10 Essential Seafood Restaurants in Charleston, SC
Charleston is such a beautiful, charming town known for many reasons. It’s the perfect spot for a relaxing weekend trip, a bachelorette party, or just going out and exploring the food scene for a gourmand and picturesque weekend. Being by the water, Charleston naturally has some super tasty and fresh seafood. We’ve put together a list of some of our top seafood spots you should check out the next time you’re in Charleston.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on July 11, 2022 and last updated on March 7, 2023. Please refer to restaurant websites and social media pages for the most up-to-date information.
For more recommendations on where to eat and drink around Charleston, check out our city page.
photo credit: usarestaurants.info
Poogan’s Porch
72 Queen St Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 577-2337
When it comes to delectable Lowcountry cuisine, no restaurant makes it better than Poogan’s Porch for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. The restaurant is quite popular with the tourists because of the authentic food and overall ambiance. This menu is loaded with tasty options including appetizers like the she-crab soup, a refreshing starter with blue crab and chives along with other spices. Some of their entree items include options like their sweet-tea glazed salmon, BBQ mahi mahi, chicken fried pork chop, and more.
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Fleet Landing Restaurant
186 Concord St. Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 722-8100
You will find a lot of variety and great quality food at Fleet Landing Restaurant including vegetarian and gluten free options. Start off their lump crab bruschetta or baked spinach and artichoke dip for the table. The chilled half-shell oysters served with their cocktail sauce made in-house and the black bean burger are some of the popular items here Another great option is the fried seafood platter that comes with two sides and your choice or seafood. This is a great place to chill and enjoy a pomegranate mojito while enjoying the harbor view.
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The Darling
513 King St Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 641-0821
The Darling Oyster Bar is just that. This adorable spot offers unlimited seafood at their raw bar along with plenty of other great menu options. Some of their entree items include lobster rolls, crab tagliatelle, crispy fried half chicken and blue crab pasta. Their dishes are prepared with locally-sourced ingredients so you can count on everything being very tasty and fresh. The restaurant has been around for over one hundred and fifteen years so they know what their doing. Also be sure to check out their brunch menu for even more deliciousness.
Photo credit: hymanseafood.com
Hyman’s Seafood
215 Meeting St Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 723-6000
This family-run restaurant was established in 1986 and is open pretty much all day every day. They have all kinds of options for you including seafood entrees, a deli, kosher items and gluten free items as well. When it comes to seafood, buckle up. You can build your own platter, try the catch of the day, order one of their signature plates or order a la carte. Some of their seafood specialities include salmon croquettes, fried calamari, buffalo shrimp, and crispy flounder, which can all be washed down with one of their signature cocktails. As for the deli, they’ve got all kinds of sandwiches, tasty grilled items, and more. Be sure to check them out if you’re not sure what you’re in the mood for.
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167 Raw Oyster Bar
193 King Street Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 579-4997
If you are in the market for a delightful and mouth-watering tuna burger or some fish tacos, then 167 Raw Oyster Bar is the place. There are also sushi and oyster platters worth every cent and give you the authentic raw bar experience. If that’s not exactly what you’re looking for, go for the shrimp po’ boy and you’ll be super happy you did. No one is leaving here hungry or dissatisfied. Finish your meal off with some of their homemade key lime pie or a tasty espresso martini.
Photo credit: usarestaurants.info
Pearlz
153 E Bay St Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 577-5755
The Pearlz is another oyster bar offering all the vibes and all the great, fresh flavors. For dinner, try anything off of their raw bar, their grilled mahi tacos, fish and chips, fried oyster dinner, or the crab cake sandwich. Everything on this menu is mouth watering and you are sure to enjoy. After you’ve sat for a bit and digested, head to their Upstairz Lounge to enjoy some fun live music until 2 AM on Fridays and Saturdays. You’ll love everything Pearlz has to offer.
photo credit: usarestaurants.info
Husk Restaurant
76 Queen, SC 29401
(843) 577-2500
The interior design of the Husk restaurant is only outdone by its unique menu options. Each of the dishes served here caters to the essence that is known with Southern comfort food by ensuring that all the ingredients used are in season, which maintains the freshness and preserves the unique flavors.
The most recommended dishes include the South Carolina shrimp and wood-fired clams.
Photo credit: usarestaurants.info
Acme Lowcountry Kitchen
31 J C Long Blvd Isle of Palms, SC 29451
(843) 886-3474
Seafood and a beachfront view are what great memories are made of, and the Acme Lowcountry Kitchen comes through with these two aspects and then some. They are offering brunch every day until 3 PM so get in there and try one of the omelets, grits bowls, or one of their many other hot and fresh items with a mimosa on the side. For dinner, start off with some of their southern corn bread which comes served with fried local shrimp and Cajun cream sauce. For the main course, go for the roasted salmon or seafood pasta.
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