I’ve never considered myself a food critic, however I am discerning when it comes to choosing a place to go out to eat. I mean… if we’re spending the time to get dressed up, drive to the restaurant, spend precious time there and spend a pretty penny then I want to enjoy it!
For me, there are three areas that make a restaurant top notch- food, service, and ambiance. The newer restaurant Blu Oyster on Johns Island hit two of those for me. Don’t worry I’ll discuss in more detail, but to summarize if you’re a local you 100% need to try it. If you’re visiting… ehh there are other Johns Island restaurants higher on my list.
(my photo)
(their photo)
Determining Factor #1- Food/Drinks
The food was TO DIE FOR!!! I’m sad I skipped out on the oysters, given the name is “Blu Oyster”, however we had tuna tartare & sushi. For our appetizer, I’ve never had tuna tartare with potato chips. I was pleasantly surprised & the tuna was so fresh. For my sushi roll, I had the Eye of the Tiger. It was the bartender’s recommendation. I wasn’t mad about the Clemson reference & I also wasn’t mad about how delicious this roll was.
The best way I can describe it- have you had sushi on the West Coast? Then when you did, did you realize how mediocre the sushi at Locals is here and decide you never are going to eat sushi in the South again? No? Just me? Please let me clarify, sure sushi in California is good. But if you ever go to Tijuana, Mexico send me a message for the creme-de-la-creme rooftop sushi restaurant. My all time favorite rooftop restaurant is there & I’ll share it with you…. (as long as you let me reminisce)
Back to Blu Oyster- the Eye of the Tiger roll was the best & most fresh sushi I’ve had in Charleston!
Determining Factor #2- Service
Well, we did sit at the bar so I know that may be easier to get good service when they’re standing right in front of you. However, the bartender was very sweet. She knew her sushi rolls. She let us sample wines. She was on it. There are a lot of great servers in Charleston & she was great. No complaints here.
Determining Factor #3- Ambiance
Ugh. This disappointed me so much. I wanted to try to like the interior design but couldn’t. When I walked in, I felt like I was in an upscale Captain D’s. (very upscale, but still). It felt very commercial. Super high ceilings. Lighting was too harsh. No intimacy. The best I can say positively on this subject was that it was clean? I got to thinking- maybe it has to do with their pricing? You know, they’re not outrageous. So maybe that’s their positioning strategy. A relaxed fine dining with good food and service.
Will I go back? Yes. I think this is the perfect restaurant for girl’s night. Just not date night. But I’ll be back soon. Let me know in the comments what you think!
And if you’re heading to Tijuana & have a private jet I’m down to tag along.
Hope this helps!
Elise
