The 13 Best Seafood Spots In South Carolina

Located on Charleston's King Street, The Ordinary is a stylish and bright seafood hall where brilliant quality seafood is treated in a reserved and skilled manner. The Ordinary's restrained approach is typified by its extensive raw bar, where numerous varieties of oysters are delicately prepared. 

On the cooked side of things, fish cakes, chowder, and grilled Wahoo are all on offer. However, it is the restaurant's oyster sliders that are the favorite of many who visit. Another huge draw for seafood lovers is The Ordinary's three seafood towers, made from a variety of seafood, both cooked and raw. 

These showstoppers are the perfect way to celebrate South Carolina's unrivaled marine bounty, as one customer highlighted on TripAdvisor: "We always leave delighted with the freshness of the seafood, the care with which it's prepared, and the helpfulness and attentiveness of the staff. The ceviche in the shellfish tower had complex, subtle flavors that complemented the more simple, briny oysters and clams." Cut through the seafood with a variety of The Ordinary's rum-forward cocktails. Failing that, choose a crisp wine from the restaurant's extensive and impressive list.

There are three locations of South Carolina's The Crab Shacks: West Ashley, Folly Beach, and Coosaw Creek. Each site boasts a well-designed menu, including the usual offerings of oysters, seafood platters, and peel-and-eat shrimp. However, a large part of The Crab Shack's appeal is to be found elsewhere on the menu; these rarer options include a highly praised she crab soup, blue crab stuffed flounder, and shrimp and scallop casserole served with tomato pie.

The breadth of dishes on offer elevates The Crab Shacks from a restaurant that serves good seafood to a culinary destination worth traveling to. For those who live locally, The Crab Shacks offers a means of enjoying top-quality seafood without diving into the state's more expensive — and reserved — restaurants. 

One local described their experience on TripAdvisor as follows: "The special of she crab soup, choice of shrimp, flounder, or shrimp and flounder, plus Key Lime pie for dessert was stupendous...very generous portions."

Hank's Seafood Restaurant is a highly lauded restaurant based in the state's famous port city. Hank's reputation has been well established for decades. A fact for which ex-executive chef, and current Culinary Operations Manager, Frank McMahon deserves a great deal of credit. 

McMahon's emphasis on using brilliant produce remains the defining feature of the restaurant, an approach he described to Reuters: "Fresh fish, great vinegar, great oils and simple, fresh vegetables. We use at least 10 to 15 purveyors. One guy just gives us cucumber and lettuce. Another fisherman lets us know what's on his boat so he can pull up and deliver the stuff. One guy might have fantastic cherry tomatoes so we'll source from him just for that ingredient."

Current executive chef Tim Richardson continues the celebration of South Carolina's natural bounty through a menu that spans grilled swordfish and tuna tartare. What's more, Hank's Seafood Restaurant is a South Carolina Aquarium Good Catch partner. This means that Hank's only serves local fish pulled from the waters spanning between North Carolina and East Florida that are of the requisite size and age. This helps to ensure that South Carolina's wonderful water bodies are managed sustainably.

Hyman's Seafood restaurant was launched way back in 1987 and has been a fixture of Charleston's dining scene ever since. Over this time, what it means to be a restaurant owner in Charleston has changed as increasing numbers of tourists visit the city. Like every other business, restaurants have had to adapt to this influx by finding a balance between catering to locals as well as tourists.

Hyman's — which is still family-owned and run – has managed this difficult balancing act by providing impeccable customer service while also prioritizing the quality of the produce the restaurant uses. Eli Hyman explained how important this was to Eater Carolinas: "I'm pretty confident that if I can get people in the door, I can't say 100% of the time, because of biases, but 80% of the time, I'm pretty confident that people will be genuinely surprised at how good the food is — for what we charge, and the freshness of our food."

The extensive menu offers diners plenty of opportunities to sink their teeth into those premium quality scallops. Other standouts include crab cakes and shrimp – dishes that will keep both locals and tourists happy.

Another eminent seafood restaurant in the Holy City, The Darling Oyster Bar is seafood chic personified. Fortunately, the food can more than keep pace with the decor. Lobster rolls, blue crab pasta with spring peas, and fried clam strips are just some examples of cooked fare. Yet, it is the raw bar — in particular, the oyster section — where the restaurant's best action happens. Here, diners can choose from six types of oysters, including Roddy Rocks and Port Royal Wilds, two local varieties.

The Darling Oyster Bar is also home to one of the best happy hour deals in the city. During the allocated time periods — all of which end at 7:00 p.m. – draft beer and draft cocktails are sold at a reduced price, while some oysters are sold at an incredible $1 a piece. This, combined with the quality of the mollusks on offer, makes happy hour at The Darling incredible value for money. 

One customer described their experience on TripAdvisor: "The only oysters on sale were the St James which we never had — they were $1 an oyster so we started with 1 dozen and ended up eating 3 dozen — they were so good! The bartenders were very nice and the atmosphere was fun."

The concept behind Gillie's Seafood is a uniquely comforting one. Chef and owner Sean Mendes wants all customers to feel like they are at their Grandma's house. While a wall covered in framed pictures of Grandmothers helps set the tone, it is the rich, nourishing food which does most of the leg work.

Everything is made from scratch, and Mendes takes great pride in what he serves as he explained to Red Clay: "I would say you have to try the Fried Shrimp — we've been told they are the best in Charleston. The She-Crab Soup is wonderful. We also have a southern-inspired Catfish Charleston, which is a blackened catfish fillet over dirty rice, then topped with crawfish, crab and shrimp and a cajun cream sauce. But you know I'm partial – everything in this place is amazing."

As a previous Chef Ambassador for South Carolina, Mendes is a fervent supporter of local produce. Both vegetables and seafood are bought from local suppliers. The quality of the produce is allowed to shine through Mendes skilled, traditional cooking. The result is delicious, comforting, and unpretentious food.

Located in an old gas station, Whaley's has slowly earned a reputation as an interesting restaurant that serves local seafood alongside chicken wings and an array of sandwiches and burgers. While the usual offerings of oysters and fried fish abound, Whaley's is also home to a few secret recipes that stand out from other options on the menu. 

Perhaps the best of these is the shrimp and crab bisque, a dish that surprisingly includes a hint of sherry. Other solid choices include Whaley's sushi nachos which are made with pan-seared ahi tuna. The restaurant's ingenuity is repeated at the bar; Whaley's serves a variety of homemade cocktails, including alcoholic grape soda.

All too often, diners write Whaley's off before even sitting down, thanks to the restaurant's unashamedly dive-like style. We would avoid joining the people who leave without trying; those who persevere will be rewarded with some of the best seafood South Carolina has to offer.