We stopped by The Ordinary for a quick snack and some oysters before dinner. We happened to come at a bit of an off time, so the restaurant wasn't very busy and we were able to grab seats at the bar without any wait. The bartenders were incredibly kind and helpful. Not only did they take great care of us, but they also shared some local restaurant recommendations, which we always appreciate when traveling. The oysters were fresh, cold, and exactly what we were looking for as a light bite before dinner. We enjoyed a drink, relaxed for a bit, and soaked in the atmosphere. It was a great spot to stop for a snack and a cocktail, and the friendly service made the experience even better. read more

Stopped in for a quick bite with a friend. The crispy oyster slider was so good, I just wish it were bigger! Service was quick and efficient. Love the indoor layout! read more

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Had an awesome meal at The Ordinary. It's considered a seafood restaurant, so keep that in mind. I ordered a price fixe menu option, with an app (fish chowder), entree (crab cake), and dessert (chocolate creamy dessert, not pictured). My partner ordered the lobster roll. Everything was fresh and delicious, and very inventive. You can tell from the pics that the decor is absolutely wonderful inside. Our server was very attentive and helpful with the menu. Overall, a very lovely evening, nothing negative to say at all. read more

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The Ordinary is anything but. We chose the beautifully styled patio, while inside channels a grand old bank--soaring, elegant, and full of presence. Service was polished and intuitive, and the food delivered across the board. Accessibility stands out: clearly marked, barrier-free routes make navigating effortless. A seamless experience from start to finish--The Ordinary earns my highest recommendation. read more

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I treated my friend to a birthday dinner here but it just wasn't a standout. Charleston is packed with cute oyster bars and mind-blowing seafood joints and, while I appreciate that restaurants nowadays are operating on razor-thin profit margins, the plates we got at the Ordinary just needed a bit more food for the price point. All that said, the interior of the Ordinary is dark, moody, dim, sexy. If you want to seriously impress a date, come here. Everything (and everyone) looks cooler in candlelight, what can I say? Alas, I could only find a weekend night reservation outdoors, which we didn't mind at all, with massive roaring heat lamps that kept us toasty in this freak Charleston freeze. We got the: peel and eat shrimp, the snapper entree, the romaine heart salad, and the fried oyster slider. Plus one drink. It was a little less than $150 for two people including tip, which wouldn't be a problem if I also didn't leave mildly hungry and had to have a second dinner at Jeni's down the street. My favorite thing was the shrimp. The slider was extremely puny but I did like the fresh-baked Hawaiian roll. Food came out pretty slowly, I must say. We ended up waiting a while between the shrimp and the other dishes and, when they did arrive, I was desperately envisioning a steaming bread basket. I also wish they offered something for our birthday occasion other than a postcard on the table, I've seen other restaurants do a small dessert with a candle which goes a long way in making the dinner more special. read more

The Ordinary - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We had another fantastic dinner at The Ordinary. We've been here at least four times before and returned tonight for my birthday. It's one we appreciate for all the good reasons - good atmosphere, good service, and really good food. I love the menu featuring various seafood options, to include raw oysters. There are different seating options to consider - downstairs tables, the oyster bar, outside patio, inside bar, or upstairs overlook. We enjoy upstairs usually, and request it for reservations. We immediately ordered cocktails and the oyster sliders. The oyster was perfectly fried, served on a Hawaiian roll with a yummy bite of cabbage and fresh mayo. Our dinner menu choices included smoked oysters, snapper tartare, smoked wahoo pate as starters. The winner were the smoked oysters, and I also liked the pate. We shared entrees of slow baked grouper and mustard crusted snapper. The winning taste was the snapper. We enjoyed everything, as all menu items were unique, flavorful and dimensional. We finished with espresso martinis and shared the apple tart. Both were great. Service was good, as Kaitlyn paced our items and checked on us regularly. The Ordinary is more than ordinary and is a great Charleston dining option. read more

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Came here for a birthday dinner and it was pretty good. Our group enjoyed a seafood tower, which had fresh raw bar offerings but nothing blew us away. The highlight was surprisingly the vegetable dishes - we really enjoyed the fried delicata squash with ponzu sauce and the romaine salad was like a very good elevated Caesar. We also like the wreck fish and crispy oyster slider apps. Perhaps it's because we're from New England, but we found a lot of the seafood to be somewhat, well...ordinary. Portions were quite small and pricey. But the cocktails were nicely mixed, the service was excellent, and the ambiance was classy (a touch loud). Glad we tried it but wouldn't go out of my way to return. read more

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I came here because this is a top restaurant in Charleston. I don't partake in oysters and instead chose to eat the selected fish. The swordfish was a good dish presented with a vegetable medley broth. The dishes here are smaller portion and this seemingly would be a great choice for someone who likes to nibble through the menu while adding a few oysters as they go. I prefer a fish dish with the ability to order a few side dishes, but nothing really sparked my interest to order on top of the swordfish. Other tables kept ordering away and seemingly loved the options, but I wasn't impressed. read more

The Ordinary - Swordfish - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

First off, the service was incredible--attentive, thoughtful, and knowledgeable. The seafood was excellent and fresh. I had the gumbo and it had a rich flavorful broth. We all shared peel and eat shrimp, oysters in the half shell (it's been a month so I cannot recall which varieties were in season then but they were buttery), and ended the meal with a boudini that lives rent free in my brain. The only thing I can say as a negative was that...the dining seemed almost clunky with too many dishes that didn't need to be out. That's a really minor detail but when you order so much food and drink but there's limited realestate, you want to maximize the space to enjoy your meal. They were very accommodating to some food allergies though! We did have a dairy allergy as well and they immediately remade a meal when they realized they had added butter at the end. The Ordinary is located inside an old bank so the decor is opulent and feels historic. For a date or a night out with friends, this is a fantastic choice.l if you're not allergic to shellfish! read more

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I really love sitting outside on the patio. Great playlist tunes keeping the vibe. My favorite dish is the oyster sliders! Get three because 1 & 2 were not enough!! The rock shrimp was too salty for us but the flavors were great! The service is amazing!! Charleston knows great customer service! I do highly recommend this place! Great for a date night it just chilling with the girls! read more

Hit the Ordinary last night for drinks and apps. The green thumb was the cocktail I ordered and it was fantastic! Very refreshing. We ordered the three layer seafood tower, beef tartar and the oyster sliders. The tower was amazing! It came with a tuna tartar that was probably the best I've had. The beef tartar was absolutely Incredible, it was so salty and briny, on a crusty piece of sourdough read more

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This is are second visit to The Ordinary and, as before, it did not disappoint. At the bar, my wife had the Mojito Royale which she said was delicious and I had the Relay Trade which was a great but unusual drink. We had three appetizers at the bar - Jimmy Red Corn Hoecakes, Pickled White Shrimp, and Smoked Amberjack Pate - all three were unique and delicious. My wife had Hammer Dave's Little Neck Clams And I had Smoked Bird Island Cup Oyster which were both excellent - definitely try the Cup Oysters! The bartenders and our waitress were fun and very helpful. For our mains we both got the grilled swordfish which was done perfectly and delicious. We finished the dinner with an excellent glass of Sauternes which was perfect. Try The Ordinary while in Charleston, you will be happy you did! read more

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High-level food, but not as balanced or delicious as The Darling Oyster Bar's. Not everything missed the mark. Our salmon larb appetizer was crunchy, fresh, and punctuated with chili oil and raw salmon. 5/5. But everything else fell short of exemplary. My seafood chowder was lacking acid and the muddled flavors didn't have a chance to shine. My friend thought the char on the wahoo was outstanding, yet the temperature was medium well when the waiter said they were going for medium. Our cocktails were clean - indeed, the daiquiri was limey and bright - but missing a wow factor. At the prices we paid here, we deserved to be impressed. read more

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The Ordinary somewhat lived up to its name. We got the triple seafood tower. Lots of oysters, and several other appetizers came included: tuna tartare, yellowfin, shrimp. We loved all the appetizers, every one of them were great. So we were very excited for the oysters too, which is why I can only give this place a 4 star. I was very disappointed in the quality of the oysters. The quality felt like I was at some run of the mill oyster restaurant that sold dollar oysters. Even their soy mignonette topped oysters, at $6 a pop, were a let down. As much as I loved the great servers, the beautiful atmosphere, and delicious appetizers, the main focus of the meal was just such a let down. I would not recommend the oysters, but if you're looking for good seafood outside of that, The Ordinary is still a solid choice. read more

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Came here with my parents and the food was really good. This was our first stop when we arrived in Charleston. The seafood was very fresh. Also, my mom is vegetarian and they were able to accommodate by giving her a small dish that she really enjoyed. I really enjoyed the seafood flight. Also, our waiter was sooo super friendly and really made our day by having good conversation. Also, the space is super cute- we sat outside and they had heating at night. read more

The Ordinary - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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1. The food was simply fantastic. I think we tried just about everything on the menu. 2. Their twist on the old-fashioned drinks was great, we drink way too many. 3. It's hard to stand out as a restaurant in Charleston because there are so many great restaurants, but this place was great. Highly recommended. read more

One of the top experiences I've had in Charleston. Our server was friendly and helped answer a lot of questions that we had. We started off with a dozen oysters that may have been the most fresh and delicious I've had in town. We could've easily had a dozen each by ourselves. Loved their wine selections and had 3 throughout the courses we had. I've had bolognese and pappardelle so many times but man this one was absolutely perfect. The pasta was thin but cooked so well and held all the delicious meat and sauce in every bite. We got the snapper with mustard although I don't usually like mustard but our server said it's very mild in flavor. So glad we got it because it was amazing. Fish was crispy on the outside, flaky yet soft. And when you scooped it up with the corn and sauce, it was so satisfying. Towards the end we got to meet one of the managers that had been there for several years, and he told us about the history of the building and it being an old bank which I thought was super cool. The layout of the restaurant with multiple floors and just bustling with energy. We thoroughly enjoyed everything! read more

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Such amazing small plates! The rotating menu keeps things interesting but I miss the lump crab spaghetti! The servers are beyond knowledgable and recommend the perfect dishes for you and the perfect drink pairings read more

The Ordinary - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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From aesthetics to Service to history, southern charm, and by the way that I mention one of the best martinis shaken not stirred

Everything about this place is incredible - the food, the drinks, the service, and the ambiance! We sat at the bar and the bartenders were knowledgeable and attentive. When I wanted to order a second drink, but didn't see anything I wanted on the menu, the bartender was kind enough to make one up based on my flavor/alcohol preferences. I love when bartenders enjoy making off-menu drinks and being creative. For food, we ordered oysters, oyster sliders, and flounder tartar - all were fantastic!!! Highly recommend this place!! read more

The Ordinary - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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The restaurant building is a 1920's bank, and it is a nice ambience. The mix of raw oysters were delicious, as was the snapper entree. We also ordered a braised short rib ravioli dish, but the noodles were very undercooked. they have a great cocktail list. The cheapest glass of wine there is $18 read more

First dinner at Charleston and it is pretty amazing. Service is nice and friendly of a southern hospitality. The decor is also very nice, suitable for all types of occasion. Food is excellent. Not something overly dainty but food cooked well that you can eat everyday. Just great food. If I return to Charleston, a definite revisit. Food highlights: Lobster ceviche - well balance of citrus, greens/bitter, and sweet lobster (perfectly and fully cooked, so exactly the very raw type ceviche) Oyster slider - perfect bite of a burger, except with oyster that has perfect heat and slaw Steam black bass - perfectly cooked and the smart orange for seasoning as opposed to lemon is well paired. Panna Cotta - great dessert to wrap it all up, the cereal bits add texture, probably a tribute to Christina Rossi?, and the various is again a smart move read more

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When is Charleston, a visit to the Ordinary is mandatory as it is anything but. Located in a historic bank building on upper King Street, it is a vibrant space that successfully incorporates its unique architectural details into its new purpose, including a semi-open kitchen Located in the old vault. Service is also far from ordinary, as the friendly and efficient servers share spot-on recommendations for innovative cocktails as well as items on the menu not to be missed. This includes the crispy oyster sliders: a perfectly fried bivalve perched on a lightly toasted Parker House roll with an Asian slaw. These mini two-bite treats are worth a visit on their own, and have made The Ordinary a must whenever I am in town. The oysters are always perfect and fresh. There are no bad options, especially the seafood. read more

The Ordinary - The absolute must order item: crispy oyster sliders - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Delicious dinner at the ordinary! Make sure to get the fried sliders. I made a reservation ahead of time, which was the way to go. Good cocktails and a great stop on our tour of Charleston. Was pumped to see that they had stone crabs in from South Florida. read more

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The blue crab gumbo was legendary, the roux was so dark outstanding Excellent craft cocktails Must go spot read more

We had a great dinner at the Ordinary. We came for early dinner and the ambiance was still quite, and very nice. Our amazing and friendly waiter, Alison, recommend great cocktails to drink and very knowlegeable with the menu. We had the b-linner snapper ponzu, yellowfin tuna larb that was so delicous with the chili crisp in the bottom of the dish, sheepshead crudo, crispy oyster slider but we opted lettuce instead of bun, and the slow baked grouper. All the food were refreshing and delicous. The slow baked grouper fell on the neutral dish, kinda wish it has more seasoning to it but the fish was tender and overall we had a great time. If you havent try this place, we recommend to go and ask for Alison as your server! She is amazing!! read more

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Best food we ate during our visit of Charleston(oyster fest at Boone Hall Plantation) was in this bar/resto! We weren't sure when we'll arrive in Charleston on Friday 1/31, so I opted not to make reservation but was very happy this place accommodated us! Just hubby and I sat at the bar as our plan was to meet our friends the next two days from today. Bar already had a few diners but the rest had reserve signs in them so truly nice we got in! We ordered fresh oysters and sliders for starter along with cocktails (GT for me and OF & LIT for hubby)! Our bartender Rachel was professional and friendly and made me my G&T special with all the trimmings that are not on their default GT! For that alone I gave 5 stars! But the food we ordered deserved just as high rating as our bartender! That grouper which was highly recommended by the two bartenders was so good, it lingers... Clean, high end yet friendly vibe made this bar the most memorable during our Charleston trip this time! Yep, Brock's Husk was on our radar but we already went to the one in Savannah which was the most memorable during that trip as well! Southern is simply the best why I " Go South!" An ode to natalie merchant's "go west"! Lol read more

The Ordinary - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Excellent for dinner! I had made a reservation at The Ordinary about a week in advance, and was only able to snag a 5:15 PM slot on a Sunday. The space was a repurposed old bank, with an upscale and elegant ambiance. The lighting was dim, and I especially liked the beautiful bar. For drinks, I ordered a Mocktail, which tasted like a more interesting version of a Dark & Stormy. I think it may have been called the Mabalingwe, but I can't remember for sure. Our server Eric was very professional and helpful with his recommendations. For food, we started with two dozen oysters to share between the three of us, which were fantastic. We asked for a variety and they all tasted so fresh and delicious. We moved on to some more items to share - the Leche de Tigre, Fish Pate, Snapper Meuniere, and Triggerfish. The Leche de Tigre was probably my favorite. The texture was so soft and the asian pear and avocado went together in a unique and delicious way. I also loved the salty Fish Pate and the pumpkin velouté with the Triggerfish. For dessert, we ordered the Panna Cotta, which was insanely good - so light and tasty! Overall, The Ordinary was a great experience for us. read more

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The Ordinary has amazing food and great service. The smoked oysters on house-made buttermilk biscuits are a must-try. The seafood chowder was delicious - more broth-based than cream-based, the way I like it, and they will happily split the entree sized serving into two bowls for you. Their cocktails were unique and fun. We had a wonderful meal. read more

The Ordinary - My favourite single bite on our visit to Charleston - Smoked oysters on house-made buttermilk crackers. - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Wow this place was really good. We had the oyster,clam and shrimp tower appetizer. I had the fish chowder for my main dish and it was some of the best chowder I have ever had. The drinks here are all so delicious. The staff here are really really nice. Our server Allison was the best. Will definitely come back here next time we are in town. read more

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We could not have picked a better spot for our 20 year anniversary. From the moment we arrived, we had the best service and food. Our waitress made terrific drink recommendations including the sea salt martini and a lime cocktail that paired perfectly with our meal. We started with a nice assortment of oysters and the smoked fish pate. Both were really delicious. For our dinners, we both got the grouper with Jerusalem artichoke puree and green olives. It was so moist and tender and a perfect blend of flavors. This place is top notch. read more

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Casual setting with a dark and moody feel. Flounder Larb: 4/5. This was a raw preparation, but well spiced and satisfying to the palette. A bit undersalted. Very unique, but there was a portion to price mismatch. Crispy Oyster Slider: 5/5. Delicious. The oyster was perfectly crispy while the Fresno mayo added a nice umami bomb. Crab Gumbo: 1/5. The roux was clearly burnt, so it tasted bitter. Perhaps that was by design, but they should indicate that on the menu. And the sesame seeds were an unsuccessful addition. Service: We ate at the bar, but the bartenders were very knowledgeable about the menu. read more

Really great spot. Fantastic everything. Katie was our server and was really solid. Give it a run for sure.

Visited Charleston and had a dinner reservation for two. Some dishes were better than others, but I enjoyed my dinner and would come back here. If you like fresh seafood, this is a good place to check out (though they do not have crab or lobster). Dishes seem relatively "simple", but focused on freshness and quality ingredients which I appreciated. Ambiance / Service: this is in an old bank. Decor is fairly simple, but it still feels nice and would be a great place for a date night. You can dress up or down. Service was great. Food: everything was shared between two people and it was too much food. We preferred the appetizers over the mains, which were a bit underwhelming and under seasoned. Not sure if the menu changed a bit since I went, but some highlights include: -Peel & Eat Shrimp: fresh! Comes with around 12 good sized shrimps on ice with a small thing of a tartar. -Crispy Oyster Slider: comes with one. I did not try this, but the person who got it liked it. The waiter said it's one of the things they are known for. -B Liner Snapper Leche de Tigre: flavors were subtle but I enjoyed. Never thought to have cantaloupe with fish or avocado and it worked! -Heirloom Tomato & Cucumber Salad: Simple, but refreshing. Love the blue cheese. -Smoked Amberjack Pate: this was my favorite dish. It's a must order! -Some small side dish similar to an eggplant parm. Sooo flavorful and delicious. read more

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THIS is what people are talking about when they speak highly of the Charleston food scene. Every bite was heavenly from the seafood platter to the beef tartare to the oyster sliders. The wagyu steak Diane was a personal favorite- if you like steak and you like mushrooms, this is a must-order! Service was impeccable of course and we had a great outdoor seat on the patio just off King St that was perfect for some people watching. 10/10!! read more

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Service was outstanding! Food wasn't a standout. Just average, but expensive. What really frosted me was that they added a surprise 3% "Payment and Tech" charge to our bill. There was no indication of it on the menu. It felt arbitrary and underhanded. I told the waitress that I didn't order that and she said "they add it so they don't have to increase the price of the food." Go figure! It still adds to my bill. It wasn't a lot of money. It is the principle. I don't care how good a restaurant is, if they do that of thing I won't come back. read more

Our experience at The Ordinary was FANTASTIC!!! 10/10 The atmosphere was lovely - we sat outside and the food was all incredibly delicious and perfectly seasoned. Our server was Michael T. whose knowledge and service and recommendations are what made it absolutely perfect! All the way around - can't recommend enough! read more

The Ordinary - Oysters - variety - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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We stopped into, The Ordinary the other night for an impromptu appetizer-dinner date. You can never go wrong eating at The Ordinary, maybe broke (because everything is so amazing)! The bar scene is super chill and fun, the bartenders are great to talk to, and they will spend the extra time to walk you through the menu. We came in already knowing that you MUST always order the oyster sliders. I could eat hundreds of these small sandwiches, they are SO good. It's like a Bahn-Mi-style sandwich with a fried oyster. We tried the heirloom tomato & cucumber salad; everything was so fresh and loved the dressing. We were talking with our bar neighbor (Hank) and he asked us if we had ever tried the smoked oysters, which we had not. He was so nice that he got us the dish and we have now found our 2nd MUST order dish! There is a special way to eat them too: flip the cracker, cream fresh, hot sauce, oyster, and all down the hatch in 1 bite! If you're looking for a romantic bar, with amazing food and great vibes head to the Ordinary! Chef Mike Lata is an OG Chef in Charleston so you will not be disappointed. read more

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I might be an overly generous reviewer, but I think this place was the best meal I've eaten so far on our trip (sorry Atlanta!). I've been to Charleston once before and was impressed with how good their food scene was. This is the first of our Charleston restaurants and I can say it delivered. The wait staff was really knowledgable and friendly and we ended getting their recommendations. The interior was comfortable and large with two floors (we sat upstairs) and the food came out quicker than I expected. We got the baltimore style fish cake, the slow baked wreckfish, the pan roasted scallops, and roasted sweet potato with the plan to share everything. The fish cake was delicious and the peperonata added depth to what otherwise could have been a good but fairly one note bite. The slow baked wreckfish was probably my favorite, mostly because I like dishes that are a bit lighter and delicate. The scallops were good too even though the polenta made the dish a bit heartier and I found myself filling up quickly.I'm a sucker for sweet potatoes and these were a welcome side to break up the protein. Finally for dessert we got a chocolate budino which was 10/10 no notes. I am not a chocolate dessert person, but this was a combination of rich chocolate taste that wasn't too sweet with hazelnuts and caramel. For what it was, I wouldn't say it was a heavy dessert either. Overall, The Ordinary was excellent and started our Charleston food tour off strong. read more

The Ordinary is my favorite restaurant in downtown Charleston. The oyster sliders are life changing. It's that "oh wow" bite every single time. The service and ambience are also so nice - we prefer the outdoor patio, perfect amount of quiet music and wonderful surroundings. Can't recommend the enough! read more

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