Ellis Creek Fish Camp

Two stars for the catfish bites. The other food is very mediocre and restaurant is too basic and unappealing for its location.

We went and were happy to hear that it was Taco Tuesday. We were there at Happy Hour and they had reduced price appetizers as well. We got the Catfish bites and the pimento cheese. Do not get the catfish bites. Maybe we were unlucky but they were inedible. We told our waiter and he took them away. We ate the pimento cheese that was served in a little skillet, still bubbling from the heat. I thought it delicious and would come back for that. We got the tacos as well since it was Taco Tuesday. They were pretty substantial for the price and thought they were pretty darn good actually. The 2 and almost 1 star is because when we got the bill it still had the catfish bites on it. I did not say anything because did not think I should and my wife probably is good with it but here it is. It was only $ 3 or $ 4 but it is the principal. Was very surprised that it was not taken off so 2 stars that could have been 3 or even more properly a 4 had the waiter said, please accept our apologies, must have been a bad batch, and then taken off the bill but… So this place continues to get very mixed reviews. Shame because it is cool to have this type spot on Harbor View.

In reading the negative comments, I had to chuckle & felt the need to review. It seems that everyone in Charleston is so spoiled that they expect fine dining, everywhere they go. This is a fish camp. It’s casual, simple and no frills. I live right around the corner from here and I go once a month, sometimes twice for lunch. I have never had anything that was not delicious. Their hush puppies, po boys, burgers, flat breads and fish bites ($ 3 at HH) are spot on. The service has definitely improved since opening. Also, you now have more options other than fried foods. You can also get almost any item grilled, blackened, buffalo.
The outside area and deck are going to be awesome in the summer time. They have done a great job with it.
They HAVE listened to the feed back and clearly taken it very seriously as they have updated the menu and improved on a lot of issues that have been voiced via Unilocal.So, if you had a bad experience before, try it again. Every restaurant you have to give a second chance, esp a brand new one that will experience growing pains.

Excellent food and service. The waitress was friendly, the drinks were good, and the family had a nice time. We appreciated the patio heater outside, too!
Everything we tried was amazing, but the crab cakes were a standout. Try the collards, too!

Unexpectedly lunch stop and pleasantly surprised. Great patio area overlooking the marsh. Ordered the blackened shrimp, blackened chicken and blackened fish tacos. The tacos were amazing, the view was incredible and my server was fabulous.

Taco Tuesday was the way to go! $ 3 tacos all day, hello! Came during happy hours, nice selections. Draft beer was cold and several local, wine list was better than I ever expected and the service was great! Allison, the server, told us about their nightly promos too. And even though it was cold, my guy insisted on sitting outside, beautiful views of the marsh at sunset. We’ll definitely be back!

I went on a Sunday evening and got seated right away. There was a large outdoor deck with tables and a tv right on the marsh. A little cold to be outside this time of year, but I can’t wait for summer to be able to eat outside. We ended up sitting inside and it was nicer than I was expecting.
The food was good. I’d definitely recommend getting some she crab soup as an appetizer, some of the best I’ve ever had.
I kept it simple and got a shrimp po-​boy with fries for my meal. The sandwich was good and the shrimp were very huge!!!
I’ll definitely be going back
Service was great, drinks were always filled promptly and dishes were taken when I was done eating.

Small portions, high prices, OK service. Great views that you can’t see unless you’re outside. Valet parking with an empty lot. I’ll skip this place for a while. Doomed.

I’m about halfway through a few months in Charleston and saw the Fish Camp early on. To be honest, we were turned off by the negative reviews here on Unilocal — and waited.
Over the last week, we’ve been twice, both times in the evening around sunset (parking was not by valet at the time). Once with a group of five, another with two people and two dogs. Our experience defied the negative reviews. I get the feeling that the restaurant is watching and reacting.
For example, today we took two dogs to the deck near the marsh and within a minute or two, someone brought a bowl of ice water for them. The utensils are now metal instead of plastic (a complaint here). The service has been spot-​on — better then average. Friendly and attentive.
The food is great — I’ve had tacos, fried shrimp/​oysters/​catfish, slaw, collards, crab dip. hush puppies and others. They’re not trying to be Fig or Husk. It’s a FISH CAMP. Fried seafood, tacos, flatbread, salads, etc. 8 – 10 beers on tap. You really can’t beat Catfish Bites for $ 3 at happy hour.
The kicker is the location and atmosphere. It’s marsh-​front with lots of outdoor seating under a big tree. Don’t worry about the negative stuff.

Went on a Saturday night and service wasn’t great but food was really good. I’m a low country native and the fried shrimp is local and perfectly fried. Yummy frozen drinks too

This only gets three stars because of the view. It’s pretty disheartening that they have such a great location and potential for a real gem, but failed so horribly. We have been three times hoping they were just working through the kinks of opening a new restaurant. I have yet to eat anything here that tasted like anything more than cheap bar food. My husband likes the fried shrimp, but that is all he has found in our three visits. The manager is extremely rude — we have encountered her on two visits. There is nothing special about this place but the nice view.

We came at 6:00 on a Saturday night.
When you pull in they ask to valet your car, not a problem for us since it is complementary, seeing as parking is tight and they will probably do a better job for you I do not see a negative the valet driving was very friendly & patient.
You walk In to be greeted by a server/​hostess, again super friendly with a huge smile on her face. We asked to be seated by the marsh. The view is absolutely breathtaking. I’m seen reviews saying ‘we were sitting inside and the views were horrible’ why would you sit inside for a good view?!? Any who we sat out by the deck had calamari for an App, was not as much as I hoped for but still crunchy goodness. My husband had the bucket of steamed oysters and they were well worth $ 13! They were heaping over the brim as they should be! I had the shrimp skewers with collards, odd mix but I was in the mood for both, they were perfect. Great atmosphere, good sangria, great service & good food! Loved the deck defiantly recommend for a date night or for a few friends to grab a beer & eat some oysters

We came for lunch on Labor Day.
The staff was absolutely terrific. Very helpful and attentive, from seating my 85 year old mother with her walker to order taking and order delivery.
The food needs work. Hushpuppies were terrific. The fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese and chow chow had great flavor but were tough — you want ‘em firm, not tough. I had the blackened mahi (I think it was mahi) po’ boy. It was ruined by a doughy and very sweet roll, which clashed and then overwhelmed everything inside it. After two bites I skipped the roll and ate the contents. They need a new bread supplier. My mother, with a bird-​like appetite, had the spinach salad. But even she was underwhelmed by it. A thin layer of spinach with about 5 thin slices of grilled apples on top. Appearance matters and this dish needs to look better. My wife had the fish tacos and she was pretty happy with them.
Parking is tight. There’s nothing the owner can do about it on this small lot. Lots of other posts complain that the building has no view of the marsh. True, but the building is on the footprint of the one that was there before. I’m sure that conservation/​wetland set-​backs, etc. prevented the moving of the building closer to the marsh. Otherwise the atmosphere is modern fish camp, if there is such a thing. It looks like they’re about to finish a deck/​porch right next to the marsh.
I’ll be back to try again…

After about a month of being open, we finally stopped in. We were very eager and excited to try something we have been watching go up for many months. Parking isn’t as bad as many have claimed. We walked in and there was no host, so we weren’t sure how this works. It looked as if you order at a register that is at the entrance, so we just stood there … A bit awkward, looking at menus that were by the register. A member of the staff looked at us as if we were idiots. We asked if this is were we order and he said very sternly «no!» … my 7 year old daughter asked my wife if the man was angry with us. We brushed it off and asked if we could be seated. The restaurant had three other families inside, so it wasn’t too cramped. It’s hard to explain the interior. Designing a seating arrangement with the square footage available was definitely a challenge here. I was seated up against a barrier wall that gave me a confined experience I wouldn’t recommend. To add even more pain to the situation there was a window in front of me that was too high and all I could do was watch the rain clouds. Note: I’m 6 – 1, if I can’t see out of it without standing, I know others are weirded out by it. It’s as if your being teased, you know there’s a great view out there, but your being prevented from enjoying it. They only look angel is up. So, as I looked to the skies waiting for my draft beer to help ease my discomfort, I was told that my beer will be a bit longer as they need to change the lines, …then another 5 minutes later I am told the nitrogen line is broken and am offered a can substitute. The pain just piles on. I digress, I need to focus on the food. We order a shrimp basket, oyster PO boy, fish and chips and a cheeseburger. The food quality was ok, but when you factor in the disney world prices, it did not deliver. I love oyster Po boys, but the brioche bread doesn’t work with it. When it comes to my Po boys, I prefer the baguette or a crusty french bread … and at 15 dollars, it made it even worse. My daughter’s burger was good… But were’s the beef, now I see why they offer a double patty. The shrimp basket and fish and chips were good, no complaints. Our server lacked hospitality and seemed very cold. It just seemed as if she did not want to be there. My lower rating is based upon the closet like feel, high prices and non energetic staff. The place really bummed us out and definitely altered our mood.

Nice local, nice folks, not the authentic fish camp experience you’re looking for. Noisy, crowded, kinda anywhere food at touristy prices. We won’t be back.

It takes a lot for me to review something badly, but here goes…
We arrived around 5:30 to a somewhat empty parking lot only to find out its valet parking. When we asked the guy if we could just park ourselves in a spot 5 feet away, he told us we can «park at our own risk on the street». Strike one.
We approach the hostess stand to get a seat and were greeted with a «what do you want» look. I ask for a table for two after the awkward exchange and am seated at a table crammed into a wall. Décor is meh and backs into a parking lot. Windows are high so when you’re inside you get no view. The server displayed an attitude as if she didn’t want to be there. I mean I get it, sometimes you’re not feeling it, but atleast be nice to our faces. Strike two.
The food comes out in plastic baskets on paper with plastic silverware to boot. When we’re spending $ 50 on dinner, can we please just get a plate and silverware?! Portions were skimpy, lackluster in flavor, and not all that hot. Strike three.
I really wanted this place to be good since James island lacks in decent restaurants, but I say skip it. I won’t be back.
Take your money and run to Roadside Seafood just around the corner. It’s a friendly, family-​run restaurant that actually cares about their food and customers.

I like this place. It’s right on the water and the menu is unique. Chef Charles is a CIA graduate and artisan with his product. There are outside and inside tables with an amazing marsh view. Good hang out place with tummy appetizers.

After recently moving to James Island and wishing Charleston had more restaurants on the water with a view– I went to Ellis Creek Fish Camp REALLY wanting to like the place. Upon walking in I was really disappointed to find that instead of the restaurant overlooking the scenic marsh, the parking lot is. And despite the parking lot being huge– it’s valet only leaving you having to park on the side of Harbor View road which is crazy busy with traffic. Makes no sense to me why they chose to lay out the restaurant in this way. With only two tables located outside, we sat inside — and the place doesn’t have an ounce of character or ambiance. After receiving my super overpriced $ 6 canned beer, I had no choice but to hope the food was at least worth it. The menu is mostly fried seafood and with many semi-​unique small plate options, our table decided to order a ton of food to split. The $ 9 Calamari was decent but overpriced for the amount you get– and was served with ranch instead of chipotle aioli as the menu indicated. The Blackened Fish Taco was so oversalted it was almost inedible– and I am by no means a picky eater! The Fried Catfish bites were decent although the dipping sauce was super sweet and didn’t work at all. The Fried Grouper Salad was nothing special and definitely overpriced at $ 15 for a bed of spinach, some strawberries & a few nuts. The Blue Corn Hushpuppies sounded unique and promising but I was not a fan of the flavor at all. The Fried Green Tomatoes were the saving grace of the meal, with a crispy light batter and generous helping of pimento cheese and chow chow. Overall, this place was a huge let down and I won’t be back. I normally am not a harsh critic (and a very generous 5 star giver) but for realz I wouldn’t waste your money here!

Very disappointed in the new restaurant. They need to step up their game if they are going to charge $ 6 for a CAN of beer. At least make the food worth it. The outdoor seating is in the parking lot. Not my idea of a good view, which, by the way, could be on the marsh. Hopefully the draft beer will come but if they charge $ 6 for CANS, one can only imagine a $ 15 draft? Pub grub is a thumbs down!

I know it’s a little premature to write a review of a restaurant before it’s even opened that I attended a soft opening tonight at the Ellis Creek Fishcamp and everything I sampled was quite delicious. Frozen drinks really hit the spot on a hot day in the fried okra was perfectly done. Very interesting to core casual but fun staff could not of been nicer in the spot is as pretty as any I’ve been with a great view of Ellis Creek off James Island Creek. I understand they’re going to have a nice outdoor patio area and other interesting details to come I believe they’re real opening will be this Saturday for lunch definitely check it out if you’re in the area and it’s worth the hike if you’re not for the view alone.