This SC ‘hole-in-wall’ restaurant serves up the best fried chicken, new ranking shows

The venerable Bertha’s Kitchen in Charleston was recently deemed the best hole in the wall spot for fried chicken in South Carolina by cheapism.com.

Established in 1979 by Albertha Grant and now run by her daughters, the restaurant often has a line of people waiting to sample not just the chicken but also red rice, sweet corn bread and lima beans over rice.

It is located in a simple blue-painted building in North Charleston. In 2017, Bertha’s received the James Beard Award for America’s Classics, which recognizes “locally owned restaurants with timeless appeal,” the organization says on its website.

Cheapism describes itself as a “go-to resource for those that are frustrated with the absurdities and indignities of how expensive it is to be alive (hence our tagline: Because Being Alive is Expensive).”

“Great food can come from almost any kitchen, whether the restaurant is fancy or not,” cheapism said in a story listing the best fried chicken in every state. “It’s the unassuming spots that often prepare some of the best fried chicken, maybe because fried chicken is an unassuming dish itself.”

The website looked at customer reviews and expert recommendations to assemble its list.

About Bertha’s, cheapism said, it offers “classic Lowcountry soul food at a very reasonable price.”

Bon Apetit in a 2018 story said Bertha’s began in a motel and “became a neighborhood restaurant fueled by unconditional love (and plenty of fry oil).”

Grant died at 70 in 2007.

“We know a lot of people in the area, and we have a lot of regulars who come in all the time,” Julia Grant, one of Bertha’s three daughters, told Bon Apetit. “It’s common courtesy that keeps them coming back.”

Another daughter, Linda Pinckney, told the magazine “I think about all the hard work my mom did and the hard work my sisters put into it. Our mother’s spirit is what gets us up in the morning.”

The family considered selling several years ago, but decided against it. Their patrons were upset. Where else would they get Bertha’s okra soup, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and pork chops not to mention that golden brown fried chicken?

It’s worth the wait.

This story was originally published April 16, 2025 at 6:00 AM.