Charleston SC is renowned for its succulent seafood, and the state’s oyster bars are no exception. Featuring some of seafood freshest catches, these 12 far-reaching establishments offer an unforgettable edible experience complete with views of rocky coasts and salty air.
The Best Oyster Bar in Charleston SC
Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar
- Address: 186 Concord St, Charleston, SC 29401, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (8279)
- Phone: +1 843-722-8100
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMTuesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMWednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMThursday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMSaturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMSunday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
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Top 12 Oyster Restaurant in Charleston SC
Bowens Island Restaurant
- Address: 1870 Bowens Island Rd, Charleston, SC 29412, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (2306)
- Phone: +1 843-795-2757
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: ClosedTuesday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PMWednesday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PMThursday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PMFriday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PMSaturday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PMSunday: Closed
- Reviews:
This place was recommended by a friend as the place to have a seafood dinner and sunset views. She was not wrong, although the prices were definitely reflective of the reputation. Although there are a couple of not fried options, the fried seafood abounds, as well as raw oysters (which we did not try so I cannot review). The fried shrimp were good but I didn’t think they were outstanding. The fried flounder was lightly breaded and flaky. The fried oysters were probably the standout. The French fries could have used more seasoning, and I wished for some vegetable sides as options, even if they were fried as well!! Overall a nice dinner, and I’m glad I went.By Miriam Walsh (5 months ago)Have been trying to get here for a while now and finally made it. Was NOT disappointed. We only got raw oysters, hush puppies, and beers, but wow. The oysters were absolutely amazing, and they had a decent selection of craft beers. It was a bit pricey, but that’s the world we live in now and, and the oysters were worth it. All of the staff was super friendly and helpful.By Fred G (7 months ago)I have lived here a long time and never gone out here. It Is a wonderful place for photos. We catered a meal in the space seen here on the dock. The restaurant remained open for everyone else. It’s a long drive down a rough road. Parking is in the dirt (or mud depending on rain). Accessibility was a problem for some of out older guests. The shrimp and grits were pretty good. The private spaces and the views were just amazing..By wanda kelley (5 months ago)We enjoyed our meal at Bowens Island Restaurant for the last meal of our visit to Charleston. With so many upscale dining options in town, we were thankful to have a casual meal on the waterfront, oddly rare to find in town.
The food was good, but let’s be honest you’re going for the atmosphere and sunset. Food came out fairly quickly and was decent. The fries were a little cold and everything cost a little more than it needed to be, but the tourist tax was in full effect and once the sun sets you get your moneys worth.
Our menu favs – oysters, boiled shrimp, hush puppies
By Chris H. (3 months ago)Local “hole in the wall” on the water with outdoor seating and great view. Place your order at the counter and seat your self. Waited in line for about 20 minutes. Food delivered to table within 15 minutes. Fried fish and shrimp were hot and good. Hush puppies overcooked, French fries were standard fair. Good price for seafood, full bar, lots of beer choices, casual setting.By Gail Hicks (10 months ago)
Hank’s Seafood Restaurant
- Address: 10 Hayne St, Charleston, SC 29401, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (2273)
- Phone: +1 843-723-3474
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 5:00 – 10:00 PMTuesday: 5:00 – 10:00 PMWednesday: 5:00 – 10:00 PMThursday: 5:00 – 10:00 PMFriday: 5:00 – 10:30 PMSaturday: 5:00 – 10:30 PMSunday: 5:00 – 10:00 PM
- Reviews:
What an amazing experience I had dining at Hank’s. I can honestly say that it was one of the best meals that I have ever had at 50 years old. Everything was perfectly prepared and brought to our table exactly the right time. To simply say it was delicious would be an understatement.By Douglas Richards (2 months ago)Each half dozen oyster serving was $20, we tried all three. The roasted oysters with the mignonette sauce were some of the best oysters I’ve ever had! The casino oysters were too cheesy and just became a hard glob. The fried were pretty flavorless and the corn sauce beneath them didn’t have much flavor either. I’d suggest a nice remoulade sauce instead. The house salad was visually appealing and delicious. Great service at the bar.By Veronica Botts (5 months ago)A traditional fine dining restaurant specializing in seafood. You can find lots of traditional dishes here which are well made. A little pricey but matched with the fine dining level. A bit slow in service as the place was packed the whole time even in late eveningBy Michelle Wang (9 months ago)It’s hard to grab, and more importantly hold on to, the magic. I first came to Hank’s 20 years ago and remember what a magic evening it was. One of those experiences where the food, service, and ambiance all came together perfectly. On a recent Thursday evening we were a little early to celebrate a birthday we had noted on our online reservation. We were seated promptly, and even accommodated with a seating change request. There was nothing wrong with our jumbo shrimp cocktail (5 shrimp, $18), fried oyster appetizer (okra, sweet corn and a wonderful blue cheese vinaigrette dressing, $20), sautéed flounder ($30) and seafood sampler #5 (shrimp, scallops, flounder, fries and slaw, $30)- it was as expected from a top-end long-standing seafood place like Hank’s. Service from our server, Cameron, was workmanlike, just checking the box and getting through the evening- though he did give us some to-go dessert suggestions from nearby establishments because Hank’s features don’t travel that well. And oh, that birthday? He did ask who was celebrating- but that was all there was to it. No cookie, no tiny cupcake with one candle. Nothing. Don’t get me wrong, the food was quite good, it’s just the magic that has gone missing.By Jeffrey Jacobs (a year ago)The oysters, shrimp and grits, the seafood la Wanda (with the grit cake), and the crab cakes were delectable!!! My friends and I made this our first night during our girls weekend in Charleston. Toussant, our waiter did a excellent job. Very friendly and made awesome menu recommendations. We will be back!By Lolita Smith Moore (5 months ago)
Leon’s
- Address: 698 King St, Charleston, SC 29403, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (2209)
- Phone: +1 843-531-6500
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMTuesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMWednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMThursday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMSaturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMSunday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Reviews:
This is easily a 5-star restaurant and was one of the best meals I have had in a LONG time. Everything, from the service to the atmosphere to the cocktails and the food was incredible. We started with a yummy tequila cocktail and then sampled lots of things across the menu. I am not typically a fried chicken person, but this fried chicken was amazing. Not too breaded and perfectly crispy!By Gabrielle McCarthy (10 months ago)My group loved this place! Everything was fresh. The oysters & fish dip started us off, we well as a frozen gin & tonic. We had the fried chicken & fried catfish… for the sides we had scallop potatoes, hands down the best we have ever had. We also had the cucumber salad & the pea salad, both amazing! Our service was great, Tom took great care of us! Highly recommend this spot!By Franny McNutt (9 months ago)Came in for a snack (oysters & a two piece fried chicken) and our bill was as much as all of our full dinner meals during the trip. Oysters were good and fresh and the flavor of the fried chicken was incredible. Drinks were surprisingly small which was a let down. Overall a positive Charleston experience and glad to have tried it!By Alyssa Y (5 months ago)Came here for an early dinner on a Tuesday with the family. Parking is a little confusing but luckily there were free street parking available right across the street. We were seated immediately with kid seats readily available. The mens bathroom was flashback to the past and unexpectedly clean.
We ordered a couple cocktails which was delicious. My wife and I ordered char broiled oysters, scalloped potato, hush puppies, and four pieces of dark meat chicken wings. While our kids just shared a shrimp roll.
The chicken was cooked perfectly, nice crisp skin and juicy meat—adding the spicy honey is a must! I wanted to dislike the scalloped potato but it was also great, flavor was tasty and the crisp too was delicious. My kids really enjoyed the shrimp roll, we’re glad we skipped on the kids menu. Im not really a fan of hush puppies but they’re well cooked here and they are served with this very tasty sweet butter that I kept wanting more of. The charbroiled oysters were also very tasty but the only complaint I have is the size of the oysters, I felt like they were really small oysters.
Overall, you definitely get more bang for your buck here and less of a crowd than going to somewhere like 167 Raw (we also like 167, but just saying). We will definitely come back here the next time we’re in town.
By Julius S (3 months ago)Went on the suggestion of several people and looking at several “best of” lists for restaurants in Charleston. We got there right at 11am for opening as we had a large group of 10. Wait staff excellent. By the time we left about 75 minutes later, the place was pretty packed. All the food was AMAZING. the fried chicken is great as well as the sandwiches. The Brussel Sprouts are flavorful as are both the hush puppies and scalloped potatoes. Oysters were great. You can order them chargrilled and they are great as well. The atmosphere is great and worth a return visit.By Jordan Yoshimine (11 months ago)
167 Raw Oyster Bar
- Address: 193 King St, Charleston, SC 29401, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (2141)
- Phone: +1 843-579-4997
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PMTuesday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PMWednesday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PMThursday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PMFriday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PMSaturday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PMSunday: Closed
- Reviews:
One of the best experiences in Charleston!
Went for a lunch and had to wait a bit more than an hour to get seated. Needless to say that the place was packed and what can I say, for a reason!
We enjoyed the seafood selection including the oysters (on that day a selection of 8 different ones from the east coast), ceviche and the tuna burger, which was absolutely amazing. We finished with the key lime pie, which was excellent and well balanced.
The service and the drinks were also quite nice and we enjoyed seating in the back courtyard.By Ido Naim (a year ago)Oh my goodness what a great place! We popped in for lunch and had the best time. I know you’re in an oyster bar, but start with the guacamole. It is well plated and generously portioned. Complimented with the spicy margarita, this combo is a great way to start! Of course, you have to have the oysters. We relied on the server’s recommendations and ended up ordering twice. I added the shrimp tacos as well. They were equally as delicious. Everyone from the hostess to the servers were friendly, chatty, and fast. The outdoor patio is small and charming. Unfortunately, an afternoon shower surprised us. The server sprinted into quick action and immediately moved us indoors. This restaurant does not take reservations, so expect a line. Be prepared to wait, but it is so worth it!By carol wagoner (a month ago)167 Raw did not disappoint. The Crispy Oysters were superb and the cold Lobster Roll (although I prefer hot) was still great.We tried raw oysters from New Brunswick, Maine and Washington state. The latter was a bit salty, definitely preferred the first two.
A bit on the pricey side, but I’d definitely go back.
By Kent Phillips (6 months ago)Oysters were fresh and their variety from different regions was a welcome change. We ate them before I could snap a picture because they looked and were so delicious. The Halibut ceviche was fresh, with the perfect amount of tang and sweet. The lobster roll may have been one of the best I have eaten. It had a buttery bread roll which was stuffed with fresh lobster. It did not disappoint.By Jill Slusser (5 months ago)A great lunch stop on King for some fresh seafood. We enjoyed our meal sitting at the counter and testing shrimp cocktail, oysters and lobster sandwiches. Lobster sandwiches were good, but we wished we would have shared since they were so rich on that buttery crispy bread (so yummy).By Chris H. (3 months ago)
The Darling Oyster Bar
- Address: 513 King St, Charleston, SC 29403, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (1756)
Oyster House Seafood Restaurant
- Address: 35 S Market St, Charleston, SC 29401, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (1641)
Pearlz Oyster Bar
- Address: 153 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29401, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (1461)
Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar
- Address: 205 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29401, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (1417)
Coast Bar & Grill
- Address: 39D John St, Charleston, SC 29403, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (1341)
The Ordinary
- Address: 544 King St, Charleston, SC 29403, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (1001)
Rappahannock Oyster Bar
- Address: 701 E Bay St No. 110, Charleston, SC 29403, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (879)
Oak Steakhouse
- Address: 17 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (872)
Thank you for reading! We hope this list helps you find the best oyster restaurants in Charleston SC. If you have any additional information, please leave a comment below!
The first day we tried to come here, we were late for lunch service, so plan to get there no later than 1pm for lunch service as it ends at 3:30 and you’ll likely have a roughly 30min- 1hr wait. There is a bar you can get drinks from while you wait. We were seated on the patio which had a great view. The docks do have a bit of a smell to them, but that’s just the city, not the restaurant’s fault. The food was great, and the portions were decent compared to other places in the city. The oysters were fresh caught and though I don’t eat them every one else loved them. Great place to go for lunch!
Water front Location, Excellent food and friendly staff, what more can you ask for? It’s Saturday night so the place was very busy and we were told it’s a.90 min wait for food but we opted to sit at the outside bar and the food came much sooner! We ordered Charleston Sunset drinks (so delicious), wine, Shrimp & Grits, Fried Flounder & Oysters and Shrimp platter. The green beans and garlic mashed potatoes were seasoned well and my Shrimp were fried to perfection! Everything was good, atmosphere was laid back and relaxing view was great and our waiter/bartender Colton was the bomb! Plenty of seating choices, tables, booths, indoor and outdoor etc… Will def eat here again! Come here, you won’t be disappointed.
Food at Fleet landing was exceptional and view is a bonus. Every food and drink on our menu tasted great! Salmon was just perfect!! Very tasty and well prepared. Salmon,Calamari, Shrimp and grits most recommended! We loved the service! 5 stars for our server Anna!! She was very friendly. Much recommended if you are around Charleston area!
Everytime we come here it is always a pleasure. Our server Ally was AMAZING and very attentive. She provided top notch service. The food is always good. I had the shrimp salad and it was so fresh. The calamari is always a hit. Fleet Landing is one of my husband’s favorite restaurants in Charleston. We always come back 😘
Fleet landing.
Sunday afternoon late lunch. We arrived and were greeted with smiles and complete professionalism. We were told 45 minutes and got a text right around 30 minutes. It’s always good to get in earlier. 🙂 There is seating inside along a wall with a nice sized fan to keep you cool while you wait. Or you have the option to sit outside. They have several tables you can stand outside as under umbrellas to keep you in the shade. We chose to walk down the street to the pineapple water fountain and the pier. We had plenty of time to walk out of the pier take a few pictures, enjoy the breeze onto the water and take a few pictures in front of the pineapple and walk back. We were not rushed at all.
We chose outside seating. Our table was on the side of the restaurant which was absolutely perfect. Sarah was our server and she did not hesitate to bring us waters immediately after being seated. She told us about the specials and we asked her for recommendations. We could not have asked for a better server. She was so attentive to not only us but also her other tables. Very good server.
My husband and I both had the fried founder platters. Both platters came with two sides plus hushpuppies.
My Hubby had the cucumber and tomato salad which he said was absolutely delicious and the red rice with sausage. The rice is tomato based and my husband was very happy with his two choices for sides. I tried the rice and it was a little bland for me but was moist and fluffy in texture.
My two sides were fries and green beans. The green beans were delicious. Perfectly cooked. The fried were fries – good but they are fries – can’t go too wrong with those. I wish I would have done double green beans.
The portion sizes of fish was plentiful and when it was served it was lightly breaded and was cooked perfect with a crisp around the edges.
If I was coming back to Charleston or I was giving out a recommendation…this is the first place I would eat because your going to want to eat here more than once. We ate at it the day before we left and were going to squeeze in one more time, but ended up not. But I would go HERE!