Soul Food on Hilton Head Island
Fried chicken, oxtails over rice, collards, mac and cheese and cornbread, cooked the way Sea Islands families have for generations.
Soul food restaurants
Southern and Gullah-inspired soul food in a wood-paneled room with live blues, jazz and soul. Fried chicken, oxtails over rice and crab balls are the dishes people name most. Ruby Lee's is Black-owned: Tim Singleton started it with his mother, Deborah Goban, and named it for his grandmother.
A plain, friendly soul food kitchen known for oxtails and fried chicken, with seafood mac and cheese, fried pork chops, collards and cornbread. Eat in, take out, delivery or catering.
A family-owned dinner restaurant opened in 2026 by a Hilton Head native, where every dish is named for a relative: Aunt Judy's fried chicken, Aunt Hattie's seafood rice, short ribs and stewed okra and tomatoes. Live music; book online.
Southern comfort food
Mama's fried chicken, calabash-style shrimp and oysters, tomato pie, collards and biscuits in an easy, unfussy room.
Lowcountry and Gullah home cooking on a backyard patio: shrimp and grits, red rice, fried green tomatoes and seafood boils.
Southern comfort food with ocean views at the Beach House hotel, open daily from breakfast to late evening.
About this list
Soul food on Hilton Head means fried chicken, oxtails over rice, collard greens, mac and cheese and cornbread, cooked the way families on the Sea Islands have cooked for generations. Soul food grew out of African American Southern home cooking, and here it carries the influence of the Gullah Geechee people, whose rice, okra and seafood dishes run through Lowcountry kitchens.
These are the restaurants that cook soul food on Hilton Head Island, followed by Southern comfort kitchens with plenty of the same dishes. For the dishes of the coast, see low country food, and for the history behind them, Gullah Geechee culture on Hilton Head.
More ways to choose where to eat
Low country food on Hilton Head: shrimp and grits, Lowcountry boil, she-crab soup, red rice, oysters and Gullah cooking, and where to eat each one.
Fried chicken on Hilton Head Island: Southern and soul food dinners, lunch takeaway and chicken and waffles, with hours and phone numbers.
Gullah Geechee culture on Hilton Head: who the Gullah people are, their language and food, the Gullah Museum, Mitchelville, and Gullah heritage tours.
The best restaurants in Hilton Head Island: a top 10 by guest rating, then every restaurant by dinner, lunch and breakfast, with phone and reservation links.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get soul food on Hilton Head Island?
Ruby Lee's on Old Wild Horse Road, Mama Joy's Kitchen on Palmetto Bay Road and Good Soul Southern Kitchen on Marshland Road are the island's soul food restaurants.
Where can I get oxtails on Hilton Head?
Oxtails are a signature at both Ruby Lee's, where they come over rice, and Mama Joy's Kitchen.
Is there soul food with live music on Hilton Head?
Yes. Ruby Lee's has live blues, jazz and soul Monday to Saturday, and Good Soul Southern Kitchen also has live music.
Is Ruby Lee's Black-owned?
Yes. Tim Singleton started Ruby Lee's with his mother, Deborah Goban, and named it for his late grandmother, whose cooking inspired the menu.
Local guides like this come standard for Guests of Partner Properties — one small part of what a Partner Property gives every guest.
Book Partner Properties