50 Best Seafood Restaurants in Charleston

“The best, freshest seafood! Best fish taco i ever put in my mouth. And love the atmosphere!“

“Hipster joint in the North King area. Hipster who handed us menu’s at the bar “We’re a Rum forward bar”. Absolutely need the oyster sliders in your life. We had 6 between the two of us.“

“We enjoyed oysters, yellowfin tuna, clam chowder, steak and the fish basket plus some delicious drinks! Service was amazing as well as the entire experience. Highly recommend!“

“Simply perfection! The oyster selection is otherworldly. The chargrilled oysters the best Ive had in my life. (Florida born an culinary chef.) The peel & eat shrimp so plump and served ice cold I have craved them since I had them. The service was above and beyond. The atmosphere encouraged private chatter but also conversation with next table easily. Friendly and cheerful and above all excellent food served with smiles, suggestions, and ease. I will never visit Charleston again without making sure to dine here. (Do not eat the soup. I actually sent it back to the kitchen. Never have I had to do that. ) Highly recommend again and again for everything else.“

“Leon's is literally in my dreams! My boyfriend and I went there for the first time three years ago. It blew our minds! Affordable, delicious food, and such a fun atmosphere. We returned a couple of times on the same trip. We live in NJ... and set up a trip last year JUST to go to Leons. I am actually scared to post a review because I selfishly want to keep it a secret for my boyfriend and I. Man, if you like chicken and oysters... you cannot go wrong. Damn, now I need to set up another trip. :)“

“OMG, The food, service and overall experience was amazing. Dan and the guys behind the bar made sure it was an excellent experience. Will be going back every year on St. Patrick’s day.🍀“

“Fantastic atmosphere. Saturday brunch with Beth, server as pleasant as con be. Highly recommend Shrimp and grits with Bloody Mary. A must when visiting Savannah.“

“Amazing food and awesome staff. Highly recommend.“

“My date was sick and couldn't keep our brunch date. Since it was a new decade birthday for me, I went alone and had a wonderful time!! I sat in a bar booth and had fun interacting with the very interesting, knowledgeable server, who also was an adventurous cook at home. I sampled new things and compared dishes with other diners as they were leaving. It is my new favorite restaurant in Charleston! The interior is pretty, cheerful and bright. The oyster / bone marrow was elegant. So many good dishes. Their sister restaurant, The James, is also wonderful! It's not as upscale, but delicious, non-the-less! Somebody is doing something right!!“

“DOPE very well thought out menu, top notch ingredients, top to bottom an amazing experience. 10/10 wait in line it's worth it“

“My husband and I sat at the bar and were pleasantly surprised by the cocktail engineers helping us navigate our lunch. We started with drinks and an order of calamari; prices seemed high, but we are always willing to pay for superb experiences, after all, this is our first time in Charleston, thus our first time at Bar167. The place was packed; everyone was chatting with one another, along with the friendly staff. Between my husband and I, and the new friends we made, I think every cocktail on the specialty menu was made and sampled. The cocktail engineers were knowledgeable, attentive, and welcomed all the questions (no matter how dumb they were). We had the crab roll and the fish sandwich – did not disappoint! CAN I JUST TELL YOU, the damn Tzatziki Drink was unexpectedly amazballs.
This was a great place, if we are ever in the area again, we will be there“

“Alex was just as superb as the food. Recommend this restaurant without a doubt!“

“The food was excellentellent and the atmosphere was great. Was a great dining experience for our mother-daughter trip to Charleston“

“Had brunch today. Food was good. The chicken and waffle was really tasty.“

“The food was decent. I didn’t think there were a ton of options and it was a little overpriced. The service was good. Our server was wonderful. They did get super busy though and they didn’t seem to handle that very well. We waited a long time for the check. Overall it was good but I probably wouldn’t go back“

“The staff was amazing. It was our anniversary and the GM personally came to our table and poured us a glass of Champaign to celebrate. They also gave us a free dessert. The hostess, wait staff, and GM all took time to wish us a happy anniversary. The food was amazing as well! Overall it was a great dining experience!“

“Dinner was very good & everyone was so very nice. Had reservations & they seated us at 5. It was Mothers Day& graduation week so they were really busy BUT no one made us feel rushed. We will definitely come back..“

“Some gal pals and I went here the other month and from start to finish it was an absolute delight. As a seasoned veteran of sampling culinary delights I have got to admit it was one of the best meals and experiences of my days. Absolutely no notes.“

“Wonderful experience last night. We had a surprise birthday party for my wife in the event was fantastic. I particularly appreciate the staff at the restaurant playing along to ensure the surprise as well as the continuous attention to being sure that we were having a great time.“

“It is the best! I am a southern woman born and raised in Charleston! It is locally owned too!“

“We visited Halls Chophouse for our first anniversary dinner last night. We were greeted by Billy and his staff with open arms! The service combined with the amazing food and atmosphere was a 5 ⭐️ experience. We are already planning our next visit!“

“Excellent service and great food! The scenic views are amazing! would definitely recommend to anyone if you've lived here all your life or just visiting/touring Charleston! Prices really aren't that bad either!“

“Off the beaten path with amazing views and crab cakes!“

“Best restaurant in Charleston! It really is a must!“

“Good southern seafood casual atmosphere and super fast.“

“I have mixed feelings. Our first visit was over a decade ago and it was wonderful. Our anniversary was yesterday and it was an ok experience. We sat in the courtyard AB’s was placed under the above heater. We started smelling gas and the heat never reached the table area. So we were freezing. The appetizers were wonderful. The couple got seated next to us ten minutes after us and received their food first. Was told about different and best food options and a dessert menu. We were not given either. Bbq in the shrimp and grits was over powering any other flavor. Husband got fish and grits and it was excellent. Not a 0 but I’m in no hurry to go back or recommend to anyone else. Ruined my anniversary to be honest….“

“So many things were Great ! Service was outstanding from Haley! Food was wonderful and the music out in Hudson Alley was fantastic! Haven’t had this much fun in a while! Highly recommend you go !“

“Excellent food and service.“

“Great place to get out of the hot weather, everything was amazing! The staff went above and beyond! If I’m ever back down in SC I’ll be coming in again“

“We went just for drinks on the rooftop bar, but the service was wonderful and the rooftop was a very relaxing space! We went around 9pm on a Wednesday, so it was pretty slow. The drinks were fantastic! I suggest taking the elevator up if you’re a bit tired from the heat though, it is 3 flights up! I would definitely go back.“

“SO fun! We had the best time with some friends when in town on vacation. Every minute was planned out and the food and experience were unlike anything any of us had ever done, the very last part of dinner was incredible… you’ll have to go to find out what it is! If you love food, wine and music and a cool experience, this is a must do.“

“Great food! We came for lunch and ordered the combo meal. It was a good price and generous portion! Everything tasted amazing! The salsa is a cooked salsa where the peppers and tomatoes are roasted giving great flavors! Nice cozy atmosphere with friendly staff.“

“Food was excellent! Our server was excellent as well. We will be back!“

“Beautiful restaurant with Fabulous food and service! Look forward to our next visit.“

“After traveling from Indiana there's finally a place that might have topped Heston's supper clubs calamari. Highly recommend the Philly tacos and haddock“

“The restaurant is inside the hotel and was southern charm at its best. The decor was so lovely it reminded us of some of the scenes in Gone with the Wind. The service was top notch as well. We ordered seafood omelette and crab cake benedict. The crab meat was too salty to our taste and a little fishy too. Overall, the experience was very much to our expectations and we had a great time.“

“Really enjoyed drinks and conversation from Riley at the bar.“

“Oak has a great reputation for Charleston's best steaks and sides, atmosphere and service. Dining in the heart of downtown Charleston is the crowning gem! Hands down, Charleston's best!“

“Wonderful fine dining - great atmosphere and some of the best food ever.“

“Really enjoyed drinks and conversation from Riley at the bar.“

“After traveling from Indiana there's finally a place that might have topped Heston's supper clubs calamari. Highly recommend the Philly tacos and haddock“

“Came from Summerville to try this place out. Just based on the customer service alone I'll absolutely make the trip back downtown.
Gary was so nice and helpful. Talked about the menu to us, took his time since he knew it was our 1st time there. He was the best 👌! The food was really good as well. I had gone to another establishment days earlier for a Philly and ended up leaving before we got our food due to the horrible service and getting a rock in our appetizer that we were told they would take off half... ended up not paying anything which was the only positive thing that happened there, anyways, I being in the FnB industry greatly appreciate how things are ran at Danny's. Can't wait for an excuse to drive downtown for another Philly.
Thank you so much for the great food and excellent service!“

“Sure! Here’s a polished and more engaging version of your review:

Absolutely fantastic spot!
The food was incredible—especially the fish, which was perfectly fried to golden, crispy perfection. The rice, surprisingly, ended up being one of the standout highlights of the meal. And the price? Unbeatable. It’s a refreshing change from the sometimes outrageous restaurant bills you find elsewhere. A perfect hidden gem worth every penny.“

“Great place to stop and have a drink or two with great seafood!“

“Yesterday treated my parents to what they both said was the best restaurant meals they have enjoyed in the wider Charleston area - soft shell crab and grilled seafood trio in many attempts. Outside on the patio with an incredibly gracious and attentive server (Kathy Lynn? - a recent transfer from Phoenix) made the experience all the more remarkable. We’ll be back and as this review attests - will recommend to others. Thanks for your successful efforts.“

“My daughter lives on Folly so every time we visit, we eat at Randall’s…best burger and fries on the island. His hours are the best too…open LATE so it’s the perfect place to stop otw home after a night out. And the Mac and cheese is outta this world!“

“We stopped in since we drove past so many times before. Wow it was just wow it as just wonderful! The key lime pie was home made and melted in your mouth. The shrimp and grits were buttery and creamy and the seasoning was delicious. My visit was fantastic and I will come again to try the crabcakes next“

“This place has a nice neighborhood bar vibe. Our server (Ben) was really personable and attentive. I have a shellfish allergy, but my whole family really wanted to have seafood, so we came here. Ben really worked with me to find something I could eat from the (mainly shellfish) menu.
The food was pretty good; my son loved the Lobster roll, but the fried fish basket and the hush-puppies were everyone'spick for the win! Drinks hit the spot with the House-made bloody Mary being our family's fave!“

“We have dined at Easterby’s for as long as I remember. They never disappoint. The food is the best in town, reasonably priced, the service is impeccable, and it’s a family friendly restaurant. Chuck is the most amazing guy! He is good at what he does, he pays attention , never an empty drink, always keeps up with the customers tables, and is always smiling. Out of the 20 years I’ve been dining there, 15 of those have always been with him . The staff is just so welcoming, it’s definitely a laid back atmosphere. I highly encourage everyone to go hang out and get some good food with some of the best people in town!!“

“Had the best dinner there last night - service was outstanding!“