Hilton Head recommendations?

[Pat H]

Marley's which is located right before the Sea Pines gate is great. Good food and decent portions. Don't order the early bird at Frankie Bones if you want any food. The portions were the smallest I have ever seen and the so called prime rib was nothing but fat.

I also like Skull Creek but be prepared for long waits. Mellow Mushroom has good but very expensive pizza. Way overpriced. Don't like Red Fish or Old Oyster Factory.

 

[SueDonJ]

Last, we shopped at the new Kroger at Shelter Cove last week - it's great for the staples but I thought their bakery, meats, deli and salad bars were subpar. Not up to the Piggly-Wiggly that closed or the Kroger at Belfair Shopping Plaza on 278 off the island, and most definitely not up to Fresh Market. Still, we saved a few dollars on the staples before heading to FS for the good stuff.

Does anybody recommend the Harris-Teeter at Main Street Village? We might try that next.

 

[SueDonJ]

On one of our trips we took Don's mom and a friend to Sea Grass Grille near the entrance to Palmetto Dunes. It was a few years ago but yelp still has it as a 3-1/2 star place. Here's what I wrote on TUG in Nov '11:

"We tried a new restaurant for us, the Sea Grass Grille on 278 just past the Palmetto Dunes entrance heading south. Excellent! I had an asiago-encrusted tilapia that was delicious, the others had salmon, mahi-mahi and a pasta/clams dish. They don't offer a choice of sides but I think they change them up every day. The night we were there the potato dish was a very light au gratin-type that tasted of gruyere, and the vegetables were mixed grilled asparagus, broccoli, carrots and snap peas. It's pretty inside - low lighting, different printed cloth tablecloths on every table, different oil lamps, comfy chairs. We liked it very much and will go back."

Been back a couple times since, still recommend it.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Sue;

GREAT PICS of the Owl…..

Glad you're having fun in Hilton Head….




.

 

[SueDonJ]

Sue;

GREAT PICS of the Owl…..

Glad you're having fun in Hilton Head….




.

We had fun but are back home this week, back to the snow and freezing cold up here in Boston. It wasn't great weather down there last week, either, with mostly gray skies and the ice storm that moved in, but it was warmer than here and the sun was out one day. The weather doesn't matter - Hilton Head relaxes me like no other place regardless of when we go.

The owl was very cool. We heard what we thought was a coyote following by hooting, worried a little bit about going further on the trail until we looked at the bird book and learned that the Barred Owl's call begins with what sounds like a dog. No worries after reading that, went on ahead to see him posing perfectly.

 

[BarbS]

Last, we shopped at the new Kroger at Shelter Cove last week - it's great for the staples but I thought their bakery, meats, deli and salad bars were subpar. Not up to the Piggly-Wiggly that closed or the Kroger at Belfair Shopping Plaza on 278 off the island, and most definitely not up to Fresh Market. Still, we saved a few dollars on the staples before heading to FS for the good stuff.

Does anybody recommend the Harris-Teeter at Main Street Village? We might try that next.

I've shopped at that Harris Teeter and it's fine; however, the Harris Teeter at 33 Office Park Road is much nicer. In fact, it's the nicest Harris Teeter I've ever been in.

There's supposed to be a Whole Foods moving into the old Piggly Wiggly site, but I don't know when it's going to be open.

 

[BarbS]

We like Kingfishers at Shelter Cove. I don't see it mentioned often and have spoken to some who didn't care for it, but we think it's excellent, especially if you're a fan of fried flounder like I am, always fresh not frozen, and also yummy mashed potatoes with bacon & cheddar cheese. Great view across the harbor, walking distance from Disney. And they run good specials - free entree when you buy 1 at greater or = value - in Jan and Feb. The HHI booklet they give out at the SC Welcome Center has a little coupon and those books are all around the island.

We were very disappointed at Sea Shack - it looked great when we walked in, but couldn't even eat everything they served.

We also like Bomboras Grill for a quick bowl of chili, and Market St Cafe has the very best key lime pie.

I have to agree that the Sea Shack was a surprising disappointment when we ate there last. We used to love it. I had a scallop and founder dinner. The scallops were fine, but the flounder was very thin and tasted fishy. We can get much better flounder at our local barbeque restaurant. We probably won't go back. I much prefer Roast Fish and Cornbread.

My personal favorite dish at Hilton Head is the grouper from Santa Fe Cafe.

 

[Wally3433]

If you want to cook some fresh seafood yourself...and/or you like fresh shrimp....go here to this local family owned store......http://bennyhudson.com/

 

[MULTIZ321]

We spent a couple hours last week at the Coastal Discovery Museum up near the bridge, lots of historical info in the museum and a short walk through the grounds. During the warmer months they have a pretty full activities calendar.

We also finally located the Stoney-Baynard Ruins in Sea Pines. That was interesting but the best part of the visit was seeing my first Barred Owl on one of the short trails.

** Special thanks go to TUGger MULTIZ321 - Richard's been very helpful directing us to many of our HHI tours.

Sue,

Thanks for the Pics. I know you were thrilled to get the owl pics. Glad you enjoyed your time at the Coastal Discovery Museum and the Stoney-Baynard Ruins in Sea Pines.

For a future trip another Hilton Head site I would recommend you visit is
Green's Shell Enclosure Heritage Preserve on Squire Pope Road


"An earthen and oyster shell ground feature of late prehistory, during the Mississippian Period (Irene Phase C. 1300 AD), marks the fortified wall of an Indian Village. It is the only feature of this type known to exist in South Carolina. Contact Information: 803-734-3753. Admission: Free; Days and Hours of Operation - Daylight to Dusk; Latitude:32.221, Longitude -80.759

Hiking Trail - Green's Shell Enclosure, Department of Natural Resources Heritage Preserve Description: From the Parking area (me:walk past the buildings on your left and the playground on your right) you will walk on a road to this short, easy trail, which will take you into the past. You will pass a cemetery (me: go through a gate on your left) and cross over a ramp to an overlook at the end of the trail (me: great view of Skull Creek). Green's Shell Enclosure is a low earthen embankment, two to six feet high, that dates back to the Irene Period of 1300 to 1450 A.D. Covering two acres, this embankment was once a fortified village built by farmers who used shells for everything from tools to objects used for religious rituals. Stay on the trail and do not remove anything from this preserve. Insect repellent is recommended during the warm months. Length: 0.1 mile. Directions: On Hilton Head Island from the intersection of US 278 and Squire Pope Road, drive north and turn left into Green's Park. Pass the office on the left and the entrance to the preserve is on the left at the gate. Go around the gate and walk on the road past the cemetery to the entrance ramp.

www.sctrails.net/Trails/ALLTRAILS/Interpretive/GreensShellEncHP.html


Enjoy.

Richard

 

[Calcio]

I've shopped at that Harris Teeter and it's fine; however, the Harris Teeter at 33 Office Park Road is much nicer. In fact, it's the nicest Harris Teeter I've ever been in.

There's supposed to be a Whole Foods moving into the old Piggly Wiggly site, but I don't know when it's going to be open.

Second on the Harris Teeter on Office Park Road. Whole Foods would be awesome.

 

[jjluhman]

We were at Surfwatch last week (not happy to be back in MD with snow today) and we really enjoyed this food tour:

http://hiltonheadislandfoodtours.com/

or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SavortheLowcountry

Alice was a great guide, and she provided island history during the tour as well as a TON of food. We enjoyed every restaurant that we visited and will definitely go back to them for a meal next time we visit HHI. Don't eat lunch and expect to only have a light snack later that night for dinner!

 

[mbeach89]

What a terrific resort! It's hard to believe this is our last night here, the week went much too fast! We checked out The Smokehouse Restaurant....twice! Very good smoked ribs/ pulled pork. The brisket and chicken were average. We ate at Big Bamboo last night at Coligny Plaza,. I wish we had discovered Coligny earlier in the week. A very fun atmosphere.

Incredibly, I could not talk my 10 and 13 year olds into biking the trails. I am not a bike rider, and I loved it! The cost to rent a bike here at the Marriott is $10/day or $30/week. The trails through Sea Pines should not be missed. The second day, I biked from Grande Ocean to Marriott's Barony Beach and got a tour of the place. A couple things I liked about Barony, was the kid's pool in the Gardenview area, and that the Marketplace is open 24/7, and the pool bar/grill open until 9:00. The pool bar here at MGO closes at 4:00....Wednesday it wasn't open at all!?!?

As big as this place is, it never seemed crowded. No issues with pool chairs.

Our home resort is Oceanwatch in Myrtle Beach. We love MOW, but the villas here seem much bigger. We like the full separate laundry room in the villa and the bigger kitchen area. I also much prefer the parking under the villas and the outside parking near our building. I absolutely hate the parking garage in Myrtle Beach.

I also biked to Marriott Surfwatch, which I really didn't care for (compared to MOW and MGO. So far from the beach.

If you haven't been to HHI I recommend it, it's gorgeous here.

Oh! And HHI is a much easier drive from West Central Ohio I-75 S, than to Myrtle Beach Route 35 SE through WV.

We are already planning a return visit in 2016 if we can get the trade!

 

[jme]

What a terrific resort! It's hard to believe this is our last night here, the week went much too fast! We checked out The Smokehouse Restaurant....twice! Very good smoked ribs/ pulled pork. The brisket and chicken were average. We ate at Big Bamboo last night at Coligny Plaza,. I wish we had discovered Coligny earlier in the week. A very fun atmosphere.

Incredibly, I could not talk my 10 and 13 year olds into biking the trails. I am not a bike rider, and I loved it! The cost to rent a bike here at the Marriott is $10/day or $30/week. The trails through Sea Pines should not be missed. The second day, I biked from Grande Ocean to Marriott's Barony Beach and got a tour of the place. A couple things I liked about Barony, was the kid's pool in the Gardenview area, and that the Marketplace is open 24/7, and the pool bar/grill open until 9:00. The pool bar here at MGO closes at 4:00....Wednesday it wasn't open at all!?!?

As big as this place is, it never seemed crowded. No issues with pool chairs.

Our home resort is Oceanwatch in Myrtle Beach. We love MOW, but the villas here seem much bigger. We like the full separate laundry room in the villa and the bigger kitchen area. I also much prefer the parking under the villas and the outside parking near our building. I absolutely hate the parking garage in Myrtle Beach.

I also biked to Marriott Surfwatch, which I really didn't care for (compared to MOW and MGO. So far from the beach.

If you haven't been to HHI I recommend it, it's gorgeous here.

Oh! And HHI is a much easier drive from West Central Ohio I-75 S, than to Myrtle Beach Route 35 SE through WV.

We are already planning a return visit in 2016 if we can get the trade!

Ahhhh.....a newly enlightened soul.

Welcome to the club......so glad you enjoyed it. The reason GO's villas seem bigger is because they ARE bigger. They're also bigger than Barony's, which are bigger than Surfwatch's, which are bigger than OceanWatch's.

GO's resort layout is such that there's a ton of open space. Perhaps pure luck, because it was Marriott's first timeshare endeavor of the "Big Three" at HH, and they happened to purchase the land where the old William Hilton Inn was located to construct GO. I stayed there at WHI with my parents and siblings when I was a teenager. (The concrete dolphin at GO, alongside the walkway just outside the Dolphin Grille, was on site at the WHI way back then....I played on it then, and my own kids also played on it....pretty cool.)

GO is a large piece of property, and subsequently the other two, Barony and Surfwatch, had smaller plots, but they bought them anyway because beachfront property is virtually priceless at HH. Had to have them.
"Build it, people will come."

Anyway, HH will continue to grow on you.......so many reasons it's great.

GO, Barony, and Surfwatch are all fantastic resorts, and all distinctly different, but that's a good thing. We own two, but stay at all three during the course of a year. Can't get enough.

Hope to see you there someday, safe travels home.

 

[chunkygal]

Very disappointed to see this online, as I was going to add EAT! to the list: Robert Irvine's eat! - CLOSED

http://www.islandpacket.com/2013/12/30/2871035/celebrity-chef-robert-irvines.html

I ate there as husband a foodie - you didn't miss much. I did like the artesian vinegar place nearby. Even he agreed not up to hype

 

[jont]

What a terrific resort! It's hard to believe this is our last night here, the week went much too fast! We checked out The Smokehouse Restaurant....twice! Very good smoked ribs/ pulled pork. The brisket and chicken were average. We ate at Big Bamboo last night at Coligny Plaza,. I wish we had discovered Coligny earlier in the week. A very fun atmosphere.

Incredibly, I could not talk my 10 and 13 year olds into biking the trails. I am not a bike rider, and I loved it! The cost to rent a bike here at the Marriott is $10/day or $30/week. The trails through Sea Pines should not be missed. The second day, I biked from Grande Ocean to Marriott's Barony Beach and got a tour of the place. A couple things I liked about Barony, was the kid's pool in the Gardenview area, and that the Marketplace is open 24/7, and the pool bar/grill open until 9:00. The pool bar here at MGO closes at 4:00....Wednesday it wasn't open at all!?!?

As big as this place is, it never seemed crowded. No issues with pool chairs.

Our home resort is Oceanwatch in Myrtle Beach. We love MOW, but the villas here seem much bigger. We like the full separate laundry room in the villa and the bigger kitchen area. I also much prefer the parking under the villas and the outside parking near our building. I absolutely hate the parking garage in Myrtle Beach.

I also biked to Marriott Surfwatch, which I really didn't care for (compared to MOW and MGO. So far from the beach.

If you haven't been to HHI I recommend it, it's gorgeous here.

Oh! And HHI is a much easier drive from West Central Ohio I-75 S, than to Myrtle Beach Route 35 SE through WV.

We are already planning a return visit in 2016 if we can get the trade!

We also own at Ocean Watch, bought there in 06 but since then my family and I have grown very fond of HHI. We now wish we would have bought there also. Despite not owning there, we try to get there a least once a year, anyway we can. Will be going there later this summer. Can't wait!

 

[Lisa8192]

Excited my trade went through for Marriott Grande Ocean week 25, and now the planning begins.

Any TUGGers have recommendations for my family to check out on HHI this summer?

My wife and I are in our 40's, 3 kids ages 13, 10, and 7. My wife likes to just chill out, drink and read. I like to sight see.

Also, any recommendations for groceries?

Thanks, Mark

We just got back from a week at Barony. We rented Kayak's and had a blast. Lots of dolphins swimming around us. Also, found a GREAT new restaurant! Called Chow Daddy's. Food was absolutely delicious. Everything fresh, farm to table when available.

 

[jme]

We just got back from a week at Barony. We rented Kayak's and had a blast. Lots of dolphins swimming around us. Also, found a GREAT new restaurant! Called Chow Daddy's. Food was absolutely delicious. Everything fresh, farm to table when available.

Not (yet) familiar with it, but I looked it up on urbanspoon, yelp, & tripadvisor and it looks really good. I'll be headed straight there as soon as I get back.....a week coming up in early August and perhaps a weekend before that, so I'll let you know. appreciate the recommendation.

 

[Laurie]

I had Kingfisher's in, but then decided to leave it out....it's hit or miss with Kingfisher's, and because of the inconsistency of late, I didn't want anyone mad at me. It is a great place if you happen to hit a good night, tho, so keep it in mind. I may still add it, not convinced yet. too many other consistently good places, and that's important. Good point, tho, thanks. If I get some good feedback in near future, I'll add it back in the mix.

jme, update: best to leave it out! Our last meal there was not very good, so we didn't bother to use the second 2-for-1 coupon we had. I was surprised how the same menu item could be so different on a different night. Oh well.

 

[Superchief]

Hilton Head Labor Day Week

I'm considering trying to trade into HH next year for Labor Day week. Is this a good time to visit the island?

 

[Lisa8192]

Not (yet) familiar with it, but I looked it up on urbanspoon, yelp, & tripadvisor and it looks really good. I'll be headed straight there as soon as I get back.....a week coming up in early August and perhaps a weekend before that, so I'll let you know. appreciate the recommendation.

Let me know what you think! The pork tacos were amazing, as well as the fish bowl. We really enjoyed the place...Great, fresh cocktails too! I don't think a lot of people know about it yet. The owners also own Truffles, which I've never been.

 

[jme]

Let me know what you think! The pork tacos were amazing, as well as the fish bowl. We really enjoyed the place...Great, fresh cocktails too! I don't think a lot of people know about it yet. The owners also own Truffles, which I've never been.

yum

photos of their items from Urbanspoon:
http://www.urbanspoon.com/rph/164/1834850/hilton-head-island-chow-daddy-restaurant-photos

menu:
http://www.chowdaddys.com/menu.htm

and Lisa, if you've never been to Truffles, it's awesome....one of our favorite spots, and always consistently good.



.

 

[Pat H]

I'm considering trying to trade into HH next year for Labor Day week. Is this a good time to visit the island?

Great time of the year to visit. Crowds are smaller since a lot of the southern schools are already back in session. It will still be very warm so no problem going in the ocean.

 

[bogey21]

.......it was Marriott's first timeshare endeavor of the "Big Three" at HH......

What is this "Big Three" stuff? My favorite on HHI has always been Monarch and with the new Beach Club next door I like it even better.

George

 

[jme]

What is this "Big Three" stuff? My favorite on HHI has always been Monarch and with the new Beach Club next door I like it even better.

George

I totally hear what you're saying.

But it's not what you think.........it's not a statement of being "high and mighty", and shouldn't be interpreted that way......it's just a term of convenience, used by Marriott owners who distinguish them as uniquely special because of their similarities, and because they were part of the new Marriott timeshare revolution, so to speak, of the 1990s-2000s.

The "Big Three" resorts of SurfWatch, Barony, and Grande Ocean
were constructed (and sold pre-construction) by Marriott as the developer. They all exhibited the same "new timeshare resort concept" begun in the 90s, and all were built about the same time around the country.......resorts such as Newport Coast, Mountainside, OceanWatch, Timber Lodge, Grande Vista, Canyon Villas, Desert Springs, Cypress Harbour, Ocean Pointe, and many more.....

....and I would also include the latest/greatest generation of resorts like Lakeshore Reserve, Oceana Palms, Crystal Shores, and others----- and don't forget the newer Hawaii resorts. Some might call those
"The Great 8", or whatever......I'm OK with that.

All of the new concept resorts begun in the 90s have at their core pristine pools (including gorgeous indoor pools), under-building parking garages, MarketPlace Delis, modern grill areas all around, upscale reception areas and check-in desks, top-notch fitness centers, virtually 24/7guarded entrance gates, similar lush landscaping schemes, and a full range of amenities, etc, etc.

Monarch was not constructed by Marriott, but was renovated to become a timeshare property.

If Monarch is your favorite, that's great. It's a popular beachfront resort and has a lot of plusses. When finished soon, the adjacent Beach Club will be a very nice place to hang out, get food and play games, etc, and in that sense I do feel it will be an enhancement.

But will the influx of a huge percentage of Sea Pines residents and guests using the new beach access facility at the Beach Club be a detriment to the beautiful, quiet Monarch resort next door? That's the big question.

Will they slip in and use Monarch's pools? You can bet they will, somehow, as people have a way of abusing anything without any conscience or guilt.

The new Beach Club area is a designated PUBLIC beach access with it's own huge parking lot, and because of that it's overcrowded already. Is that a positive or negative? Yet to be seen, but I have a clue.

We all have preferences, likes, and dislikes. I picked my wife, and you picked yours. So, enjoy your week, wherever it is. Very few resorts at Hilton Head have a beachfront location as nice as Monarch's.

 

[jont]

I've always considered Monarch to be the "hidden gem" amongst the Marriott HHI resorts. Although I have yet to stay there, I've come close several times, I have visited the property on several occasions. Although some what outdated and smaller than the "big Three" it has a certain charm which I like. not to mention the incredible location. It is also my understanding that the units have also been recently updated to bring them in line with the others. As far as crowding as a result of the Beach Club Renovations I am not sure. I will be staying at Spicebush in a few weeks and will be able to judge the crowds first hand. However, having spent a lifetime on the Jersrey shore, I do suspect that Marty and I have a slightly different interpretation of a crowded beach.
Also, I promise not to sneak in and use the pool at Monarch.