The Best Thing to Eat Right Now!
Plan a seafood road trip and enjoy fresh local flavors.
There’s no better time than right now to enjoy the taste of the sea with every tantalizing bite.
Oyster-farmed oysters are less briny because they are raised in floating cages in the top twelve inches of water. Oysters in the wild are exposed to more minerals and will be saltier. The oysters in the image below will be briny and sweet with the taste of last night’s tide. Head over to Sea Eagle Market, Beaufort, SC, and enjoy them all weekend in your backyard on the Big Green Egg or your favorite smoker. I prefer to slurp ‘em down straight from the river.
Five Best Southern Oyster Bars and Seafood Restaurants in the Lowcountry
Chubby Fish, 205 Coming St. Charleston, SC 29403
One of my most recent discoveries is Chubby Fish, a cozy chef-driven, dock-to-table seafood place. It is small in size and scope but is bucket list restaurant material.
Chef James London is a Charleston native who was educated at the College of Charleston and the French Culinary Institute in New York City. He ventured out to several San Francisco restaurants before returning to Charleston. Chubby Fish has garnered a Best Restaurant nod from Bon Appetit, was ranked #7 Restaurant in the US by Food and Wine Magazine, and was a James Beard finalist for Best Chef Southeast 2024.
They run a wait list system rather than take reservations. So plan on getting there early and get your name on the list.
The Walrus at Holy City Brewing - opened in early 2024
1021 Aragon Ave., North Charleston, SC 29405
The Walrus at Holy City is their in-house oyster and raw bar. It’s a new raw bar serving oysters and fish tacos in an unexpected Charleston location. Oysters on the half-shell, ceviche, and peel-and-eat shrimp are featured. The oyster bar opened in early 2024 and serves the salty, meaty Lowcountry Cups grown in the fertile ACE Basin. Chef Connor says, “We are a locals’ spot supporting our local farmers.”
Shuckers in charcoal aprons place oysters on ice, stir ceviche, and peel shrimp as rock music echoes over speakers. They have an awesome tuna melt, served with North Carolina yellowfin tune. It’s folded inside an English muffin with wasabi aioli and American cheese.
Rappahannock Oyster Bar, Charleston, SC
701 E. Bay Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Although the ambiance is spectacular, the food is the star of the show. It’s tucked away in a 19th-century cigar factory along Charleston’s Cooper River on East Bay Street.
The Ordinary
544 King St., Charleston 29403
Enjoy a romantic dinner for two. Located in a former bank in Charleston, the menu celebrates the “merroir” of the Coastal Carolinas and the East Coast. This is a high-energy, bustling American brasserie.
John’s Island
Charleston restaurants continue to top national publications’ list of best restaurants. If you happen to be on John’s Island stop in Lost Isle. It made the list of favorite new restaurants in 2024.
