Top 5 Places To Eat in Hilton Head

If you saw my Hilton Head Travel Guide, you’ll know that we went Hilton Head in September. But let’s get to the real star of the trip: food. Because nothing says vacation like overanalyzing every meal you eat out. So, here’s my list of Top 5 Places to Eat in Hilton Head, complete with unsolicited opinions

Top 5 Places to Eat in Hilton Head

• Giuseppi’s Pizza
• Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks
• A Lowcountry Backyard
• Hilton Head Diner Restaurant
• The Salty Dog Cafe

Giuseppi’s Pizza

Credit where it’s due—shout out to my friend Tara for recommending Hilton Head pizza place, because let’s be real, I live for pizza. And guess what? The kids ate it without a bribe or threat involved, which, if you’ve met my kids, is basically a miracle.

We ordered a half pepperoni, half mushroom on night one, and it was so good even the kids ate it. A minor miracle.

But when we tried to order again later in the trip, they were “too busy” on DoorDash, which I’m choosing to interpret as “everyone wants this pizza, and you’re late to the party.” I mean, we even saw a guy in a Giuseppi’s T-shirt at Shelter Cove Park, so it seems like it might be a local obsession.

Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks

On our third day at Hilton Head, we went to Hudson’s for lunch. It’s a waterfront restaurant, and our table was on the dock.

I’m really not a huge seafood fan. I only started eating fish once I went to England. That being said, I ordered the Fried Catch Basket, which is described as “traditional English Pub fish n’ chips.”

The fish was great, but let’s talk about those hush puppies—basically the Beyoncé of sides.

The kids ordered their usual chicken tenders and fries, and shocker, it was too much food. Naturally, I played garbage disposal to help with the leftovers. #ParentTax

We also ordered cocktails because #vacation, but I don’t remember what I drank. Maybe it was the Southern Berry? Who knows. It was good, and that’s what matters.

A Lowcountry Backyard Restaurant

This is a place I found while digging through Yelp reviews, and Cameron said it was the best meal he’s ever had!

He loves BLT’s, so he got the Charleston Fried Green Tomato BLT. I tasted it, but since I don’t even like tomatoes, my opinion isn’t important. 

I played it safe with meatloaf because if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? They threw some BBQ sauce on it, which I was not expecting (I’m a ketchup-on-meatloaf purist), but it was still good. And the atmosphere? Picture hanging out in your laid-back friend’s backyard. We could’ve done without the rain, but hey, at least it felt authentic.

The kids split grilled cheese and cornbread, which they loved—because obviously, it’s melted cheese on bread.

One of the best things (besides the food) about Lowcountry Backyard is the atmosphere. I wish we had gone when it wasn’t raining, but it rained during most of our trip!

You can read their story on their website, but basically, the owners grew up on the island and their restaurant “brings back those simpler times.” They really make it feel like you’re in someone’s backyard!

If you’re looking for places to eat in Hilton Head, definitely get the Lowcountry Backyard experience!

Hilton Head Diner Restaurant

I knew we had to hit Hilton Head Diner because I’m a sucker for brunch, especially when it’s raining, which, spoiler alert, it was. This place serves up portions like they’re feeding a small army, and I’m not mad about it.

I went straight for my breakfast faves: French toast and bacon. Fun fact: I’ve never had syrup on French toast because I’m all about that plain sugar life, but this time I tried it, and yeah, not bad! The kids copied my order because, obviously.

Would you believe me if I said I never ate french toast with syrup before? Maybe I’m weird, but I’ve always just covered mine in tons of sugar. Regular sugar, not confectioners sugar.

They brought us tons of syrup, though, so I decided to try it, and it did not disappoint!

 

Cameron decided on lunch instead of breakfast, and he got the shrimp stuffed crab, mashed potatoes, and collard greens. I didn’t taste it because it’s a little (a lot) too seafood-y for me, but he seemed to like it!

Before we left, we also bought these Hilton Head Diner coffee cups because nothing says “tourist” like diner merch.

The Salty Dog Cafe

Look, you can’t go to Hilton Head without hitting The Salty Dog Cafe. It’s practically a rite of passage, even if you have to fork over $9 to get into the Sea Pines area. We didn’t do the full meal here (don’t ask, I’m still bitter), but we did get ice cream.

They had some truly oddball flavors like lavender and maple bacon. I played it safe with chocolate because I’m not trying to be adventurous with dessert, but Liam, in a bold move, got lavender because he thought it was blue. Spoiler: It wasn’t, but he still went for it. London stuck with classic strawberry because someone in this family has to keep it together.

And there you have it—my top spots to eat in Hilton Head! If you’ve got other recommendations or think I missed something crucial, drop it in the comments. Let’s swap food notes and pretend we’re on vacation again!