The No. 1 rule of soft shell crab season is that soft shell crab season is fleeting. A restaurant may post a special dish at 5 p.m. and run out of the good stuff by 6 p.m. There are no guarantees in crab life, folks — that’s part of the fun!
Here are just some of the area restaurants serving up the seasonal delicacy.
Keep in mind that some dish preparations may have changed in recent days and some supplies may simply have run out. Your best bet is to head to a restaurant’s social media to see what their softie updates are — and then race to your favorite spots for the short-lived dish.
Fleet Landing
What better place to enjoy a soft shell crab than with a view of Charleston Harbor? Fleet Landing serves a crispy soft shell crab with fried green tomato, grits and bacon jam (add an extra crab if you’re feeling feisty). Guests can also order a fried green tomato BLT with soft shell crab, applewood-smoked bacon, smoked gouda and red pepper remoulade.
Gabrielle at Hotel Bennett
Chef Edgar Kano is whipping up a lunch and dinner special with this year’s soft shell crabs. For lunch grab a po boy made with grilled tomato, Bibb lettuce, fennel slaw and Cajun remoulade on a ciabatta roll. Head back for dinner for a crisp South Carolina soft shell crab salad served with arugula, fennel, basil, sweet peppers, radish and grilled lemon vinaigrette.
The Darling
Executive sous chef Monique Mickle is serving an “elevated spin” on the dish this year with soft shell crab atop a smoky soubise with cherry heirloom tomatoes, spinach, oyster mushrooms and micro thyme.
The Grocery
Head to The Grocery for soft shell crab offered three ways: “Old South, Old School, Old World.”
Pink Bellies
Pink Bellies has been showing off its crispy soft shell crab sandwiches on Instagram this week. Grab some while they’re hot.
82 Queen
You’ll find a variety of soft shell specials at 82 Queen this season. A recent iteration featured a crispy soft shell served with vegetable pilaf, shaved brussels, peppers, red onions and a green garlic aioli.
Prohibition
Sourcing from Tarvin’s seafood, Prohibition is serving soft shell crabs two ways right now. Dig into a soft shell crab rangoon club sandwich with sweet chili sauce, whipped cream cheese, bacon and bibb lettuce or order the lettuce wraps, made with Thai peanut sauce, mint, shredded carrot and cabbage.
The Select
This Meeting Street brasserie is serving flash-fried, beer-battered local soft shell crabs with papaya salad, umami sauce and Calabrese pepper jelly. Make it a double order if you’re really crabby.
Brasserie la Banque
This Broad Street French restaurant is serving soft shells pan roasted with butter beans, citrus and sauce gribiche.
Indaco
Try fried soft shells three ways at Indaco. Order the crab on top of spaghetti with tomato, calabrian chili, lemon butter and herbs; on bagna cauda and arugula and atop butterbeans, celery, radish and mizuna with an herb vinaigrette.
Herd Provisions
Enjoy a fried soft shell crab ramen at Herd Provisions this softie season. The dish is made with alkaline noodles, duck and lobster broth, seasonal vegetables and chili oil.
Jackrabbit Filly
Be sure to check Jackrabbit’s social media for the most recent iterations of their softie specials. Recent dishes included a tempura soft shell sandwich with black vinegar slaw, pickled daikon and a side of chips as well as honey soy garlic softies.
King BBQ
Jackrabbit’s sister restaurant, King BBQ, is slinging soft shell specials, too. A recent rendition was a big ol’ sandwich made with krab rangoon spread, dilly pickles, crispy fried soft shell crab, hot mustard barbecue sauce, hot honey and an herby salad.
The James
Grab a za’atar spiced tempura fried soft shell crab with couscous salad and zhoug puree at The James.
The Kingstide
If you’re seeking a softie on Daniel Island look no further than The Kingstide where you can grab a deep-fried one served with street corn salad, tarragon aioli and chervil.
Home Team BBQ
Like most restaurants on this list, Home Team is serving up fresh softie specials daily, so be sure to check their Instagram stories for the most recent offerings. You might find something like a recent sando on Sullivan’s Island, served with Lusty Monk mayo, greens and tomato on a brioche bun.
Beautiful South is serving up salt and pepper softies with fermented chilies; be prepared for a slight kick! Sister restaurant Kwei Fei has you covered with its Chongqing-style softie, wok-fried with a blend of Sichuan peppercorns, dried chilies and spices for a balance of that heat and numbing spice Kwei Fei is known for.
Félix Cocktails et Cuisine makes your lunch plans easy with its soft shell BLT. Enjoy a softly fried crab with smoked bacon, garlic lemon aioli, bibb lettuce and tomatoes on local sourdough bread.
Chef Ray England is serving two soft shell crab dishes at Husk this season. On the patio you’ll find a soft shell crab sandwich served with pickled green tomato, shredded lettuce and a creole aioli. In the main dining room the feature will vary day-to-day but a recent iteration included two soft shell crabs atop Carolina Gold rice served with a New Orleans-inspired barbecue shrimp butter sauce and shaved asparagus salad.
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