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Rappahannock Oyster Bar - Charleston

4.6
4.6
2298 Reviews
$30 and under
Seafood
Travis and Ryan Croxton debut their spinoff from the highly acclaimed Rappahannock Oyster Bar at Union Market in Washington, DC. They’ve even brought their DC Chef, Kevin Kelly, to man the kitchen at this outpost. This location in the historic Cigar Factory Building on East Bay Street, allows room for Chef Kelly to showcase more of his cuisine to a larger audience, including an incredibly unique 40 seat raw bar. Oysters grown by the Croxton’s own Rappahannock Oyster Company are accentuated, but Kelly’s signature dishes like lambs’n’clams, crabcakes, shrimp & grits and the best po’ boy you’ll ever eat are enough reasons in their own right for constant visits. Coupled with a great cocktail program and focus on local ingredients, ROB is a great place for any occasion.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 52 times today

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style

    Casual Elegant

  • Cuisines

    Seafood, Fish, Tapas / Small Plates

  • Hours of operation

    Daily 11:00 am–10:00 pm

  • Phone number

    (843) 576-4693

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Dress code

    Smart Casual

  • Executive chef

    Kevin Kelly

  • Neighborhood

    Downtown Charleston

  • Cross street

    Columbus

  • Parking details

    We offer free one hour parking 11:30am-5:00pm and unlimited free parking after 5:00pm

  • Additional

    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Gift card

Gift card

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Popular dishes

What 2,298 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • South Carolina

    Seafood

  • Charleston

    Seafood

Sort by

  1. OpenTable Diner

    Charlotte

    6 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall1food1service3ambience3
    Overall just a bad experience, will not be back. First host attempted to seat us at a bar high top in the middle of people coming in and out of the restaurant. Sorry, no move that table. So we move to back side of bar. Waitress is very prompt, oh but they’re out of the warm bread, ok get something else. We order salads with fish on one fried oysters on the other. $25 for a salad with Id say maybe 3oz of fish. Here’s the best part. My husband ordered a salad with no cheese and fried oysters. The kitchen decided oh, yeah we don’t care here have Swiss cheese. We send it back to get 1/2 the amount of salad in on another plate, with the same oyster’s. I know y’all didn’t care about someone in your restaurant that has to eat on a budget but good grief try a bit harder. Probably my worst meal in Charleston this weekend.. I did save the fly that was in my wine. He was pretty drunk but felt he deserved a second chance.
  2. ChrisG

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall4food5service5ambience5
    The food was great and the atmosphere was fun. Just left still a bit hungry, which I guess is better than stuffed.
  3. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall3food3service3ambience3
    Joey was very nice. Burger fell apart and fries were cold and soggy. I mean cold and soggy. prices were not the same as online. Cocktails were delicious.
  4. Mike

    Raleigh

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great restaurant. Better seafood than many higher rated places in the city. Highly recommend.
  5. VisitCA

    Charlotte

    6 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great oysters! Service was excellent too! Will definitely come back
  6. OpenTable Diner

    St. Louis

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall3food4service2ambience3
    Hostess was unwelcoming and seemed annoyed I was there. The waitress also wasn’t pleased to be there and seemed rather aggravated. This experience stood out from all of the other places we dined at over 5 days being there where the service was all fabulous. However, the raw oysters were the best we have ever had and we live in New England where oysters are a staple and the tuna special was great. Skip the roasted oysters. They were tough to stomach.
  7. NatalieA

    Denver

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 26, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience3
    Sever was not very friendly prices were higher than website menu and the shrimp had no flavor, oysters were ok and they make a good martini
  8. ReidH

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 21, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Wonder dinner- great service- food was amazing! 10/10
  9. Restatemom

    Raleigh

    9 reviews

    3.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on May 20, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience4
    We had high hopes for  this restaurant, but were disappointed. The chef seems to try to fancy up everything on the menu when the seafood itself should just be the star. for instance, had the steamed clams which is just delicious all on its own in a broth and with butter, but the chef here added raisins to the broth and loads of onions and spices so you couldn’t find the clams in the shells let alone enjoy them. We also ordered the gazpacho which I enjoyed but I wouldn’t call it gazpacho. It was green and sweet. Refreshing but odd. standard gazpacho is so much better. The staff was very nice but they seemed a bit overwhelmed. not really impressed.
  10. JoeN

    Western NC

    14 reviews

    4.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on May 20, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience4
    Great food, excellent service. Can’t say enough about our server and service provided We had a party of six; beverages, oysters, appetizers, seafood entrees……. All superb, fair priced in comparison to other local establishments. The one drawback was the noise level was high. We sat at a high top table for 6, 2 seated at each end. It was difficult to hear/follow conversation.
  11. SeanB

    Detroit

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food, great atmosphere, easier to get into with later reservations than other restaurants in the heart of downtown.
  12. ChristopherO

    Charleston

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 19, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience4
    We ate there on May 19,2023. I had chargrilled oysters and an oyster po-boy. Absolutely outstanding. My wife had the crab cake and said it was wonderful.
  13. MikeP

    New England

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food and Gabrielle was tremendously helpful.
  14. Cindy

    Columbus

    50 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    50 reviews

    Dined on May 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Our server was great, attentive but not overly. The crab cake was the best I’ve ever had. The patio was delightful. I will definitely be back!
  15. AnnC

    New York Area

    24 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Love this place! The oysters are excellent. Everything we had was very good, and the service was fantastic. We lucked into a booth next to the windows which was very comfortable and fun to watch what was happening outside without having to sit outside in the heat! The beet small plate was really interesting and very good, and you can't go wrong with the fish milanese.
  16. DavenDeb

    San Antonio

    13 reviews

    3.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall3food2service4ambience3
    Disappointed with the grilled oysters. We came to Charleston looking for some good seafood. These were the smallest oysters I have ever had, yet were charged full price. Unlike the oysters in the menu picture, these were the size of Lima beans. Rappahannock has a good reputation so this was surprising and disappointing.
  17. QdKs

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Everything was fine, but we noticed that the portion of the beets salad was extremely small compared to previous visits. Other than that we had an amazing experience!!
  18. CaseyC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Food was outstanding! Drinks were delicious and dessert was divine!
  19. OpenTable Diner

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall2food2service4ambience2
    Oysters were fabulous. Server was great. Bread was warm and not terribly enjoyable. Fish and chips - small and not cod (but maybe it wasn’t supposed to be. Bugs on the window sill. One and done for us.
  20. Sandra

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent food and service. We get the seafood tower every time we go. Love it!
  21. Dave

    Charlotte

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on May 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food, great service. A bit noisy, but not bad.
  22. JonahKuhio

    Washington DC

    54 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    54 reviews

    Dined on May 13, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience3
    In addition to oysters the other seafood selections are excellent.
  23. CHUCK

    Western NC

    8 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on May 12, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4
    Service really lacking in experience, attentiveness and basic rules of service. Food was excellent, baked clams, amazing. Love this place and will keep coming back.
  24. RJWalker68

    Charleston

    20 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on May 11, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience2
    Not what it use to be. Been here a dozen or more times over the years. Server was just going through the motions, the bus boy was practicing his 3 point shot with a dirty dish rag as he wiped down tables, (throwing it from table to table). Food was average. Such a shame.
  25. Rems

    Charleston

    24 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on May 10, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Great neighborhood, dependable spot for good seafood. Lots of favorites on the menu, able to talk without yelling, and overall comfortable spot with good food.
  26. EduardoH

    New York Area

    6 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    Excellent restaurant. Food was outstanding. Visiting from out of town and had several meals among the best restaurants. This one stood out as the best.
  27. Carol

    Denver

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    That was the best piece of flounder ever! My partner loved the shrimp curry. Also the chef’s flavored butters on baguette were on point. Would recommend!
  28. OpenTable Diner

    Western NC

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on May 6, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Our experience from the walking in with the hostess to check-out was spectacular! We started our evening at Rappahannock with some drinks and appetizers at the bar! Our server was prompt and friendly. He was knowledgeable about the menu, had great suggestions, and was especially accommodating to my gluten-free needs. We were impressed with our food (raw oysters, peel and eat shrimp and smoked fish dip). The drinks were also superb! We will def be back again! 11/10 experience! Thank you, Rappahannock OB!
  29. JudithR

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 6, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent experience except the noise level was pretty high and we couldn’t hear across the table very well.
  30. BClinton

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience3
    Delicious food & friendly service. What more could you ask for?
  31. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The food and the service was outstanding. The oysters are incredible. Also, really loved my tuna tartare. My husband’s beef tartare was so delicious as well.
  32. OpenTable Diner

    Charleston

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Everything was great however was considerately over priced.
  33. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 5, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4
    Great place! We have been on the search for littleneck clams on the half shelf NOT steamers. As NY’ers it was a staple. They are hard to find in the area so we were pleased to find both raw oysters and raw clams. Once we arrived we were even happier to find great service and a great selection of food! We were a party of 4, 2 had the paella (excellent and while not as large as many restaurants it was more than one person could eat and delicious), 1 had the shrimp in curry sauce served with rice and I had the crab cake. Everything was delicious and plentiful! We have already told others and will add it into our regular rotation of places to eat good clean seafood without all the fuss!! Oh drinks and service were good as well….
  34. CarolC

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    totally satisfied with the evening. HOPE TO RETURN SOON.
  35. Meghan

    Charleston

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on May 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Rappahannock Oyster Bar is a little bit of Virginia wrapped up with Charleston style seafood. Their grilled oysters are absolutely fabulous. And they were very accommodative for our group asking if we could have fried shrimp instead of steamed. We greatly appreciate the staff - absolutely everyone we came into contact with was wonderful.
  36. AshleyB

    Pinehurst

    26 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on April 30, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Food was to die for! I enjoyed everything! Would highly recommend
  37. OpenTable Diner

    E. Tennessee

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 30, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Lovely meal there. Raw bar oysters were great, oyster po’ boy was outta this world, and beef tartare was equally good. I wouldn’t hesitate to revisit next time I come to Charleston.
  38. OpenTable Diner

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 26, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    fresh and delicious seafood. local pan seared grouper was amazing. chef special tuna tartare was the best i've had.
  39. Gigi22great

    Charleston

    104 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    104 reviews

    Dined on April 25, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We had a wonderful experience! Food is outstanding. We love this restaurant and find it great for visitors.
  40. AdrianW

    Salt Lake City

    19 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on April 23, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Service was friendly and busy. Food was very good. Seafood seemed mostly shipped in and not local, but was still good. I would eat here again.

Safety precautions

  • Cleaning & sanitizing

    • Surfaces sanitized between seatings
    • Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
    • Common areas deep-cleaned daily
    • Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
  • Physical distancing

    • Limited number of seated diners
    • Extra space between tables
  • Protective equipment

    • Waitstaff wear masks
  • Screening

    • Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

You can order delivery directly from Rappahannock Oyster Bar - Charleston using the Order Online button. Rappahannock Oyster Bar - Charleston also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (843) 576-4693.

Rappahannock Oyster Bar - Charleston is rated 4.6 stars by 2298 OpenTable diners.

Rappahannock Oyster Bar - Charleston does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 52 times today
Google Map for Rappahannock Oyster Bar - Charleston

701 E Bay Street, Suite 110, Charleston, SC 29403

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street

    Columbus

  • Neighborhood

    Downtown Charleston

  • Hours of operation

    Daily 11:00 am–10:00 pm

  • Cuisines

    Seafood, Fish, Tapas / Small Plates

  • Dining style

    Casual Elegant

  • Dress code

    Smart Casual

  • Parking details

    We offer free one hour parking 11:30am-5:00pm and unlimited free parking after 5:00pm

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Executive chef

    Kevin Kelly

  • Additional

    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card
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