available Tuesday – Saturday from 11-3 PM, here.
Mazal has a new menu item
The West Ashley restaurant has added Candy Wrap Kebabs – meat wrapped in a tortilla that is then grilled. The Mediterranean spot is located at 1901 Ashley River Rd.
New BKeDSHop opening in West Ashley
The 4th BKeDSHoP location will open on Mother's Day at 555 Shadowmoss Parkway. BKeDShop, which serves donuts and coffee, has locations in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and Summerville.
Dive In Food and Spirits to open soon
The new neighborhood bar and restaurant is set to open within the next month at 525 Meeting St., the former home of Palace Hotel, which closed in 2025. Co-owned by Fitz Gaines, Lamar Bonaparte, and Tyler Wicker, the restaurant will serve lunch, dinner, and drinks, including house-made burgers, sandwiches, and duck confit fries.
Palmetto Pita opens in Charleston
The new spot at 141 Calhoun St. (across from Marion Square) is the sister restaurant of North Charleston's Istanbul Shish Kabob, owned by Emad Hammad. It serves build-your-own bowls, sandwiches, and wraps with shawarma, chicken kabob, or lamb kofta, plus scratch-made toppings. Seating is limited. Palmetto Pita is open 11 a.m. daily, with Friday and Saturday service until 3 a.m. The spot is closed on Mondays.
Mother’s Ruin opens on Friday
The NYC-based bar with locations in Nashville and Austin, opens April 24 at 474 King St., where The Rarebit operated for 13 years before closing in December. Named after the mid-18th century moniker for gin, the bar kept the space largely familiar and put the Rarebit Moscow Mule on its opening menu. Brunch runs until 4 p.m., with a smashburger, crispy chicken sandwich, French onion grilled cheese, and waffle fries available later. The kitchen stays open daily until 1:30 a.m. Hours are 11 a.m.–2 a.m. Monday–Friday and 10 a.m.–2 a.m. Saturday–Sunday.
The CODfather has closed
After announcing plans to close earlier in the year, the North Charleston fish and chips spot has closed after 13 years. Owner Adam Randall said in a Facebook post that he accepted an offer last week and a decision has been made not to reopen the restaurant.
Dog & Duck Nexton is officially open
The fifth Dog & Duck location is now open at 430 Cross Park Lane in Nexton.
Looking for restaurant recommendations?
Aaron Pennell, an adjunct professor at the College of Charleston School of Business, has launched TasteSignal.ai, a platform that uses AI to rank 240 Charleston restaurants across 16 dining categories based on critical reviews, crowd sentiment, trending data, consistency, and local relevance. Rankings are fact-checked, updated monthly, and include cited sources and confidence scores. April's top overall picks were Wild Common, Chubby Fish, Vern's, Malagón, and FIG. Pennell hopes to scale the platform to other markets and eventually build a mobile app.