Lowland subsumes The Quinte Oyster Bar

Charleston has ghosts, and The Quinte Oyster Bar is now among them.

Over the last six months, Method Co., the team behind Lowland and The Pinch hotel, has quietly evolved the oyster bar into something they’re still calling The Quinte, but is essentially an extension of Lowland. As chef Jason Stanhope explains, the space located off the lobby bar at The Pinch has become “a fourth dining room of sorts for Lowland, available for private events and walk-ins on busy evenings.”

When The Quinte first opened in 2022 with Nicolas Quintero at the helm, a press release described it as “a turn-of-the-century oyster & cocktail den.” Eater Carolina’s Erin Perkins reported that the place was “named after the billiards hall that opened in the George Street location in 1918,” but many people understandably assumed it was named in honor of its chef.

The Quinte closed when Quintero left the project in late June of 2023, and remained shuttered until Stanhope signed on later that year to reboot it and open Lowland too.

“When we reopened The Quinte, it felt good, but we soon realized that the Lowland side was a monster, you know: 120 seats, and definitely more buzz, and that eventually began to cannibalize the space across the alley,” Stanhope explains. Complicating matters, Stanhope’s team was trying to handle both venues out of Lowland’s kitchen, since The Quinte’s setup consists of “a little closet kitchen with a dish machine.”

Plus, as 2024 progressed, customers were increasingly asking for chilled lobster claws at Lowland, or a tavern burger at The Quinte. The response to their requests soon morphed into “an evolution.”

The Quinte Oyster Bar/ Provided photo by Matthew Williams

“We decided that we wanted to take the best of both worlds and make one super concept,” Stanhope says. “So, we took the raw bar program as well as our Lowland favorites, and pushed it property wide.”

The Quinte never officially closed; the team just took a couple of days in December to do a quick flip of layout and change some style details. However, what it looks like currently—with booths removed from the middle of the room, and different lighting and art—isn’t the finished look. Design is a Method Co. forte, so “we’re working to bridge the gap that we created initially and syncing these places up aesthetically,” the Lowland chef explains.

Why keep The Quinte name if it’s really an extension of Lowland?, I asked. Method Co. creative director Daniel Olsovsky declined to answer the question directly, but did submit a written statement:

Since day one, The Quinte has always been an exercise of what the neighborhood needed… aesthetic and routine. A culinary destination that was quintessential to both locals and visitors alike. The refreshed design celebrates its longstanding history in tandem with Jason’s vision for group gatherings. Let’s party!

Stanhope is a standout in a city full of great chefs, so it only makes sense that his first solo project—which has been racking up accolades—would expand its footprint. It’s smart from a business and a buzz standpoint.

But keeping The Quinte name just seems to conjure up ghosts, especially when the concept is still obviously evolving. Why not lay the name to rest to keep expectations clear for diners in a city spoiled for choice? Then we can all get on with the business of enjoying crispy quail and martinis, no matter where on the property we’re seated.

The Bread Line

New (to me) bread source alert:

Reader Elke Martin shared that she almost always orders 1-2 loaves a week from Radical Bread Co. microbakery in Mount Pleasant. Harry Clark started baking in 2017 and now serves the Mount Pleasant area weekly, offering sourdough and a rotating list of specialty breads. He’s a certified food handler, and he bakes in a professional kitchen on Thursdays.