The Wreck of the Richard & Charlene resides on a back stretch of Shem Creek, shielded by a residential neighborhood. If you didn’t know to look for it, you would never stumble upon it. Hell, the place doesn’t even have a sign.

Named for a Shem Creek trawler that was decimated by Hurricane Hugo, the restaurant features several photos of the wreckage.

Speaking of Shem Creek, here it is at sunset, featuring several shrimp boats.

Here are more components to The Wreck’s oceanic decor, including an inverted boat and a stuffed game fish in a Santa hat. When the fish was swishing through the ocean, is there any way he could have predicted a more humiliating fate?

The Wreck “dining room” is all porch, with wood tables and chairs, whirring ceiling fans and terrific views of the creek.

Each table is treated to a steaming bowl of boiled peanuts, well-salted and delicious. It took me awhile to appreciate the power of the boiled legume, but The Wreck made me a believer.

This bowl of clam chowder was just right, not too creamy, with tender clams, herbs and spices.

Even better was the bowl of she crab soup, a Charleston specialty, traditionally served with a pitcher of sherry. The soup is flavored with the roe from a female blue crab.

What The Wreck does best is big plates of seafood, either fried or grilled. Here’s an incredible combo platter of grilled scallops and shrimp, served with a sumptuous grit cake, a perfect hushpuppie, crisp cole slaw, and red rice studded with nuggets of andouille sausage. Check out that delicious spice crust on the tender seafood.

This seafood platter features delicately fried shrimp, scallops, oysters and grouper, with the usual accompaniments, plus sivea beans (AKA limas). Fried seafood gets no better.

Related Posts

1. Langdon’s – Mount Pleasant, SC – December 26, 2007
2. Red Drum Gastropub – Mount Pleasant, SC – December 21, 2007
3. Amen Street – Charleston, SC – May 7, 2010
4. Seewee – Awendaw, SC – November 25, 2004
5. Jack’s Cosmic Dogs – Mount Pleasant, SC – December 30, 2008

1. warren clark, March 26, 2011:

   This is a no frills restaurant- just very good seafood- the best we have enjoyed in charleston. Each time we visit the quality in always the same.

2. Joshua Lurie, March 26, 2011:

   Warren,

   I agree, The Wreck is no nonsense, and consistently good. The setting’s also pretty cool, tucked away, with the shrimp boats out back.

This entry is filed under Seafood, South Carolina, The South.