Mount Pleasant Magazine Jan/Feb 2015

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In GoodTaste
A SouthernTradition
on ShemCreek
R.B.’s Seafood Restaurant
The reputation of dining
on Shem Creek has reached far and
wide, well beyond the South Carolina
Lowcountry. Its beauty and romantic
ambience have attracted locals and
visitors alike. This vision is partially
thanks to Ronnie Boals, founder of
R.B.’s. Seafood Restaurant.
“In 1967, I had more guts than common sense,” said
Boals, referring to his first restaurant. He’s opened eight
altogether, four of them along Shem Creek.
In 1979, Boals opened the original R.B’s Seafood
Restaurant.
“It had 35 seats and was located in an old fish shed. Talk
about a relaxed setting,” he remarked.
Even today, diners at R.B.’s often witness boats moving
through the water, along with paddleboarders and wildlife
that consider Shem Creek their home.
“I work hard to create a place where you come when
you’re hungry and not just for your birthday,” Boals
pointed out.
In the spring of 2002, the fortitude of R.B.’s Seafood was
tested when a construction fire completely destroyed the
original building.
“Everyone who was having lunch inside the restaurant
had to evacuate and finish their meal outside,” said current
manager Delaney Goodrich, who began working at R.B.’s
shortly after the restaurant reopened its doors in 2003.
Fortunately, the tasty menu items and friendly customer
service that made the restaurant a success in its early days are
still around. And, as Goodrich pointed out, the “off season”
that occurred on Shem Creek so many years ago is nothing
more than a memory now; the enclosed sunroom at R.B.’s is
the perfect place to view the creek when it’s chilly outside.
The dinner menu at R.B.’s is a collection of Southern
dishes both of land and sea. One must-try entree is the
baked stuffed mahi with blue crab hollandaise sauce. With
collard greens and red rice, two of the many side choices
on the menu, it’s the kind of meal that reminds us of
Lowcountry dining as it used to be – simple and flavorful
with wholesome ingredients. Paired with either the Clos du
Bois Chardonnay or the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc –
both recommended by Goodrich from the wine list – the
result is the perfect creek-side meal.
“I also suggest the fried flounder, the sesame seared tuna
and, for the non-seafood visitor, the pasta pomodoro,”
Goodrich said.
As for lunch hours, R.B.’s offers several sandwiches,
including ever-popular seafood po’ boys, crab melts, as
well as Goodrich’s favorite, the club sandwich, which he
described as “incredible.” The restaurant also features a
number of blue plate lunch specials during the week, such
as fresh catfish, old-fashioned pot roast or Southern fried
chicken.
R.B.’s is located at 97 Church St. in Mount Pleasant on
Shem Creek. Visit online at
and view the complete menus for lunch and dinner, blue
plate specials, happy hour specials and the kids menu. You
can also call (843) 881-0466.
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The tasty menu items and friendly customer service that made R.B.’s a
success in its early days are still a staple of the restaurant in 2015.
Photo courtesy of R.B.’s Seafood.