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    The Royal Tern

    4.5 (370 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    The Royal Tern Photos

    Business Info

    THE ROYAL TERN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Classy
    Upscale

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    Recommended Reviews - The Royal Tern

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    Reviews With Photos - The Royal Tern

    Tori B.

    The fish of the day was founder could be prepared fried or grilled....obviously had to get both. Both amazing but grilled won with an amazing flavor profile. This seafood restaurant was delicious!

    Michael M.

    We have enjoyed dining at The Royal Tern on multiple visits, and our latest was just as good as before. We made a late reservation on a Friday night, during the softie season in Charleston. The restaurant was full of lively diners, and the servers were busy taking care of them. The interior is a large open area, but there is seating at the bar and an enclosed side porch. After an order of cocktails, we enjoyed hushpuppies and burrata salad as starters. We also had the ahi tuna as an additional starter. Each starter was delicious and filling. But the softshell crab specials they had were amazing, and made this another memorable dining experience. We love coming to the Royal Tern, and are always impressed with their menu items. Desserts are also a good treat, but we were so full on this visit we had to pass.

    Brooke P.

    We didn't want to wait for a later reservation we had nearby, so took a chance as a walk in. Jay, the host, was kind enough to get us a spot on the screened patio after a brief wait. Elizabeth took great care of us and we decided on a sampler/share approach versus individual entrees. Best decision! The chopped salad was similar to a wedge, and the blackened shrimp chowder they split for us. Also had clams from the raw bar, wood grilled oysters and calamari. My favorites were the chowder and oysters, but everything was tasty! The patio was quieter than the main dining area, but also busy. So happy we stopped in.

    Ribeye
    Carrie S.

    A friend and I sat at the bar for dinner. Please make reservations. Our bartender was amazing and gave up the daily food specials. The place was very well kept, except the need to clean the air vents at top of ceilings. Overall service, food and drinks were amazing

    Gustavo S.

    It's been a while since we had dined at The Royal Tern and I am happy to report that everything was just as good as I remember. We took the family out for my birthday dinner, and everything was so good. The service was so attentive and made sure we had a great dining experience. We really got to try various dishes this time and the kids got to order the Filet Mignon (they favorite) and it was cooked to perfection. We had to try the oysters which were so fresh and tasty. We also enjoyed the Salmon and Ahi Tuna. Being that we were celebrating, we went in on the desserts and they were nice enough to throw in another one on the house. This is a great restaurant, for a date or family gathering. We love that it's close to us, in John's Island. Make sure you put this one on your list of places try if you have not been yet.

    Amanda R.

    This was my first time visiting this spot and it was such an incredible experience. Our waiter was fabulous! He was attentive and friendly, great conversation and made the experience delightful. The food was incredible. The yeast rolls, I highly recommend as a starter. They had a non-alcoholic red wine which I was so excited to try! The interior was vibrant and I loved the blue. There was accessible parking on property with a ramp walkway to enter.

    Mussels
    Amy D.

    They still have it going on! Always a wonderful experience! Mussels are heaven sent! Oyster service is bomb!

    Grilled oysters
    Mollie N.

    I've never had a bad experience here! I've reviewed before but I'm updating it. The staff is always so friendly and knowledgeable, the food is constantly good, and the ambiance is perfect for date night or dinner with friends. This place continues to be in my Charleston top 10

    Filet mignon
    Lindsey B.

    A hidden seafood gem on John's Island! Make sure to make a reservation because the seats do fill up quickly. This is a very clean and bright location and a little bit more on the upscale side. I love that you can add filet mignon to the Burrata, which gives it an extra pop. The wood grilled oysters were definitely the stand up for me! The garlic butter, Parmesan, and lemon went perfectly together and made the oyster level up. We ended up splitting the filet mignon and salmon across four people, and it was plenty of food! My only gripe is that none of the steaks come with any side like the entrées do. We came here for a birthday and the server came out with a slice of fun-fetti birthday cake

    Emma P.

    I haven't really explored John's culinary scene and I can't believe I was sleeping on this one! The environment is so clean and modern... Plenty of seating and they can accommodate large parties. Recommend making a reservation because it does fill up. The staff was all amazing. Very friendly and very helpful selecting enough food for a group. The burrata but add filet is one of my favorite things. The baked oysters and tuna poke are great shareable and it goes without saying that a shrimp cocktail never disappoints. Great mocktails and birthday cake!

    Whole flounder
    Jennifer R.

    Wow, do they know their seafood. I'm still dreaming about the scallop carpaccio, and the perfectly shucked oysters - not a speck of grit. You would be comfortable here at the bar or booths, it's intimate but open. Services are friendly and unpretentious. We had such a wonderful time.

    Cute dinning area and open kitchen.
    Rebeka B.

    This was a great dinner! We happened upon this little gem as we were on our way back to Charleston on our way back from one of the plantation tours. We were able to walk right in at opening and luckily got a table. Delicious fish, salads and you must try the bread. If I lived here, I would be there every week!

    Scallops withe sweet potatoes gnochi
    Patricia P.

    Another great dinner at Royal Tern. The service was excelent, the food were delicious per usual and the ambiance of this place so good for date night. I recommend all the dish from this place but my favorite is their scallops.

    Seared tuna

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    7 months ago

    Good restaurant on Maybank. The menu is excellent along with the service! I look forward to my next visit!

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    1 year ago

    The food and service were awesome. The tuna and salmon tartar is unbelievable. The staff really knows the menu well.

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    Ask the Community - The Royal Tern

    What is the dress code?

    It's John's Island, you will be welcome in suit and tie or shorts, sandals, & a Polo

    How nicely should one dress?

    Any way you'd like? Some were dressed quite nicely and others had on jeans. It's not suit and tie at all, but a blazer for men and a dress is fine.

    View All 4 Questions

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    Edison James Island

    Edison James Island

    4.6
    (317 reviews)
    6.6 mi
    $$$

    I love the cozy and local vibe of this place, plus the nice servers and delicious food! Good wine…read moreselection too.

    Gotta admit - I struggled with this one. I ended up getting the West Indies seafood chowder for an…read moreappetizer. It was...good...not great. Had a slight kick to it (spice wise) but very little evidence of actual seafood in it. After much debate about what to get for a main course (and after seeing what other patrons got at the bar where I sat), I decided to get the Moroccan salad with salmon. Again...it was good...not great. I cook way better salmon at home on a cedar plank over real charcoal, so maybe I'm being unfair here? I dunno. The salad itself was heavy on arugula, which I'm not a huge fan of. Which is odd, because I love the flavor of pepper! Anyway, the menu made it sound like it was more fennel-oriented, so... Ended up capping off the meal with the blackberry key lime pie. It was quite tasty. Not the best key lime pie I've ever had, but good. As to the atmosphere, it's nice. My girlfriend has actually convinced me several times that we shouldn't come here because we weren't dressed well enough. Well, let me just say: I saw several guys here wearing jeans, fishing shirts, and ball caps and they fit right in. So: not stuffy at all! Bottom line, it's a good, not great place to grab a meal. I love that it's off the beaten path (i.e., not close to Folly Road). Will def come back with my girlfriend next time. Might try the swordfish or maybe the meatballs next time.

    Photos
    Inside dining room
    Inside dining room
    Edison James Island
    Dinner special

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    Dinner special

    The Royal Tern - seafood - Updated July 2026

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