History

Charleston has eaten oysters since the colonial era, and the city's oyster house tradition goes back to the 1800s. The local catch is a cluster oyster grown in marsh banks, smaller and brinier than Chesapeake or Pacific singles. The mid-20th-century industrial decline of the harvest reversed in the 2000s as growers like Lady's Island Oysters and Single Thread restored single-select cup oysters. The seasonal oyster roast (months ending in r) is a Lowcountry social ritual: bushels are steamed over a fire, dumped onto a table, opened with knives and eaten standing. Bowens Island Restaurant and the annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival in early February anchor the tradition.

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Common allergens: Shellfish

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 20 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 12 fresh local oysters, scrubbed
  • Crushed ice for the platter
  • For mignonette: 60ml red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp finely diced shallot, freshly cracked black pepper
  • Lemon wedges, hot sauce, saltines to serve

Method

  1. Mix the mignonette ingredients in a small bowl; rest 10 minutes for flavours to come together.
  2. Hold an oyster cup-side down on a folded towel.
  3. Find the hinge (pointed end) and work the tip of an oyster knife in, twist to pop the hinge.
  4. Run the knife along the top shell to cut the adductor muscle; discard the top shell.
  5. Slide the knife under the meat to free it from the cup, keeping the liquor in the shell.
  6. Arrange on crushed ice. Serve with mignonette, lemon wedges, hot sauce and saltines.

Tip from the editors. Use a proper oyster knife and a folded towel; do not pry with a kitchen knife. The first three are awkward, by the fourth you've got the wrist.

Where to eat lowcountry oysters

Lowcountry oysters in Charleston

The Ordinary ★ 4.7

$$$$ Tasting $70-130 a la carteSeafood, Raw BarUpper KingChef Mike Lata

Mike Lata's The Ordinary in Charleston converted a 1927 bank building on King Street into the city's most ambitious raw bar in 2013. Located in Upper King.

OrderCrispy oyster sliders, then the seafood tower for the table.

Book3 weeks ahead

TipBook on Resy in advance. Bar seats are walk-in only and worth the wait.

Directions Book

Bowens Island Restaurant ★ 4.6

$$ Seafood, OystersJames Island

Bowens Island Restaurant near Folly Beach has shovel-fed steamed Lowcountry oysters since 1946. James Beard America's Classics winner in 2006.

OrderA bushel of steamed oysters opened table-side and a bowl of Frogmore stew.

TipClosed Sunday and Monday. Cash and card; no reservations. Tide-line tables fill at sunset.

Directions Book

Leon's Fine Poultry and Oysters ★ 4.4

$$ Fried Chicken, OystersUpper King

Leon's Fine Poultry and Oysters in Charleston runs buttermilk-brined fried chicken and char-grilled oysters from a converted body shop on King Street.

OrderThe fried chicken sandwich and a half-dozen char-grilled oysters.

TipWalk-in counter seating. Weekday lunch easier than weekend dinner.

Directions Book

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