Lowcountry oysters is a signature dish of United States; we have verified places to eat it in Charleston. Single-select cluster oysters from local creeks, briny and small. Start with where to eat Lowcountry oysters in Charleston.

Lowcountry oysters · Charleston

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.

Where to eat in Charleston:

Where to eat Lowcountry oysters in Charleston: the editor picks

Book food experiences in Charleston

Charleston: Downtown Culinary Walking Tour★ 4.9 (132)

Guided tour · 2.5 hours

Charleston: Downtown Culinary Walking Tour

Explore Charleston's City Market in the historic downtown district on a guided foodie walking tour. Learn about the city's history while enjoying tastings of Lowcountr...

from$110 Check dates
Charleston: Luxury Harbor Dinner Cruise★ 4.3 (870)

Water activity · 2.5 hours

Charleston: Luxury Harbor Dinner Cruise

Experience Charleston's most unique and romantic evening out. SpiritLine Cruises offers the only true waterfront fine dining experience in Charleston aboard the elegan...

from$111 Check dates

See all 166 bookable experiences in Charleston