Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Charleston, South Carolina area by diners
Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Charleston, South Carolina area by diners
There's just something about a hamburger鈥攆rom the way the juices from the freshly grilled meat gently dribble down your chin as you take that first bite of the succulent patty to the way the cheese curves along the sides, melting slowly over the ground-beef goodness placed gently between two buns.
While a burger's je ne sais quoi may defy definition, one thing is certain: Americans love hamburgers. According to a 2024 YouGov survey, burgers are among the top three , tied with fried chicken and bested only by French fries. As further proof of hamburgers' dominance in America, chains where burgers are the star of the menu generated $110 billion in sales in 2024, according to the annual . Based on a of the Technomic report, that accounts for more than a quarter of the total sales among all Top 500 chains and more than double sales from chains where chicken is the main attraction.
The burger's origins stretch far beyond America, however. Named after Hamburg, a region in Germany known for its cattle, the Hamburg steak was the first step toward what would become . Served on a plate (sans buns, if you can believe it), the steak was said to have become popular during the Industrial Revolution after an . To make the food easier for the workers to eat on their breaks, a now unknown cook sandwiched the steak between two pieces of bread, and the rest, as they say, is history.
While it may never be proven when and where the hamburger was first invented, the deliciously simple sandwich is here to stay. But who serves the best burger today? You'll find many restaurants around the U.S. that claim they do, from in Chicago and New York to The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based chain that USA Today in America.
Of course, those restaurants may not be in your neck of the woods. To find the best of the best in your area, compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Charleston area based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of March 2025. Restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "burgers" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Charleston were included. As a result, many restaurants featured may primarily serve other food items besides burgers. Also, to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with at least five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Keep reading to see if your favorite burger spot made the cut鈥攐r maybe you'll find your new favorite on this list!
#30. Planet Follywood
- Rating: 3.6/5 (83 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 32 Center St. Folly Beach, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
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#29. Triangle Char & Bar
- Rating: 3.6/5 (361 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 828 Savannah Hwy Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: New American, Bars, Burgers
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#28. Sesame Burgers & Beer
- Rating: 3.7/5 (358 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 675 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, American
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#27. JohnKing Grill & Dueling Pianos
- Rating: 3.8/5 (393 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 428 King St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: American, Burgers, Piano Bars
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#26. Melvin's BBQ - James Island
- Rating: 3.8/5 (175 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 538 Folly Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Barbecue, Burgers, Sandwiches
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#25. Big Billy's Burger Joint
- Rating: 3.8/5 (448 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5070 International Blvd. North Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
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#24. Cabana Burgers & Shakes
- Rating: 3.8/5 (193 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1801 Crowne Commons Way Johns Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Salad, Sandwiches
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#23. Carolina Butcher & Beer Garden
- Rating: 3.8/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 604 Coleman Blvd. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Beer Gardens, Salad, Burgers
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#22. Fuel Charleston
- Rating: 3.9/5 (767 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 211 Rutledge Ave. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Caribbean, Burgers, Tacos
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#21. The Tattooed Moose
- Rating: 3.9/5 (204 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4845 Chateau Ave. North Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Beer, Wine & Spirits, Burgers
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#20. Poe's Tavern
- Rating: 4.0/5 (1278 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2210 Middle St. Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, Beer, Wine & Spirits
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#19. Bodega Todo
- Rating: 4.1/5 (29 reviews)
- Address: 218 President St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Mexican, Burgers, Bars
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#18. Big Gun Burger Shop and Bar
- Rating: 4.2/5 (276 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 137 Calhoun St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
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#17. Come Back Shack
- Rating: 4.2/5 (85 reviews)
- Address: 1132 Bowman Road Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, fast food
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#16. Sesame Burgers & Beer
- Rating: 4.2/5 (665 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4726 Spruill Ave. North Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, American, Beer Bar
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#15. Neighborhood Tap House Dorchester
- Rating: 4.3/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5101 Ashley Phosphate Road Ste 101 North Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, New American
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#14. The Pub On 61
- Rating: 4.3/5 (60 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2366 Ashley River Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Pubs, Chicken Wings, Burgers
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#13. Commonhouse Aleworks
- Rating: 4.3/5 (166 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4831 O'Hear Ave. North Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Breweries, Barbecue, Burgers
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#12. Hugh-Baby's
- Rating: 4.3/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1028 St. Andrews Blvd. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Barbecue
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#11. Coleman Public House
- Rating: 4.3/5 (580 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 427 West Coleman Blvd. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, Fish & Chips
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#10. Victor's Lab
- Rating: 4.3/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: Johns Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Food Trucks, Burgers
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#9. Bumpa's
- Rating: 4.3/5 (314 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5 Cumberland St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Gastropubs, Cocktail Bars, Burgers
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#8. Fam's Brewing
- Rating: 4.4/5 (249 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1291 Folly Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Breweries, Burgers
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#7. Moe's Crosstown Tavern
- Rating: 4.4/5 (241 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 714 Rutledge Ave. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: American, Burgers, Wraps
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#6. Sissy Bar
- Rating: 4.4/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 1067 East Montague Ave. North Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Tacos, Burgers, Cocktail Bars
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#5. The Southern General
- Rating: 4.4/5 (264 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3157 Maybank Hwy Unit East Johns Island, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches
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#4. Betty Lou's Bistro
- Rating: 4.5/5 (175 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2408 Ashley River Road Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
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#3. H & R Sweet Shop
- Rating: 4.6/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 102 Royall Ave. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Soul Food, Chicken Wings
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#2. Heavy's Barburger
- Rating: 4.6/5 (204 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1137 Morrison Drive Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
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#1. Smash City Burgers
- Rating: 4.9/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 47 Cooper St. Charleston, South Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Fish & Chips, Food Trucks
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.