Where Do the Locals Eat in Hilton Head?
Locals send you to The Sea Shack for seafood, Up the Creek for the Creek burger and Harold’s Diner, cash only, for breakfast.
Seafood locals recommend
Counter-service seafood off Pope Avenue: fried, grilled or blackened, on paper plates, with a line in summer. Locals have eaten here for decades.
One of the island's oldest seafood restaurants, on the water at Skull Creek.
A cottage French bistro with a daily handwritten menu built around the day's fish.
Casual local hangouts
A loud, family-friendly barbecue place with a shaded patio, known for wings, brisket and ribs.
A small taproom that calls itself the island's first brewery, with a shady patio.
Breakfast locals swear by
About this list
Ask people who live here where they eat and the answers are rarely the biggest names on the water. They are counter-service seafood, a cash-only diner, a barbecue patio and a French bistro that has been full for years. These are the hidden gem restaurants island residents send visitors to first.
The list below is grouped by what you are in the mood for. If you want more, the full restaurant directory covers every venue with its own page.
More ways to choose where to eat
The best Hilton Head restaurants: a top 10 by guest rating, then every restaurant by dinner, lunch and breakfast, with phone and reservation links.
Hilton Head Island seafood restaurants by setting: creekside docks, casual baskets, special-occasion dinners and Sea Pines, with phone numbers.
Breakfast Hilton Head guide: diners, cafés and Sunday brunch, with menu prices, opening hours and our pick for each kind of morning.
Dog friendly restaurants Hilton Head Island: patios, decks and breweries that welcome pets, with what each serves. Call ahead, since policies change.
Hilton Head Island dining: where to eat by meal, cuisine and area, from Sea Pines and Coligny to Shelter Cove, plus private chefs and catering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Updated
Where do the locals eat in Hilton Head?
Island residents point to the Sea Shack and Hudson's for seafood, Charlie's L'Etoile Verte for a special night, One Hot Mama's for barbecue and Harold's Diner for breakfast.
Where do locals eat seafood in Hilton Head?
The Sea Shack, Hudson's Seafood House on the Docks and A Lowcountry Backyard come up most. Charlie's L'Etoile Verte writes its menu daily around the fresh catch.
What are the best local restaurants for breakfast?
Harold's Diner, Hilton Head Diner and Sea Grass Grille are the breakfast favorites on this list.
Are these restaurants touristy?
They are the places residents recommend to friends and family, and most are casual counter-service or neighborhood spots rather than resort restaurants.
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