Spring is here, and soft-shell season is finally upon the Lowcountry. As the short-season delicacy makes it to local menus, we'll put them on the map. These specials won't last for long, so double check with the restaurant to see if they've sold out.
Serving softies? Send a note to charleston@eater.com; Eater will periodically update this guide throughout the season.
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.
If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.
Fish fry masters Roadside Seafood have a supply of softies and are serving them fried to perfection on a roll with lettuce and tomato. Be sure to go for a side of red rice as well.
Fine dining spot Cypress was among the first to receive a shipment of softies and quickly sold out the same day. Check in with the restaurant to see if chef Craig Deihl has them on the menu again.
Waterfront fish house Fleet Landing serves a soft-shell crab po-boy with lettuce, tomato, bacon with spicy house-made remoulade or a softie BLT with spiced pork belly and Meyer lemon aioli.
Southern Season restaurant Southerly can provide you with a lightly-fried soft-shell with Szechuan pork belly, wasabi remoulade, and a seaweed and jicama slaw.
Isle of Palms icon Long Island Cafe can make you a soft-shell crab two ways: sautéed with brown butter and lemon or lightly fried in cracker meal with homemade tartar sauce and lemon.
NoMo superstar Edmund's Oast can offer you a soft-shell crabs duo with gumbo des herbs, fennel, lemon supreme, and crunchy croutons or a softie sandwich. Order a few beers and crunch into a crab.
Eli's Table serves a soft-shell po-boy for lunch. For dinner, there's a pan-seared softie with spoon bread, house-made hot sauce, charred tomato and okra relish, and remoulade.
Radcliffeborough restaurant The Westendorff has a supply of softies. Grab a seat at the counter to see how chef Blake Joyal will prepare these springtime delicacies.
Classic Charleston restaurant High Cotton will serve you soft-shells. Chef Shawn Kelly tempura fries them and plates them over a vegetable pancake, pea shoot salad, and avocado dressing.
Luxurious restaurant Peninsula Grill recently added the short-season crabs to the menu. Chef Graham Dailey offers a crispy softie with artichoke, roasted sweet corn, country ham, mustard greens, cheddar grits, and citrus aioli.
Coveted reservation spot FIG has its rare crustaceans for the season. Wrestle a seat at the bar or talk your way into a table for sautéed softies with asparagus vinaigrette and romaine purée.
Charleston mainstay Slightly North of Broad serves its softies with a salad of pea tendrils, red mizuna, Easter egg radishes, and green peppercorn dressing.
Chef Amalia Scatena of Cannon Green declared, "Softshells have landed." Scatena serves her sofites on a bed of baby lettuce with radish, cucumber, benne seed, and green goddess dressing.
Daniel Island's The Islander received a shipment of soft-shells. Patrons can choose from a fried crab over creamy parmesan and bacon grits, with a seasonal vegetable ragout, and key lime beurre blanc of a soft-shell sushi roll with red onion, avocado, asparagus, and yuzu aioli.
Popular lunchtime Butcher & Bee recently added a fried soft-shell to its sandwich menu. This item is made with softies, guacamole, greens, and roasted tomato.
Beach haven Poe's Tavern can offer you a fried soft-shell crab with with vegetable remoulade, lettuce, tomato, and onion on a brioche bun. Sit on the patio and have fun in the sun with softies.
Upper King newcomer The Darling has a supply of Beaufort softies. Stop in for the $1 oysters at happy hour and stay for a soft-shell creation. The crabs are cornmeal-fried on a Hawaiian roll with corn mayo, crispy country ham, pickled okra, and Bibb lettuce. The restaurant will change the presentation of the soft shells every day or every few days.
Coast Bar and Grill goes a different route with its soft-shells by adding them to tacos. The cornmeal-fried softies, are served with lime slaw, pico de gallo, avocado crema, and queso fresco. $14.99 for two tacos.
Smoked meat masters Home Team BBQ wood-fires its softies, and plates them with Jimmy Red Corn grits, grilled asparagus, mushrooms, lemon, and brown butter.
At the upscale boutique hotel Zero George, chef Vinson Petrillo makes a super spring soft-shell dish, pairing the crabs with red corn, early peas, "egg custard," and pickled ramps. Ramps + softies = spring.
Hutson Alley eatery Vincent Chicco's serves a softies softie salad with black truffle rice, croutons, radishes, heirloom tomatoes, Bibb and romaine lettuce, bacon, egg, and Caesar dressing.
Michael's on the Alley offers a fried soft-shell crab with sweet corn, aged sherry mousse, fire-roasted pineapple salsa, yucca fries, and banana pepper mole.
Over in Mount Pleasant, Red Drum plates panko-fried soft shell crabs with roasted corn, red jalapeño, and avocado salsa with a cilantro and parsley pesto.
Mount Pleasant newcomer Congree offers a crispy soft-shell crab with grilled mango and a salad of watercress, jicama, fresh spinach, lime supremes and avocado vinaigrette.
James Island's Stereo 8 offers lightly pan-fried softies with Geechie Boy Mill grit cakes, fresh greens and fennel salad, with a soy ginger mustard vinaigrette.
'Wich Doctor serves tempura soft-shell over a Burmese pickled tea leaf salad (Charleston Tea Plantation leaves) and a Korean-style, pan-fried softie with with littleneck clams. Or the Folly Beach eatery will make you a soft-shell sandwich.
Charcuterie/sandwich shop Artisan Meat Share will sell you a black pepper soft-shell crab sandwich with a green papaya salad. The chefs warn that it's spicy and there's a limited amount.
Ms. Rose's Fine Food & Cocktails has added a soft shell crab sandwich to their list of weekly lunch specials. The soft-shell crab sandwich is topped with green olive aioli, gem lettuce, tomato, bacon, on a toasted Cuban roll.
The Noisy Oyster Seafood Restaurants softie special includes local soft-shell crabs fried golden brown and served over pimento cheese grits, topped with a homemade green tomato chow-chow.
Fish fry masters Roadside Seafood have a supply of softies and are serving them fried to perfection on a roll with lettuce and tomato. Be sure to go for a side of red rice as well.
Fine dining spot Cypress was among the first to receive a shipment of softies and quickly sold out the same day. Check in with the restaurant to see if chef Craig Deihl has them on the menu again.
Waterfront fish house Fleet Landing serves a soft-shell crab po-boy with lettuce, tomato, bacon with spicy house-made remoulade or a softie BLT with spiced pork belly and Meyer lemon aioli.
Southern Season restaurant Southerly can provide you with a lightly-fried soft-shell with Szechuan pork belly, wasabi remoulade, and a seaweed and jicama slaw.
Isle of Palms icon Long Island Cafe can make you a soft-shell crab two ways: sautéed with brown butter and lemon or lightly fried in cracker meal with homemade tartar sauce and lemon.
NoMo superstar Edmund's Oast can offer you a soft-shell crabs duo with gumbo des herbs, fennel, lemon supreme, and crunchy croutons or a softie sandwich. Order a few beers and crunch into a crab.
Eli's Table serves a soft-shell po-boy for lunch. For dinner, there's a pan-seared softie with spoon bread, house-made hot sauce, charred tomato and okra relish, and remoulade.
Radcliffeborough restaurant The Westendorff has a supply of softies. Grab a seat at the counter to see how chef Blake Joyal will prepare these springtime delicacies.
Classic Charleston restaurant High Cotton will serve you soft-shells. Chef Shawn Kelly tempura fries them and plates them over a vegetable pancake, pea shoot salad, and avocado dressing.
Luxurious restaurant Peninsula Grill recently added the short-season crabs to the menu. Chef Graham Dailey offers a crispy softie with artichoke, roasted sweet corn, country ham, mustard greens, cheddar grits, and citrus aioli.
Coveted reservation spot FIG has its rare crustaceans for the season. Wrestle a seat at the bar or talk your way into a table for sautéed softies with asparagus vinaigrette and romaine purée.
Charleston mainstay Slightly North of Broad serves its softies with a salad of pea tendrils, red mizuna, Easter egg radishes, and green peppercorn dressing.
Chef Amalia Scatena of Cannon Green declared, "Softshells have landed." Scatena serves her sofites on a bed of baby lettuce with radish, cucumber, benne seed, and green goddess dressing.
Daniel Island's The Islander received a shipment of soft-shells. Patrons can choose from a fried crab over creamy parmesan and bacon grits, with a seasonal vegetable ragout, and key lime beurre blanc of a soft-shell sushi roll with red onion, avocado, asparagus, and yuzu aioli.
Popular lunchtime Butcher & Bee recently added a fried soft-shell to its sandwich menu. This item is made with softies, guacamole, greens, and roasted tomato.
Beach haven Poe's Tavern can offer you a fried soft-shell crab with with vegetable remoulade, lettuce, tomato, and onion on a brioche bun. Sit on the patio and have fun in the sun with softies.
Upper King newcomer The Darling has a supply of Beaufort softies. Stop in for the $1 oysters at happy hour and stay for a soft-shell creation. The crabs are cornmeal-fried on a Hawaiian roll with corn mayo, crispy country ham, pickled okra, and Bibb lettuce. The restaurant will change the presentation of the soft shells every day or every few days.
Coast Bar and Grill goes a different route with its soft-shells by adding them to tacos. The cornmeal-fried softies, are served with lime slaw, pico de gallo, avocado crema, and queso fresco. $14.99 for two tacos.
Smoked meat masters Home Team BBQ wood-fires its softies, and plates them with Jimmy Red Corn grits, grilled asparagus, mushrooms, lemon, and brown butter.
At the upscale boutique hotel Zero George, chef Vinson Petrillo makes a super spring soft-shell dish, pairing the crabs with red corn, early peas, "egg custard," and pickled ramps. Ramps + softies = spring.
Hutson Alley eatery Vincent Chicco's serves a softies softie salad with black truffle rice, croutons, radishes, heirloom tomatoes, Bibb and romaine lettuce, bacon, egg, and Caesar dressing.
Michael's on the Alley offers a fried soft-shell crab with sweet corn, aged sherry mousse, fire-roasted pineapple salsa, yucca fries, and banana pepper mole.
Over in Mount Pleasant, Red Drum plates panko-fried soft shell crabs with roasted corn, red jalapeño, and avocado salsa with a cilantro and parsley pesto.
Mount Pleasant newcomer Congree offers a crispy soft-shell crab with grilled mango and a salad of watercress, jicama, fresh spinach, lime supremes and avocado vinaigrette.
James Island's Stereo 8 offers lightly pan-fried softies with Geechie Boy Mill grit cakes, fresh greens and fennel salad, with a soy ginger mustard vinaigrette.
'Wich Doctor serves tempura soft-shell over a Burmese pickled tea leaf salad (Charleston Tea Plantation leaves) and a Korean-style, pan-fried softie with with littleneck clams. Or the Folly Beach eatery will make you a soft-shell sandwich.
Charcuterie/sandwich shop Artisan Meat Share will sell you a black pepper soft-shell crab sandwich with a green papaya salad. The chefs warn that it's spicy and there's a limited amount.
Ms. Rose's Fine Food & Cocktails has added a soft shell crab sandwich to their list of weekly lunch specials. The soft-shell crab sandwich is topped with green olive aioli, gem lettuce, tomato, bacon, on a toasted Cuban roll.
The Noisy Oyster Seafood Restaurants softie special includes local soft-shell crabs fried golden brown and served over pimento cheese grits, topped with a homemade green tomato chow-chow.