If you haven’t been to Fleet Landing you are probably not from Charleston, and what are you waiting for?! This classic Charleston staple needs to be put on your list. Located right on the Charleston Harbor, it’s has the kind of waterfront setting that makes you want to sit outside, order a drink, and pretend you don’t have approximately 47 things waiting for you at home. If you can snag an outdoor table, do it. The harbor breeze is perfect, and after dinner, you can walk over to the Pineapple Fountain and soak up all the Charleston date night vibes. Or let your kids run wild in the fountains, I have no judgment!
I recently went for a girls’ night, and we had so much fun. We didn’t have a reservation, so we ended up waiting until 8:45pm for a table, which is essentially midnight in parent years. But honestly? We had such a good time chatting that it was totally worth the wait.
The food was amazing, and I love that Fleet Landing feels nice without being overly fancy or stuffy. You can dress up, but you can also show up feeling a little more casual and still fit right in. They have a raw oyster bar, plenty of seafood, and some seriously good appetizers. We started with the fried green tomatoes and crab cake bruschetta with a sweet and savory sauce, and both were a huge hit. We also tried the seasonal watermelon salad topped with a creamy whipped cheese, which was light and refreshing. For dinner, we all ordered the catch of the day, and it was exactly the kind of seafood I love. It felt special and fresh without being crazy expensive upscale seafood, but it also wasn’t your typical fried fish situation. Basically, it was the seafood sweet spot.
They also have plenty of beer and wine options and some fun drinks, plus longtime favorites like the flank steak salad and their popular seafood pasta. And please save room for the lemon pound cake because apparently we parents are very good at finding room for dessert even when we swear we’re full. My neighbor has been taking her family to Fleet Landing and told me she has had an A plus experience every single time. It’s one of her favorite Charleston restaurants, and she especially loves that she can enjoy it while navigating her gluten free allergies.
To showcase their skills, Fleet Landing even has a cookbook with more than 60 fan favorite recipes from the restaurant’s first two decades, along with stories and photos about its history.
Fleet Landing is located at 186 Concord Street, just a short walk from Waterfront Park and the City Market. They serve lunch daily from 11am to 3:30pm and dinner from 5pm to 10pm, with the main bar and raw bar open during the transition for drinks and snacks. There’s a parking garage across the street and some street parking nearby. And seriously, make the reservation. Especially if you’re going on a weekend. We learned our lesson the hard way, but thankfully an 8:45 dinner with girlfriends was worth letting my husband handle bedtime at home.
If you’re looking for a Charleston restaurant that gives you great food, beautiful views, a relaxed atmosphere, and a little bit of that Lowcountry magic, Fleet Landing is absolutely worth checking out.