A new wave of raw bars adds depth to the Upstate’s coastal-inspired offerings
“So you’re near the beach?” is one of the most commonly uttered misconceptions when you tell someone unfamiliar with the Upstate that you’re from Greenville, South Carolina. It’s often followed by some explanation about being a three-hour drive away from Charleston, which isn’t really a beach either. Some of Greenville’s restaurant owners, however, have decided to embrace the notion that even the Upstate can be coastal, at least in a culinary manner of speaking.
“We want to bring in all those flavors from the coast,” says Geno Iozzino, co-owner of Greenville’s latest raw bar, Abyss. “It’s so easy to make, why not?”
As Merriam-Webster defines it, a raw bar is “a counter (as in a restaurant) that serves raw shellfish.” Most restaurants using that moniker aren’t sticklers for the definition and expand the meaning to include any cold seafood, served at a counter or not. Seafood-loving guests are more than happy to extend the latitude for the reward of fresh shrimp, mussels, tuna, and more, especially in a non-coastal town like Greenville.
“That’s stuff you crave at the beach,” Iozzino says. And more and more, beach vacationers crave those flavors at home, Iozzino has found.
Abyss, slated to open late April in the former Reid’s Fine Foods space in One City Plaza, began as a different concept called The Dutchman. Iozzino and business partner Anmar Natheer realized the plans were steering the concept away from the original raw bar intent, so they rebranded and reworked the space to better offer the fresh seafood they love to order in Charleston.
Taking the raw bar distinction literally, Abyss features a 17-foot-long bar with seating for 12, which will offer up to half a dozen oyster varieties, crab legs, lobster—when it’s in season, for optimal flavor—tuna, and razor clams, among other fresh options. Buns for lobster rolls will be baked in-house and decadent accompaniments like caviar butter will nod to the owners’ love for Charleston’s celebrated restaurant Chubby Fish, where a caviar slider leaves a lasting impression on all who order it.
Iozzino and Natheer’s experience together includes the launch of their food truck Keepin’ It Fresh, followed by The 05 with Chef Jennifer Barrone and the openings of The 07 on Laurens Road and The One5 at Hartness. The successes of each will culminate at Abyss with white-tablecloth service in the main dining room, a lounge with soft seating, a large bar, the raw bar, and a 20-seat private dining room. “We put all of our visions together,” Iozzino says. “We’re combining what we like from Charleston and what we do well here.”
Bivalves and More
Also inspired by Charleston’s seafood-centric dining culture, The Ottaray Raw Bar & Taphouse opened in December in the former Warehouse at Midtown space on Laurens Road. They sell more than a thousand oysters on a busy weekend night.
Owner Taft Wirthlin, who previously operated Anchor Raw Bar in Simpsonville’s Warehouse at Vaughn’s, had put plans to open Ottaray on hold after the original Main Street space fell through in 2018. Now, in its new location capitalizing on the former Warehouse taproom infrastructure, the concept has taken on a new life with heavy influence from the Lowcountry and a focus on seafood that pairs well with beer.
“With 26 drafts and a cicerone on staff, it’s something a little different than just going out for oysters,” Wirthlin says. “We pair drafts with the oysters to be sure they go well.”
In the planning stage, Wirthlin went everywhere in Charleston looking for inspiration. The result is a menu that reads like Charleston’s greatest hits but with a raw bar component that includes oysters; a seafood tower with mussels, shrimp, lobster, and accompaniments; a variety of oyster shooters; and other specials, depending on what’s fresh.
“It’s very Charleston—flavors and menu,” Wirthlin says. “It’s a little more focused [on seafood], but there’s something for everybody.”
Abyss, 1 N. Laurens St., Greenville, abyssgreenville.com; The Ottaray Raw Bar & Taphouse, 1418 Laurens Rd., Greenville, theottaray.com
More Local Raw Bars
For oysters
For oysters and more
- Jianna
- Mr. Crisp
- Bimini’s Oyster Bar and Seafood Cafe
- The Jones Oyster Co.
- El Navegante Seafood and Grill 2
