Are shrimp and grits still a popular order in Charleston?

Over the past decade, Charleston has seen an astronomical increase in visitors, residents, luxury homes and restaurants. The Holy City is a culinary destination, and tourists flock to make reservations at newcomers like Vern’s, Marbled & Fin and Kultura. Many new establishments don’t serve Southern cuisine—recent additions include restaurants with flavors from Malaysia, Puerto Rico and Sichuan.

When I moved to Charleston in 2005, Southern cuisine dominated the dining scene, particularly shrimp and grits. Locals made their versions of the dish at home, but visitors couldn’t get enough of it at spots like Marina Variety Store, 82 Queen, and Magnolias. As I reflected on the iconic dish, I wondered, “Do tourists still come to the Lowcountry to eat shrimp and grits?”

Southern cooking experts Matt and Ted Lee grew up in Charleston and saw the dish grow in popularity. “Shrimp and grits were the spearhead of a whole new idea of ​​Southern food that gave everyone the freedom to try their grandparents’ dishes without feeling like they were outdated, unfashionable or uncool,” says Matt.

“It became popular as a restaurant dish in the late ’80s rather than just home cooking. It was fun in that it wasn’t crab soup, the other culinary icon of the Lowcountry. But unlike crab soup, you could experiment with the shrimp and grits recipe,” Ted says.

Although the origin of the dish can be traced back to the contributions of enslaved Africans, it did not gain national attention until 1985, when New York Times Author Craig Claiborne visited chef Bill Neal at Chapel Hill institution Crook’s Corner. Neal often traveled to Charleston and had shrimp and grits on his menu – the NYT published the recipe and interest grew.

Robert Stehling, who worked with Neal before running Hominy Grill for 24 years, says shrimp and grits accounted for 10 percent of his sales. “I had long ago accepted that certain dishes have their own power. It wasn’t up to me to take that dish off the menu,” he says.

When Chris Stewart opened the Glass Onion in 2008, he didn’t want to put shrimp and grits on the menu because that’s what everyone else in town was offering. “I think the first thing I put on the menu was white beans and rice, a twist on red beans and rice, and we put grilled shrimp on top. But you know, people wanted shrimp and grits, and we had grits and we had shrimp. So soon after we opened, we gave them what they wanted. That’s why it’s on our menu. It’s really popular,” he says. Stewart’s version includes Creole tomatoes and andouille sausage.

Sean Mendes of Gillie’s Seafood says shrimp and grits remains one of his most requested orders. He serves a version that mirrors his grandmother’s recipe. “I fell in love with shrimp and grits because my grandmother was a great cook. She would make shrimp and grits from scratch and the house would be filled with the smell of onions and peppers and bacon. And it was my first love of food. And that’s why I do what I do now,” he says.

Chef Raymond England also ate shrimp and grits at his grandmother’s house as a child. When he took over Husk, he wasn’t sure whether to keep the dish on the menu. “Everyone has their own version of shrimp and grits,” he says. “I wasn’t a fan of it because we’re between Poogan’s and 82 Queen, where that’s their thing. I didn’t mind, but I know people expect very Southern dishes at Husk.” England varies his dish depending on what local ingredients are available.

Patrick Kish, 82 Queen’s chief operating officer, says shrimp and grits are still a top seller at his Lowcountry restaurant, which processes about 8,000 pounds of grits annually. “It’s definitely still one of the top contenders in the restaurant,” Kish says. The 82 Queen version, with bacon barbecue sauce and cheese grits, was created in 1982 by Kish’s father, Steve.

For Nigel Drayton Sr., owner of Nigel’s Good Food, shrimp and grits are more than just a restaurant dish, but also a memory of his childhood in the Lowcountry. “Shrimp and grits were a way to feed the family more cheaply,” he says. “Today, they’re not as popular as they once were. Back then, our uncles, fathers and grandfathers would go shrimping, fishing or crabbing almost every day. Someone you knew would have shrimp nets.” When he opened Nigel’s Good Food in 2011, he knew he wanted to keep his dish traditional with bacon and a light gravy, like his grandmother made.

“I think for a lot of people, the real revelation of Shrimps and Grits when they come to Charleston from out of town is just the freshness of the shrimp. It’s so electrifying,” says Ted Lee. “And that’s why they’ll still try it when they come back and it’ll still seem so special.”

So here’s my answer: Yes, shrimp and grits are still a popular order in Charleston, or as Matt Lee told me, “Are people in New Orleans bored of gumbo? No. It’s a cultural icon – just like shrimp and grits.”