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You Must Try South Carolina’s Best Small Town Restaurant

Author Melanie Day

While I live in Charlotte I’ve made the backroads drive through South Carolina to Myrtle Beach numerous times. And even down 77 to Columbia or in route to I-95 south. That journey takes you past some small towns. And while I’m typically a “don’t stop unless it’s absolutely necessary” traveler I often look at some of the nonchain restaurants I pass and think “I bet that place is good”. Unfortunately, if I do stop it’s almost always going to be somewhere with a drive-through as I just want to get home or to my destination. But these types of restaurants are almost always delicious. So when I stumbled across this article about the best small-town restaurants in each state I was intrigued.

The list comes from Taste of Home. And their pick for the best small-town restaurant in South Carolina? It’s Front Porch Country Restaurant, Richburg. And this is exactly what I expect when thinking about small-town restaurants. According to its website Front Porch Country Restaurant was “farm to table before it was cool”. It’s a family-owned spot that was established in 1984 in an old farmhouse.  Joe Pop and Libby Gaston have always specialized in Southern home cooking. And the fried chicken and sweet iced tea are the local favorites and a must-have!

The menu includes meat and vegetable plates with fried chicken, baked chicken, fried pork chops, and fried flounder offered daily. There are also daily specials that include dishes like meatloaf and chicken and dumplings. Additionally, you can get salads, sandwiches, bbq plates, and vegetables. Don’t plan your visit early in the week however, Front Porch Country Restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. You can view the full menu here! And be sure to look at the photos of the food (may make you hungry though!)

Taste of Home also raves about the fried chicken and sweet tea. They compliment the “modest price point” and I have to say it is refreshing to see in a world where you can’t seem to eat anywhere for less than $20 a person.


View the full Taste of Home Best Small Town Restaurants list here.

These South Carolina Restaurants Were Nationally Recognized As Hidden Gems

There are restaurants that deservedly receive a lot of attention and publicity. And typically for great reason. But now it’s time to delve into some different restaurants. Not necessarily the newest or the trendiest, but definitely some of the best. And these three restaurants in South Carolina are wonderful hidden gems. They were named amongst the top 25 hidden gem restaurants on TripAdvisor’s recently released Best of the Best list. This list is nationwide so to have any restaurant included is impressive, but to have 3 of the 25 is certainly something to be proud of.

The most surprising part of this? The three restaurants recognized by TripAdvisor are in three different cities. Typically we see Charleston receiving this recognition time and time again. And while it’s deserved (and one of these places is in Charleston), it’s also nice to see other South Carolina cities getting some love! All three restaurants are on the coast though. Not only was South Carolina recognized North Carolina also had two restaurants named as the best of the best hidden gems. If you aren’t good at math- that 20% of the best restaurants are in one of the two Carolinas.

Other states that got some love include New York, Tennessee, and Florida. Each of those states had multiple restaurants make the list as well. How were these restaurants selected for this top 25 list from TripAdvisor? TripAdvisor says that the Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best restaurants have “a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews” from users over a 12-month period. Fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor’s 8 million listings are awarded Best of the Best. You can read the full list and more about the 3 South Carolina Hidden Gems Award winners here. Love a restaurant and want us to highlight it? Let us know on social media!

Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.

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