Lacto
Ovo
American
Organic
Juice bar
Beer/Wine
Fusion
Breakfast
Non-veg

Serves meat, vegan options available. Upmarket setting. Offers different menus for breakfast, brunch/lunch, dinner plus drinks both alcoholic and non. Ingredients for dishes are listed. Example of choices for vegans include cauliflower wings, sweet potato fries, and grain bowl with veggies. Vegan ranch dip available. Note that the veggie burger is vegan but the bread contains butter. Open Mon 10:00am-3:00pm, Mon-Sun 5:00pm-9:00pm, Tue-Fri 11:00am-3:00pm, Sat-Sun 10:00am-3:00pm.


Venue map for Basic Kitchen
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64 Reviews

First Review by cdoll

MConnell

Points +212

Vegan
31 Dec 2025

Smashing

The bowl I ate was well thought out , like a great Cole slaw - had sprouts and carrots really good. The sauce was great - love the taste.

Beet pistachio dip - wow! Went great with the chips.

This place was busy - would recommend getting reservations.

Happy New Year!

Updated from previous review on 2025-12-31

Vsweet

Points +173

Vegan
16 Dec 2025

Oasis to this vegan

Been trying to find vegan food spots, no luck until basic kitchen.
Fresh, tasty and great service!

Updated from previous review on 2025-12-16

Pros: Many vegan food options, Great service, Also a vegan dessert

Cons: Would love to see vegan items marked on the menu

homebodyhaus

Points +6138

Vegan
01 Nov 2025

Romantic Dinner & Must-Try Corn Ribs 🌽

We came here for dinner and absolutely loved the vibe — it had a romantic, cozy feel and the service was impressively fast. We ordered the vegan kale salad, corn ribs, and cauliflower tikka masala — everything was fresh and flavorful, but if you get just one dish, make it the corn ribs. They were outstanding! The fall-inspired drinks were also delicious and perfect for the season. Definitely a must-stop spot in Charleston for anyone looking for great vegan options and a warm atmosphere.

Kats_crazyworld

Points +502

Vegan
22 Sep 2025

Nice location, good vegan options, good drinks

I went to Basic Kitchen as I needed a Restaurant with vegan options in walking distance. A reservation is recommended.
The food was nice and the drink too.

KaitlinThomas

Points +220

Vegan
24 Aug 2025

Lots of vegan options

We ordered sweet potato fries and cauliflower bites. There were a couple other options on the menu, as well.

Sire

Points +108

Vegan
12 Aug 2025

So good!

I went into this after flying in from CA. I wasn’t sure what to expected given there aren’t that many vegan options in Charleston, but wow! This place was great! The staff were kind. The food had so many flavors packed into it. I couldn’t believe it! And the cocktails were really good.

LeslieRayle

Points +59

Vegetarian
07 Aug 2025

Amazing Good Burger

Amazing selection for vegetarian and vegan. Had their Good Burger and Cauli Wings and so delicious. Next time I am trying the caramelized carrots !!!

Pros: Vegetarian selection , Wonderful service

Brileyvt

Points +123

Vegan
19 Jul 2025

Basics Kitchen, not basic at all!

Great ambience and staff was so friendly. Many vegan options. Highly recommend.

Pros: Corn ribs , Kale Caesar salad, Beet dip

LindsayErndwein

Points +184

Vegan
23 May 2025

Good but lacking in flavor? Sauce? Something.

This place has really cute vibes but I felt it was lacking in something to really make it stand out and worth the money.
Everything was fine but... just fine. My husband ordered the good burger and I ordered the vegan Caesar salad. We both split the beet dip app.
There definitely wasn't enough dressing on the salad and my husband wished the burger had more sauce. The beet dip appetizer and sweet potato fries were the most flavorful. I don't think we would eat here again, but it's an option if you want a healthy albeit slightly bland meal.

Updated from previous review on 2025-05-23

AlineD'Angelo

Points +74

Vegan
08 May 2025

Good amount of vegan options but food could be better

I got the mushroom shawarma and the seasoning wasn’t great - way too much sumac, which overwhelmed the dish. The beet pistachio dip was good though.

patcal59

Points +37

Vegan
01 May 2025

Incredible

Food was creative and delicious. Started with buffalo cauliflower. Then corn ribs and a side of tofu. Omnivore partner had the veggie burger and loved it! Great vibe. Will definitely go back!

Armadillo_

Points +100

Vegan
25 Apr 2025

Absolutely amazing

Loved absolutely everything about this restaurant. The sweet potato fries with vegan ranch were excellent. I had the basic bowl and wanted to just drink the green sauce! The combination of flavors was fantastic. The drinks were amazing as well. 10/10 would recommend.

Pros: Atmosphere, Service

Kristen23

Points +107

Vegan
16 Mar 2025

Good options

It was nice to find a place with a few vegan options, as there aren’t many places in Charleston with one vegan thing let alone multiple. We had the corn ribs, cauliflower and Caesar with grilled tofu. The corn ribs and tofu were delicious, the rest was good. Staff was nice.

VeganAround

Points +368

Vegan
30 Dec 2024

Creative vegan options in Charleston

I visited twice during a recent Charleston business trip…. Dinner at the bar the first day and lunch on the back patio the next day. Both experiences were excellent. My servers were very friendly and happily offered guidance and suggestions. Don’t skip dessert! I loved everything—you can’t go wrong!

Pros: Creative options, Friendly service , All deserts were vegan on my visit!

CeciliaVargas

Points +296

Vegan
23 Nov 2024

Basic Kitchen

Great place for lunch with vegan options. Loved the cauliflower wings and corn ribs; both had a bit of a kick to them.

JFlem

Points +71

Vegan
21 Nov 2024

Excellent…

….cocktails, appetizers, and entrees. Service was the icing on top.

Pros: Vegan options, Ambiance , Cocktails

TheVeganAbroad

Points +115

Vegan
22 Aug 2024

Expensive but yummy!

Recommended by the hotel we stayed at, Basic Kitchen is clean, cute, and delicious! Loved the corn ribs, vegan Caesar salad, and the yellow coconut curry. Staff was super knowledgeable about vegan options and what was popular. Pricey but worth it while on vacation!

robinsse

Points +20

Vegan
09 Apr 2024

Excellent vegetarian options. Great service.

Visited twice during recent visit to Charleston. Great veg options.

Pros: Delicious, healthy vegetarian and vegan options., Sensitivity to allergies , Excellent service. Lovely outside patio.

gcs

Points +75

Vegan
31 Jan 2024

Overrated

I've had ~5 meals from here. 1 was good (a beet burger), 3 were disappointing (salads, a simple rice dish), 1 was very bad (a curry dish).

This place is too expensive to not consistently serve good food and what they serve is usually too small.

Pros: Atmosphere

Cons: Expensive, Hit or miss, Small portions

TiaStreeterHutchins

Points +3201

Vegan
21 Jan 2024

Great vegan friendly restaurant

Many delicious vegan options. Great location and excellent fresh ingredients. #Veganuary

MollyManriquez

Points +2104

Vegan
01 Jan 2024

Thoroughly impressed

Accidentally stumbled upon this place and I’m so glad we did! The vegan ranch is the best I’ve ever had. I ordered the good burger and shared the vegan cauliflower wings. Everything was hot and fresh. The drinks were alls fantastic, and service was great.

oraxia

Points +303

Vegetarian
02 Sep 2023

Not All That Basic After All, But Pricey

I came with a group of friends on a vacation, and we were delighted to find this place--our group included two vegetarians (including myself), someone on a gluten-free diet, and small children and there were easy options to satisfy all of us.

We got the sweet potato fries (with vegan ranch), the corn ribs, and the tempura cauliflower, and I probably expected the least from the sweet potato fries and was simply blown away by the flavor combo with the ranch! I don't even usually like ranch, and I would legit buy bottles of that ranch sauce. Heck, I normally don't even care that much for sweet potato fries, that's more my husband's thing. The corn ribs were something I'd never seen before, and were also delicious and something that I hope catches on at places closer to home, and the cauliflower tempura is exactly the tasty fried food you expect from the title (again with the really good vegan ranch).

For my entree, I got the Basic Bowl with tofu (yes, even at the exorbitant add fee for the tofu). I'm not sure the tofu was worth the additional cost, because while it was a good quality tofu with a nice firm texture, it was minimally seasoned and really seemed like it was just warmed up rather than cooked--it was honestly the most "basic" part of the bowl. The rest of the bowl seemed like a nice sampler of some of their other vegetarian items (like the curry). I also got the Go Green mocktail, and as a tee-totaler, I appreciate that they had interesting non-alcoholic drinks that weren't essentially sweet smoothies; it was pretty decent. The rest of the group really liked what they had gotten as well.

My main complaint is that a lot of the menu feels pretty overpriced for what it is. For context, I am currently living in California, where food costs are already pretty ridiculous, and this still felt pricey. However, when you're on vacation, it's nice to have vegan and vegetarian options that are of good quality, so I'm okay with the splurge. Had it not been so pricey, I think we would have been back for a second meal here while on the trip. (I would have swung by again for the sweet potato fries if given the chance, too.)

Pros: Great Vegan Options, Grown-Up Mocktails (Not Sugary)

Cons: Pricey for What It Is

ChelseaJonea

Points +86

Vegan
14 Aug 2023

Good but pricey

Went to Basic Kitchen during a bachelorette weekend. Great service, good food! I ordered the crispy cauliflower which was good, but I really don’t know why it cost $30. It was essentially a fried cauliflower steak with cabbage and greens with 4 small potatoes. Good, but not $30 good IMO.

Pros: Food, Vibe

Cons: Price

jcmfitfood

Points +78

Vegan
02 Aug 2023

Amazing vegan food!

The Caesar salad was by far one of the best I’ve ever had.
The whole place is vegan aware and many items are vegan already or can be.
Mocktails too!

Pros: Service , Food, Variety in food choices

Veganmouse

Points +1720

Vegan
22 Jun 2023

Very good food

Got the tempura cauliflower - good portion, nice batter, good sauces
Basic bowl with grilled tofu - pricey, but a huge portion.
Veggie burger - fries in particular were delicious
Coconut rice pudding - one of the best desserts I've ever had. Coconut rice, lime, mint, pears

Updated from previous review on 2023-06-22

DarcyDavis

Points +524

Vegan
08 May 2023

Good brunch spot for friends

Ran in for a mimosa on a Sunday morning, ending up checking out the brunch menu and decided to get some cauliflower wings. Interesting take on a fan favorite- they used a tempura breading, added pickled celery, and vegan ranch- but good! I could see myself coming back and bringing my Omni friends for a nice morning on the town.

Pros: Knowledgeable staff

Emm817

Points +42

Vegan
15 Jan 2023

Great Veganuary Menu

Very clean and cozy place! They are only offering a plant-based menu for the entire month of January. Locally sourced ingredients. Solid offerings. Bit pricey but worth it if you are vegan in Charleston as the town doesn’t have a lot of options

Updated from previous review on 2023-01-15

Pros: Only offered plant-based menu for all of January, Friendly staff, Clean and hip dining area

Cons: Somewhat pricey




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