This SC restaurant ranks among the South’s top ‘bucket list’ destinations. Here’s why
A South Carolina restaurant serves “dock to table” seafood — and people can’t wait to eat there.
So much so, the dining spot now ranks on a list of the top 15 restaurants that Southern Living readers would love to try.
“One of our favorite reasons to travel within our region is in search of the best restaurants,” the magazine wrote in a March 4 report. “Our regional cuisine, from soul food to barbecue, is famous around the world. And while many try to replicate our food, nothing comes close to comparing to the excellent dishes you can try at legendary restaurants across the South.”
Southern Living said it created the rankings as it sought to find out which Southern restaurants top people’s “bucket lists.” In late February, it posed the question on Facebook, garnering about 200 comments and dozens of reactions. Editors studied the responses and restaurants’ online reviews as they determined the winners, a spokesperson told McClatchy News via email.
What makes the SC restaurant desirable?
Charleston isn’t a stranger to being recognized as a favorite place for travelers to visit. It also has ranked as one of the top U.S. destinations for food lovers, McClatchy News reported.
“While there are dozens of bucket list-worthy restaurants in Charleston, the one that came up time and time again when we polled our readers was Chubby Fish,” the magazine wrote. “Chef/Owner James London’s creative small plates featuring local seafood and produce are absolute stunners, as are the raw bar offerings like the popular Caviar Sammich.”
Chubby Fish also serves dishes ranging from rainbow trout to chili garlic shrimp. The restaurant said its rotating menu features “fresh catches straight from the Atlantic Ocean and local rivers.” It launched in 2018, and people still flock to the city for a chance to eat at one of its 40 seats.
“If you want to dine here, arrive early,” Southern Living wrote. “The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, so folks start lining up at 4 p.m. to be the first ones in the door when they open at 5 p.m.”
Chubby Fish topped “bucket lists” after Food & Wine magazine in April named it one of the nation’s best places to eat. More recently, the restaurant was a semifinalist for a prestigious James Beard Award.
This time around, Chubby Fish was the only place in South Carolina to earn a spot on the Southern Living list, which wasn’t organized in ranked order. The other winning dining destinations were located across the South, including in the culinary hot spots of New Orleans and Savannah, Georgia.
In the past, Southern Living has told McClatchy News it focuses on the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.
This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 9:28 AM with the headline "This SC restaurant ranks among the South’s top ‘bucket list’ destinations. Here’s why."
