Charleston gets most of the attention. But cross the Ravenel Bridge into Mount Pleasant and you’ll find a waterfront neighborhood that operates on its own terms — louder, saltier, and considerably less concerned with being picturesque.
Shem Creek is a tidal creek running through the heart of Mount Pleasant, and for most of its history it was a working waterway. Shrimp boats. Fish houses. The kind of place that smelled like what it was. The docks are still there, and a handful of the trawlers too — though the creek today is lined with restaurants, bars, and kayak rentals that have grown up around what remains of the commercial fleet.
It’s an honest place. The food is good because the seafood is local and the competition is real. The atmosphere comes from the water and the boats rather than from anyone trying too hard. On a weekday afternoon you can sit on a dock with a bowl of she-crab soup and watch brown pelicans work the creek like they own it, which, functionally, they do.
The boardwalk running along the north side of the creek connects several of the restaurants and gives you a ground-level view of the marsh and the boats. It’s a short walk but a good one, especially at sunset when the light comes across the water from the Charleston side.
Getting there: Shem Creek is about 10 minutes from downtown Charleston via the Ravenel Bridge. Mill Street and Coleman Boulevard are your landmarks. Parking is available in the area, though weekend evenings fill up fast. It’s easily combined with a visit to Patriots Point or a drive through the older parts of Mount Pleasant along Pitt Street.
