The 39 Best Restaurants in Charleston

"Expansive, filled with the scent of corn tortillas and sizzling steak on hot platters, this restaurant, tucked in beside a brewery and some tech companies in a warehouse district, is an example of the classic Tex-Mex roadhouse or cantina. Fajitas are seasoned well and tender, the mixed grill centerpiece of mesquite grilled steak is enough to share alone (not even counting the shrimp and quail), and the Rancho Grande—a 22-ounce ribeye, topped with garlic lime butter—rivals many of the steakhouse offerings in town, much with beans and onion rings. Beyond that, the Christmas Burrito topped with red and green chile sauce has been a Charleston favorite since the inception days of this restaurant, in a courtyard trailer at Lewis BBQ, and the green chile pozole is a hearty and well-seasoned example of the form. All in all, Rancho Lewis follows the genre script, doing classic Tex-Mex dishes classically well." - Stephanie Burt