The Darling Oyster Bar

Sort by

Filters

1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Had an amazing experience and our server was so accommodating to help us celebrate our anniversary!!! Best oyster shooters in Charleston too!

   Report
2. J

   Jpsvino

   Atlanta

   27 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   27 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Sat at Bar. Great food and service ….the very best oysters.

   Report
3. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Charleston

   21 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   21 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   It’s always a wonderful experience here. We have been quite a few times. It’s one of our favorite dinner spots. Excellent service, yummy raw bar, and our appetizers and dinner were delicious!

   Report
4. JW

   JacksonW

   Charlotte

   74 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   74 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   We came right at dinner opening and were sat immediately. The server was extremely sweet and attentive. The food was excellent as always. I was thrilled to see the avocado toast back on the menu. I can't wait to return.

   Report
5. DB

   DougB

   New York Area

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Brought my wife here for her birthday. We greatly enjoyed it. Seafood plateau...get the big one!

   Report
6. RM

   RM843

   Charleston

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 6 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Moved from the table to the bar for our reservation to enjoy the atmosphere. So much fun!

   Report
7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Baltimore

   2 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience4

   Very pleasant experience. Food was delicious. Good value.

   Report
8. JM

   JennaM

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on November 23, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Our server, Kate, was excellent. She pointed us towards the happy hour specials which we really appreciated. The fried shrimp and oysters were not at all greasy or heavy.. done perfectly. We really liked the kale slaw and fresh oysters on the half shell. Reservations were easy to make on the internet. We will be back next trip. We have recommended you to 2 different families who will be traveling there next month as well as on our Facebook account.

   Report
9. LR

   LesR

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on November 22, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Great time with family Thanksgiving week service was excellent and food and drink did not disappoint would do it again in a heartbeat

   Report
10. BB

    BillB

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 21, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Happy hour oysters at $1 each are outstanding. Service was excellent and the place was busy but not too busy. We had drinks, oysters, shrimp, chowder, fries and all were fantastic. Well worth a visit!

    Report
11. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 19, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience5

    Food and cocktails were outstanding. Only “negative “ was a very long wait for dessert.

    Report
12. g

    geebee

    Washington DC

    12 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on November 17, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Always good, and fun to sit at the oyster bar and people watch the passers by on King Street.

    Report
13. r

    ridgefielder

    New York Area

    14 reviews

    4.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on November 16, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience5

    Waiter Chris made our night!

    Report
14. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    West Palm Beach

    15 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on November 15, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    Great time, good food! Staff was excellent! They look like they really enjoy their jobs which make for a fun atmosphere. Nice work!

    Report
15. HC

    HoCoGal

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 14, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    Went on a busy Monday night. Service was a little slow a few times but that's to be expected these days. Food was good martinis were good. Would definitely go back.

    Report
16. MD

    MeganD

    New York Area

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on November 12, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great experience! Staff was excellent and the food was delicious! We will definitely be back!

    Report
17. RL

    RayL

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 11, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    My wife and I celebrated our son's graduation from a Navy course and my wife's belated birthday with dinner. We made the reservation about a week in advance (making a reservation is highly recommended) and was seated promptly. We were served by Molly and she was absolutely wonderful. She made recommendations and attended to us all throughout. The food menu is short, simple, and full of great dishes. We ordered some raw oysters and clam strips as appetizer and a Mahi-Mahi dish, blue crab pasta, and the scallops as the main dishes. All the dishes were perfectly cooked, tasty, and filling. Molly provided us with a slice of key lime pie on the house to celebrate my wife's birthday and that topped the night at The Darling Oyster Bar. Highly recommend going there and we will definitely go back when in town.

    Report
18. SR

    SuzieR

    New York Area

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 11, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent restaurant!! Our server Kate was fantastic!! The food was out of this world! Hopefully we can go back before we leave!!!

    Report
19. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 11, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Our waitress Molly was awesome. Only second time we had oysters and they were really good. Highly recommend the crab pasta. Will definitely go back again next time we are in Charleston.

    Report
20. LZ

    LynnZ

    Sacramento

    19 reviews

    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on November 10, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Happy Birthday, Jane.

    Report
21. J

    Jpsvino

    Atlanta

    28 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on November 9, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great, great food. Best oysters in Charleston. Highly recommended.

    Report
22. G

    George

    San Diego

    19 reviews

    4.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on November 8, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    We really enjoyed the food and service experience at The Darling. Rob, our server was knowledgeable and very attentive but not overbearing. There are two sides to the restaurant and it feels a bit disjointed, but the food and service make it all worth it. Thanks for a great first meal in Charleston…

    Report
23. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 7, 2022

    overall3food5service3ambience2

    We were given a terrible table, slow slow to even get the first drinks, waters, good news is that food was good, but the wait and gloomy table surrounded by ugly felt curtains not in the main room made it feel like we were relegated to no man's land. No ambiance AT ALL. We will not be back.

    Report
24. JH

    JeffH

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 7, 2022

    overall2food2service2ambience3

    Service was average at best. Oysters were very good but the offerings for main dinner options are limited and average quality considering all of the great food in Charleston

    Report
25. e

    eespr

    New England

    9 reviews

    4.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on November 7, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience5

    Would highly recommend the Darling even if you aren’t getting oysters. There are a lot of restaurants on King Street but everything about this experience went well.

    Report
26. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    1 review

    vip
    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 7, 2022

    overall2food1service4ambience2

    Not the best experience, I don’t understand the hype. We left feeling like we wasted $170 on toppings and no real seafood.

    Report
27. PM

    PaulM

    San Francisco

    12 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on November 3, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Our server was delightful and the food was terrific.

    Report
28. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Chicago

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 3, 2022

    overall3food3service4ambience4

    Food was just okay. Lobster roll was good but you dont get a lot of lobster. The clam chowder was sandy. Their kale salad was the best thing

    Report
29. JW

    JWWTLFT

    New York Area

    7 reviews

    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on November 3, 2022

    overall3food3service3ambience3

    The overall experience was good, but it was not what I would consider fine dining. We were in Charleston for a wedding. As it happened, I had the same dish (shrimp and grits) at Darling Oyster and at the wedding. The shrimp and grits at the wedding was better. At Darling Oyster, the shrimps were a bit too chewy. At the wedding, the tastes of the various components in the dish blended together very well. At Darling Oyster, not so much. Our server made too many appearances at our table to see how we were enjoying the meal. I admit this is a personal quirk. Some people appreciate a waiter's concern. I find it intrusive. Dinner for two was $125 before the gratuity. For that price, I expected better.

    Report
30. YS

    YolandaS

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 2, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent food and service. Great drinks and Shrimp creole!

    Report
31. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Cincinnati

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on October 31, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    What’s not to love? Great service, great food. Fun dining room. And the oysters!

    Report
32. g

    giljoy

    New York Area

    22 reviews

    3.0

    22 reviews

    Dined on October 31, 2022

    overall3food3service4ambience4

    Very disappointed. Raw Oysters were excellent but fried fish, shrimp and oysters was over breaded and made no sense. Why leave tail shell on under the tasteless thick breading on a shrimp to be fried? The fried flounder fillet looked big but it was very thin and the skin was left on under the breading. so, I had a 1/4 inch thick piece of fish including the skin heavily breaded on both sides. I removed the skin and half the breading and didn’t have much left to eat. The salad was meh with a flavorless buttermilk dressing. The “kale slaw” was not a slaw but a tiny kale leaf salad overdressed with a sweet mayo dressing. The restaurant was packed and other people seemed to enjoy themselves. I intend my criticisms as constructive and wish the restaurant well, but, celebrating my wife’s birthday I was very disappointed. The restaurant reservation was made two months earlier and the restaurant was aware of my wife’s birthday, but, the did not seat us in the main room nor did they make any effort to a knowledge same.

    Report
33. O

    Ozzie

    Charleston

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on October 30, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Cody (server) very attentive and caring towards customers. He provided exceptional service. Drinks, appetizers, entrees on time. We had scallops, shrimp grits, 2 dozen oysters, and cocktails. Perfection (taste and preparation) all the way! Cody went out of his way to capture our anniversary with a quality grade photo. Thank you Team Darling! Definitely returning and highly recommend for small to large gatherings!

    Report
34. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 30, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Awesome staff!!

    Report
35. R

    Roroxie

    Charlotte

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 30, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience4

    Great oysters

    Report
36. CB

    ChristopherB

    Inactiveville

    52 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    52 reviews

    Dined on October 29, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Very much enjoyed the presentation of fresh oysters on the half shell. The variety available was also excellent. Nice, very short list of wines available, very appropriate for the food being served. Crabcakes were meaty, without all the breading usually involved. Would highly recommend return.

    Report
37. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Tucson

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on October 29, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    Our service was great! Very delightful and smiling.

    Report
38. j

    johnnyboi

    Atlanta

    5 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 28, 2022

    overall4food4service3ambience5

    Oysters and fried clams were delicious. Other food was okay. Service was slow

    Report
39. JF

    JamesF

    Dallas

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on October 28, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great meal, great service, convenient location. Will return soon

    Report
40. AM

    AMR22

    Charleston

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 28, 2022

    overall2food1service3ambience3

    So disappointing. We had heard great things but our experience was anything but. Half of our parties food came out first and the rest took another 10-15 minutes after. The food that arrived first was cold and the portion of crab was pathetic.

    Report