Bluffton, SC Restaurants and Places to Eat
Bluffton restaurants by meal, food and part of town, from Old Town’s porches by the May River to the breweries of Buckwalter, or see the full restaurant list.
Restaurants in Bluffton, SC by area
The full list sorts every Bluffton restaurant we cover by Old Town, Buckwalter and US 278.
The best restaurants in Bluffton, SC, by part of town: Old Town and May River Road, Buckwalter, US 278 and Belfair, and the breweries.
Old Town Bluffton restaurants by street: Calhoun Street, the Promenade, May River Road and the waterfront, with photos, ratings and phone numbers.
Palmetto Bluff restaurants by who can eat there: public Buffalo's and RT's Market, Montage's River House and Octagon, and the club's Canoe Club and Cole's.
Bluffton dining by meal
Breakfast in Bluffton, SC: diners, café brunches, bakeries and donuts, from Old Town to US 278, with hours and phone numbers.
Bakeries in Bluffton, SC: an 1868 cottage tea room, donut shops, custom cakes and pastry counters, with hours and phone numbers.
Ice cream in Bluffton, SC: homemade scoops, Ben & Jerry’s, Rita’s custard and Italian ice, and neighborhood shops, with hours and phone numbers.
Bluffton restaurants by cuisine
Mexican restaurants in Bluffton, SC: sit-down cantinas with margaritas, counter-service tacos and a birria truck, by area, with phone numbers.
Italian restaurants in Bluffton, SC: a chophouse, family trattorias, takeout and casual pizza and pasta, by night out or quick dinner.
Pizza in Bluffton, SC: wood-fired, Pittsburgh-style and New York pies, chain pizzerias and a takeout slice shop, with phone numbers.
Brunch and lunch in Bluffton, SC
Brunch in Bluffton, SC centers on Old Town: Corner Perk, The Cottage and Nectar all serve it, and Ma Daisy’s Porch opens early on Friday to Sunday. For lunch, add Squat ’N’ Gobble’s Southern plates and the Sippin Cow on the Promenade. Several of these close in the mid-afternoon, so lunch here is an early one.
A brunch café that roasts its own coffee, with a pastry case and a long counter; open from breakfast into the afternoon. Its Hilton Head café is now Luci’s Cafe.
Breakfast, brunch, lunch and afternoon tea with house-baked goods in a restored 1868 cottage on Calhoun Street. Daytime only.
A breakfast and lunch café on the Promenade: pancakes, egg plates, biscuits and gravy, and club sandwiches. Closed Mondays.
A long-running, family-run breakfast and lunch counter on May River Road: Southern breakfasts, sandwiches and daily specials. Closed Sundays.
Coffee shops in Bluffton, SC
Corner Perk roasts its own beans in Old Town (its card is with brunch, above), The Grind roasts its own off US 278, and The Sugaree and Alljoy Donut Co. pair coffee with something sweet. For the island side of the bridges, see the Hilton Head coffee shops.
A roaster with a coffee bar and a lounge of armchairs, open from early morning; a second Grind coffee house is on Hope Pond Way.
A small café for coffee, donuts and pastries in the morning and Maine lobster rolls at lunch. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Donuts and coffee from a little shop with a garden patio of picnic tables. Mornings only, and not every day, so check before you go.
Seafood restaurants in Bluffton, SC
Bluffton seafood starts at the river: the Bluffton Oyster Company has shucked May River oysters at the end of Wharf Street since 1899, and its Bluffton Seafood House cooks them. In Old Town, CRUDO (under new restaurants, below) is a raw bar and The Pearl leans coastal; on US 278, Hook & Reel does Cajun boils by the pound. The Oyster Company and Russo’s also sell fish and shellfish to cook at home.
The Bluffton Oyster Company’s restaurant: a longtime family-run bar and dining room for local oysters and down-home seafood plates.
The working oyster house at the end of Wharf Street, shucking May River oysters since 1899 and selling oysters, clams, shrimp and fish to take home. A market, not a restaurant: its restaurant is the Bluffton Seafood House.
The Bluffton branch of the Hilton Head seafood bar: oysters, shrimp and fish baskets, with outdoor tables and live music.
Seafood boils by the pound (crab legs, shrimp, crawfish) served in bags with your choice of sauce, plus fried baskets and a bar.
A seafood market off Bluffton Parkway: fresh fish, local shrimp and oysters on ice, and sauces and sides to cook at home. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Steakhouses and dinner in Bluffton, SC
For a steak dinner in Bluffton, The Bluffton Room and Radici Italian Chophouse are the dressiest tables, and Frankie Bones in Buckwalter has prime rib and a long menu. The chain steakhouses are out by the highways: LongHorn on US 278 and Outback on Buckwalter Parkway. For dinner without the steak, FARM’s seasonal Southern menu is the other one to reserve.
An Italian chophouse on Bluffton Parkway for a special night out: pasta, steaks and seafood. Reservations taken.
Chinese food, sushi and Thai in Bluffton, SC
Most of Bluffton’s Asian restaurants are in the shopping centers off US 278 and Buckwalter Parkway rather than in Old Town. AKOMEYA serves Chinese dishes and sushi under one roof, Hong Kong is the takeout standby, Fancy Sushi and Sakehouse cover sushi (Sakehouse is a Japanese steakhouse too), Two Thai and Ruan Thai are the Thai kitchens, and Nom Nom Poké serves bowls in New Riverside.
A sit-down Asian bistro on Kitties Landing Road: Chinese dishes, sushi and poke bowls.
A simple Chinese takeout spot in a Buckwalter strip center: chow mein, fried rice and the rest of the classics.
A small sushi bar and grill in Buckwalter with a long list of specialty rolls.
A Japanese steakhouse and sushi bar on US 278.
Thai curries, noodles and papaya salad in a modern dining room with a wine wall, on US 278.
Thai dishes and a long wine list in a refined dining room on Towne Drive, by Belfair Towne Village.
Poke bowls, bao buns and small plates at Parkside Commons in New Riverside, with tables outside under red umbrellas.
BBQ in Bluffton, SC
Bluffton barbecue runs from Old Town’s Bluffton Barbeque, a counter in a rustic wooden building, to Choo Choo BBQ Xpress on Burnt Church Road, Jim ’N Nick’s on US 278 and One Hot Mama’s in Buckwalter. On the island, see Hilton Head BBQ.
A counter-service barbecue spot in a rustic wooden building in Old Town: ribs, pulled pork and homestyle sides.
Slow-cooked barbecue and homestyle sides from a small joint with railroad decor and a kitchen in an old train car.
The Southern barbecue chain’s Bluffton restaurant: slow-cooked pork, brisket and ribs, and the cheese biscuits it is known for.
Ribs, brisket and wings from the Hilton Head barbecue joint’s Bluffton branch, with a bar and a patio where dogs are allowed.
Bars, happy hour and live music in Bluffton, SC
Old Town is Bluffton’s bar district: Calhoun Street Tavern and Wine Time are on the Promenade, and the Roasting Room’s listening room is a short walk away on May River Road. Calhoun Street Tavern, Captain Woody’s, The Pearl and Ma Daisy’s Porch also have live music. Out of town, Okatie Ale House is the big sports pub and the British Open Pub has a golf theme. Happy hour times change with the season, so call ahead; every card has a Call button.
A whiskey lounge with a small listening room for live music: singer-songwriters and bands, up close.
A wine bar and bottle shop on the Promenade with small plates and panini to go with the glass.
A casual American pub with a full bar, sports on TV, live music and a patio, in the Okatie area of Bluffton.
A golf-themed pub for British and American pub food, from fish and chips to prime rib, with a weekend champagne brunch.
Breweries in Bluffton, SC
Bluffton breweries are a short drive from Old Town: Southern Barrel in Buckwalter Place has a full kitchen, Lot 9 pours its own beer off Bluffton Parkway, and Side Hustle opened a Bluffton brewery in 2024. Burnt Church Distillery makes whiskey on Bluffton Road. On the island, see Hilton Head breweries.
A brewery with a full kitchen and a big patio in Buckwalter Place: flights of its own beer, burgers and tacos.
A brewery taproom off Bluffton Parkway with its own beers on tap and picnic tables outside; dogs come along.
The Bluffton brewery and taproom of Side Hustle, opened in 2024 on Buck Island Road; its taproom on Hilton Head is on Pope Avenue.
Dog-friendly restaurants and outdoor dining in Bluffton, SC
Bluffton eats outside for most of the year. Nectar, Calhoun Street Tavern, SliderBar, Agave Sidebar and Tio’s are among the places that welcome dogs on the patio; ask at the host stand, since dogs usually stay at outdoor tables. Waterfront restaurants in Bluffton, SC are rarer than the river suggests: Old Town’s restaurants sit back from the May River, the Bluffton Oyster Company is right on it at the end of Wharf Street, and the riverfront dining room is River House at Montage Palmetto Bluff. For dinner with a water view, the Hilton Head waterfront restaurants are across the bridges.
Tacos and margaritas in a colorful building at 15 Captains Cove, off Calhoun Street, with patio tables all around it.
The owners’ second Tio’s: Latin American plates, tacos and margaritas in a mural-painted dining room, with a patio.
New restaurants in Bluffton, SC
CRUDO on the Promenade and Okàn on Calhoun Street opened in 2023; SliderBar and Joelle followed in 2024, as did Side Hustle’s Bluffton brewery (with breweries, above). For openings and closings on the island, see new Hilton Head restaurants.
West African cooking on Calhoun Street, opened in 2023: grilled meats and fish, plantains and rice dishes, with cocktails.
A raw bar on the Promenade for oysters, crudo and seafood entrées, with cocktails; it opened in 2023.
About Bluffton dining
Restaurants in Bluffton, SC gather in three places. Old Town, the historic district on the May River, is where the food has a sense of place: Lowcountry and Gullah cooking, oysters from the river and porches under live oaks. Buckwalter, north of Old Town, and the shopping centers along US 278 have the chains, the newer places and the easy parking, and US 278 is the closest to Hilton Head across the bridges.
Looking for places to eat in Bluffton, SC tonight? The full list of Bluffton restaurants sorts them by part of town, with a photo, rating and phone number on every card. Where a restaurant has its own page, its name links to it, with the hours, the menu link and whether it takes reservations.
Palmetto Bluff, inside Bluffton’s town limits, has its own dining, including River House at Montage Palmetto Bluff. For the rest of the town, start from the Bluffton guide, and for the island side of the bridges, see Hilton Head restaurants.
Frequently Asked Questions
What food is Bluffton, SC known for?
Oysters from the May River, which the Bluffton Oyster Company has shucked by hand since 1899, and Lowcountry and Gullah cooking at places like Ma Daisy’s Porch and the Bluffton Seafood House. Old Town’s porch restaurants on Calhoun Street and the Promenade are the other draw.
Where is the best area in Bluffton for restaurants?
Old Town, the historic district on the May River, has most of the independent restaurants within a short walk: Calhoun Street, the Promenade and May River Road. Buckwalter and US 278 have more chains and easier parking.
Which Bluffton restaurants are open for breakfast?
Squat ’N’ Gobble, the Sippin Cow, Corner Perk and The Cottage all open in the morning, and Alljoy Donut Co. serves donuts and coffee on its open days. Most of them close by mid-afternoon.
Is Bluffton close enough to Hilton Head for dinner?
Yes. The restaurants on US 278 and in Belfair Towne Village are the first ones over the bridges, and Old Town is further in, off US 278 by Bluffton Road. Allow extra time for bridge traffic in summer.
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