#Answered: Top Golf, German food, + Swedish furniture.
Say what you will about Charleston, but it’s impossible to deny its appeal. The historic charm + small-town-that-feels-like-a-big-city vibe make it one of the most popular cities in the country for transplants.
But even with all it does have to offer, it still can leave something to be desired– so we asked our readers to share the businesses on their ‘Charleston Wish List.’
You guys responded with a ton of suggestions– from addressing the lack of authentic ethnic food to lamenting the absence of a Cheesecake Factory (because, come on, how are you gonna fight with Drake at Cheesecake if you’ve gotta drive all the way to Charlotte to do it?).
Listed below are some of the most popular– and the most interesting– suggestions.
Ethnic food
Chinese dim sum | Photo by Unsplash
We have to start out by addressing the Thai Elephant in the room: Charleston, one of the biggest hospitality hubs in the world, is lacking overall in the ethnic food department. And this was not lost on y’all. By far, the call for more authentic, ethnic cuisine was the loudest.
What you said: “We’ve got it covered when it comes to southern food & pizza, but when it comes to really good ethnic food (Indian, Ethiopian, Pakistani, real Chinese dim sum, Salvadoran, German) we’re really lagging behind. –Queens of the Food Age
Most popular picks: German + Indian restaurants, Italian bakeries
Honorable mention: “Someone would KILL it down here with dim sum. DIM SUM BRUNCH??? Whuuuuudt!” –Lindsey Henderson
Top picks from transplants
Ikraveit Foods in Queens, NY | Photo by @astoriaqueensnyc
Two-thirds of the CHStoday team moved here from New York– so we get that it’s possible to fall in love with Charleston while missing a few northern comforts. And while I personally may be a South Carolina native, I totally stand behind each one of these ideas.
Most popular picks:
- NYC-style delis (for those who are unfamiliar: imagine a bodega that has a deli counter + quite possibly a stray cat wandering around inside)
- Legit, NYC bagels (more on that issue over here)
What you said:
An all-you-can-eat-sushi restaurant. “I’ve never seen one outside of the NJ/NY area in general, but they are amazing! Typically for $25-$30 you can order all the apps, rolls, and sashimi for your table as you want. And not cheapo rolls—the real deal. I think people here would go crazy for it!” –Alyssa Russell
Ice cream stands. “We have fabulous homemade ice cream everywhere in the northeast. This place has so few ice cream stands. I am surprised that, in such a warm climate, it is so lacking.“ –Suzanne Jacket
Maryland-style crab. “This recent MD transplant is desperately craving MD style seasoned steamed crabs and wondering why no one hear has them!? I also still have yet to find a true jumbo lump crab cake.” –Cathy Caulk
Chain restaurants
The Cheesecake Factory | Photo by Twenty20
First things first: We know what you’re thinking, local foodies, and you need to hear us out on this.
Here’s our defense of the local love for chains that are anything but local:
- Chains guarantee you can skip the fuss of not knowing what’s on the menu or what kind of atmosphere a place is going to have
- I dare any local restaurant to provide the quantity + variety of complimentary bread as offered at Cheesecake Factory
- They’re almost always guaranteed to be kid-friendly
Glad we got that out of the way. Now, on to the most popular picks:
- Cheesecake Factory | Mid-scale chain restaurant specializing in cheesecakes + the aforementioned complimentary bread, along with a food menu so gigantic and varied it reads more like a novel. Seriously: it even includes an entire section devoted to something called Glamburgers– which, upon closer inspection, appear to just be regular ole’ hamburgers… so there’s that.
- Dave + Buster’s | You’ve seen the commercials, right? It’s an arcade + sports bar that has food.
- Sweet Tomatoes | San-Diego based chain with all-you-can-eat (drink???) soup. 🍜
- WaWa | A PA-based convenience store that offers a surprising variety of fresh food. Usually open late, if not 24/7.
- Rush’s | This Columbia, SC fast food joint serves up fried chicken, BBQ sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs + milkshakes. It exists as close as Orangeburg– and we agree it needs to open in Charleston.
Entertainment
Top Golf | Image provided by @upstatebiz + Baxter Imagining
The people have spoken, + they have overwhelmingly called for Top Golf. And large amusement parks. (I may have vouched for y’all on the whole chain restaurant thing, but all I’m going to do here is provide a kind reminder that Myrtle Beach is right up the road).
A few other top picks:
- A large amusement park
- A bar / dance club / restaurant geared toward the 40+ crowd
- More kid-friendly activities
Honorable mention: A natatorium. “One that can house swim meets on a local, collegiate and national level as well as providing state of the art and updated facilities for the public.” –Sharon Gallagher
Retail
Today I learned that Nordstrom Rack isn’t cutting it for CHStoday readers. While there were requests for other department stores, (shoutout to Macy’s), Nordstrom reigned supreme.
Most popular picks:
What you said: Charming Charlie. “It’s an entire store of color-coordinated, glittery, sparkly wonderfulness, where you’ll never find anything over $40. It’s my own personal heaven.” –Abby Young
Wegmans. “The best way to describe Wegmans is that it’s like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Harris Teeter all rolled up into one, but even better.” –Geraldina Visconti
Fitness
You know what they say: It’s all about the journey, not the destination. Unless you’re just trying to get a quick workout in. And that seems to be the consensus when it comes to exercise: some neighborhoods need more options. Affordable options.
What you said: Yoga to the People. “With boutique workout facilities and the cost of living here, gym memberships are extremely pricey, making it hard to afford! Yoga to the People’s mission is to make yoga available for all, so some classes are donation based and others are just real cheap. It was $5 a class when I lived in NYC and I absolutely loved it.” –Alysha Duff
“A gym with the bungee cords for exercise!"–Stephanie Carswell
Etc.
We’ll leave you with a few more ideas didn’t fall neatly into any of the above categories, but we thought were cool.
- A 24-hour bookstore/internet cafe
- A shoe repair shop
- A late-night pizza window
And, last but not least…
“Tenderloin sandwiches. Are you there, food trucks?” –Deb Dennis
At the top of my own Charleston Wish List: a Japanese-style Karaoke bar, complete with private rooms for groups. Bonus points if Bill Murray will hang out there, a la Lost in Translation.
My go-to Karaoke song? Glad you asked. It’s a tie between Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” + Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.” Just gotta read the mood of the crowd.
–Jen, Multimedia Producer
