Be sure to look for coupons and use the EARLY-BIRD SPECIALS in the Island guides. You will save a lot of money on exceptional food if you don't mind eating between 4:30 and 6:00 PM. You can find all of these restaurants in the Hilton Head Restaurant Guide, most with complete menus and prices.

5 stars are not to be missed. 4 stars means great food and value. 3 stars means you'll get a decent meal. 2 stars is good, but you can do better. 1 star means avoid this place.

Prices and menu items subject to change.

Visit GotoHiltonHeadisland.com for website links for many of the following restaurants!

Updated 6/21/2009

Rating Who Review Visits Date of last review ***** Yummy House 278 just north of Steinmart, near St Francis Thrift Our #1 favorite! Chinese and Japanese Restaurant. Excellent hot and sour soup. Dinner for two includes soup, egg roll, crab rangoon, chicken wings, rice and your choice of any two regular dinners! Mu Shu Pork was excellent with baby string beans and sliced cucumber. The Lunch buffet is exceptionally fresh. Chinese, Terriyaki, GREAT Tempura, Bento boxes, Sushi...they have a huge menu. Don't miss the Gyoza dumplings and California rolls! Say hi to owner Wei and that the Morgan's sent you. He's always there or delivering orders. 40+ Weekly! ***** Roast Fish and Cornbread Marshland Rd on right before you get to Old Oyster Factory This is the best all around restaurant on Hilton Head. The Port Royal Platter had shrimp, scallops, grilled tilapia, a deviled crab and two sides for $15! Don't miss the sweet potato cornbread! 3 Aug 2011 ***** Kenny B's French Quarter Cafe Bilo circle center near Coligny One of our top 5 favorites. Cajun and low country specialties. Jambalya, Etoufe, awesome Po Boys (potato crusted catfish with roumalade or Scallops or fried grouper or...!), real fried okra, great hush puppies, cajun potatoes. Beignets! Around $8. Great for lunch or dinner. Excellent Sunday breakfast buffet. Now serving Aligator Po Boys and Etouffe! 30+! May 2010 ***** Marshside Mama's Daufuskie Island only accessible by boat or ferry! The motto here is "no whining, just dance". Mama makes some of the best seafood dishes on the planet. Wahoo, Swordfish provencale, crispy flounder, BBQ ribs, homemade mashed potatoes and a Shrimp & Artichoke dip to die for. Reservations are required since she only has enough food for a specific number of diners each night. They kitchen is only big enough to cook for one or two tables at a time. Get here early this is an all-night dining experience. Kids can play on the playground outside, while adults sit around the bonfire. Outstanding live bands on weekends. As tables clear out, the dance floor gets bigger and bigger. For ferry information call Beth at 843-785-4755. $20 10+ Aug 2011 ***** Alexanders Just outside the Palmetto Dunes security gates Another top 5. One of the best early bird specials on the island! About $15 gets you tea or lemonade, a bowl of soup, salad or seafood chowder, one of many incredible entrees such as shrimp and grits, crab stuffed flounder, tilapia, sirloin steak, roast pork, and several others. Served with vegetables, starch and bread. The grits in the shrimp and grits dinner was a "cake" made of grits and cheese, then fried crispy on the outside with shrimp and sauce. An interesting and tasty change for a common dish on the island! Had Oysters Rockefeller and Oysters Savannah here for the first time and was astounded at how tasty. Dinner prices $25-30 10+ Spring 2008 ***** The Pink Pig On the way to Savannah Lean, smoky pulled pork with outstanding home made BBQ sauces! I've been passing this restaurant for years and never just in time for lunch or dinner. What a mistake! Best hushpuppies I have ever eaten - more like corn fritters with whole kernel corn inside and so hot I almost burnt my fingers. Don't miss this one if you are on the back road to Savannah - $6 1 Sep 2011 ***** Hinoki of Kurama Known for the best sushi bar on the island. Great Terriyaki chicken lunch special. Comes in a bento box with salad, soup, tempura shrimp&vegetables, fish, terriyaki shrimp, vegetables and rice. Cheryl's favorite restaurant on the island! $9.95. 20+ August 2011 ***** One Hot Mama's Greenwood Center HHI Great pulled pork, BBQ beef brisket, ribs, huge baked potatoes, lots of salads, good baked beans, jalapeno honey cornbread(!), and all at reasonable prices. Try the baked sweet potatoes. Outstanding BBQ and Breakfast brunch on Sundays. $8-$10 10+ Sep 2011 ***** Street Meet Excellent Gyros. Known for their specialty burgers and dogs. Make sure you order the onion rings which are more like a very lightly breaded onion "straw" than a ring. If you've had onion straws at Ruby Tuesday's, these are much better! For an added treat start off with a hot, fresh-baked pretzel as an appetizer. Best pretzels on the island! 10+ July 2010 ***** Saigon Cafe 278 in Bluffton On right just past Target Wow! Now we don't have to go to Savannah or Charleston for great Vietnamese food. Try the "com thit, tom nuong, cha gio"... yea, I can't pronounce it either - It's BBQ pork, grilled shrimp and an egg roll served on top of a huge plate of Jasmine rice with a bowl of "fish sauce" that you dump on top. The fish sauce tastes like a thin sweet-and-sour sauce. The BBQ pork is sliced very thin and almost fried crispy. The shrimp were well seasoned and grilled. Outstanding! 4 Aug 2011 ***** Dye's Gullah Cuisine Pineland Station Recommended by gullah native and expert Dr. Emory Campbell. Shrimp deviled eggs, awesome crab cakes, "to die for" candied yams, red rice corn bread and every authentic southern dish you can think of! Live music some nights. A real treat and not to be missed! $16 1 May 2007 ***** Jim N Nick's Bluffton Great pulled pork and brisket. Cheddar garlic biscuits, amazing onion rings not to be missed, excellent BBQ sauces. Well worth a stop in Bluffton. The loaded BBQ stuffed baked potatoes are about 2lbs! Great service. 7+ 2010 ***** Charlie's Crab Skull Creek off Gumtree Road Ecletic mix of fancy entrees, mostly Seafood $22+ Expensive, but incredible. Dinner started with Salmon mouse and crackers, followed by Garlic Bread, Cheese Biscuits with pecan butter, and Cinnamon topped corn bread! Grilled Swordfish with heart of palm salsa, corn tamale and cajun rice. Good shrimp and grits with fried okra. Awesome! 1 May 2003 ***** Giuseppi's Pizza and Pasta Across from Palmetto Dunes, also Bluffton and Harbourtown Incredible double crust pizza! Order a side of marinara for dipping. Wedgies are excellent, hot sandwiches baked in a pizza dough. Express Delivery will deliver, but they are just across the street from HH Resort about a mile away. 7 Feb 2009 ***** The Smokehouse Palmetto Bay Rd near Food Lion Great BBQ, reasonable prices, the sandwiches are about 8" thick! Smokehouse plate is big enough to share. Exceptional baked beans. Great takeout bulk portions for large family gatherings and picnics. New restaurant is a huge improvement. $10 10+ May 2010 ***** Kurama Awesome Japanese food prepared in front of you. Call for reservations! $15 7+ May 2009 ***** Harold's Diner Sit at an old time bar in front of the grill and be insulted in a good natured way by the owner! Huge portions. Awesome home made hamburgers and the best Philly Steak and Cheese sandwiches on the island! $7 10+ July 2010 ***** Old Oyster Factory Marshland Drive Exceptional seafood. Pricey. Some of the best views of any island restaurant looking across the creek and marshes of Broad Creek. Almond encrusted mahi-mahi was awesome. $18-25 4 May 2004 ***** Market Street Located in Coligny Plaza on the beach side Great Gyros and chicken parm sub, very good prices. Best Potato Salad and best Key Lime Pie on the island! Very crowded during tourist season, but worth the wait. $9 2 March 2010 ***** Red Fish Near Food Lion on Palmetto Bay Road Exceptional early bird special. This restaurant has some of the most amazing combinations of uncommon recipes. A real adventure treat that won't dissapoint! 2 February 2005 **** Pino Gelato Wexford Shopping Center Wonderful Gelato! Better than ice cream. Sugar free Hazlenut and Pistatio flavors are awesome! (Recent visitors reported a bad experience and no free samples to decide amongst the many flavors) 6+ May 2007 **** Patty's Pig-n-Pit Park Plaza Area Great pulled pork panini with pork, slaw and french fries between cuban bread and grill pressed to crispy perfection. Then dump more fries on top. BBQ stuffed baked potato was outstanding on my second trip. For dessert they have cookies and milk! 2 Aug 2011 ****1/2 Sea Shack Reasonably priced, excellent seafood. Fried, sauteed and blackened. A real southern fish-camp style restaurant with a shortage of tables and a few outside booths. Get here early because the lines wrap around the building! Grilled wahoo, jerk grouper, fried scallops and blackened triggerfish are excellent. Best cole slaw on the island, super-sweet, tangy and crunchy! Prices are up a bit over the past couple of years but the portions are bigger. - Don't Miss! 10+ May 2009 **** Squat and Gobble Bluffton on HWY 46 next to Piggly Wiggly A "real" Greek Diner in the area! Great Gyros (Yee-ros), BBQ, burgers, pizza, italian food. Great breakfast spot if you are headed off island. $7 10+ July 2010 **** Fat Baby's Pizza and Subs Arrow Rd Great Pizza and best French Dip on the island! $10 1 May 2009 **** Jalapeno's Bluffton at the Bridge Shops Tasty, inexpensive and excellent Tex-mex. Great Fajitas! $8 5 2011 **** La Hacienda South end Publix shopping center Great Tex Mex! Great Service. Cheap!! $7 5 Spring 2011 **** Le Bistro Pineland Station Great $15 early bird specials with over 15 Greek/Italian entres. Lots of unusual items on the menu including duck, veal, lamb dishes. Best garlic bread on the island and lots of it! Regular dinner menu around $25 1 October 2007 **** Cheeburger Cheeburger Exceptional hamburgers and fries. Next door to Sea Turtle Cinemas in Bluffton. Kids meals served in a paper automobile shaped box. Very 1960's. $7 1 Summer 2007 **** Five Guys Awesome burgers and fries. In the Best Buy center in Bluffton. One small order of fries will feed two or three hungry people. $9 1 July 2010 **** Mar Y Tierra Great mexican restaurant on Arrow Rd. Huge menu. Great tacos and enchiladas! A crunchy taco comes on a home fried tortilla shell. Reasonable prices. $7 3 Summer 2010 **** Amigos Cafe y Cantina Next to Bi-lo at Coligny The most amazing "killer burritos" you will ever try! The chicken fajita burrito is stuffed with fajitas, rice, black beans and weighs about 2 1/2 lbs! They have incredible warm tortilla chips and salsa. They are almost "sweet" combined with the bite of the hot sauce. There's a 2nd store next to Kroger in Bluffton. $7 6 Spring 2010 **** It's Greek to me New location at Coligny. Outstanding Greek food. 4 June 2010 **** Olivier's New Orleans Rd. French. $25 Awesome food. Slow but attentive service on Thanksgiving night. Very loud live music in a small place. Artist paints portraits of diners while you are there. Very nice. Great date place. 1 November 2004 **** Express Wok Mathews Drive takeout and delivery. Great chinese delivery! Awesome Pad Thai, Chicken with String Beans and Sesame chicken. If you want white meat, be sure to say it repeatedly as chinese is the primary language in this establishment! $8-$9. 4 February 2004 *** Pepper's Porch Downtown Bluffton. Country barn atmosphere with luxury food! Crab stuffed grouper with baby shrimp was "to die for". Great traditional southern seafood platters with broiled or fried: shrimp, scallops, oysters and catfish. $19 1 July 2005 **** Mi Tierra Immediately before the Cross Island Parkway coming onto the island Awesome fish tacos! Home-made fried grouper chunks served in a soft tortilla with spicy tarter sauce. Don't knock it until you try it! $8-$13 8 April 2008 **** Truffles Cafe Kroger center off island and Pope Ave and Sea Pines on HHI Great place to eat on your way home from Hilton Head. Havana Chicken is a huge grilled chicken breast with cheese and salsa, served over BBQ'd black beans with vegetables. Chicken pot pie with a flaky pastry crust. Awesome! I'm still trying to figure out how to make those BBQ black beans at home! $13-$21 1 May 2010 **** Big Bamboo Cafe Coligny circle Great appetizers. Great BBQ ribs! Fall off the bone tender. Great NY Strip steak. All you can eat real buttered popcorn while you wait. Tuesday night coupon buy one get one free Steak, pasta or rib dinner. Look for it in the Rail, Island Packet or one of the free coupon books. $9-$15 5 May 2010 **** Tapas Northridge Plaza across from Stein Mart Very tasty, ala carte items. Order a couple of items per person and share. Recommended: Goat cheese marinara with French Bread. Large wine selection. $5-7 per item. 1 ? **** Hilton Head Ice Cream New Orleans Rd They make it themselves! Free toppings bar. Seldom advertised. On New Orleans Rd in the corner of an office building near Sea Pines circle. Voted one of the world's best places to get ice cream by Conde Naste. If you like ice cream don't miss this place! Real Chocolate-Chocolate Malts and floats. 15+ Summer 2011 **** Catch 22 Great early-bird specials. Chicken Cordon Bleu was excellent. Coconut shrimp, BBQ Bison ribs, etc. Menu changes often. Gotta talk them into bringing back the Veal Saltimbuco! 7+ April 2008 **** Quarterdeck At Harbourtown under the lighthouse - Awesome water and people view, good food, eat outside. In the evenings you can order appetizers and listen to music. Coconut Chicken fingers were awesome! Best chicken fingers on the island. 3 June 2006 *** 211 Park Good "dress up" date place. $20 1 2001 *** Palmetto Bay Sunrise Cafe Palmetto Bay Marina A breakfast institution. Prepare to wait in line! $8 2 October 2006 *** Black Marlin Palmetto Bay Marina Great Sunday brunch. Amazing white cheddar hash browns. $10 1 July 2010 *** Old Daufuskie Crab Company Daufuskie Island Freeport Marina on the waterfront Good burgers, fries, grilled chicken on the waterfront. Great for lunch. Full bar. Great Daufuskie Deviled Crabs. Rent a golf cart and stop here during your Daufuskie Island tour. Great lunch buffet! Open Tue-Sun 11:30am-9pm $8 10+ June 2009 *** Vic's Pineland Station Great burgers, Rueben's, sandwiches, fries, etc. Great for lunch. Looks like a good cheap breakfast place too. $5 4 August 2002 *** O'Reillys Irish pub, great prices, great burgers $9 3 August 2004 *** Alligator Grill Excellent. Expensive date place. Filet Mignon was amazing. Alligator ribs are very tasty. Expensive. $30+ 3 Feb 2010 *** Hudsons on the Docks Since 1968. Very good food. Great view. Great hushpuppies! Good early bird special. Kids meals are for small kids. Ray-ray approved. $16 6 May 2007 *** Signe's bakery with gourmet cheesecake and cookies! Ray-ray approved. 1 1999? *** Captain Woody's Cheese, pepper and onion smothered Fried Grouper sandwich! $9 1 Summer 2001 *** San Miguel's Good TexMex food, fajitas, quesadilla's. Walking distance (1 mile) at Shelter Cove Harbour. $12 3 Spring 2001 *** Dosido's Very good food. Look for coupons and specials. 2 April 2005 ** Aunt Chiladas Tex with very little Mex, add Italian to confuse matters, still it's pretty good and cheap. Great spagetti. Locals love it. $9 3 March 2005 ** Jade Garden - Bluffton Chinese restaurant on the mainland. Mongolian BBQ - pick your meats, vegetables and sauces and they cook it in front of you on a big wok grill. The biggest and most varied buffet in the area. Buffet has Chinese, American, sushi, desserts and appetizers. $9 5+ Spring 2011 ** Hilton Head Diner Open 24 hours, breakfast all the time. Not a fan. $9 3 2000 ** Fuddruckers Standard Burger and chicken sandwich bar. I like shredded lettuce, lots of pickles and A1 sauce on my burgers. Here you can make it any way you want. Great for kids, lots of video games. Walking distance from Hilton Head Resort. $8 11 March 2007 ** IHOP Standard chain food. Breakfast all day. Phily steak and cheese was tasty. Near mile marker #5. $9 4 2009 ** Pizza Hut Great lunch buffet when you want lots of great pizza and their new Tuscani Pastas. It may not be gourmet, but it still tastes as great as it did back when we were all kids! Order online by credit card, get coupons and schedule pickup at your convenience. $9 6+ Spring 20079 ** British Open Pub Authentic English Pub with real London-style fish and chips. $9 2 March 2004 ** Marley's Ice Cream Gone but not forgotten... Hugo's at Wexford :( Shwe Myanmar :( "You wanna pizza me?" (Bluffton) Myrtles (Bluffton) Boathouse II Taste of Portugal (Bluffton) Carimbocas Caribbean Cuisine Sticky Fingers Spice Burger King (south end now Panera Bread) Tony Romas Cracker Barrel Juniper Cafe Spartina Grille Garden Oak Grille Great Plains Cattle Company Crabby Nicks Main Street Diner (Now Appleby's) HofBrauHaus Fitzgeralds Elgie's Soul Food Cafe (although Elgie is still around) Mi Casita Latin Cuisine Iron Wolf Chophouse Shoneys Fratellos Hardees Imperial Garden (Bluffton) One Hot Mama's (Bluffton store) Calibogue Cafe and Trading Co Abes Shrimp House Arthur's at PD Buckley's Grill at SFB The Brasserie at the "Hotel Intercontinental" Carnegies Oar House at Shelter Cove Casablanca HH Plaza The Chart House at Palmetto Bay (Read an article about this one recently - apparently very frequented by celebs and touring golf pros) Daddy Zack's at Pope Ave Damon's (Yuck! Bad experience) Frank's Oasis at Palmetto Bay Fulvio's Grill and Cafe at Main St Gold Eagle Tavern at Sea Pines Golden Rose Restaurant at Beach City Rd J. Daniels at Pineland Mall Jody's at Pope Ave Mall Napa Valley at HHB&T Old Post Office on Pope Ave Reflections on the Green at Shipyard Ruby Tuesday(!?) Shakers Steakhouse Tavern at Coligny Shoneys Skull Creek Restaurant Smokin Joes at Plantation Center Western Sizzlin(!?) on Pope Ave Bakeries/Ice Cream: David's Cookies at Shelter Cove, Dunkin Donuts(!), Gottlieb's Bakery at Coligny, Irresistibles at Mid Island Plaza, Tim Horton Donuts(!), Baskin Robbins, Carvel, Swiss Pastry at Coligny, Summerhouse Baker at Spanish Wells French: Cafe de la Place at Wexford, Gaslight Restaurant at Market Place, La Maisonette on Pope Ave German/Continental: Hofbrauhaus, The Barony at Hotel IC, The Cookery at Heritage Plaza, Ed Murray's, High Z's at Orleans, The Overlook at Port Royal, Pisces at Mariners Inn Delis: Cheese Cupboard at South Beach, The Cheese Nook, Healthy Days, Jody's Fine Foods, LTFG, PJs Incredible Edibles, Sub City Italian: Fratellos, Keglers at Main St,La Polas on New Orleans, Pasta Mill at Pope Ave Mall, Primo at Orleans Plaza, Sarinas at Wexford, Vecchiones at Coligny Mexican: Azteca on Marshland, Ms Joannas on Office Park Rd Asian: China Garden, Jade East and Makotos Pizza: Godfathers(!?), JJ Pepperionios at the Hyatt Regency, Kris' Pizza at Christmas Square, Little Anthony's at Palmetto Bay, Sharky's Pizza (3 stores!) Seafood: Ballard's Seafood on Marshland Rd, The Commodore at Shelter Cove, Fisherman's Lagoon at HH Plaza, Fitzgerald's, Gilligan's on Dunagan's Alley, Hemingway's at the Hyatt, The Landing on Squire Pope, The Mariner at Outdoor Resort and Yacht Club, Pompano's at Marriott, Pralines at Mariner's Inn, Ship's In at South Beach, William F Pelican Fast Food: Dairy Queen!, Hardees, Huddle House