SeeWee Restaurant - Awendaw, SC

Posted By Michael Stern on March 14, 2010 7:35 PM

“One of my favorite Roadfood restaurants,” is how tipster George Motz described the SeeWee, a former grocery north of Charleston along US 17. Expanded to include a lovely outdoor area for al fresco dining, the SeeWee still looks a bit like a roadside store – shelves stocked with supplies, higgledy-piggledy décor of nautical bibelots. But it is now a restaurant, well-known to Charlestonians for its local seafood, its downhome vegetables, and its cakes.

Daily specials are chalked up on a board; when we visited they included country-fried steak, whole catfish, Jamaican jerk chicken, Buffalo shrimp or oysters (fried in spicy Buffalo-wing style), and fish stew by the cup or bowl. We zeroed in on the regular menu and its roster of fried seafood. In this part of the world, frying shrimp, scallops, and oysters is a fine art. You can get a platter or a sandwich with very good extra-large French fries and cole slaw on the side. Our shrimp were snapping firm and veiled in a fine, crisp crust.

One of the great only-in-the-South meals to get here is an all-vegetable plate. Choose four from a list of more than a dozen available, including such local faves as red rice, butter beans, fried squash, fried okra, and rice and gravy. We went for fried green tomatoes (deliciously al dente with a tangy smack), sweet potato casserole (super spicy), macaroni and cheese (dense and thick with cheese), and collard greens (salty, oily, luxurious).

As you walk in the restaurant you will see a shelf of the day’s layer cakes; and desserts are listed on a blackboard. When we saw chocolate cake with peanut butter icing, we knew we had to have a piece. So we ordered it as we ordered lunch. The cake came before the meal. “I cut this for you because I was worried there wouldn’t be any left by the time you were ready,”: our waitress kindly explained as she set it down with our sweet teas. We are so grateful she was watching out for us, because this cake was superb … as was our caramel layer cake and goober pie.

No bill arrives after the meal. When you’re done eating, the waitress will instruct you to go up to the cash register and tell the man your table number. He’s got your check and will tally it up and get you squared away.

Breakfast is served Saturdays only.

Overall Rating

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Posted By John christian on May 15, 2013 11:43 PM

I have eaten at See Wee twice. The first time it was very busy and the food tasted great and the service was excellent. The free hush puppies were also excellent so it was well worth a return trip since I travel through the area every month. I live about an hour away.

The next time it was later in the day and very slow. The hush puppies were dry and must have been cooked a lot earlier in the day. This time I tried the chicken livers, which can be excellent if prepared correctly, but these tasted burnt. Either the oil was old and the livers were overcooked, or they were reheated from earlier, but either way the server did return to check on us and ask how everything was. When I mentioned that the side items were good but the livers didn't taste very good and seemed dry and overcooked, she said, "Well, everybody usually likes them" and then she walked away. Wow!

What's the point in asking if that's the response? I waited tables for years and if I ever had a problem I would make it right, offer to replace the item or take it off the check, but this girl had no clue at all, zero. To top it off, I mentioned the same thing to the cashier who also asked me how everything was. She said there was new help in the back and that if she cooked it, it would have been better.

Possibly I just ate there on the wrong day but with so many more choices a few miles away in Charleston I won't chance it again. I thought I had found a nice spot to go but not this time. It's not an expensive lunch so it's no big deal, but the ignorance of the server is probably the worst part. That's not how you promote repeat business. Just my opinion. Like I said, the first time was great, so this may be a hit-and-miss kind of place. Good luck!

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Posted By amanda vittori on March 15, 2012 8:23 AM

OMG! Apparently everyone on the See Wee review page has lost their taste buds! I will give them the "Southern Hospitality" bit though. It took 15 minutes for someone to come take our drink order. It seems as if they knew everyone who walked in the doors, but if you are from out of town, SKIP it!!! All the food is fried in the same grease and all tastes nasty! I love seafood and this was NOT good! There were 4 of us who each ate different things and all had the same view. The seasoned fries we fries with a dash of season all salt (classy)the chicken fried steak was fatty the "grilled" shrimp was awful! it was pan seared not grilled in a garlic butter sherry sauce, which sounded great but it isn't even fresh garlic! it was the jarred garlic and it was put on AFTER the shrimp was cooked. The shrimp had a very funny flavor to it. and it wasn't a cooked in flavor. Fried green tomatoes- nasty, fried okra- nasty, coleslaw-blah, mashed potatoes-ok, but the gravy on them? -NASTY. Don't waste your time or your money! we were a party of 4 and walked out spending $60 on 2 servings of green beans (because it was the best thing they served us!)

Overall Rating

Grilled shrimp

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Posted By Lois MacPhee on July 9, 2011 3:39 PM

We get to this restaurant every time we are in South Carolina, three to four times a year. It has the BEST she-crab soup in all of South Carolina. The staff is the definition of Southern hospitality. We usually split a bunch of orders so everyone can taste everything.

Overall Rating

She Crab Soup

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Posted By William Barker on June 6, 2011 4:14 PM

I've been to Charleston, SC two years in a row (visiting relatives who moved down there) and for two years in a row I've eaten at See-Wee. The person who hated it... nuts! Listen, folks, take it from a New York foodie who regularly eats out at the finest restaurants as well as the best local "joints" from coast to coast and around the world: See-Wee is one cool place. See-Wee has "atmosphere," not ambiance. It's kitschy yet authentic. Noisy and boisterous? Yep. Friendly and inviting? Darn right!

As for the food, two words: fried pickles. Three more words: free hush puppies. My personal favorite special there: Black and Bleu Shrimp! Listen, it's comfort food; fresh, homemade comfort food. There's cold beer on tap - by the pitcher if you're so inclined - and either indoor or outdoor seating.

Waiters and waitresses are friendly. If you're from NY or MA or CA or any "wealthy" part of the country you'll find the prices more than fair. Hey, what else do you want? It's South Carolina. It's REAL South Carolina. And it's darned good!

And let me let you in on a bit of a little "secret." Google "barn jam awendaw green" and see what happens right across the street from See-Wee each Wednesday night. Folks, I'm telling ya, dining at the See-Wee and then attending the (contributions gladly accepted) Wednesday night barn jam... ya can't get more "country" than that!

Overall Rating

Fried Pickles

Grilled shrimp

Fried Oyster Appetizer

fish stew

layer cake

fried clams

coconut cake

she crab soup

See Wee Platter

Bourbon Pecan Pie

Red Velvet Cake

Coke in a Glass Bottle

Fried Shrimp

sweet potato casserole

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Posted By A OUTLAW on May 8, 2011 12:10 AM

Worth the drive. Friendly staff, large portions, reasonable prices, homemade cakes and banana puddin'!

Overall Rating

layer cake

Grilled shrimp

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Posted By Paul Jenkins on August 25, 2010 11:04 AM

I need to respond to the last review about the Seewee Restaurant. I'm not sure if the last reviewer had an ax to grind or was expecting a 4 star Michelin restaurant. I eat at Seewee at least two times a month and always had an enjoyable meal. Yes...shrimp are small because they are LOCAL caught shrimp....not those grown in chicken waste ponds in Asia and the size of a cow! They have awesome She crab soup, shad roe(when in season), scallops and desserts! I usually order my bread pudding along with my beverage order, as they run out almost every time I don't.........AND it's the best bread pudding I have ever had....INCLUDING any I have had in New Orleans!!! The present an order of hush puppies, which are deliosious, while you are looking over the menu. The Hush Puppies are cook to perfection and you must be careful not to fill up on them. The decor of the place is very cool. It used to be an old country store and still holds the charm! The shelves and products are sill to be seen and the staff is very friendly. I would not hesitate to recommend this place to anyone at all!!

Overall Rating

she crab soup

Fried Pickles

See Wee Platter

Coke in a Glass Bottle

Fried Shrimp

Fried Oyster Appetizer

sweet potato casserole

fried clams

Red Velvet Cake

layer cake

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Posted By Carey Redd on August 23, 2010 10:10 PM

Bad, just really bad. There is no art to the fried food at this kitschy roadside cafe. The building and decor look promising, but the food disappoints.

The fried beer-battered shrimp are small, tough, and taste like overused cooking oil. I had to scrape the batter off so I could eat these rubbery crustaceans. Although the mayonnaise-based slaw was fine, the collards were too bitter. They had not used any ham to flavor the pot liquor. I tried to eat a piece of apple pie to console myself, yet the bottom crust was raw and the tart apples were as undercooked as the pie crust. Truly a disappointing meal.

If you are headed north on US-17 from Conway, remember to eat before you pass the city limits!

Overall Rating

Fried Shrimp

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Posted By David Lantz on July 12, 2008 9:48 PM

SeeWee is worth the 15 minute drive from the beaches (Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island). Costs are reasonable for today's expanding food and gas prices; dinner and dessert for two was under $50 and we had plenty of food.

We had fried pickles and a cup of she-crab soup for appetizers; complimentary hush puppies were brought to the table for good measure. For our main courses we each had a seafood platter; both orders were fried with plenty of grease for a kinda messy show. The catfish portion was very small but the jumbo shrimp made up for it. The third item on the seafood platter was fried oysters; we each ate one and left the other four on the plate. The oysters were another hot greasy mess.

We each had two vegetable sides, which included greens, mac 'n' cheese, fried green tomatoes, and fried squash. The vegetables weren't as greasy as the seafood, but they were a little too salty for my taste. For dessert we had bourbon pecan pie, slightly warm, and red velvet cake. The desserts were the best part of the meal; kinda balanced off the salt and grease. If you like a place that still has Coca-Cola and Grape Nehi in glass bottles, or ice-cold Pabst Blue Ribbon, this is the place for you.

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Posted By John Sauer on September 27, 2007 3:27 PM

Since making the "Hit Parade" of quaint Southern restaurants, SeeWee has gotten a big head. Prices have gone up, food is OK, but... All in all, since I live in the South and can prepare everything on their menu equal to or better than SeeWee, and I know the $$'s behind each serving, and I know how to serve it, my patience wears thin.

Their soups are particularly annoying. Thick is not necessarily better, and serving it at too cool a temperature is even worse. That's how it came across during my last visit. Soft-shell crabs are "cool" for the tourists, but to charge $14 for one boiled in lard, served with mac and cheese and collards is a joke! Properly prepared it may be worth that price, but simply to dump a lovely soft-shell crab into the lard, overcooking it to the point that the delicate meat inside is indistinguishable from the shell, is a disgrace.

Would I go again? Yes, to see if they get it. BTW, the fried green tomatoes are spot on. These alone will get me back, and while there I will sample some of the rest and keep updating my opinion on this website. As a local "joint" it works as a stop on anyone's "gotta go there" list; however you may leave disappointed if you know your food. That said, if you are not into food preparation and would like to experience how the locals ate a few generations ago, it's for you. Forget the cost, simply enjoy the "Living Museum" experience.

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