Tom- https://theobstinatedaughter.com/ would be a good choice for several of the meal slots you have.
cheers
Been going to Kiawah annually for a long time now, Iāll offer my thoughts on dining. Caveat, small sample size (only eat out for dinner 2-3x a trip) and I havenāt tried a lot of the newer spots, especially in Bohicket Marina. And of course, dining around Kiawah wonāt compare to what Charleston has to offer. Also, Iāll second Kinfolk for delicious chicken!
Jasmine Porch (at the Sanctuary Hotel): I think this is the best of the hotel / public golf course restaurants. Really nice setting, solid upscale southern dining. Also, if youāre not staying there Iād recommend going before dinner (or staying after depending on when you eat) to enjoy a drink at the lobby bar and strolling around. Beautiful room / hotel.
Hegeās: Surprisingly solid French cuisine at the shopping village near the island entrance. Havenāt been in a few years, but itās survived ~15 years and Yelp reviews look pretty good so I trust the food is still very good!
Ocean Course Ryder Cup Bar: Good for a casual meal with upscale bar fare / burgers etc. And great setting at the Ocean Course if you want to see it without spending a small fortune to play it 
Thereās also a fancier restaurant there but never been.
Kiawah Island Club: If you know anyone whoās a member and can get you a reservation, they have great dining at all the facilities. Cassique golf course probably the best of them, and great clubhouse setting
Further out: Fat Hen, Royal Tern, Wild Olive. I havenāt tried any of these, but thereās a stretch about halfway between Charleston and Kiawah with a bunch of restaurants and Iāve heard excellent things about these 3 from multiple friends. Again, itās a drive from Kiawah and hence Iāve never botheredā¦some of those roads are not great to drive at night especially after a glass or two.
Not sure what the COVID policy is down there, so might make sense to book some reservations well ahead of time if restaurants are limiting capacity
Cheers!
Great info Toby.
Thanks much!
All good, but that road is no fun at night.
went to charleston last month. Husk for sunday brunch was solid. Delaney oyster house was decent. The Ordinary was excellent. believe it or not, my least favorite meal was Fig. having never been there before, i thought the room was a shithole and not in an ironic way. service sucked and food had some big hits but also some misses.
Weāre doing one night in Charleston at the end of Sept on the way to Banner Elk NC. It will be a Tuesday so thinking getting a reservation may not be too hard. I was thinking about Fig, Husk, The Ordinary. Is the town corkage friendly ? We will probably do an early lunch the next day. We were thinking either Rodney Scott for BBQ or Leonās for Seafood ?? We saw the profile on RS on Chefās table and would like to stop by but we also love seafood and Leonās looks great.
Fred, Iāve posted about FIGās corkage policy in previous Charleston threads, but itās $40 per bottle, if I remember correctly, and it doesnāt matter if you order another bottle of wine or glasses from the menu. The house policy rules which is fine. I think that Husk is $20 per bottle and there is some wiggle room with other purchases from the wine menu, so it may depend on the server. I canāt recall eating at the Ordinary, but most places in Charleston have reasonable corkage.
We were in Charleston the week of July 4 (and we are heading back in 2 weeks), but I thought that the recent meal at Husk was excellent. I would highly recommend checking out Chez Nousā Instagram account for their daily menu during your stay. The menu is usually posted before lunch. Itās a limited menu, but if something catches your eye, go! You will not be disappointed. FIG was good in July and I think that we have reservations at FIG and Husk during our upcoming stay.
I would suggest Leonās for lunch. Oysters and fried chicken with grower Champagne is always a good thing. We usually grab to go from Lewis BBQ on our way out of town, but they were closed on July 4 with a covid case, so we tried Rodney Scottās. We ordered a number of items and I thought that the pulled pork was excellent, but my preference is Lewis for BBQ. If you have a cooler, I would suggest grabbing some brisket, hot guts, etc. from Lewis on your way out of town to Banner Elk.
James
Donāt delay if looking for FIG res.
Leonās is great.
Scottās in Hemingway blows away the Chas location.
Agree, I would do Lewis.
Chas cases are way down btw, BUT schools start at max capacity in a week.
James/Scott- thank you ! Husk it is for dinner. Iāve been to the one in Nashville. The menu posted yesterday looked awesome.
Probably Lewis for lunch before we head out of town.
Scott- are you on the east coast of Fl ?
And I really donāt consider Leonās a seafood restaurant. If you are looking for seafood, we usually eat at 167 Raw during our visits. As a local, Iām sure that Scott can provide a few more seafood recommendations as well.
list of 100 best restaurants came out and many from Charleston: https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Restaurants-cFineDining-g191
Scott- any thoughts on the tasting menu at Zero ? Iāve got a buddy who loves it. The menu looked great.
We havenāt done Zero but are big fans of Wild Common (sister restaurant I think?)
Of course we havenāt eaten out anywhere this year.
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Not Scott, but we dined at Zero. Loved how the menu looked, but execution wasnāt the best. Probably my least favorite meal of our visit. We enjoyed meals at the Grocery much more and the Grocery has a big outdoor tent in the back to dine safely.
hitting Charleston for a few days later this month - our 3 nights of dining look like FIG, Renzoās and Leonās. Probably do 167raw for lunch one day. Want to see Wine & Co for afternoon cheese and wine.
any thoughts on those or places I should consider?
Iām a big fan of Edmundās Oast. A must stop when Iām town. Fun space. Great charcuterie program. Leans more beer, but interesting wines, too.
Had a couple of very good times at Renzoās in the fall prior to Covid. And Leons is always a good choice.
thanks! I saw Edmundās Oast, Iāll see if we can work it in. short trip, unfortunately
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edmunds oast atmosphere (outside) is nice, beer not so much.
im one of the few that does not like fig. dining room looks like trash and not in an ironic way. a makeover is overdue.
the Ordinary is excellent.
Sorry Iām not more help. We still arenāt eating out yet.
Kirk, I have never been to Renzoās or Wine and Co., so I canāt offer much intel on those specific spots. 167raw, FIG and Leonās are great. Not knowing your schedule, I will offer that 167raw is closed on most Sundayās, so plan or double check accordingly. We last visited Charleston the first weekend in February, but we made the mistake of assuming 167raw would be open on Sunday. They were not and I was disappointed in my lack of planning skills. Actually, I wanted to go to 167raw on Saturday for lunch and save Chez Nous for Sunday lunch, but I was overruled. Also, 167raw is renovating the former Fulton Five restaurant space as a cocktail lounge.
We enjoyed Leonās, FIG, Chez Nous, Zero George and 82 Queen (167raw replacement) in February. As I continuously mention, check Chez Nousā instagram page mid morning. If something catches your eye on the limited menu, go, you will not be disappointed. Speaking of Charleston we are planning to return for Easter weekend. Canāt wait.