Oishii Hibachi in Charleston started as a popular food truck in Kanawha City, where it built a loyal following serving up fresh hibachi and sushi from a Piggly Wiggly parking lot. In 2024, it made the leap to a permanent brick-and-mortar location on MacCorkle Avenue in the former Pita Pit space, right next to Horace Mann Middle School. The new space has a simple, dimly lit interior with a dozen or so tables and booths, a small sushi counter, and colorful hanging lanterns that give it a relaxed, slightly tucked-away feel. The menu is a mix of hibachi-style entrees, sushi rolls, appetizers, and bento boxes. Appetizers include items like spring rolls, gyoza, and crab rangoons. Hibachi meals can be ordered with steak, chicken, shrimp, salmon, scallops, crab, or vegetables, and they come with your choice of fried rice or noodles. Bento boxes offer a little bit of everything—rice or noodles, a main dish, salad or soup, and a sushi roll or dumpling. Sushi lovers will find nearly 20 roll options ranging from classics like spicy tuna and shrimp tempura to deep-fried rolls filled with crab, avocado, and cream cheese. The hibachi steak with noodles is filling and generously portioned, though the steak was hit or miss -- sometimes a bit tough and overcooked. Noodles were fine. The crab rangoon, however, was hot, crisp, and well-stuffed, with the triangular folded shape giving it an extra edge. Service is generally quick and friendly, carrying over the approachable vibe from Oishii’s food truck days. It’s a solid spot for an easy lunch or dinner, especially if you’re craving comfort hibachi or a satisfying sushi roll. Not too bad. A solid option in town. Have you been? Grade: B

River Street Sweets is a classic stop in Savannah, Georgia -- part candy shop, part Southern tradition.



The minute you walk in, the smell of warm pralines hits you, and staff are usually handing out free samples hot off the marble slab.



Their World Famous Pralines are buttery, nutty, and melt-in-your-mouth good. "Made with butter, sugar, cream, and Georgia-grown pecans, they deliver the perfect balance of crunch and sweetness in every bite," reads the website.



The bear claw -- which others may call turtles -- is smooth chocolate and sumptuous homemade caramel combined atop a bed of crunchy pecan pieces. Bear Claws are the #1 chocolate confection in the shop.



Milk Chocolate Bear Claws® were the very first chocolate product sold in the original River Street Sweets® store; the white chocolate ones are just as tasty.



Grade: A

Lizard’s Thicket is a classic Southern meat-and-three chain rooted in Columbia, South Carolina, known for comforting, down-home cooking served with no frills.



The mac & cheese is creamy and comforting, with elbow noodles nestled in a thick, cheesy sauce that leans more homestyle than sharp or gourmet - think baked casserole-style with a slightly firm top. The candied yams are soft and syrupy, almost dessert-like, coated in a brown sugar glaze that soaks through each bite. Together, they make the kind of sweet-and-savory pairing that feels like Sunday dinner at someone’s church-going aunt’s house.



Grade: B

Harold’s Chicken Shack #17 is a no-frills fried chicken joint that’s part of a beloved Chicago chain known for saucy, crispy chicken. This location, posted up on a busy stretch, keeps it simple—fluorescent lights, a bulletproof counter window, and that unmistakable scent of grease and spice.



The chicken skin stays crispy under that sticky, vinegary-sweet sauce, and the fries soak up all the extra in the best way. The bread’s mostly there to catch drips, but don’t sleep on it. It’s messy and iconic. That mild sauce was everything.



Grade: A

The Sheik has been around Jacksonville since the ‘70s, and its retro vibe is reflected in the architecture and red, white & blue color palette.



I went through the drive-thru at The Sheik and looked over their menu of pitas, which they are known for. I wanted to try two different ones.



"In 1972, brothers Samir 'Sam' and Munir 'Mike Senior' Salameh, along with their wives Suad 'Sue' and Basima, opened the first Sheik restaurant on the corner of 18th Street and Main Street in Jacksonville, Florida. That restaurant still operates today. From the very beginning the brothers knew that the keys to any successful restaurant are great service and great food. The Sheik became known for selling the best “Steak in a Sack” or steak pita and for its “Camel Rider,” or deli meat pita. The chain also originated the “Cherry Lime,” The Sheik’s version of a black cherry and lime soft drink. All three items have gone on to become ubiquitous throughout the South and synonymous with the Jacksonville dining scene — even garnering an article in The New York Times."



Steak Pita – Steak in a Sack – (Tender slices of steak cooked with onions in pita bread) - The steak was thin and tender, but didn’t have a ton of seasoning, and the onions got lost in the mix. The melted cheese and sauce did their best to pull it all together, but it could’ve used something extra—maybe a hit of spice or a sharper cheese. Not bad at all, just kind of middle-of-the-road.



The Camel Rider has Ham, Salami, Bologna, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo, Onions & Dressing. The pita was soft and held up well, and the mix of ham, salami, and cheese was fine -- salty, a little smoky --but nothing really popped. The white sauce helped, adding some creaminess and tang, but overall it felt like a decent sandwich that leaned more on nostalgia than flavor. The cherry lime drink is a classic for a reason.



Grade: B