Marty's HHI Restaurant Thread [Ongoing - Post #896 Update]

[AnnaS]

First post on TUG...Regular to HHI as my family has owned in Sea Pines for 25+ years. Rented often prior to owning their own condo. I am 10 year owner at the Harbour Club.

I just wanted to let ya'll know that The Smokehouse BBQ restaurant is closed for now due to a fire they had on Sunday June 6th. I was actually just entering onto the island from cross island parkway (Palmetto Bay Rd) and noticed the firetrucks but I think it was mostly contained as I couldn't see fire, smoke or the damage. It was reported later that night on the local news (Savannah) and during the week I noticed a sign on the building saying they were closed. Here is the link: https://www.smokehousehhi.com/

Doug

Welcome to TUG Doug.

Sad to hear about the fire.

We enjoy HH. Wish we could visit more often.

 

[pedro47]

Welcome to TUG Doug. Thanks for your update.
We also enjoyed visiting to HHI in April, October and November.

 

[tlwmkw]

Have tried the French Bakery at Shelter Cove 3 times now and have had bad service every time. Slow, rude, and then when they had run out of items we were told “you have to get here earlier if you want to get anything” in a very rude/angry tone! I guess as someone else mentioned they are trying to create a true “French” experience. I reciprocated on the French theme and didn’t leave a tip. We kept trying to give them a chance because others have not had the same experience but three strikes and they are out for us.
The food was ok but not so good that it was worth the hassle and grief of the servers.
Marty- you have been lucky with your visits there.

 

[amycurl]

Having just searched for this thread three times in the last two days, it isn't as easy to find as one would think. (We're headed down on a Hilton sales pitch for the few days surrounding my spouse's birthday on the 4th.) Mods, would you consider making this a sticky in either the Marriott forum, AND/OR in the Southeastern forum? To save me--and perhaps others- many, many minutes of searching and scrolling?

PS--Have a July 4th reservation through Open Table for the new Italian place Marty raved about, and am working on a FishCamp at Broad Creek reservation for tomorrow.

 

[jme]

Having just searched for this thread three times in the last two days, it isn't as easy to find as one would think. (We're headed down on a Hilton sales pitch for the few days surrounding my spouse's birthday on the 4th.) Mods, would you consider making this a sticky in either the Marriott forum, AND/OR in the Southeastern forum? To save me--and perhaps others- many, many minutes of searching and scrolling?

PS--Have a July 4th reservation through Open Table for the new Italian place Marty raved about, and am working on a FishCamp at Broad Creek reservation for tomorrow.

Two excellent choices!!!!!...in fact, on our recent stays in June (3 weeks) we went to Gusto 3 times and Fishcamp 3 times,
dining inside both times. (It'll be too hot for outside dining, so please specify in your reservations.)

To find the thread, you could copy the thread URL into your email (send yourself an email, then do a search by title),
or drag the highlighted URL onto your laptop screen (get the thread, then page 7 and scroll). Appreciate the support!!!

That's what I do, to save going down each Marriott page 1-4 or 5 when it slips from inactivity.

 

[amycurl]

Oooh, thanks for the head's up about specifying that in the reservations--they didn't ask, so I didn't know. I will call Fish Camp and make that clear. I should be able to note it in the Open Table reservation for Gusto.
Yeah--I thought it was hot and muggy in NoLa in June, LOL. This is the first time we've ever been here in mid-summer--it'll be an experience, and there's a reason we're only doing a couple of days.

 

[Dean]

Two excellent choices!!!!!...in fact, on our recent stays in June (3 weeks) we went to Gusto 3 times and Fishcamp 3 times,
dining inside both times. (It'll be too hot for outside dining, so please specify in your reservations.)

To find the thread, you could copy the thread URL into your email (send yourself an email, then do a search by title),
or drag the highlighted URL onto your laptop screen (get the thread, then page 7 and scroll). Appreciate the support!!!

That's what I do, to save going down each Marriott page 1-4 or 5 when it slips from inactivity.

Marty, your current thoughts on Redfish. The Concierge at MGO suggested it might have slipped a bit the last couple of years.

 

[jme]

Marty, your current thoughts on Redfish. The Concierge at MGO suggested it might have slipped a bit the last couple of years.

Dean, we dined at Redfish in April with three other couples, and it was very good. Had not been there
for 6 months at that time, but it was just as good on that previous occasion, too.
That isn't much to go on, I know, so I need to try it a couple more times before coming to any hard and fast conclusions.
It was crowded when we were there, so I'd have to give SOME credit to the folks who keep going.
I know it has a loyal local following.
I'll have to talk to the concierge---they must have a reason for their statement, so I can't discount that either.
If you liked Redfish previously, though, I'd have no problem trying it again. Frankly we've been stuck on several
other spots recently, hence our relative inactivity at Redfish.

All that said, if you've never been to Sage Room, it's the place you need to try first. It's excellent, and that goes for CQ's too.
Both wonderful food and great service, consistently so, and I can vouch for those. We've dined at both a good bit
over the past 6 months. At least 4 times at Sage Room and maybe 5-6 times at CQ's. Since January we've been to HH
eight different weeks.
I'm only there for 3-4 nights each time, though, but we dine out all of those nights.
(Wife is there with girlfriends, etc. before I arrive if that sounded strange. She has a group of 10-12 friends
who rotate going whenever they can slip away. They dine out some.)

Gusto is new but also quite good, a solid favorite now, and Crane's Tavern too....all on our current hot list.
Of course Santa Fe is always a given on our first night at Hilton Head anytime, now and forever....love that place.
We make reservations, naturally, but when we walk in, the owner takes us to our favorite table, no words necessary,
and he always holds it open for us.

In addition, Ombra remains one of the best restaurants on the island, top 5 for sure.
Basically all my top 5 are equal, just different, so it's difficult to rank them.
Might even have a top 7 or 8 that are in the same mix, if someone were to press me.
May River Grill is another place worthy of a trip over to Bluffton.....only takes 10 extra minutes to get to Bluffton,
and it's great, and fun too. Very nice variety of selections, and they do a fantastic job. Sea Grass Grille is another sleeper.

If you do stick with Redfish, let me know about it. The others I mentioned are consistently top notch, though,
and we've been to all of them recently.

 

[Dean]

Dean, we dined at Redfish in April with three other couples, and it was very good. Had not been there
for 6 months at that time, but it was just as good on that previous occasion, too.
That isn't much to go on, I know, so I need to try it a couple more times before coming to any hard and fast conclusions.
It was crowded when we were there, so I'd have to give SOME credit to the folks who keep going.
I know it has a loyal local following.
I'll have to talk to the concierge---they must have a reason for their statement, so I can't discount that either.
If you liked Redfish previously, though, I'd have no problem trying it again. Frankly we've been stuck on several
other spots recently, hence our relative inactivity at Redfish.

All that said, if you've never been to Sage Room, it's the place you need to try first. It's excellent, and that goes for CQ's too.
Both wonderful food and great service, consistently so, and I can vouch for those. We've dined at both a good bit
over the past 6 months. At least 4 times at Sage Room and maybe 5-6 times at CQ's. Since January we've been to HH
eight different weeks.
I'm only there for 3-4 nights each time, though, but we dine out all of those nights.
(Wife is there with girlfriends, etc. before I arrive if that sounded strange. She has a group of 10-12 friends
who rotate going whenever they can slip away. They dine out some.)

Gusto is new but also quite good, a solid favorite now, and Crane's Tavern too....all on our current hot list.
Of course Santa Fe is always a given on our first night at Hilton Head anytime, now and forever....love that place.
We make reservations, naturally, but when we walk in, the owner takes us to our favorite table, no words necessary,
and he always holds it open for us.

In addition, Ombra remains one of the best restaurants on the island, top 5 for sure.
Basically all my top 5 are equal, just different, so it's difficult to rank them.
Might even have a top 7 or 8 that are in the same mix, if someone were to press me.
May River Grill is another place worthy of a trip over to Bluffton.....only takes 10 extra minutes to get to Bluffton,
and it's great, and fun too. Very nice variety of selections, and they do a fantastic job. Sea Grass Grille is another sleeper.

If you do stick with Redfish, let me know about it. The others I mentioned are consistently top notch, though,
and we've been to all of them recently.

Thanks for the information and thoughtful post, it is much appreciated. My daughter was going to go there for date night when on the island and Kim and I were thinking possibly the same. I'll let you know if we go as well as how Dockside does with 58 for so people. We wanted to try something new over Crazy Crab.

 

[SueDonJ]

This is off-island but does anyone have any experience/opinions of The Bluffton Room?

We're looking for a high-end steak house for a special occasion. This appears to be "it" but I'd like to hear what you think if you or someone you know has been. Thanks!

 

[Fasttr]

Dined at Nunzio Restaurant this evening. It’s a new Italian restaurant which opened in June. The owner is one of the founding Chef/Owners of Ombra. It’s located on New Orleans Rd, a couple buildings down from Charlie’s. Dinner was delicious, the service was great and the restaurant itself is very welcoming and nicely decorated. Check it out.

 

[jme]

Dined at Nunzio Restaurant this evening. It’s a new Italian restaurant which opened in June. The owner is one of the founding Chef/Owners of Ombra. It’s located on New Orleans Rd, a couple buildings down from Charlie’s. Dinner was delicious, the service was great and the restaurant itself is very welcoming and nicely decorated. Check it out.

Thanks.....it looks very nice from the street, and menu looks good, but haven't had a chance to dine there yet.
It'll be January for us, so I'm looking forward to it.
Appreciate the info, sounds like it's going to be a good one (we hope---always great to have lots of choices).

 

[MOXJO7282]

During our last trip we really enjoyed "tacos and tequila Thursdays" at Aunt Chilada's Easy Street Cafe. They had a number of 50% off tacos so $2.50-$3, that were really well prepared and tasty and the $3 margarita was surprisingly good as well.

Heading back to HHI next Saturday so this is a definite for us.

 

[Big Matt]

I ate dinner at Coast and my entree was so bad the server had the manager come over without me asking about it. Not sure why she served it at all. He was very embarrassed about it and offered something else, dessert, etc. It was a simple chicken dish. I'll probably give it another try because the atmosphere was great.

 

[jme]

I ate dinner at Coast and my entree was so bad the server had the manager come over without me asking about it. Not sure why she served it at all. He was very embarrassed about it and offered something else, dessert, etc. It was a simple chicken dish. I'll probably give it another try because the atmosphere was great.

Yikes......We had a similar experience at Coast back in February....two soups that were not only inedible but rancid and extremely offensive.
Prior to ordering, the waiter said they "had the best seafood chowder on the island". Absolutely not!!!!! It was horrible.
The view and decor are quite nice, but the food is not good at all, and the menu wanting, and we will never ever go back.
I haven't had a chance to alter my views on my "HH list" (hate to bother Susan to make the change)
but I will as soon as I can.
Funny but they offered a free meal "next time"...I laughed. Meanwhile, Coast is off-limits as far as I'm concerned.
Quite tragic since the location is so beautiful.
Pressure will certainly come to bear if they plan on staying open, as these things don't fly very long in a destination as upscale
as Hilton Head, where the competition is so fierce.

That is the only really bad change I could note on my list, so there are no more caveats to speak of.
The restaurant business can turn at any time, so a "restaurant list" is somewhat of a risk that I accept with the undertaking,
but I still feel it is a worthy and worthwhile endeavor, so I will keep up the good fight.

Truly there are so many both good restaurants and superb restaurants on Hilton Head that I am most proud to recommend them,
but every once in a while "something happens". It's inexplicable, but it can happen.
Nevertheless, Bon Appetit.

 

[Steve A]

 

[MOXJO7282]

That is too bad. We had a few good meals here. I hope the owners did what makes them happy.

 

[SueDonJ]

This is off-island but does anyone have any experience/opinions of The Bluffton Room?

We're looking for a high-end steak house for a special occasion. This appears to be "it" but I'd like to hear what you think if you or someone you know has been. Thanks!

Follow-up: I didn't join them but the overall take-away from the five who went to The Bluffton Room is, the setting and ambience are well worth the higher prices, the food is very good and creatively prepared, but the beef selections were a disappointment. They said all of the meals including the beef were very good but for those prices you should be able to expect Prime grades of beef and what they were served was more likely Choice. This group is happy dining out anywhere from Mickey D's to the best restaurants in Boston as long as they're served what's expected, so I'd not recommend this place to anyone without being clear about expectations.

Still looking for higher-end recommendations in the area ...

 

[jme]

Susan, I'm headed to HH this Thursday for a long weekend (wife is already there for two weeks, with a girlfriend this week)
so I'm going to see if I can ask around to locals to see what might help you.
Surely there's a go-to steak spot that would meet your expectations.
I may even ask a couple of chefs. How many in your party?

Also I'm looking to try a couple of new places over the next two weekends, as well as visit a couple of my favorites.
We've got reservations at Nunzio soon so I'm REALLY interested in that one.
So far I've heard great things but I want to test the waters myself...it'll be our first time....Can't wait.

 

[Dean]

Susan, I'm headed to HH this Thursday for a long weekend (wife is already there for two weeks, with a girlfriend this week)
so I'm going to see if I can ask around to locals to see what might help you.
Surely there's a go-to steak spot that would meet your expectations.
I may even ask a couple of chefs. How many in your party?

Also I'm looking to try a couple of new places over the next two weekends, as well as visit a couple of my favorites.
We've got reservations at Nunzio soon so I'm REALLY interested in that one.
So far I've heard great things but I want to test the waters myself...it'll be our first time....Can't wait.

I'd think Wiseguys would be a good choice for higher end steak.

 

[jme]

I'd think Wiseguys would be a good choice for higher end steak.

Definitely one of the best for sure, and one of the contenders for "best around the HH-Bluffton area"....
it's very, very good, but "great" I'm not entirely sure yet....
I just want Susan's expectations to be met...and I'm not positive that HH has that kind of "exceptional" steak house
that she's looking for, or that I'm looking for.
NYC does, Boston does, Atlanta does, Chicago does, etc, and usually most cities do, but I'll seek
a professional opinion from the HH chefs....

Vine might also be a good choice----CQ's, Sage Room, The Studio, Crane's Tavern all are on my short list, but again,
not positive yet as to "the best"....all are very, very good.
Not a steak place, per se, but my personal favorite steak on the island is Santa Fe's Cowboy bone-in ribeye.

 

[Dean]

Definitely one of the contenders at HH....very, very good, but "great" I'm not entirely sure yet....
I just want Susan's expectations to be met...and I'm not positive that HH has that kind of "exceptional" steak house.
NYC does, Boston does, and usually most cities do, but I'll seek a professional opinion from the HH chefs....

Vine might also be a good choice----CQ's, Sage Room, The Studio, Crane's Tavern all are on my short list, but again,
not positive yet as to "the best"....all are very, very good. Not a steak place, per se, but my personal favorite steak on the island
is Santa Fe's Cowboy bone-in ribeye.

My favorite years ago was Fitzgerald's, unfortunately it's long since gone.

 

[jme]

My favorite years ago was Fitzgerald's, unfortunately it's long since gone.

Dean, I absolutely miss that place too....great for steaks and lobster tails too! Wow.
Great atmosphere too. .......Was VERY sad when it closed.
Good call!
And, right next door to Grande Ocean!

 

[Steve A]

Really liked the steak at Sage.

 

[jme]

Really liked the steak at Sage.

EVERYTHING there is superb. The tuna is outstanding.
One of the very best spots on the island, and a hidden gem, mostly locals.
Everyone there is a regular! Small, intimate, cozy, almost club-like....love it.
Table 31 (a 4-top).
Shhhhhhhhhh