Hilton Head Island's Best Dining Choices!

We're here at our southern command post and our blessed island is just as lush and bright and kissed by the sun as we've always remembered it. We'll be here for an extended period this summer but before anything else, we wanted to give you some tips on the island's best dining options.

There is no limit to good food on Hilton Head and (from hot dogs to haute cuisine) here's the best, directly from Hilton Head and based on years of experience:

Robert Irvine's EAT! - The tres chic eatery at Wexford Center from Hilton Head's own celebrity chef features a lively atmosphere, high style and an electric mix of dishes including tapas. Don't miss the half-price small plates specials every Tuesday evening
Southern Coney and Breakfast: This is a new breakfast and lunch place in the Bi-Lo shopping center off of Pope Avenue near Coligny.Great hot dogs and Coney Island treats in a bright, super-clean environment. Plus, they serve southern breakfast. The owners are very friendly and the service is excellent.

Hudson's - An old-fashioned fish house that's a perennial favorite directly on the water. Tables feature extraordinary views of Port Royal Sound for a truly unique Lowcountry dining experience. Hudson's employs the largest and one of only two remaining fishing fleets on the island which brings fresh local seafood straight from our docks to your table.
Il Carpaccio - Best popularly priced Italian food on the island. Northern Italian dishes with plenty of wonderful pasta specialties and great, authentic, thin-crusted Italian pizza. In Pinelands Plaza shopping center.
British Open Pub - In Wexford Village shopping plaza. Wonderful fish n chips, chicken pot pie, steak and kidney pie and other British specialties in a cozy. golf-themed atmosphere. Also: crab cakes, ribs, chicken, and other selections. Plenty for every taste, and the price is right, too!
Truffles - The original (at Sea Pines Center) is still the best but the new site (on Pope Avenue) is good as well. Steaks, chops, fish, salads -- all great American fare is a delightful, convivial environment.
Crane's - An early-American tavern and steakhouse with Philadelphia roots. Also, sandwiches, soups, salads, famous French dip, burgers, meatloaf and more. Now serving breakfast as well. Lovely atmosphere.

Hot Dog Harbor: In the Coligny Plaza shopping center. Great hot dogs, chips, fries and other delights in a cozy, down home environment. Yhe hot dogs are plump and juicy and come in many different varieties with your choice of toppings. The owners are very friendly and the service is excellent.
San Miguel's - At Shelter Cove harbor. Far and away the best Mexican restaurant on the island. Great margaritas, too. Consistently good!

Harold's Diner - Not actually a diner but an island institution nonetheless. It's mid-island on William Hilton Parkway with the best damned burgers and comfort food anywhere. Drive slowly or you'll miss it. If you haven't been to Harold's you haven't been to Hilton Head.
Old Fort Pub - Upscale dining on Skull Creek in Hilton Head Plantation. An island favorite for decades. This is one of the few places where the food and the service match the spectacular views.
Plantation Cafe - On Pope Avenue near Coligny. This is where you'll find the island's best southern breakfast. Also, great sandwiches and other lunch fare. Not fancy. Just real good food at great prices.
Michael Anthony's - On New Orleans Road. Best upscale Italian on the island. Classic fine dining Italian cuisine prepared with a creative touch, presented with a contemporary flair and served in casual and comfortable warm surroundings. A superb treat!
Giuseppi's - Many consider this to be the island's best pizza. We prefer the original outlet in Shelter Cove on William Hilton Parkway. It's busy. Prepare to wait.

To these we would add one that we've already mentioned: The new Flatbread Grill at the Beach Market near Coligny Circle. The crispy, thin crust pizza here is phenomenal.

Thanks to TV's hugely successful Restaurant Impossible on the Food Network, Robert Irvine is one of America's most famous dining experts. Irvine's restaurant Eat! on Hilton Head Island has long been a favorite of ours. But now Irvine has opened another, slightly more casual dining spot just off the island in the Tanger Outlet Center in Blufton.
Dubbed Robert Irvine's Nosh (shown below) this place is delightful.
As you can see from the photos below we lunched at Nosh and enjoyed the chef's salad (without the ham) and the roasted chicken sandwich with tomato, mozzarella and spinach (with the pesto on the side). The turkey was freshly sliced and the chicken was tender, succulent and juicy. And those fries? Well, they were fresh cut and rich in potato-ey taste and aroma. Heavenly.
BTW: Right now Nosh is featuring a winter pre-fix dinner menu for $30 for TWO that includes appetizer, entree and dessert. Add a glass of house chardonnay for three bucks!
Great rustic atmosphere. Delicious food. Friendly service. Incredible value!
This is civilized pizza in a spacious, efficient, up-to-trhe minute eatery that you and your family will thoroughly enjoy!

After strolling the beach at Hilton Head we were in the mood for pizza and that brought us to a reliable standby -- Paulie's Coal Fired Pizza (below) on William Hilton Parkway near the Sea Pines Circle.
We've always said that the real test of any pizza is the basic red sauce and mozzarella pie just as the real test of any ice cream is vanilla.
Well, Paulie's "basic" pie is fresh and fragrant with a thin crust and their own homemade cheese. We discovered Paulie's last year and have returned several times. Each time we get what we came for -- fine food and drink, friendly service and a warm atmosphere.
This ain't no pizza joint.
This is civilized pizza in a spacious, efficient, up-to-trhe minute eatery that you and your family will thoroughly enjoy!

And, we've got to add Reiley's to the list.
Reiley's  is an old-fashioned Irish pub with an extensive menu featuring steaks, chops, salads sandwiches and great three-course dinner specials. With its ornate bar and traditional chubby environment the place envelopes you in a friendly atmosphere. Always satisfying. We like the original outpost  at Sea Pines Circle.We were there last night and enjoyed a delicious dinner and the prices are really a great value. Service is prompt and amiable, the beer is icy cold, the mixed drinks are great and everybody at Reiley's aims to please.

And then, there's nearby Savannah. Well, more on that later . . . .