This place was such an amazing experience for my best friend and me. The food was flavorful, the drinks were innovative, and the service from Michael was my favorite part.
Michael was able to give tailored suggestions and made me and my party feel like he was really taking his time to give a curated experience. As someone in the industry, its impossible to teach the level of love and care that Michael put into his service.
Also, a shoutout to the bar team for making such a great cocktail list. Making a cocktail list without a director is an impressive feat.
Can't wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maya kast
I wish all the ordinary will be like this place. Fresh oysters, dishes done for perfection, everything in each dish is needed. Attentive service, great cocktails.
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.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Ceciletravelinfo
Seafood-focused raw bar with inventive dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Max Dennard
The Ordinary lives up to its reputation as a Charleston seafood hotspot, offering a mix of refined flavors, beautiful presentation, and a lively, upscale atmosphere.
We started with the Seafood Tower ($80), which was an excellent way to kick off the meal. It came loaded with 12 oysters (two different varieties), 4 clams, fresh shrimp, yellowfin tuna tartare, and four well-paired sauces. Everything tasted impeccably fresh, and it’s the kind of shareable starter that sets the tone for the evening. Highly recommend.
For mains, the Slow Baked Scamp Grouper ($49) was good but not a standout. The fish itself was tender and well-cooked, but the herb-forward pistou sauce overpowered the delicate flavor of the grouper, landing this one at about a 3/5 for me.
The Wagyu Steak Diane ($49), however, was outstanding. Perfectly cooked to medium rare, the rich, savory sauce was easily the highlight of the dish. The Lowcountry mushrooms rounded it out beautifully—this is a must-order if you enjoy steak.
Tips: The menu lends itself to ordering several entrees and sharing so everyone gets to taste a bit of everything. The seafood tower is worth the splurge. Parking in the area can be tricky—using an app like SpotHero and planning for a short walk (about 15 minutes) makes the evening much smoother.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
michael yeh
Oysters and stone crab claws are both super delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Scott Wojtas
Anything but ordinary!
Stellar in every regard - from the hospitable and attentive service to the layered flavor of the food.
Rachel and Ben at the bar made my business visit to Charleston memorable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Travis Dougan
We like the Ordinary and chose it for an anniversary celebration. The service was great, as usual, and our meal was very good but my one complaint is .... it was freezing in the restaurant. I'm not sure why they do this. I was wearing pants for the first time since May as Charleston had an unusually cooler August day but looking around most people were in shorts & sundresses. It had to be 55 degrees and everyone looked uncomfortable. We ate reasonably fast, skipped dessert due to temps. I'm a mid 50's male and not a senior that brings a sweater everywhere :). In general, as much as I love the gumbo there are equally good seafood restaurants at 50% the price. It will be awhile before returning. The line at Chubby Fish isn't that bad (the Establishment is on par and the setting equal without being freezing)
Other than the slow service we had a great dining experience. I really appreciated our waiter taking the time to walk through which menu items were gluten free. The gumbo was naturally gluten free and excellent--highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Katie Greiner
Cannot recommend this place enough! The atmosphere and service was just as outstanding as the food. We were helped by Michael and he made our experience unforgettable. His thorough knowledge of the menu proved how the staff takes extra care in curating a one of a kind experience. The raw and broiled oysters were fresh with unique accompaniments while the snapper was flavorful and a perfectly plated. You cannot go wrong with any of the desserts! With one guest in our party requiring non-dairy items, the staff was more than willing to make adjustments as well as make helpful recommendations. Thank you to Michael and The Ordinary for being the highlight of our trip!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Zucchini Carpaccio, Seafood
Chris
Wonderful! I enjoyed the fish and New England clam chowder, which was rich and flavorful. The atmosphere was quiet and refined, with respectful patrons and patient, but attentive staff. It is well worth the price if you can afford this sort of establishment.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alyssa Ramsey
Came here for bachelorette and birthday dinner. Told the hostess multiple times that it was my friends birthday and she said we will make sure we bring out something. They literally brought out a lit candle on a plate. I can’t even make this up. When leaving restaurant mentioned it to the hostess and then she tells me they don’t do birthdays you have to order a dessert off the menu. We would have gladly ordered a dessert if known before hand but never told that until after then bringing out a candle on a plate and leaving restaurant . This place is literally a joke and service was awful.
Nancy Kidder
We loved our dinner here. I highly recommend requesting Rebecca as your server. She helped curate our dinner and gave us exceptional wine pairings. Plus— do the caviar service!!!
This place was such an amazing experience for my best friend and me. The food was flavorful, the drinks were innovative, and the service from Michael was my favorite part.
Michael was able to give tailored suggestions and made me and my party feel like he was really taking his time to give a curated experience. As someone in the industry, its impossible to teach the level of love and care that Michael put into his service.
Also, a shoutout to the bar team for making such a great cocktail list. Making a cocktail list without a director is an impressive feat.
Can't wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I wish all the ordinary will be like this place. Fresh oysters, dishes done for perfection, everything in each dish is needed. Attentive service, great cocktails.
Highly recommended
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Oyster Sliders, Fried Oyster Sliders, Tuna Pate with Sesame Crackers
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.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Seafood-focused raw bar with inventive dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Ordinary lives up to its reputation as a Charleston seafood hotspot, offering a mix of refined flavors, beautiful presentation, and a lively, upscale atmosphere.
We started with the Seafood Tower ($80), which was an excellent way to kick off the meal. It came loaded with 12 oysters (two different varieties), 4 clams, fresh shrimp, yellowfin tuna tartare, and four well-paired sauces. Everything tasted impeccably fresh, and it’s the kind of shareable starter that sets the tone for the evening. Highly recommend.
For mains, the Slow Baked Scamp Grouper ($49) was good but not a standout. The fish itself was tender and well-cooked, but the herb-forward pistou sauce overpowered the delicate flavor of the grouper, landing this one at about a 3/5 for me.
The Wagyu Steak Diane ($49), however, was outstanding. Perfectly cooked to medium rare, the rich, savory sauce was easily the highlight of the dish. The Lowcountry mushrooms rounded it out beautifully—this is a must-order if you enjoy steak.
Tips: The menu lends itself to ordering several entrees and sharing so everyone gets to taste a bit of everything. The seafood tower is worth the splurge. Parking in the area can be tricky—using an app like SpotHero and planning for a short walk (about 15 minutes) makes the evening much smoother.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Oysters and stone crab claws are both super delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anything but ordinary!
Stellar in every regard - from the hospitable and attentive service to the layered flavor of the food.
Rachel and Ben at the bar made my business visit to Charleston memorable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We like the Ordinary and chose it for an anniversary celebration. The service was great, as usual, and our meal was very good but my one complaint is .... it was freezing in the restaurant. I'm not sure why they do this. I was wearing pants for the first time since May as Charleston had an unusually cooler August day but looking around most people were in shorts & sundresses. It had to be 55 degrees and everyone looked uncomfortable. We ate reasonably fast, skipped dessert due to temps. I'm a mid 50's male and not a senior that brings a sweater everywhere :). In general, as much as I love the gumbo there are equally good seafood restaurants at 50% the price. It will be awhile before returning. The line at Chubby Fish isn't that bad (the Establishment is on par and the setting equal without being freezing)
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Always the Best in everything!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Awesome epicurean experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Other than the slow service we had a great dining experience. I really appreciated our waiter taking the time to walk through which menu items were gluten free. The gumbo was naturally gluten free and excellent--highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Cannot recommend this place enough! The atmosphere and service was just as outstanding as the food. We were helped by Michael and he made our experience unforgettable. His thorough knowledge of the menu proved how the staff takes extra care in curating a one of a kind experience. The raw and broiled oysters were fresh with unique accompaniments while the snapper was flavorful and a perfectly plated. You cannot go wrong with any of the desserts! With one guest in our party requiring non-dairy items, the staff was more than willing to make adjustments as well as make helpful recommendations. Thank you to Michael and The Ordinary for being the highlight of our trip!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Zucchini Carpaccio, Seafood
Wonderful! I enjoyed the fish and New England clam chowder, which was rich and flavorful. The atmosphere was quiet and refined, with respectful patrons and patient, but attentive staff. It is well worth the price if you can afford this sort of establishment.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came here for bachelorette and birthday dinner. Told the hostess multiple times that it was my friends birthday and she said we will make sure we bring out something. They literally brought out a lit candle on a plate. I can’t even make this up. When leaving restaurant mentioned it to the hostess and then she tells me they don’t do birthdays you have to order a dessert off the menu. We would have gladly ordered a dessert if known before hand but never told that until after then bringing out a candle on a plate and leaving restaurant . This place is literally a joke and service was awful.
We loved our dinner here. I highly recommend requesting Rebecca as your server. She helped curate our dinner and gave us exceptional wine pairings. Plus— do the caviar service!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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