Charleston, SCBurritos

This Coming Street lunch counter is built around a griddled California-style burrito, from a chef who first made his name cooking burritos at Minero before opening his own pressed-burrito concept on the peninsula. The Post and Courier pointed to it as the fix for anyone missing Minero's burritos while that restaurant prepared to reopen on Johns Island.

A taqueria counter tucked inside a West Ashley supermarket that grew into a full-scale North Charleston location, with fresh meat and seafood counters, aisles of pantry goods imported from Mexico, a scratch bakery and an artisanal ice cream shop around the taqueria itself. The counter turns out tacos, burritos, tamales and huaraches built on barbacoa, pastor and carne asada. Order the huaraches, topped with avocado, peppers and cubed Mexican cheese.

Owner Javier Maya opened Santi's downtown in 2002, added a Mount Pleasant location a decade later, and opened a third West Ashley restaurant in 2024 in the former D.D. Peckers' Wing Shack space, with the same bright, colorful look as the original. The menu runs to tacos, chile rellenos, flautas, nachos, enchiladas and burritos loosely based on the cuisine of Jalisco. Order the burritos or the chile rellenos.

A Rivers Avenue lunch counter that Charleston City Paper's taco trek guide describes as busy any day during the lunch rush, at the corner of Rivers and Durant. The menu covers burritos, tortas, empanadas and tacos, drawing a steady crowd of regulars who know exactly what they are ordering before they walk in.