We ate here our first night visiting Charleston and couldn't have asked for a better experience! Joe was unbelievable and made us feel so taken care of! Food was unbelievable, cocktails were great! we wanted to eat here every day for the rest of our trip! 100% recommend! read more

Jo was so nice! Food was amazing! Got the shrimp and grits and key lime pie was soooo good!

Amazing food, drinks and lively atmosphere! Attentive service as well (thanks, Ben!). We had oysters, clam chowder, hush puppies (definitely get these!) and the creole shrimp. Just delicious! Can't wait to go back. read more

If you like oysters and seafood, this is a great choice for a visit! My friends and I came by on a weekday, and happened to catch their happy hour - $1.50 oysters. We tried the happy hour oysters and some other varieties, and they were all amazing and fresh. I also tried their snow crab - delicious and very well exceeded my expectations. We also had some hush puppies and they are a must buy! They're only $7, and super good, especially when paired with the sweet butter. The service here is amazing. We were constantly checked in on by our waiter, and he did an amazing job throughout our entire meal. read more

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Sometimes your dinner is so good you have literally nothing to say. The picture says it all. The bartenders were awesome, the place was hopping, and the wine list was outstanding. So many amazing restaurants in this city and this is surely one of them. read more

The Darling Oyster Bar - Shrimp and Grits with a fried egg. - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is filled with oyster and seafood places. This one ranks up there. Has great fresh seafood, prices a little higher side. Come as you are is a plus. Waiter gave us the wrong check, wasn't focused. They are extremely busy, was not brought extra water or asked for more. Fancy inside. 2 seperate decors. read more

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Very tasty with charming service. The place has very warm, friendly atmosphere and charm. Our server, Molly, was super knowledgeable and attentive. I asked for an NA drink/mocktail and she asked for the flavor notes I'd like to capture: herbal, citrusy, light sweetness, high on sour, and maybe something fizzy. The bartender came up with something that totally fit the bill and was basically one of a kind. We shared oysters and shrimp cocktail for the table. I had the diver scallops and some grits. Both were amazing. The scallops were tender and sweet, the grits were thickly and creamy--I can only imagine the butter content lol. Really great meal to share with friends! read more

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Yesterday Olivia and I went to look at rehearsal dinner options, and I think we both felt good about moving forward with Parcel 32. It's exciting to make another major wedding decision and feel like we're getting closer to having everything come together. At the same time, I've been feeling a little uneasy about some of the budget conversations. Part of it is that I don't always feel like Olivia and I approach spending the same way. One thing that bothered me was that after deciding on Parcel 32, the conversation quickly shifted toward adding things like a photographer for the rehearsal dinner. My reaction was that we should wait until we understand the full wedding budget before making those decisions. There are still major unknowns, especially rentals, and I don't think we really know what the final numbers are going to look like. The same thing comes up with invitations. Olivia wants high end stationery and sees it as an important part of the wedding. I understand the perspective that it's our wedding and that it's a once in a lifetime event. But I also feel like I keep coming back to the budget while she keeps coming back to the experience. What makes me uncomfortable is treating money that appears to be left over in one category as money that's immediately available to spend somewhere else. In my mind, we don't know what we truly have left until the entire budget is finalized. Just because the rehearsal dinner comes in under budget doesn't necessarily mean we should immediately spend that difference somewhere else. Another thing that keeps coming back into my head is that Olivia makes very good money. She's probably making somewhere between $135,000 and $145,000 a year, which is objectively a strong income. So when I hear things like, "Maybe I need a second job to pay for that," my reaction is that a second job isn't really the issue. From my perspective, the issue is spending decisions. When I look at her financial situation, I don't see someone who has an income problem. I see someone who has made a series of expensive decisions that, when combined, created the situation she's in today. The apartment is one example. It was a really nice apartment, but given the amount of debt she already had, I don't think it was the most financially responsible choice. The rhinoplasty is another example. Whether it was personally important to her or not, it was still a major expense added on top of an already difficult financial situation. The dog is another one. I love Rio and I'm happy we have him, but realistically, a dog is another financial commitment that probably wasn't necessary at that point in time. Then there's the Jeep, which is probably the biggest example of all. Individually, each of these decisions can be justified. But when I step back and look at them together, I see a pattern of choosing things she wanted despite already carrying significant debt. That's what worries me. Not because of the wedding itself, but because I wonder whether that same pattern could show up later with vacations, kids, housing upgrades, or other major purchases. Maybe I'm overthinking it. Maybe wedding planning is making me more sensitive to these things. But I don't think my concern is really about invitations or photographers. I think it's about whether we fundamentally approach money differently. The reality is that our families are already spending roughly $225,000 on this wedding. That's an incredible amount of money, and I don't personally feel the need to push beyond that. I want us to have an amazing wedding, but I also want us to be disciplined and intentional about where the money goes. For now, I'm trying to separate what is a legitimate concern about long term financial compatibility from what is simply stress and uncertainty that comes with planning a large wedding. read more

The Darling Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Celebrated a birthday with some girlfriends. We enjoyed oysters, southern apps, and tasty cocktails. It's a fun place to splurge and dress cute for a ladies night out. The service was attentive and they treated us to a birthday surprise. read more

The Darling Oyster Bar - Slurp up! - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We stopped here for some Happy Hour Oysters. There are a ton of options on King street but this one called to me for some reason. I'm glad I went with my gut because the restaurant had a great vibe, the oysters didn't disappoint, and service was excellent. read more

The Darling Oyster Bar - Whiskey Business and HH oysters - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

What a lovely restaurant with professional service and excellent food! We sat at the oyster bar for lunch, people watched out the window and loved the food and drinks! Oysters and clams were amazing, with excellent sauce! Shrimp had great seasoning! It will be our first stop the next time we're in town! read more

The Darling Oyster Bar - Oyster bar! - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Breaded AF on the fried seafood. The ratio between breading and seafood was 3 to 1. Breading overwhelmed the seafood. Also, our appetizer came out after we were eating our mains; wish I would have refused it. Not cool. The waiter was nice so no complaint there. Really a bummer for a dinner we were looking forward to enjoying. read more

I found this place very overrated and underwhelming. I came for happy hour oysters and drinks with my girls and the oysters were not good. The lobster roll was okay, our favorite thing we got was our drinks and the crab dip. read more

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My 24 year old daughter didn't think she liked oysters until I brought her here. She loved the St John's oysters and during happy hour they are only $1 each. We originally ordered a dozen and then had to order another. Service was great and the atmosphere is so welcoming. You can come in shorts or an evening dress. Either way you'll fit right in. . read more

The Darling Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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We ate here on our last night of our trip and your food atmosphere and employees did not disappoint! I think our servers name was Christian. He was great energy, engaging, very knowledgeable constantly checking on us to make sure that we had everything we needed. Throughout the night, even the manager and other staff were happy to run food or see if we need anything A+ service all around. The only thing I'm bummed about is I didn't buy a shirt from the merch before leavings so we will have to come back! read more

The Darling Oyster Bar - Shrimp cocktail (not your avg ), bunch of oysters - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

This place was fun! Really cool atmosphere, very loud, but a good time. We'd already had dinner & came for dessert. We decided to try a couple raw oysters & my husband was sucked into getting the clam chowder, but we wanted it all together because we really wanted to dessert. We ended up being here for 1.5 hours, which was annoying, I just wanted my birthday dessert! Lol, but we'll definitely come back to give it another go because the oysters were fresh, the clam chowder was very clammy, (needed more potatoes & bacon bur the clams made up for it), and it was some of THE BEST key lime pie we've ever had, and being that my husband's from Miami, he's had plenty! read more

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My fiancé and I were in town for a wedding and had seen that The Darling had made Charleston's Top Places to Eat According to Yelp Elites and had to try it! I LOVE oysters, so raw bars trending across America right now is a dream come true for me. This place has an upscale vibe, but still sorta down to earth. To get a table, you need a reservation. However, there is first come first serve seating at the raw bar. We were in time for $1 happy hour oysters. Only one type of oyster was available for this offering, so I tried a few others. I got the Pear 75 which was refreshing and bubbly. My fiancé and I shared the yellowfin tuna ceviche and oysters. The servers are really attentive here, so it never felt like we were waiting too long even while it was packed. The bar seating almost felt like arena seating around the people shucking oysters and I adored it. The ceviche was so yummy! I also loved the oysters I tried. I highly recommend coming here for their raw bar. read more

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We went to eat here and found out it didn't open till 4:00. Hung around town and made reservation for when they opened to get in. I wanted to eat here because research showed me they had a great Bloody Mary stacked with extras. We were on vacation in Charleston and this was perfect. We got seated and when I ordered it (Saturday). I was told it was only offered on Sunday's for brunch. We weren't going to be here tomorrow. Oh well I ordered one anyway and they did fancy it up a bit but still a disappointment. Ordered a lobster roll , clam chowder and salad. Salad was decent size but had very bland dressing. Clam chowder was odd tasting, thin, and very long pieces of clam strips in it. Kinda rubbery. Lobster roll was a very thick hard toasted bun and the lobster slaw didn't have any flavor. Not enough mayo or seasonings. My husband's seared scallops were delicious. I was not impressed given all the hype this place had. Gsve it a 3* for the nice waiter and his efforts to cheer me up after telling me I couldn't have the "Captain" Bloody Mary. Very Pricy as well. read more

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Loved this place! Inside was decorated super cute and they give out the most adorable matchbooks at the front. Easily the best oysters in downtown charleston and I have trued quite a few. I also tried the Three Hour Tour cocktail and it was great. Shrimp is also super fresh and worth trying. If you want to get a seat when it opens try to get there at 3:45. Micah was our bartender and he was super sweet! read more

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HELLO Charleston! First restaurant that caught my eye! Tried a sampling of fresh oysters (there were 5 specials, did not remember them all ), Fried Oysters/Fish, Hush Puppies with Sorghum butter (DELISH stuff that Sorghum ), Greens, Smoked Salmon Dip and shrimp cocktail. FANTASTIC way to get acquainted with this city read more

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Honestly this is one of my favorite places in Charleston && with the hype and line. The staff are always the best && I love sitting at the oyster bar and watching the guys chuck all the oysters while we're chatting and sipping champagne. The lobster rolls is delicious, the fires yummy, the seafood exceptional. Everything is fresh and you do not leave hungry. Inside is traditional coastal flare with beautiful tiles and decorations. There is a pay to park right behind the restaurant and usually where we park when coming here. We just love coming here! read more

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For birthday dinner , Scallops were seared perfectly so kudos to kitchen staff on Monday July 20th. Waitstaff Joe was attentive without being too much . Other staff female curly brown hair kept water glasses full without interrupting . Just over all good job. And I got a key lime pie for birthday desert. Big enough for 4 to share . About 4 bites a piece if you don't want alot. I forgot the crab cheese dip was amazing read more

The Darling Oyster Bar - Keylime pie. One piece - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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This may be the best restaurant we have been to since moving to SC 6 years ago. The esthetic is perfect. Eveything from the decor to the floor was stunning. The service was top tier. Our server Dave was great. He had the best balance of attentiveness and allowing us space to enjoy our date night. We started with the James river, the Port Royal Wilds and the Low Country Cup oysters. So good! Drinks were amazing too. He got the scallops and I got the mussels. Both were absolute perfection. We ended the meal splitting the key lime pie. It was delicious. It is popular so I recomment reservations. Thiis is a must try if you are in the area. We are already planning to go back in June when we are in Charleston again. read more

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Went here again for the first time in almost ten years. Had a reservation but seats were open at the bar. We almost changed but 'o backs on the barstools. Ordered the spicy blood orange margarita--- very average. Appetizer the shrimp. They had some spices on the shrimp and they were also good. Not great. I ordered the lobster roll very good but not as good as Boston rolls! Burger was good not great. I don't think we will be back. read more

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Oyster was great my favorite was Dukes out of Topsail NC great place to get oysters !!!!!!!! read more

The Darling Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

The Darling is one of my favorite seafood restaurants. The hush puppies were some of the best I've ever had! Highly recommend this place. read more

The Darling Oyster Bar - Lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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OMG truly truly amazing food here. I have now been here twice and both times the food was absolutely delicious, and I ate every bite. I so badly wish I remembered my server's name the first time because she was SO incredible and attentive to both my friend and I. I had never had raw oysters before, and she did such a great job recommending ones for us to try. Super cute interior as well! I will definitely be coming back here every single time I am in Charleston! read more

The Darling Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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This place was amazing! There weren't any tables, but the hostess was super nice and told us that any of their 3 bars was fair game. We decided on the bar over looking the oyster shucking and it was pretty awesome! I got a Pear 75 to drink and it was refreshing but sour! Definitely a drink to sip and not chug! But it was really good! For an appetizer we got hush puppies and they were incredible! I didn't eat the butter but my fiancé said it was unreal! For meals, I got the crab cakes which were amazing!! 10/10 would get again! They had a sauce of some sort and a pickled veggie relish on top. So so good. The portion looked small, but they were very filling. My fiancé got the shrimp and grits and he raved about them! The portion size on that was huge! Overall, this was a great dinner spot and we would definitely come back! read more

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There are a ton of oyster bars to choose from in Charleston, and we were worried that we would choose the wrong one. I assure you, we didn't. We sat at the raw bar and ordered a dozen SC oysters. They were super clean and fresh. For dinner, we got the lobster roll with hushpuppies and the sea scallops. Both were top tier. We finished the evening with a dozen more oysters because they were that good and we love oysters. The interior is classic southern oyster house. The service was attentive without pestering. 10/10, would definitely come back. read more

This restaurant and oyster bar came highly recommended to us by multiple friends (and travel blogs) while planning our trip to Charleston. When we were trying to decide on where to have dinner to celebrate our 10th anniversary, we knew we wanted seafood (I'm an oyster gal) and we needed it to be somewhat casual & kid-friendly since our son was going to be with us. We ultimately landed on The Darling to celebrate the occasion and were able to score an early 5:30pm dinner resy. We were seated in the main dining room away from the happy hour bar crowd. Clearly this is a popular happy hour spot because they were already packed! Speaking of happy hour... it was still going when we arrived and they had a $1 oyster special. I started with their "513" cocktail on tap (Astral tequila, lime, blood orange, agave) and added the spicy tequila float for $2. My husband can't eat oysters, but I love them, so I of course had to take advantage of the happy hour. Our server said the local "pink ladies" oysters were her fave, so I got 3 of those and 3 of the $1 James River oysters. I enjoyed both kinds, but I do agree that the pink ladies were better. They were both super fresh and not too briny. They serve their oysters with fresh lemon wedges, cocktail sauce, mignonette, and horseradish. From the raw bar menu, we also started with the scallop ceviche. This was a very simple ceviche and the scallops also tasted super fresh. I do typically like my ceviche to pack a little more punch with the lime juice & jalapeno though. Something was missing for me. For our main entrees, my husband had the seared diver scallops served with fingerling potatoes and I had their daily fresh catch which was a grilled halibut served over a pearled couscous salad. We both really enjoyed our dishes and my fish was cooked perfectly. I also tried my husbands scallops and they were amazing. It comes with 5 massive scallops which was a pretty generous serving. We had a great anniversary dinner and our baby was behaved just long enough to let us enjoy it, haha. It's a good thing we had an early reservation! read more

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On a Thursday evening, I went for their happy hour which was 4-7PM. The only thing I was interested were RAW OYSTERS !! And a cute little drink, of course! The only type of raw oyster that counted for happy hour were the James River ($1/ oyster was the deal). I ordered 2 James River, 2 Lowcountry cups, 2 Northern Gems, 2 Dukes, 2 Hammerheads, and 2 Black Magics making a dozen. If you see my photo, the oysters are in order starting from the top (largest oysters are James River) and go in order clockwise. Ex, after the James Rivers are the lowcountry cups to the right. Pear 75 10/10: Great suggestion from my waitress! Was sweet and light. Did the job to get me tipsy. Would definitely order again. James River 7/10: Chesapeake, Bay, VA meaty and mild They are mild. No strong taste. Biggest of the bunch but not too big to where it grossed me out. Basic. I'm used to this at home! Low country cups 11/10: Charleston, SC salty and clean Smallest out of all of them. Salty but not like sea salt... You know how caramel and salt balances each other out perfectly? It was like that! Honestly, this was my favorite out of all 6. Northern gems 7/10: harker's island, NC briny & crisp Crispy? More like tough. Fishy but not like gag-worthy. It definitely had its own unique characteristics. Refreshing in a way.. Would get again. Dukes 3/10: Topsail, NC small & salty The saltiest but like French fries salt. So this is a different type of salty from the lowcountry cups. Not a fan. Hammerheads 2/10: Cape cod, MA. Delicate and clean nothing memorable tbh.. Black magic 6/10: PEI, Canada buttery and crisp Definitely buttery but I was not vibing with it. Things to note: the cocktail sauce was sweet if you're into that. I personally liked it! read more

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Wow. Wow. Wow. This place blew me out of the water! Everything was delicious. From the spicy oyster shooters, to the tender scallops, all the way to the sweet desserts. I can't even fathom a complaint! Service was also exceptional. read more

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Always a great time at The Darling highly recommend getting a reservation you can get them pretty last minute if you're lucky. Appetizers here are always great the crab dip is my personal favorite as well as the creole shrimp. Clam chowder is a little runny but still has great flavor just don't expect New England thick clam chowder when ordering it . I ordered a lobster roll I was very happy with my choice piled very high on a nicely toasted buns seasoned very well I'd recommend it for sure. Our server was very sweet and was the one that told us about using hush puppies to soak up the left over juice from the creole shrimp absolutely a must. All the drinks here are great never had a problem with their signature cocktails and never think I will. This place is charming no matter where you sit we've sat at the bar before and at tables all the staff here are super friendly. I seem to always end up at The Darling when I'm in Charleston read more

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We were able to get an early rez here before flying home. So glad we dined here! Service is great and the food is also! We started with the raw oysters! Yum!! Locally harvested and a nice brine-iness! I also had a cup of the clam chowder. It had nice strips of clams and light cream soup. Delicious! It came with toasted bread to sop up the yummy soup. Hubby went with the lobster roll with hush puppies as his side. He loved every bite! I went with a server reco, the diver scallops, also local! There were also fingerling potatoes and a delicious sauté of charred corn and arugula, the scallops were cooked perfectly and so good! Overall, the meal was perfect! And our server was also. She was knowledgeable about the menu, gave excellent recos, and her attentiveness level was just right! read more

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Went for lunch one day. Wasn't in the mood for oysters that day (although I must say: others around me got them and they looked great). Asked the bartender what would be good and he suggested the Creole shrimp. That sounded good and I've learned that you generally can't go wrong going with bartenders' recommendations. Anyway, they came out and they were WAY overcooked. They were like rubber and the seasoning was NOT on point. Honestly, I make Creole / bbq shrimp at home and they're always MUCH better than what I got at The Darling. The service (with the exception of the lousy recommendation) was decent enough. If I ever go back, I'll probably stick with oysters on the half shell. (Sorry no pic. I actually took one that day, but subsequently deleted it because it was so bad.) read more

Absolutely loveddddd The Darling!! First off it's so cute inside! Very bright and beachy vibes. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Overall, great in this area. We ordered: - clam chowder: white creamy sauce with great flavor. - lobster roll: bun was delicious and the lobster was so fresh. Great portion size. - seared scallops: scallops cooked perfectly. One thing I'd change is the arugula and corn base didn't really work with the scallops, but still good. - scallop ceviche: very yummy and lots of scallops read more

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We came here for some apps and drinks before our dinner reservation. The seafood was so fresh and delicious, I'm usually not a fan of crab cake but I had a bite of a friends who ordered it and it was soo delicious, I wish I had ordered my own lol. Also got the oysters which were also fantastic. Service was great, very attentive and everything came out fast! read more

Still incredible. The crab cakes were truly balanced - really stunning - and the happy hour draft cocktails were so incredibly drinkable. I wanted just clam chowder and ended up ordering so much more food. You do need a reservation for a table, since we walked in around 6p on Thursday and were told it was booked up all night. We got lucky and grabbed two seats at the bar. read more

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The best raw bar that we experienced in Charleston! We ordered oysters, shrimp and drinks. Then a few more. Next day repeat! Our bartender, Micha (or Michael?) was exemplary and made our experience even better. This is another "must visit" when we are in Charleston. read more

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This place is so adorable! I wish I could remember our waitress's name, but she was so amazing and so sweet! She had been working there for a few years and you could tell. She recommended some amazing food for us and it was probably the best food I've had in awhile! Highly recommend the s'mores dessert! read more

The Darling Oyster Bar - S'mores dessert - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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