Restaurants in Hilton Head
Hilton Head is surrounded by pristine waters and lush marshlands, so naturally, the freshest seafood is always on the menu of restaurants around the island. The great thing about the eateries on the island is that even if the local specialty came from the sea, it doesn’t mean that it’s the only thing diners can eat. There is a gamut of food options that diners can feast on which are prepared with different culinary influences and inspirations.
There is never a shortage of oysters, shrimps, crabs, and fish but the most important question remains for diners with more discerning taste buds: Where to eat?
For starters, here is our list of some of the best restaurants in Hilton Head that offer a diverse menu selection that will satisfy your gastronomic cravings.
Skull Creek Boathouse
Image: Skull Creek Boathouse Facebook
This landmark waterfront restaurant is beloved by foodies and food critics alike. Skull Creek Boathouse delivers on all fronts—location, food, beverages, ambiance, and entertainment. Whether you dine indoors or outdoors, you’ll get excellent food and service.
The dive bar is teeming with raw oysters, sashimi, sushi rolls, and nigiri. Their ceviche is a choose-your-own-seafood adventure where you can mix scallops, octopus, tuna, and salmon and always get the perfect ending.
For the less adventurous, boiled, steamed, and fried options are available. Go traditional with the shrimp-loaded Lowcountry boil or taste it all with the fully-loaded extravaganza with snow crab legs, mussels, clams, oysters, and shrimps. Either way, you win.
Lucky Rooster Kitchen + Bar
Image: Lucky Rooster Kitchen + Bar Website
This American bistro specializes in southern comfort food. The small menu is a smorgasbord of soul food dishes that warm the heart and the stomach. Large plates of fried chicken, pork chop, and roasted whole fish are always safe choices, but if you’re looking for a more refined and sophisticated fare, the roast bone marrow, grilled octopus, and the venison chili are must-haves.
Lucky Rooster takes their cocktail very seriously so try any of their speakeasy concoctions on draft—from the mild cocktail to the strong punch that packs a wallop.
Old Oyster Factory
Image: Old Oyster Factory Website
For a stunning waterfront view and a spectacular seafood fare, nothing beats the Old Oyster Factory. The oysters shine through in the restaurant’s signature dishes, but their hearty steakhouse selection is a worthy contender for your consideration.
The seafood medley is always the crowd pleaser with a combination of wild-caught shrimp, oysters, and scallops served with garlic Parmesan rice and choice veggies. It would be almost a sin if you don’t try the broiled dayboat scallops which are lightly breaded and totally delicious.
The build-your-own steak combo is for the seasoned steak eaters who like their steak cooked to perfection. Wash them down with a lager or two from the bar and lounge.
Coast
Image: Coast Website
Enjoy the stunning view of the oceanfront while you feast on local seafood fare and specialty frozen cocktails at Coast. Nestled in the upscale Sea Pines Beach Club, Coast has a spacious beach bar where you can dine in a relaxing atmosphere overlooking the beach that glistens at night.
The lobster and shrimp pasta is the signature dish, but it’s futile to resist the Seafood Tower and other dishes inspired by the sea.
The Bluffton Room
Image: The Bluffton Room Website
For a more intimate dining atmosphere, the Bluffton Room is the right place to be. Serving up classic American cuisine complete with table-side preparation is hard to come by in an island full of casual eateries. Think of it as fine dining, island-style. Nothing snooty about it, just great food with the freshest and finest ingredients prepared with grace and sophistication.
Different cuts of steak are available and ready to be cooked to your preferred level of doneness. Can’t decide? No worries, The Trilogy will serve you three of Bluffton’s best steaks with sides of spinach & faro, Madeira mushrooms, and fatted potatoes. Don’t forget to order Caesar Salad to witness the tableside spectacle.
Crazy Crab Harbour Town
Image: The Crazy Crab Website
Would you like your crab served with a breathtaking view of Harbour Town Marina? If your answer is a resounding “yes”, then head on to Crazy Crab to book that great dining experience.
The mighty crab takes centerstage to highlight Lowcountry cooking at its finest. Other seafood favorites like oysters, shellfish, and lobsters are delicious but the crab legs are to die for. Meaty alternatives are available if you feel like eating a hearty lunch or dinner—but not before sampling the Cajun-seasoned fried gator bites.
Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana
Image: Michael Anthony's Website
Italian fine dining is just the perfect setting to feature fresh ingredients from the sea and the finest produce the island has to offer. At Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana, you can feast on handmade pastas with regional sauces that are truly divine. Fresh salads, succulent veal, and house-made desserts round up the dinner menu.
Head on to the bar to take a sip of premium wine partnered with antipasti or pasta of choice. If you want a surprise and a little bit of excitement, order the ravioli of the day and let the market dictate what tasty ravioli filling will be served.
Java Burrito
Image: Java Burrito Website
Coffee and breakfast burrito may be the unlikely combo you’d eat in the morning, but it works! With a coffee bar on the left and a burrito bar on the right, Java Burrito is a coffee or burrito junkie’s paradise.
The best thing is you call the shots! Build your burrito, taco, quesadilla, or salad however you like it. Choose your meat, toppings, and sauces. Build it tall or build it wide, it’s your call.
If a burrito is too heavy for your puny stomach, go for the avocado toast or build your own sumptuous breakfast sandwiches. Save some room for a cold brew with vanilla ice cream.
The Jazz Corner
Image: The Jazz Corner Website
Gourmet cuisine is always better with jazz music! Enjoy the live entertainment while sipping on delicious house cocktails. You’ll have so much fun waiting for your Cajun crab cakes, drunken mussels, or chicken and sausage gumbo.
The Jazz Corner elevates Lowcountry cooking and gives it a contemporary twist that would appeal to a new generation of diners who want fusion Southern cooking. Not convinced? Try the prosciutto-wrapped jumbo scallops and sesame Ahi tuna and thank us later.
Alexander’s Restaurant & Wine Bar
Image: Alexander's Restaurant Google Business Listing
Alexander’s Restaurant & Wine Bar is a Hilton Head landmark seafood restaurant that has been around since 1977. It continues to make some noise in the island’s dining scene. Old favorites like the shrimp and grits, stuffed flounder, and Wiener schnitzel are still the biggest draws, but the local catch of the day always piques the interest of the diners.
The secret to Alexander’s longevity in the food business is its commitment to quality. By serving food made from locally-sourced fresh ingredients, the quality of food is maintained.
