The Darling Oyster Bar

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1. KY

   KyleY

   Atlanta

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience4

   Great meal and even better service!

   Report
2. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Raleigh

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience4

   Great oysters and key lime pie. Mahi and scallops were fantastic! Def recommend.

   Report
3. CB

   CarieB

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Absolutely wonderful place for dinner. My husband and I had never dined there before and we wished we would have gone sooner. Our waiter George was great and the food was fabulous. Both my husband and I said the food couldn’t have been better and was what we thought to be a great value. My scallops just melted in mouth and my husband said the shrimp and grits were the best he has had in Charleston. We will be sure to make reservations again soon. The cocktails were also top notch!

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4. MS

   MSV03

   Washington DC

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Joe our Waiter was fantastic! He recommended a lot of options and was patient with four chatting women. Oysters were fantastic, pasta OMG good! Definitely will recommend it to other flight crew, we stay within walking distance. Beautiful place, thanks for a lovely evening!

   Report
5. DS

   DrSleep

   New York Area

   27 reviews

   5.0

   27 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience4

   We had a very good experience at the Darling Oyster Bar. The James River oysters were excellent at two dollars apiece. Had mahi-mahi over a couscous with vegetables for an entrée, which was very fresh tasting, and excellent. Also had some very good fried clam strips with a side dipping sauce. Overall and excellent dining experience on King Street

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6. S

   Snakevine72

   Detroit

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience4

   Top shelf friendly service from Chelsea and bartender. Food was so fresh and flavorful. Highly recommend. Cheers.

   Report
7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Coastal Georgia

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on January 10, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Everyone from the hostess to the bar back was so sweet! The food was absolutely delicious as well.

   Report
8. Y

   Yiayia

   Charleston

   16 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   16 reviews

   Dined on January 8, 2023

   overall4food4service5ambience5

   Mike, our server, was gracious in suggesting favorite apps and entrees. The only course I wouldn't write home about was the crabcakes. We enjoyed everything else that evening! Will definitely be back with friends.

   Report
9. j

   janetm

   Charleston

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on January 8, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   A terrific experience. ALWAYS get the catch of the day. Delicious! Such a great vibe in the restaurant.

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10. GT

    GeorgeT56

    Philadelphia

    28 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on January 6, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great service - excellent food - wonderful atmosphere.

    Report
11. BQ

    BlairQ

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 5, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience5

    Not the most elaborate menu, but great food, great service, great atmosphere, great location. Pricing was very fair for the quality of food.

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12. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Treasure Coast

    13 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on January 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Exceptional service!!! I wish I remembered the waitresses name because she was extremely patient and generous with us trying to decide what selections we wanted to make for wine and food. We shared a few of the different oyster options, crab dip for appetizer and the shrimp & grits and blue crab tagliatelle— all were extremely tasty and delicious. Highly recommend++

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13. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on January 4, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5

    Yummy oysters and seafood definitely a spot to try

    Report
14. G

    Guineaman

    Charleston

    26 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on January 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great, convivial atmosphere, Excellent (attentive) service, good selection of oysters, fun spot. One of these days, we'll get a chance to sit at the counter!

    Report
15. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Raleigh

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Absolutely amazing! Get the mamma mia oysters and the Alabama white sauce baked oysters with bacon. You won't regret it!

    Report
16. j

    jswan

    Philadelphia

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on January 3, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Great space, great service and food! Will definitely return.

    Report
17. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Des Moines

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 2, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We had an amazing dinner here. We got two of each oyster, a stone crab claw, and the shrimp cocktail. The Bloody Mary was also excellent.

    Report
18. FD

    FreqDiner57

    Washington DC

    15 reviews

    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on January 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Had a lobster roll, very good! The french fries were very crispy, done just right. And my wife had the fried shrimp basket. She said it tasted very good as well. This is our second time eating there, both times good, our server was very attentive, and knew the menu. We enjoyed the dinner, and we will certainly be back.

    Report
19. JP

    JeniP

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Absolutely amazing service, food and atmosphere! Great way to start the new year with this amazing culinary experience

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20. PB

    PaulaB

    Richmond

    19 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on January 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Everything was great from drinks at the bar with Nick to food and service at the table with Meg. Had the fish of the day and they were able to accommodate my dairy allergy when preparing the dish.

    Report
21. m

    marniew

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 31, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Super oysters and an eclectic menu. A very special night with a beautiful ambience. Not only is the food great but so are the cocktails. Our waiter recommended a cocktail I had never had and it was amazing! Attentive service.

    Report
22. CC

    CharlotteC

    New England

    23 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    23 reviews

    Dined on December 31, 2022

    overall3food5service5ambience1

    Seated in what seems like “holding space” bar. Lost the whole experience. Couch too low for table for eating. If we’d known this was the case, we would never have waited 4 hours of walking Charleston just to “experience” the Darling Oyster Bar. Food excellent.

    Report
23. SM

    SydneyM

    Atlanta

    8 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on December 31, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great atmosphere, amazing food and drinks. Service was a tad slow but it was a busy night so understandable. They were out of one appetizer we ordered but the others we had were amazing! See pictures.

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24. DS

    DevonS

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 30, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Might be the best dinner ever! Our waiter was so knowledgeable of the menu and offered his favorite items which were 10/10! Drinks were unbelievable too!

    Report
25. MK

    MsKris

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 30, 2022

    overall2food2service1ambience4

    All style and no substance. Elusive server and mediocre food.

    Report
26. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 29, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Service was suprBirthday

    Report
27. SB

    SaraB

    Seattle

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 29, 2022

    overall1food3service1ambience2

    So disappointed with this entire experience. Made reservations and we were so excited to eat a ton of seafood. Thought we would be in for a solid experience based on all the reviews and write-ups. Unfortunately we had some of the worst service we've ever experienced. Over a 30 minute wait for raw oysters to arrive at our table. The waiter never circled by to even take our entree orders in the 30+ minutes we waited for our oysters (or even when we finished the oysters). The waiter seemed like he was drunk. Rude, sloppy appearance, just didn't seem to care at all. Walked right past us so many times while we sat waiting, with our drinks nearly finished (which also took 20 minutes to arrive) We were prepared to drop a lot of cash- had barely eaten all day and were starving. The oysters were fine- but I wouldn't say worth any hype. For prices and the decor, you'd expect the staff to be on top of their game. This was not the case whatsoever. Just a completely lackluster experience. Fortunately we were able to get bar seats at Hall's down the street and had a lovely meal with fantastic service. Never going to get sucked into a tourist trap like the Darling again. Don't waste your time or money, don't get sucked in by the decor or the hype.

    Report
28. MM

    MelodyM

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 29, 2022

    overall4food3service5ambience4

    The service was amazing as our waitress was so wonderful. The oysters were great. The fried clam strips were covered with Cole slaw sauce. I would have preferred not so much, or on the side. It took away from the taste of the clam strips.

    Report
29. JS

    JohnS

    Orange County

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 28, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Lovely landmark Charleston seafood. Exceptional! Would recommend to any visitors.

    Report
30. MW

    MarkW

    New England

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 27, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    food was great , service was excellent! would recommend

    Report
31. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 27, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Took my girlfriend here to celebrate her birthday. We had a wonderful time! Exceptional food and service. Definitely get the key lime pie!

    Report
32. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Raleigh

    7 reviews

    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on December 27, 2022

    overall3food3service5ambience5

    Service was fantastic, food was not as flavorful as expected. Oysters were great!

    Report
33. FS

    FernyS

    Miami

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 27, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    2nd time back highly recommended great food for sure; their collard greens are to die for!! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

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34. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Minneapolis

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 25, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience5

    We visited this place on Christmas Eve and it was a great experience. The waitress was nice and although it’s Christmas Eve she was super patient. Cocktail menu is awesome, you won’t go wrong with any (specially recommend Paloma). Oysters shots are a new experience, and you should be mentally and physically prepared if you want to try it. The Fried basket is awesome and came with three sauces. Overall great experience and would recommend to anyone.

    Report
35. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Fort Lauderdale

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 25, 2022

    overall3food2service5ambience4

    Cold crab cakes After taste on pasta tagliatelli dish Undercooked scallops

    Report
36. JD

    JerisD

    Denver

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on December 25, 2022

    overall4food5service4ambience5

    Darling's was the best dining experience we had in our week stay in Charleston. The food was excellent, the service was outstanding and the ambiance was fun. Highly recommed!

    Report
37. JK

    JudyK

    Charleston

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 22, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience5

    The wait staff was attentive. The food was very good. It was fun to sit and watch the gentlemen shuck the oysters!

    Report
38. A

    Auntkate

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 22, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience5

    I thought the menu was small concerning entrée choices. I think a grilled fish choice of some sort would’ve been nice either salmon or grouper. (That’s what my friend was looking for). Fried seafood was offered and by the way it was very good with a nice light batter. The kale “slaw” was ok… It was more like large pieces of kale with a little dressing…still good, just not my idea of slaw. I loved the atmosphere of The Darling and location to Charleston Music Hall. If you want raw oysters on the half shell… this is your place! Many people were eating these! I prefer mine steamed, but the waiter said they had baked not steamed. All in all it was a nice experience and I will return…

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39. BP

    BPatrick

    Atlanta

    17 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on December 22, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience3

    The blue crab pasta was just okay. Everything else was grea

    Report
40. JT

    JTH83

    Chicago

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 22, 2022

    overall3food3service2ambience2

    The food was good enough, but nothing really standout. Ambience was pretty touristy and more casual than I expected. Service felt rushed. Everything about the experience was just good enough. But not great. Happy to go once but probably won't come back as there are too many other stand out options in this town.

    Report