Best Southern Regional Fast Food with Locations in SC

Food historians generally agree that White Castle, founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, was the United States’ first fast food chain. But most modern day chains would probably concur that the Southern stretch of the country elevated the art of fast food. Everywhere you look, fast food restaurants in this part of the country offer a score of savory, down-home dining spots, serving up everything but the kitchen sink. From juicy cheeseburgers, heavenly biscuits, tasty barbecue, and yummy crispy chicken, it’s all available in the South. In other words, if you can imagine it, then a Southern cook someplace has most likely served it…or, better yet, deep fried it.

But fried goodness aside, regional restaurant chains have cultural importance as one of the ways Southern states distinguish themselves from the rest of the country.

There are delicious regional fast food restaurants throughout the South, but for the purposes of this article we are concentrating on those found in South Carolina. There are some fantastic southern fast food chains (such as Whataburger, Jack’s, Guthrie’s Chicken) that we wish were in the Palmetto State. That said, there are plenty of fast food chains in the state that are celebrated in the hearts and stomachs of South Carolina residents.

So the next time you are traveling in the state, bypass the mega players like McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Arby’s, Chipotle, etc., and try these more homegrown spots instead.

We are talking strictly fast food here, and are not including any Southern fast food chains that have expanded beyond the reach of their home territories. So, no Waffle House, Raising Cane’s, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, or KFC.

So, gather round and sink your teeth into our list of the best Southern regional fast food chains that have South Carolina Locations.

Cook Out

While In-N-Out rules the West Coast as the best fast food hamburger chain, and Shake Shack holds sway on the East Coast, devotees of Cook Out are unwavering that the burger chain is the best in the South. According to the company website, the acclaimed Southern chain got its start in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1989. Since then, the North Carolina fast food chain has built a loyal following: there are nearly 300 locations in 10 states and it’s not difficult to see why.

Cook Out feels like walking into a mall food court. They have a large variety of food choices to meet everyone’s needs. You can head there with your entire family, and count on this: each of you will find something to your liking. This fast food chain has you covered whether you are into chicken nuggets, BBQ, corn dogs, salads, or char-grilled burgers.

Go with “The Tray,” the chain’s mix and match style combo meal that lets you get a Big Double Burger and two sides (where else but the South would corn dogs or chicken nuggets be considered sides along with the usual onion ring and fries?).

Cook Out is known for its milkshakes of which there are more than 40 flavors from mint chocolate to Southern style peach cobbler. Don’t miss a Cheerwine float, a sweet and creamy combo of cherry soda and vanilla soft serve.

Order through two drive-thru lanes or a walk-up window at many of its locations. If there is an inside area and/or seating, you’ll know you’re at a newer location.

Cook Out South Carolina Locations: Charleston, Cornway, Columbia, Hilton Head Island, Batesville-Leesburg, Rock Hill, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Lancaster, Spartanburg, Walterboro, Easley, Clemson, Lugoff, Florence, North Charleston.

Find Them In: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia

Krystal

The first order from Krystal was six burgers and a coffee, costing just 35 cents. That’s because this Southern burger chain started during the Great Depression, 1932 to be exact, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The founder, Rodney Davenport, Jr., started his restaurant after visiting a Chicago White Castle.

Is there a difference between Krystal and White Castle? Yes, they look the same and are prepared similarly but there are hardly any White Castles in the South and Southerners claim that Krystal is way better anyway.

Why? A dense roll, better steam, fresh onions and a bit of mustard on top of the patty, and pickles.

The Southern chain also fields a strong line-up of “chiks” (breaded chicken breasts, filets, and wings) plus tiny hot dog “pups,” and a huge selection of breakfast items.

Today, Krystal (named for the saying: “clean as crystal” or “crystal clear”) is based in Dunwoody, near Atlanta, Georgia, with 360 locations throughout the South.

Krystal South Carolina Locations: Gaffney, Aiken, North Augusta

Find Them In: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and now Puerto Rico

Bojangles Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits

Almost all you need to know about this 1977 Charlotte, North Carolina-based chicken chain is in the name. Bojangles does both fried chicken and fresh-baked biscuits with meticulous preparation and the utmost due diligence.

The chain’s chicken arrives fresh at every location, and then takes a long marinade bath for 12 hours before breading and cooking.

Their fluffy, buttery biscuits come out of the oven freshly baked about every 20 minutes. There’s a 48-step process to make sure each one is the same quality when it emerges from the kitchen and a master biscuit maker is in charge of the process.

If you have a large family, worry not. Grab the 12 pieces (and enjoy the mouth tingling cayenne pepper) and 6-biscuit box to complement the chicken, and your lunch or dinner will be sorted out within a few minutes. Besides their chicken, Bojangles is known for its sweet tea. They also offer an all-day breakfast menu.

Today, there are over 500 Bojangles restaurants serving up those famous biscuits filled with chicken, sausage, eggs, ham, or steak, or simply with gravy.

Bojangles South Carolina Locations: Cayce, Elgin, Columbia, Blythwood, Manning, Mt. Pleasant, Marion, Lancaster, Georgetown, Myrtle Beach, Greenwood, Conway, Rock Hill

Find Them In: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C. (there are a handful in Vermont, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Indiana)

Zaxby’s

Zaxby’s is the brainchild of childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tom Townley who opened the first locations in Statesboro, Georgia, in 1990. The co-founders were actually inspired by another chicken finger fast food chain called Guthrie’s. It was located near the University of Georgia in Atlanta where McLeroy was a student at the time.

Their vision was to create a chicken finger with all white meat, hand-breaded, juicy chicken and a sauce recipe so secret that, according to the brand, not even the executive chef knows how it’s made from start to finish.

Aside from the chicken, the company has an impressive lineup of sauces, including the Signature (moderate heat Zax Sauce), along with the mild Wimpy Sauce, the spicier Nuclear Sauce, and the intense heat Insane Sauce

They also offer a number of delicious, buffalo wings, sandwiches and salads.

Oh, and did I mention that some of their sandwiches come on Texas toast?

Zaxby’s South Carolina Location: Charleston, Columbia, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Lexington, Spartanburg, Cayce, Duncan, West Columbia, Greenville, Clinton, Myrtle Beach, Bluffton, Beaufort

Find Them In: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, Utah, Missouri, Indiana

Biscuitville

Ironically, the founders of Biscuitville never meant to get into the biscuit business. The original concept restaurant Maurice Jennings opened in North Carolina in 1967 was Pizzaville, but the biscuits he made in the morning from a family recipe eventually outsold the pizza. So, in 1975, he changed gears and opened the first Biscuitville in Danville, Virginia.

Today, there are 69 locations serving up distinctive and very Southern biscuit sandwiches, plus some uniquely North Carolina specialities, a nod to the chain’s current headquarters in Greensboro.

These buttery, hand-held pockets of goodness are made from scratch and served up fresh from the oven every 15 minutes. (You can even watch the entire process through the “biscuit window.”) Depending on your hankerings, your biscuit arrives with fried pork chops, steak, country ham, flaky fried catfish, or sausage gravy.

Biscuitville South Carolina Locations: Greer, Indian Land, Duncan, Irmo, Florence, Hartsville, Columbia

Find them In: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia

Viva Chicken

This Charlotte, North Carolina-based chain specializes in Peruvian rotisserie chicken. Peruvian natives Chef Bruno Macchiavello and Randy Garcia have been serving up this family recipe on charcoal fire since 2013. It’s ready for dipping into daily-prepared Aji Amarillo, Huacatay, and Rocoto sauces. You can also get this chicken on a Ciabatta sandwich or sun-dried tortilla wrap. Make sure you get a side of Peruvian fried rice (jasmine rice, red pepper, green onion, egg, soy sauce, ginger).

Viva Chicken South Carolina Locations: Greenville, Indian Land, Clinton

Find Them In: North Carolina, Georgia, Utah, South Carolina

American Deli

If it’s pizza in New York City, po boys in New Orleans, fried clams in coastal New England, and barbecue in the Carolinas…then it’s chicken wings in Atlanta. People in Atlanta love lemon pepper wings. But, increasingly, it’s a version called “lemon pepper wet,” a riff on the classic, dry-rubbed lemon pepper wing that’s doused with a glistening splash of either clarified butter or buffalo sauce. And, apparently, American Deli is the reason lemon pepper wet wings are a thing.

This Atlanta original, founded in 1989, is home to this highly copied flavor that’s

splashed on fresh-never-frozen dried wings. And, if you are so inclined, American Deli offers a dozen different wing flavors.

If you’re there you’ll also find fried rice, gyros, fried tilapia, whiting, and shrimp.

American Deli South Carolina Locations: Rock Hill, North Charleston, Columbia, Spartanburg

Find Them In: Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, California

Jim ‘N Nick’s

It all began in 1985 in a reclaimed old pizza restaurant on Clairmont Avenue in Birmingham, Alabama. This chain has used its original rubs and hickory smoke to create their flavorful brisket with all meats smoked “low and slow.” Yes, not fast food, but a revered regional chain. Jim ‘N Nicks is an icon in the barbeque community and has expanded to 42 locations.

Jim ‘N Nick’s South Carolina Locations: Bluffton, North Charleston, Indian Land

Find Them In: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina Tennessee

Sonny’s BBQ

Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q was founded on April 17, 1968, by Floy “Sonny” Tillman and his wife with a single location in Gainesville, Florida.

The company began franchising in 1977 with a menu consisting of pork, beef, ribs, chicken, beans, and other sides.

By the early 2000s, Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q was the largest chain of its kind in the country with 150 locations across 9 states. Several of those hit the dust during the recession of 2008, but many are still going strong as Sonny’s BBQ.

Pulled and sliced pork, baby back and St Louis-style ribs, beef brisket and smoked wings are the showcases.

Sonny’s BBQ South Carolina Locations: Rock Hill

Find Them In: Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, Louisiana

Atlanta Bread

This is a wild tale. Founded in 1993 in Georgia, the fast and casual bakery cafe Atlanta Bread (whose menu and logo are not unlike that of Panera Bread) hit its peak in 2004 with 170 locations in 25 states. This made it one of the biggest chains of its kind in the U.S. But it was all downhill from there. Legal issues with franchisees and an unrelated criminal matter with its South African investors, Jerry and Basil Couvaras, had a negative impact on the company. By 2011, the chain was down to 100 restaurants as the Great Recession engulfed the nation. Today, there are only 18 locations in five states making it a must-stop trip down memory lane if you come across one.

Anything you’d get at Panera Bread you can get at Atlanta Bread (plus paninis, which are no longer available at Panera). They have 13 different breads baked daily. Try the chicken salad…because you’re in the South.

Atlanta Bread South Carolina Locations: Greenville

Find Them In: Georgia, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, and a random survivor in New Jersey

Rush’s

There are some iconic regional fast food chains that are located in only one state. Milo’s Hamburgers (Alabama), Dat Dog (Louisiana), and Willy’s Mexicana Grille (Georgia) come to mind. That’s also the case with South Carolina’s Rush’s.

Rush’s started out as one of the first fast food drive-ins in the nation. From these original Columbia locations, today there are nine restaurants.

They serve tasty and flavorful burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, milkshakes, and more. Customers love the fried chicken and, if you are so inclined, you can go so far as to order a half-pound of BBQ pork as a side dish (because South Carolina is the only place where BBQ pork is a side dish).

Rush’s South Carolina Locations: Columbia, West Columbia, Lexington Camden

Find Them In: South Carolina

The next time you’re traveling through South Carolina, don’t forget to stop at these Southern fast food chains. You’ll be glad you did!