Ravenel Fresh Seafood

Some of the best seafood in the Lowcountry. I have eaten here many times, and have never been disappointed. The food is hot and so good, you can also buy fresh seafood to prepare for later. Try the garlic crabs some of the best in the area. Friendly staff!

A favorite of the locals. Get the garlic blue crab! Family owned spot. Even though this place is about 45 mins away from where I live, I get in my car at least 2x a month for the garlic blue crabs. The seafood always tastes fresh. The seasoning is always on point. I love seafood and after searching for the best in the area, I am 100% sure this is my number one seafood place! The prices are competitively lower then some of the other local places. I am sure I have tried most of them. Lots of parking. Outside seating available. I guess you could bring a dog but I wouldn’t. #TTip: They have a food truck operated by a family member. If you don’t want to drive out that far to the store, follow them on Facebook. On the FB page. They post the location of the food truck- if it’s coming out. That’s the one thing I wish was better. The consistency of the food truck. It may show up on a Friday and the next time you see it is weeks later. As for food, I have always gotten the same quality at the truck as to what I have gotten at the store.

The food is always great and fresh, but prepare yourself for an unfriendly and unwelcoming cashier and inconsistent hours of operation (listed as 6:30 online, but the door says 6:00). I arrived at 5:30 planning to place a to-go order thinking they closed at 6:30 (because let’s face it, everyone goes based off of what the internet says, not a handwritten sign on the door), multiple employees walked by me without even acknowledging I was there despite mopping around my feet. After being ignored for about 5 minutes and almost passing out from bleach inhalation, I finally just left. I won’t be supporting this business moving forward.

Some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Blue crab is the thing to get however the seafood crab salad will make you slap your momma. Everything is so damn good.

Down to earth seafood market offering fresh local fish, shellfish, and simple yet delicious fried fare. Really enjoyed the crispy fried local shrimp, the breading was well seasoned and not too thick. It was perfectly cooked and tender! The staff was also friendly and accommodating. Looking forward to coming back and trying the garlic crabs!

That moment when you receive your food and it looks similar to the online pictures...... #Priceless😊 I would like to say Thank You to the staff at Ravenel Fresh Seafood, Me and my Family truly appreciate everyone’s hard work and dedication! As they say, Food made with Love really does taste better 🙌 and My family enjoyed every bite💞Keep up the good work!

I got full and they gave me what i asked for unfortunately my eyes and my taste buds were not on point. The food was very bland! And they seem to have put pepper on my fries no salt or type of seasoning. However it was my first time and i don't think for the money i spent i will be ordering that again.

I must say...service, staff and food did not disappoint! Catfish was delightful. Well breaded and gingerly cooked not over cooked and hard. Could have added a few more hushpuppies tho. But I left satisfied.

Great food. Excellent service Gullah ambiance .......................................

Came in and ordered crabs was told it was gonna take 20 minutes but ended up taking a hour. The garlic crabs in my opinion are overhyped. It was mid at best. I also got the crab rice and it was also mid

Garlic crab never misses! Always generous with the portions and more than accommodating.

This is a charming roadside seafood shack. Get the medium or jumbo garlic crab. Get the garlic shrimp. They are both delicious. If you choose to eat there bring your own gloves, bib, hand wipes, and hand sanitizer. The bathroom is not open to the public, so you will not have a sink to wash your hands after you eat. The staff is friendly so are the customers.

Had to run an errand out to Ravenel and found this little place. Had the shrimp basket which was delicious. They don't have drinks or restrooms, so had to take dinner to go!

We attempted to pull into eat, and we're assaulted with a horrible sewer smell. Either there is an open air septic system, or the fish has gone very badly spoiled. Either way we found it impossible to even attempt to eat because we believed we would be eating septic system discharge.

A lunchtime stop on the way to visiting our son at Goose Creek Naval Station. The prices had jumped from previous menu pics. The fried oysters and garlic butter crab were notable.

Nothing special about this place. You pull up and go in and you place your order to go. They don't have drinks or a restroom. It is strictly takeout. I had the fried flounder with french fries. It is a good place to hit if you're hungry.

This was the best seafood we have had throughout our whole trip to South Carolina! The most hospitable experience ever. The sweetest act of kindness. I would totally recommend!!!!!

Great food! 40 min from my home but worth the drive! I got shrimp, garlic crabs, and fish.

Poor service. They don't answer the phone. They don't acknowledge anyone that walks in. Myself and about three other families just waiting in lobby for order to be taken. Chefs and whoever in the back just arguing & cussing. If your driving by , just keep on.

Small little carry out restaurant, amazing food and decently priced. Seafood was very fresh and delicious.

I've driven by this place many times. Was looking for some local seafood and checked Yelp. Did a quick u turn and was so happy I stopped. If you want no frills family owned heart and soul cooking go here now! You won't get white linen but you will get some of the freshest best seafood you've ever had. If you're ok getting messy don't miss their specialty- the garlic crab. I was in a suit so she suggested the shrimp, scallop and oyster basket. Don't you dare hide their amazing flavors with cocktail sauce. It doesn't need it. You'll be glad you went. Never ever judge a book by its cover when it come to food!!!

GREAT FOLKS....great seafood...great prices! Some tables on the outside...close to Charleston- arnd 30mins-good parking & easy to find.

**Gator, Gator, Gator** This place is what kicked off my wanting to do a Food Trip to Charleston. I saw a great travel review video on You Tube on Charleston and this place was featured in it. So I had to find out what Garlic Crab was all about. We got there about an hour before closing but the staff there was so friendly and helpful in giving us suggestions on what to get. We opted for about 4 lbs of Garlic Crab, Shrimp, Fries, Corn, and the Gator. We got it togo and took it back to the condo and ate it on the patio over looking the Marsh. Now I know everyone is all about the garlic crab here, but I think the King of this meal was hands down the Alligator. My friend rode with me to pick up the food to bring it back to the rest of the group. IT ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE IT!!!!!! We had to stop ourselves from crushing the whole order. So if you find yourself in Charleston and have some time. Take the short drive out to Ravenel, S.C. You wont be disappointed

We waited for an hour for crabs, but they were really good. I've only had the garlic crabs and definitely a hot commodity. Ravenel has been serving garlic crabs before they got very popular in this area. I can go back 7 years indulging in these when I came back home from Maryland

I always take the 25 min drive for Ravenel's seafood! I recommend the shrimp, oyster, and scallop basket along with the Garlic crabs! I get a small 1/2 dozen and it is more than enough for one person. You can also get medium or large sized. If not getting early in the morn you will have to reheat or tell them to heat them for you. But nonetheless, they are always fresh with a healthy serving of butter garlic Dressing with Canjun seasoning & parsley. This is probably the best place to get garlic crabs in the Charleston area along side Nana's Seafood & Soul. You won't be disappointed!!

The 411: About 25 mins West of Charleston resides the best garlic crab I've ever had. The people, the price and the food all earn 5 stars from me. The food: I ordered a dozen medium garlic crabs. I recommend this order very highly. for $42 (Late May prices), you get a completely overstuffed styrofoam box of halved blue crabs, served cold and with top shell removed. They're then SMOTHERED in garlic butter, some slap ya mama seasonin and parsley. The woman working the front counter was very friendly to me because I followed her protocol and gave her respect and a smile. Don't walk up looking at your phone and with a hat and sunglasses on. You will have to return your receipt to the nice person working the counter, so don't go stuffin' it in your wallet, they need that back. I got these crabs for a picnic on a hot day. The coolness of the crab was perfect for this. I recommend you bring yourself a bunch of napkins and perhaps have some deshelling devices ready if you do what I did. Unless you're a pro, you'll need your hammer (or if you're a southern marylander, a butter knife). Bottom line: The crab tasted fresh and was good quality. The lady was nice and welcoming to me (a total outsider). There's not much to this place because you got everything you need: nice people and wonderful crabs. I can't vouch for anything else here, but the crabs are crackin' if you know what I mean.

Was not impressed at all! First, we waited to place an order (maybe 15 minutes) and while waiting was told no garlic crabs (they had run out). Ok, so then we finally ordered...something simple...a basket of fish,scallops and shrimp with red rice and a basket of shrimp and oysters with fries, everything fried. Now the wait... We were told approx 40 minutes, it took well over an hour. So then we got the call that our order was ready, cool. When I went to pick it up the lady opened the containers to show the food...sigh and disappointment. Smh! the shrimp and oyster basket was very meager looking...shrimp was NOT crispy, none at all! The fish platter looked decent. Then we dig in! I'm starving at this point, so I opted to eat the shrimp and oyster basket despite how it looked (shrugging my shoulders). The fries were decent, not hot like I like them, but not surprising at this point, either. The shrimp coating fell off and was just "meh". Oysters were ok but definitely not memorable. My mom had the fish platter. She opened it, tried a spoonful of the rice and politely packed it up and said it will have to wait until we got home so she could make it edible (side bar: she's from the old school Caribbean and does not waste food under ANY circumstances). The reviews made this place worth trying, but the food does not warrant a return trip. Real talk!

It's a bit out of the way, but definitely worth the drive. I got a half dozen medium-sized crabs and it was enough for two people. Very economical, and very delicious. They also have really good specials. You might want to go a little bit earlier, because they don't stay open late, and they do sometimes run out of crabs. The garlic flavor is not too strong, but definitely adds a little something.

I will literally drive a little over 30 min to get some garlic crabs. They are that good. They have a ton of hot food items that you can order like shrimp, fish, oysters, alligator bites etc. they also serve fresh seafood but when you walk in all you smell is the food in the back that's being cooked. Never had a bad experience here.

Nothing about this place is fresh. Everything looks old and dirty. Also the food is dry and I had a roach food !! The lady at the counter (the manager) can't hear, she clearly needs to retire ... she poured garlic sauce on my food because they 'couldn't pay for it ias side' when I didn't like it ... she said that she couldn't fix or get me anything else. This place looked like a shed to a backyard but I saw other pictures on yelp of the food that had having high standards lol that made me think otherwise. She wouldn't give me a refund for my food when it was clear I didn't take a bite out of anything and that I had a roach in it . If it was able to give give 0 stars I wouldn't even give that to them. They are a scam and disgusting.

Best seafood I ever had! The owner took great care of us, giving us samples of the garlic crab. I love seafood and have never had anything so good!!

Okay this place gets all stars with the taste of the food, incredible seasoning, delicious cook, and lots of seafood options. The downsides was the lack of "utensils" it was hard to get napkins, knives, forks...cups with ice. For a place this good with their food, investing time and money in the extra should be done! The service was fine, nice young guy at the counter who was surprised by our request for recommendations, he got comfortable and gave us all the tips. The wait was on the longer side but that's because they were legit making our food. It was so cool to make this a pit stop on the way back from Savannah to Charleston and it was from my partner seeing it on a tv show. Highly recommend, it's a hole in the wall kind of spot.

Food was incredible! I had fried shrimp, steamed shrimp, french fries, rice and hush puppies and would stand up in front of St. Peter and witness to their goodness!

Garlic Crabs are on point!!! Repeat visits are essential, I want everything on the menu!!! Gumbo~FriedCrab~StuffedCrab

I only ordered the garlic crabs, and they were great.! They were seasoned just right. I ordered the corn on the cob also, but I didn't really like it because it wasn't very flavorful. The staff were very friendly, and took time to explain different items on the menu.

Delicious garlic crab, fried fish it's all good bring your handy wipes and paper towels for your hands. This is a take out place but they do have 2 small booths inside and a few picnic table outside where you can sit and enjoy your meal. We sat inside owner and staff were very friendly. We took home our left overs and had for a snack. No tools are given to you to crack open the crab legs, bring your tools with you. I highly recommend coming here for fresh seafood and great hospitality.

Always making this stop in Charleston! It may get busy but the Garlic Crabs are worth the wait every time! I even carried some all the way to Cali.

The seafood is very very fresh and the staff is friendly. This is really mostly a takeout place as seating is very limited and you aren't given the tools necessary to get down and dirty with your crabs. So we didn't order the crab... the lady at the counter was very nice and gave us a complimentary small garlic crab for us to try... she said we couldn't leave with at least trying what they are famous for. We ordered the shrimp, scallops and oysters basket with cole slaw and the crab cake basket with fries. FRESH and delicious !! The only reason I give it 4 stars and not 5 is because the table we sat at was super sticky.

My sister just moved to Charleston so me & my daughter took a trip. I made it a seafood only trip & we stumbled across this place after a google search for garlic crabs. Now let me say this 1st. I absolutely hate eating crabs. The process is tedious & just not worth the effort in my opinion. BUT!!! This place HAS THE BEST CRABS IVE EVER EATEN IN MY LIFE!!!! I was damn near making whistles out of the crab shells! I also like how they come in 1/2 so tht takes away from a lot of unnecessary work you have to do yourself. So with all tht being said. I was in town for 3 days & we ate here twice! It's definitely a must see place when your in town. I also had the catfish & flounder which was a little on the salty side but it was good.

This is delicious, reasonably priced seafood. The hush puppies, coleslaw and okra are great sides. You also get a lot of food. A must try if you're in the area.

Do me a favor and get the garlic crab and make it at least medium or jumbo. They are soo so incredible!!

We found this place by accident and were beyond delighted with ever!!! The garlic shrimp was amazing and we wished we'd gotten 2 pounds. We'll be back!

Food was good service is a bit slow and the attitude is something to be desired but the food was tasty.

The garlic crabs are sooo finger licking good when they are in season! People in there are soooo nice as well. So welcoming and true sourthern hospitality.

Good food fast and fresh. Had the oyster, shrimp, and scallop meal with slaw. No need for sauce it all tastes good. This is a take out majority place so order up and take it with - there a few booths to set down if needed. Crabs are a must - tried a sample and was upset I didn't order them. This will be my next order when I come back.

Garlic crabs were bomb. They don't have a bathroom or sink though. So maybe bring hand wipes. They have parking. It's not too far from Charleston. Their fried catfish with fries were also very good. The lady at the cashier said we got the last crabs. And she showed us how to crack em and take the meat out. A couple of parties..2 or 3 cAme in after us wanting to buy garlic crabs

If you love a good hole-in-the-wall... Ravenel's is for you. I was on vacation in Charleston and wanted some seafood since I was so close to the ocean. The area that we were staying in was a few miles from the water and surprisingly there were very few seafood places (with decent reviews) around once you leave Charleston. The only other place we found had 4.5 stars but closed at 7:00pm and it was 7:05. Then we found Ravenel's on Yelp. I saw a picture of the building and thought "I have to go". What you have to know about Ravenel is that this is foremost a seafood take-out joint and a fresh seafood market. Meaning that this business is designed for people wanting to get seafood To-Go. However, there are a couple of tables inside for people that want to eat inside. So bear in mind that this is not a restaurant; it's a take-out place with tables. I saw on the first review of this place that it was a double dollar sign ($$) for the price range. I would actually rate it at a single dollar sign, but then price is subjective. For instance, if you are there before 4:00pm a Catfish Basket with hush puppies is $6.99 and Gumbo with Rice is $4.99; these are $1 more after 4:00. When we went in, the place reminded me of the seafood department of a mom and pop grocery store. You can smell fresh seafood as you see a display of fresh seafood on ice. I ordered the Fish and Shrimp basket, my wife ordered Crab Cakes, and a friend we were with ordered the Gumbo. They do not sell drinks. Instead there is a soda machine. My wife wanted a diet coke, but there were no diet drinks in the machine. So my wife opted for a grape soda since she hadn't had one since she was a child. She pushed the Grape button and out came a Pepsi. I wanted an Orange soda and out came a Coke. Then our friend pushed the Coke button and out came 2 cokes. The owner apologized and opened the machine and gave us all the correct drinks and put the extra one back in the machine. It was funny and actually just added to the unique experience we were having. The drink machine was $1.25 (I think) which to me helps put this place in the single dollar sign range. Then the food came out in Styrofoam take-out containers along with napkins and plastic flatware... This is a take-out place after all. My fish and shrimp were out of this world. My wife had crab cakes which I don't normally like, but these were really good. I guess I'm used to crab cakes made with canned crab. But these were made with fresh crab and really good. Then I tried the gumbo and rice. It was full of shrimp and also really good. Then there was the hush puppies... These were bullet shaped (not the usual round) and extremely tasty. The food was outstanding. It's not the usual cookie-cutter seafood that you get at someplace like Red Lobster. It's more like home cooked seafood that's fresh from the ocean. I will definitely go back the next time I'm in Charleston and recommend this place to anyone that likes hole-in-the-wall digs. Although, next time I may bring my own drink. Note: I was going to rate this place with 4-stars instead of 5-stars because of the lack of drink choices that came from a machine. BUT then I realized that I have to rate this place for what it is which is a seafood take-out place and a fresh seafood market. Therefore, I can only rate them based on the food which was easily 5-stars.

I've been eating crabs my entire life, and this is by far the best I've ever had!! The garlic crabs were just amazing that I almost ate the shell. I also had the fried fish platter and the shrimp and scallops were outstanding. The owners were very friendly. This is a must stop for anyone visiting the Charleston area.

So this is a place you should most definitely give a try . This is how sea food should taste, almost home cooked . The food is beyond delicious, and the prices are totally fair . This is a casual stop , with very limited seating . I believe the specialty is takeout, so that is understandable. A few tables inside , and a couple outside . Earlier in the afternoon the wait was totally reasonable, expect some wait at peak times though . Again , this is a place you really should give a try if you are within easy driving distance . Enjoy

Diamond in the rough. Drove by several times but never stopped until a mid-Feb. I was in the mood for oysters but the menu got me. With my family, got a feast and enjoyed outside. Customer service was spot on and even offered recommendations. If passing by...garlic crab

Garlic crabs are good but NOT worth the disrespectful customer service by the owners and employees of this restaurant. The employees do not greet you, it takes forever to get your food, and the employees are not professional nor pleasant. For the price of the food you expect great customer service however this is not the case with this restaurant. Don't waste your time especially if you are visiting Charleston at this restaurant; Ravenel Seafood doesn't appreciate their customers and have taken their recent success for granted. I will not support this business until they decide to make customer service a priority. Apparently the Garlic Crabs are served cold now and it doesn't taste as good.**

This is not the best looking place on the outside or inside but if you are looking for great seafood at a fair price this is the place.

I absolutely love blue crab, it is my favorite seafood. This seafood spot gets 10 stars from me for their garlic crabs. Omg talk about a party in your mouth. The crabs are pre-cleaned, partially de-shelled and cooked in garlic, butter and fresh herbs. The seasoning adds so much to the sweet flesh of the crab. If you are into getting down and dirty for crab crackin this is the ultimate treat!

This was worth the drive! I was in Charleston for a meeting and was advised that I "had to" go get some of those garlic crabs from this restaurant. Well I am so glad I did. You probably do not want to plan to eat there, though you could, but it is primarily a take out facility. You will need a towel or plenty of napkins.... GREAT EATING!

I love these blue claw garlic crabs! When I Yelped for where I could find some crabs on our return trip from South Carolina, I came across great reviews for Ravenel Fresh Seafood. They did not disappoint. My only regret was that I didn't buy more. I could really drive the almost 5 hours just to pick some more up!

Don't miss it. Could drive past. Outstanding garlic crabs. Friendly service. Eat on the side of a highway, what could be better. This is not to be missed.

A hidden gem in Ravanel. After driving by this place for years and years I finally checked it out after reading reviews on Yelp. Had the fish and shrimp basket with fries... the fries were meh, but the shrimp and fish were excellent. Think I'll try the coleslaw next time - yes, I'll definitely be back. The service was super friendly and the food was good. Prices here are reasonable and the portions were ample. Only a few tables inside - mainly a takeout place, but you could eat there if it's not too busy.

I flew onto Charleston and was driving to Savannah for a work function. I was starving and wanted something that wasnt fast food and saw this place driving by. I stopped in and had a very good experience. Very fresh seafood with friendly people. I will stop again next time I am in town.