Best Breakfast in Hilton Head Island, SC
For a diner breakfast, Hilton Head Diner or Watusi near Coligny Beach; for Sunday brunch, Sea Grass Grille, ELA’s on the Water or Hudson’s.
Our pick for each kind of morning
One place for each kind of breakfast, with the hours and prices that decide it.
Watusi Cafe
Two blocks from Coligny Beach and open from 7 a.m. every day. Reviewers order the eggs Benedict ($12), there are vegan and gluten-free plates, and dogs are welcome on the patio. See Watusi Cafe’s menu and hours.
Palmetto Bay SunRise Cafe
Open at 6 a.m., Wednesday to Sunday, at Palmetto Bay Marina, with dogs welcome on the covered patio. Reviewers order the banana rum pancakes and the shrimp hash. On Monday and Tuesday, Plantation Cafe & Deli on Pope Avenue opens at 6:30. See SunRise’s menu and hours.
Hilton Head Diner
The breakfast menu runs from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Two eggs with home fries or grits and toast are $9.99, the lowest two-egg plate in the price table below. See Hilton Head Diner’s menu and hours.
Southern Coney and Breakfast
Reviewers single out the pancakes, fluffy and generously sized, along with the omelets and the homemade corned beef hash. Open from 7 a.m., closed Mondays. See Southern Coney and Breakfast’s menu and hours.
Gringo’s Diner
Three pancakes for $7.50 and the breakfast burrito reviewers order for $9.75, the lowest prices in the table below. Counter service in Coligny Plaza, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. See Gringo’s Diner’s menu and hours.
Skillets Cafe & Grill
Reviewers count many gluten-free choices on a long menu, and the pecan waffles and omelets get the most praise. Coligny Plaza, from 7 a.m. every day. See Skillets Cafe & Grill’s menu and hours.
Bad Biscuit
Huge biscuits, the Southern Benedict ($14) and biscuit flights, with covered seating outside in Coligny Plaza. Open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. See Bad Biscuit’s menu and hours.
Hilton Head Social Bakery
Croissants and tarts from a Taillevent-trained pastry chef at Shelter Cove Harbour, from 7 a.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 8 on Sunday; closed Monday and Tuesday. See Hilton Head Social Bakery’s menu and hours.
All-day breakfast diners
A real diner open more than 30 years, with a long menu, big plates and dine-in or take-out seven days a week.
A family-owned breakfast spot two blocks from Coligny Beach, serving breakfast and lunch all day from 7 a.m., with a walk-up coffee bar. Reviewers order the eggs Benedict and the vegan stuffed French toast.
A neighborhood diner with red booths and an open kitchen, serving breakfast and lunch only. Reviewers order the pancakes and the homemade corned beef hash.
A small diner and ice cream shop serving breakfast all day, omelets, paninis and wraps. Reviewers order the breakfast sandwiches, Spanish omelets and quiche.
A no-frills counter-service diner in Coligny Plaza known for its breakfast burrito and chicken and waffles.
Breakfast served all day at Palmetto Bay Marina for more than twenty years, with a covered patio that welcomes dogs. Reviewers order the banana rum pancakes and the shrimp hash.
A big breakfast menu with stuffed French toast and benedicts, in Coligny Plaza. Reviewers order the omelets and the pecan waffles.
Southern breakfast and lunch with a biscuit-forward menu, in Coligny Plaza. Reviewers order the Southern Benedict and the biscuit flights.
Southern-style breakfast and lunch staples at two locations, Port Royal Plaza on the north end and Pope Avenue on the south end.
Coffee-shop cafés and bakeries for breakfast
A family-owned brunch cafe in the old Corner Perk space, with breakfast burritos, toasts and pastries and Corner Perk coffee.
A coffee counter and breakfast cafe in Coligny Plaza with omelets, bagels and pastries.
French pastries and breads from a pastry chef trained at Taillevent, at Shelter Cove Harbour.
A European café since 1998 with omelettes, crepes, French toast and quiche, pastries baked on site and a bar for mimosas. Opens at 7 (8 on Sunday).
A farm-to-table restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Reviewers order the chicken and waffles, the shrimp and grits and the sweet potato biscuits.
Made-to-order breakfast in a market and café at The Shops at Sea Pines Center. Reviewers order the French toast and the doughnuts made to order.
A small all-vegetarian cafe, one of the only exclusively vegetarian restaurants in Beaufort County.
New York-style bagels and breakfast sandwiches from a takeout shop with a pickup window in the Village at Wexford.
Brunch on Hilton Head Island
For a slower Sunday, these restaurants run brunch menus. Reservations help on weekends.
A small, family-run restaurant best known for its morning menu, with beignets and pancakes; people plan weekend brunch around it.
Donuts on Hilton Head
Breakfast prices and hours compared
Two eggs with sides cost $9.99 to $13.95 on Hilton Head, a stack of pancakes $7.50 to $13.95, eggs Benedict $12 to $14.99 (the French Bakery’s is $23.99) and a breakfast burrito $9.75 to $15. Palmetto Bay SunRise Cafe opens first, at 6 a.m., and Hilton Head Diner serves breakfast until 10 p.m.
| Place | Opens | Closed | Two eggs | Pancakes | Eggs Benedict | Breakfast burrito |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Diner | 7 a.m. | Open daily | $9.99 | $10.99 | $14.99 | – |
| Watusi Cafe | 7 a.m. | Open daily | $11.75 | $10.50 | $12 | $13.75 |
| Palmetto Bay SunRise Cafe | 6 a.m. | Mon., Tue. | $10.99 | $10.99 | $14.99 | $13.99 |
| Plantation Cafe & Deli (Pope Ave.) | 6:30 a.m. (7:30 Sun.) | Open daily | – | – | – | – |
| Southern Coney and Breakfast | 7 a.m. | Mon. | – | – | – | – |
| Gr8 Bites | 8 a.m. | Open daily | $13.95 | $13.95 | – | – |
| Gringo’s Diner | 8 a.m. | Open daily | – | $7.50 | – | $9.75 |
| Skillets Cafe & Grill | 7 a.m. | Open daily | – | $8 | $14.50 | $15 |
| Bad Biscuit | 8 a.m. | Open daily | – | – | $14 | – |
| Luci’s Cafe | 7 a.m. | Mon. | – | – | – | $13.45 |
| Carolina Coffee & Crumbs | 7 a.m. | Open daily | – | – | – | $12 |
| The French Bakery | 7 a.m. (8 Sun.) | Open daily | – | – | $23.99 | – |
Prices are from each restaurant’s own menu in October 2026, before tax and tip. A dash means the dish isn’t on that menu, or the menu online has no prices (Plantation Cafe and Southern Coney). Each card above links to the full menu.
Breakfast by area
Staying in Sea Pines? Harbour Town Bakery & Café is at the marina, and C’est Bon and Lowcountry Produce Market & Café are at the Sea Pines Center; Sea Pines restaurants lists the rest inside the gate. Near Coligny Beach, Gringo’s Diner, Skillets and Bad Biscuit are all in Coligny Plaza. Mid-island, The French Bakery and Hilton Head Social Bakery are at Shelter Cove, and Palmetto Dunes and Shipyard guests can check the Palmetto Dunes and Shipyard restaurant pages.
About this list
Breakfast on Hilton Head is a real meal. The island’s diners open early and serve pancakes all day, the cafés roast their own coffee, and a few marina and resort restaurants set out a full breakfast with a view. Many places close by 2 or 3 p.m., so breakfast here often runs straight into lunch.
The guide below sorts the best breakfast spots in Hilton Head by style: all-day diners, coffee-shop cafés and bakeries, and Sunday brunch. Every card gives the area, price range and phone number. If you mostly want coffee, see the coffee shops guide. For something lighter, the acai bowls and smoothies at Al’s Aloha Kitchen, delisheeyo and Healthy Habit make a good start to a beach day, and Watusi Cafe blends smoothies too.
More ways to choose where to eat
Lunch Hilton Head guide: waterfront seafood, quick counters, beach bars and golf-club lunches, with hours notes and phone numbers for each spot.
Coffee shops Hilton Head Island guide: local roasters, bakery cafés, gelato and coffee bars and a drive-thru at the bridge, with phone numbers.
Smoothies on Hilton Head Island: juice bars, acai bowl counters and cafés that blend smoothies, from Pope Avenue to Palmetto Bay Road, with phones.
Best dessert Hilton Head guide: pastries, ice cream, gelato, chocolate and fudge shops, donuts and restaurant desserts, with phone numbers.
Kid friendly restaurants Hilton Head Island: playgrounds, lawn games, kids menus, game rooms and early-bird dinners for a family vacation.
Every place on the island that serves breakfast in one list, with ratings, phone numbers and how to reserve.
Watch: Breakfast on Hilton Head: The Best Diners, Bakeries and Sunday Brunch
Breakfast on Hilton Head is a real meal: the island’s diners open early and serve pancakes all day, and many places close by 2 or 3 p.m., so breakfast runs straight into lunch. Near Coligny Beach, Watusi Cafe serves breakfast and lunch all day from 7 a.m., and Skillets, Bad Biscuit and Gringo’s Diner are in Coligny Plaza. Mid-island, Hilton Head Diner has been open more than 30 years, and Palmetto Bay SunRise Cafe has served breakfast all day at Palmetto Bay Marina for more than twenty, on a patio that welcomes dogs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Updated
What is the best breakfast on Hilton Head Island?
Watusi Cafe, Hilton Head Diner and Palmetto Bay SunRise Cafe are the ones reviewers and locals name most. Watusi and SunRise serve breakfast all day.
Where can I get breakfast near Coligny Beach?
Watusi Cafe, Gringo’s Diner, Carolina Coffee & Crumbs, Skillets Cafe & Grill and Bad Biscuit are all a short walk from Coligny Beach.
Which breakfast places open early?
Palmetto Bay SunRise Cafe opens at 6 a.m., Wednesday to Sunday, and Plantation Cafe & Deli at 6:30 (7:30 on Sunday). Hilton Head Diner, Watusi Cafe, Skillets, Origin Coffee Bar and Carolina Coffee & Crumbs open at 7, as does Luci’s Cafe except on Mondays, and the Seacrest Restaurant at Sonesta serves breakfast from 6:30.
Where can I have breakfast on the water on Hilton Head?
Palmetto Bay SunRise Cafe sits at Palmetto Bay Marina and opens at 6 a.m., Wednesday to Sunday. For Sunday brunch, Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks opens at 10 a.m. with a brunch menu until 2, and ELA’s on the Water is above the Shelter Cove marina.
How much does breakfast cost on Hilton Head?
At the island’s diners and cafés, two eggs with sides cost $9.99 to $13.95, a stack of pancakes $7.50 to $13.95 and eggs Benedict $12 to $14.99, before tax and tip. Gringo’s Diner has the lowest prices, and Hilton Head Diner the lowest two-egg plate.
Where can I have Sunday brunch on Hilton Head?
Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks, ELA’s on the Water, Chez Georges, Reilley’s Grill & Bar, Terrapin and Sea Grass Grille all run Sunday brunch menus.
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