Bowens Island Restaurant - Charleston, SC

The first time I ate here, about ten years ago, it was fifty-fifty on whether we might have turned around and walked out.  It was scary!  Graffiti everywhere, the worst furniture ever, a grumpy guy with a notebook taking our order.  It was close.  So glad we stayed, and so glad we keep coming back.  The place is very welcoming, friendly and clean (in a food safety sense.)  Now, after a fire and renovations, they continue to deliver the best oysters anywhere.  I'm not talking about foofy, fancy oysters on the half shell with gourmet names and weird accompaniments.  I'm talking about big clusters of green covered, weird shaped, cooked to perfection globs of oceanny wondefulness (according to spell-check, three made-up words of the day!).














The renovations were awesome, moving the restaurant to a lofty perch over the beautiful views.  Time your trip for sunset and you will be amazed!  (No pictures of this due to me not mastering my phone until late in the meal - I'm detecting a trend here.)  The customers are working hard to return it to a properly defaced and damaged status, but it still feels new. 

The oysters are the highlight, but the fried seafood platter was also excellent.  Fresh is best when it comes to oysters.  We give the oysters a 4.5 and the seafood plate a 4.0.  Good beer selection too.  I have an excuse to go back and get better pictures - stand by for followup, but don't wait to go to the restaurant - GO NOW!!

Bye bye oyster shells - to the parking lot with you!