Local Chefs Share Their Favorite Fish to Cook and Eat in the Lowcountry
When it comes to fresh, flavorful seafood, the Lowcountry offers an abundance of choice — but every chef has their favorite. We asked top chefs from Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and beyond to share their go-to fish for cooking and eating. From delicate snowy grouper to sweet, flaky wreckfish, these local experts reveal the best fish for summer menus, seasonal specials and everyday coastal cooking. If you’re wondering what fish to order, catch or cook next, their recommendations are a great place to start.
Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana
“My favorite fish is probably John Dory, which we haven’t run into here in a long time. It’s a coldwater fish in the flatfish family. A legend says that the dark spot on the fish’s flank is St. Peter’s thumbprint, which is a pretty cool story.”
– Chef Trey Place
Hudson’s Seafood on the Docks
“It changes throughout the year. Snapper is my favorite in the summer. They just upped the limit on that to 150 pounds of whole fish a day, so we’ll be seeing a lot of that in August. But there’s really not a fish I don’t like as long as it’s super fresh.”
– Andrew Carmines
Holy Tequila
“Wreckfish. Every summer, you’ll see it featured at different restaurants. But when you see it, you should grab it. It’s very delicious. In my opinion, it’s a little better than snapper at a lower price point. It’s called a wreckfish because it likes to hang around big objects and structures in the water, like bridges and wrecks. They like to feed on crustaceans, crab and oysters. And that flavor travels through the meat, giving them a nice sweet, mild and flaky white fish.”
– Chef Michael Beeler
Red Fish
“I love snowy grouper, which is a species of grouper that’s very white and delicate. Some of the other species of grouper can be firmer, but this one is just super, super flaky and delicate. I love it. It’s also very mild in flavor.”
– Chef Melissa Coocran
Hampton Hall Club
“Tilefish. The texture and flavor are great. It’s got a flaky, white and buttery taste to it.”
– Chef Jonathan Huffenberger
The Sea Pines Resort
“I would say tilefish. It’s really light, flaky, local and obviously a little different than the grouper. It’s not going to lean on your wallet as much either.”
– Chef Benjamin Harris
Palmetto Bay Sunrise Cafe
“I would have to say flounder. It’s white, it’s flaky, it’s mild. It’s good broiled, it’s good fried, it’s good on a sandwich. I like how it looks. It’s just a good, mild, flaky, white fish.”
– Leslie Stewart
Nunzio Restaurant + Bar
“I like black sea bass because it is very mild and I can do many different dishes with it. I can do a zuppeta, I can do a sauté. It goes very well with tomatoes, capers and all white wines.”
– Chef Nunzio Patruno
