In the Charleston area, where church steeples rise above cobblestone streets and marsh grasses sway with the tide, small neighborhood markets remain essential threads in the fabric of coastal life. Long before big-box stores and delivery apps, these corner groceries were gathering places — part pantry, part front porch. Today, three beloved markets — Burbage’s Grocery, Bert’s Market, and Charlie’s Grocery — continue to capture the easygoing, community-centered spirit that defines small coastal living.
On Broad Street in downtown Charleston, Burbage’s Grocery has quietly served neighbors since 1946. Located at 157 Broad Street, the narrow shop feels frozen in time, its shelves packed tight and its counter still turning out beloved sandwiches and house-made staples. Founded by Robert Burbage in the years following World War II, the store became a lunchtime mainstay for lawyers, students, and downtown workers. Robert’s son, Al Burbage, later carried the family business forward for decades, preserving its no-frills charm and reputation for friendly service.
When Al retired in 2013, longtime Charleston grocers George and Lisa Bowen stepped in to keep the tradition alive. Rather than modernizing it beyond recognition, they maintained the store’s historic feel — proof that in Charleston, preservation isn’t limited to grand homes. Sometimes it lives in a corner grocery where regulars are greeted by name and the daily rhythm moves at a neighborly pace.
Twenty minutes away on Folly Beach, Bert’s Market stands as a different but equally iconic symbol of coastal culture. Situated at 202 East Ashley Avenue, the market opened in 1993 and has operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week ever since — an anomaly in an age of shortened hours. Founded by Bert Hastings, the store quickly became the island’s unofficial community center, serving everyone from surfers grabbing coffee at sunrise to late-night beachgoers in search of snacks…