Roofer in North Charleston, SC

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) terminated some leases for federal offices in the Carolinas and Georgia.

According to the department’s website, DOGE canceled nearly 800 leases across the country.

Below is a list of locations in the Carolinas and Georgia:

DEPT. OF AIR FORCE - NORTH CHARLESTON, SC - ANNUAL LEASE: $725,132 ($0 TOTAL SAVINGS)

SAVANNAH RIVER OPERATIONS CENTER - AIKEN, SC - ANNUAL LEASE: $42,225 ($200,568 TOTAL SAVINGS)

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - GREENWOOD, SC – ANNUAL LEASE: $154,546 ($141,668 TOTAL SAVINGS)

OFFICE OF U.S. ATTORNEYS - COLUMBIA, SC – ANNUAL LEASE: $942,986 ($1,257,315 TOTAL SAVINGS)

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION - GREENVILLE, SC – ANNUAL LEASE: $128,616 ($375,131 TOTAL SAV

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - ROANOKE RAPIDS, NC – ANNUAL LEASE: $24,000 ($0 TOTAL SAVINGS)

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION - GREENSBORO, NC - ANNUAL LEASE: $107,197 ($348,390 TOTAL SAVINGS)

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - ELIZABETH CITY, NC - ANNUAL LEASE: $200,937 ($887,470 TOTAL SAVINGS)

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE - GREENSBORO, NC – ANNUAL LEASE: $731,294 ($2,376,707 TOTAL SAVINGS)

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - FRANKLIN, NC - ANNUAL LEASE: $276,309 ($1,059,184 TOTAL SAVINGS)

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - GREENVILLE, NC - ANNUAL LEASE: $374,170 ($997,787 TOTAL SAVNGS)

BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS & EXPLOSIVES - RALEIGH, NC – ANNUAL LEASE: $142,636 ($0 TOTAL SAVINGS)

DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT (IG) - RALEIGH, NC – ANNUAL LEASE: $64,157 ($74,850 TOTAL SAVINGS)

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION - GREENSBORO, NC – ANNUAL LEASE: $10,928 ($14,571 TOTAL SAVINGS)

CORPS OF ENGINEERS, CIVIL - WILMINGTON, NC - ANNUAL LEASE: $53,011 ($83,934 TOTAL SAVINGS)

FARM SERVICE AGENCY - COUNTY - HENDERSONVILLE, NC - ANNUAL LEASE: $111,756 ($0 TOTAL SAVINGS)

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS ADMINISTRATION, WAGE AND HOURLY DIVI - RALEIGH, NC – ANNUAL LEASE: $122,754 ($480,785 TOTAL SAVINGS)

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE NATIONAL OFFICE - WILMINGTON, NC - ANNUAL LEASE: $319,571 ($239,678 TOTAL SAVINGS)

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE - GOLDSBORO, NC – ANNUAL LEASE: $113,418 ($160,675 TOTAL SAVINGS)

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE NATIONAL OFFICE - FAYETTEVILLE, NC – ANNUAL LEASE: $154,235 ($38,559 TOTAL SAVINGS)

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION - RALEIGH, NC – ANNUAL LEASE: $306,333 ($612,666 TOTAL SAVINGS)

FARM SERVICE AGENCY - COUNTY - WILKESBORO, NC – ANNUAL LEASE: $104,475 ($0 TOTAL SAVINGS)

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY - CHARLOTTE, NC - ANNUAL LEASE: $104,520 ($0 TOTAL SAVINGS)

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY - CHARLOTTE, NC – ANNUAL LEASE: $67,647 ($146,568 TOTAL SAVINGS)

FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION - GREENSBORO, NC - ANNUAL LEASE: $24,855 ($16,570 TOTAL SAVINGS)

CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL - ATLANTA, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $2,473,060 ($2,060,883 TOTAL SAVINGS)

FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION - ATLANTA, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $446,286 ($0 TOTAL SAVINGS)

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION - ATLANTA, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $223,483 ($0 TOTAL SAVINGS)

ALLOWANCE TO FORMER PRESIDENTS - ATLANTA, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $128,233 ($544,991 TOTAL SAVINGS)

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - COLUMBUS, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $51,023 ($25,512 TOTAL SAVINGS)

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - GAINESVILLE, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $506,527 ($1,688,423 TOTAL SAVINGS)

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - VIDALIA, GA – ANNUAL LEASE: $228,757 ($285,947 TOTAL SAVINGS)

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - BRUNSWICK, GA – ANNUAL LEASE: $215,383 ($341,023 TOTAL SAVINGS)

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION - THOMASVILLE, GA – ANNUAL LEASE: $289,139 ($819,228 TOTAL SAVINGS)

FOREST SERVICE - ATLANTA, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $1,399,770 ($2,799,539 TOTAL SAVINGS)

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE NATIONAL OFFICE - SAVANNAH, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $427,511 ($855,022 TOTAL SAVINGS)

UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE - ATLANTA, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $738,352 (NO INFO ON SAVINGS)

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION - ATLANTA, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $634,642 (NO INFO ON SAVINGS)

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION - DULUTH, GA – ANNUAL LEASE: $184,341 ($553,023 TOTAL SAVINGS)

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE NATIONAL OFFICE - MACON, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $241,967 ($282,295 TOTAL SAVINGS)

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION - SAVANNAH, GA – ANNUAL LEASE: $97,739 ($407,246 TOTAL SAVINGS)

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY - NORCROSS, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $559,009 ($1,350,938 TOTAL SAVINGS)

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE - GRIFFIN, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $30,810 ($0 TOTAL SAVINGS)

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS ADMINISTRATION, WAGE AND HOURLY DIVI - SAVANNAH, GA – ANNUAL LEASE: $39,214 ($163,394 TOTAL SAVINGS)

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE - ATLANTA, GA – ANNUAL LEASE: $487,199 ($1,908,196 TOTAL SAVINGS)

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY - ATLANTA, GA – ANNUAL LEASE: $77,081 ($160,585 TOTAL SAVINGS)

BUREAU OF PRISONS - ATLANTA, GA – ANNUAL LEASE: $863,726 ($431,863 TOTAL SAVINGS)

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY - ATLANTA, GA - ANNUAL LEASE: $665,692 ($0 TOTAL SAVINGS)

Copyright 2025 WHNS. All rights reserved.

Charleston is and has always been a “happy hour city,” with establishments providing discounted libations and appetizers to get the party started in the late afternoon. But what makes a happy hour essential? These Charleston destinations provide the best deals on booze and bites, along with an environment fit for socializing with the group. Next time, when the afternoon hits, head to one of these 14 Charleston establishments.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

The Tattooed Moose serves some of the best bar food around, and corn dogs and duck fat fries are only $2.50 during happy hour. A 16-ounce can of PBR will only set you back $1.50 and shots of Jameson are $4. Happy hour runs Monday through Saturday, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Where else can you find $1 oysters and $2.50 glasses of bubbly? Pier 41 in Mount Pleasant might be the only spot around. There’s always a special here, including half-priced wine on Wednesdays. Be sure to have that Uber lined up.

Edmund’s Oast calls it “Sad Times Happy Hour.” From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, customers can order the following items for half off: frozen drinks, house draft beer, curly fries, fish sauce and vinegar chips, and Korean chicken “dunkaroos.”

Neighborhood spot Herd Provisions offers an expansive happy hour menu from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Saturday. Find a $8 Old Fashioned, $5 sliders, 50-cent deviled eggs, and 50-cent chicken wings.

Newcomer the Archer now has a daily happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Meeting Street restaurant offers $10 espresso martinis, $10 daiquiris, $8 wines, $6 beers, and $5 fried oyster sliders.

Rutledge Avenue dive bar Moe’s Crosstown has a generous weekday happy hour, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The unpretentious service features PBR for $1.75 and appetizers like mac and cheese bites, mozzarella sticks, and jalapeno poppers for $5.

From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., you can score a super cold mini martini (a tiny ‘tini) at Babas on Cannon for just $5. These gin cocktails may be small, but they pack a punch. The best deal in town is on Fridays when Babas hosts an apertivo hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with free snacks like olives, boquerones, tapenades, dips, and plenty of bread and chips.

Monday through Friday, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Italian restaurant Indaco offers $7 glasses of wine and pints of beer, as well as discounts on polpette, flatbread, and a margherita pizza. This is a great jumping off point for King Street adventures.

Head towards Shem Creek, because French seafood spot Nico features $5 glasses of wine and beer. Happy hour goers can also sip discounted champagne while munching on $1.75 oysters. Discounts apply Monday through Friday, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Jazz Age bar Prohibition offers happy hour from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and it includes discounted snacks (try the wings) and $7 house cocktails and wine.

Stop by Mexican spot Pink Cactus from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., from Tuesday to Saturday, for tequila and taco hour for $7 margaritas and $5 queso and tacos. The patio is a perfect place to end the day.

Catch Estadio’s happy hour quickly (it’s only from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.), because you don’t want to miss the gin and tonics for only $5. Try the Sevillana version with orange gin, Aperol, and orangey Sweatman tonic. There’s also $5 sangria and a $5 snack bowl.

Sandwich emporium Da Toscano Porchetta Shop offers happy hour every day from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Stop in for a $9 cocktail and pick up dinner to go.

Seafood spot Delaney Oyster House offers discounted drinks and snacks on Monday through Thursday, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oysters are $2.50 and a martini will only set you back $10.

The Tattooed Moose serves some of the best bar food around, and corn dogs and duck fat fries are only $2.50 during happy hour. A 16-ounce can of PBR will only set you back $1.50 and shots of Jameson are $4. Happy hour runs Monday through Saturday, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Where else can you find $1 oysters and $2.50 glasses of bubbly? Pier 41 in Mount Pleasant might be the only spot around. There’s always a special here, including half-priced wine on Wednesdays. Be sure to have that Uber lined up.

Edmund’s Oast calls it “Sad Times Happy Hour.” From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, customers can order the following items for half off: frozen drinks, house draft beer, curly fries, fish sauce and vinegar chips, and Korean chicken “dunkaroos.”

Neighborhood spot Herd Provisions offers an expansive happy hour menu from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Saturday. Find a $8 Old Fashioned, $5 sliders, 50-cent deviled eggs, and 50-cent chicken wings.

Newcomer the Archer now has a daily happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Meeting Street restaurant offers $10 espresso martinis, $10 daiquiris, $8 wines, $6 beers, and $5 fried oyster sliders.

Rutledge Avenue dive bar Moe’s Crosstown has a generous weekday happy hour, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The unpretentious service features PBR for $1.75 and appetizers like mac and cheese bites, mozzarella sticks, and jalapeno poppers for $5.

From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., you can score a super cold mini martini (a tiny ‘tini) at Babas on Cannon for just $5. These gin cocktails may be small, but they pack a punch. The best deal in town is on Fridays when Babas hosts an apertivo hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with free snacks like olives, boquerones, tapenades, dips, and plenty of bread and chips.

Monday through Friday, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Italian restaurant Indaco offers $7 glasses of wine and pints of beer, as well as discounts on polpette, flatbread, and a margherita pizza. This is a great jumping off point for King Street adventures.

Head towards Shem Creek, because French seafood spot Nico features $5 glasses of wine and beer. Happy hour goers can also sip discounted champagne while munching on $1.75 oysters. Discounts apply Monday through Friday, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Jazz Age bar Prohibition offers happy hour from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and it includes discounted snacks (try the wings) and $7 house cocktails and wine.

Stop by Mexican spot Pink Cactus from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., from Tuesday to Saturday, for tequila and taco hour for $7 margaritas and $5 queso and tacos. The patio is a perfect place to end the day.

Catch Estadio’s happy hour quickly (it’s only from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.), because you don’t want to miss the gin and tonics for only $5. Try the Sevillana version with orange gin, Aperol, and orangey Sweatman tonic. There’s also $5 sangria and a $5 snack bowl.

Sandwich emporium Da Toscano Porchetta Shop offers happy hour every day from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Stop in for a $9 cocktail and pick up dinner to go.

Seafood spot Delaney Oyster House offers discounted drinks and snacks on Monday through Thursday, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oysters are $2.50 and a martini will only set you back $10.

Three members of the City Council in South Carolina’s third-largest city accepted kickbacks and bribes to give out grant money and rezone land or lied about what they knew, federal prosecutors said Wednesday,

Charges against North Charleston councilmen Jerome Heyward, Sandino Moses and Mike A. Brown along with five others were announced Wednesday after a yearlong investigation by the FBI and state officials.

Heyward took a $40,000 kickback from two nonprofit organizations in return for steering to them part of a $1.3 million grant to fight gun violence in North Charleston, according to court documents.

Heyward and Brown were part of a scheme by a boat maker to rezone land on the Ashley River in North Charleston that was once a hospital and before that a fertilizer plant to sell to a boat manufacturer. The company offered to build a park but also wanted a plant on the site.

The councilmen accepted bribes to try to get the rezoning passed and by that time the FBI was listening to Heyward’s call, catching Brown saying he was annoyed it was taking too long to get his money because he needed to pay for his son’s wedding, prosecutors said.

The rezoning plan was rejected.

Moses also took money to support the rezoning. He returned it, but he lied about the offer and what he knew about his fellow councilmen being on the take, according to charging documents.

Heyward is charged with extortion, bribery and wire fraud. Brown is charged with bribery and wire fraud, and Moses is charged with lying to federal investigators.

Heyward and Moses plan to plead guilty to their charges on Friday, acting U.S. Attorney for South Carolina Brook Andrews said.

A lawyer for Heyward didn’t comment Wednesday. The other councilmen and their lawyers didn’t immediately respond. Heyward and Moses have resigned from council, North Charleston officials said.

“The allegations in this case describe a profound betrayal of trust,” Andrews said at a news conference. “These council members used their positions not to serve their communities, but to enrich themselves.”

North Charleston is South Carolina’s third-largest city with about 125,000 people. Mayor Reggie Burgess thanked the FBI and state investigators for their work to make sure residents remained certain with their city government. He said the city fully cooperated with the investigation.

“Transparency and accountability remain core principles of this administration, and we welcomed this review as a necessary step to uphold those standards,” Burgess said.

More often than not, tipsters, readers, friends, and family of Eater have one question: Where should I eat right now? What are the new restaurants? What's everyone talking about? While the Eater 18 is a crucial resource covering old standbys and neighborhood essentials across the city, it is not a chronicle of the "it" places of the moment. Enter the Eater Heatmap, which will change continually to highlight the spots crowds are flocking to at the moment or generating a big buzz. Folks are asking, "Have you been yet?" Try one of these newbies today.

This month, chef Sean Brock’s Joyland location joins the list.

For all the latest Charleston dining intel, subscribe to Eater Charleston's newsletter.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Chinese American restaurant Jackrabbit Filly moved up the street to a bigger dining room and more prominent location. With the move comes a more extensive menu with exciting new options. Karrage, dumplings, and fried rice are still on the menu, but now there’s also a crab rangoon cheese ball, mapo tofu vol au vent, spicy Korean gnocchi, and Sichuan seafood wonton soup.

The couple behind Wagener Terrace hangout Berkeley’s recently opened their second restaurant, the Archer. They want it to have the same neighborhood vibes but raise the stakes with a full bar and fine dining-level comfort plates. Chef Paul Farmer (formerly of Three Sirens), puts out plates like duck frites, baked oysters, beef stroganoff, chicken liver mousse, and chilled crab dip.

Chubby Fish (most recently visited by Martha Stewart) has smartly expanded into the space next door with another cozy nautical space, but this time, the team is focused on world-class cocktails from Christian Favier (formerly of the Ordinary). Rum figures heavily on the list, but there’s also a delicious smoked dirty martini and plenty of fizzy drinks thanks to a fancy Japanese Suntory highball machine. Customers can order snacks from the ever-changing menu, including oysters, crudos, agnolotti, Iberico ham, and more.

Legami is a new Italian restaurant boasting a chef brought in from Rome by a family with roots in Turin, Italy. Washington Street Hospitality, which controls three Pasta Beach restaurants in New England, thought the King Street building would be another location for Pasta Beach, but decided to switch it up once they got into the historic building. Chef Andrea Congiusta cooks modern Italian fare with some influences from France. “We took inspiration from the classic fine dining, but we also want to have something fun, something that looks very fancy, and something you can crave,” says Congiusta. Dishes include king crab tagliolini, beef Wellington, and veal Milanese.

Modern steakhouse Marbled & Fin is giving all the other steakhouses a run for their money. The expansive dining room fills nightly with well-heeled customers ready to see and be seen. On the menu, chef Eucepe “Cepe” Puntriano includes all the steakhouse classics plus an emphasis on seafood dishes for non-meat eaters. Look for seafood towers, wedge salads, wagyu beef, bone marrow with oysters, creamed spinach, and more.

Superstar chef Sean Brock has brought his fast-casual burger/biscuit joint to the Lowcountry. Joyland is Brock’s fun nod to the fast-food joints of yesteryear. Breakfast includes all types of biscuit sandwiches and a breakfast burrito. The lunch and dinner menu includes the Joyburger Deluxe, fried chicken sandwiches, Chicago dogs, Crustburgers, and Joysticks. Most of the menu items can be made gluten-free.

Chef Micheal Toscano recently opened a taco shop next to his Italian restaurant Le Farfalle. Blanca Estrada is Toscano’s ode to his Mexican mother and grandmother, whose cooking was an early influence on his culinary journey. The kitchen offers a selection of tacos, from cochinita pibil to lengua, several specials, like a lamb neck burrito, and several tequila drinks and pineapple vinegar soda.

Ice-cold martinis with a side of caviar set the vibe at By the Way, a new upscale lounge and restaurant in Cannonborough/Elliotborough hoping to draw a slightly more mature clientele away from King Street. It’s from Uptown Hospitality Group, the folks behind hotspots like Uptown Social and Bodega, in partnership with Craig Conover and Austen Kroll, two stars of Bravo TV’s Southern Charm. Fairly intimate with the feel of an old-world tavern, By the Way serves a menu of trendy pub fare like ’nduja deviled eggs, poutine, fried oysters with caviar, and steak frites.

Charming new hotel the Dunlin offers sweeping views of the Kiawah River, abundant hospitality, and coastal Southern fare in its signature restaurant, Linnette’s. Chef Michael DeCicco puts out dishes like a pressed and pickled watermelon salad, wood-fired oysters, cornmeal-crusted flounder, and a sorghum-benne lacquered steak with charred okra.

Chinese American restaurant Jackrabbit Filly moved up the street to a bigger dining room and more prominent location. With the move comes a more extensive menu with exciting new options. Karrage, dumplings, and fried rice are still on the menu, but now there’s also a crab rangoon cheese ball, mapo tofu vol au vent, spicy Korean gnocchi, and Sichuan seafood wonton soup.

The couple behind Wagener Terrace hangout Berkeley’s recently opened their second restaurant, the Archer. They want it to have the same neighborhood vibes but raise the stakes with a full bar and fine dining-level comfort plates. Chef Paul Farmer (formerly of Three Sirens), puts out plates like duck frites, baked oysters, beef stroganoff, chicken liver mousse, and chilled crab dip.

Chubby Fish (most recently visited by Martha Stewart) has smartly expanded into the space next door with another cozy nautical space, but this time, the team is focused on world-class cocktails from Christian Favier (formerly of the Ordinary). Rum figures heavily on the list, but there’s also a delicious smoked dirty martini and plenty of fizzy drinks thanks to a fancy Japanese Suntory highball machine. Customers can order snacks from the ever-changing menu, including oysters, crudos, agnolotti, Iberico ham, and more.

Legami is a new Italian restaurant boasting a chef brought in from Rome by a family with roots in Turin, Italy. Washington Street Hospitality, which controls three Pasta Beach restaurants in New England, thought the King Street building would be another location for Pasta Beach, but decided to switch it up once they got into the historic building. Chef Andrea Congiusta cooks modern Italian fare with some influences from France. “We took inspiration from the classic fine dining, but we also want to have something fun, something that looks very fancy, and something you can crave,” says Congiusta. Dishes include king crab tagliolini, beef Wellington, and veal Milanese.

Modern steakhouse Marbled & Fin is giving all the other steakhouses a run for their money. The expansive dining room fills nightly with well-heeled customers ready to see and be seen. On the menu, chef Eucepe “Cepe” Puntriano includes all the steakhouse classics plus an emphasis on seafood dishes for non-meat eaters. Look for seafood towers, wedge salads, wagyu beef, bone marrow with oysters, creamed spinach, and more.

Superstar chef Sean Brock has brought his fast-casual burger/biscuit joint to the Lowcountry. Joyland is Brock’s fun nod to the fast-food joints of yesteryear. Breakfast includes all types of biscuit sandwiches and a breakfast burrito. The lunch and dinner menu includes the Joyburger Deluxe, fried chicken sandwiches, Chicago dogs, Crustburgers, and Joysticks. Most of the menu items can be made gluten-free.

Chef Micheal Toscano recently opened a taco shop next to his Italian restaurant Le Farfalle. Blanca Estrada is Toscano’s ode to his Mexican mother and grandmother, whose cooking was an early influence on his culinary journey. The kitchen offers a selection of tacos, from cochinita pibil to lengua, several specials, like a lamb neck burrito, and several tequila drinks and pineapple vinegar soda.

Ice-cold martinis with a side of caviar set the vibe at By the Way, a new upscale lounge and restaurant in Cannonborough/Elliotborough hoping to draw a slightly more mature clientele away from King Street. It’s from Uptown Hospitality Group, the folks behind hotspots like Uptown Social and Bodega, in partnership with Craig Conover and Austen Kroll, two stars of Bravo TV’s Southern Charm. Fairly intimate with the feel of an old-world tavern, By the Way serves a menu of trendy pub fare like ’nduja deviled eggs, poutine, fried oysters with caviar, and steak frites.

Charming new hotel the Dunlin offers sweeping views of the Kiawah River, abundant hospitality, and coastal Southern fare in its signature restaurant, Linnette’s. Chef Michael DeCicco puts out dishes like a pressed and pickled watermelon salad, wood-fired oysters, cornmeal-crusted flounder, and a sorghum-benne lacquered steak with charred okra.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A celebrated local chef is bringing his culinary talent to the national stage this month by appearing on season 22 of Bravo’s ‘Top Chef.’

Chef Shuai Wang, owner of two Charleston area favorites, Jackrabbit Filly, and King BBQ, will compete against 14 other cooking pros from around the country while on location in Canada.

The first episode of ‘Top Chef: Destination Canada’ will air March 13 at 9 p.m. Eastern on Bravo.

This year’s winner will be rewarded $250,000, an appearance at Aspen’s Food & Wine Classic, and the opportunity to host an exclusive dinner at the James Beard House, among other things.

Initially, Shuai was invited to apply for a role in the long-running competition, but he hesitated at first.

“I was unsure because I’m not a competitive person in nature, so I was like, “Oh, do I want to do this,” Shuai explained. “But then I thought about all the different opportunities ‘Top Chef’ would bring to me personally and our businesses and I thought this is such a great opportunity and cannot be missed.”

Despite Shuai not being naturally competitive, he has become a decorated chef, being named an Eater Young Gun in 2016 and Best New Chef the same year.

Short Grain, a food truck formerly run by Shuai and his wife Corrie, was designated by Bon Appetit as one of America’s Top 50 Best New Restaurants in 2016.

The following year, Shuai was nominated for a prestigious James Beard Award in the ‘Rising Star Chef’ category.

Shuai’s success led him to open Jackrabbit Filly, a place that blends heritage drive Chinese cuisine with American fare, and later King BBQ, self-described as ‘Chinatown BBQ with Southern smoke.’

The BBQ fusion spot was designated as one of the Top 10 Best New BBQ Restaurants of 2024 by Southern Living Magazine and one of the 2024 Top 20 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appetit.

‘Top Chef’ season 22 was filmed last year, with the team traveling to places like Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, Canmore, and Prince Edward Island.

Before joining the show, Shuai said he had grown ‘stale’ as a chef, cooking the same food daily. But the idea of winning a hugely popular cooking competition was reinvigorating.

“I just felt like I was rejuvenated and just like my brain was turning again,” he explained. “Afterwards, I felt so inspired coming back, and I wanted to cook new things.”

As soon as Shuai arrived home, it was back to business. Jackrabbit Filly was opening at a new location with a new menu.

With his mind spinning, Shuai added dishes to the new menu that he previously thought he couldn’t pull off.

“Instead of the same old thing we’d been cooking for the past, I don’t know, five years, we came up with all these new menu items that, you know, I didn’t think I was able to do,” he said.

Some Jackrabbit menu items include the krab rangoon cheese ball, soy garlic karaage-don with Japanese fried chicken, soft egg, and honey garlic soy sauce, and the Sichuan seafood wonton soup.

Who wouldn’t be inspired when learning from eight-time James Beard Award winner Tom Colicchio, season 10 ‘Top Chef’ winner Kristen Kish, and culinary expert Gail Simmons?

“Kristen was probably who I was most intimidated by because you know she’s been on Top Chef, she’s went to the bottom, she fought her way, back all the way to the top,” Shuai said.

The culinary industry has been known to be a cut-throat and challenging environment, as seen in popular television shows like ‘The Bear’ and ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ which highlight how intense the food world can be. Having that spotlight on the industry has led to change throughout the years, though.

“Going into ‘Top Chef,’ I had that mindset of “Oh, everyone’s going to be butting heads, everyone’s going to be competing,” but you know, I think because the industry has changed so much that it wasn’t so much that,” Shuai explained. “There’s still a competition; we’re still competing, and we’re still going against each other, but I just feel like, as chefs now, we get along much better than we used to.”

That often ruthless environment is part of the reason Shuai decided to make the move to Charleston. He grew up in Queens and spent a large chunk of his adult life cooking in Brooklyn.

Once Shuai graduated high school, he went straight to culinary school and has been in the kitchen ever since.

The number of restaurants throughout the city, not to mention the diversity of those spots and the intensity of the competition in New York, is part of the reason Shuai believes he made it to where he is in his career. He was challenged at an elite level.

But that high pressure, day in and day out, led Shuai to something many of us experience: burnout.

“I was just very unhappy. It was too much work and my work and life balance, there was no balance,” Shuai explained. “So I looked into moving away because I felt like if I kept working like the way I was working in New York, I was going to get super burned out and just leave the industry completely.”

During that time, Shuai’s friend was trying to open a restaurant in Charleston, and he reached out to Shuai for help with the opening.

Shuai decided to make the jump and move, thinking he would be here only for a short time to help his friend.

As with most things in life, the plan did not go accordingly.

The friend’s restaurant was delayed indefinitely, so Shuai and Corrie returned to square one and decided to invest in themselves.

From there, the idea for Short Grain was born. The business exploded and turned into continued success with Jackrabbit and King BBQ.

“You know, now I’m in the South. I’ve been here for almost eleven years now, and I love love North Charleston,” Shuai said. It just feels like home.”

A large part of the continued success is due to Corrie, who Shuai called the “backbone” of their restaurants.

When Shuai decided to take on the ‘Top Chef’ contestant role, he had to commit to a minimum of four to six weeks of filming in Canada. Of course, the farther you make it in the competition, the longer you stay and are away from home.

“I left for ‘Top Chef’ for a very long time for filming…throughout that time, she [Corrie] was here running both restaurants by herself while building out this new space [the new Jackrabbit location],” Shuai said.

“It takes two really hard-working people to run these things, and she’s pretty amazing,” he continued.

Not only do the Wangs love the area and its food scene, but they also support it.

More than 25% of both restaurants’ menus are sourced locally, including vegetables, seafood, grains, dairy, and proteins from local farms.

“It’s very important for me to do that,” Shuai said. “You know, living in a small community, it’s important for me to support the small families that are farmers that are here.”

“Also, when I first moved down, the first time I had a local shrimp, I have never wanted to eat any other shrimp ever again,” he added.

As a 2025 South Carolina chef ambassador, a large part of Shuai’s ambassadorship involves promoting local food while representing the state at events like the recent Charleston Food and Wine Festival, where Shuai hosted Sunday hangover brunch at Jackrabbit.

Another way Shuai supports the local food industry is by eating local! Some of his favorite restaurants in the area are Vern’s, The Glass Onion and Bintu Atelier.

You can support Shuai by watching him on Bravo’s ‘Top Chef’ every Thursday or streaming it the next day on Peacock.

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