Southerners love a good story, and when you visit us,
you'll quickly find that indigenous food
is a story you can eat!
About us
Our roots run deep when it comes to Southern cooking, drawing from family recipes scrawled on cards in plantation kitchens to the modern locavore movement we see today, and relying on South Carolina's natural fresh abundance. Upon opening in 1997, The Boathouse pioneered a focus on serving diverse and delicious seafood that could be found in nearby rivers, lakes, and oceans. Employing this dedication we have grown to become an establishment on the Isle of Palms and a year-round destination for locals and travelers alike, drawing our seafood and produce from local farmers, fisherman, clammers, and shrimpers from around the coast.
When you dine with us please notice the photographs which line the walls. These hand picked images were acquired through Charleston D&D Antiques located in downtown Charleston on King Street. The photographs were taken in the early 1900s by Albert Cook, a famous nautical photographer. Over the arches in the main dining room are photographs which are very near and dear to our heart. They display the Mayor and Mr. Thomas P. Stoney launching a ship at the Charleston Naval Base in 1929. As you can see, passion and respect for South Carolina’s waterways and oceans is something which runs deep at The Boathouse.
The Boathouse Design
Built upon the site of an old ramshackle bait shop across the road from the historical launch of the Civil War Hunley Submarine, The Boathouse was designed by Reggie Gibson to emulate a typical, turn of the century coastal South Carolina building. The interior was masterminded by Bucky Greenlish and Lawerence Waring with help from owner Richard Stoney. Our woodwork, which incorporates over 10 difference kinds of wood from mahogany to teak, was assembled by Matthew Montgomery, a local craftsman from Goat Island. The boats decorating our ceilings are true vintage rowboats, many of which are going on 100 years of age. They were chosen by owner Richard Stoney, who traveled the East Coast in search of the perfect sub models which best represent the childhood he remembers growing up on South Carolina’s waterways.