A Culinary Escape to Paradise—6 Restaurants to Visit on Hilton Head Island
When you travel around Hilton Head Island, you’ll often see mentions of “paradise,” which becomes apparent after your first visit. There is something special about the island. HHI is approximately 12 miles long and 5 miles wide, and it boasts over 250 dining options and a wide array of cuisines. We’ve curated a small list of venues to complement your first escape. Yes, you’ll definitely want to visit again! Whether you stay at a resort, a hotel, or an Airbnb®—everything is within easy reach.
QUARTERDECK—SEA PINES
A visit to the Quarterdeck (QD) in Sea Pines is a must; with its iconic lighthouse and views of the Calibogue Sound and Daufuskie Island, the setting alone is enough to soothe the soul. Enjoy lunch on the patio or at the outdoor bar to watch the yachts come and go as you sip a cool beverage and partake of their enticing menu. Conner Garvey, a great bartender at QD, moved to HHI almost two years ago after his parents decided to retire to the island, and veteran bartender Beth Bronzino has been with QD for over a decade. Together, they man the outside “Umbrella Bar.”
Our friends were recently passing through on their way from Florida to New York when they decided to pop by for a couple of nights, and with the short layover, we decided the Quarterdeck was the one place they needed to see. We arrived late afternoon to take in the views…
The Daufuskie Deviled Crab Cake Sandwich was amazing, and the remoulade was a perfect sauce for the spicy crab. I opted for the “ember-roasted local vegetables” as a side with zucchini, yellow squash, onions, carrots, and broccoli—they were delicious. The fish sandwich, a local favorite, consisted of a large portion of mahi-mahi that was cooked to perfection, along with French fries that were delightfully crisp. FYI—the QD secret remoulade sauce is also fabulous with the fries. On previous visits, we’ve had oysters on the half shell, the Ahi Tuna Poke, the Street Corn Elote Fingers, and the Daufuskie Deviled Crab Dip; all were amazing choices. Head Chef Bryan Lee, previously with Coast (Sea Pines), has been with QD a little over a year now, and he is doing an awesome job! The menu changes seasonally to highlight fresh catch items from local fisheries and locally farmed produce. They have a very nice wine and beer selection, as well as a specialty cocktail list. I’ve had the Frosé twice; it’s balanced nicely with bright lemon, sweet strawberry, and rosé wine.
“The Old Rum’d Fashioned is a popular cocktail and a mainstay menu item, with its spiced rum from Hilton Head Island Distillery,” general manager Max Goodman offered.
The Quarterdeck, with its main restaurant, patio, and outside bar on the first floor, and its rooftop oyster bar, is a must-visit location when on the island. Sea Pines charges cars and bikes alike $9 to enter the gated community, which can be deducted from your tab at dining locations; just show your receipt to your server. Harbour Town®, in Sea Pines, is one of the most recognized courses on the PGA Tour®, and South Carolina’s only tour event, the RBC Heritage Tournament, is hosted each spring, usually directly following The Masters at Augusta National.
When asked why the QD is special… “The vibe here is extremely relaxing, with some of the best food and cocktails on the island. My favorite menu item is the Local Charcoal-Roasted Shrimp; I probably have it three or four times a week!” Max replied.
Open Daily 11:30 AM-9PM | Bar open until 10PM
Quarterdeck | https://www.seapines.com/dining/restaurants-bars/quarterdeck
160 Lighthouse Rd, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 | 843-842-1999
OLD OYSTER FACTORY
When it comes to beautiful sunset views, you cannot pass up the Old Oyster Factory, which overlooks Broad Creek. It is my go-to happy hour spot, okay, maybe it’s actually my happy place on the island. I like sitting at the bar, taking in the water views, and checking in on the bartenders—Alexa Lively and Peter Townsend. I think my schedule lines up with Alexa’s because she is always there! Also, to mention, they have my favorite summer white wine on the menu, Albariño. The happy hour is amazing, daily from 4-6 pm. They offer half-off oysters, $1 off adult beverages, and a few small plates. Try the delicious Grouper Bites! If you visit the island often, check out the CRAB Club rewards program.
My favorite appetizer is the Oysters Moscovite. The dish consists of six James River oysters topped with horseradish, sour cream, house-smoked salmon, and caviar. It is truly the most beautiful presentation of oysters-on-the-half-shell I’ve ever seen. I recently tried the seafood chowder, and I could seriously have devoured another bowl, with its rich and creamy, slightly spicy base and ample seafood-to-vegetable ratio. Two of my favorite entrees are the pan-seared Dayboat Scallops, set atop a creamy bed of risotto and finished with a citrus beurre blanc, and the Broad Creek Seafood —fettuccine with shrimp, clams, mussels, and crawfish with a light citrus-saffron broth.
Kori Goneke, with the CRAB (Coastal Restaurant Group) corporate office, recommends trying the grilled oysters as an appetizer or the wide variety of oysters served on the half shell. They usually have at least eight oyster varieties on the raw menu. And you can’t go wrong with the OOF Seafood Tower; it comes with 6 oysters, 6 mussels, 6 jumbo shrimp, snow crab, lobster tail, and house-smoked salmon. All for $65, yes, that’s right—just $65!
Open Daily 11AM-9PM
Old Oyster Factory | https://oldoysterfactory.com/
101 Marshland Rd Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 | 843-681-6040
MICHAEL ANTHONY’S CUCINA ITALIANA
The first time I visited this Italian HHI staple, I had the Calamari in Zimino, and I have to admit I slurped the broth like a soup, which is the likely reason they give you a soup spoon with the dish—I cannot be the only one. The flavors were so complex and amazing!
“Michael Anthony’s is often heralded as the go-to place for special occasions, celebrations, and date nights. We consistently rank high with customer reviews. Tourists seeking a “special” fine dining experience love us, and locals love our varied menu with consistent quality and spot-on service,” general manager Ian Mason offered.
The menu changes three to four times a year to keep things fresh and interesting. As one of the more established restaurants on the island, twenty-three years and counting, they keep a tight ship in the back of the house and deliver deliciousness on every plate. The highly talented Director of Culinary Operations, Chef Will Overacre, knows a thing or two about Italian food and likes to come out of the kitchen and meet the guests.
“From the beginning, we’ve committed ourselves to offering superlative food, impeccable service, and warm hospitality. We have loyal guests whose patronage goes back two decades, including frequent island visitors who know they will receive an immersive dining experience,” Ian describes customer loyalty.
The food is authentic, handcrafted Italian fare. If you don’t have time for the full fine-dining dinner experience, I recommend reserving your space for the Sips & Bites, available in the bar area, Mon-Fri 5:00-5:45 PM. It features three small plates, paired with three premium wines. The menu changes weekly for this event.
Michael Anthony’s has a sister venue next door, The Market Cafe. The lower-priced casual dining setting serves up pizzas, meatballs, sandwiches, pastas, soups, and salads. The market also features grab-and-go items like homemade sauces, soups, and heat-and-eat pizzas and entrees that serve 2-4 people. The takeaway items are made daily in small batches to ensure quality, consistency, and value. Whether you’re dining at the namesake restaurant or the cafe, the pasta is always made fresh, in-house, on a daily basis.
For a unique, hands-on event, sign up for one of the cooking classes, headed up by Chef Trey Place.
“We typically offer classes Tuesday-Friday every week of the year. They are a mix of demonstration-style classes and smaller hands-on classes, where guests cook right alongside the chef. We also offer private classes, which are booked in advance. They’re great for a family or small group of friends or colleagues who are looking for a great way to spend part of an afternoon, enjoy a fantastic lunch, and learn about cooking,” Ian explains.
Michael Anthony’s boasts fine dining, the Sips & Bites special, a casual market cafe with takeaway items, and cooking class experiences. This is a truly magical place, and it shouldn’t be missed during your visit!
Open for Dinner 5-9PM Mon-Sat
Michael Anthony’s | https://www.michael-anthonys.com/
37 New Orleans Rd Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 | 843-785-6272
NECTAR FARM KITCHEN
A great weekend includes a marvelous brunch, and Nectar Farm Kitchen serves up some of the best brunch plates in Hilton Head, with one location on the island and another across the intracoastal waterway in Bluffton. The menu is quite varied and offers a wide selection of brunch fare items. They are open for three meal periods, but I so love a good brunch! I’d also like to point out that they have a Doggie Menu. LOVE that.
“The Doggie Menu idea was created by one of our sister restaurants, Skull Creek Boathouse. We loved the idea and put our own spin on it,” general manager Michael Chapman offered.
For beverages, they offer a massive list of cocktails, mocktails, beer, wine, coffee, and tea, as well as fresh-squeezed juices and sparkling adult treats.
Nectar prides itself on using locally sourced products and maintaining a commitment to sustainability. The menu changes seasonally to adapt to farm-fresh harvests. The well-known and talented Executive Culinary Director, Chef Nick Unangst, oversees the menus and kitchens for many of the SERG brands.
“Our products are delivered daily to ensure freshness. The only item in our freezer is French fries, and we take pride in that. We are accomplishing a lot with our new Executive Chef Corey Adams. He was previously at our Nectar location in Bluffton, and prior to that, was at Poseidon. We often promote from within, and that makes SERG Restaurant Group a great place to work,” Michael replied.
The brunch signature items are extensive, featuring four styles of omelettes, waffles, pancakes, four different Benedicts; six varieties of “breakfast bowls”; southern offerings like the Chicken N’ Waffle, Sausage Biscuits N’ Gravy, Southern Breakfast, and Country Fried Steak; as well as some off-the-beaten- path favorites like the Huevos Rancheros and Dr. Joe’s Duck Hash. They also offer lighter options like Avocado Toast and the Mother Earth Omelette, and feature many lunch-leaning dishes like She Crab Soup, salads, sandwiches, and lunch-portioned entrées.
A few unique items are the Donut Sandwich, the Pressed Shrimp Salad Sandwich, and Chicken Pot Pie Soup. I personally recommend the Lowcountry Sea Omelette, filled with shrimp, lump crab, spinach, tomato, gouda, and hollandaise—it was light, fresh, and delectable, and it paired well with the Congaree Mill Grits (from Columbia, SC). The Southern Belly Benedict is lovely with its Lusty Monk Mustard (from Asheville, NC) and fried green tomatoes. We tried the Nectar Bloody Mary and Irish Railroads Adult Coffee, perfectly made by mixologist Sharad Mackey. The entire Nectar team worked well together to ensure customer satisfaction, and it was nice to see the hands-on manager, Michael, hitting the expo line and running food—leading by example!
Open Daily from 8AM-10PM
Nectar Farm Kitchen | https://nectarfarmkitchen.com/
841 William Head Parkway, Unit A Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 | 843-682-2337
HUDSON’S ON THE DOCK
Nestled on the edge of the Port Royal Sound, you’ll find the most interesting and one of the oldest institutions on the island. Their fish is filleted in-house daily, and over ninety percent of their seafood comes from local boats—some of which are direct to their dock.
The original oyster factory was built by JB Hudson Sr. in 1912. In 1967 the seafood processing plant was converted into a restaurant, and in 1975 Brian and Gloria Carmines (transplants from Long Island) purchased the venue and created the local landmark we see today.
Generations of families have considered a trip to HHI incomplete without visiting Hudson’s. Stats from the historic establishment are amazing—450k raw oysters shucked, 70k pounds of shrimp cleaned, and 3k gallons of oysters are cooked and served annually, and that does not account for other seafood items sold.
They serve up local favorites like the Lowcountry Boil, Blackened Grouper, and the Steamed Combo. The Real Deal Shrimp Appetizer is not to be overlooked, with its savory broth and fresh baguette accompaniment. The Neptune Seafood Platter is a veritable feast of oysters, scallops, shrimp, deviled crab, and seasonal fish. Be sure to try the 7-Day Slaw, and the Red Rice with Smoked Sausage is great.
Popular lunch items include the Fried Oyster Po’ Boy, the Shrimp Burger with Cajun remoulade on a brioche bun, and the Gumbo, Grits, and Eggs. My husband somehow always seems to choose the scrumptious Fried Flounder Sandwich, and I have ordered the Oysters Hudson on more than one occasion, a simple bacon-wrapped fried oyster that is quite yummy. It’s obviously one of the best places
to have oysters on the half shell—check out the master shuckers while you’re there; it’s impressive to watch. And you can bring your pup to the dock dining area!
Hudsons on The Dock | https://www.hudsonsonthedocks.com/
1 Hudson Rd Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 | 843-681-2772
THE SAGE ROOM
If you’re in the mood for the best steak of your life…
I purposely saved the BEST for last. The Sage Room hits the mark on all fronts of fine dining. Chef and owner Matt Jording has serious skills. He has personally trained each and every chef on his line to recreate his unique style and present flawless signature plates.
“Tell me a little about your owner, Matt.” I asked.
“Matt grew up as a professional motocross racer and traveled a lot in his youth, later working in the kitchen for his uncle. When he decided to open Sage Room in 2002, his vision included catering to the refined palates of local and visiting island clientele—the F&B crowd, if you will—and growing up in the South had a significant impact on his creative cooking style,” general manager Marquis Terry replied.
Chef Wesley Martini runs the kitchen nightly and it’s exciting to see the action from the Chef’s Table—a separate ten-person bar area where you can witness the team’s culinary artistry skills firsthand and ask questions in the open kitchen concept (one of the first on the island). My husband and I have repeatedly said we think this place may be the best restaurant we’ve ever experienced. The Sage Room hits the mark on all fronts. The menu is changed in summer and winter; be sure to check for fabulous new offerings.
We have visited on multiple occasions; here are some of my favorite dishes.
The Butternut Squash Bisque was incredibly flavorful and a must-try; the earthiness of the squash was balanced with the slightly sweet braised apple, and the herb crema added just the right amount of richness, and the crispy prosciutto topping lent a salty note to round it out.
The Three Onion Soup was by far the best French onion soup I’ve ever had. They nailed the ratio of onions to broth to the cheesy crouton on top. The broth was complex and nothing short of perfect. The Crab Cake appetizer had softly folded jumbo lump crab and a sweet-tangy peppadew remoulade that worked so well with the delicate crab. The Caesar Salad had an ample amount of thinly sliced white anchovies, something that is sadly lacking in most menu presentations of the classic salad.
On to the entrées…The Champagne Poached Scallops were set atop a crispy, chewy parmesan risotto cake and sautéed spinach. The scallops themselves were seared to a beautiful golden brown, and they had a moist, warm center. The champagne sauce was a backstage understudy that arrived just as the scallop was cut to enhance each and every bite. If you’ve read any of my features, you would know that I often opt for scallops; this particular version tops my list as the most succulent.
And I did promise an incredible steak, wait for it—the 22 oz. Reserve Ribeye is worth an island trip all by itself. The massive cut of high-quality beef was cooked to an unmatched level of excellence. It was complemented with a bleu cheese sage au gratin and haricot vert (French green beans that are longer, thinner, and more tender than other varieties). The au gratin is a stack of thin potato layers with the best bleu cheese and herbal notes of sage that will awaken your taste buds and provide a nice flavor in between the bites of rich, crispy-seared steak. This was—and is— the best steak that has ever hit my palate. And to that point, we have ordered the Reserve Ribeye three times.
“Our location is tucked away in the back of the Heritage Plaza; to visitors it feels like a little treasure they’ve found, and to locals it feels like a well-kept secret,” Marquis replied when asked what a unique characteristic of the venue is.
“We have a wonderful group here, from owner support and management, and extending to each and every (often decades-long) team member, we are all focused on providing an exemplary experience for our guests, often helping them to celebrate special moments. We want to live in our guests’ memories for a lifetime,” Marquis offered as his parting words.
Open for Dinner 6-10 PM Mon-Sat
The Sage Room | https://www.thesageroom.com/
75 Pope Avenue Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 | 843-785-5352
There are tons of great restaurants in HHI and nearby Bluffton; it was hard to choose only six for this feature!
When you’re planning your foodie getaway to Hilton Head Island, be sure to leave time to explore the rich history of the island and maybe hop the ferry over to Daufuskie Island as well. HHI is so often referred to as paradise that you may even hear a whisper in the wind saying, “De plane! De plane!”
