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Louis's at Pawleys |
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A NOTE TO OUR READERS:
"Our Favorite Regional Restaurants" is from the Favorites 2005 issue of Southern Living.
AWENDAW
See Wee Restaurant (Lowcountry): 4808 U.S. 17 North (of Charleston); (843) 928-3609. Looks like an old store because it was one. Go for the fried seafood if you must, but start with a bowl of she-crab soup. Breakfast (Saturday), lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch.
BEAUFORT AREA
11th Street Dockside Restaurant (Lowcountry): 1699 11th Street West, Port Royal; (843) 524-7433. The fried oysters are fabulous, but next time we'll order the luscious-looking Grouper Daufuskie with lump crab and cream sauce. Dinner.
Belle's Lowcountry Home Cookin' (Lowcountry): 911 Boundary Street; (843) 986-1185. Tiny and far from fancy, but the service is friendly. Look for the crab cake biscuit for breakfast, and local vegetables on the buffet at lunch. Breakfast, lunch (closed Saturday-Sunday).
Blackstone's Café (Lowcountry): 205 Scott Street; (843) 524-4330 or www.blackstonescafe.com. This is the place to go for shrimp and grits, seafood omelets, or good old-fashioned scrambled eggs and sausage. Breakfast, lunch.
Saltus River Grill (Seafood): 802 Bay Street (on the waterfront); (843) 379-3474 or www.saltusrivergrill.com. We loved the Blue Crab Cocktail with sticky rice, avocado, and wasabi aioli. Dinner (reservations recommended).
The Shrimp Shack (Lowcountry): 1929 Sea Island Parkway, St. Helena Island; (843) 838-2962. Stop for a Shrimpburger (deep-fried chopped shrimp cakes on a bun) and an order of Sweet Potato Sticks. Lunch (closed Sunday).
BISHOPVILLE
Charlene's Taste of Country (Traditional Southern): 34 Charlene's Lane; (803) 428-2900. The lunch buffet features meat (usually fried chicken) and loads of vegetables. Breakfast (daily), lunch (except Saturday).
CHARLESTON AREA
Anson Restaurant (Lowcountry): 12 Anson Street; (843) 577-0551. Nearly everything served here is locally grown. Enjoy local seafood, heirloom vegetables, and sublime she-crab soup. Lunch, dinner (reservations recommended).
Charleston Grill (Lowcountry): 224 King Street (in Charleston Place Hotel); (843) 577-4522 or www.charlestongrill.com. Contemporary Lowcountry. Chef Bob Waggoner uses fresh local ingredients to create elegant fare. Look for Charleston Grill Frogmore Stew with fresh shrimp, homemade andouille sausage, crabmeat, and corn simmered in a shellfish broth. Desserts aren't Lowcountry, but they're fabulous. Dinner (reservations recommended).
High Cotton Maverick Bar & Grill (Lowcountry): 199 East Bay Street; (843) 724-3815 or www.high-cotton.net. The Buttermilk Fried Oysters with Green Goddess Dressing are delectable, but the baked cheese grits side dish alone is worth the visit. Dinner nightly, Saturday Lunch, Sunday brunch.
Hominy Grill (Lowcountry): 207 Rutledge Avenue; (843) 937-0930 or www.hominygrill.com. Look for the daily specials that can include fried soft-shell crab and country-style pork ribs with red rice. Try the sides of collard greens and hoppin' John. Breakfast, lunch, dinner (no dinner on Sunday).
Jestine's Kitchen (Traditional Southern): 251 Meeting Street; (843) 722-7224. If it's Sunday order the blue plate special, shrimp and grits. Otherwise try anything on the menu, plus sides of red rice and collard greens—food for the soul. Lunch, dinner (closed Monday).
Magnolias (Lowcountry): 185 East Bay Street; (843) 577-7771 or www.magnolias-blossom-cypress.com. You'll find shrimp and grits, as well as some of the best appetizers in town. Try the Down South Egg Roll, an appetizer that makes creative use of collard greens. Plan another visit to taste the fresh cooked potato chips with blue cheese and scallions. Lunch, dinner.
Slightly North of Broad (Lowcountry): 192 East Bay Street; (843) 723-3424 or www.slightlynorthofbroad.net. For lunch, order the Coastalina Shrimp & Grits, with housemade sausage, fresh tomatoes, green onions, and garlic. Lunch (Monday-Friday) and dinner.
The Old Post Office Restaurant (Lowcountry): 1442 State 174, Edisto Island; (843) 869-2339. Well worth the 45-minute drive from Charleston, this place serves divine shrimp and grits. The fresh fish in the manner of the chef won't disappoint either. Pray you find sweet corn-and-crab chowder on the menu! Dinner (closed Sunday, reservations recommended).
GEORGETOWN
Rice Paddy Restaurant (Lowcountry): 732 Front Street; (843) 546-2021. The menu changes with the season. On our visit we enjoyed rich shrimp-and-corn chowder, followed by sautéed salmon with grits and tomato-basil butter. Lunch, dinner (closed Sunday).
Thomas Cafe (Traditional Southern): 703 Front Street; (843) 546-7776. Think small and spartan, with only five tables, a few booths, and a handful of counter stools. Order the shrimp & grits for breakfast or one of the rice pilau dishes for lunch. Breakfast, lunch (lunch only on Sunday).
GREENVILLE
City Range Steakhouse Grill (Steaks & Such): 615 Haywood Road; (864) 286-9018 or www.cityrange.com. Despite the name, there's plenty of fish and seafood on the menu. Crab Bisque is made with fresh Maryland crabmeat, and the fresh Carolina trout fillets are golden-brown delicious. Lunch, dinner.
Latitude (Seafood): 631 South Main Street; (864) 467-1101. If you think you can't get fresh seafood in an inland restaurant, you haven't dined here. Not in the mood for fish? Try the burger, made with Clemson blue cheese. Lunch (Monday-Friday), dinner (Monday-Saturday), Sunday brunch.
GREER
Gerard's (Traditional Southern): 102 East Poinsett Street; (864) 879-0070 or www.gerardsrestaurant.com. The catch of the day we ate here was lightly breaded triggerfish with a delicate texture. The broiled scallops were melt-in-your-mouth good. Lunch (Monday-Friday), dinner (Wednesday-Saturday).
LANCASTER
Charley's Café (Lowcountry): 306 South Main Street; (803) 285-1145. Yes, this is a long way from the coast, but the food comes with Lowcountry flair. Shrimp and grits and other seafood items outnumber the steaks. Lunch (Monday-Friday), dinner (Wednesday-Saturday).
MOUNT PLEASANT
Coco's Café (Contemporary Southern): 863 Houston Northcutt Boulevard; (843) 881-4949 or www.cocoscafe.net. The French bistro atmosphere hints of Paris, but the food excels with local ingredients. Diners rave about the pan-fried flounder with brown butter sauce. For something a little more continental, try the portobello mushroom on mashed potatoes topped with mixed vegetables, three cheeses, balsamic glaze, and matchstick fries. Lunch (Monday-Friday), dinner (closed Sunday).
Gullah Cuisine (Lowcountry): 1717 U.S. 17 North; (843) 881-9076 or www.gullahcuisine.com. This spot may be short on decor, but it's long on good food. Owners Frank and Charlotte Jenkins, natives of the area, share a passion for preserving the traditions of Gullah foods. Start with one of the soups--she-crab, black bean, fish head, and okra gumbo. The signature dish, Gullah rice, is a luscious tumble of sausage, shrimp, peppers, and rice. Order it as a side and you'll still have room for fried flounder, crispy fried chicken, shrimp and grits, or collard greens simmered with hunks of smoked ham. Lunch (buffet), dinner, Sunday brunch.
J. Bistro (Lowcountry): 819 Coleman Blvd. or www.jbistro.net; (843) 971-7778. You'll find down-home favorites with a dash of attitude. Creamy grits make a soft bed for crisp, golden pecan-crusted catfish fillets, while Southern Fried Breast of Chicken comes with chowchow and garlic whipped potatoes. The a la carte Sunday brunch is fabulous. Dinner, Sunday brunch (closed Monday).
Langdon's Restaurant and Wine Bar (Contemporary Southern): 778 South Shellmore Blvd.; (843) 388-9200 or www.langdonsrestaurant.com. You could make a meal off the appetizers alone. Our favorites include Sauteed Shrimp over Crispy Polenta Cake, Chipotle Seared Ahi Tuna, and Black Skillet Tenderloin Medallions over baby greens. The wine list includes descriptive categories with some menu suggestions. Dinner (closed Sunday, reservations recommended).
PAWLEYS ISLAND
Frank's Restaurant & Bar (Lowcountry): 10434 Ocean Highway/U.S. 17; (843) 237-3030. The Pan-Seared Scallops are melt-in-your mouth good, and locals once stopped executive chef Pierce Culliton from taking the pan-fried grouper with shrimp and Dijon mustard-three peppercorn cream sauce off the menu. Don't miss the crab cake appetizer with whole-grain mustard cream sauce. Dinner (closed Sunday, reservations recommended).
Louis's at Pawleys (Lowcountry): 10880 Ocean Highway/U.S. 17 (in the Hammock Shops); (843) 237-8757 or www.louisatpawleys.com. Chef Louis Osteen's shrimp and grits are pure Lowcountry. Fresh fish dishes taste delicious, especially the Local Baby Flounder With Sweet-Onion Jam and "Pound Cake" Potatoes. Lunch, dinner.
LOWCOUNTRY PRODUCTS
Benne Wafers, delicious treats made with benne (sesame) seeds, have been baked by The Byrd Cookie Company in Savannah for 81 years. Key lime coolers and cheese straws are also popular; (912) 355-1716, 1-800-291-2973, or www.byrdcookiecompany.com.
John Martin Taylor ships Lowcountry stone-ground grits, cornmeal, corn flour, and copies of his cookbooks. Call 1-800-828-4412 (10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday), or visit www.hoppinjohns.com.
Seabrook Hoppin' John Mix contains rice and seminole peas grown at Palmyra Plantation at Melon Bluff near Savannah. To order call (912) 884-7008, or visit www.countryhands.com.
TO LEARN MORE
For information about the Lowcountry and its heritage, we recommend you read these cookbooks.
- Cooking in the Lowcountry From The Old Post Office Restaurant by Jane and Michael Stern (Rutledge Hill Press, $19.99)
- Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way by Sallie Ann Robinson (The University of North Carolina Press, $15.95)
- Hoppin' John's Lowcountry Cooking by John Martin Taylor (Houghton Mifflin Company, $20)
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