B. Colson's Seafood Market: Fresh Catch and Local Flavor in Charleston

What B. Colson's Offers and Where to Find It

B. Colson's Seafood Market is a working fish market in Charleston's historic district that sells fresh seafood daily and operates a small restaurant counter where you can eat what you buy. The market sits on East Bay Street near the water, in a building that has housed a fish business for decades. You walk in to see the day's catch on ice—shrimp, flounder, grouper, crab, oysters, and whatever the local boats brought in that morning—and you can buy it whole, filleted, or already prepared.

The restaurant side serves fried seafood, shrimp and grits, crab cakes, and sandwiches. Most people order at the counter, find a seat at one of the small tables or the bar, and eat there while they watch the market work. It is casual, loud, and built around what is fresh that day rather than a fixed menu. The market closes in the evening and does not operate on Sundays.

Key Takeaways

• B. Colson's sells fresh seafood over the counter and cooks it to order at the same location, so you can buy raw fish or eat a prepared meal in one stop.
• The catch changes daily based on what local boats deliver, so the menu and available fish vary from day to day.
• The restaurant side is counter-service and casual, with limited seating and no reservations, so expect to wait during lunch and dinner hours.
• You can bring raw seafood you buy at the market to the restaurant kitchen and ask them to cook it for you, though this is not an official service and depends on how busy they are.

The Market Counter: Buying Fresh Fish to Cook at Home

The front half of B. Colson's operates as a traditional fish market. The staff will fillet fish while you wait, clean shrimp, crack crab, or sell you whole fish if you prefer to butcher it yourself. Prices are higher than a grocery store but lower than a restaurant, and the quality is noticeably different—the fish arrived that morning, not three days ago in a truck.

You do not need to know what you want before you arrive. Walk up to the counter, ask what came in that day, and the staff will tell you what is fresh and suggest how to cook it. Flounder and grouper are common year-round. Shrimp seasons vary. Oysters are available but the market is not primarily an oyster bar. If you are cooking for guests and want to know what will be available, call ahead—the market staff can tell you what the boats are bringing in.

The Restaurant Counter: Fried Seafood and Shrimp and Grits

The back half is a small restaurant where the same seafood gets cooked to order. The menu centers on fried platters—fried shrimp, fried fish, fried oysters—served with hushpuppies and coleslaw. Shrimp and grits is a standing order. Crab cakes appear regularly. Sandwiches include fried fish, shrimp, and crab. The menu board changes based on what the market has, so what is available today may not be tomorrow.

You order at the counter and pay when you order. The kitchen is visible from the dining area, so you watch your food cook. Seating is limited—a few tables and some bar seating along the counter—and there is no reservation system. During lunch and dinner hours, expect a wait, especially on weekends. The atmosphere is working-class and loud, which is part of the appeal.

Hours, Location, and What to Know Before You Go

B. Colson's is located at 440 East Bay Street in Charleston's historic district, within walking distance of the waterfront and downtown shops. The market is open Monday through Saturday, typically from late morning through early evening, though hours can shift seasonally. The restaurant closes on Sundays, and the market does not operate that day either. Call ahead if you are planning a specific visit, because hours occasionally change for holidays or special events.

Parking on East Bay Street is street parking only, which fills quickly during the day. A parking garage is two blocks away on Church Street. The market is not wheelchair accessible—there is a step at the entrance and the interior is cramped. Cash and card are both accepted, though the market has occasionally run into card processing issues during busy periods, so bringing cash is safer.

Why B. Colson's Matters to Charleston's Food Culture

B. Colson's is one of the last working fish markets in downtown Charleston, a city that built its economy on the water and seafood trade. Most of the old markets have closed or moved to the suburbs. This one remains because it serves both retail customers who cook at home and tourists and locals who want to eat seafood the way it was eaten before restaurants became the default. The staff are fishmongers first and cooks second, which shapes everything about how the place operates.

The market's survival also depends on the boats that still fish the local waters and the creeks around Charleston. You are not buying farmed salmon from Norway or shrimp from Thailand—you are buying what was caught in the Atlantic and the local estuaries. That matters to the taste and to the economics of the place. It is why the menu changes and why you cannot call ahead and order a specific fish unless you are lucky.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring raw fish I buy at the market to the restaurant kitchen and ask them to cook it?

Informally, yes—people do this regularly. The kitchen will often cook fish you bought at the counter for a small fee or as a courtesy if they are not slammed. This is not an official service and depends on how busy the restaurant is. Ask the staff when you buy the fish, and they will tell you whether it is possible that day.

What is the best time to go if I want to avoid a wait?

Mid-morning and mid-afternoon are quieter than lunch (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and dinner (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.). Weekdays are less crowded than weekends. If you are buying fish from the market counter rather than eating at the restaurant, you can usually get in and out quickly any time the market is open.

Do they have a menu online or a way to know what fish will be fresh today?

B. Colson's does not maintain a detailed online menu because the catch changes daily. Call the market directly and ask what came in that morning. The staff can tell you what is fresh and what they recommend cooking.

Is B. Colson's a good place to take out-of-town guests?

Yes, if your guests are comfortable with casual, no-frills dining and do not mind waiting. It is authentic to Charleston's working waterfront and the food is genuinely good. It is not a destination restaurant with table service and a wine list—it is a fish market where you eat standing up or at a small table. That is the point.

Can I buy whole fish and have them cleaned?

Yes. The market staff will scale, gut, and fillet fish while you wait. Tell them how you plan to cook it and they can suggest the best way to cut it. This service is included in the price.