A one-pot boil of shrimp, smoked sausage, corn on the cob and new potatoes seasoned with Old Bay. Poured onto newspaper, eaten with fingers.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
Frogmore stew (called Lowcountry boil elsewhere) takes its name from Frogmore, a small community on St. Helena Island near Beaufort. The recipe is credited to Richard Gay, a National Guardsman who fed his unit on the cheap in the 1960s by boiling whatever they had. The format scaled to family gatherings and church suppers. Today it lands on newspaper-covered tables across the Lowcountry, often at oyster roasts in winter and crab boils in summer. The Old Bay, while not historically Southern, is now non-negotiable; some kitchens add crab or sliced kielbasa.
Common allergens: Shellfish
Tip from the editors. Time the additions in reverse order of cook time. Shrimp take 3 minutes; overcooked shrimp ruin the whole pot. Cold beer is part of the recipe.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Bowens Island Restaurant near Folly Beach has shovel-fed steamed Lowcountry oysters since 1946. James Beard America's Classics winner in 2006; rebuilt after a 2010 fire.
Signature: Steamed oysters by the bushel, Frogmore stew
Order: A bushel of steamed oysters opened table-side and a bowl of Frogmore stew.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Cash and card; no reservations. Tide-line tables fill at sunset.
Hyman's Seafood in Charleston has fed the city from a Meeting Street row of historic buildings since 1890. Five generations of family ownership and a queue that wraps the block.
Signature: She-crab soup, Fried local seafood
Order: She-crab soup and a fried-fish plate with hushpuppies.
Tip: No reservations; arrive before 17:30 or expect a 45-minute wait. Hush puppies are free.
Page's Okra Grill in Mount Pleasant has run family-owned Southern cooking on Coleman Boulevard since 2008. Ashleigh's shrimp and grits is the Travel Channel feature plate.
Signature: Ashleigh's shrimp and grits, Fried green tomatoes
Order: Ashleigh's shrimp and grits with andouille and tomato gravy.
Tip: No reservations. Walk-ins only; cash and card both accepted.
Hannibal's Kitchen has fed the Eastside of Charleston soul food since 1985. Lunches under $15 include crab rice, smothered pork chops, fried whiting and rice with two sides.
Try: Crab rice, smothered pork chop, fried whiting, lima beans
Tip: Counter order, dining-room seat. Lunch beats dinner; the line peaks 12:30 to 13:30 weekdays.
More cities are in research. Want frogmore stew covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.