Shrimp and Grifts: Charleston-Area Seafood Restaurants Caught Passing Imports As Local Shrimp

The South Carolina Shrimpers Association Filed Federal Lawsuit Against 25 Seafood Restaurants After They Were Caught Passing off Imported Shrimp As Local

Ah, the South Carolina Low Country—where the sunrises are golden, the shrimp are “local,” and the only thing fresher than the seafood is the audacity of the lies in the menu.

In a scandal that’s sending Low Country seafood eateries into PR overdrive, 25 Lowcountry Crowd-Favorite restaurants have been caught outright lying to their customers. According to a federal lawsuit, these 25 restaurants have been intentionally mislabeling imported shrimp as local Charleston fare. What does that mean? It means diners have been paying premium prices for “fresh, wild-caught, local South Carolina shrimp” while often being served the equivalent of a cheap Chinese knock-off.

According to a recent investigation by SeaD Consulting, around 90% of dishes claiming to be made with local shrimp, sampled from 44 Charleston-area restaurants, were prepared with imported shrimp. The revelation and public backlash has led to the aforementioned federal lawsuit from the South Carolina Shrimpers Association, citing false advertising under the Lanham Act and the SC Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Which restaurants on the naughty list? These are the most noteworthy:

• Hyman’s Seafood

• Tavern & Table

• Red’s Icehouse

• Pearlz Oyster Bar

• Saltwater Cowboys

• Mill Street Tavern

Each of these establishments, and many others, were named in the shrimpers’ July 2 lawsuit for allegedly selling imported shrimp while marketing it as local. Some avoided repercussions through sly menu phrasing like “Charleston-style” or “Lowcountry-inspired” gives just enough wiggle room to avoid legal liability. Others went full-on gaslighting, implying or outright claiming “local” shrimp in on-menu text or social media posts.

Hyman’s tried to squirm out by blaming social media miscommunication for lies. That’s about as believable as claiming the shrimp walked here from Vietnam themselves. Meanwhile, Page’s Okra Grill defended themselves on social media saying they serve East Coast wild-caught shrimp when possible.

Let’s be clear—this isn’t just some foodie faux pas. This is culinary catfishing with a side of cultural betrayal. It directly undermines South Carolina’s proud shrimping industry, a livelihood passed down through generations of families who’ve hauled nets through these waters since long before Shem Creek had valet parking. It also undercuts the standards we, as a community, hold ourselves to.

Nowhere has the sting of this scandal hit harder than Shem Creek. The picturesque row of waterfront restaurants, long celebrated as the heart of Mount Pleasant’s seafood scene, has been left squirming on the hook. Nearly every establishment along the creek was named and busted for serving imported shrimp — even as local shrimp boats bob idly in the water right beside their patios.

It’s the kind of irony that smells worse than pier viscera in July. Locals are furious, shrimpers are lawyered up, and tourists are starting to ask the one question these restaurants weren’t prepared for: “Is it really even local?” As one shrimper put it with more honesty than a Shem Creek menu:
“We risk our lives out there for a living, and they serve up pond-raised garbage from halfway around the world with a ‘Support Local’ slogan.”

Local shrimping isn’t a marketing gimmick—it’s part of South Carolinas economy and culture. It’s the star of our festivals, the heartbeat of our harbors, and -allegedly- the main event in our world-famous Shrimp and Grits. If Low Country restaurants can’t be trusted with what’s in the skillet, why would anyone continue to spend their hard-earned money with them?

Thankfully, a few honest kitchens are still keeping things authentic. According to the testing that blew the lid off this bait-and-switch scandal, four restaurants actually passed with flying colors:

• Coosaw Creek Crab Shack

• Grace & Grit

• Rappahannock Oyster Bar

• Acme Lowcountry Kitchen

At these spots, “local shrimp” actually means local shrimp—not some global supply-chain bottom-feeder coated in a seersucker sauce and slapped with a $30 price tag.

In response to the fraud, the South Carolina Shrimpers Association is pushing for real accountability. They’re calling for a country-of-origin labeling law for all seafood sold in South Carolina—something Texas and Louisiana already require. Because if you’re going to charge Charleston prices, you damn well better be serving Charleston shrimp.

Bottom line?

Tavern & Table has been my favorite place to enjoy a nice meal and a drink for nearly ten years. I’ve made the trip across the county for a bowl of their Shrimp and Grits more times than I care to admit, and when I saw their name mentioned in the lawsuit, I took it personally. I also know I’m not alone, having already heard from enough people in the community to wonder if these restaurants will even survive the drama.

If you’re heading out for shrimp in the Lowcountry, ask where it’s from—and don’t let them slide you off with fluffy words like “fresh,” “wild,” or “Lowcountry-inspired.” Those are adjectives, not locations.

Support the folks who cast the nets.