To many residents' chagrin, the media's love affair with the Holy City continued in 2023. Below is a list of all the awards, accolades, and honors that were bestowed upon Charleston, its businesses, its restaurants, its people, and more.
FYI – You can click on the award name to learn more.
- # 1 Best Small City in the U.S. - Condé Nast Traveler
- # 1 Top City in the U.S. – Travel + Leisure
- # 1 Best City for Outdoor Weddings: Lawn Love
- # 1 Best City For Single Dog Owners: Pawlicy Advisor
- # 1 Favorite Hotel in South Carolina: Post House – Travel + Leisure
- # 1 Finest Public Liberal Arts and Sciences Institution in South Carolina: College of Charleston – Fiske Guide to Colleges 2024
- # 1 Hospital in South Carolina: MUSC – U.S. News & World Report
- # 1 Seller of PBR in America: Recovery Room
- The South's Best City – Southern Living
- Best BBQ in the South: Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ – Southern Living
- Best Locally-Owned Restaurant in the South: Page’s Okra Grill – Southern Living
- # 2 Best Job Market in U.S. in 2023 – Peak Sales Recruiting
- # 3 Best Islands in the Continental U.S.: Kiawah Island – Travel + Leisure
- # 3 Favorite Hotel in South Carolina: The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island – Travel + Leisure
- # 3 Fine Dining Restaurant in the U.S.: Halls Chophouse - TripAdvisor
- # 4 Best Midsize City for Baseball Fans - Wallethub
- # 5 Best Midsize College City in America - Wallethub
- # 4 Best Midsize City for Soccer Fans - Wallethub
- # 4 Best Hotel in the U.S.: The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island – U.S. News & World Report
- # 5 Best City for Gluten-Free Food – LawnStarter
- # 5 Favorite City Hotel in the Continental U.S.: Wentworth Mansion – Travel + Leisure
- # 5 Must-Visit Beaches in the South for Your Next Vacation: Folly Beach – 10Best
- # 6 Best City to Start a Career – Wallethub
- # 6 Best City for Staycation – Wallethub
- # 6 Favorite Hotel in South Carolina: The Beach Club at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina – Travel + Leisure
- # 7 Best City for Food – Food & Wine
- # 7 Favorite Hotel in South Carolina: Wild Dunes – Travel + Leisure
- # 8 Top Barbecue Joint in The South: Lewis Barbecue - Southern Living
- # 8 Best Online Business Program in the Nation: The Citadel’s Tommy and Victoria Baker School of Business – U.S. News & World Report
- # 8 Favorite City Hotel in the Continental U.S.: The Loutrel – Travel + Leisure
- # 9 Best Small City in the South: Folly Beach – Southern Living
- # 9 Most Popular U.S. Destination – TripAdvisor
- # 9 Most Underrated State in America – Allied Van Lines
- # 10 Best City for Brunch Lovers – LawnStarter
- # 11 Best City for Rooftop Dining – Roof Gnome
- # 11 Spot in America Where People Want to be Proposed To: Pitt Street Bridge – Mixbook
- # 15 Best City for Renter Families to Live in 2023 – RentCafe
- # 16 Best New Restaurant in The South for 2023: Pink Bellies - Southern Living
- # 16 Best Place to Live in the Southeast – Livability
- # 17 Best City for Golfers - Lawnstarter
- # 18 Best City for Burger Lovers – Lawn Love
- # 19 Top City in the World – Travel + Leisure
- # 20 Best City for Rooftop Drinking – Roof Gnome
- # 25 Best Drivers in the Nation – QuoteWizard
- # 28 Top Barbecue Joint in The South: Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ - Southern Living
- # 32 Place to Go in 2023 – New York Times
- # 39 (Tie) Top Barbecue Joint in The South: Bessinger's Barbeque - Southern Living
- # 39 (Tie) Top Barbecue Joint in The South: Melvin’s BBQ - Southern Living
- # 42 Top Barbecue Joint in The South: Home Team BBQ - Southern Living
- # 53 Best Place in the US to live in 2023 – U.S. News & World Report
- # 84 Spot in America Where People Want to be Proposed To: The Battery – Mixbook
- Good Housekeeping's 2023 Kitchen Gear, Coffee & Tea Awards: Oliver Pluff & Company
- Honorable Mention for “Library Defying the Odds”: Charleston County Public Library – Gale and the Library Journal
- One of the Best Fishing Cities in the US for 2023 – FishingBooker
- One of the Best Martinis in America for 2023: The Dirty Green Tomato from The Grocery - Esquire
- One of the Best Mom & Pop Businesses in the country: Black Fedora Comedy Mystery Theatre – Entrepreneur Magazine and Yelp
- One of the Best Mom & Pop Businesses in the country: Lewis Barbecue – Entrepreneur Magazine and Yelp
- One of the Best Mom & Pop Businesses in the country: Salt Spa & Yoga – Entrepreneur Magazine and Yelp
- One of the Best Southern Beaches for Finding Shark Teeth: Folly Beach – Garden & Gun
- One of the Best Tiny Towns in the South: Folly Beach – Southern Living
- One of the Top 10 Rooftop Bars to Elevate Your 2023 Fantasy Football Draft: The Rooftop at The Vendue – Rotowire
- One of the Top 100 Places to Eat in the US: Boxcar Betty’s – Yelp
- One of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in America – Livability
- Where to Go in 2024 - Afar
- Top 100 Walking Golf Courses: Ocean Course at Kiawah Island – GolfPass
- Top 100 Walking Golf Courses: Charleston Municipal Golf Course – GolfPass
- Wine Spectator's 2023 Restaurant Awards – Circa 1886
- Wine Spectator's 2023 Restaurant Awards – Halls Chophouse
- Wine Spectator's 2023 Restaurant Awards – Magnolia's
- Wine Spectator's 2023 Restaurant Awards – Peninsula Grill
- Wine Spectator's 2023 Restaurant Awards – Savi Cucina + Wine Bar
- Wine Spectator's 2023 Restaurant Awards – Sommba Cocina & Cellar
- Wine Spectator's 2023 Restaurant Awards – Wild Common
- Wine Spectator's 2023 Restaurant Awards – Zero Restaurant + Bar
