South Carolina: Hoppin’ with Dairy-Free Dining Options

Last Update in April 2023! Buttery biscuits and cheesy grits can be found on most restaurant menus in South Carolina. But in recent years, many chefs have begun incorporating fresh dishes with local ingredients and less dairy. Consequently, our guide to dairy-free friendly restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and ice cream shops continues to grow. It’s a collection based on research and reader recommendations (send yours!) that’s divided into restaurants & shops by city (first) and major chains found throughout the state (second). And we’ve started a section for specialty dairy-free foods produced in this state.

We Update Continuously! You can ignore the original date on this post going forward. We update the information below whenever we’re alerted to a new recommendation, change, or closure.

Dairy-Free South Carolina: Recommended Restaurants & Shops

Many South Carolina favorites are ubiquitous throughout the south. Common dairy-free options include barbecue, sweet tea, and boiled peanuts. But keep your eyes open for Hoppin’ John, collard greens, and Frogmore stew, which are often made without dairy in this historic Southern state.

In addition to naturally dairy-free dishes, the following restaurants take an extra step to accommodate dairy-free guests. We’ve listed these recommendations alphabetically by city and then by the restaurant or shop name. For large chains with locations throughout the state, see the Major Restaurant & Grocery Chains section below. We have dedicated posts with dairy-free details for many of the big guys.

⭐️ = Restaurant is either dairy-free, has a dairy-free menu, has dairy-free labels on their menu(s), or lists top allergens with menu items. (At the time of our last review.)

Aiken

• Cold Stone Creamery – See our Dairy-Free Cold Stone Creamery Menu Guide for full details.
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

Bluffton

• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

Boiling Springs

• Cocobowlz – All of their smoothie bowl bases are dairy-free, vegan, and made without added sugar, including the acai, pitaya, mango, cacao, and coconut bases. They also offer a plethora of dairy-free toppings (skip the caramel and nutella), and have a plant protein option. They also blend smoothies with almond milk or coconut water.

Charleston

• Annie O Love’s Cafe of Sweet Abundance ⭐️ – Sandwiches and sweets are the specialties at this all vegan and gluten-free cafe. The sammies are served panini-style and the desserts include cookie dough truffles, cheesecake slices, cookies, and more.
• Bangin’ Vegan Eats ⭐️ – This is a local popup, serving burgers and other popular grub, at a selection of local spots.
• Basic Kitchen – If you’re craving high quality food, made with healthy ingredients, then you can’t go wrong with this local downtown restaurant located in a historic building. They are big on diverse flavors from around the world, but keep their menu simple with local produce, whole grains and legumes, wild-caught seafood, sustainably raised meat, and lots of plant-based options. Most of the items on their breakfast, lunch, and brunch menus are dairy-free, and they even offer specialty sauces like cashew ranch. They also offer ample vegan and gluten-free options.
• Beech – They have two locations in Charleston, each with a very fresh, mostly dairy-free menu. They serve cold-pressed juices, smoothies (made with almond milk or coconut water), acai bowls (also dairy-free), poke bowls, bagels, toast, wraps, and salads. They have a couple vegan menu items specifically, and they only use dairy in a few selections – like cream cheese or butter for the bagels.
• BKeDSHoP – They’re well known for yeast-raised donuts in a variety of flavors, with daily vegan options. You might find vegan apple fritters, vanilla bean donuts, cinnamon buns, or several others. They also offer vegan oat black sesame milkshakes, oat milk for coffee drinks, and other specials in store.
• Boxcar Betty’s – Their staff is friendly toward dairy-free guests. They freshly prepare their chicken and can skip the buttermilk for your order.
• Brown Dog Deli – This eclectic eatery serves breakfast and lunch menus filled with vegan options. In the morning, they have vegan scrambled “eggs,” faux sausage, dairy-free cheddar, and vegan gluten-free bread. They also have a loaded vegan breakfast burrito and can likely make many other items dairy-free. For lunch, they have several vegan and dairy-free entrees and sides. They also offer smoothies (some dairy-free) and acai bowls.
• California Dreaming – Thank you to Sarah for sharing this response she received from this restaurant. “We have several dairy free options – you could get our veggie burger with no cheese, oven roasted salmon, peel and eat shrimp, marinated chicken, barbeque chicken, baby back ribs, chicken strips, chicken wings, and then any salad you can get with whatever toppings you want, so you could get the salad without cheese- you would just want to get the oil and vinegar dressing because that is our only dairy free dressing.”
• California Tortilla – This build-your-own bowl or burrito chain offers a simple allergen menu, and almost everything is dairy-free. They also have vegan options.
• Caviar & Bananas – They label their prepared items and baked goods for dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian guests, and have build your own sandwiches and salads with a plethora of options. You can find them downtown and at the airport.
• Cinnaholic ⭐️ – This is an all-vegan bakery chain that focuses on cinnamon rolls, with choose your own icing and decadent toppings. They have other pastries, coffee, and soft serve, too.
• Clean Juice – They make their own cold-pressed cashew milks and offer dairy-free acai bowls, smoothie bowls, smoothies, toasts, and some other eats. Please note that their flatbread wraps (the bread itself) contain dairy, but all other menu items can be ordered dairy-free by omitting the cheese or substituting vegan protein for the whey protein (in the proteins smoothies).
• Dellzville ⭐️ – This local spot serves healthy, non-dairy meals. They serve nachos, pizzas, wraps, tacos, healthy bowls, and even have desserts. Their menu is also filled with plant-based and vegan-friendly options.
• Huriyali – Dairy-free acai bowls and smoothies, healthy breakfasts, and lunch bowls are featured at this local cafe. Pretty much their entire menu can be ordered dairy-free, they even have vegan cheese as an option. They can also accommodate gluten-free and vegan guests with many options and little fuss.
• Insomnia Cookies – This sweet chain offers a few flavors of vegan cookies year round, like Birthday Cake and Double Chocolate Chunk. But they also bake up seasonal vegan flavors throughout the year.
• Jack of Cups Saloon – They have a handful of vegan options on their menu, including nachos and some Thai-inspired dishes.
• Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams – This chain is slowly gaining shops across the nation, including one in Charleston. They always have vegan scoops available. See our Jeni’s post for details.
• Magnolias – This restaurant is reportedly friendly toward special diet guests, and offers a few dairy-free options on their menu.
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Neon Tiger – This swanky establishment serves a unique all-vegan menu with pizzas, salads, and shareable sides. It’s a great place to enjoy craft beers and local spirits.
• Off Track Ice Cream – They offer a whole menu of vegan ice cream flavors made with coconut cream, cashews, sugar, and sunflower oil. The flavors range from simple vanilla bean to popular cookies and cream to unique fluffernutter blondie and cold brew honeycomb. They also have vegan sugar cones, vegan toppings (hot fudge, hot caramel, and whipped cream!), and can make you a vegan ice cream sandwich, milkshake, sundae, float or affogato.
• Parlor Doughnuts – They offer a vegan / gluten-free doughnut with different custom glazes. All of their shakes can also be made dairy free. Plus, they have a full coffee bar and some other breakfast goods.
• Playa Bowls – See our full Playa Bowls Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Rush Bowls – This smoothie and smoothie bowl chain isn’t dairy-free, but they are happy to accommodate. They offer oat, almond, coconut, and soymilk options. Some menu items call for froyo, but you can sub banana for no charge, or acai for an additional charge. At last check, most of their toppers and all of their boosts (except for whey – they do have soy protein available) were made without dairy.
• Swig & Swine – Thank you to R. Z. for recommending this local area barbecue establishment. “They have many options that are dairy free and is an excellent place to get Southern BBQ.”
• The Gathering Cafe – Their health-forward menu is mostly gluten-free, and littered with vegan options. They offer some “just” dairy-free choices, too.
• The Harbinger Cafe & Bakery – They serve breakfast all day, sandwiches at midday, and fresh baked goodies until they run out. Vegan and gluten-free options are clearly labeled on the menu, and there is plenty to choose from. In fact, at last check, all of their bakery items were dairy-free and most were vegan (a few contain honey). They also have a full coffee and tea bar with almond and oat milk options.
• The Junction Kitchen & Provisions – This popular brunch spot has vegan options for many classics, and some additional items can be ordered without dairy.
• Vined ⭐️ – This vegan restaurant serves all the local favorites, like “chicken and waffles” and “shrimp po boys.”
• Ye Ole Fashioned Cafe & Ice Cream – At their West Ashley location, they offer a prolific vegan menu with nachos, fried pickles, grilled cheese, burgers, hot dogs, vegan milkshakes (made with almond milk), and dairy-free ice cream in creamy flavors, like cookies and cream, vanilla, and chocolate chunk. Additional sandwiches and burgers can be ordered dairy-free, and they do offer dairy-free cheese and nacho cheese.

Clemson

• Andee’s Custom Blended Ice Cream – They offer a dairy-free banana cream base and a good selection of mix-ins. They also have sorbet scoops available, and have a full coffee bar with almond milk as an option.
• Cocobowlz – All of their smoothie bowl bases are dairy-free, vegan, and made without added sugar, including the acai, pitaya, mango, cacao, and coconut bases. They also offer a plethora of dairy-free toppings (skip the caramel and nutella), and have a plant protein option. They also blend smoothies with almond milk or coconut water.
• Insomnia Cookies – This sweet chain offers a few flavors of vegan cookies year round, like Birthday Cake and Double Chocolate Chunk. But they also bake up seasonal vegan flavors throughout the year.
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Moe Joe Coffee Co – Thanks to Julia for this recommendation! She let us know they serve local vegan pastries (from vegan Jenuari home bakery) and have additional vegan options. This includes some dairy-free smoothies, breakfast and lunch eats. And of course, they offer a big array of dairy-free milk alternatives for coffee and tea drinks.
• SunnySide Cafe – Their menu is labeled with vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options. For breakfast, the options are minimal, but they do have a vegan breakfast platter and some options can be custom ordered. At lunch, you’ll find more salad, sandwich, and bowl options.

Columbia

• A Peace of Soul Vegan Kitchen ⭐️ – Burgers, sandwiches, and soul food bowls are on the menu at this vegan spot.
• California Dreaming – Thank you to Sarah for sharing this response she received from this restaurant. “We have several dairy free options – you could get our veggie burger with no cheese, oven roasted salmon, peel and eat shrimp, marinated chicken, barbeque chicken, baby back ribs, chicken strips, chicken wings, and then any salad you can get with whatever toppings you want, so you could get the salad without cheese- you would just want to get the oil and vinegar dressing because that is our only dairy free dressing.”
• Clean Eatz – This healthy fast casual chain offers a straight-forward allergen guide and many options for building your own bowl, salad, or wrap.
• Cocobowlz – All of their smoothie bowl bases are dairy-free, vegan, and made without added sugar, including the acai, pitaya, mango, cacao, and coconut bases. They also offer a plethora of dairy-free toppings (skip the caramel and nutella), and have a plant protein option. They also blend smoothies with almond milk or coconut water.
• Cold Stone Creamery – See our Dairy-Free Cold Stone Creamery Menu Guide for full details.
• Good Life Cafe – This casual, quirky, vegan restaurant offers a big menu of raw and cooked cuisine, with a healthy comfort food spin. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, smoothies, and desserts, and have a grab and go case of nutritious items. Ample gluten-free options are also available.
• Insomnia Cookies – This sweet chain offers a few flavors of vegan cookies year round, like Birthday Cake and Double Chocolate Chunk. But they also bake up seasonal vegan flavors throughout the year.
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• The Baked Bear – This is an ice cream sandwich shop where you choose the cookies and the ice cream. They offer a daily vegan ice cream flavor (like chocolate chip) and have a couple vegan and gluten-free cookie options.
• The Local Buzz – This breakfast, lunch, and coffee spot is open just five days a week, but it’s a secret little spot for special diets. They always have several options for dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo, and keto guests.
• Urban Wok ⭐️ – At last check, their entire menu of build-your-own bowls was dairy-free. They even use coconut milk in the Tikka Masala to keep it dairy-free and vegan. They have a variety of sauce flavors and various bases, including three types of noodles, brown and white rice, and grain-free zoodles. Thanks to Kayla for recommending this restaurant!

Conway

• Insomnia Cookies – This sweet chain offers a few flavors of vegan cookies year round, like Birthday Cake and Double Chocolate Chunk. But they also bake up seasonal vegan flavors throughout the year.

Easley

• Cocobowlz – All of their smoothie bowl bases are dairy-free, vegan, and made without added sugar, including the acai, pitaya, mango, cacao, and coconut bases. They also offer a plethora of dairy-free toppings (skip the caramel and nutella), and have a plant protein option. They also blend smoothies with almond milk or coconut water.

Florence

• Acai Express – You can find this shop throughout Puerto Rico, but they also have some locations in the states. They offer several dairy-free acai and pitaya bowls, vegan mango sorbet bowls, creamy vegan coconut bowls, smoothies, and fruit popsicles with topping options.
• Bean Bar – According to Erin, this local coffee shop offers dairy-free mocha lattes and hot chocolate, vegan chocolate chip cookies, and bagels with dairy-free cream cheese.  They offer oat and almond milks, and also have a great tea menu.
• Buddy’s – They’re known for homemade burgers and fries, and Erin found out they offer dairy-free buns. Gluten-free buns are also available, which might be dairy-free. Check in store.
• ChocoBella – Erin let us know this shop has vegan chocolates, bonbons, gelato, and sorbet. They offer a couple rich almond milk-based gelato flavors and a couple fruity sorbet flavors daily.
• Clean Eatz – This healthy fast casual chain offers a straight-forward allergen guide and many options for building your own bowl, salad, or wrap.
• Cold Stone Creamery – See our Dairy-Free Cold Stone Creamery Menu Guide for full details.
• Eliza’s Vegan Café ⭐️ – Erin also recommended this completely dairy-free restaurant. They offer a big menu with all types of comfort foods. Erin mentioned the mac ‘n cheese, cheesecake, fresh-squeezed juices, and “Liza Colada that tastes like a Pina Colada!”
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Pizza Mio – This local pizzeria is very friendly to special diet guests. They offer two types of vegan crust, a few sauce and drizzle options, and Daiya dairy-free cheese alternative. Additional  pizzas and salads can be ordered dairy free.
• Twisted Roots Bakery ⭐️ – This is a vegan cottage baker with gluten-free options for most of their menu. They specialize in cake, cupcakes, drop cookies, and brownies. Thanks to Erin for the recommendation!
• Victor’s – This upscale restaurant is inside Hotel Florence, and Erin says “several appetizers and entrees can be made dairy free.”

Forest Acres

• Clean Juice – They make their own cold-pressed cashew milks and offer dairy-free acai bowls, smoothie bowls, smoothies, toasts, and some other eats. Please note that their flatbread wraps (the bread itself) contain dairy, but all other menu items can be ordered dairy-free by omitting the cheese or substituting vegan protein for the whey protein (in the proteins smoothies).

Fort Mill

• Brixx Wood Fired Pizza – This is a popular regional chain that offers dairy-free cheese alternative at no extra charge! In fact, their classic pizza crust and sauce are vegan, and they can make any veggie pizza vegan. Their gluten-free pizza dough is also dairy-free, but it contains egg. They also have a fantastic allergen list. It tells you the specific items with dairy AND the items that contain dairy even when you hold the cheese.
• Clean Eatz – This healthy fast casual chain offers a straight-forward allergen guide and many options for building your own bowl, salad, or wrap.
• Clean Juice – They make their own cold-pressed cashew milks and offer dairy-free acai bowls, smoothie bowls, smoothies, toasts, and some other eats. Please note that their flatbread wraps (the bread itself) contain dairy, but all other menu items can be ordered dairy-free by omitting the cheese or substituting vegan protein for the whey protein (in the proteins smoothies).
• Cold Stone Creamery – See our Dairy-Free Cold Stone Creamery Menu Guide for full details.
• Goodlife Organic Kitchen – This expanding healthy chain is focused on healthy ingredients and caters to all types of special diet needs and allergies. They blend smoothies and smoothie bowls with a wide range of ingredients, from moringa and spirulina to vegan / gluten-free Cookie Dough Granola Butter. They also offer warm bowls, salads, sandwiches, functional coffee drinks and more. Many items are vegan and most can be ordered dairy free.
• I Love Juice Bar ⭐️ – They blend dairy-free smoothies, acai bowls, and smoothie bowls, offer a range of juices and healthy shots, have overnight oats, and also serve vegan-friendly soups.
• Slim Chickens – They make dairy-free custom orders easy, and are trained to be friendly to allergen requests. Their grilled chicken tenders are made without dairy, and can be subbed on meals, wraps, or salads. They also have a good allergen menu, with a nice selection of dairy-free sauces and sides. Just use caution when ordering sandwiches. At last check, their brioche sandwich buns were dairy-free, but they are brushed with butter.
• The Southern Olive – This local gluten-free bakery and cafe makes an array of dairy-free treats daily and for special orders. They can also accommodate other special diet requests. And they do bake custom cakes for all occasions, including weddings.
• Toppers Pizza – They have three signature vegan pizzas on their menu (two with plant-based chicken), and you can sub their dairy-free mozzarella to make most other pizzas dairy-free. They also offer vegan cheese sticks and have several dairy-free sauces.
• Viva Chicken – This is a Peruvian rotisserie chicken joint, that specializes in fresh, authentic Peruvian cuisine. Their menu is simple, with chicken, salads, and sides, most of which is made without dairy. They do offer a quick glance allergen menu, which includes sauce details.
• Whit’s Frozen Custard – This ice cream chain now has several vegan-friendly stores, including the one in this city. They’re now churning vegan custard that’s made with gluten-free oat milk or cultured coconut milk. The flavors can vary, and are sold in pints or by the scoop, and dairy-free cones and toppings are available.

Greenville

• Basta Bakery ⭐️ – They don’t have a storefront, but you can order and pick up from this local vegan bakery. They have an assortment of sweet treats, from donuts to truffles, and also make custom order cakes.
• Biscuit Head – They started in North Carolina, but this Southern-style restaurant has one location in South Carolina. They serve vegan and gluten-free biscuits with not one, but two choices of vegan gravy. According to their staff, any of their egg dishes can be made without dairy, and their potatoes can be served without cheese. They also have several naturally dairy-free items, including red eye gravy, sriracha slaw, calaloo collards, sriracha sausage, country ham, brisket, pulled pork, bacon, mimosa fried chicken, kale salad, and granola.
• Brixx Wood Fired Pizza – This is a popular regional chain that offers dairy-free cheese alternative at no extra charge! In fact, their classic pizza crust and sauce are vegan, and they can make any veggie pizza vegan. Their gluten-free pizza dough is also dairy-free, but it contains egg. They also have a fantastic allergen list. It tells you the specific items with dairy AND the items that contain dairy even when you hold the cheese.
• California Dreaming – Thank you to Sarah for sharing this response she received from this restaurant. “We have several dairy free options – you could get our veggie burger with no cheese, oven roasted salmon, peel and eat shrimp, marinated chicken, barbeque chicken, baby back ribs, chicken strips, chicken wings, and then any salad you can get with whatever toppings you want, so you could get the salad without cheese- you would just want to get the oil and vinegar dressing because that is our only dairy free dressing.”
• Clare’s Creamery – They offer a few creamy dairy-free flavors, like chocolate, strawberry, coconut, or salted caramel.
• Clean Eatz – This healthy fast casual chain offers a straight-forward allergen guide and many options for building your own bowl, salad, or wrap.
• Clean Juice – They make their own cold-pressed cashew milks and offer dairy-free acai bowls, smoothie bowls, smoothies, toasts, and some other eats. Please note that their flatbread wraps (the bread itself) contain dairy, but all other menu items can be ordered dairy-free by omitting the cheese or substituting vegan protein for the whey protein (in the proteins smoothies).
• Cocobowlz – All of their smoothie bowl bases are dairy-free, vegan, and made without added sugar, including the acai, pitaya, mango, cacao, and coconut bases. They also offer a plethora of dairy-free toppings (skip the caramel and nutella), and have a plant protein option. They also blend smoothies with almond milk or coconut water.
• Cold Stone Creamery – See our Dairy-Free Cold Stone Creamery Menu Guide for full details.
• CoreLife Eatery – This healthy chain offers green and grain bowls. Their menu is gluten-free, and they have a few dairy-free options on their menu, plus you can build your own bowl from an array of ingredients.
• Farm Fresh FAST – Their farm favorites include some dairy-free options, but they also offer a full vegan menu, complete with burgers, wraps, jambalaya, and more. They also offer some vegan donuts.
• green fetish – They have a full dairy-free smoothie and smoothie bowl menu, superfood lattes, gluten-free toasts (made with Udi’s), and a big build-your-own grain or green bowl with options for all.
• HenDough Chicken & Donuts – Thanks to Courtney for sharing this great option at the popular food court, Gather. She says the manager emailed her the following for dairy-free needs: “Our fried chicken batter is dairy free, so you could do the chicken, chicken tenders or wings no problem! The French fries and hash brown tots as well. We have bbq and honey garlic wing sauce that are delicious and dairy free! We also have a Cobb salad with fried chicken that you can get cider vinaigrette on that’s very tasty!”
• Insomnia Cookies – This sweet chain offers a few flavors of vegan cookies year round, like Birthday Cake and Double Chocolate Chunk. But they also bake up seasonal vegan flavors throughout the year.
• Kuka Juice – The house-pressed juices and almond mylks are naturally dairy-free, but they also offer a salads, toasts, and smoothies. Everything is vegetarian, with a lot of vegan and dairy-free options, including a kale Caesar salad made with cashew “parmesan.”
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Naked Vegan – Casual comfort food and desserts are on the menu at this purely vegan window-serve spot.
• Oak & Honey – Come for the craft cocktails, locally brewed beers, and tipsy wine collection, but stay and enjoy a “not so small” plate of vegan nachos topped with cashew cheese and lime cream.
• Parlor Doughnuts – They offer a vegan / gluten-free doughnut with different custom glazes. All of their shakes can also be made dairy free. Plus, they have a full coffee bar and some other breakfast goods.
• Saffron Indian Cuisine – They have a vegan menu right on their main menu, and many additional items are dairy free – just ask!
• Sidewall Pizza – Sure, there are quite a few pizza joints offering vegan cheese, but do they also have housemade dairy-free ice cream? This local chain does! In addition to custom order pies with vegan mozzarella and all your favorite toppings, they regularly serve coconut milk-based ice cream in vanilla, chocolate, and a surprise flavor. They have two locations in Greenville.
• Southern Pressed Juicery ⭐️ – They have a menu of house-made almond mylks and fresh juices galore. But you can also order smoothies, superfood lattes, hot oatmeal, and healthy meals for breakfast and lunch. They also offer nutritious snacks and healthier desserts. And everything on the menu is dairy-free, plant-based, and vegan (except for a few items that contain honey).
• Sun Belly Cafe & Catering – Their fresh fare includes several dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan options daily. They usually have some healthy treats, too.
• Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery – Their online menu is a little haphazard, but they offer some dairy-free and vegan goodies, like donuts, in addition to good options for sandwiches, salads, and breakfast items. They also bake custom order vegan cakes, but do not offer vegan cupcakes.
• Sweetberry – This bowl spot offers all types of dairy-free smoothie bowls (acai, pitaya, coconut, and green) with a range of toppings. They also build poke bowls and salad bowls, with ample dairy-free choices. They also have many vegan options.
• The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar – This outrageous dessert shop offers Hersey’s Oatmazing dairy-free ice cream in vanilla, chocolate and cookies n cream. You can order it straight up or blended with oat milk for your own crazy milkshake. The staff can share what toppings are made without milk.
• Village Kitchen at Hartness ⭐️ – Thank you to Stephanie for recommending this restaurant. They define themselves as “elevated” fast casual, and do label their menu for dairy-free and gluten-free. Their primary dairy-free menu items include both fried and grilled chicken sandwiches and their farm vegetables, but additional salads and sandwiches (gluten-free buns available) can be ordered without dairy.
• Viva Chicken – This is a Peruvian rotisserie chicken joint, that specializes in fresh, authentic Peruvian cuisine. Their menu is simple, with chicken, salads, and sides, most of which is made without dairy. They do offer a quick glance allergen menu, which includes sauce details.
• Wildflower Cupcake and Dessert Bar – They offer vegan cupcake options daily, but the flavors often rotate with their seasonal menu.
• Yogurt Mountain – This froyo chain has rotating flavors that typically include at least one creamy non-dairy or fruity sorbet flavor.

Greer

• Cocobowlz – All of their smoothie bowl bases are dairy-free, vegan, and made without added sugar, including the acai, pitaya, mango, cacao, and coconut bases. They also offer a plethora of dairy-free toppings (skip the caramel and nutella), and have a plant protein option. They also blend smoothies with almond milk or coconut water.

Hartsville

• Acai Express – You can find this shop throughout Puerto Rico, but they also have some locations in the states. They offer several dairy-free acai and pitaya bowls, vegan mango sorbet bowls, creamy vegan coconut bowls, smoothies, and fruit popsicles with topping options.

Hilton Head

• JINYA Ramen Bar – Believe it or not, many ramen bases contain milk. But JINYA offers a couple vegan ramen options and most of their ramen dishes, soups, and expansive small plates are dairy-free. They have a great comprehensive allergen chart.
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Salty Dog Ice Cream – Enjoy a scoop (or two) of their creamy coconut ice cream. They typically offer a few non-dairy and vegan flavors in a nice atmosphere right by the water.
• Stacks Pancakes & More ⭐️ – Enjoy vegan pancakes and other classic diner fare at this local restaurant. They label their menu and are happy to accommodate dairy-free and gluten-free guests with custom orders.

Indian Land

• Southern Olive Oil Company – This is a tasting room, shop, and eatery with keto, paleo, and vegan smoothies, baked goods, coffee drinks, and more.

Lexington

• Clean Eatz – This healthy fast casual chain offers a straight-forward allergen guide and many options for building your own bowl, salad, or wrap.
• Clean Juice – They make their own cold-pressed cashew milks and offer dairy-free acai bowls, smoothie bowls, smoothies, toasts, and some other eats. Please note that their flatbread wraps (the bread itself) contain dairy, but all other menu items can be ordered dairy-free by omitting the cheese or substituting vegan protein for the whey protein (in the proteins smoothies).
• Cold Stone Creamery – See our Dairy-Free Cold Stone Creamery Menu Guide for full details.
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Uno Pizzeria & Grill – This national Italian-American restaurant chain has one location in this state. See our Uno Dairy-Free Menu Guide for details.

Mt. Pleasant

• Burtons Grill – This upscale bar and grill boasts classic American dishes with fresh ingredients and a touch of global flair. Year after year, they’re top rated as an allergy-friendly restaurant. They follow strict allergy protocols, have well-trained staff, and even attentive to allergies with their online ordering and takeout.
• Clean Eatz – This healthy fast casual chain offers a straight-forward allergen guide and many options for building your own bowl, salad, or wrap.
• Clean Juice – They make their own cold-pressed cashew milks and offer dairy-free acai bowls, smoothie bowls, smoothies, toasts, and some other eats. Please note that their flatbread wraps (the bread itself) contain dairy, but all other menu items can be ordered dairy-free by omitting the cheese or substituting vegan protein for the whey protein (in the proteins smoothies).
• Cold Stone Creamery – See our Dairy-Free Cold Stone Creamery Menu Guide for full details.
• Cupcake Downsouth – This prolific cupcakery offers one vegan flavor for every day of the week. Chocoholic on Mondays, Peachy Keen on Tuesdays, and so on. The flavors can also change with the seasons.
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Swig & Swine – Thank you to R. Z. for recommending this local area barbecue establishment. “They have many options that are dairy free and is an excellent place to get Southern BBQ.”
• The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar – This outrageous dessert shop offers Hersey’s Oatmazing dairy-free ice cream in vanilla, chocolate and cookies n cream. You can order it straight up or blended with oat milk for your own crazy milkshake. The staff can share what toppings are made without milk.
• Ye Ole Fashioned Cafe & Ice Cream – They offer a prolific vegan menu with nachos, fried pickles, grilled cheese, burgers, hot dogs, vegan milkshakes (made with almond milk), and dairy-free ice cream in creamy flavors, like cookies and cream, vanilla, and chocolate chunk. Additional sandwiches and burgers can be ordered dairy-free, and they do offer dairy-free cheese and nacho cheese.

Murrell’s Inlet

• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

Myrtle Beach

• Acai Couples Superfood Bar ⭐️ – This acai shop is completely dairy-free and they don’t use added sugar in their blends. They offer honey, for topping, so they aren’t purely vegan, but close! Their menu includes a sweet array of acai bowls and smoothies.
• Bay Naturals – This healthy market has an organic kitchen on site, offering a big menu of smoothies, breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches, burritos and more. They have many vegan and gluten-free options, and most of the menu is, or can be made, dairy-free. They offer Daiya cheese alternative and use Dave’s Killer Bread (sourdough, gluten-free, and lettuce wraps are also available).
• Brixx Wood Fired Pizza – This is a popular regional chain that offers dairy-free cheese alternative at no extra charge! In fact, their classic pizza crust and sauce are vegan, and they can make any veggie pizza vegan. Their gluten-free pizza dough is also dairy-free, but it contains egg. They also have a fantastic allergen list. It tells you the specific items with dairy AND the items that contain dairy even when you hold the cheese.
• Buzzed Bull Creamery – This create-your-own ice cream chain uses nitrogen to instantly freeze your chosen flavor. You can order it unbuzzed or buzzed (with alcohol), for those over 21. They have a dairy-free sorbet base and a dairy-free almond milk base. They also have guides to the dairy-free and vegan mix-ins on request, and can blend a custom milkshake just for you.
• Clean Eatz – This healthy fast casual chain offers a straight-forward allergen guide and many options for building your own bowl, salad, or wrap.
• Cold Stone Creamery – See our Dairy-Free Cold Stone Creamery Menu Guide for full details.
• Extreme Pizza – They have a whole menu of vegan signature pizzas, and of course, you can build your own dairy-free pizza. You can also custom order one of their many salads.
• Flying Fish Public Market & Grill – They specialize in fresh fish and can grill it to order without dairy. They have some additional dairy-free options and are also friendly to gluten-free guests.
• Hot Stacks Cafe – This breakfast and lunch spot offers several vegan items on their menu, including waffles, French toast, a farmhouse bowl, avocado toast, and some items made with faux meat and Just egg. (Please note: Hot Stacks in North Myrtle Beach is not friendly toward dairy-free and vegan guests).
• Insomnia Cookies – This sweet chain offers a few flavors of vegan cookies year round, like Birthday Cake and Double Chocolate Chunk. But they also bake up seasonal vegan flavors throughout the year.
• Kindbelly Cafe – This healthy cafe blends many dairy-free smoothies, smoothie bowls, and acai bowls, and offers dairy-free and vegan options on both their breakfast and lunch menus. They’re said to be friendly toward special diet requests.
• Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffett’s signature restaurant chain borrows some allergy-friendly spirit from his younger sister’s restaurant chain, Lulu’s. Their Gulf Coast cuisine includes lots of seafood, some Caribbean flavors, and many American favorites. They don’t have an allergen guide, but their staff is well trained for food allergic guests, and they are able to easily accommodate dairy-free requests.
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show – This lively dinner theater at Dollywood serves Southern cuisine in a rustic barn with family-friendly entertainment. The feasts they offer cover vegan and gluten-free needs, and they can accommodate dairy-free on request.
• Sweetberry – This bowl spot offers all types of dairy-free smoothie bowls (acai, pitaya, coconut, and green) with a range of toppings. They also build poke bowls and salad bowls, with ample dairy-free choices. They also have many vegan options.
• The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar – This outrageous dessert shop offers Hersey’s Oatmazing dairy-free ice cream in vanilla, chocolate and cookies n cream. You can order it straight up or blended with oat milk for your own crazy milkshake. The staff can share what toppings are made without milk.
• You Eat I Bake – This little small batch bakery, recommended by Tasha W., is gluten-free and nut-free, and most of their goodies are dairy-free and vegan, too. Daily options can include cookies, brownies, muffins, cupcakes, and keto fat bombs. But they also have specialty items, take custom treat orders, and bake cakes to order. Sugar-free and keto options are available.

North Augusta

• Cold Stone Creamery – See our Dairy-Free Cold Stone Creamery Menu Guide for full details.

North Charleston

• Clean Eatz – This healthy fast casual chain offers a straight-forward allergen guide and many options for building your own bowl, salad, or wrap.
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

North Myrtle Beach

• Lucy Buffet’s Lulu’s ⭐️ – Yes, this is Warren Buffet’s sister! Which explains why you will only find locations in a few touristy coastal towns. They have full allergen and special diet menus for Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Shellfish Free, Soy Free, Seafood Free, and Vegan guests. The dairy-free menu is filled with seafood, big ole’ salads, tropical sides, hamburgers, sandwiches, and more.
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Melt – This local ice cream shop typically churns a couple vegan flavors.
• Mission BBQ – This restaurant chain offers a great allergen chat and lots of dairy-free options. Most of their BBQ meats and sauces are dairy-free, and they have a good handful of sides and plate specials. At last check, their sandwich bread contained milk, but their buns did not! Ask at your location since bread sourcing can vary.
• Shaka-Laka Bowls – Thank you to Jess for this recommendation! They offer a big selection of dairy-free smoothie bowls, including acai, pitaya, blue majik, coconut, mango, and more. Just use caution with the toppings as a couple do contain dairy.
• The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar – This outrageous dessert shop offers Hersey’s Oatmazing dairy-free ice cream in vanilla, chocolate and cookies n cream. You can order it straight up or blended with oat milk for your own crazy milkshake. The staff can share what toppings are made without milk.
• Whit’s Frozen Custard – This ice cream chain now has several vegan-friendly stores, including the one in this city. They’re now churning vegan custard that’s made with gluten-free oat milk or cultured coconut milk. The flavors can vary, and are sold in pints or by the scoop, and dairy-free cones and toppings are available.

Pawleys Island

• Parlor Doughnuts – They offer a vegan / gluten-free doughnut with different custom glazes. All of their shakes can also be made dairy free. Plus, they have a full coffee bar and some other breakfast goods.

Rock Hill

• Super Icy Brothers ⭐️ – This is an Italian ice and vegan dessert shop offering vegan soft serve, milkshakes, alcohol-infused Italian ice, and kettle corn. Everything is reportedly dairy-free and vegan, but double check!

Simpsonville

• Cocobowlz – All of their smoothie bowl bases are dairy-free, vegan, and made without added sugar, including the acai, pitaya, mango, cacao, and coconut bases. They also offer a plethora of dairy-free toppings (skip the caramel and nutella), and have a plant protein option. They also blend smoothies with almond milk or coconut water.
• Exchange Coffee Co – This is so much more than a coffee shop. They make sweet and savory gluten-free crepes that can be ordered dairy-free and vegan. They also offer dairy-free cream cheese, and have almond and coconut milks for their coffee drinks. According to Jennifer V, “The owner and his wife have children with food allergies so they’re careful to label foods.”
• Sidewall Pizza – In addition to custom order pizza pies with vegan mozzarella and all your favorite toppings, this local chain regularly serves dairy-free coconut milk-based ice cream in vanilla, chocolate, and a surprise flavor. They have two locations in Simpsonville.

Spartanburg

• Downtown Deli & Donuts – Thank you to Erika for this recommendation! “They have vegan and gluten free doughnuts, muffins, and some break offerings too!” Their vegan donuts are actually top allergen-free, and they also bake custom order cakes. And they offer a dairy-free and vegan lasagna on their casserole menu.
• Health in Hand ⭐️ – This juice and smoothie bar is dairy-free, and mostly vegan – they do use honey in some of their blends. They serve fresh-pressed juices, smoothies made with various nut butters and milk alternatives, and acai and pitaya bowls.
• Sidewall Pizza – In addition to custom order pizza pies with vegan mozzarella and all your favorite toppings, this local chain regularly serves dairy-free coconut milk-based ice cream in vanilla, chocolate, and a surprise flavor.

Summerville

• BKeDSHoP – You can pick up a vegan donut, oat milk coffee drink, and a plant at this bakery + plant shop. They bake yeast-raised donuts in a variety of flavors, with daily vegan options. You might find vegan apple fritters, strawberry jelly donuts, cinnamon buns, or several others. They also blend vegan oat black sesame milkshakes, have a savory selection, and might have and other seasonal goodies in store.
• Cold Stone Creamery – See our Dairy-Free Cold Stone Creamery Menu Guide for full details.
• Swig & Swine – Thank you to R. Z. for recommending this local area barbecue establishment. “They have many options that are dairy free and is an excellent place to get Southern BBQ.”
• Viva Chicken – This is a Peruvian rotisserie chicken joint, that specializes in fresh, authentic Peruvian cuisine. Their menu is simple, with chicken, salads, and sides, most of which is made without dairy. They do offer a quick glance allergen menu, which includes sauce details.
• Ye Ole Fashioned Cafe & Ice Cream – They offer a prolific vegan menu with nachos, fried pickles, grilled cheese, burgers, hot dogs, vegan milkshakes (made with almond milk), and dairy-free ice cream in creamy flavors, like cookies and cream, vanilla, and chocolate chunk. Additional sandwiches and burgers can be ordered dairy-free, and they do offer dairy-free cheese and nacho cheese.

Surfside Beach

• California Dreaming – Thank you to Sarah for sharing this response she received from this restaurant. “We have several dairy free options – you could get our veggie burger with no cheese, oven roasted salmon, peel and eat shrimp, marinated chicken, barbeque chicken, baby back ribs, chicken strips, chicken wings, and then any salad you can get with whatever toppings you want, so you could get the salad without cheese- you would just want to get the oil and vinegar dressing because that is our only dairy free dressing.”
• Meyer’s Ice Cream Parlor – This local shop sent a friendly response when I asked if they have daily dairy-free ice cream flavors. “we do … we make a handful of flavors in non-dairy coconut based ice cream (more in season) and also have non dairy Italian ices. We also run a non-dairy dole whip soft serve (variety of flavors) but that happens once the weather is warmer.”

Tega Cay

• Cinnaholic ⭐️ – This is an all-vegan bakery chain that focuses on cinnamon rolls, with choose your own icing and decadent toppings. They have other pastries, coffee, and soft serve, too.
• Toppers Pizza – They have three signature vegan pizzas on their menu (two with plant-based chicken), and you can sub their dairy-free mozzarella to make most other pizzas dairy-free. They also offer vegan cheese sticks and have several dairy-free sauces.

Travelers Rest

• Sidewall Pizza – In addition to custom order pizza pies with vegan mozzarella and all your favorite toppings, this local chain regularly serves dairy-free coconut milk-based ice cream in vanilla, chocolate, and a surprise flavor.
• Sunset Slush – Enjoy their menu of dairy-free and gluten-free Italian ice, or ask them to blend you an almond milk smoothie.
• TRee House Cafe & Studio – Thanks to Sami for this recommendation! “TReehouse in Travelers Rest has several vegan options, including smoothies and wrapped baked goods like scones and cinnamon rolls. You can also buy art pieces to paint and paint while you’re there with their supplies. The owners are really nice as well!”

Restaurant & Grocery Chains found throughout South Carolina

Some recommended restaurant and store chains are getting too big for our city listing britches. They have many locations, or are rapidly growing, and you might stumble across them in a number of towns in this state. Click on them for more dairy-free details.

• Ben & Jerry’s – See our Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Blaze Pizza – See our Blaze Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Bruster’s Real Ice Cream – This old-fashioned ice creamery chain churns several dairy-free oat milk ice cream flavors, like vegan vanilla, cookies and cream, white raspberry truffle, and more. They also offer sorbets.
• Chicken Salad Chick – Their menu boasts a range of chicken salads, many of which are dairy-free. They also have various dairy-free bread options for sandwiches. They have a full allergen guide to make ordering easy.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill – See our Chipotle Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• MOD Pizza – See our MOD Pizza Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Pelican’s SnoBalls – This sweet chain makes New Orleans style shaved ice. And according to the company, their flavor syrups are all made without top allergens. Just skip the cream snowcap or ask if they have dairy-free coconut cream available.
• Ruby Tuesday – See our Ruby Tuesday Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

Local Dairy-Free Food & Drink Producers in South Carolina

These dairy-free friendly companies don’t have their own retail location, but are in South Carolina. So you have a good chance of finding their products at grocery stores, restaurants, and/or other shops in this state. Keep an eye out!

We haven’t learned of any yet, but will add them as we find them!

This Guide is Continuously Updated with Recommendations

We welcome you to recommend other dairy-free friendly restaurants. Leave a comment or contact us and tell us why you like a certain restaurant. Restaurant owners and employees are also invited to reach out and let us know how you welcome dairy-free customers.

Please kindly let us know in the comments if any of these restaurants close. We want to keep this list current for you, but aren’t always notified when a restaurant closes. Let us know and we will quickly update!

This Guide is for Informational Purposes Only

Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, and restaurants are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure that they can accommodate your situation.

There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.

For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!