The Darling
The Captain Bloody Mary
I stumbled upon The Darling Oyster Bar by chance. Someone had tagged me in a photo of their Bloody Mary (served at brunch), while I was researching restaurants for my trip, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I needed it in my life. Being a planner, I made a reservation IMMEDIATELY.
When we arrived, there was a MASSIVE line waiting to get in! I’m not sure if there was another room I didn’t see, or if they were turning people away, but the restaurant did not look very busy by the time we sat down. I have no idea where all the people went! I digress.
We pretty much knew what we wanted before we sat down, but of course we also had to see if the menu had changed at all. For the most part, we stayed true to what we had originally planned to order, but made a few changes:
The Captain Bloody Mary: Hushpuppy, Lobster Claw, 2 Pickled Shrimp, King Crab Leg
This was an incredible Bloody Mary – exactly what I was hoping it would be. To start, the Bloody Mary mix used is excellent. It’s has the perfect amount of bite and seasonings to make it flavorful, but not overwhelming or fake tasting. It was a little peppery, then you tasted the horseradish, and then finally a punch of lime. I’d say that’s the most important part of a Bloody Mary, but it’s all about the toppings in my opinion. The Captain does not disappoint when it comes to toppings though; it is covered with amazing seafood. The hushpuppy was good. It had a nice crispy exterior, but I’m glad we did not order a whole side of them. The pickled shrimp was great. Big shrimp with a slightly acidic nature to them. The king crab was my favorite – I picked that leg clean. And finally, it had a lobster claw that was as big as my hand….and I have big hands. The value of this thing is INSANE for $25. It’s a MUST order.
Seafood Plateau: Clams, Oysters, Shrimp, King Crab
As we were two people, we ordered the small version. It was a platter rather than a tower. We also don’t like clams, so they were able to substitute the clams for additional oysters. Even better, they let us pick the type of oysters. We ordered James River, which are medium/large oysters with a mild flavor. The others we got were Queens Cup oysters. I’d never had them before, but they were the closest available to a Beausoleil. They were a creamy and briny variety. The other touch I like was the old bay seasoning on the shrimp. All the seafood was delicious and super fresh!
Creole BBQ shrimp: Anson Mills Rice Cakes, Mustard, Bacon
OMG. This was phenomenal. The shrimp were tender and sweet. The rice cake underneath was AMAZING. The dish had a very well-rounded flavor. It was slightly smokey, with a salty, fatty richness from the bacon. The mustard seeds gave it a sharpness, which cut through the fat and balanced out the dish. A must order!
Lobster and king crab roll: Split-Top Bun, Scallion, Mayo
AMAZING. This is what a lobster roll should be. A buttery, split-top roll that’s overflowing with a mix of shredded king crab and lobster meat, that had been lightly coated in mayo. The seasoning was excellent, coupled with a bit of finely chopped celery to add an amazing crunch. You absolutely cannot beat it.
Fries: Came with the lobster and king crab roll. There was nothing mind blowing about them; however, they were great fries nonetheless. They were crispy, without being overcooked. Pro tip - dip the fries in the creole sauce from the BBQ shrimp.
BEC: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese on a roll. It was fine. The avocado was perfectly ripe. The bacon was crispy. The egg was jammy. With that said, most people could cook this at home and it would taste exactly the same. It wasn’t bad, but everything else on the menu was far superior.
Potato casserole: Shredded potato and cheese
It was crispy on top, tender in the middle, and super creamy. It was really interesting. I didn’t love it at first, but as I sat with the flavor I actually really enjoyed. I liked it a lot by the end of the meal.
Biscuit: Glazed House Made Biscuit
Thought it was going to be dry from the texture as I cut it but absolutely was not. It was excellent. It was layers of flakey biscuit dough, that were almost caramelized, and then topped with blueberry jam and icing. It was sweet, but not so sweet that it makes your teeth hurt. It was like our dessert.
All in, I’ll give this restaurant a 9/10. There was nothing way outside the box, that would be impossible to replicate somewhere else. With that said, the food was excellent, and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Overall, it was my favorite meal that I ate in Charleston and it will definitely be a stop on all of my future trips to Charleston.
