The Royal Tern - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

As always, we loved our experience at The Royal Tern. From the seafood tower to the amazing desserts, the food was excellent. Megan and the front-of-house team are true professionals; the service puts the experience over the top.

Went here tonight for birthday dinner. Absolutely amazing! I could not have asked for better food. I had the tuna, best tuna I have ever had. The appetizer oysters were delightful, with a wonderful wood grilled flavor. We will definitely visit again when down here.

*BEWARE* They do not call you or text you to confirm your reservation. If you miss you will be charged $25 per person. We had to reschedule and I forgot to cancel the original reservation. Honest mistake. They charged us $150. No calls/texts/reminders prior to the reservation. I tried to explain to management what happened and they were totally inflexible and unwilling to work with me in any way. Wild Olive, Bar George, and The James are great alternatives.

Another great meal. Charleston really does have excellent restaurants.I Usually do not order steak at restaurants because I’m more times than not disappointed , but tried their ribeye with scallops on the side. It was great, scallops were cooked perfect also.

Three friends and myself had dinner there to catch up. Mind you, we stayed way too long, but never felt rushed out. We ordered every part of the menu-- bread, appetizer, salad, raw bar, entrees, extra sides, and desserts-- and everything was perfection. I ordered the beet and goat cheese salad and the mussels and those both were amazing. Ceviche was to die for, my friends loved their entrees, and the chilled red was my wine for the night. Our server was amazing. No notes, amazing night!

Loved everything about the place. Delicious food, great atmosphere and service. And they got bonus points because their water is filtered!!

The food and service were impeccable. A little loud but otherwise amazing. Can't wait to go back

Elegant dining room, great service, fabulous seafood.

Absolute best place in and around Kiawah/Chas.

The food, ambiance and service are spot on. Love this place.

I have lost count of the number of times we have dined at the Royal Tern since it opened but I can honestly say each and every meal has been delicious. The food is wonderful and the staff is simply the best. Johns Island is very fortunate to have the Royal Tern. It is a must visit restaurant if you are in the area.

We've visited this restaurant faithfully since the year it opened as part of our annual Kiawah Island vacation. Our last visit was less than satisfactory given the slow service and very cramped seating at the bar. We reserved online through Resy as we normally do and noticed many more time slot reservations than normal. It felt like the restaurant has opted for increased volume, and although the staff was pleasant, they were stretched too thin. It took 2 hours for dinner. In the past, in addition to the quality of the food, we enjoyed the attentive service. Not so this time and for a $250 tab, we won't be returning.

Our friends took us here for dinner and noted that it was their favorite place. Now it’s ours! Perfect place for an upscale meal, very farm to table and exceedingly fresh. Everything we ordered was superbly prepared and delicious, from the yeasted rolls and biscuits, to the bacon wrapped shrimp, to the grilled whole fish, and the phenomenal peaches and cream eclairs. Potentially one of the best meals I’ve ever had, and that’s saying something!.

This establishment is one of my most preferred dining locations. I recently visited for my birthday, and the experience was truly exceptional. The service provided was outstanding, and the food was of exceptional quality. I highly recommend the blackened swordfish with étouffée. I eagerly anticipate my next visit.

Our first time dining at this establishment. Everything was absolutely perfect, from food to service! The scallops were perfectly done and the vegetable risotto was the best I've ever had! Shishoto pepper appetizer was crazy good! And the carrot cake dessert was unique and sooo good! Carrot juice pearls were a tasty and beautiful touch! Sara was an amazing server! We will definitely be back!

Couldn't have been more pleased with the dining experience. Spectacular food, excellent service, and a beautiful venue make RT one of our favorite new restaurants. Well worth the drive from Mt P! The shishito pepper appetizer was delicious, and don't miss the yeast rolls. My fried haddock was perfect and the ratatouille au gratin is a must try.

Started out good enough and waiter seemed fine, until we got to the question regarding gluten free options…..I suppose ignorance is bliss and some may have heard of celiacs disease and just go along to get along, but by 2024 you might think most food establishments might understand that people are being poisoned , literally from gluten, so some attention to this matter is dire need here….cant be guessing which may or may not be ok to eat. Overall the food was good, but the service was very, very, very slow. Being told the kitchen got slammed at 9:30 pm when the restaurant was 3/4 empty is hard to believe and if the chef/ kitchen can’t handle it , then just don’t take the reservation. There are plenty of other places to go that were open later. Also, being told several items were 86ed right after being told they were available just shows the wheels are moving but the gears are disconnected.

Great atmosphere, service, and delicious food!!! We loved it?

A nice little break from what we were used to downtown. Server was very friendly and attentive. You could tell what they had was fresh with the raw bar and open kitchen. The raw moved quick but the cooked dishes took a little time. It would be a good idea to get a drink and an app if you’re not in a hurry. Overall a fairly pleasant experience.

Beautiful restaurant with excellent food. Oysters were the highlight Here is what we had: - Chopped salad: It was okay, next time I'll just get a side salad. - royale oyster: incredibly delicious, may have been my favorite bite. - wood grilled oysters: basically oyster Rockefeller. Excellent. - royal tern oysters: excellent - grilled flounder: best entree that the table ordered. The sauce was so good. - swordfish: good but not as good as the flounder - mushroom side: excellent, would order again

The hush puppies with the honey butter were very good. Had a Crown Royal and sprite, they were not stingy with the Crown.

Charleston has a lot of great restaurants but if you haven't tried The Royal Tern, you're missing out on some delicious food! Everything was 5-star! Highly recommended!

Our family lives on John's Island and it's a favorite place to visit.

As always a perfect meal and service topped off with dessert.

Wow! What can I say other than amazing! The food was superb. The snapper was the best I had ever had, oysters cooked to perfection! Our server Morgan not only offered great service but checked on us regularly! Great vibes and overall amazing experience!

LOVED this restaurant! Definitely recommend making a reservation. The atmosphere is so fun for a date night. Food was incredible—we got raw oysters, royal tern oysters, the whole fish, and the scallops. The chocolate budino was incredible! Would definitely go back the next time we’re in the area.

Royal Tern was our go-to anytime we had someone from out of town visiting- the food and experience were consistently great. We brought a friend from out of town and had an 8:15 reservation. The waitress came by once to bring some waters and by the time she returned we put in all of our orders (drinks, apps, main dishes). It took at least 35 minutes to get our appetizers- which was odd considering the restaurant wasn’t as busy around 9pm. Our mains must have taken at least another 40 minutes. The food was different than previous visits- my boyfriend ordered a flat iron medium rare. It was RAW. Raw enough to the point of us sending it back. When it came back, It was DRENCHED in sauce and nuked. It was unlike anything I’ve ever had at Royal Tern. My tuna was average at best, definitely not as good as past visits. Maybe they were just having an off night? I tried to reach out to the management to resolve this issue and terrible dining experience (as to not have to do it on google). Surprise- no one reached out. It stinks that terrible service can really ruin a restaurant for you but it seems that that’s the way this cookie crumbled.

Always our favorite, whether for special occasions or just a nice dinner. We love the whole fish and seafood dishes, which change seasonally. Staff is always great and go the extra mile.

Upscale sea fare in a bright, energetic, casual setting. You MUST get the honey biscuits. Whole fish (catch of the day) is a winner. Crème bruise was excellent. Zero wait time to be seated.

The Royal Tern is the perfect place to go for all things seafood! From appetizers to entrees, everything is amazing. My favorite dishes include the Ahi Tuna, Biscuits, and of course their fresh raw bar.

Amazing food and fantastic experience! One of my favorite restaurants. The only negative is that the restaurant gets loud but well worth putting up with that for the food. Love this place. Make sure you order the biscuits.

Fantastic food and wonderful staff

We went to dinner on Friday, I ordered a fish dish, my husband got a Ribeye with a side of shrimp and fries, we also ordered the grilled oysters and a Crème brûlée as dessert. On Saturday, when we woke up, we had stomach problems. My husband’s case was really worse, we were considering to go to the doctor. We believe that the Steak was probably the problem, since my husband ate most of that and I had a couple bites and he was worse than me. Overall I don’t recommend this restaurant. A bill of 200$ to get food poisoning isn’t fun.

We had a fantastic dinner. From the service to the food!! Thank you guys for a great experience. We can't wait to get back!

From the minute we walked in to the minute we left, it was a positive experience. I had the grilled flounder. Out of this world. It might have been the best meal we have had since we arrived. We four all thoroughly enjoyed our dinners and can't wait to go back. The staff were excellent. Super service with discretion and efficiency. My only complaint is that we've been here for five weeks and didn't go earlier. Live and learn. Highly recommend this most excellent restaurant.

Multiple people recommended the Royal Tern so we trusted and had dinner. Meh! Fine dining it is not, mediocre food and service from a suburban restaurant it is. There are far and few ‘fine dining’ restaurants off Kiawah on Johns Island which may be the only reason this is recommended. 4.9 stars on Resy? Spend your money (and less of it) else where. While the food and service weren’t bad, they weren’t on par with the great dining experiences in Charleston or one or two other restaurants say in Freshfields. Also too much olive juice in the dirty martini. Sorry.

Mediocre at best. No sides come with entrees. Cannot cook a steak and a very limited menu. Service is really slow and doesn’t come around much so make sure you ask for everything with your order..

Excellent all around! Service by Lacy was impeccable. We dined on the porch much quieter than the communal dining room. Scallops and Flounder were top notch!

As always, we had an amazing experience tonight. The scallops carpaccio is to die for. My husband loves the clam chowder. On a whim, we got a steak tonight that was incredible. Our server, Sarah, was such a delight. We continue coming back as the food, service, quality of care and atmosphere are always delightful! Thank you for being such a wonderful addition to John’s island.

Our lovely dinner was ruined by our server who chased one of our party out of the door because the tip portion of her bill had not been filled in (the tip had been left on her behalf by another member of our party). The owner of the restaurant was unresponsive to our concerns and was rude and arrogant.

Consistently amazing food, service, and environment. Love this place. Highly recommend reservations

We have visited The Royal Tern on many occasions! Atmosphere is light, smells Heavenly, service is consistent, FOOD is excellent. Lots of flavor, nice portions, beautiful presentation. Thank you Ben and John for always saying hello, floating the room, and making sure everyone is satisfied! You can definitely tell you care! Will definitely be back!

The food was simply delicious. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was warm, friendly and welcoming.

What a gem on John's Island! The food was amazing , and Bryan our server was the best!

The food was excellent. Service top notch. Oyster selection and preparation are fantastic. Just be aware you will pay top dollar, but we'll be worth it.

Visited the Royal Tern for the first time and really liked it. The space modern with a casual vibe. The scallops, flounder special and biscuits were delicious and cooked to perfection. Desert was good and the cocktails ok. I’m definitely planning to go back!

We are regulars here. Never had a meal that wasn't top notch.! We've had nearly everything on the menu and it's all been excellent. Julie and Jim are great bartenders. I love that they have creme brulee and their wood fired Oyster appetizer is delish!

Incredible food, service, and atmosphere! Definitely recommend!

Incredibly delicious, beautiful ambience, amazing drinks and an overall 10+ experience!

Celebrated my girlfriends birthday here and had a great time! For once we showed up somewhere early and they were quick to seat us. There really isn't a seating area to wait and the bar is also available to be reserved so I recommend showing up as close to on time as possible so you're not awkwardly standing in the middle of the room waiting on your table. We were lucky enough to book the patio which was closed in and heated. And when I say heated it felt just like being in the main room if not warmer so don't be afraid to book the patio even on colder months. Only issue with the patio is that it's hard to hear your server and vice versa which makes for some awkward stairs and smiles since you have no idea what the other person asked :) Our food was outstanding. In fact it was the appetizers and desserts that really stole the show for us. Oysters Rockefeller aka Royal Tern Oysters were on point. My absolute favorite was the PEI Mussels! The best broth I've ever had on mussels ever! I took the spoon and drank it like soup it was so good! We also tried the Royale from the raw bar which was a pleasant punch of a palate cleanser. Our Blackened swordfish was just ok it was split and prepared well just didn't do it for us...we should have got the Halibut...next time! Then came the desserts! Another great pastry chef can be found here! The creme brulee was on point but surprisingly enough it was the angel sponge Birthday cake that really did it for us with a side of some amazing caramel glaze type of sauce from one of the other seasonal selections of desserts. All in all it was a great time and we will definitely be returning!

Patron since they opened. One of the best in Charleston, and exceptional for Johns Island. Classy, fresh seafood, and staff is always on their A game.

A complete gem! Atmosphere is great. The food is amazing, and our server last night, Kenzie, was an absolute delight. Her recommendations on dinner were spot on. Will return!

Amazing food, service and atmosphere! We went with friends and made a reservation. They have a great variety of food. We got oysters to start which were from Maine, delicious! We all got a salad, the dressing was light and yummy. We all got the filet mignon, it was cooked perfectly, flavors were remarkable and we all left satisfied! High recommend!

We recently purchased a gift card for our closest friends to have dinner while they were staying in Kiawah. Our friends made a reservation and made note that it was their anniversary. Upon having dinner, the food was OK, the service was less than expected as they had been to your restaurant many times over the years. The manager was actually somewhat rude and never made mention of their anniversary. I am very disappointed in all of this and very frustrated that my wife and I purchased a gift card that frankly was not cheap. Been to your place many times, but may consider different options going forward. Maybe you have to much business and no longer care as much about the customers.

Has always had great food, service, and martinis! Never disappoints! Thank you!

Average. The food has definitely slipped since last time. Tuna tarter was way over-seasoned. The fried shrimp tasted institutionalized. Are they local? They tasted like they had been prebreaded. Fries were cold. Meh…

The staff was friendly in making my reservation. Our server made excellent recommendations, and our meals were great.

Service was fantastic, the caviar tuna oysters were unreal. The pumpkin cake desert was delicious and the swordfish was cooked perfection. 5/5

Let me be honest and crystal clear.......what we experienced at The Royal Tern was truly on another level?!! We go to Charleston a good bit and have been to a decent amount of "well rated restaurants" over the years but none of them left an impact like this one??!! It's like, where have you been all my seafood lovin' life???!! The aesthetic beauty of the building is quite appealing to the eye and the service was very professional! My husband had the Blackened Swordfish and I had the Grilled Shrimp with garlic bucatini and WOW?!! The flavors of both these dishes were like nothing I've ever tasted before??! All the other restaurants in the Charleston area don't even compare to this culinary perfection!! We have relished this night over and over and we will DEF be making this a regular treat when we return to Charleston!!

We had a great time here. My husband and I met another couple for dinner at a recommendation from A friend. We had the biscuits and they had the clams as appetizers which we all thoroughly enjoyed. The ribeye, fried shrimp, and swordfish were also delicious. The restaurant inside is beautiful and I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived and how nice the building was. Even down to the french fries, everything was delicious! This is definitely a must visit if you’re on the island. The atmosphere is perfect for date night or meeting with friends.

I can not rave enough about this place. My friends and I looked on Google maps for a WHILE trying to figure out the perfect place to eat. I am SO GLAD we ended up deciding to go here-- best meal we have all had in a long time. Our server was so nice, the food (absolutely recommend the half pound of shrimp, cooked AND raw oysters, and mushrooms!!!) was to die for, and the cocktails were sublime, to boot!

Sometimes, on a review, I have a lot to say. This review goes like this: "This restaurant in all aspects at evert turn for every minute you are there is a culinary treat". It's worth changing cities you live in. Simply put.... do yourself and your friends/family a service and eat there fast and frequently! A+!

We had a wonderful dinner at the bar! Oysters, steak tartare, tuna & salmon poke and the halibut were all absolutely delicious in their own ways. Bartender Jimmy made the whole experience complete with his excellent service and amazing cocktails. Hands down our new top favorite restaurant in the entire Charleston area, not just Johns Island.

This place was perfection. It reminded me how incredibly good food can be when prepared with skill and expertise. I'm already looking forward to our next visit as The Royal Tern is now among the best places I've ever eaten. Thank you and see you next time!

We would of given RT 5Stars across the board, but my wife's steak came out way over salted. Told her to send it back, but she doesn't like to roll that way unless it's inedible. Either way, if you're looking for a restaurant, with great atmosphere, generous portions, tasty food, and yes, great parking - come to The Royal Tern.

Fried Scallops were super fresh and delicaty fried. I'd recommend to anyone.

Amazing experience! One of the best meals we've had in the Charleston area. Everyone's meal was a hit, no complaints, can't wait to come back!

The entire staff made my mother's 78th birthday a memorable event without interrupting the other diners. Sara our waitress as well the entire staff performed flawlessly and the food was outstanding. The oysters were beyond compare and the resident shucker delivered a debris free presentation. Thank you all for a great evening. The food was superb. Jerry Anderson

Food and service were just great. Our server was attentive but not to much. And the food was so yummy good. We didn't have any to take home.

We had the tuna salmon app. Delicious. My husband and friends had the steak tartar and some oysters. They were raving about them. They also said the martinis were impeccable. We shared a salad with salmon. The dressing was just enough and the salmon was cooked perfectly. Next time, we're trying the fried flounder. That looked so good

Great ambience. I had shrimp & bucatini. Burnt the sauce. Terrible. Waitress didn’t smile once. Just a bad one-off. Place had a great decor and vibe. Will try again

A wonderfully delicious experience. Give this place a try if you’re in Charleston.