There’s nothing we love more than meeting new friends with a passion for experiencing oysters and the outdoors in all different ways. So when we had a chance to escape down south for a quick trip we knew we had to discover a cornerstone of southern living for ourselves; Charleston Oyster Tables and the Lowcountry oyster roast.

It started where any good oyster roast starts…figuring out where to get our oysters. So Rachel, one of the co-founders from Charleston Oyster Tables, looped in our friends at White Stone Oysters. One of our favorite farms we’ve encountered to date, White Stone Oysters was born from an obsession of the relationship between oysters and their environment.

With quality at the forefront of their operation, White Stone Oysters spend their days floating in the unforgiving surf of the Chesapeake Bay which produces an impressive deep cup and polished shell on the outside with a buttery, plump, meaty oyster experience on the inside.

We leaned on our friends from Charleston Oyster Tables to host our first oyster roast and show us the way. The company was founded when Matt and Kelley couldn’t find an oyster table to get their father as a gift. They decided the rickety plywood version he had ran ragged desperately needed an upgrade. So they created it. Three years later they now build the most stunning luxury oyster tables on earth and have completely elevated the outdoor dining and entertainment experience.

The tables, made of solid pine wood, are finished in a variety of ways like fire sealed Shou Sugi Ban or a coastal white wash and customized for any company, family, or special event. They serve a multitude of outdoor events and feature a hole in the middle where discarded shells are easily tossed into a central location. Hip high, with easy access to all the oysters, the tables become part of the experience with everyone socializing around the structure facing each other while the good times roll!

After popping open a few clean and crisp oysters to taste test, it came time to focus on the main event. An old-world southern tradition, oyster roasts date back to the 1800s when oysters were visibly seen at every tidal turn along the entire east coast.

Traditionally, the experience starts with a roasting pit or any area where fire can heat up a pot or metal sheet to cook the savory bivalves. Today, the convenience of propane and a lobster pot take center stage to do the job in a low maintenance and mobile fashion.

Like many species of seafood, oysters started as food for the masses and the common man. These social events date back to the days when oyster cellars actually hosted patrons for a bite to eat and a crisp lager like your modern day dive bar. A quick beer, some oysters, and a good time. Some things never change.

After we got water to a slight boil, the remaining oysters went in the pot. Matt and Aaron began to steam the heap until individual oysters began popping open and an imminent mouthwatering desire to toss the entire pile on the table became overwhelming.

Once the oysters hit the table everyone digs in. Using oyster knives to lightly pop open the cooked morsels, adding your favorite condiment is highly encouraged. Though lemon and homemade cocktail sauce are staples, it’s widely known that no Lowcountry oyster roast goes without saltine crackers and hot sauce.

Centered around the table, there’s no shortage of laughs as we had our fill. Conveniently, the hole in the center of the table receives all our discarded shells to recycle by the end of the afternoon. Some say oyster roasts are tied to the earliest days of shell recycling where masses of shells were planted in local rivers to support the regrowth of wild reefs and it all comes full circle.

A huge thank you goes out to Kelley, Aaron, Matt, and Rachel. Our new friends and co-founders of Charleston Oyster Tables certainly lived the meaning of southern hospitality and showed us how it’s done. Please check out their tables for any elevated outdoor occasion!

We also need to thank the White Stone Oysters team who helped us bring this Lowcountry oyster roast to life and produce one of the finest oysters we’ve come across.