The Ordinary

The Ordinary is THE place to go for seafood and shellfish in Charleston, in my opinion. The ambiance is charming, cozy and energetic, all at the same time. The service is attentive but not obtrusive. And the food is just incredible!
Three of us went for an early dinner with a 6pm reservation. We were seated upstairs at the edge of the balcony, overlooking the main floor, bar and shucking station. It was a great place to watch the action below, as the restaurant quickly filled up.
Our server, Ben, was extremely knowledgeable about both the food and wine menus. His suggestions were all spot on. We were pleasantly surprised when he told us they have an early bird discount on the shellfish towers. The triple is normally $ 125, but was only $ 89 before 6:30. (The platter and double are similarly reduced.) It was impossible to resist at that price. It contains an amazing assortment of ceviche, oysters, clams, shrimp, crab and lobster. Everything was delicious, but the Oysters Moscow were the star of the show. These are local oysters with crème fraîche, caviar and vodka. An absolutely perfect combination!
We could have stopped after the tower and been perfectly satisfied, but we couldn’t resist trying a few other things. Ben recommended the crispy oyster sliders and steak tartare, both of which are «must trys». We also got the squid ink rice grits and shrimp (rice grits are very light compared to corn grits, perfect for this point in the meal where there wasn’t much room left), sea salt potato chips (for $ 3 how can you not try them!), and peekytoe crab toast (very good, but not outstanding).
Even though we couldn’t eat another bite by this time, we had to order some dessert to go. I highly recommend both the lemon tort and chocolate cake that we ordered. They were the perfect ending to the evening.
One other bonus that isn’t mentioned on their website… there is complimentary valet parking a block away on Reid St. We stumbled upon it by accident. It’s a really big plus that they should note. Street parking around there can be challenging.
Overall, I can’t say enough good things about the Ordinary. It’s not cheap, but sharing a number of small plates is a memorable way to experience the magic. We’ll definitely be back. You should put down your computer and go there. Now. Seriously.

Straight up wonderful!
First time in SC and was recommended this place for great local fish, it didn’t disappoint at all!
We ordered tapa style for the table so we can try plenty of goodies. our selection was!
Wahoo crudo = A+
Oyster sliders = A+
Grilled Wahoo in romesco sauce = A+
Steak Tartar = B
Razor Clams = C
We chose an Italian Friuli wine which I didn’t remember the name but was very crisp and paired excellent with the dinner.
Service was great and attention to detail was right on! Great job!

we loved the innovative space of a redesigned bank with lots of volume. The server was friendly and helpful. We ordered the Hawaiian rolls, oyster sliders, and shared a special of skate with winter vegetables. The skate was delicious, but a tad on the salty side. Overall, we were under whelmed after reading all the hype in the reviews. The Ordinary was fine, but not head and shoulders above many of the other great restaurants in Charleston.

Traveled across the street to The Ordinary after a fantastic dinner at The Grocery-​My group wanted after dinner drinks. We were promptly seated at the window in the bar area where we were told our cocktail waitress would be right over… and she was. However, service very quickly went downhill. It was the end of the evening but there were still quite a few people at the bar. I ordered a glass of wine and when it had not come 20 minutes later I reminded our waitress that I had ordered one and she said the manager had already made last call. I saw 10+ individuals get another round between my order and her «message». The rest of my party then waited for our check but needed to approach the bar because the waitress never returned. Needless to say, our party promptly canceled their reservation for the following week.

If I could eat here every week, I would! This restaurant is one of my favorites in Charleston. It’s a bit on the pricier side, so it’s a «special occasion» place for us. I love the old bank building and the atmosphere and décor inside. The service is great; another review said it perfectly — it’s casual, yet structured and detail oriented.
Get the shellfish tower! We shared the two-​tier between two of us and it was the perfect size. It comes with a variety of oysters, clams, peel & eat shrimp, lobster claws, and scallop ceviche. Everything was fresh and flavorful; I didn’t want it to end. We each had one oyster slider before the tower which was as good as every review says. The price tag is a little steep for a slider, but totally worth it (get two if you can). Their specialty cocktails are also good. I believe they change fairly often.
I’ll definitely order the smoked oyster app the next time we go. Apparently their in-​house hot sauce is something extra special. The table beside ours asked for a bit to-​go and their server brought them some. When we asked about it, our waitress explained how much it is loved and offered to bring us some to take home, too. Very nice of her!

The Ordinary is anything but ordinary. We had several courses and dessert and each exceeded our expectations. The service was the best we’ve had in Charleston. Very knowledgeable staff, great with pairings! We started with the lobster cocktail followed by the smoke oysters recommended to us. The smoke oysters are so good! I almost ordered them again. Then we ordered the steak special and the black bass. The steak was cooked to perfection. I would highly recommend the black bass. For dessert we had blackout cake and the tart. Each course our server recommended a perfect wine/​sherry for us. She hit each out of the park. I hope to visit again soon!

Lobster rolls are one of the best things I have ever eaten in my life. I will definitely be back.

In our 48 hours in Charleston, I wanted to have one super nice meal, sort of a special occasion meal that we rarely get to experience in our busy, normal lives. I scoured reviews all over to decide (Husk? Fig? Mcrady’s?) and decided on The Ordinary. Everywhere I looked, people raved about this place, and the menu and vibe seemed right up my alley!
We ate late on a Sunday night (8:30pm reservation), and when we arrived most of the place was occupied and full of energy. As every other review mentions, the space is awesome. It was an old bank building that was impeccably remodeled and decorated. We sat on the first floor, though next time I’de love to sit up above all the action, or perhaps at the Oyster bar.
Service was everything you would expect from a place like this. Casual but disciplined, with the servers working in an effortless way to assist each table, replace silverware, re-​fill wine glasses, anticipate a question, etc. Our waitress (Ally I believe) was very helpful in providing wine and menu recommendations, and pacing our meal out to an enjoyable tempo.
We ordered and shared the following–
1) Oyster Sliders: At $ 6 each, I sorta expected more 2 bites per slider, but the flavor was out of this world, the Hawaiian roll so scrumptious, that it made up for the $ 3/​bite price. Def a must order item
2) Smoked Oysters + Saltines, and Hot Sauce: My date loved this more than I did. Perhaps I was annoyed there were 6 saltines and only 5 oysters? Basically this plate comes deconstructed, and you make your own little Oyster crackers, layering a smoked oyster on top of a toasted saltine, with some delightful crème fraîche and hot sauce. For me this was the weakest dish of the night, but that’s not to say it wasn’t delightful.
3) Yellowfin tuna poke: this poke dish (haven’t you heard, poke is all the rage) is presented as a lettuce wrap. Its a super fun way to eat this marinated fish, and it goes without saying this is the best poke dish Ive ever had. It’s on the pricier side ($ 17) for three little wraps (guess who got to eat the 3^rd one?), but a fresh alternative to the oyster flavors in our other dishes.
4) Squid Ink Rice Grits: WOAH. Best course of the night, by far. The ‘grits’ were really more like a risotto, died black from delicious squid ink. There was a seafood-​y foam on top that was to die for. Definitely not your mother’s shrimp and grits!
5) Peekytoe Crab Toast: Amazingly sweet crab on top of a thin piece of toast, finished with radishes. Great dish, perfect accompaniment to the shrimp/​grits dish we ate as our entrée.
6) Strawberry shortcake: I rarely order dessert, but my main squeeze had to have it, and we did not make a mistake. The sweetest local strawberries atop a biscuit, with some toffee crunch and other delicious things. Order it.
We have no regrets in picking The Ordinary for our special night out! Next time Ill try and come on a Friday or Saturday, sit at the bar, down some oysters, and people watch!

Sitting at the bar was a great bonus to the wonderful experience. Since they have a complex menu we asked the 3 bar tenders tons of questions. They were very helpful with the descriptions of foods and helping with the drink selection. The only reason I give it a 4 out of 5 is due to the limited menu options. Yet, please know I like a limited menu. Just when your date does not like any seafood it is a little limited.

The Place to Eat in Charleston.
try the Vermouth cocktails, a first for me, tasty with Contronto Bianco
Jennifer was an awesome server, very informed and knowledgeable.
Started with Fresh oysters on the half shell delicious.
Second was the Razor clams just as delicious.
Third was the flounder ceviche, and Shrimp escabeche
Finished with the Truffled Risotto, with plenty of Shaved black truffles.
the rice pudding was a good finish.

Their cold plates fare better than the hot ones imo. We shared amberjack pâté, flounder ceviche, grouper and swordfish. The swordfish was nice and dill-​y but overcooked and so was the grouper. Romesco sauce under the swordfish was too salty but the side vegetables in the grouper dish was really well cooked and stole the show. The two cold dishes we had were just perfect. The amberjack pâté specifically was so delicious that I wish the Jewish deli near home served smoked fish this good.

The Ordinary is extraordinary! Skip Magnolias and head to this former bank for some bangin’ low country fare and libations where they care about what they serve. I ate here twice over two days (a rarity for me) and it gets better and better.
Ate:
Oyster sliders
Smoked phat lady oysters w/​crème fraîche saltines & house hot sauce
Salad of young lettuce, satsuma, fennel and walnuts
Sunday fish fry
Hawaiian rolls
Key lime pie
Drank
Revelry gullah cream ale
The architecture of the former bank is an elegant dining destination. No it’s not cheap, but if you’re a fan of low country then this is the spot. Oysters rule here and the little sliders w/​coconuty cabbage are killer. The fresh baked Hawaiian rolls– parker w/​coconut are like Parker house rolls on crack. The smoked fat oysters were such a taste surprise– I ate them the way the friendly bartender– Lane told me– saltine, crème fraîche oysters and hot sauce– wow. Sunday fish fry with rocket sauce was rockin’ Only little mistep was the salad– could be perfect if the walnuts are toasted, otherwise they were out of the bag and not integrated into the mix/​Key lime with toasted meringue was pie perfection and that creamy ale– Oh yeah!

If your a stone crab lover, don’t order the SC Stone crabs. They are ok but not the same. The shrimp with squid ink grits is absolutely amazing. The work that goes into that dish can be seen upon arrival. The chocolate silk pie is truly the best I have ever had.

Best meal in Charleston so far. Highly recommend oyster sliders, baked oyster, squid grits and shrimp, bass entrée, and blueberry dessert.

This place, in my opinion is overpriced and the food was less than ordinary, pun intended. I had the $ 30 seafood platter, half a flounder, about 2 pieces of shrimp, one hushpuppie, and some other fried items.
The aforementioned was a very small dish, I had to order something else to satisfy me. I ordered baked oysters and white shrimp gumbo. The tasting of those dishes was very different, not pleasing to my fine tuned taste buds.
Two stars represent the ambiance of this place and hostess courtesy. The food, not what I would expect for the price and portions.

This is my third trip to «The Ordinary». Yet again. I had an impeccable experience, starting at the point when I made the reservation. As I suspected, snagging a reservation on Labor Day Friday would be a challenge. But I appreciated that they had a waiting list for when people cancelled, and they did call me back to inform me of an open time (it didn’t work for me, but still appreciated).
We went anyway with the hope that we could snag space at the bar. Luck was with us.
We were waited on by two awesome bartenders who were equally knowledgeable at sharing food knowledge as they were on the topic of drinks. In the end, I enjoyed the bar experience just as much, if not even more than a table seating. It was that good.
I have come for the raw oysters and they never disappoint. Great variety, fresh tasting, served cold with awesome house made cocktail sauce and horseradish.
Last night, I was not terribly hungry so I stuck with a few oysters and a bowl of white fish New England clam chowder. Great bowl. Not overly heavy/​creamy, excellent flavor. Crispy bacon pieces make everything better. I see this as a «go to» comfort food fish for a future gray fall/​winter evening.
We closed things out with a rich, satisfying piece of chocolate silk pie. A self professed chocoholic, this dessert rocked my world.
I am a fan of consistency, and after three visits, I would say «The Ordinary» is consistently a stellar restaurant that delivers high quality food, has hired very talented people in front of the restaurant and in the kitchen.
I propose that they rename their restaurant to «The EXTRAordinary». Lol.

You’re immediately taken to this old world charm of Charleston but yet it’s so very on trend! I do agree with some Unilocalers that the seafood towers probably isnt the best way to try all the goodies Ordinary offers. Unless you have a big party and can share everything, I would opt for a la carte and go for the more decadent options.
Following fellow Unilocalers advice, the Broiled Oysters are delicious, not to be missed, fresh oysters swimming in garlicky heaven. The oysters are sweet, fat and plump, then they add this garlick parmesan crust, broiled to perfection. A must!
Next was the giant shrimps in a white BBQ sauce. Hidden underneath was a piece of charred semolina bread that soaked up the tasty sauce.
We also got Wednesday’s special of Fried Fish Snitz and it today’s special was Amberjack fish. Even eating my fair share of sushi in NY, its pretty rare to find Amberjack, which happens to be my favorite sushi fish. Since Amberjack is a white buttery fish to begin with, the dish didnt need much additional sauce so the chef was smart to just pair it with a simple potato salad. We also got Farro Succatash with sweet corn, scallions, sweet peas and lima beans. The entire meal was delicious!
The service really says a lot about southern hospitality. Everyone was so attentive and friendly.
We paired our meal with the Apex predator beer and a glass of the Melon white wine, both great suggestions from our awesome waiter, Adam!

As our girl’s night downtown continued, we headed into the Ordinary with plans to belly up to the bar and have another cocktail and some more apps. The bar was packed, so that plan halted to a screeching stop quickly. Luckily a hostess/​server asked us what we wanted to drink and went and got us cocktails as we stood behind people seated at the bar waiting for a spot. Then things all of the sudden turned even more towards our favor as another hostess informed us she had an actual table ready we could have. SCORE!
This was my second visit to the Ordinary so already knowing what to expect, I knew I was in for a treat. Our server Jay was awesome. Very attentive and a lot of fun. Since we were seated at a table instead of the bar we ordered a lot more dishes than we probably would have. I had three different outstanding bites that I would love to go back and have again today. That’ s how good they were! First was the broiled oyster with ramp butter and Parmesan. So amazing! The table census was that this version of their broiled oysters was even better than Leon’s char-​grilled oysters. And if you’ve read my Leon’s review, you know how much I enjoyed their oysters. Next up was the ceviche. It was one of that evening’s specials so I can’t remember what the fish was, just that it was a local fish and it was delicious. The fish was surrounded by some of my food favorites including avocado and cilantro. So so good. My third and final, could eat again right now favorite bite, came from the garlic soup. I know, crazy right! You’re at this beautiful seafood restaurant and the soup was your third favorite bite? I’m telling you, it is amazing. Amazingly smooth consistency and seasoned perfectly with a wonderful peppery kick.
As I finish typing this review, I’ve decided to up it to the full 5 stars. I had it at 4 before I started writing, but then realized how highly I feel about all aspects of the experience you have at the Ordinary and had to up it to a 5. ;-)

This would definitely be a higher starred review had our evening not started out on a sour note with the hostess. And let me just say that I am a planner who decided which restaurant we’d be eating at when during our long weekend in Charleston. I stalked the OpenTable page until reservations opened up for The Ordinary. So when I got there right on time on Sunday evening and was repeatedly questioned and basically quizzed on what my name is – very much insinuating that I had not made a reservation – I was a little put off. After about the 3^rd or 4^th time of me having to spell my last name, she «found it in the system» and my husband and I were seated, but at no point was there ever an apology of any kind. I wasn’t expecting some grand gesture, but maybe just a quick «sorry» would have sufficed?
Anyway, it’s hard to immediately recover and enjoy an evening after being treated rudely. The restaurant was quite busy, but the dishes came at a good pace. We decided to share a bunch of smaller plates:
½ dozen local SC oysters – quite large and «plump»
Oyster sliders – got one each and realllllly liked whatever spicy sauce they put on them
BBQ shrimp – peel ‘n eat style so it was extremely messy but the shrimp pieces were huge and the bbq sauce was too die for!
Steak tartare – not bad, but I don’t remember much about it so we definitely could have skipped it
Crab toast – like a fancier tuna sandwich. A good starter, but not anything to write home about.
The place was pretty packed at 9:15 on a Sunday night. We were able to easily find free street parking just down the block on King St. I definitely recommend The Ordinary for the food and the interiors of the restaurant were beautiful. I love what they did décor-​wise with the older building. I just hope that your experience doesn’t begin the same way as mine!

There is no doubt that The Ordinary serves up some of the best seafood in all of Charleston. Chef Mike Lata (also the chef at the immensely popular FIG) offers a menu of mostly seafood-​based small plates. My only complaint is that ordering for the table is a bit tricky, since most of the plates are small in portion but big on price. The «Hot» and «Cold» dishes that take up most of the menu, while all delicious and expertly cooked, are all appetizer-​size, with only 3 – 4 entrees offered per night. With that being said, The Ordinary is a great place to go for a big blow-​out meal, celebration or when Papa is paying. If you really wanna go big or go home, The Shellfish Towers are pretty incredible, offered in platter, double and triple size portions. Either way, ordering some variety of oysters to the table is a must, whether smoked, fried, broiled or raw.
Must order items:
Oyster Sliders
BBQ White Shrimp w. Charred Bread
Smoked Oysters + Saltines
Broiled Oysters w. butter & parmesan