Single-select cluster oysters from local creeks, briny and small. Eaten raw on the half-shell or steamed in piles at outdoor oyster roasts in winter.

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.

3 editor picks for Lowcountry oysters in Charleston, ranked by editorial score. All Charleston signature dishes · Lowcountry oysters across every city.