Charleston Oyster Roasts

Charleston is acclaimed for its delectable seafood and soul-swelling comfort food. Charleston, S.C., is emerging as one of the top culinary destinations in the country because of its seaside location and Southern roots.

Charleston is known in particular for its oysters, which have a unique briny flavor. Popular oyster events in Charleston include oyster shucking festivals and oyster roasts, where guests come together to steam, shuck, and savor the city's most celebrated shellfish.

Where to Try a Charleston Oyster Roast:

Bowens Island Restaurant is notorious for its family-friendly oyster roasts and their oyster preparation in which oysters are steamed on a steel plate rather than served on a half roast.

Check out The Daily Meal's Bowens Island What Is an Oyster Roast video. Bowens Island Restaurant owner Robert Barber discusses the flavors and uses of oysters from the South's Low Country while roasting the Southern delicacy.

Steaming oysters not only allows the shellfish to retain its scrumptious, salty taste but also makes it easier for diners to open, suck, and eat them, according to Barber.

"An oyster roast is a very communal event. It involves fellowship. You're standing around or sitting around a table," said Barber. "It does make people slow down a little bit and enjoy the fellowship here."

Must-Try Charleston Southern Comfort Food:

Other must-try restaurants in Charleston can be found on our list of the Best of Charleston's Southern Cooking, where diners can find the best spots to sample an array of Southern eats, such as fried green tomatoes, she-crab soup, squash casserole, collard greens, and fried pork chops.

Make Charleston Oysters at Home:

For those who wish to recreate their Charleston dining experience back home, try The Daily Meal's recipe for Oyster Casserole Charleston Style or Oyster Shooter provided by Charleston's Pearlz Oyster Bar.