Bowens Island Restaurant-It's Like Pluff Mud, Either You Love it Or You Don't

It stands above the island's tidal creek like an old brown pelican perched on a weatherworn dock,
spreading its wings in the warm southern sun. A hodgepodge of grayed timber, rusty corrugated steel, old doors for windows, graffiti covered tables and piles of bleached oyster shells, it was recognized as an "American Classic", basked in the lights of Hollywood and successfully endured trial by fire. It is tastefully Lowcountry through and through in its fare and adored by the locals, but if you are expecting to be served hand and foot, you're at the wrong place. It has been tagged with a reputation similar to pluff mud, "Either you love it or you don't", and that is just about how its reviews read.

Located on a 13-acre island, Bowens Island Restaurant is just five minutes from Folly Beach. It was established 46 years ago by the Bowen family. The original structure was mostly destroyed by a fire in 2006. In that same year, just before the fire, it won a prestigious James Beard Foundation Award - named one of eight "America's Classics" boasting "timeless appeal and quality food that reflects the history and character of its community."

In 2010, the restaurant appeared in the movie Dear John under the name Shrimp Shack. It has been referred to as a seafood dive, but when that reference is coming from Coastal Living and Southern Living magazines the reference would be more a compliment than a slur - meaning in this case "a simple place with traditional fare and unforgettable ambiance."

On Charleston Magazine's "Charleston Bucket List - things every local must experience", dining at Bowens Island Restaurant was number 25. The magazine said, "there's no finer place in the world to watch the sunset over the marsh, slurping oysters harvested just a few yards away." A large deck overlooking the water with umbrellaed tables is perfect for such nightly renditions.

If you are looking for a menu to view on its web sight, you can forget it as well. Oysters, fried shrimp, hushpuppies, Frogmore stew, and cold beer is all you will find. The oysters, what the restaurant is best known for, are locally harvested and shoveled onto old, wooden tables from the fire pit. The beers are all local brews. Finally, be forewarned - No frills, no personalized service, loud patrons and a rude bartender are what you should expect according to some of the reviews. The food - Judge it for yourself.

The restaurant had that old shack-on-the-water, oysterman village appeal. Piles of white oyster shells decorated the landscape. The remains of an old boat ramp overgrown with sea grass reminds one of past maritime glory. A fishing pier with a raggedy pavilion was connected to a bait hut just outside of the rust tattered Sophisticate room. My favorite was a Caribbean style sign hanging above two tables reminding you it was "Another Day In Paradise."

Bowens Island Restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday 5pm to 10 pm. It is located at 1870 Bowens Island Rd, Charleston, SC. A kayak/paddleboard rental run by Charleston Outdoor Adventures is on sight.

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The 30th Annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival At Boone Hall Plantation-The Mighty Oyster Returns

The mighty oyster

It never occurred to me the warmest months of the year, May through August in the northern hemisphere, do not contain the letter "r", but all the other months do. Actually, I never really thought about it, until now. Why this sudden realization? It's oyster time in Charleston and the 30th Annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival at Boone Hall Plantation will take place Sunday, January 27th. In the spirit of this well-liked festival, coined as the world's largest, I decided to do some oyster research and found this interesting fact.

It was once believed you should not eat oysters in any month that doesn't have an "r" in it. The truth is that oysters are safe to eat all year round; they just aren't as good in the summer months, when the waters are warm. This is when the oysters spawn, and their flesh turns milky and soft. Winter is a better time to eat oysters because that's when the water is coldest and the oysters are firmer, plumper and the flavor is best. Thus, this explains why you don't see any oyster festivals in the summertime.

My take on the consumption of the slimy bivalves is you either like them or you don't. I am in the don't category, unless they are coated and fried. What possessed the first individual to have even considered consuming the slippery, white matter is a mystery. Perhaps, that person saw a sea gull pick one up, fly into the air, drop it on a rock, and then eat its fleshy parts. Curiosity being what it is, that person decided to give it a try and loved it. To tell the truth, I have been in the Charleston area seven years and haven't as of yet indulged in the oyster frenzy. Maybe, it's time I give the roast a try.

Roman emperors paid for them by their weight in gold, Casanova and Cleopatra believed in their powers as an aphrodisiac, Abraham Lincoln had parties where only oysters were served, and Native Americans voraciously consumed them. The peninsula of Charleston was known as Oyster Point and White Point Gardens got its name from the piles of oyster shells found there. Charleston's oysters grow naturally in clusters, but between the years of 1830 and 1869 a high quality oyster appeared on the scene that did not grow in clusters. It was called a Millpond Oyster and it grew as a single, large oyster. Millponds were used by the Charleston lumber industry before steam power appeared. Logs would sink to the bottom and the oyster spat would attach themselves and grow. When the use of millponds were abandoned, this delicacy disappeared from Charleston markets.


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It is believed the best oysters in Charleston come from the Bulls Bay area north of Mt. Pleasant. The reason being the bay's topography. Bulls Bay is a large but shallow stretch of water. The entire bay is open to the ocean; the amount of water that can flow in and out is not limited by narrow inlets. The tides flush the bay and surrounding creeks with each lunar cycle creating a convergence of high salinity water with the incoming tides and an eradicating of low salinity rain water and runoff with each outgoing tide. Saltwater makes for good oysters and great festivals.

The Lowcountry Oyster Festival has been named one of the "top 20 events in the southeast." Over 80,000 pounds of the slimy mollusks will be made available to be shucked and eaten by over an estimated 10,000 visitors. There will be "Oyster Shucking" and "Oyster Eating" Contests. JetBlue will be giving away tickets every hour on the hour and will be good from February 28, 2013 - February 28, 2014. If you are not an oyster-lover there will be a food court setup featuring 8 different Charleston area restaurants. There will be live music on the main stage, wine, a selection of domestic and imported beers. A Children's Area, hosted by Pluff Mudd Circus, including jugglers, aerial artists, and bounce castles will be on site. It starts at 10:30 am. The morning for Sunday looks to be cool, around 40 degrees, but it will warm up to a high of 58 degrees. It closes at 5:00 pm. General admission is $12.

Boone Hall Plantation scenery

Charleston residents love their oysters, but they love their boats too. This weekend is the Charleston Boat Show at the Charleston area Convention Center, January 25-27. General admission on Friday is $5 and $9 Saturday and Sunday. For all the information go to Charleston Boat Show.