The Old Fort Pub is a Hilton Head Island favorite for waterfront dining and spectacular sunsets. Built in 1974 and intended to take on the feel of the past and blend with the environment. The Old Fort Pub has added more seating and ceiling fans to their outdoor seating area to relax and enjoy one of the best views on Hilton Head Island. Sundays and Mondays offer “buy one entree and the second is 1/2 off” (when seated before six p.m.)

Online Reservations are available or call (843) 681-2386.

Located at 65 Skull Creek Drive within the Hilton Head Plantation Cypress Gate. Click here for Map and Directions.

The Salty Dog Café on Hilton Head Island is a favorite amongst locals and tourists. The waterfront restaurant is casual dining at its finest on the dock of the South Beach Marina Village in Sea Pines. This is a great spot for children and adults to enjoy the ocean breezes and check out the local fishing boats. The Salty Dog Café offers a complete menu with seafood, salads, sandwiches and a full bar. Relax with a cocktail at the outdoor bar and enjoy live entertainment in the evenings. There are plenty of shops in the Marina to purchase a souvenir or plan a day of activities such as Deep Sea Fishing, Parasailing or you can even rent a Jet Ski or boat for the day. Stop by Outside Hilton Head or visit their website. This is a fantastic way to spend the afternoon.

232 S. Sea Pines Drive
Hilton Head, SC 29928
(843) 363-2198
Map and Directions

Hilton Head Island has many Mexican restaurants and take-out places. Fiesta Fresh is on of the best. There are two locations on the island, one on New Orleans Rd. and the other at Port Royal Plaza.

You can take out or eat-in. You get your order and have you the choice of a great variety of sauces to add to your selection. They even have Flan.

This is a quick and delicious lunch or dinner spot.

Hilton Head Restaurants~Fiesta Fresh

One very popular Hilton Head Island restaurant and one you won’t want to miss is Signe’s Heaven Bound Bakery and Café, located on Arrow Rd. In business since 1972, this is a great place for a casual breakfast or lunch.

The inside décor is whimsical and fun, but if you go on a sunny day, you’ll probably want to sit out on the porch. The breakfast menu includes all the classics plus some really yummy extras such as the blackberry French toast. The lunch menu features soups, sandwiches, quiches, and some of the freshest, most creative salads in town.

My favorite lunchtime treat is the super salad, which allows me to choose a combination from the case, served on a beautiful platter of greens—so healthy and light I always have room for a slice of the key lime pound cake or a cowboy cookie.

The only part about dining at Signe’s I find a bit frustrating is the ordering procedure, which can be a bit hectic, especially when the restaurant is crowded. Newcomers to the restaurant might be a bit confused, as no real direction is provided. Basically, you stand in line at the counter(where you can see many of the fabulous offerings in the glass case), place your order and then seat yourself. You’ll be served at your table, but then you have to stand in line again at the end to pay. While this might not sound so tedious or unusual, it can be because the place is small.
Island Girl                                   

Hilton Head Restaurant~Signe’s Bakery

I’m from the south, and I’m definitely not a city girl; nevertheless, I get an occasional hankering for an authentic New York-style deli sandwich. Hilton Head Island restaurant, Gruby’s New York Deli, located in the Fresh Market Shoppes, has a down-home feel with big city taste.

There’s nothing fancy about it, but there’s no better place for a
custom-built sandwich, starting with a choice of homemade breads and great tasting deli meats. Although I’ve never had one, the hot dogs look appetizing, too.

Skip the cookies at the checkout counter. They look good, but I find them to be a bit dry and tasteless. Satisfy your sweet tooth at the Cold Stone Creamery, just a few doors down in the same shopping center. 

Island Girl
Hilton Head Island restaurant~ Gruby’s New York Deli

Ruan Thai

If you’re in the mood for Thai food, check out Hilton Head Island’s best at Ruan Thai. Open for lunch or dinner, you will find the atmosphere pleasing and the service impeccable. But more importantly, you will satisfy your craving for authentic Thai herbs and spices.

The only dish I have ever found disappointing at Ruan Thai was the coconut shrimp. The batter just seemed a bit heavy to me. But I would return over and over for the Seafood Basket—a delightful combination of fish, shellfish and veggies, cooked in coconut milk with curry paste. My other favorite is the whole flounder, which is scored and fried and served with a tasty sauce.

At lunch, I usually stick to a traditional Pad Thai or one of the curries—all delicious and satisfying. This restaurant also offers a children’s menu, including child-size portions of popular Thai dishes as well as some good-old American favorites to please picky palates.

Ruan Thai has two locations: on Hilton Head, 811 William Hilton Parkway; 843-785-8575; in Bluffton, 26 Towne Dr., Belfair Towne Village; 843-757-9479. Island Girl

Hilton Head Restaurants~Ruan Thai

Hungry surfers and beachgoers have long known where to find the freshest and fastest food on Hilton Head Island, packing their picnic baskets at Stu’s Surfside Subs. The smallest restaurant in town, located on Lagoon Rd., near Coligny Plaza, has been serving up big taste for the past six years. Riding a wave inland to a second location, Stu’s is now open at Port Royal Plaza on Mathews Dr.

Known for their fresh bread, made daily on the premises, the eight-inch subs are the tastiest around. The menu features twenty sandwich varieties as well as the option to design your own.

My personal favorite is The Islander, piled high with smoked turkey, topped with bacon and provolone cheese and served with Stu’s homemade Parmesan-peppercorn mayonnaise. Being a dessert lover, I like to top it all off with one of Stu’s homemade white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.

If you go to the tiny beach location, plan to take it and go. The new north end location has a little more seating room if you prefer to dine in, but expect it to be crowded at the noon to one rush hour. I personally prefer the drive through service at the north end location. (Stop by and pick up a menu to keep in your car.) The trick is to call ahead so that your order is ready when you drive through.

Stu’s is open for lunch only, Monday-Saturday. Coligny location, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., (843) 686-SURF (7873). Port Royal Plaza location, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., (843) 681-SURF (7873).

Island Girl

Hilton Head Restaurants~Stu’s Surfside Subs

Harold’s Diner has been a local favorite for many years. Located on Rte. 278 East next to the Exxon Station on Hilton Head, it serves breakfast and lunch in a most unusual fashion. When you come into the diner, you’re immediately struck by the smell of bacon, onions and other delectable aromas coming from the grill. On the counter you will find a list of the food items available to order. Using the pens provided, you need to fill out your choices precisely as you want them.
 
After filling out your menu, the cook will take it and prepare exactly what you wrote down. If you leave something out you’re out of luck and the owner, Chuck, will yell at you like he really means it. When your order is ready, the cook will look on the bottom of the slip you filled out where your name is supposed to be and yell it out to locate you and deliver your meal. It’s all in good natured fun and the owner and his help have a good time ribbing the customers who hopefully have as good a sense of humor as they do. They can also take some of the ribbing themselves.

Otherwise, Harold’s is a great place for breakfast and lunch at very reasonable prices.
 
Ken

Hilton Head Restaurants~Harold’s Diner