Beaufort serves up Lowcountry flavor with a side of breezy waterfront charm, and you can taste that story in every bite. From polished riverfront rooms to quirky neighborhood gems, each stop feels like a discovery you almost want to keep secret. Hungry for she crab soup, wood fired crust, or a hushpuppy that ruins you for all others. Here are the places you will be glad you did not skip.
Plums Restaurant
Plums feels like that friend who always picks the perfect picnic spot, except the picnic is hot gumbo and a po boy stacked taller than your appetite. You sit under the open sky, watching the Beaufort River slide by like a secret, while fries crackle and a local brew beads with coastal sweat. The staff keeps it easy going and fast, making you feel like a regular even if it is your first time.
Shrimp and grits arrive creamy and peppered, with that Lowcountry confidence you cannot fake. If you want something lighter, the salads are crisp and generous, jeweled with local produce. And yes, the burgers drip just enough to require a napkin plan.
Grab a table outside if the breeze cooperates, and let the day slow down. You will leave with sea salt in your hair and a list of things to order next time. Plums is Beaufort on a plate.
Saltus River Grill
Saltus River Grill is where the evening dresses up a little, but never forgets the tide is right outside. You can watch boats wink across the water while a plate of oysters glistens like tiny moons. The sushi program is tight, the steaks land with a confident sizzle, and cocktails arrive balanced, not bossy.
Start with she crab soup for a local hello, then chase it with a tuna roll or blistered shishitos. If you crave something bigger, the wood grilled ribeye checks every box, and seafood specials sway with the season. The vibe is polished without the frown lines.
Grab the patio when the weather behaves, or sink into a window table and let conversation stretch. Service is attentive in the best quietly present way. Saltus is that date night you keep meaning to plan, and it always delivers.
Old Bull Tavern
Old Bull Tavern is the neighborhood whisper that somehow everyone knows. It is cozy, dim, and a little mischievous, with a chalkboard menu that changes like the weather. Shrimp and grits get a modern wink, and she crab soup arrives like a warm handshake.
There is always a pizza you were not expecting to love, crisp edged and charry, plus clever mains tucked beside pub favorites. Cocktails lean classic, the kind that make you straighten your posture. If you snag a corner table, time politely pauses.
The team reads the room, refilling without fuss and guiding you toward the right bite. You will hear laughter bounce off brick and feel history breathing in the wood. When you step back onto the street, you will already be plotting a return.
Blackstone’s Café
Mornings in Beaufort feel better after Blackstone’s Café. The coffee shows up hot and honest, the biscuits are tall and flaky, and grits come creamy enough to make you slow down. Locals swap news between bites, and you slide into the rhythm without trying.
Order a crab omelet or go classic with eggs, sausage, and a biscuit that steals the show. If you like a little heat, ask for their pepper jelly and watch breakfast wake up. Portions are generous, prices friendly, and the bustle somehow comforting.
Grab a seat by the window and let the sunlight find your plate. Service keeps things moving without losing the smile. By the time you leave, you will swear breakfast tastes better in Beaufort, and Blackstone’s is the reason.
Breakwater Restaurant & Bar
Breakwater is where Lowcountry classics get a polish and a wink. Fried green tomatoes arrive with refined edges, scallops are seared just to the edge of sweet, and the bar knows its way around bourbon. You settle into a chic room that still feels like the South.
Start with pimento cheese that remembers your name, then chase it with a seasonal fish special or a well behaved steak. Sauces are built, not rushed, and sides show equal care. The kitchen cooks with confidence and lets ingredients speak plainly.
When the night hums, conversation lifts and plates glide out like clockwork. Staff knows the menu like a favorite song and will steer you right. Breakwater makes dinner feel thoughtful without being fussy, and you will taste that balance.
Bricks on Boundary
Bricks on Boundary is the weeknight win you needed. Big plates come flying out of the kitchen, with wings that mean business, burgers stacked tall, and seafood baskets that crunch like summer. The vibe is neighborly, loud in a good way, and proudly unpretentious.
Daily specials keep it interesting, and the staff will tell you what is hitting. The fries are legit, the ranch is cold, and the local beers do their part. If you want Lowcountry comfort without the tux, this is it.
Game on the screens, friends at the bar, and a check that treats you kindly. Bring the crew or slide in solo and feel welcome instantly. Bricks makes simple food feel like exactly the right choice.
Beaufort Grocery
Beaufort Grocery is the midday answer when you want bright flavors and a little flair. Sandwiches arrive on bread you can actually taste, with fillings layered thoughtfully, not just piled. Salads sparkle with herbs and crunch, and the pastry case tempts shamelessly.
Order a turkey and brie with fig spread or go big with a muffuletta that could be your afternoon. Soups rotate, often starring seasonal vegetables or a local seafood cameo. It is casual, quick, and a cut above the usual lunch rut.
Grab a seat inside or take it to the park and let the river keep you company. Service is cheerful, pacing is easy, and prices are fair. You finish feeling lighter and already planning a return visit.
Black Sheep Beaufort
Black Sheep feels like a secret shared in a whisper. The menu is compact, deliberate, and happily creative, with small plates that invite a little table choreography. Handmade pasta slides in with silky confidence, and seasonal vegetables get star treatment.
Cocktails play with bitters and citrus, landing balanced instead of flashy. Order a couple plates to split, then add one more because the table needs it. Service is conversational, guiding without hovering, which keeps the night comfortable.
The room is intimate, flattering to laughter and late night plans. You will leave with a new favorite dish and a new standard for what dinner can be. Black Sheep proves small choices can have big flavor.
34° North Restaurant
34° North feels like a postcard come to life, all soft light and salt air. Oysters arrive shining on ice, and flounder breaks into tender petals under a roasted lemon. The room is coastal chic without trying too hard.
You will taste the ocean in a way that feels clean and confident. Sides lean seasonal, cocktails keep things crisp, and desserts nod to southern comfort. It is the kind of place where conversation expands with the horizon.
Book ahead, especially near sunset, because everyone wants that glow. Service is calm and attentive, steering you to the freshest catch. When you leave, you will carry the tide with you a little longer.
1711 Tap House
1711 Tap House keeps things laid back and lively. A wall of taps offers local and regional pours, and flights make it easy to explore. The menu knows its lane, with flatbreads, tacos, and shareables that play well with hops.
Grab a lager to start, then level up to something hazy or barrel kissed. The staff talks beer like a second language, without turning it into homework. Games on the tables, friends circling in, and time easing off the throttle.
It is a great pre dinner stop or a full night if the mood hits. Prices are friendly, and the vibe invites lingering. You will leave a little happier than you arrived, which is the whole point.
Aqua Restaurant
Aqua serves coastal small plates with a gentle hand and a glass of something lovely. You can build a meal from scallops, crab cakes, and a bright salad without feeling heavy. The room glows soft, conversations hum, and the wine list reaches helpfully.
Share a few plates, then anchor with a seasonal fish or steak frites. Sauces show finesse, and textures land right where you want them. It is date night friendly and equally kind to a solo seat at the bar.
Staff moves gracefully, answering questions you did not know to ask. You finish satisfied, not stuffed, and glad you trusted the small plate path. Aqua turns less into more with easy confidence.
Backstreet Pub
Backstreet Pub is where you go for stories as much as a pint. It is cozy and a touch scruffy in the best way, with regulars who will nod you into the circle. The menu is simple, the beer is cold, and the dartboard politely demands a rematch.
Come for a low key night that feels pleasantly off the clock. Bar snacks do the job, and the soundtrack leans toward good company. You will probably learn a shortcut, a fishing tip, or a town tale you will retell later.
Service is friendly and unfussy, keeping the pace relaxed. It is not fancy, and that is exactly the point. Backstreet lets Beaufort be itself, and you will be glad you found it.