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Events and things to do in South Carolina, with prices, dates and drive times checked at the source.

Lowcountry Boil in South Carolina

Things to Do › Food and Drink › Lowcountry Boil in South Carolina

A Lowcountry boil is a one-pot meal of shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes, also called Frogmore stew. The origin story below is a claim, labelled as one, and attributed to its source.

  • Also CalledFrogmore stewSt. Helena Island
  • OriginA claimattributed below
  • RegionLowcountryBeaufort to Charleston
  • CheckedOct 262026

What The Sources Say

  • SC PRT describes Frogmore stew as a one-pot meal of shrimp, corn on the cob, new potatoes and smoked sausage; some versions add crab; seasoned with seafood seasoning, beer and hot sauce. Also called Lowcountry boil or Beaufort stew. source
  • CLAIM (SC PRT): the name comes from Frogmore, a small fishing community on St. Helena Island near Beaufort and Hilton Head, and the dish originated there. source
  • SC PRT's iconic-dishes page says the stew 'traces back' to the Frogmore fishing community on St. Helena Island and is a one-pot dish of corn, potatoes, sausage and shrimp simmered in beer, water and seasonings. Origin stated as tradition, not documented. source

What We Could Not Confirm

Not confirmed: we looked for these on official pages and did not find them. Check with the town or operator before you rely on them.

  • Note this differs from SC PRT, which puts light tomato in the Pee Dee.
  • South Carolina Barbecue Association: searched for sauce-style / whole-hog pages; no usable official page found.
  • Shrimp baiting 2026 exact open/close dates: no SCDNR 2026 announcement found. The rule (noon on last Friday on or before Sept. 15, 60 days) is stated by SCDNR; 2026 dates would be inferred, so not given. Also 2026 commercial shrimp opening date not found (2025 only).
  • 1976 grits designation: the actual act/resolution text was not found on scstatehouse.gov; only the 2014 resolution's recital.
  • Sweet tea: statute text says 'South Carolina grown tea'; PRT says 'sweet tea'. Summerville birthplace claim is the town's tourism claim; independent historical support not verified (a Charleston City Paper piece from 2013 questions it, but not an approved source and not read).
  • Charleston Tea Garden hours, factory tour price and trolley price: charlestonteagarden.com did not load for us on every fetch. unofficial summary only (Mon-Sat 10-4, Sun 12-4, free factory tour, trolley from $16 adult) – NOT verified, do not publish without re-fetch.
  • Peach county list (Edgefield, Saluda, Aiken, Lexington, Spartanburg, Cherokee): no read official page lists current main peach counties. SC Dept of Agriculture Market Bulletin PDF (Aug 2, 2018) could not be read. Only Edgefield (Ridge Peach Meeting) and Spartanburg (1935 figure) appear in read pages.
  • Peach season months: Clemson HGIC says mid-June to mid-September in the Upstate; SC PRT says May through August; the two differ by region and source.
  • Peachoid official Gaffney/Cherokee County page not found; only SC PRT description used.
  • SC Peach Festival 2026 full day-by-day dates: not on organizer page; only July 19, 2026 concert. 2027 dates not stated.
  • Ridge Peach Festival (Trenton) and Johnston Peach Blossom Festival: only a 2020 listing on visitold96sc.com; no organizer page found, no 2026 dates.
  • Pelion Peanut Party 2026 dates: organizer page (Facebook) gave no date; only a 2023 newspaper report.
  • Green peanut season: SC Dept of Agriculture says summer and fall; Clemson specific maturity guidance came from unofficial summary only and was not read.
  • Collard greens and peach second-in-nation figures: SC PRT's collard 'second nationally' claim not checked against USDA.
  • State Farmers Market exact open/close hours: official page says only 'Monday through Sunday, vendor hours may vary'.
  • Carolina Gold rice history, she-crab soup from Charleston CVB (charlestoncvb.com pages not read), pimento cheese: no official SC source found.

Sources

  1. SC Code Title 1 Chapter 1 (state symbols)
  2. H.4806 (2000) grits bill
  3. H.5043 (2014) Shrimp & Grits resolution
  4. SC PRT: South Carolina Barbecue / BBQ Trail
  5. SC PRT: Time & Tradition of Whole-Hog Barbecue
  6. SC PRT: Want Great Barbecue? Come to South Carolina
  7. SC PRT: State Symbols and Icons, Food and Drink
  8. SC PRT: Seeking Shrimp and Grits
  9. SC PRT: 7 Southern Foods You Must Try
  10. SC PRT: Iconic SC Dishes
  11. SC PRT: Just What is Frogmore Stew
  12. SC PRT: Just What Is She-Crab Soup
  13. SC PRT: Small-Town Charms of Gaffney
  14. SCDNR: Shrimp (Sea Science)
  15. SCDNR: Licensing FAQ
  16. SCDNR: 2025 shrimp season release
  17. SCDNR: 2026 shellfish season release
  18. SC Dept of Agriculture: It's Boiled Peanut Season
  19. SC Dept of Agriculture: Certified SC
  20. SC Dept of Agriculture: State Farmers Market
  21. Clemson Extension: Peach FAQ
  22. Clemson Extension: Peach
  23. Clemson HGIC: Peaches and Nectarines
  24. Clemson News: peach research (2023)
  25. South Carolina Peach Festival (Organizer)
  26. Upcountry SC: SC Peach Festival listing
  27. Visit Summerville: Sweet Tea Trail
  28. Visit Summerville: tea history
  29. Visit Summerville: World's Largest Sweet Tea
  30. Carolina Gold Rice Foundation
  31. Lexington County Chronicle: Pelion Peanut Party (2023)

Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “Lowcountry Boil in South Carolina”, itssouthcarolina.com/things-to-do/food-and-drink/lowcountry-boil-in-south-carolina/ (updated ). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.