Rappahannock Oyster Bar

I wanted to give more credit to this restaurant because it was Mother’s Day when I went. I have been considering how to review for months now and I have made the determination that there were too many glaring issues to rate any higher than a 3 star rating. Ultimately I decided that with how expensive the food is I would expect better food and service. We were a larger group and we had horribly slow service. Multiple people had cold food, our appetizers came out way later than our main dishes. Someone in my group ended up having to speak to a manager about all the issues we had. The experience was truly lack luster in every capacity. The only credit I could give is that the ambiance was on par with a lively raw bar. I would not recommend.

Excellent service and a laid-back vibe in historic Charleston, South Carolina. I sat at the bar and received quick service. I chose the shrimp and grits, which had a unique twist on the classic dish. I really enjoyed it. The atmosphere captured Charleston's rustic charm. There was ample seating and parking, and the surrounding area was very walkable.

We are in Charleston for the Food & Wine Festival and stopped in here after seeing the Rappahannock Oyster Co owners on Emeril's show showing off their fab oysters (HUGE fan of their Olde Salts!) and finding out they had a restaurant here. It did NOT disappoint! Love the setting in the old cigar factory right on East Bay Street. Easy parking, too! Chris took great care of us from start to finish. We ordered a dozen oysters on a halfshell (4 each of the Rappahannocks, Olde Salts, and Rochambeaus) that were super fresh, tasty, and expertly shucked. I had the jumbo crab cake over celery root slaw and this is the BEST crab cake I've had in years! The crab cake is 6 ozs of the sweetest crab and absolutely no fillers. My hubby had the whole butterflied red snapper with rice & salad and it was all perfect! He is not a big rice & salaf guy but couldn't say enough about how good both were with a unique sweetness to the rice & the salad perfectly dressed with a light vinegrette. We loved the hot sauce so much, we purchased a bottle to take home as well as one of the glasses.

Decided this spot was going to be my dinner after a long drive and man it didn’t disappoint. Doesn’t get better with an oyster special going on, a cold beer and a bomb.com clam French onion soup. Bartender was on point and staff was friendly. Highly recommend 👌

Wide variety of oysters, sweet local shrimp, blue crab cake but not lump meat! Great mezcal margarita, OK selection of beers on draft. A bit pricey at $9 for side salad and $7 for bread, so best to go during 4-6pm happy hour.

Had a nice dinner here. Shared the raw Oysters which were quite good, pan-seared fish, short ribs, and the bread service. The short ribs stole the show and unfortunately overwhelmed the more delicate fish in comparison. The bread service was okay, bread itself was nice but the flavored butters were forgettable and inferior to dipping in the food sauces. Minor criticisms as the overall meal and drinks were quite good.

Great for happy hour! $2 oysters and a good selection of drinks and small plate appetizers. Loved that the patio is dog friendly. There is limited free parking in the adjacent lot but note that it is LIMITED.

We started off with the Seafood Tower: fresh, delicious, and filling. It gave us a great array of food and things to try. I especially enjoyed the chilled shrimp and the cocktail sauce. The Rappahannock Oysters were some of the best I have ever had. For our main dishes we tried the fish, spaghetti and clams, and the Caesar wedge. One thing I also noticed was how reasonably priced everything was. If you are looking for something on the less expensive side they have shrimp and grits, a burger, and more under $25. Overall a great dinner. 🦪 Recommendations: Crab Dip, Rappahannock Oysters, Chilled Shrimp

Stopped in for oysters -- specifically the Rappahannock River oysters! I love mine sweet so these are what I usually get here. Their regular ones are $2 during happy hour. The burger is very good! The mussels are great as well. Service is always so great, always greeted at the door with a smile. It's a nice place for dinner with friends, family, or alone!

Awesome outpost of our favorite mini chain. Oysters obv. Great atmosphere and service.

Food was great and so was the service. Nice cozy place with great ambiance. We had the lump crab dip to start. Lump crap dip was very good, very subtle, lovely chunks of roasted garlic in there. A bit "light" on the lump but good flavor and we enjoyed it all. Shrimp and grits with black garlic and squid ink was delicious! When eating it you need to consider there is black garlic in there too so be aware when preparing your bite. Scallop imperial was the BEST!! Perfect portion for me. In fact all the portions were more normal than most other places. Will definitely go again.

We dropped in here for apps and drinks before dinner. A perfect spot outside the hustle bustle of the Downtown Charleston area. This was a perfect visit that checked all the boxes for us. My daughter was looking for delicious shrimp and I was looking for the perfect oysters. We planned out trip around seafood and Rappahannock checked the box we needed. Patrick was at the raw bar and was truly an incredible host and provided such a great experience for us. He was personable and educated us about oysters and seafood. We will be sure to add this to our must to do list when we come back. Thanks for checking all the boxes for us! And free parking!

First time coming here, invited for a luncheon on a Tuesday. Parking was a bit of a struggle during this time because it seemed like a lot of people were out for lunch. It's a part of the "cigar factory" which has many other outlets so I know that takes up some of the parking too. I was able to find a spot after looping a couple times. Very big oyster bar right when you walk in, which I love. But we grabbed a table and it was like 3x bigger than chubby fish and you can actually make reservations. We started with the crab dish which was delicious, and I got the pan seared fish of the day which was grouper. The fish itself was a bit over cooked for me but it still had a good flavor. It was somewhat tough to cut through with just my fork but it was a thicker piece. I did really enjoy the vegetables that came with it, and that sauce was amazing and that touch of basil oil on top was a nice finish. I want to come back and try the fish Milanese because it was recommended to me by my friend, but it was already out by the time we ordered around 1pm. Looking forward to trying their oysters next time. Great spot for lunch!

Expensive But good food Parking ok Service ok Oysters fresh but cost a lot Xxx

My favorite happy hour spot right now and with so many choices downtown this remains my favorite and they never disappoint! Until next time!

Scenic location with happy hour specials. The burger here was very good with double layer of patty with a nice smashed crust. Oysters were $2 each, not the cheapest for happy hour but good quality. Ambiance is top notch while not being pretentious. They have outdoor heating if eating outside. Plenty of parking nearby and ATM for cash. Service was superior than most.

We drive by here all the time going into charleston! We had a kid abd dog free night - I purposely looked on fb foodie groups for recommendations on beef tartare and this came up. We really like the warehouse feel, great nice bar, very friendly bartenders- really welcoming! I didn't get a picture of the tartare since my husband broke the yolk on it and then it wasn't a great picture to take. I really liked the tartare enough that we will go back and I will not share. I saw an older picture of the tartare with a cracker but this was like a potato chip but it was crackerish. I should have asked but it was a great accompanyment. We also shared the crab dip which was good but not as impressive as the tartare. The wine prices were on the nico high side so i think we will come back during happy hour.

Let me say that this 5 star review is 100% because of the bartender Roger. He gave me his honest option when I asked about menu items and his suggestions didn't disappoint. He made me their old fashioned which was really refreshing take. The subtle notes or lavender was really great. Roger also talked me through different vermouths, it was a really great conversation. The food was equally as awesome. Their chips were amazing! Their take on tuna tar tar 100% worth the trip. The oysters I had were a guest rotation and unfortunately I don't remember the name of them but they were perfect.

We cannot say compliment this place enough! All the seafood was so fresh and expertly clean. Our server was so helpful and willing to answer questions we had. I don't think we tasted a single grit of sand while eating tonight. Clams, mussles, oysters, and the snapper, all amazing, perfectly cooked and flavor was phenomenal. I cannot recommend this oyster bar enough.

I may never be able to pronounce the name of this place, but i will definitely be back. The warm Crab Dip appetizer is a must get. The burger was quality, it just slightly lacked flavor and was a little overcooked for my liking. They have great happy hour specials. Nice outdoor patio area, huge wrap around bar inside. Our brunette server was top notch too.

Absolutely delicious! Stayed in Charleston 7 days, ate here our last day and it was the best meal we had all week! Seriously! We just walked in on a whim and we're so glad we did. *The grilled oysters, delicious! *Best collard greens I've EVER had (including Halls Chophouse). *Pan seared local fish (grouper) AMAZING Love the location, cool building, clean and bright inside. Friendly staff. Awesome server. Sat next to the open kitchen and had the pleasure of meeting and talking with one of the chefs, Jarrod. Super friendly and genuinely happy to have us dine there. He gave us recommendations on what to order. Highly recommend this place!

The lump crab dip is amazing. I'll definitely be back for it. It's serviced warm with delicious crostino. Tucked in the corner you might not see this amazing oyster bar but you can taste the freshness in their food. I also enjoyed the burger and let me tell you, I'm not usually a fan of anything but dill pickles however the freshness of the smashed patty and the thick cut bread and butter pickles with the real cheddar cheese is the perfect combo. One of the most satisfying Charleston burgers I've had,

My wife still raves about this place! It was a last minute NYE reservation for a Virginia restaurant in Charleston SC ! We had to sit out side , but to my memory it was quite pleasant! The food was amazing! Our favorite memory was voicing our concerns for the dishwasher! It was a very busy night ! We jokingly told the waiter to tell the dishwasher thank you because of all the dishes we were using! It kinda became a little joke among the staff because the dishwasher was somewhat of character and veteran! All I remember is we ate , dranked and laughed too much ! Enjoy this Yelp Non Elite review

Excellent oysters. The Baked Scallop Imperial was out of this world delicious! Our server was super friendly and knowledgeable about everything on the menu and made perfect recommendations! Loved the building and layout of the restaurant. Will definitely be back for more!!

Went here on a Friday night with friends. The place is busy! It took us a minute to get a table. The dining room is big and there is both bar seating and booths. We had a nice spacious booth. We had a broad selection of oysters, local fish, and snapper. The food was very good and we very much enjoyed it. The snapper is large so it will take you a minute. The local fish fell apart and was cooked to perfection. We had a mixture of white wine and cocktails with the meal. All of it was very good. A very nice and local experience. Highly recommended.

My friends and I had one of the best happy hours a couple of weeks ago at Rappahanock before we went to an event at the Gaillard. First off, i love places that let you reserve bar seats online, especially when you can reserve more than 2 people at a time. When we arrived, they had reserved seats at the bar ready and waiting for us. Also, an added bonus was the free parking lot, that's really hard to find downtown. Since there were 3 of us, we decided to just share everything, and what we ordered was plenty enough food for us. *Salt Roasted Beets & Cheese ~ Boxcarr robiola, pistachio butter, dukkah, banyuls vinaigrette, red vein sorrel - even though I don't normally order beets, this was delicious and a pretty large portion to share. *Happy Hour Virginia Oysters - we got a variety of chilled oysters to share *Kimchi Grilled Oysters - these were really flavorful, and I would definitely order again. *Grilled Oysters ~ Smoked jalapeño butter - quite yummy and the jalapeno butter didn't overpower the taste of the oysters *Baked Clams ~ Thai sausage, coconut reduction, basil gremolata - these were awesome, i absolutely loved the toppings on the clams. We also ordered the happy hour wines that were only $5 - $6 dollars a glass, which is a pretty good deal. I will definitely be going back again for their happy hour soon as I highly enjoyed it!

Delicious food, really nice atmosphere, attentive service. It was also a treat that it has a parking lot! Definitely would return again.

My friends and I tried to go to an oyster festival, but unfortunately, the tickets were sold out. Determined to eat oysters, we found this place on the web and saw that there was a special going on the day we went. We arrived around 4:30, so the place was practically empty and we were seated immediately. There is an indoor bar, as well as outdoor seating. It was a little chilly that day so I did not see anyone being seated outside. This place is more on the casual-formal side, good for a date night. The special for that day was $1 oysters. Ecstatic, we ordered 144 oysters. We loved our server. She was very attentive and were amused by the amount of oysters we were eating. All of our orders came out in a timely manner. The oysters we ordered were thick and fresh. I've been to a couple oyster bars here in Charleston and they are small and expensive. This place has oysters that are worth your money. We also ordered Ceviche, which was also fresh and very tangy. One of the better seafood restaurants here in Charleston. Definitely coming back here for their oysters and other seafood!

Excellent service. Food was mostly fantastic. We had a variety of raw oysters, baked oysters, shrimp on a flavorful broth, fish of the day (Tile fish w an incredible cream sauce), shrimp and grits and flounder Milanese. The Flounder was breaded, crispy and pretty thin, so not very moist and frying kills many a fish. The tile fish was fantastic w asparagus and peas and that wonderful sauce, but the portion was tiny- maybe 3 oz, tops? Moist, flavorful but just not enough for $40+ . Maybe a cup of vegetables? Shrimp and grits were seasoned well- not overly salty, generous portion. My son, a crab cake expert, loved the slaw that came with the dish and scored the crab cake at 7.5/10 . A little too shredded, missing moist lumps of crab. Drinks were creative and good. Desserts were very tasty (a very good, moist cheesecake) but over-priced. Dinner a drinks for 4 of us was $400.

The wife and I stopped in during our weekend trip To Charleston. The food was amazing, the ambiance was fantastic and the service was amazing! Elvis treated us super well. We got an order of muscles and fish dip as apps and they were delicious, and for the main course I got a burger and fries that did not disappoint. It was in an old cigar factory, and the whole experience was fantastic. Food came out quick and to order. Awesome drink menu too and solid bar tenders. Only knock was they don't have ranch, the server told me they make everything in-house and "you can't make make ranch In-house" which I thought I was an interesting statement. But yes, highly recommend checking it out if you are in the area!

We sat outside and had multiple glasses of wine and lots of delicious food. All the oysters, all the fries, the burger was divine. The fish was fresh! I was a huge fan. I would go back over and over. The service was fantastic. The basq cheesecake is not pictured but it was so good!

Our favorite oyster happy hour. $2 oysters. Yes, you can get them for $1 elsewhere, but I promise these oysters are better. We came two days in a row while on vacation. Our favorites are the Rappahannock oysters. The shucker added a little ceviche sauce to our raw oysters and it was amazing. It was not busy either day we went at 4pm for happy hour which is 4-6pm. Easily walk in and get seated immediately.

Best cocktails I ever had! It's a large place with parking, kind and down to earth servers, and good food. I recommend most for the ambiance and drinks. The shrimp curry was delicious and they had the best po boy as well, better than NOLA!

Rappahanock Oyster Bar is my favorite restaurant in Charleston. The service is impressive and the atmosphere is casual. Every time I'm in town I hit this place up.

In a town of great restaurants, this is not one of them. Great happy hour with good oysters and drinks. The menu items we had though were not impressive. One of us had spaghetti with clams and it was the best dish of the three. Decent fresh pasta, nice sauce. I had the fish Milanese. The fish was well cooked but the salad was ordinary - the fennel, radish and Meyer lemon listed were barely there to add anything. One of us had the Winter Caesar salad and it was not anything different than a usual Caesar - lacked the onions, kale and anchovy croutons it was supposed to have. Service was good, nice location. Would possibly go back for happy hour, but then have dinner elsewhere.

This place has to be one of the best kept secrets in Charleston for lunch or dinner. Located at 701 East Bay Street, it's not in the busiest section of Charleston and has ample parking. We started with a sampling of three different types of oysters several of which are sourced from their own Chesapeake Bay oyster beds. We tried the briny Olde Salts and Rappahannock River oysters, as well as the Canadian St Anne's cold water oysters. All were fresh and delicious. We also selected the tuna tartare whose presentation and taste were remarkable. The tuna was mixed with yellow beets, citrus, and spices and served with homemade thin delicate chips. We all restrained ourselves to eat only our fair share. For entrees we chose the mussels from the specials of the day menu and the crab cake from the regular menu. The mussel dish was a generous portion with an outstanding sauce that was both smoky and well flavored great for dipping the toasted garlic bread. We requested extra garlic bread and it was promptly provided. The no filler crab cake was sweet and tasty and served on a slightly spicy red cabbage slaw. The contrasting tastes combined for very tasty bites. Our server recommended a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which was a very nice accompaniment to our meal. All the food is fresh and prepared in house from the foods to the crackers. Charleston has many great seafood restaurants to enjoy. We recommend you put this one at the top of your list. You won't be disappointed.

We walked here on a Sunday afternoon. (Take an Uber) it's a bit off the center of everything but they have half priced oysters on Sundays after 1pm. We chose the bar so we could catch the Bills game. We met locals that were super friendly to chat with and the bartender was great too. We were there for oysters but the other food looked excellent too. Oysters and shrimp were fresh and delicious. Hit the spot.

Of your looking for oysters, look no more! These are the freshest and sweetest I've tasted in Charleston! Outstanding! I also had the shrimp curry, and that was super tasty. It's not too spicy, just very flavorful. Great service and ambiance.

Came here for lunch one weekend with friends. We ordered all the different types of oysters, which were delish. For lunch I had the shrimp curry w/ rice. My friends had the shrimp and grits, highly recommend it, my other friend had crab cakes, ceviche and steamed shrimp. Everything was great, service, location accessibility...

Wife was in the mood for Raw Bar and came across this place as an alternative to the other raw bar staples in CHS. We were not disappointed. Meal was excellent and so was service. In addition to oysters we had a crab cake which was almost as good as the ones we get in Maryland. I had the paella which was delicious, nice kick and good portion of seafood. Will be back.

We had a great dinner and drinks at this place. Staff were awesome. Highly recommend the shrimp po boy with grits and jalapeño butter--fantastic!

So glad we've been back, twice now, since our bad experience. The food continues to impress and tonight's service, by Jason, was out of this world. I have never seen a server in this town hustle like this guy.

What a wonderful experience! We were there early for happy hour and loved their fresh raw VA oysters, the paprika grilled oysters, two kinds of mussels, the delicious bread service...what a feast! And made all the more enjoyable due to the fine service of our waiter, John. He was our trusted guide throughout the menu and became our friend! Love this place and will be recommending it to others and returning often! Really appreciated the availability of parking and the location at the Cigar Factory was charming.

Quick service. Good beer and wine choices. Excellent selection and quality of oysters. The root vegetable salad was phenomenal. Fish dinners were both great.

Shout out to Mauricio and the rest of the staff for a great experience. Before visiting Charleston, I made reservations for dinner at Rappahannock. Upon arrival on a Thursday night, we were greeted and seated right away. I can't say enough about the atmosphere of the restaurant. It definitely gives date night vibes. Mauricio filled us in on some of the specials and let us know what oysters were in rotation. We did end up ordering a few oysters (not pictured), along with a gin shooter. For dinner, we ordered the grilled hanger steak and the shrimp curry. Both entrees exceeded expectations, so much so, I wish I had a bigger serving size! Like I said in the beginning, we had a great time here. If you're in the neighborhood, this place is good for drinks, apps and/or dinner.

This was our second trip to Rappahannock. The first time we stopped in for oysters and a small appetizer, and were impressed enough to come back a year later. Unfortunately this visit was pretty disappointing. It's a solid 5 stars for the oysters. They have an excellent selection and we were incredibly happy with them both visits. But I can only give 2 or 3 stars for the rest of the food. We had the shrimp and grits, which has an interesting twist by adding fermented garlic and squid ink. As someone who loves squid ink pasta, this seemed like it could be a great addition. Unfortunately, the squid ink and garlic it left the dish with a really overpowering burnt taste. Shrimp and grits feels like a dish that's better when left traditional. It's amazing on its own, and if ain't broke, don't fix it. We also had the chefs special crab dip, and it was incredibly underwhelming. It really just tasted like a great cheese dip... but was there even any crab in it? The food here reminds me of bar food that's trying really hard to be fancy. It just misses the mark entirely. We left feeling so disappointed in our lunch, and you should never leave a table in Charleston feeling disappointed. This is a great spot for oysters, but leave it at that. You can go to a number of other places in the city for the exact same price (or less) and have a remarkable meal. This ain't it.

Went there for some oysters and a Pre-Dinner drink. Didn't make a reservation was just driving by and thought why not. We went in and asked to sit at the bar and were seated right away. Bartenders are super friendly and there is also an outside seating option. Got ourselves some grilled oysters and baked clams. I font remember exactly what we got but it was so good :D Probably be back to try out more stuff. I would say parking was not the easiest

Had a great time here while visiting friends that just moved to Charleston. A great casual spot to go with friends, would highly recommend!

Great vibe in the restaurant. The final four for March Madness were on and the TVs are above the oyster bar. It wasn't too cold in the restaurant as I thought it would be from other reviews and I was in a spaghetti strap dress. Oysters: Very fresh and the respective sauces (horseradish, cocktail, and mignonette) were very delicious Fresh Greens Salad: The name doesn't lie and the salad was very fresh and the dressing wasn't too overpowering the entire salad. Tuna Tataki: Nothing that I've ever tasted before. The fried grits were very good and went very well with the seared tuna and ponzu sauce. Seafood Paella: It is under the large plate section, but I thought the portions were very small between two people. We shared the salad and tuna (small plates) between us as well, and we were still hungry. The overall taste of this dish was delicious though! Highly recommend ordering for one person.

Sat at the oyster bar for the full experience. Great service and friendly staff. Really delicious oysters and seafood, great craft cocktails as well. Exposed brick and duct work giving it the industrial feel. Will definitely be back. The caviar oysters were good to try once but a little too many flavors going on for my liking. Great spot.

Love this place!! Food is always great and a huge plus is they have a parking lot. I recommend getting the oysters and crab dip

Best paella in Charleston! We will be back. The smoked jalapeño butter was amazing and the Bibb salad was super fresh!

This place is great. Service was excellent and the oysters are outstanding. I highly recommend this place - you won't be let down!

My husband and I stopped in here recently for a late afternoon glass of wine to check out the place. We ended up staying for more wine, sensational bread and several dozen delicious oysters provided by the exceptional service from the bartender and staff. Looking forward to our next visit!

The project team had talked about this place all week so I had to stop in before leaving town. I started off with half a dozen oysters, trying two of each. These were delicious. For my main, I ordered the lamb and clams. I know, sounds like an odd combo but was it yummy! I would never have thought to make a combo like that but the chef has done amazing. It was so good that I may just have to come back for it again! As for the dessert, the chocolate tres leches caught my eye. I love a hood tres leches. This was probably the disappointment of the entire meal. It sadly (at least to me) did not resemble tres leches at all. Merely a chocolate cake with whipped frosting. With that said, that was my half deduction of the stars. I wish I could put it at a 4.5 but sadly, no half stars for rating. Would I recommend this spot - absolutely. Just be wary of you're a dessert lover cause that is what didn't live up.

Found this place last minute for dinner after a day of sightseeing. Being Midwesterners we were craving seafood. We had oysters to begin with and delicious and fresh. I ordered the Mussels Sofrito which was one of the specials. Yum yum and yum. Service was great (thank you Faith)!

Great food and service. My family had the seafood tower as an appetizer. Shared among 5 people. I had the Crab cake, it was delicious.

Delicious food & amazing service! Mauricio was a top tier sever who answered all our questions & offered drink suggestions. We ordered grilled oysters & the fish dip as an appetizer. For the entree I had the seafood paella. It had the perfect amount of sauce, rice & seafood. I would definitely recommend this place. Can't wait to return!