Musings of a Solo Diner: King BBQ (North Charleston, SC)

I'm not the least bit surprised someone from Flushing, NY is involved with this!

Charleston and North Charleston. Not the north part of Charleston, but NORTH Charleston, the standalone city. I didn’t realize this distinction until this past week; I was visiting for my 2nd time in two years to partake in the Charleston Wine and Food Festival, the 5 day long citywide foray into culinary bliss that takes place annually in March. I was aware of King BBQ even before my first time coming to town for the festival, but for some reason I didn’t go then (despite having been around the corner at fellow North Charleston business Daddy’s Girls Bakery, which IMO is home of the Charleston Chewie!).

It was a mistake I wouldn’t be making twice.

Chili Crisp Corn Pudding

Chinese BBQ Spare Ribs

This time I had an itinerary, and King BBQ was firmly on it; I’d made a reservation at their sister restaurant (Jackrabbit Filly) as well, but on account of heavy rain and wind on the day I was slated to go I canceled it, opting instead to pop into King for a late lunch once the weather died down.

For me, King’s allure is in the fact that its casualness could almost conceal its excellence. When I conjure up thoughts of the South and BBQ, I don't necessarily come up with a Chinese-American-Southern concept. But that’s exactly what it is. And the backdrop of the neighborhood added to it for me in the best way. I’m good on any MLK (or MLK-esque) Boulevard.

Reservations aren’t accepted here, and the vibe is come as you are; I’m not sure how they managed to pull off the confluence of these distinct cultures (Chinese & Southern) down to the decor, but they’d go on to do it again with the menu. Very well, might I add. The format is counter ordering from a vinyl menu before seating yourself; luckily, it was a slow period in the day so I had time to stand there and make decisions, fighting myself to not order the whole menu (it was hard!). I made my selections, including a mid-day cocktail (their version of an Espresso Martini) and headed to my seat to wait for my food so I could finally quell my curiosity about if it’d be as good as I thought.

You already know.

As a native New Yorker, I recognized touches of the Chinese food experience I grew up loving, unable to find replicated in any of the cities I've frequented or lived in since. Once I realized that the origins of this restaurant stemmed from a native of Flushing NY, this told me everything I needed to know for my bar of anticipation to go way high. IYKYK. I’m a girl from the Bronx, but the Flushing area of Queens is a food mecca like no other. Looking back, I regret the fact that in 27 years living in NY, I’ve actually never been. Sometimes you take the long way home though. And it wouldn’t be the last time during this trip that I’d be pleasantly surprised at the level of globally influenced food culture there is to be had in Charleston.

I ordered:

Chinese BBQ Egg Rolls - that bubbly, crackly, fried wrapper gave way to tender BBQ meat, and although there was cabbage and carrots in there as well, do not be fooled….the meat is the star of this dish, perfectly complimented by the side of hot mustard bbq sauce it came with. At $8 for 2, I’d never come here and not get this!

Chinese BBQ Spare Ribs - it’s the South. I’m getting ribs. They were perfectly done with that slight sweetness we know and love this style of cooking for. Can’t go wrong with these.

Spicy Dan Dan Noodles - I wanted to try a couple of sides, and these normally come tossed in a spicy sauce; I ordered my sauce on the side and poured it over since I wasn't sure of the spice level, but it was perfectly fine. I’d have these tossed in the sauce next time for sure. With extra. YOLO.

Chili Crisp Corn Pudding - Look….I knew to expect good things here but damn. This is an early front runner for my top 5 restaurant dishes of 2025! I loved the creativeness of it; the contrast of the sour cream with the tangy chili crisp and the soft mealiness of the corn pudding itself. It was the perfect embodiment of exactly what this place is all about.

All hail the King.

Kahja Elliott is a digital creator, food enthusiast/traveler, and podcaster in Oakland, CA.