Wreck of the Richard & Charlene — Restaurant in Mount Pleasant

We went here last night. Worst meal I've tried to eat in my life. Which says a LOT as my husband and I travel and have eaten from street vendors in 3rd world countries.We arrived last night for dinner and young girl was hosting. She was smiling + very friendly. She gave us a pager and told us it would be 40 minutes and directed us to the bar outside which was a little shanty and it would have been fine but the drink menu was limited and the blender was broken. The bartender suggested a peach Froze and I almost said no because it was just sitting out in a big plastic pitcher like my Aunt Ethel served us kids kool aid in at picnics. My husband ordered a corona which was warm. My drink actually was good and the bartender asked how it was. She was very friendly and my husband must have mentioned it was my birthday because she sang Happy Birthday to me as we closed out our tab. Which I thought was cute. We were sat at our table I did not get our servers name. She was tall and very thin. She was very friendly and helpful.She saw my peach drink and said they had a tropical smoothie I ordered that and my husband ordered another Corona which he said was colder than the one outside. I took a sip of the tropical smoothie and gave my husband a taste and we quickly named it Toenail Juice. I don't know what was in it but it tasted like toenails smell. She brought my she -crab soup in a plastic bowl. The soup was creamy with ZERO chunks of crab in it. I'm not sure how they could call it she crab soup. Maybe they just bathed the crabs in it. Obviously they knew it sucked because they just dumped a TON. Of black pepper in it to disguise the fact it was not she-crab soup. But I was starving and ate it anyway. Half way through I found a long hair in it. I have long hair and told myself it was my hair as not to throw up right there. I've never had my hair fall into a plate of food before but that's what I told myself. I quickly sat it off to the side. Our food was brought, exception of the fried green tomatoes, everything was burnt black. I don't mean over cooked. I mean burnt black. The hushpuppies looked like charcoal. I had to take my hands and break it in half and the inside was black. Inedible. Ok the red rice. It obviously came from a box like Rice- a- roni but it was not a San Fransico treat.They did not add enough water. So it was crunchy. Inedible. Shrimp. I love shrimp cooked anyway it's cooked. Just not from here. I'm sure it was fresh, large shrimps and could have been amazing. The seasoning was great. But whoever was in the kitchen that night seriously overcooked them until they were inedible. The scallops. Ok. I ate all 3 scallops on my plate. Somehow they managed getting those right. The fried green tomatoes were RAW. They should have had the seafood cook take over cooking the fried green tomatoes because they SHOULD have been blackened like the rest of the meal. I asked for a to go container because silly me didn't want to offend the server. She brought me a piece of aluminum foil and another paper plate. And I had to laugh as they are too cheap to even provide a take out container. I had to visit the restroom on my way out to throw up and I handed the plate to my husband and told him to throw it in the outside dumpster, which he did. The young hostess smiled and told us to have a good night. So here is my take away. If the owners actually read this. Your staff was friendly and be thankful you have those 3 people. Whoever you had in the kitchen that night needs to be fired. The cheap plastic plates and forks, butcher paper tablecloth and aluminum foil can be cute and eclectic, but NOT when your food is inedible.I'm not a food snob. I've truly eaten some meals in third world countries that most American's would not touch and those were all better than this charcoaled nightmare we had last night. We WILL not ever return here or bring anyone here. The bill inside alone was right at 100.00 with the 20.00 tip.You did make my birthday unforgettable though. I will never forget the worst meal I've ever...

Update July 2024: Wife and I with two toddlers in tow visited Shem creek after moving away two years ago and came right to back to one of our favorite spots in Charleston county. And left sorely disappointed.

Service was good. Arrived at 5:25 after they opened at 5pm and were told we had to wait 45 minutes for a table for 4. No problem. Ac doesn’t work, it’s a freaking sauna in here but no problem, it adds to the ambience if you’re usually the “silver lining” type like we are. As we waited scores of people from out of town poured in and the wait increased to 75 minutes rapidly.

Got seated right at about 45 minutes, greeted promptly, and ordered. My initial thoughts were that the food seems cheap (a PLATTER for $29??) we order the seafood “platter”, two beers, and three sides.

When the food came out we were both confused at first. The platter was a 10” paper plate with portion sizes literally half what they were two years ago, but about the same price. We spent $90 on a small paper plate and 3 very small sides of “MEHH” seafood fried by teenagers working part time, and sweated the whole time while we sipped a couple of tepid lagers. The rice was instant rice from a box, undercooked and crunchy. The little 3 ounce spoonful of beans that was a part of our “platter” was undercooked.

To be clear we’re not upset about the price, not even the quality(disappointed a little), or ambiance. I’m mostly irritated about the portion sizes. I would have gladly paid double to eat in Shem creek a true (albeit mediocre) seafood platter (a platter is not a standard paper plate) with adequate sides, and preferably a shorter wait because the prices keep casual tourists away. We would have been much happier to pay a premium for a business adjusting to inflation responsibly instead of keeping prices the same, having a 45-75 minute wait full of tourists on Friday night, and cutting portions down by 50-60% percent. Just feels sleazy and irresponsible.

We look forward to visiting in another year or two and hope to see some positive progress with the business.

2022 review: My wife and I have lived in Mount Pleasant for 1.5 years just a few miles from this place and only just discovered it. This is the Charleston experience we moved here for, had so much fun and loved the food. Our 8 month old daughter loved the She-crab soup, and so did we. Everything was amazing, ambiance was perfect with an evening storm roaring outside while inside was warm and cozy. Thank you Anne and team, well see...

Looking for a truly Southern experience? You might have just stumbled upon it. Takes a bit of a time and perseverance to find, but do not give up. The Wreck of the Richard and Charlene is undoubtedly a hidden gem. At first look, it may not seem like it, a dirt parking lot and a worn down building... But, as soon as you walk in, you begin to feel a bit of its unique charm. However, the atmosphere does not fully encompass you until you are seated in the dining room.

Unlike most modern places, the restaurant does not even use A/C. Now, this may be unappealing to some, but do not let it discourage you. It is nothing that cannot be fixed with a chilled beer and a fresh, salty breeze from the ocean.

Yep, that's right, it is directly on the water, the Shem Creek, hence the breeze. This is one of its many perks, its location. At the right time, you can catch the most brilliant, blazing sunset shimmering over the water while enjoying an authentic southern meal.

The meal... words cannot describe this meal. It begins with complementary steaming, salty boiled peanuts, a southern speciality. Before directing any attention to dinner, you have to try one of the starters. From fried green tomatoes to she crab soup, you cannot go wrong.

I, myself, have eaten here hundreds of times, and have tried plenty variety on the menu. Out of everything on the menu, the Seafood Platter has never failed to please me. What exactly is the Seafood Platter? Well, what is it not? It allows you try a little bit of everything without having to forfeit one. It is full of fresh, local seafood -- Fried, flaky, golden, delicious flounder, scallops, oysters, and shrimp (Shrimp -- caught right off boats docked outside). On top of this, it includes red rice, cole slaw, sivea beans, a fried grit (warm, creamy, buttery grits fried), and a hush puppy (a little burnt, crunchy on outside (supposed to be), but soft and sweet on the inside). Now, this is just a suggestion. There are many other options that are just as enticing, but I guess you might just have to come back, then, a nice problem to have.

After dinner, if you still have room, you can end the night with some banana pudding, key lime pudding (usually warm), or key lime pie. All equally satisfying.

This review does not even begin to do this place justice, but I hope that it encourages you to take a little risk, and venture out of your comfort zone to try something truly unique, an experience quite...