The best dining experience I’ve ever had. Service was great - (shoutout Hunter our server), food was phenomenal, and atmosphere was so nice! We waited an hour in line to put our name down for a reserved time and it was well worth the wait. Highly recommend coming here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christopher Woodall
Underwhelming, noisy and not worth the hour wait. Certainly did not exceed expectations primarily due to such small servings at such a high price point. Tip, Small plate = appetizer, ceviche = 4 bites on a half slice of toast. As a world traveling foodie I've experienced much better at this price even in France. My benchmark is food that plays a symphony on my tongue, this falls short. That said, the nuance of flavors is pleasantly intriguing, the raw selections top notch. All in All an interesting tasty meal but not a good value quality vs price.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 4
Kris Tryber
Brian absolutely killed it last night. The food was great, the service was great. Thanks for making our visit to Charleston a great experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Oliver Barratt
Great food, worth the wait
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nadder Nejad
We finally went after 5 years and unfortunately, we'll now also be waiting outside for an hour before they open because this place deserves all the gas they get! Phenomenal food matched only by the service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
J H.
Great food, friendly staff, why they don’t have a Michelin star???
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jenn Balch
This is a special note of appreciation for the amazing hostess. Not an easy thing when everyone is impatiently waiting outside. She did an excellent job keeping us updated on timing and transitioning us to a warm, welcoming atmosphere despite a longer-than-expected wait (we brought our toddler so needed a low table instead of a high-top which made the wait longer). She really went out of her way to accommodate us and make the evening special. It’s obviously not the easiest environment for young kids, but we worked hard to make it work with our daughter, and I felt like the restaurant staff worked with us to do the same. As a result, this was one of our most special and memorable family meals to date! (Note we dine out a lot with her, wouldn’t recommend for all young kids unless they’re patient and practiced with a similar dining environment). Food was 10/10 but really the Michelin-level service took the experience over the top
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amy Marshall
Loved it but not a fan of waiting in line for an hour and a half to get in.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brian DeBaker
Quite the experience. Very good! Get there early and enjoy the experience and the food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Matthew Martin
Simply beyond reproach. Waiting outside adds an element of wonder and anticipation. What awaits me on the daily menu? Crab fat curry oysters just about the best thing I’ve ever had in my life. The staff was wonderful, engaging, and fun to be around. I had a goofy smile on my face just about the whole time, grateful to have dined at a well deserved top restaurant in NA. A truly magical meal.
No reservations, first come, and they seat in waves. We arrived just before 7p on a Wednesday evening. First available seating was at 8:45, so we popped into the bar Nextdoor (Seahorse). Once seated I noted It’s a small space but not crowded and feels informally fancy. Menu is up on the wall above the kitchen, which is open. We started with the oysters, excellent. Our server explained that our items would come out as they were ready in the kitchen, and not necessarily in any logical order. We got our (small plate) cauliflower first. It was a sharing portion and the roasted florets were done just enough to still have a little crunch and the poblano crèma parmesan was over the top! Next came the (large plate) chili garlic shrimp then the bone marrow with shrimp tempura and spicy mayo. Everything was elevated and delicious! We had a nice conversation with the couple seated next to us (from London) and it felt friendly and intimate. Overall, an experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
W. Jardine
Terrible. Waited 3 hours then told we couldn’t get a table till 10 pm. They treat customers like trash. Go elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Tammy Thomas
Darling little place, love the old school speakers in the corners of the space. We Loved the open kitchen, and the staff was great. The caviar and the oysters were very good! The fish was fresh and cooked great- but it was not the best meal I’ve had for the price- even in Charleston. The wine- I expected better! It was just ok- I won’t go back, we did it, we did the New York Times raved restaurant, but one and done for us.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Gavin Taylor
One of the best meals ive ever eaten. Crab fat curry oysters, curry smoked black grouper, and chili garlic shrimp. While the waiting situation was not great, the bar next door (Seahorse) had wonderful drinks. Highly recommend, one of if not the best experiences in Charleston.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Laura McCarthy
My fiancé and I visited Charleston to celebrate a very special week—my 40th birthday which my fiancé proposed to me on!—and Chubby Fish made it truly unforgettable. We dined there our first night in town and were absolutely blown away. After trying another well-reviewed restaurant the next evening and leaving feeling underwhelmed, we decided to return to Chubby Fish—and that decision turned everything around. The moment we walked in and mentioned our celebration, the staff treated us like royalty. Dani and Kate were beyond kind and attentive, making us feel like VIPs the entire evening. Every dish that came to our table was a masterpiece—fresh, innovative, and hands-down the best food we’ve ever had. And we don’t say that lightly.
What really left a lasting impression was meeting the owner, James London. You could see how personally invested he is in every single dish. His passion and care are evident in every plate that leaves the kitchen. It’s rare to witness that kind of dedication, and it made the experience even more meaningful.
The atmosphere is warm and intimate, buzzing with the kind of energy that tells you something special is happening here. It’s the kind of place you never want to leave—and certainly the kind of place we’ll never forget.
Thank you, Chubby Fish, for making such an important moment in our lives even more magical. We can’t wait to come back.
The best dining experience I’ve ever had. Service was great - (shoutout Hunter our server), food was phenomenal, and atmosphere was so nice! We waited an hour in line to put our name down for a reserved time and it was well worth the wait. Highly recommend coming here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Underwhelming, noisy and not worth the hour wait. Certainly did not exceed expectations primarily due to such small servings at such a high price point. Tip, Small plate = appetizer, ceviche = 4 bites on a half slice of toast. As a world traveling foodie I've experienced much better at this price even in France. My benchmark is food that plays a symphony on my tongue, this falls short. That said, the nuance of flavors is pleasantly intriguing, the raw selections top notch. All in All an interesting tasty meal but not a good value quality vs price.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 4
Brian absolutely killed it last night. The food was great, the service was great. Thanks for making our visit to Charleston a great experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food, worth the wait
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We finally went after 5 years and unfortunately, we'll now also be waiting outside for an hour before they open because this place deserves all the gas they get! Phenomenal food matched only by the service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food, friendly staff, why they don’t have a Michelin star???
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is a special note of appreciation for the amazing hostess. Not an easy thing when everyone is impatiently waiting outside. She did an excellent job keeping us updated on timing and transitioning us to a warm, welcoming atmosphere despite a longer-than-expected wait (we brought our toddler so needed a low table instead of a high-top which made the wait longer). She really went out of her way to accommodate us and make the evening special. It’s obviously not the easiest environment for young kids, but we worked hard to make it work with our daughter, and I felt like the restaurant staff worked with us to do the same. As a result, this was one of our most special and memorable family meals to date! (Note we dine out a lot with her, wouldn’t recommend for all young kids unless they’re patient and practiced with a similar dining environment). Food was 10/10 but really the Michelin-level service took the experience over the top
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loved it but not a fan of waiting in line for an hour and a half to get in.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Quite the experience. Very good! Get there early and enjoy the experience and the food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Simply beyond reproach. Waiting outside adds an element of wonder and anticipation. What awaits me on the daily menu? Crab fat curry oysters just about the best thing I’ve ever had in my life. The staff was wonderful, engaging, and fun to be around. I had a goofy smile on my face just about the whole time, grateful to have dined at a well deserved top restaurant in NA. A truly magical meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
No reservations, first come, and they seat in waves. We arrived just before 7p on a Wednesday evening. First available seating was at 8:45, so we popped into the bar Nextdoor (Seahorse). Once seated I noted It’s a small space but not crowded and feels informally fancy. Menu is up on the wall above the kitchen, which is open. We started with the oysters, excellent. Our server explained that our items would come out as they were ready in the kitchen, and not necessarily in any logical order. We got our (small plate) cauliflower first. It was a sharing portion and the roasted florets were done just enough to still have a little crunch and the poblano crèma parmesan was over the top! Next came the (large plate) chili garlic shrimp then the bone marrow with shrimp tempura and spicy mayo. Everything was elevated and delicious! We had a nice conversation with the couple seated next to us (from London) and it felt friendly and intimate. Overall, an experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Terrible. Waited 3 hours then told we couldn’t get a table till 10 pm. They treat customers like trash. Go elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Darling little place, love the old school speakers in the corners of the space. We Loved the open kitchen, and the staff was great. The caviar and the oysters were very good! The fish was fresh and cooked great- but it was not the best meal I’ve had for the price- even in Charleston.
The wine- I expected better! It was just ok- I won’t go back, we did it, we did the New York Times raved restaurant, but one and done for us.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
One of the best meals ive ever eaten. Crab fat curry oysters, curry smoked black grouper, and chili garlic shrimp. While the waiting situation was not great, the bar next door (Seahorse) had wonderful drinks. Highly recommend, one of if not the best experiences in Charleston.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My fiancé and I visited Charleston to celebrate a very special week—my 40th birthday which my fiancé proposed to me on!—and Chubby Fish made it truly unforgettable. We dined there our first night in town and were absolutely blown away. After trying another well-reviewed restaurant the next evening and leaving feeling underwhelmed, we decided to return to Chubby Fish—and that decision turned everything around.
The moment we walked in and mentioned our celebration, the staff treated us like royalty. Dani and Kate were beyond kind and attentive, making us feel like VIPs the entire evening. Every dish that came to our table was a masterpiece—fresh, innovative, and hands-down the best food we’ve ever had. And we don’t say that lightly.
What really left a lasting impression was meeting the owner, James London. You could see how personally invested he is in every single dish. His passion and care are evident in every plate that leaves the kitchen. It’s rare to witness that kind of dedication, and it made the experience even more meaningful.
The atmosphere is warm and intimate, buzzing with the kind of energy that tells you something special is happening here. It’s the kind of place you never want to leave—and certainly the kind of place we’ll never forget.
Thank you, Chubby Fish, for making such an important moment in our lives even more magical. We can’t wait to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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