Lowcountry Cuisine Scene

Visitors come to Charleston for the golf, beaches, shopping and history. But they come back to Charleston for the food. Once visitors discover dining in the Lowcountry, Charleston becomes forever synonymous with food. Glorious food. Wonderful, succulent, delicious, magnificent food.

Leave it to Charlestonians to salute one of their favorite pastimes with a year-round series of food celebrations. Be sure to mark your calendars and join us for these great “foodie” events.

Here’s to the Mighty Mollusk
Held the last Saturday in January at Boone Hall Plantation, the “world’s largest oyster festival” is a two-day tribute to the mighty mollusk. The Lowcountry Oyster Festival has been the cure for Charleston’s “January doldrums” for nearly 30 years, named one of the “Top 20 events in the Southeast” by the Southeastern Tourism Society for 22 consecutive years. Sponsored by the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association, this “rain or shine” event includes the legendary “Oyster Shucking and Eating Contest,” a selection of domestic and imported beers, live entertainment and a Kids’ Corner complete with pony rides and a jump castle. For information please visit charlestonrestaurantassociation.com.

Weekend Indulgence
Kiawah Island’s premier resort, The Sanctuary, provides guests with luxurious indulgence during Gourmet & Grapes Weekend, a three-day event featuring fine wines, receptions, cooking classes and cuisine crafted by renowned celebrity and local chefs. Held each spring at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Gourmet & Grapes supports a charitable cause through ticket sales and live silent auctions. Visit kiawahresort.com for  more information.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry
The BB&T Wine + Food Festival features more than 50 events that celebrate Lowcountry and national fine cuisine. Held the first weekend in March at various downtown locations, this four-day extravaganza is designed to celebrate the color, flavor and widely recognized culinary savoir faire for which the region is known. Information is available at charlestonfoodandwine.com.

Celebrate Seafood
The area’s hard-working shrimp boat captains gather every spring to have their boats blessed for the season, and everyone’s invited to the party. The Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival combines live beach music, an arts-and-crafts fair and the stars of the whole shebang: shrimp. In addition to a shrimp-eating contest, local restaurants serve heaping helpings of the tasty crustaceans. The Festival is held the last Sunday in April at Alhambra Hall and Park in Mount Pleasant. More information is available at townofmountpleasant.com.

Food Takes Center Stage
Food is the centerpiece of the Taste of Charleston, a three-day fest held the second weekend in October at Boone Hall Plantation. The event includes a local Iron Chef-style competition, gallery walk and canapé-tasting evening, and the highly competitive Waiter’s Wine competition. The main event also features food from more than 40 Charleston restaurants, cooking demonstrations from the Lowcountry’s most talented chefs, food and wine pairings, and more. Find out more at charlestonrestaurantassociation.com.

Get a complete list of Charleston's restaurants.

Visit the DiscoverCharleston.com events page to find more food-related events in and near Charleston. Just click on Cuisine, then Search.

The Audubon Gallery Not just a gallery, but a Charleston destination since 1987. Located in the heart of the antique district The Audubon Gallery is the only local gallery to specialize in the finest Natural History and Sporting Art from the 17th - 20th centuries. A sportsmans paradise with a fantastic selection of paintings, etchings, limited edition fine art prints, antique wildfowl decoys and wood carvings by local artisans. Audubon's "Birds of America", Natural History Art by Besler, Redouté, Clark, Benson and many others. Contact Joel Oppenheimer Inc., The Natural History Art Gallery.

McCrady's Inventive cuisine. Fresh from the farm. Named one of the Top Ten Restaurants in North America by Opinionated About Dining. McCrady's Restaurant, located in an historic 1778 Georgian public house, offers an award-winning dining experience with the best of new Southern cuisine. Chef Sean Brock was awarded the 2010 James Beard Best Chef Southeast for his talented mix of modern skills and classic antebellum recipes. Sensationally presented dishes one of Charleston's most extensive wine lists. Private dining available in the spectacular Long Room, Gallery, Chef's Room or Cypress Room.

Bernie Horton Gallery A native of rural North Carolina now living at the edge of the marsh, Bernie Horton paints fine art originals reflecting the beauty of his surroundings --- most recognized for his light-filled lowcountry landscapes, marshes, beaches and people. Bernie captures the moods and emotions of all the different seasons and times of day. Each painting is approached from an impressionistic standpoint, yet to the eye, they have a realistic quality because of his concentration on perspective, proportion and attention to detail. Visit or find Bernie Horton Gallery on Facebook.