Xiao Bao Biscuit

Who Should Book Xiao Bao Biscuit

Xiao Bao Biscuit is the right call for anyone who wants a casual, flavour-forward dinner in Charleston without the formality or price point of the city's New American circuit. It earns a Michelin Plate (2025) and a Pearl Recommended rating, and it has appeared on Opinionated About Dining's Cheap Eats in North America list every year from 2023 through 2025. For a special occasion that doesn't demand white tablecloths, or for a group that wants something with genuine culinary credibility at a price that won't require negotiation, this is a strong choice on Rutledge Ave.

The Xiao Bao Biscuit Experience

Chef Joey Ryan runs a kitchen that sits comfortably outside Charleston's dominant Southern and New American narrative. The cuisine is classified as Chinese, but the restaurant has built its reputation on a loosely Asian, market-driven approach that draws on a range of regional influences. That positioning has kept it relevant and well-regarded long enough to accumulate a consistent awards record — OAD ranked it #72 in 2023, #107 in 2024, and #117 in 2025, which reflects a large and vocal following even as its relative ranking has shifted.

The room at 224 Rutledge Ave is casual. This is not a venue designed for hushed celebration-style dining in the way that FIG or Vern's are. Groups considering Xiao Bao Biscuit for a special occasion should factor that in. The energy skews lively and informal, which makes it a better fit for a birthday dinner among friends than a business meal or an anniversary where atmosphere carries significant weight. There is no confirmed private dining option in the current data, so groups wanting a dedicated space should call ahead to confirm availability before planning around it.

It is open six days a week, Monday through Saturday, 11 am to 10 pm, and closed Sunday. That consistent daily-to-night availability is useful for travellers with shifting schedules. Lunch service starting at 11 am gives it an edge for daytime visits, and hitting it at lunch typically means a shorter wait and a more relaxed pace than peak dinner hours.

Know Before You Go

• Address: 224 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC 29401
• Hours: Monday–Saturday, 11 am–10 pm; Sunday closed
• Booking difficulty: Easy
• Dress code: Casual — no formal attire expected or required
• Awards: Michelin Plate (2025); Pearl Recommended (2025); OAD Cheap Eats in North America #117 (2025)
• Google rating: 4.4 from 1,455 reviews
• Price range: Not confirmed , classified as OAD Cheap Eats, which positions it at the accessible end of Charleston dining

Frequently Asked Questions

• How far ahead should I book Xiao Bao Biscuit? Booking difficulty is rated Easy, so last-minute reservations are generally possible. That said, for weekend dinner with a group, booking a few days ahead is sensible. Walk-ins during lunch or on weekday evenings are typically manageable given the 11 am–10 pm window Monday through Saturday.
• What should I wear to Xiao Bao Biscuit? Dress casually. Xiao Bao Biscuit's OAD Cheap Eats standing and its informal room on Rutledge Ave put it firmly in the jeans-and-a-t-shirt category. There is no indication of a dress code, and overdressing would be out of place.
• What should a first-timer know about Xiao Bao Biscuit? It holds a Michelin Plate and consistent OAD recognition, but the room and the price point are both casual. The cuisine is Chinese-influenced but draws on broader Asian regional cooking. Come expecting a lively, informal room with genuine culinary intent behind it, not a formal sit-down experience. It is closed on Sundays, so plan accordingly.
• Is Xiao Bao Biscuit good for a special occasion? Yes, with caveats. The awards record , Michelin Plate, Pearl Recommended, three consecutive OAD Cheap Eats rankings , gives it real credibility as a destination. But the casual room makes it better suited to relaxed celebrations among friends than to formal milestones. If the occasion calls for a quieter, more polished environment, FIG or Edmunds Oast would serve better. For a group that values flavour and personality over formality, Xiao Bao Biscuit is a strong pick.
• Is lunch or dinner better at Xiao Bao Biscuit? Lunch is the lower-friction option. The kitchen opens at 11 am and the midday window typically draws smaller crowds than dinner. If you want to arrive without a reservation and take your time, lunch is the move. Dinner offers the full evening atmosphere but comes with higher demand, particularly on Friday and Saturday.

More from Charleston

Xiao Bao Biscuit sits within a city with a strong dining scene across price points. Browse our full Charleston restaurants guide for a complete picture, or explore our Charleston hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide to plan the rest of your trip. For Chinese-influenced restaurants with serious culinary intent in other cities, Mister Jiu's in San Francisco and Restaurant Tim Raue in Berlin are two points of reference at the higher end of the category. Other Pearl Recommended casual spots worth knowing in Charleston include Malagón Mercado y Taperia and Lowland.