The Resy Guide to Charleston’s Best Restaurants for Oysters

No Charleston restaurant is more synonymous with oysters than the Ordinary, the beautiful and bustling Lowcountry oyster bar and brasserie from Mike Lata and Adam Nemirow. Enough said. 

Head over the Cooper River and indulge in fetching French fare. Along with options like crab onion soup or beef tartare prepared with capers and caviar, don’t miss the opportunity to indulge in mild, meaty Blackberry Point oysters, served on the half-shell.

No need to wait for a special occasion when it comes to Charleston’s legendary seafood spot. Along with menu options like grilled swordfish, traditional shrimp and grits, and buttermilk fried chicken served with collard greens, kick things off with the obvious choice of James River oysters. 

This standby offers choices such as local South Carolina squash lobster bisque and PEI mussels in a broth made from coconut cream, chorizo and capers. Best of all, you can start the meal off right with oysters on the half shell, accompanied by cocktail sauce, shallot sauce, and fresh lemon wedges.

There’s “oyster” right there in the name, so you’d better believe they are standouts. Here, a full meal may include entrée like shrimp and grits, St. Louis ribs, seared sea scallops or Charleston crab cakes, plus a tangy slice of key lime pie to round out the trifecta. But it all starts with the first course of she crab soup or — ahem — fresh bivalves from James River, Virginia.

Just blocks from the water, the Obstinate Daughter shucks fresh oysters, serves delectable pasta, and pulls fluffy pizzas from the oven. It’s easy, breezy, delightful.

At Revival, you’ll experience elegant spins on Southern classics. While it won’t be easy to choose between a Lowcountry pirlou — teeming with butter-poached lobster, crab and shrimp — or an innovative version of shrimp and grits, where forbidden black rice replaces the traditional ground corn, starters are a cinch. Hailing from New Orleans and ensconced in a puff pastry, the oyster patty beckons.

Take a friend or five, because celebrated chef Jeremiah Bacon makes it hard to choose just a few tempting dishes on his modern American menu. For those bivalve buffs who can muster the will bypass the other starters —  pickled shrimp, charred squid, housemade mezzaluna filled with goat cheese — there are fried oysters, served with green tomato tartar sauce.