13 Best Places To Eat In Hilton Head

Eat your way across this South Carolina coastal town.

Most people come to Hilton Head for pristine beaches, championship golf courses, and family time, but this beach town also has a thriving culinary scene. Naturally there’s fresh seafood aplenty, but you’ll also find Southern-inspired bites, farm-to-table dining, and homemade Italian cuisine. Best of all, many places offer oceanfront dining, so you can enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the Atlantic while you eat (and maybe even enjoy a frozen cocktail or two).

Hilton Head Social Bakery

Get your French pastry fix at Hilton Head Social, which is owned and operated by award-winning French chef Philippe Feret. There are two locations (the original is at Shelter Cove Harbour and Marina, and the newest one is near the Sea Pines Circle), both of which serve Insta-ready pastries, decadent desserts, and buttery croissants galore. You’ll feel as if you’ve been magically transported to the streets of Paris.

Lulu Kitchen

The menu at Lulu is wide-ranging and delicious, offering American favorites with a Southern twist. Think butter-poached lobster, short rib grilled cheese, and house fried chicken. Come for lunch, dinner, or Sunday brunch and bask in the cheery, laid-back setting.

The Sea Shack

This no-frills, counter-serve restaurant is a gem. Check out the daily “Blackboard” special, or take your pick from grilled, fried, or blackened seafood that’s fresh from the sea. Expect to wait in line during peak summer months—The Sea Shack is popular with locals and tourists alike.

Chez Georges

Enjoy tasty French bistro staples like escargots de bourgogne (served with garlic herb butter sauce and crispy leeks), perfectly cooked cassoulet, and two kinds of moules-frites at Chez Georges. The wine list is impeccable, as well. Catch the aperitif hour from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Friday, when adult beverages are two dollars off and there’s a small plates menu offered. The restaurant also uses this time to host ticketed wine tastings complete with paired cheese plates.

Nectar Farm Kitchen

For a fresh-off-the-farm feast, head to Nectar Farm Kitchen, where every dish is lovingly prepared with locally sourced ingredients. The breakfast and lunch menu features Southern classics like sausage biscuits and gravy, country fried steak, and creative Benedicts. Hearty “supper plates and bowls” include Lowcountry cioppino, root beer-braised short ribs, and filet mignon, alongside lighter fare like salads and soups.

Coast

With incredible waterfront views and a spacious, twinkly-lit outdoor patio, Coast is a picture-perfect date night spot. Located at the Sea Pines Resort, this restaurant serves all manner of seafood, sandwiches, tacos, and more; there’s also a great raw bar. Wash it all down with a frozen specialty cocktail. During the summertime, there’s often live entertainment.

Skull Creek Boathouse

You’ll likely want to linger for some time after you finish eating at Skull Creek Boathouse. The restaurant is known for its scenic location (on the banks of Skull Creek) and fun, relaxed ambiance. Apart from multiple dining areas, there’s an indoor sushi bar with raw oysters, ceviche, and sashimi, and an outdoor bar with Adirondack chairs and killer sunset views. Don’t leave without trying the famed salt and vinegar crab cakes.

The Lucky Rooster Kitchen + Bar

Billed as an “American bistro with Southern soul,” Lucky Rooster has an exceptional menu that changes often based on seasonality and what chefs can find fresh. Expect refined comfort food like deviled eggs topped with smoked salmon, bacon, tomato, and parsley or scallops and shrimp finished in a cognac cream sauce and served with Charleston red risotto.

Black Marlin Bayside Grill

Whatever you do, you must try a cup of the Bayside Chowder at Black Marlin; it’s what they’re known for. The fish tacos are a great choice, too, although you may have a hard time picking just a couple items off their broad menu that also includes seafood entrees, burgers, sandwiches, salads, and various pastas. There’s ample indoor and outdoor seating.

Burnt Church Distillery

Pair a charcuterie board or brick-oven pizza with creative cocktails made from authentic Lowcountry spirits. In addition to great food and drinks, Burnt Church also offers a 7,000 square-foot tasting room, gift shop, humidor, history room, and on-site manufacturing facility—it’s a whole experience unto itself.

Nunzio Restaurant + Bar

Get your fill of homemade Italian fare at Nunzio. Traditional dishes run the gamut from Pugliese-style meatballs to homemade ravioli to tagliatelle alla bolognese. Round out your meal with a mouthwatering dessert like lemon sorbet or hot chocolate souffle cake served with vanilla gelato.

Hudson’s Seafood House On The Docks

Boasting beautiful views of Port Royal Sound, this iconic seafood joint has been around for more than 50 years. Seafood doesn’t come fresher than this—Hudson’s sources its fish and shrimp directly from one of only two remaining local fishing fleets on Hilton Head. Always order the specials, which can change multiple times a day depending on what’s being unloaded from the boats.

Johnson Creek Tavern

Satisfy your craving for pub grub at this low-key hangout on Harbor Island. Lunch and dinner options at Johnson Creek Tavern are simple but so satisfying. Start with hot crab and shrimp dip, then choose between a shrimp burger, crab cake sandwich, or fried flounder sandwich. You won't go wrong with any. Kick back with a cold beer or glass of wine and stay awhile.

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