The island's Old Oyster Factory not only serves up its own Atlantic blue point oysters, among other exceptional seafood dishes, it offers a spectacular panoramic view of Broad Creek, especially during sunset. Plus, the restaurant promises popular Lowcountry family entertainment that will find even the most reserved guests tapping their feet as they savor their seafood and steaks. Almost 75 years ago, T.S. Hudson opened the original Broad Creek Oyster Factory in a one-story building that stood right below the current restaurant. It's no wonder the Oyster Factory has endured time and change. Consider its location, atop one of the area's most ideal harvesting locations.
Broad Creek is protected from threatening weather on all sides by the island itself.
The mudbanks along Broad Creek are loaded with clusters of the oysters, which flourish in beds just below the high-tide water line. Years ago, oystermen would wait until the tide ebbed and then wade into the creeks with their empty wooden bateaux behind them. With the help of long oyster tongs, the oystermen would weed the beds as they stood in the bateaux, allowing room for growth of future blue tip oysters. They hauled piles of oyster clusters back to the factory, where the women began the tedious process of shucking and eventually canning the oysters in their own flavorful juices. At one time, the Oyster Factory leased some 1,700 acres of oyster beds from the state.