IOP Raw Bar — Restaurant in Isle of Palms

We come to IOP once or twice a year and love oysters. We have been to Long Island Cafe and IOP Raw Bar and our most recent visit was disappointing to the point we are not likely to return. The food is amazing and usually the service in “shoulder seasons” (Spring and Fall) is great. We ordered a sampler of the 4 oysters available. The plate was delivered to our table with no explanation of which was which. We waited until our server was finished collecting an order at the next table and she explained that they were out of the Tuxedo PEI, so we had 5 low country, 4 mosquito fleet and 3 Wellfleet. Seems odd or sloppy to not have an equal number of each. Then later in the meal as we were enjoying our salads (the food is really delicious), that same server delivered Tuxedo oysters to that next table! We obviously could hear her descriptions so an acknowledgment or apology would have been warranted. Instead, we come away feeling that tourists are not treated as well as local residents, which makes us sad. The food is great, just manage expectations about...

Can’t fathom the good reviews, unless they are from people not familiar with local cuisine e. The she crab soup was fairly good, although a little too thickened with flour. The pan cooked flounder was good, but not outstanding. The pasta special was Rigatoni with shrimp and vodka sauce. The pasta wastrels inedible… very tough and chewy. This wasn’t al denote pasta, but perhaps precooked and not freshened up before serving. The shrimp were also incredibly tough and overdone, which is inexcusable in a seafood restaurant on the coast. The vodka,sauce was short on taste but wouldn’t have too bad if everything else was good. The grits were gritty, not creamy, which is also inexcusable in this town known for grits. The baked oysters casino were so overpowered by the toppings that you couldn’t taste the oysters. We...

Came in for dinner at 8:25 and was told by the teenage hostess that they close at 8:30 even though their online listing said they close at 9. I asked if we could still be seated since we were still just before 8:30. The hostess looked at her manager to see what he’d say and he rudely signaled to her not to seat us. He didn’t come over to explain, or talk to us just flicked his wrist to tell her to turn us away which I found quite unbecoming of someone who is supposed to be managing a nice-ish restaurant. They should defiantly update that their online listing to the correct closing time, work on their ground of house people skills, and maybe get that manager an etiquette class. My family had been excited to try the place because the reviews were good, but now we’ll...