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The Absolute Best Charleston Restaurants on the Water

Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar
The Charleston Crab House
Magnolias
Bowens Island Restaurant
Salty Mike's Deck Bar
The Rooftop at the Vendue
Ellis Creek Fish Camp
The Wreck of Richard and Charlene
fried crab sandwich and side of seafood rice from fleet landing restaurant and bar in charleston
Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar
lobster from charleston crab house
The Charleston Crab House
fried fish and shrimp from bowen's island restaurant in charleston
Bowens Island Restaurant
beer and a bucket of freshly caught clams overlooking the water at salty mike's deck bar
Salty Mike's Deck Bar
cheese pizza from the rooftop at the vendue in charleston
The Rooftop at the Vendue
fried fish sandwich and side of fries from elli's creek fish camp in charleston
Ellis Creek Fish Camp
The Wreck of Richard and Charlene in Mount Pleasant, SC
The Wreck of Richard and Charlene

There’s nothing like sipping on a chilled wine while tucking into a classic “low and slow” Southern boil at any of Charleston’s best waterfront restaurants. Classic Lowcountry plates merge with yacht-club fare on the Chuck Town food scene. Take a look at the eight best places to eat by the water in Charleston, with everything from rooftop wine sipping to crab-shack vibes.


photo credit: blog.resy.com

Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar

186 Concord St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 722-8100

Believe the hype about this Lowcountry favorite. Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar makes diners feel like they’re eating at the best boat club in town with one glance at its spacious interior, fun deck, and gorgeous views. While the views and ambiance are enough to draw diners in, the menu here is what keeps them coming back. Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar’s menu includes a fusion of classic Southern comfort foods and coastal favorites. Shrimp and grits, crispy flounder, fresh seafood pasta, and Carolina lump crab cakes satisfy every seafood craving. You can also join them for Sunday brunch where you can choose from items like quiche, pulled pork, crab cakes, and crème brûlée French toast. 

 

Red king crab from THE CHARLESTON CRAB HOUSE
photo credit: opentable.com

The Charleston Crab House

145 Wappoo Creek Drive, Charleston, SC 29412
(843) 795-1963

A staple on the Chuck Town waterfront dining scene for almost 30 years, The Charleston Crab House has downtown, Shem Creek, and James Island locations. The James Island location on Charleston’s Wappoo Creek Drive offers incredible waterfront dining with bridge views. The menu at Charleston Crab House is short and sweet for good reason – they focus on doing a few items incredibly well. The ahi tuna, bacon-wrapped stuffed shrimp, soft-shell-crab sandwich, and steamed muscles are strong enough to carry the menu without tons of bells and whistles. Crowds keep coming to the crab house to specifically experience its world-famous steam pots.

 

egg roll from MAGNOLIAS
photo credit: usarestaurants.info

Magnolias

185 E Bay Street, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 577-7771

While Magnolias isn’t directly on the water, this wine bar that’s considered a staple of the city is just a short walk to the waterfront. Many people credit Magnolias with beginning Charleston’s culinary renaissance when it opened in 1990 – the eatery has inspired the opening of many of the restaurants that have helped to make the waterfront area what it is today! The three-page wine list is enough to demonstrate why this restaurant is the classiest place to dine near the water. The upscale menu features signature dishes like “Down South” egg rolls, blackened catfish, Lowcountry bouillabaisse, and New York strip.

 

The Wreck of Richard and Charlene in Mount Pleasant, SC
Instagram/thewreckrcshemcreek

The Wreck of Richard and Charlene

106 Haddrell St, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 884-0052

Can chaos bring forth something beautiful…and delicious? The Wreck of Richard and Charlene is one the area’s best spots for fried fish, shrimp, scallops and oysters. Named after a chaotic trawler wreck during 1989’s Hurricane Hugo, the restaurant stands directly on the spot where the eye passed and the nearby dock was destroyed. Now, under more pleasant circumstances, you can have a great food – look out for their low country boil nights – before going on a stroll through old town Mount Pleasant under the Pitt street bridge. it’s one of the Charleston area’s best hidden gems, with tons of covered outdoor seating and beautiful views of the river and sunset . Stay for the sunset and watch the beauty of the wreck while you get yourself a little wrecked with a local craft beer from Edmund’s Oast or a chilled rose.

Fish and chips from BOWENS ISLAND RESTAURANT
photo credit: usarestaurants.info

Bowens Island Restaurant

1870 Bowens Island Rd, Charleston, SC 29412
(843) 795-2757

Situated on a 13-acre island, Bowens Island offers views of the river, marshes, and islands just minutes away from Folley Beach. One of the menu highlights are the locally harvested oysters. Crowds also come to enjoy the Frogmore Stew, a classic Lowcountry sausage boil. Another popular dish – their huge fried fish platters with French fries, hushpuppies, and coleslaw. Don’t miss Bowen Island’s draft beer list, either – they’ve got local favorites and microbrews from around the country.

 

Bud light with drinks from SALTY MIKE'S DECK BAR
photo credit: afar.com

Salty Mike’s Deck Bar

9 Lockwood Dr, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 937-0208

If you ask locals where to eat on the waterfront, they’ll say Salty Mike’s Deck Bar. There’s no better place to tuck into a basket of popcorn shrimp and hand-cut fries. The great food, cold drinks, laid-back atmosphere, and sensational views make this what many people consider to be one of the best coastal dive bars in South Carolina.

 

pizza from THE ROOFTOP AT THE VENDUE
photo credit: Yelp

The Rooftop at the Vendue

19 Vendue Range, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 4142337

Rooftop seating at this French-meets-Southern wine bar provides perfect water views. Unlike other waterfront restaurants, this one also offers sparkling views of the harbor, Waterfront Park, Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, and other sparkling city scenes. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, The Rooftop at the Vendue offers an extensive wine, beer, and cocktail menu. Sip a cranberry mule while digging into crack fries, fish tacos, or a Greek mezze plate.

 

Fries from ELLIS CREEK FISH CAMP
photo credit: elliscreekfishcamp.com

Ellis Creek Fish Camp

1243 Harbor View Rd, Charleston, SC 29412
(843) 297-8878

Enjoy dog-friendly dining on the water in Charleston at this gorgeous marsh-adjacent eatery. It always feels like a party on the camp-inspired deck with outdoor seating. While the seafood plates at Ellis Creek Fish Camp can be blackened, grilled, or fried based on preference, they are always served with a hushpuppy side. Sandwiches, burgers, and fish tacos round out the cool and casual menu. The canned, draft, and tall-boy beers on the drink menu really bring it all home for an authentic Lowcountry experience of dining on the creek.

Savor the distinct charm of Charleston, SC, as we explore the culinary wonders that define the city’s top restaurants.