Nana's Kitchen in Charleston: Low-Country Comfort Food and Family Recipes

What Nana's Kitchen serves and where to find it

Nana's Kitchen is a casual restaurant in Charleston's Upper King Street neighborhood that serves traditional Low-Country cooking—the kind of food that has fed Charleston families for generations. The menu centers on fried chicken, shrimp and grits, okra, collard greens, mac and cheese, and biscuits made fresh daily. Everything tastes like it came from someone's grandmother's kitchen, which is exactly the point.

The restaurant sits at 315 King Street, in a converted house with a front porch and dining rooms that feel lived-in rather than designed. You can eat at tables inside or on the porch when weather allows. There is no reservation system—you walk in, wait if there is a line (which there often is during lunch and dinner), and sit at whatever table opens up.

Hours run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. most days, though it closes on Sundays and Mondays. Parking on King Street itself is tight, but there are paid lots nearby and street parking a block or two away. The restaurant does not take phone orders, so you cannot call ahead to hold a table or place a to-go order.

Key Takeaways

• Nana's Kitchen serves Low-Country comfort food—fried chicken, shrimp and grits, collard greens, and fresh biscuits—in a casual, no-reservation setting on Upper King Street.
• The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sundays and Mondays, and does not take phone orders.
• Lunch and dinner hours draw lines, especially on weekends, so arrive early or plan to wait 20 to 45 minutes during peak times.
• The menu changes seasonally and features vegetables and proteins that reflect what is available from local farms and fisheries.
• Prices run moderate for Charleston—most entrees fall between $12 and $18—and the restaurant accepts cash and card.

The menu and what to order

The fried chicken is the signature dish. It arrives golden and crisp, served with two sides from a rotating list that includes mac and cheese, collard greens, okra, black-eyed peas, and cornbread. The chicken itself is brined overnight and fried in cast iron, which gives it a crust that stays crisp even as it cools. Most people order a half or whole bird depending on appetite.

Shrimp and grits is the other dish that brings people back. The grits are creamy and made with butter and cheese, and the shrimp come in a gravy with bacon, onion, and a touch of heat. It is a dish that tastes simple but takes hours to get right, and Nana's version sits somewhere between the versions you would find in Beaufort and Savannah—richer than one, less fussy than the other.

The sides matter as much as the entrees. The collard greens are cooked low and slow with smoked meat, the mac and cheese is baked rather than creamed, and the okra is fried whole and served with a dipping sauce. Biscuits come warm with butter and honey on the side. Cornbread is sweet and crumbly, the way it is made in the Lowcountry.

Desserts rotate but usually include peach cobbler, sweet potato pie, and a chocolate cake. Portions are large enough that many people take dessert home. Tea is sweet and comes in a glass with ice; coffee is regular drip coffee, not specialty drinks.

When to go and what to expect

Lunch runs from 11 a.m. to around 2 p.m., and the crowd is mixed—office workers from nearby, tourists, and locals who have been coming for years. Waits are usually 15 to 30 minutes. Dinner starts around 5 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m., and the restaurant fills up by 6:30 p.m. on weekends. If you go after 7:30 p.m. on a Friday or Saturday, you might wait 45 minutes or longer.

Weekday lunches and early weekday dinners (before 6 p.m.) are the easiest times to get a table without a long wait. Tuesday through Thursday evenings are quieter than Friday and Saturday. The restaurant does not take reservations, so there is no way to may provide a table—you arrive, put your name on the list if there is one, and wait.

The dining room is casual and loud, especially during peak hours. Tables are close together, and conversations from neighboring tables are easy to overhear. The staff moves quickly and knows the menu well. Service is friendly but not fussy—this is not a place where a server will check on you every two minutes.

Low-Country cooking and why it matters in Charleston

Low-Country cuisine comes from the coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia, where enslaved and free African Americans, European settlers, and Native Americans all shaped what people ate. The food relies on what grows in marshes and swamps and what comes from the Atlantic—shrimp, crab, okra, rice, corn, and greens. Cooking methods are slow and communal, built around cast iron and long hours over fire.

Nana's Kitchen does not tell this history on the menu or the walls, but it is there in every dish. The restaurant is one of many in Charleston that serves this food, but it does so without pretense or high prices. You are eating the same dishes that have been cooked in Charleston kitchens for centuries, prepared the way they have always been prepared.

Charleston's restaurant scene has changed dramatically in the past 20 years, with fine-dining establishments and chef-driven concepts opening constantly. Nana's Kitchen remains deliberately simple—no tasting menus, no foams or reductions, no explanation of where each ingredient came from. The food speaks for itself.

Parking, payment, and practical details

Street parking on King Street is metered and limited, especially during lunch and dinner hours. The closest paid lot is the King Street Parking Garage, about half a block away. There are also smaller lots on side streets—Fulton Street and Pinckney Street both have spaces within a two-minute walk. Parking costs vary but usually run $1 to $2 per hour during the day and $5 to $10 for evening parking.

Nana's Kitchen accepts both cash and card. There is no online ordering, no delivery through third-party apps, and no phone orders. You must go in person to order and eat. The restaurant does not have a website or social media presence, so the best way to find current hours or menu changes is to call ahead or stop by.

The restaurant is accessible by car and on foot. Upper King Street has sidewalks, and the neighborhood is walkable from downtown hotels and attractions. The nearest public transit is the CARTA bus system, which runs routes along King Street.

Nearby restaurants and things to do

Upper King Street has become a dining and shopping destination over the past decade. Within a few blocks of Nana's Kitchen you will find restaurants serving everything from Vietnamese pho to Italian pasta to upscale seafood. Grocery stores, coffee shops, and boutiques line the same stretch. If you are planning an afternoon or evening on King Street, you can easily spend three or four hours eating and browsing without leaving the neighborhood.

The Gibbes Museum of Art is a 10-minute walk south. The Charleston City Market is about 15 minutes away on foot. If you are staying downtown, Upper King Street is close enough to walk to from most hotels, though the walk uphill from the waterfront takes 20 to 25 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a reservation?

No. Nana's Kitchen does not take reservations. You walk in, wait if necessary, and sit at the next available table. During peak hours (lunch around noon to 1 p.m., dinner around 6:30 to 8 p.m. on weekends), waits can run 30 to 45 minutes. Arriving early or going on a weekday afternoon will shorten your wait.

Can I call ahead to order food to go?

No. The restaurant does not take phone orders or offer delivery. You must go in person to order. You can ask to take your meal to go once you have ordered and paid, and the staff will pack it for you.

What if I have dietary restrictions?

The menu is built around meat, vegetables cooked with meat, and dairy. Vegetarian options are limited—you can order sides like collard greens, okra, and mac and cheese as a meal, but there are no dedicated vegetarian entrees. Vegan options are very limited. It is worth asking your server what can be modified, but the restaurant is not designed around dietary restrictions.

Is Nana's Kitchen good for families with children?

Yes. The casual atmosphere, simple food, and quick service make it family-friendly. Children's portions are not listed on the menu, but the staff will serve smaller plates if you ask. High chairs are available. The noise level during peak hours is high, so very young children might find it overwhelming.

What is the price range?

Most entrees run between $12 and $18. Sides are usually $3 to $5 each. Desserts are around $4 to $6. A meal for one person typically costs $18 to $28 before tax and tip. Prices are moderate for Charleston and reflect the casual, no-frills nature of the restaurant.