Okàn on Calhoun Street is one of four South Carolina Bib Gourmands in Michelin's 2026 American South guide. Radici on Bluffton Parkway is listed too.

Okàn, the West African, Caribbean and Lowcountry restaurant at 71 Calhoun St. in Old Town, has won a Michelin Bib Gourmand. It is the first Bluffton restaurant on the guide’s Bib Gourmand list for the American South.

Michelin named Okàn among the new Bib Gourmands in its American South 2026 selection, published Wednesday. The guide added 14 restaurants to the list this year.

A second Bluffton restaurant, Radici Italian Chophouse at 4376 Bluffton Parkway, is also in the 2026 guide. Michelin lists it as a recommended restaurant, not a Bib Gourmand.

What a Bib Gourmand means

A Bib Gourmand is not a star. Michelin gives it to restaurants it rates for “good quality, good value cooking,” the wording on Okàn’s own Michelin listing. The guide prices Okàn at $$ on its four-step scale.

Okàn was not on the list a year ago. When Michelin published its first American South selection in November 2025, the Bib Gourmands it named in South Carolina were all in Charleston.

South Carolina’s four Bib Gourmands for 2026

Restaurant City New this year
Okàn Bluffton Yes
Palmira Charleston Yes
Rivayat Creative Indian Charleston Yes
Leon’s Oyster Shop Charleston No

Source: Michelin’s 2026 American South Bib Gourmand list.

What the inspectors said

Michelin’s write-up says the name Okàn means “heart” or “soul” in Yoruba. It credits Chef Bernard Bennett with bringing “the flavors of West Africa and the Caribbean to Bluffton,” with a Lowcountry bent.

The restaurant’s Michelin listing names these dishes:

  • jackfruit fritters with berbere aioli
  • jerk oxtails with djon djon rice
  • curried goat with Carolina gold rice

The listing describes the food as made for sharing with friends.

“Our team, our farmers and our guests made this possible. Thank you,” the restaurant said on its website.

Radici Italian Chophouse

Radici’s Michelin listing puts it at $$$, with Italian and contemporary cooking. The inspectors wrote that “several friends run this ambitious restaurant that celebrates Italian flavors with contemporary verve.” They picked out a stuffed savoy cabbage starter and potato gnocchi with duck ragù, and noted a full tasting menu and counter seats.

The restaurant says on its website that it is “proud to be officially selected in the 2026 Michelin Guide.”

What it means for you

Expect tables to be harder to get, at least for a while. Okàn takes reservations through OpenTable from its website. Michelin’s listing for Radici says to call the restaurant to book, at 843-707-1200.

Neither restaurant has announced new hours or prices. For more places to eat in town, see our where to eat in Bluffton guide and our Old Town Bluffton page.