For authentic New England-style seafood, set your sail for The Jones Oyster Co.
Creamy clam chowder, fried Ipswich whole-belly clams, Maine lobster rolls overflowing with more than a pound of meat. If this sounds like a sampling from a New England clam shack, it is—and now you can find these seafood specialties on the bill of fare at The Jones Oyster Co. in downtown Greenville.
It’s little wonder that Jones’s menu points toward New England, as the crew behind the newest addition to the Table 301 Restaurant Group all hail from the North: Table 301’s founder, Carl Sobocinski, grew up in New Hampshire; Creative Director Katie Thompson comes from Connecticut; and Corporate Chef Rodney Freidank spent his early years on Long Island. So that should tell you a boatload about the authenticity of the cuisine.
The daily selection of raw oysters is plucked from the East Coast, from New Brunswick to Florida. Mainstays of the changing raw oyster menu—listed on the blackboard above the bar—are farmed varieties from the Rappahannock Oyster Co. in Virginia: briny Olde Salt, sweet Rappahannock, and balanced Rochambeau.
A visit to Rappahannock Oyster Co. in Topping, Virginia, solidified the design of the 45-seat space for Thompson. “I wanted a sense of nostalgia and being rooted in history,” she says of the interior of the building that decades ago held Jones Furniture Co. and, more recently, Soby’s on the Side. That element of nostalgia resides in the original exposed brick and the lovely repurposed barnwood on the walls. Touches of nautical Americana abound, in the blue and white ticking-stripe fabric on the banquette, the vintage sailing flags that hang on the wall, and the marine artifacts decorating the bar.
While the menu takes a deep dive into the waters of New England, don’t think it ignores the South. The Lowcountry coast is well represented in a Charleston shrimp burger and Lowcountry crab rice, a dish with Gullah origins. New Orleans makes an appearance, too, in NOLA grilled gulf oysters and a gulf oyster po’boy. No matter what you order, a meal here primes your palate with a sample of the tasty house-smoked fish dip and ends with a sweet kiss of saltwater taffy.
It’s simple food, but Freidank has worked hard to get it just right. “It was important that we didn’t just do [any] version of each thing,” the chef says. “We did the best version we could figure out—and it could change if we figure out a better way to do it.”
Don’t-Miss Dishes at The Jones Oyster Co.
Jones Famous Hushpuppies – Irresistible mahogany-brown hushpuppies come to the table straight from the fryer. Crisp on the outside and light and airy inside—with a hint of cheddar cheese and roasted red peppers—they have what Chef Rodney describes as “just the right balance of sweetness and savoriness.”
NOLA Grilled Gulf Oysters – Modeled after the grilled oysters served at Drago’s in New Orleans, this dish requires thick-shelled gulf oysters to stand up to the full flame of the open grill. Before serving, they’re doused with garlic butter, herbs, and Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano cheeses.
Lobster Roll – First on the list is the Maine version, its fresh lobster meat tossed in Hellman’s mayo—the way they do it up North. There’s also a Connecticut variation, with warm lobster bathed in melted butter. Buns for both are made by culinary students at Bob Jones University.
Jones Oyster Co., 22 E. Court St., Greenville, 864.549.0301, thejonesoysterco.com
