Palmetto Seafood open for business in downtown Aiken

Mar. 12—Yearning for a taste of the ocean's bounty?

Head to 119 Laurens St. N.W. in Aiken.

Palmetto Seafood Bar & Grill opened Friday in the former downtown site of such businesses as Artisan Market & Decor and the Stoplight Deli.

Tristan and Erika Jones, who live in Martinez, Georgia, are the owners of Palmetto Seafood.

They also have a Palmetto Seafood restaurant in Johnston.

"My husband is from South Carolina," Erika said. "He was born and raised in Johnston."

Launching a new Palmetto Seafood in Aiken seemed like a good idea to the Joneses because they were impressed by what they had seen in the downtown area here and believed business would be brisk.

"We felt like it would be a good fit," Erika said. "It (downtown) always has the traffic, and there always is a good number of people around."

She added that it didn't take her and her husband long to realize that they had made the right decision.

"Before our doors were even open, the City of Aiken really, really showed its support," Erika said. "We are grateful for the welcome that we have gotten here."

Palmetto Seafood's hours of operation are 1-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

"Our seafood is delicious," Erika said. "I love it. We have our own garlic butter sauce. We have our own recipes. Everything is cooked fresh to order."

Snow crab legs are on the menu, and so are shrimp, fish, scallops, oysters and lobster tails. Other options include seafood macaroni and cheese, a Palmetto house salad and Palmetto seafood pasta.

Crabmeat and fried shrimp are in the loaded potatoes and the loaded French fries.

Also available are chicken tenders and rib-eye and T-bone steaks.

"We have a variety (of choices)," Erika said. "We just hope everybody enjoys our food. We are looking forward to meeting all the different people in Aiken."

For more information, visit palmettoseafoodbarandgrill803.com