Traditional Fried Seafood | Lowcountry Staples | National-Landmark Building | Vintage 1940s Vibe |

Sample Menu

• Appetizer: sautéed crab cakes with sweet corn, leek, and basil
• Fried entree: fried flounder oysters, and shrimp with coleslaw
• Un-fried entree: roasted grouper with english-pea-and-lobster risotto
• Dessert: Southern pecan pie infused with Kentucky bourbon

Who's in the Kitchen? Chef Frank McMahon has had a storied career so far. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America and completing an externship in Germany, the Ireland native quickly scored a gig working under Eric Ripert, the world-renowned chef at Le Bernardin in New York City. He tapped into this experience while cooking at some of Charleston's finer restaurants, including McCrady's and Elliott's on the Square, before opening up Hank's.

While You're Waiting

• Soak up the restaurant's history—it's located in a renovated turn-of-the-century warehouse that was declared a national historic landmark.
• Marvel at the painstaking detail that went into the dining room's decor, which is meant to replicate a 1940s-era fish house. A local designer incorporated hand-blown-glass windows, antique tiles, and custom-distressed woods to create a vintage feel.

Inside Tips

• Want to try replicating a Hank's dish at home? Grab some grouper and test your frying prowess with recipes from Chef McMahon's cookbook, Cool Inside: Hank's Seafood Restaurant].
• Make a reservation to avoid a long wait.

While You're in the Neighborhood
Before: Peruse the eclectic collection of women's clothing, accessories, beauty products, and gifts at Worthwhile (268 King Street).

After: Nurse a pre-Prohibition-style cocktail at The Gin Joint (182 East Bay Street), which is home to one of the best mint juleps in America according to Imbibe magazine.

If You Can’t Make It, Try This: Get your seafood fix at Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar (205 East Bay Street), which slings up a menu of fresh, seasonal fish and Southern favorites.