82 Queen

"On a Thursday at 6pm, with the right bottle of lambrusco, the bar at Queen St. can feel like the final scene in a Sofia Coppola film. Oysters on ice line the U-shaped counter. Stained-glass panels glow. Ambient techno plays. People who would like to have sex with each other slurp raw bar dishes like it’ll give them better odds. All these details add up to a certain smolder that keeps us recommending Queen St., an Eagle Rock restaurant from the Found Oyster team. The problem is that their Charleston-style seafood dishes aren't nearly as seductive as the setting itself. On paper, Queen St.’s Low Country entrees sound promising. During one visit, we were excited about and then promptly underwhelmed by a $65 fried flounder. It came out mushy, full of bones, and topped with an apricot agrodolce missing any advertised heat. Another big fish plate, the swordfish Hemingway, is slightly better but not so special that it'll save your meal. You’ll forget about this bland, inch-thick slab of fish steak long before you make it home. photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp Entree misses aside, there are ways to maneuver Queen St.'s menu and have a good meal. The raw bar dishes are delightful. (What else would you expect from the people behind the Overboard Platter?) There's a curated selection of creamy oysters from all over the East Coast, a halibut crudo with juicy sungolds sitting pretty on top, and buttery peel-and-eat prawns hanging from seafood towers. If you're looking for an entree to fill out your meal, the chicken frites and pork chops are totally serviceable. Ultimately, we suggest prioritizing the snacky seafood over everything else on the menu. All this to say, Queen St. is not the Eagle Rock restaurant of our dreams. But it does have the restaurant bar of our dreams. Bring a date or a friend and camp out at the marble counter, ordering multiple rounds of raw bar dishes and easing into that quintessential neighborhood friendliness that makes another glass of wine always feel like a good idea. In addition to the bar seating, Queen St. has dozens of patio tables scattered along the sidewalk outside. You can still graze on dressed-up crustacea out there. Without the bar scene, though, Queen St. loses much of its appeal. We'll always have a soft spot for restaurants that handwrite seafood specials on a chalkboard and host happy regulars at the bar. Queen St. does those things exceptionally well. Rely on this place for a catch-up dinner with a friend or a last-minute date night that demands oyster platters and great people-watching. But, even with the best bottle of wine and the best dinner company, most of the restaurant's Charleston-style seafood dishes don't quite land. Food Rundown photo credit: Jessie Clapp Halibut Crudo Delicate halibut with halved sungolds and a citrusy ginger sauce. It’s great for sharing, but you won’t want to. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Oysters Queen St. changes their oyster selection weekly (and lists them all on a chalkboard by the bar). We like to try a couple different varieties. Make sure to ask your server for a breakdown of the nuances of each oyster. That context makes eating them more fun. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Swordfish Hemingway This fish steak needs salt to balance out the juicy acidic dressing. Skip this one and fill up on oysters instead. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Smothered Pork Chop This well-seasoned bone-in pork chop has a nice sear, but it’s a bit too tough around the edges. The mustardy cabbage on the other hand, is perfect. If you're looking for an entree, this is the one to order. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Chicory Salad Much like a cyclist zooming around a group of pedestrians in the middle of a bike path, this salad is very bitter. But the toasted walnuts, capers, and anchovy dressing subdue the greens with some briny crunch. Order this over the house salad. photo credit: Jessie Clapp The Derby Pie Absolutely factor in Queen St.’s pie when you’re ordering the rest of your meal. You need this. The bourbon-coated graham cracker crust holds together roasted pecans and rich dark chocolate. It’s good on its own or as a nutty base that you can dig into with ice cream on top." - Nikko Duren

"Plan a nap after eating 82 Queen’s bowl of creamy, buttery grits topped with shrimp tossed in barbecue sauce and sprinkles of cheese and bacon — it’s more than hearty." - Erin Perkins

"I worked for 82 Queen, which is very popular with Charleston tourists. They had coupons for a free cup of she-crab soup in the visitors booklets at hotels, so every table would use one. Since the soup was so popular, servers would ladle it out themselves instead of the chefs, and it was so viscous and messy that you were sure to get some on your arm or clothes. A warm, cream-based, seafood soup in the Charleston heat is enough to make your stomach curdle. I never loved she-crab soup, but I saw it as a regional dish to be cherished. Now I will rant all day about it on the internet. I will eat crab though — as long as it’s not covered in heavy cream." - Jaya Saxena

"The 82 Queen she-crab soup is often said to be the best in Charleston. Executive chef Steve Stone uses crab roe and a full pound of local Lowcountry crab meat, topping the creamy soup with a drizzle of sherry." - Parker Milner

"Tourists love, love, love to visit 82 Queen for she crab soup. An almost too-rich combination of cream, crab meat, roe, and sherry, she-crab soup is said to be a throwback recipe from 1920s Charleston." - Erin Perkins