Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar

Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar Restaurant Review:

Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar takes its name from the antebellum moniker given to what is now Cumberland Street, where a chorus of “amens” could be heard rising up from nearby St. Phillips and the Methodist Meeting House. Amen Street offers oysters --- from both local and far flung waters --- served in every imaginable fashion, along with plenty of sustainable seafood options and complementary sides. Knowledgeable servers direct diners through the litany of options, asking helpful questions about preferences to facilitate choosing the best dish --- whether a standard like the well-prepared seafood platter or a low country pirlau of shrimp, scallops, mussels and clams. Amen Street puts its own spin on a Charleston original, she crab soup, with a subtle kick of rich creamy flavor, and if chef Stephen Ollard’s oyster stew is among the daily specials, you’re in luck. The wine list is sufficient to pair with the seafood options, and the bar hosts a hopping social scene in the late evenings. Desserts serve their sweet purpose with a daily-changing crème brûlée, chocolate terrine and lemon cream roulade. The restaurant has both chairs and a menu for children, but you might find it more kid-friendly at lunch than at dinner.