Softie Specials: 30 Places to Eat Soft Shell Crab in Charleston
Spring is here, and so is the short-lived soft shell crab season! Get em' while they're soft 🦀
FYI, soft shell crab supply is pretty variable, so there’s no guarantee that every restaurant listed below will always have softies available in the next few weeks! Since this is a highly seasonal ingredient, dishes featuring soft shell crab can often change daily, too. Call ahead to check if the restaurant you’re planning on going to has softies, and to confirm what their specials are.
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Downtown Charleston
82 Queen did a soft shell with pimento cheese grits over the weekend in classic Lowcountry style.
Brasserie La Banque has been doing a soft shell crab à la meunière (a sauce usually made with brown butter, lemon and parsley), with a spring onion pistou and a brioche crumb.
Chasing Sage’s recent dish sounds amazing: soft shell crab marinated in ginger juice and fried in potato starch, with kimchi ice cream (WHAT!!!), snow pea spring onion slaw, unagi glaze, and mustard greens.
Coterie had a butter tikka soft shell crab special over the weekend
Cru Cafe has featured softies in several lunch and dinner specials in the past few days. Below is their recent lunch special: buttermilk marinated soft shell crab, creamed corn maque choux, petite arugula salad, and heirloom cherry tomatoes.
The Darling Oyster Bar’s special yesterday was two fried soft-shell crabs over a mushroom and spinach risotto, topped with bacon jam.
Fleet Landing has served entree and lunch specials recently including soft shell BLTs and soft shell crabs over Sea Island peas with watercress salad, crispy capers and lemon (pictured below).
I went to High Cotton for Easter brunch and they had softie sandwiches as their special!
Husk’s Thursday night special was a katsu-styled soft shell crab with caviar beurre blanc.
Leon’s Oyster Shop has been serving up softie BLTs with the classic Duke’s mayonnaise!
Millers All Day’s special yesterday at their DT location was a soft shell stir fry with udon noodles, roasted broccoli, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, mushrooms, stir fry sauce, benne seeds, and a sunny side egg.
Pink Bellies’ “bun mis” looks GIANT! Because counts are limited, they recommend that if you have a reservation, to give them a call in advance so they can save a softie for you!
Porchetta Shop’s been doing a sandwich with cornmeal fried soft shell crab, salsa rossa, a lemon-caper aioli, arugula, and shaved red onion on their house-made focaccia.
S.N.O.B. recently had a soft shell crab twist on a BLT sandwich!
NoMo/North Central Charleston/Park Circle
King BBQ just did a chicken fried soft shell crab dish with tiger salad, bbq chili oil, seasoned soy, and thin wonton noodles.
Mount Pleasant
Westbrook Brewing is hosting Co-Hog, the food truck, who will be serving up softie sandwiches from 1-6pm on Saturday 4/13! They’re advising to come early because they are expected to sell out!
James Island
Ellis Creek Fish Camp has soft shell BLTs, too!
The James’ fried soft shell crab sandwich with remoulade, chili lime sauce, and cabbage slaw sounds divine.
Kwei Fei’s softie with crab roe wide noodles looks SO GOOD.
Johns Island
The Royal Tern has been using softies for an appetizer: cornmeal fried soft shell crab with arugula, tomato, red onion, field Peas, butter beans, tomatillo salsa verde, and smoked poblano crema.
Sullivan’s Island
The Obstinate Daughter has been pairing their softies with local bread from Tiller Baking Co., zipper peas, asparagus, blistered tomatoes, arugula, and zhoug sauce.
Sullivan’s Fish Camp’s Thursday special was salt and pepper soft Shell Crab 🦀
Served with stir fried pea shoots and crab aioli.
Know someone with a soft spot for softies? Share this list with them!
Heard of other soft shell crab specials going on in CHS? Leave a comment to let me know, and I’ll add them to the list!