The take
Why locals love it
Sunset on a tiki boat with a Painkiller is a Charleston rite of passage. Park early on weekends.
Word on the street
What locals are saying
Shem Creek is Mount Pleasant's central waterfront bar-and-restaurant strip — locals call it 'The Creek' and visit for sunset views, dolphin sightings off the boardwalk, and cold drinks at spots like Red's Ice House and Tavern & Table. The area is widely acknowledged to skew heavily tourist, with waterfront tables commanding a noticeable price premium; Yelp regulars flag overcharging at several spots. Insiders steer toward The Wreck of the Richard & Charlene — a tucked-away fried seafood shack off the main drag — as the most authentically local option on the creek.
tourist-heavy waterfront stripprime sunset and marsh viewsdolphin and shrimp boat sightingspaying for the view — prices run highThe Wreck as the local hidden gemcrowded on weekends
