Brunch All Day: Historic Downtown Charleston

Brunches are sumptuous by nature, so it stands to reason they are largely defined as a weekend treat. But when you’re vacationing in Charleston, every day is a “weekend” deserving of such indulgences. Sweet and savory dishes that please the eye and palate, accessorized by a brunchy cocktail or coffee drink, are all-day specialties at some of downtown’s most beloved cafes. Omelets and crepes at 2 in the afternoon on a Wednesday? It’s no problem when you dine at one of these nine Charleston restaurants in historic downtown.

Big Bad Breakfast

456 Meeting St. 

Bring your big, bad hunger to this brunch hub and fill up on scratch-made fare like house-cured Tabasco brown-sugared bacon, creamy stone-ground grits, biscuit sammies, steak and eggs, wraps, and a variety of skillets. Accessorize with a refreshing mimosa or spicy bloody mary.

Brunch on this: Avocado toast with sliced avocado, arugula, pico de gallo, chili flakes and twin poached eggs paired with the Buena Vista Irish coffee—BBB’s take on the famed coffee cocktail from San Francisco’s Buena Vista Cafe

Eli’s Table

129 Meeting St.

Lowcountry influences and local ingredients appoint many of the brunch choices at this fine Charleston classic. Start with a fried green tomato napoleon to share, then move on to a wild mushroom omelet, ham and brie croissant or Charleston red rice risotto topped with fresh fish and crawfish butter.

Brunch on this: Lowcountry Benedict layered with fried oysters, wilted spinach, poached eggs, tasso gravy and breakfast potatoes paired with a mimosa

Ruby Sunshine

171 East Bay St. 

The new kid on the block is no stranger to Big Easy brunchers who have been patronizing its New Orleans sister restaurant, Ruby Slipper, since 2008. This Charleston spin-off offers a kaleidoscope of flavorful dishes with a decidedly Cajun flair: From bayou shrimp Benedict to crawfish and grits cakes to the rum-flambéed bananas Foster pain perdu, Ruby Sunshine is a bright light on the local brunch scene. The Tex-Mex offerings aren't too shabby, either.

Brunch on this: Sweet heat chicken with French toast bites and fresh strawberries paired with a bacon bloody mary

Millers All Day

120 King St. 

Celebrate the morning or afternoon with a sublime selection of expertly prepared frittatas, quiches, biscuits and more, as well as a variety of house-baked muffins, pies, scones and other treats. Craft cocktails make fine accompaniments for just about anything.

Brunch on this: Hot honey chicken donut with house pickles and peach preserves paired with a Miller High Life pony

Toast All Day

155 Meeting St.

Downtown staple with a solid lineup of brunchy things like shrimp and grits, house-made corned beef hash with eggs, decadent stuffed French toast, mimosas, bloodys, coffee drinks and a seemingly endless offering of dishes that toggle the breakfast/lunch divide.

Brunch on this: Sweet tea chicken biscuit paired with a fresh-brewed latte

Poogan’s Porch

72 Queen St. 

This darling of the downtown dining scene offers lots of Charleston atmosphere and the food to go with it. Heavenly biscuits, she-crab soup, shrimp and grits, cornmeal-fried pickled okra and full-blown Southern plates brimming with breakfast faves keep the customers coming back time and again.

Brunch on this: Chicken and waffles served with sorghum butter and paired with Poogan’s bloody mary

Sweetwater Cafe

137 Market St. 

Bustling headquarters for generously stuffed grilled omelets, banana pecan pancakes, Benedicts, crab cakes, soups, salads and a host of tasty offerings.

Brunch on this: Signature fish (choice of salmon or catfish) and creamy grits appointed with Sweetwater’s spicy brown gravy