Restaurants in Mount Pleasant

A confluence of cuisines produces signature smells and tastes at Tropical Sushi, where biculinary chefs prepare traditional Japanese entrees along with Mexican- and tropical-inspired dishes. The distinct food groups often merge with formidable results, including crab, shrimp, and scallop deluxe nachos, a meal made possible only after the tortilla chips’ father gave the union his blessing. Fresh ingredients ensure tasty meals such as the rendang, a spicy meat dish hailing from Indonesia that piles slow-cooked beef atop coconut milk, herbs, and white rice. Tropical Sushi’s seven varieties of fried sushi encourage diners to crunch their way to seafood centers.

The margarita- and Jimmy Buffet–loving owners of Jerk's Island Grill & Daiquiri Bar started dreaming up their perfect restaurant while on a free-spirited pilgrimage to the Caribbean. They soaked up island culture, memorizing their favorite food, drinks, and vibes, which they enthusiastically transported to the U.S. and installed in Jerk's Island Grill & Daiquiri Bar's dining room, down to the shady palm trees stretching overhead. There, diners sit down to plates of Caribbean-inspired cuisine spiced up with a staggering selection of colorful cocktails. In the kitchens, quality beef, chicken, and seafood are rubbed down with the restaurant's signature jerk seasoning and plated up as sandwiches, tacos, and entrees. A row of churning dispensers mixes up 13 different frozen daiquiri varieties, and bartenders handcraft specialty margaritas and punches on request beneath a thatched cabana. Diners can sip their drinks out on the sunny outdoor patio, where families dine while enjoying the weather and searching the sky for clouds shaped like the heads of U.S. presidents.

This Roosevelt Island eatery has two parts: a deli side and a bar and grill side. The former opens its doors at 6 a.m., allowing early risers to fill up on bagels, egg sandwiches, and pancakes before the lunch crowd pours in to eat potato salad at the counter or grab cold-cut sandwiches to go. The pub section stays quiet until lunch—save for during weekend brunch—at which point its 15 TVs welcome in sports fans and executive chef Alyssa Gangeri begins searing burgers. Salads with unusually hearty toppings such as steak and potato round out the menu, as do plates of pasta, racks of ribs, and fillets of salmon. Twenty different brews tumble out of taps and bottles to complement the likes of wings and nachos.

When guests bite into a Triangle Char & Bar burger, they’re met with a leaner patty than is normally served at pubs. That’s because the meat is composed entirely of dry-aged, grass-fed beef from the local Hill Creek Farms, resulting in a heartier, fresher-ground beef patty. That beef is then topped with the likes of caramelized onions, hummus, or pork belly, which guests can wash down with a rotating array of craft beers. In addition to burgers, the menu boasts 10 taco varieties, fresh and seasonal salads, and housemade hummus. It also includes "The Skinny"—a collection of healthy items such as bbq salmon and spaghetti squash.

Now spanning two locations, Triangle Char & Bar has its roots in a repurposed Avondale filling station where the garage doors open in warmer months for alfresco dining. The newer location in Mount Pleasant boasts edgy design, with corrugated steel walls, graffiti paintings, and flash mobs performing on the hour.

At OctoBachi, chefs dynamically chop, slice, sizzle, and roll a menu of hibachi-grilled meats, sushi rolls, and nigiri right before diners' eyes. The exotic dishes are artfully plated using locally sourced ingredients, including chicken, veggies, and certified Angus beef. Lorded over by a colorful illustration of the restaurant's mascot—a determined-looking, neon-green octopus wielding a cleaver—the bar area's lively atmosphere welcomes guests to join OctoBachi's beer club, in addition to participating in beer-brewing, sake-tasting, and sushi-making classes. The staff is committed to recycling as much as they can, further illustrated by the fact that the bar itself is made from recycled stair planks and the stools are rehabilitated milk crates, rescued from a life of crime in landfills.

The refrigerated deli counter between Citrus To Go’s white and orange walls is filled with a bevy of carryout salads, sandwiches, and dinner entrees. Owner and chef Jon Anderson prepares each item from scratch and in small batches to ensure that every dish tastes as fresh as a teenager’s vocabulary. In addition to flaky pot pies and hearty meatloaf sandwiches, he populates the menu with daily specials and multiple vegetarian options including pizza margarita, tabbouleh, and white-bean-and-caramelized-carrot salad. Fresh bakery such as chocolate-chip or peanut-butter cookies, 3-inch raspberry tarts, and gooey brownies sweeten palates at meals’ end.