Since I was only in the downtown Charleston area for one evening I decided to walk around the city and see if there was a place that looked good to eat. As I walked through the semi-cobblestoned streets I was amazed that almost every store was closed on a weekday at around 7:00pm.
There were a few restaurants available on King Street of Charleston, but nothing that struck my eye. I eventually found myself on Meeting Street and saw an establishment with a large group of people standing outside waiting to be served (usually a good sign of a Columbus worthy eating venue).
Apparently, this venue, called Hyman's Seafood, is one of the most famous places to eat in Charleston. As I looked at the Hyman's Seafood Menu one thing in particular literally jumped off of the page to me, the Shrimp and Grits. Apparently, this is a fairly common dish in the deep south, but for this West Coast traveler it was a delicacy that had to be tried.
Once I ordered my entree I was served the standard complementary appetizer at Hyman's, that of boiled peanuts--definitely another uniquely southern flavor.
In addition to the uniquely southern flare infused comida, Hyman's seemed to have a tradition of the owner going around and thanking the diner's for eating at the restaurant. That being said, it seemed like much more of a marketing ploy than a genuine greeting. I say this because as an undercover food critic who was dining by themselves Mr. Hyman did not even think of coming by my table to greet me.
Another unique addition to Hyman's is that the tables have little plaques at the place-settings giving reference to the most famous clientele who have eaten at each particular table. My table was previously frequented by Patti Labelle and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Restaurant Review
Overall, I give Hyman's Seafood an under-performing 3* out of 5 *
-Price: $$
-Atmosohere: Casual
-Vibe: Southern Hospitality
-Location: Downtown Charleston
-Employees: Laid Back High School and College Students
-Inquiring Minds Want to Know: In case you are wondering the Shrimp & Grits were ridiculously filling, but not really that great. You would expect fresher tasting seafood being that close to the ocean. If you go to Charleston it is worth visiting Hyman's, but it is most definitely not a whole in the wall. Rather Hyman's Seafood is one of those restaurants that gained a reputation for being good in the past, but simply fails to live up to it's reputation now. The uniqueness of the cuisine is why I would recommend this restaurant, but go somewhere else if you want quality and great tasting food, as here you will find pretty good food that is a bit overpriced with a long wait to be seated.
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| Cobblestone of King Street |
There were a few restaurants available on King Street of Charleston, but nothing that struck my eye. I eventually found myself on Meeting Street and saw an establishment with a large group of people standing outside waiting to be served (usually a good sign of a Columbus worthy eating venue).
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| Hyman's Seafood Charleston, S.C. |
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| Shrimp & Grits with Collared Greens and Hush Puppies |
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| Hyman's Seafood Boiled Peanuts |
In addition to the uniquely southern flare infused comida, Hyman's seemed to have a tradition of the owner going around and thanking the diner's for eating at the restaurant. That being said, it seemed like much more of a marketing ploy than a genuine greeting. I say this because as an undercover food critic who was dining by themselves Mr. Hyman did not even think of coming by my table to greet me.
Another unique addition to Hyman's is that the tables have little plaques at the place-settings giving reference to the most famous clientele who have eaten at each particular table. My table was previously frequented by Patti Labelle and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Overall, I give Hyman's Seafood an under-performing 3* out of 5 *
-Price: $$
-Atmosohere: Casual
-Vibe: Southern Hospitality
-Location: Downtown Charleston
-Employees: Laid Back High School and College Students
-Inquiring Minds Want to Know: In case you are wondering the Shrimp & Grits were ridiculously filling, but not really that great. You would expect fresher tasting seafood being that close to the ocean. If you go to Charleston it is worth visiting Hyman's, but it is most definitely not a whole in the wall. Rather Hyman's Seafood is one of those restaurants that gained a reputation for being good in the past, but simply fails to live up to it's reputation now. The uniqueness of the cuisine is why I would recommend this restaurant, but go somewhere else if you want quality and great tasting food, as here you will find pretty good food that is a bit overpriced with a long wait to be seated.
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