Where my foodies at? Because this post is for you.

I don’t eat out much at home—I’d rather spend that money on trips!—so it’s a treat to eat out when I’m traveling. In my trip research phase, I do look at restaurant options. But overall, I like to keep it more spontaneous and just find an appealing place to eat when my stomach tells me it’s time.

Back in March, I spent 5 days in Charleston as a fashion week volunteer. (Read about that experience here.) Because I had a set volunteer schedule AND worked from my hotel room a few mornings, I wound up being less spontaneous with my dining choices on this trip. It worked out, though, because my Google research had me salivating over a handful of eateries right in the areas I wanted to explore.

And all of them were wins, so I feel the need to share. Let’s talk food.

MOD PIZZA

I ate here on Pi Day (had to) aaaannnnd again two days later. It was that good. Anyplace with a fully customizable menu gets bonus points from me. While there are a few signature menu item options, I went the create-your-own route – with the pizza and a salad. Pie-wise, you’ve got two size options: the mini 6” or the standard 11”. Then go nuts with the toppings; they’re unlimited.

What I recommend: red sauce, feta, spinach, roasted broccoli, roasted red peppers, and mushrooms.

BEECH

My trip to Charleston was literally back-to-back with my Hawaii vacay – which means I was still dreaming of poke and acai bowls. And that, my friends, is why I went to Beech. The menu is basically an ode to poke and acai. As a bonus, the poke bowls are completely customizable, too. Bonus points earned. It felt (and tasted) like I was back in Hawaii, just without the b-e-A-c-h.

What I recommend: POKE BOWL with ahi tuna, zucchini noodles, pineapple, and shredded carrot; ACAI ‘Beech Bowl’ topped with granola, banana, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, pineapple, and raw honey drizzle.

P.S. I also ate here twice. Again. That good.

VERDE

As its name suggests, Verde is all about the greens – in the form of big, customizable (seeing a trend here?) salads. You can even have it chopped! Not feeling salad? Put it in a wrap. Or, order soup. The options are aplenty, and everything is farm fresh.

What I recommend: A create-your-own salad with baby spinach, kale, shredded carrots, edamame, jicama, broccoli, dressing of your choice, and a slice of fresh bread on the side.

(No photos from Verde. Sorry!)

BASIC KITCHEN

Now, I don’t consider myself to be very basic, but Basic Kitchen might just be my favorite of the places I ate. Tough call, but yeah. I’m gonna go with Basic. The ambiance is charming. Quintessential Charleston. I claimed a seat at the bar during the lunch rush and enjoyed the elevated, centralized view of the entire dining room while finishing off every last bite of my meal. Not to sound like a broken record, but it was THAT good.

What I recommend: The ‘Basic Bowl’ with brown rice, sesame kale, grilled sweet potatoes, braised beans, and Brussels sprouts. OMG. So not basic on flavor.

Friends, if you find yourself in Charleston and ANY of these places sound remotely delicious… go and make your taste buds happy. All are centrally located – on or near the popular King Street – so chances are you’ll walk past one or more of these food spots and remember that I told you to eat there. And then you’ll go in. Or, at least I hope you will. Because I like you and want your taste buds to be happy. You’re welcome.

Have you visited Charleston? Which restaurants would you recommend?