Grilled, fried, caesar, buffalo or rolled in roti — a local guide to the places around the Lowcountry that make a wrap worth ordering, led by Sweet Palm Coffee downtown.
Sweet Palm Coffee at 471 King Street has turned its chicken caesar wrap into one of the most talked-about lunches on Upper King. Grilled chicken, crisp romaine, parmesan and dressing are rolled tight in a soft tortilla that holds up on the walk to Marion Square or back to class at the College of Charleston.
It's a coffee shop first, so the drink pairing is half the appeal — an iced latte, a cold foam creation or a Pink Palm strawberry-dragonfruit refresher rounds it out. Order ahead online to skip the lunch line, or read the full chicken caesar wrap guide.
The peninsula packs a lot of good handheld lunches into a few blocks. Beyond Sweet Palm Coffee, the longtime local favorite is Brown Dog Deli, now at 225 Calhoun Street. Its "Tik Tok" Turkey Caesar Wrap built a following of its own, and the Folly Beach Crunch Wrap and Santa Fe Black Bean Wrap give non-chicken eaters something to order too.
Further down King, Kickin' Chicken has been a Charleston staple for decades, with a downtown location at 337 King Street and others around the area. Its CBLT Wrap comes with fried or grilled chicken, bacon, lettuce and tomato in a flour tortilla — a solid pick if you're watching a game at the bar. Near campus, Caviar & Bananas on George Street keeps its cases stocked with grab-and-go sandwiches, salads and chicken wraps for students between classes.
East Bay Deli started in Charleston and now has locations across the area, from Savannah Highway in West Ashley to Mount Pleasant and North Charleston. Its wrap lineup covers both sides of the chicken debate — a classic chicken caesar and a fried chicken wrap with cheddar and honey mustard on a sun-dried tomato tortilla.
For something lighter, Verde, the local salad shop with spots in Mount Pleasant, West Ashley and North Charleston's Park Circle area, will turn just about any salad on its menu into a wrap. In Mount Pleasant, Chicken Salad Chick rolls its namesake into a tortilla for an easy lunch, and The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill fills warm pita with grilled chicken gyro-style for a different take on the same idea.
If you just need speed, the Chick-fil-A Cool Wrap is on the menu at locations like Sam Rittenberg Boulevard in West Ashley. It's a reliable fallback, though a local spot will usually give you more chicken and better bread for about the same price.
Charleston's first food truck is still one of its most creative. Roti Rolls wraps its fillings in roti, a soft Indian flatbread, and mixes Southern, Caribbean and Asian flavors — think house-made kimchi, Creole mac 'n' cheese and candied bacon. The truck moves around town and shows up at festivals, so check its schedule before you go hunting.
Between trucks, delis and coffee shops, Charleston gives you plenty of ways to eat a wrap. For a consistently good chicken wrap and a great latte from the same counter, though, Sweet Palm Coffee on King Street is the place to start.
A closer look at the chicken caesar wrap — what makes a good one and where to order it downtown.
Read the guide →Sweet Palm Coffee · 471 King Street · Downtown Charleston