Charleston Beer, Wine & Booze

Upper King · $ · bar food, burgers

The Post and Courier's alphabet guide gives it the letter A and calls it one of the oldest of the city's dives, 37 years old when the guide ran. After a fire burned its original location it moved to 467 King Street in 2000, ahead of the redevelopment that became the Upper King nightlife district. The paper notes pool tables, affordable drinks, and that it is one of few downtown places serving food after midnight ... a dozen burgers, cheesesteaks, loaded fries and nachos.

Upper King · canned cocktails, frozen drinks

Four barstools in an alley. The owner group, Charleston-born Holy City Hospitality, says the bar is nestled between 39 Rue de Jean and Coast Bar & Grill on Hutson Alley, with only 4 barstools inside and more seating outside on the alley. It pours canned cocktails, beer and wine plus two frozen drinks, a Bourbon Cheerwine Slushie and the house Hutson Alley Hooch, and small bites come over from Coast. The group pitches it as the stop before dinner or before a show next door at the Charleston Music Hall.

Upper King

Dudley's is the LGBTQ bar on Ann Street, just off Upper King. City Paper readers named it Best LGBTQ Bar for 2026, and its Dragified show won Best Drag Show.

Upper King

Forte is a ticketed jazz room on Upper King with one set on Wednesday and Thursday and two on Friday and Saturday. It was the Jazz & Blues Club runner-up in City Paper's 2026 readers' poll.

Upper King · $$ · seafood, oysters, fried chicken, southern

Leon's opened in early 2014 in a converted auto body shop on upper King Street, per The Post and Courier; the venue calls it a former garage. It comes from Brooks Reitz and Tim Mink, the team behind Melfi's and Little Jack's Tavern. The house list is fried chicken, oysters, salads, cheap beer, soft serve, rosé on tap, frozen gin and tonics and grower champagne. City Paper prints the full name as Leon's Fine Poultry & Oysters. It was named a Bib Gourmand in the inaugural MICHELIN Guide American South on 3 November 2025.

Upper King · $ · bar food

Where the people who make the drinks go for one. In City Paper's September 2026 survey of local beverage professionals, an Indaco bartender said that when he wants something casual he will most likely be at Recovery Room Tavern, and another finalist for the paper's 2026 Best Bartender came up working there. The Post and Courier lists it among the city's quality dives alongside The Griffon, Cutty's and Burns Alley.

Upper King

Republic is a garden bar and lounge on Upper King with live DJs and VIP table service. Its site quotes City Paper calling it a fabulously stylish mothership on King Street.

Upper King · bar food

The Brick calls itself a Charleston sports bar, on Ann Street just off Upper King, open until 2am every day. It was the Sports Bar runner-up in City Paper's 2026 readers' poll.

Upper King · pizza, pub food

Uptown Social opened on Upper King in 2018 and calls itself a cornerstone of the King Street scene, with live music every night, pub fare and Brooklyn-style pizza by Anthony Falco.