Last Updated: October 27, 2021
Best Shem Creek Restaurants
There isn’t a better place in Charleston, South Carolina to enjoy a sunset dinner or lunch looking over the estuary of the Cooper and Ashley rivers flowing into the Atlantic ocean than at Shem Creek. The views over the water are magnificent with Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter guiding boats and kayakers safely into the harbor with nothing but nature surrounding them.
Shem Creek is home to a lot of great restaurants and there isn’t much you can’t find. Of course, fresh seafood is something the restaurants prize themselves in but you’ll also find a great steak, lovely brunches, and laid-back but delicious bar food too. Join me as we take a look at some of the best Shem Creek restaurants for you to visit while in town.
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Tavern & Table
Tavern & Table is the first of the Shem Creek restaurants we are going to take a look at and it’s one of the most highly rated and most popular restaurants in Shem Creek. One thing that makes this restaurant so popular is the stunning waterside deck that is absolutely perfect for alfresco dining any time of the day or simply enjoying a few drinks while catching up with your friends.
The Tavern & Table restaurant specializes in Southern cooking and some of the best things on the menu to try include fresh oysters, shrimp & grits, steak and chips, cornbread, pimento cheese, and their world-class bison burger, grilled swordfish, ahi tuna bowl and there are lots more to choose from too and that’s just on their dinner menu.
The Tavern & Table is also an amazing place to go for brunch (Sundays only) and their menu has quite the seaside twist to it. The crab cake eggs benedict is a must-try and the wood-fired lamb shakshuka is another absolute winner. Plus you can have your meal with delicious drinks like a bloody mary or freshly squeezed mimosa.
The service is excellent at this restaurant and the rustic decor provides a lovely ambiance whether you’re having a brunch, lunch, or romantic dinner. They even have an on-call pro-babysitter who will look after the kids while you enjoy your meal.
Saltwater Cowboys
Saltwater Cowboys is another absolute gem of a Shem Creek restaurant and it probably has the best view you can get over the water. It sits close to the edge where Shem Creek enters the harbor and is perfectly positioned to catch every color of the sunset and even the odd pod of dolphins making their way into the harbor to feed.
The outside deck is right up on the water and has everything you need to be comfortable day or night. You’ll find a casual Gazebo Bar that is great for having some chilled drinks with your buddies. The cocktail, beer, and wine menu are extensive and it serves some great food such as seafood ceviche, salad with oysters, grouper fingers, nachos with almost anything, and more.
The main restaurant menu is where the taste buds really want to hang out though. The favorite dishes are BBQ shrimp with grips and red snapper and the grill offers up everything from smoked brisket to BBQ ribs to pulled pork, pulled chicken, and pork belly. If you’re looking for something a little lighter, then the grilled mahi sandwich is to die for.
One of the best things about Saltwater Cowboys is that you can bring your dog along and it’s one of the few restaurants on the planet that even has a dog treat menu with five different options for your furry friend to choose from.
NICO
NICO isn’t right on the water’s edge so you might not get that reflective glow of the sunset over Shem Creek but you will still the sky light up as it drops over Charleston in the background. What NICO is famous for is some of the best food you’re likely to find from a Shem Creek restaurant, especially if you like French cuisine.
Nico is run by French chef Nico Romo and he has designed an amazing menu that features an incredible mix of insanely delicious seafood. The menu covers brunch, lunch, and dinner and each one has something special to offer, so it might be worth dining at Nico three times while you’re in the area.
The most famous part of this Shem Creek restaurant is the Raw Bar which serves up 9 different types of oysters, each with their own tastes, and picking one is a bit like selecting some wine. There is also a tartare menu with beef, tuna, salmon, scallop ceviche, and even potato caviar.
We haven’t even gotten to the hot food yet which all comes out of a wood-fired oven and features meals such as baked oysters, scallops, octopus, mussels, shrimps, snails, clams, fresh fish, steak, lobster, and more. Each dish is served up with a twist such as Parisian Gnocchi with scallops and shrimps or a lobster roll with toasted brioche.
If that wasn’t enough, even home favorites like a baked cheese or cheeseburger, fried shrimp, and calamari of the classic french onion soup are on offer.
Then comes brunch which is only served on Sundays, and the dishes are in true french style with tartines, eggs benedict, baked omelets, and stuffed croissants with ingredients as decadent as crab, scallop, and shrimps.
If you’re into your food, then a trip to Nico is a must while in Charleston, as you can see, the menu is to die for and you even book an Oyster Course if you want to learn how to shuck and pick your oysters at home.
Red’s Ice House
Red’s Ice House is right on the water-side of Shem Creek and is one of the best restaurants in Shem Creek if you’re looking for more of a relaxed vibe, great beer, hearty food, and to meet some of the locals who tend to stream in after work.
Red’s Ice House offers more of a pub atmosphere than most places in Shem Creek and it’s a lovely place to hang out whether you’re inside or out on the deck. It’s a very lively spot that is all about good conversations, even better beer, and delicious home-cooked southern dishes.
The starters on offer range from buffalo shrimp in a blue cheese sauce to BBQ bacon-wrapped scallops, Saku tuna, and chicken fingers – all excellent beer drinking bites.
The main menu doesn’t disappoint either with roasted or half-shell oysters, fried or grilled seafood platters, lobster mac, and cheese, shrimp and grits, along with a lobster roll, any fried seafood, and chips, plus some great burgers too.
As you can see, Red’s Ice House is the place to go when you want something chilled and homey and are taking a night off from the fine dining of Shem Creek restaurants like delicious Nico.
Vickery’s Bar & Grill
Vickery’s Bar & Grill is another favorite restaurant in Shem Creek that is right on the water. One thing that everyone loves about Vickery’s Bar & Grill is the laid-back vibe and the beach bar plays host to it. It’s arguably one of the best places to sit back with a cold beverage and watch the sun go down while enjoying the company of your friends and family.
The views from Vickery’s Bar & Grill are excellent as it sits on the mouth of Shem Creek giving you excellent views into the harbor and awesome sunset reflections on a windless night too.
There is also a kid’s play area at this Shem Creek restaurant making it a great spot for families with young kids. The play area is open during lunch and dinner, making life as easy as possible.
The menu is based mainly around excellent cocktails, fantastic beers, and some of the best Southern food you can find in the area. Their star dish has to be the seafood jambalaya but you’ll also find other classics like crispy fried chicken, shrimp and grits, a crab cake sandwich, Lowcountry boils, and lots more.
The Shelter Kitchen and Bar
The Shelter Kitchen and Bar isn’t a waterside Shem Creek restaurant but it’s the place to go if you want to catch a show in Shem Creek and be in amongst a fun lively atmosphere.
The Shelter Kitchen and Bar holds great music events almost every week so be sure to check out what’s on and take your lady out for a date night and some great tunes or plan to have a late night with some friends there.
The lunch and dinner menu at this Shem Creek restaurant is affordable, simple, and delicious. It’s full of US classics like a streal burger, BBQ plate, Brisket melt, blackened fish, and lots more. They also have a good salad menu and southern staples like shrimp and grits, a bowl of bog, fried shrimp, and flounder, plus a Lowcountry boil.
If you are planning on having a late night, not to worry, the kitchen stays up with you as the restaurant switches to their late-night menu which features tasty bites like Bacon Gouda Mac, Chicken Bog, Bowl Of Bog, and more.
If you thought the fun stopped there, this legendary Shem Creek restaurant also puts on a great brunch menu on Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm. The menu is very much southern-inspired with dishes such as Biscuits And Gravy, Brunch Bog, Daily Stuffed French Toast, Daily Benedict, and Peek Of The Creek Omelette with shrimps and goats cheese.
The atmosphere, as well as the food, makes this place special. Their huge outside deck is a great place to hang out, meet some locals, and have a good time and while you’re not on the water, it makes up for it.
Water’s Edge
Water’s Edge is another one of the best Shem Creek restaurants that is worth a visit while you’re in Charleston. With a name like Water’s Edge, you know that you’re going to be dining creek-side and the views from this fabulous Shem Creek restaurant are some of the best around.
The deck points down the creek to where the mouth of the creek enters the estuary and it’s not just fabulous sunsets you’ll see from Water’s Edge, the odd dolphin or two while you’re sipping on a refreshing cocktail or tasting some great food is a real possibility.
The atmosphere is another thing that makes Water’s Edge so special. You feel very welcomed and at home, while hanging out there and its unpretentious vibe makes for a great evening or lunchtime treat.
There are three different menus to choose from at Water’s Edge, brunch, lunch, and dinner but the lunch and dinner menus are pretty much the same and their cocktail list is extensive and delicious.
Brunch is served up on the weekends and features some styles of eggs benedict you might never have thought of. Dishes like the Crispy Pork Belly Benedict, Crab Cake Benedict, and Bacon Lobster Tomato Benedict are waiting for you to try. They also have more traditional options like Avocado Toast, Breakfast Burrito, Big Biscuit & Gravy, and being a Shem Creek restaurant, you can add shrimps or oysters to any of them.
Their lunch and dinner menu features all the southern classics like a crab cake BLT, Mahi sandwich, surf and turf burger, mane lobster roll, or shrimp and grits.
But what really stands out on their menu is their pasta and steak dishes. The perfectly cooked 16oz ribeye is a must-try as is the filet mignon, seafood pasta, and shrimp scampi pasta. These are some dishes that aren’t readily available at many other Shem creek restaurants and when combined with the view from Water’s Edge they are hard to beat.
Dining In Shem Creek
As you can see, the best Shem Creek restaurants have everything you could ever wish for including a dolphin lead water-side sunset and that’s before we even get to the food. Whether you’re looking for fine dining with a French master chef, incredible BBQ, seafood platters, amazing burgers or steaks, and fun-filled places to catch some live music and more oysters than you can shake a shuck at, Shem Creek has it all.
About the Author Roger Timbrook
Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!
