Where to Eat Near Shem Creek While the Parking Gets Sorted Out

The parking being added near Shem Creek is going in behind the creek, on Simmons Street. The same block has a courtyard with three food counters, all owned by one man. The county owns one parcel there, and the town recently bought a lot in front of Vintage Coffee. On the water side, most lots are private, and the town does not yet have a clear picture of who owns which.

That mismatch explains a lot about where Mount Pleasant's newest places to eat sit in 2026. Here is who controls the lots near the creek, what is being built and when, and where lunch and dinner are landing this fall.

Who owns the lot you just pulled into

On June 1, 2026, a Mount Pleasant town committee took up Shem Creek parking again. The Post and Courier reported that Councilmember Laura Hyatt, who chairs planning, described the arrangement as "the wild, wild west." Its account shows why.

• Saltwater Cowboys' lot on Mill Street is free, and signs warn that non-customers can be towed.
• Tavern & Table and Red's Ice House share a lot on Church Street.
• The lot on Shrimp Boat Lane is free for people walking the boardwalk and paid for diners at Vickery's and Water's Edge.
• Only a portion of that Shrimp Boat Lane lot, directly in front of the boardwalk entrance, is managed by the town.
• Every other paid lot is privately owned, and it is not always clear which business holds rights to which lot.

Hyatt asked whether businesses may charge for parking the town requires them to provide. She also asked whether the third-party companies collecting payment hold Mount Pleasant business licenses. Her sharpest example involved a kayaker who will pay $20 to park and paddle without ever sitting down at a restaurant.

This is not a new argument. The committee had also discussed it in 2024 and 2021. In summer 2021, about 100 spots on the north side of the creek went from mostly free to a $20 minimum, and Water's Edge said it owned the lot and charged to protect space for its guests.

Town staff said a title and easement review would cost roughly $10,000 to $15,000. Councilmember Mike Tinkey said no action had been taken and that he wanted to meet with restaurant owners first. The committee planned to pick the topic up again in July. I found no report of what came out of that meeting, so as of the June review, nothing had been decided.

The block the county bought

The clearest new parking plan near the creek does not involve the restaurants at all. Charleston County Parks owns the free public boat landing at Mill Street and Scott Street. It has 28 spaces that fit a vehicle with a trailer. Jamie Hough, who runs Red Fish Mafia Charters, told Live 5 that if you are not there between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m., there is usually no spot left after 8.

In 2022 the county paid $1.9 million for two adjacent lots on Simmons Street, about half an acre, to expand that lot. The design now under review adds roughly 15 spaces and a new access drive off Simmons Street. The town's senior planner, Chris Lubert, told Count on 2 the goal was "getting a lot of that traffic back off the right of ways, back out of people's parking lots." The town has also recently bought a lot in front of Vintage Coffee to add capacity in the same area.

Patty Newshutz, who directs planning for Charleston County Parks, said work could begin as early as November 2027 if permitting and planning run without delays. The design keeps five live oaks on the property, which the town's Commercial Design Review Board pressed for at its June 24 look. Nothing on this list changes this fall's parking.

One courtyard, three counters

Giannone Eatery & Italian Market sits at 216 Scott Street. It shares the courtyard of Vintage Coffee Cafe at 219 Simmons Street. The pizzeria Coastal Crust is next door. Brian Piesner, a former professional soccer player, owns all three.

Vintage Coffee Cafe opened roughly a decade ago, and Coastal Crust debuted in 2017. Giannone opened around the turn of this year. It serves nine made-to-order sandwiches on focaccia baked daily. The Fichi stacks mortadella, stracchiatella, pepperoncini, crunchy onions and fig jam, and stands nearly six inches tall. Piesner has said a small retail wine shop under the Giannone name is planned for another building on the property. I did not confirm whether it has opened, so check Giannone's Instagram or website before making the trip.

On Coleman Boulevard, Nantucket's Meat & Fish Market opened July 17 in Moultrie Plaza at 616 Coleman. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The 8,000-square-foot store cuts meat and fish in house, takes special orders and runs a brick-oven pizza program. Owners Sean and John Ready told the Post and Courier that Nantucket Bay scallops arrive in November.

Giannone, Vintage Coffee and Coastal Crust share the Scott and Simmons streets block with the two sites where parking capacity is being planned, the county's landing expansion and the town's new lot. None of that adds a space today.

Towne Centre and Johnnie Dodds Boulevard

Two more arrivals sit outside the creek area.

Revolving Sushi Kingdom opened the week of Sept. 21 at 1594 Palmetto Grande Drive, between Belk and Regal Palmetto Grande at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre. It held soft-opening hours from 4 to 8 p.m. through Sept. 27. The menu covers sashimi, nigiri, tempura, ramen, dumplings and hand rolls, delivered on a rotating conveyor.

Loong Yan is slated to open this fall at 341 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard, in the former White Duck Taco Shop space, which closed in 2024. It comes from Emely Yan and Yupeng Lin, who run Chef Loong on Savannah Highway in West Ashley. The renovated room seats more than 150 and has a glass window onto the station where dumplings are rolled by hand. The owners told the Post and Courier they want a meal to cost $25 to $30 per person. I could not confirm an opening date, so follow @chefloongdimsum on Instagram for the announcement.

October on the Mount Pleasant calendar

The fall schedule mostly runs on Towne Centre's calendar and a few lawns.

1. Thursdays in October, 6 to 8 p.m.: Live Under the Oaks at Towne Centre is free. Richard and The Twins played Oct. 1 and Tripping Billy Goats play Oct. 8. Burtons Grill + Bar sells beer and wine, and a food truck comes each week.
2. Oct. 6, 10 a.m. to noon: Play Dayz at The Oaks, for children 10 and under. It is listed as the last one of the year.
3. Oct. 9, 6 to 8 p.m.: The Tiny Lawn Music Series at The Darby Building, with Jeff Caldwell. Bring a lawn chair.
4. Dec. 12: The Mount Pleasant Holiday Market & Craft Show at the Farmers Market Pavilion.

The Tuesday Farmers Market runs April through September, 3:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 29 was listed as the final market of the season.

What to check before you drive over

Go early to any place near the creek, and check each lot's signs before you leave the car. The town still has not sorted out who can charge and where. Giannone's hours, as published in December 2025, were 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Confirm them ahead of time.

If you own property near the creek and would like a local read on how the parking review and the Simmons Street expansion sit alongside your address, Handsome Properties offers a free home valuation.