4 SC restaurants earn Michelin stars — a first for the South. Here’s who was honored

Four South Carolina restaurants have been awarded one star in the inaugural selection of the Michelin Guide for the American South.

They are Scoundrel in Greenville and three Charleston restaurants, Malagón Mercado y Taperia, Vern’s and Wild Common.

In all, 10 Southern restaurants were selected.

Also, given a recommended award were two Columbia restaurants — Motor Supply Co. and Di Vino Rosso. Others recognized were Greenville restaurants Jianna, The Anchorage and Soby’s.

In Charleston, Chubby Fish, Fig, Lowland, Husk, The Establishment, the Restaurant at Zero George, Sorrelle and Xiao Bao Biscuit got recommended awards. Also recommended were Oak Prime in Myrtle Beach, Obstinate Daughter in Sullivan’s Island and Topsoil in Travelers Rest.

The awards were given Monday night at the Peace Center in Greenville as the Michelin Guide celebrated 125 years.

“The cuisine of the American South is a rich blend of cultural influences, brought to life by skilled chefs who have crafted some of the region’s most iconic dishes,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide. “Our anonymous Inspectors were deeply impressed by the region’s culinary prowess, and this inaugural selection reflects their findings — from Southern staples like barbecue, Creole and seafood, to international flavors.” Scoundrel, a French restaurant, was named one of 50 best new restaurants in America in 2023 after just a year in business.

The owner is Greenville native Joe Cash, a graduate of Greenville Technical College’s Culinary Institute of the Carolinas who worked in restaurants in New York City and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Michelin Guide said the “upscale French bistro charms with an elegant dining room with hardwood floors and brick walls, a full-service bar and an engaging staff who make everyone feel well cared for and welcomed. It’s the hottest table in town.”

The guide praised the high-quality ingredients prepared.

“Familiar favorites like Caesar salad are leveled up,” the Guide’s news release said. “Roasted half chicken is tender and juicy with a perfectly crispy skin, then topped with gnocchi Parisienne and a moutarde sauce for an extra flourish.”

They recommend cronuts with pistachio anglaise sauce and crème fraîche for dessert — and reservations.

Malagón Mercado y Taperia’s Spanish cuisine is located on King Street in Charleston in a small space with an old-world ambience, the Guide said.

“Chef Juan Cassalett’s tapas-focused, Spanish menu has a clear spark,” the Guide’s news release said. “Nothing is overcomplicated, and there is beauty in the precision in dishes like fried rabbit leg with a savory crème fraîche dipping sauce and la bomba de la Barceloneta, with diced pork stuffed inside mashed potato and then fried.”

The offerings were called “deliciously surprising,” noting the arros con cangrejo, a paella-style dish tossed with crab.

Vern’s, an American Contemporary restaurant at 41 Bogard Street in Charleston, is owned by husband-and-wife Daniel and Bethany Heinze.

“Lowcountry ingredients are championed on a menu that reflects Chef Daniel Heinze’s travels,” the Guide said. “It all shifts with the seasons, but items like charred sourdough with allium butter or raw yellowfin tuna with Calabrian chili are dynamic starters. Pasta is made in house — campanelli with rabbit and vacche rosse cheese in a cacio e pepe sauce is silky-smooth. It’s perfectly paired with a selection from Bethany’s expertly curated wine list.”

Wild Common at 103 Spring St. in Charleston is also American contemporary cuisine that Michelin says is far from common.

The chef is Orlando Pagán and Michelin says, “upgrades like caviar eggs Benedict and wagyu are indeed available, there’s nothing standard here.”

“From the price (less than $100) and the focus on local ingredients to the wildly creative dishes with a global bent, this is fine dining injected with a bit of fun,” the Guide said. “Pho with carrot kimchi or hamachi crudo with coconut and kumquat may kick off the meal before roasted carrot and walnut tortelli with carrot fondue and browned butter whey foam, and entrées like dry-aged New York strip with a polenta cake and king trumpet mushrooms.”

They recommend for the final course an aged cheddar sundae.

Michelin selected 10 Southern restaurants in all in this first ceremony. In addition to the South Carolina awards, two were in Louisiana, one in Charlotte and three in Nashville.

Emeril’s of New Orleans received two Michelin stars.

The Post House Inn in Mount Pleasant was given a one key designation in the hotel category. It had previously been named one of America’s best hotels by Fodor’s Travel.

The owners are Kate and Ben Towill, who moved to Charleston from New York in 2013. They also own Basic Projects, a design and hospitality group based in Charleston, and Basic Kitchen in downtown Charleston.

This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 5:30 AM.