Calabash restaurants typically serve a huge variety of piping-hot seafood in massive quantities. But that's not all there is to regional cuisine. Lowcountry steam-offs are buckets filled with a variety of shellfish, potatoes, corn and Old Bay seasoning. When fresh oysters are in season in the fall, oyster roasts abound. While crab is popular, it's crab dip that attracts attention in these parts.
Competition is stiff among restaurants boasting the best crab dip.
Okra, sweet potatoes, grits, turnip greens, mustard greens and kale are also regional favorites. Hush puppies, those delicious deep-fried dollops of sweet cornmeal dough, take the place of bread on many coastal tables. Hoppin' John, based on black-eyed peas and rice, is a hearty dish seen in many variations. Shrimp and grits is another popular dish appearing in various incarnations from restaurant to restaurant. Iced tea flows freely, in most places by the pitcher-full, and locals prefer it very sweet.