I’M HERE FOR THE SEAFOOD! Must-Eat Seafood Restaurants In Charleston

 

I see you, seafood lovers. You’re coming to Charleston SC to eat your dang weight in raw oysters, stone crab claws, soft-shell crab, grouper, red snapper, sheepshead… YOU ARE HERE FOR IT!! If you want to eat your way through the low country seafood scene— here’s what comes to mind for us.

YOU CAME TO CHARLESTON FOR SOME DAMN GOOD SEAFOOD!

This is part of a multi-part series we created with the girls at Reagan Events— Reagan Kerr and her assistant Hannah Hunter, and myself, Shelby Ring of Ruby Riot Creatives wedding videography.

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Meet Your Authors: We love us some tasty snacks, some bougie cocktails, styley bars we can dress up or down in to feel super hot, and creating fun times with girlfriends, so here’s our take as late twenty-thirty-something Charleston locals on some of our favorite ways to get some bad@$$ seafood during your getaway weekend in Charleston, South Carolina.

Leon’s Fine Poultry And Oyster Shop. Start Here.

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Shelby Ring:

Oh, that makes me think of Leon's Fine Poultry And Oyster Shop. Leon’s is one of my favorite places in Charleston. It’s also in a pretty awesome location as far as parking goes — it’s on upper King and they have two dedicated parking lots so that’s helpful if you’re a little over trying to find parking in the heart of downtown. But enough about parking — let’s talk SNACKOS.

Their hush puppies come with whipped honey butter that is delectable. I’m a little obsessed with them.

All their fry ups are great— shrimp (pronounced SCRIMP) fry up… catfish… whatever you’re feeling. And if you have anyone who’s not huge into seafood — they're half chicken = so. dang. GOOD!! You get the whole half of a chicken fried up; they do it right. They have a really good Red Clay hot sauce with their fried chicken.

Have a vegetarian in the squad? Their Thai salad is also incredible and bright and a great option for vegetarians in the group.

But we’re here to talk about SEAFOOD. Their OYSTERS! They always have a variety of oysters on the half-shell, fried oysters.

The ambiance and vibe is so fun at Leon’s… it seems ancient but it’s really just one heck of a restaurant build out.

They sport that champagne is the ultimate pairing with fried chicken, so they have an awesome champagne selection, as well as a section of their menu dedicated to “The Cheap Stuff,” and they have a frozen slushy style gin & tonic that’s soooo refreshing and a Frosé machine, too. Did I mention they have soft serve ice cream they’ll serve up after dinner… WITH THOSE COLORFUL SPRINKLES?! It’s one of my favorite places. Pro Tip: Definitely make a reservation!

CudaCo // Gorgeous, Sustainable, Fresh-As-They-Come Seafood And Oysters Spot For Lunch

CudaCo was founded by some dear friends of ours on the premise of revolutionizing how so many people prepare, use, eat and ultimately think about non-traditional types of seafood (aka “trash” fish, like Barracuda). Their menu is always rotating seasonally. CudaCo rocks a knock-it-out-of-the-park menu curated by award-winning Chef Shaun Brian (we had Shaun on our podcast! Check out his episode here!) and premiere local seafood distributor Chris John. You’ll find two things with this crew: sustainable aquaculture and pushing the boundaries of traditional seafood flavors.

Swing by CudaCo during lunch and grab some prepared treats and sit outside on their picnic tables, or grab something to enjoy cooking and serving at your rental!

CudaCo is one of the best places in Charleston for the freshest, most sustainably sourced and chef-curated menus in town.

The Ordinary For Extraordinary Seafood + Gorgeous Ambiance

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Reagan Kerr: The Ordinary is amazing for seafood. And they're also great for just like a starter. Their bar is beautiful, like breathtakingly beautiful. Enjoy a few dozen spectacular oysters on the half shell in a historic gorgeous bank lobby.

F.I.G. … Oh, my gosh. The O.G. Of Seafood In Charleston

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F.I.G. How have we not mentioned F.I.G.? F.I.G., which stands for “Food Is Good,” is such a staple. Personally, it’s one of the best restaurants in Charleston (which says a lot because this is an EATING CITY!) If you want to have a special night out, see if you can snag a reservation here (they’re hard to come by.) Their menu is seasonally driven; in the summertime, they'll have this tomato tart on the menu that I think of year-round… it’s such a treat. So that's fun, not just seafood, but a great culinary experience. F.I.G. is a staple. They've been here forever. 

Fleet Landing: A Charleston Classic

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Hannah Hunter: I love Fleet Landing. It's kind of on the touristy side, but it's also a waterfront one. We always went there growing up. It's so good, and it's not on their menu, but they have really good biscuits with honey butter.

 
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