7 restaurants to eat like a local in Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head and Port Royal

Once a tourist decides to visit Beaufort County, this question is sure to follow: Where are we going to eat? (I mean, it’s a popular question at my house, and we aren’t even tourists.)

While we do have a fair number of chain restaurants in Beaufort, Port Royal, Bluffton and Hilton Head, it can be fun to stretch a bit and try some local establishments for a change, especially if you have out-of-town guests. The excellent choices are abundant: seafood, steaks, burgers, burritos, pasta, the list could go on.

Reporters at our sister paper, The Charlotte Observer, put together a beach vacation guide for the Carolinas that includes picks for best beaches and restaurants along the coast. They asked us at The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette about our favorite places to take out-of-town guests. We thought our readers would like to see the ones we chose.

These are opinions, and yours may vary. Our selections were not based on anything other than personal preference.

Beaufort

Restaurant: Plums Restaurant

Location: 904 Bay St, Beaufort, SC 29902

Writer: Karl Puckett, reporter

The riverfront kitchen and oyster bar in downtown Beaufort combines coastal cuisine with classic fare in a casual atmosphere. In February, CBS “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert — who grew up in Charleston — was spotted at the waterfront bistro. When I was there, I wanted to sit outside on the patio to watch the boats on the Beaufort River and the people walking past on the waterfront. It was 92 degrees. A nice day to sit in the shade. But this place was busy and the patio was full. A good sign. I was seated inside and got a view of the river anyway. A cup of Lowcountry Gumbo, a house specialty with chicken, Andouille sausage, Tasso, peppers, okra and tomatoes started off lunch. Should have ordered a bowl. It was creamy with big chunks of meat. The main dish: Flounder po’boy. A large slab of fish arrived on a French baguette with lettuce, tomatoes and remoulade sauce. It was lightly breaded and crispy on the outside. Inside, it was white and flaky. The tomatoes added a sweetness. Great food and atmosphere. Got the food quicker than I would have expected considering how busy it was. Friendly waitress. Affordable: The flounder, $12.95, and gumbo, $6.95.

Bluffton

Restaurant: Amigo’s Cafe Y Cantina

Location: 133 Belfair Towne Vlg, Bluffton, SC 29910

Writer: Drew Martin, senior videographer

My first visit to Amigo’s Cafe Y Cantina was with work colleagues 14 years ago. The menu is expansive, so friends talked me into a flour-wrapped carnita burrito. It was the size of a tanker truck filled with pinto beans (you can get black beans if you prefer), rice, cheese, guacamole and cilantro and the most tender and mouth-watering pork I’ve ever had. What flies out of the kitchen — and what my boyfriend always orders — is another behemoth of a meal, the BBQ chicken salad that arrives inside an edible, crispy flour tortilla shell. I’ve switched now to something I can finish, carnita tacos. Two soft tortillas layered with the same delicious shredded pork, cilantro, pinto beans and onions. My favorite side is chips and salsa. If you like heat, opt for the homemade ‘Experimental’ salsa. It’s an experience all in itself.

Restaurant: The Pearl Kitchen and Bar

Location: 55 Calhoun St, Bluffton, SC 29910

Writer: Sofia Sanchez, reporter

Those who are like me and take the “fish are friends, not food” advice from Disney’s “Finding Nemo” seriously will no longer have to order a boring burger at a nice seafood restaurant. At The Pearl, located in Old Town Bluffton, your dining companions can order seafood dishes to their heart’s content. The best part? There doesn’t have to be a burger in sight! The menu has changed since I first conned my older sister and her boyfriend to bring me there to celebrate my move to South Carolina last April, but the quality has remained the same. I would highly recommend the kimchi lettuce wraps or fried green tomatoes as an appetizer. Most recently, I went there with my mother. I ordered the Cornish game hen dish, and she got the shrimp and grits.

Restaurant: River Road Cafe

Location: 70 Pennington Dr Ste. 20, Bluffton, SC 29910

Writer: Lisa Wilson, senior reporter

I grew up in South Louisiana, and my husband grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The po’boys at River Road Cafe definitely make us feel like we are back at home. River Road gets its French bread directly from a New Orleans bakery, so it doesn’t get more authentic than that. And, if you enjoy po’boys, you know the bread is key: It isn’t squishy like a sub roll, but isn’t hard to eat either. It’s a combination of a crisp exterior and a tender inside that is just right to support the sandwich’s fillings. We usually opt for the hot ham and cheese po’boy for me and the cheeseburger po’boy for my husband. I wouldn’t hesitate if someone offered me a fried shrimp po’boy, either. (The sandwiches are big enough to share, but then we’d have to agree on which one to order.) If you manage to save room for dessert, the homemade pecan pie served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is 10/10. Po’boys are on the weekday lunch menu only, but I don’t think you’ll have trouble finding a wonderful alternative if you stop by on the weekend for brunch.

Hilton Head Island

Restaurant: Harbourside

Location: 147 Lighthouse Rd, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

Writer: Sarah Claire McDonald, reporter

Located within the Sea Pines community, Harbourside provides a combination of American cuisine and “steamer” favorites wrapped up in a Lowcountry marina atmosphere. The restaurant is on the water in Harbour Town, with an extensive menu for a little “joint.” It offers a variety of local seafood as well as a number of other delicious “turf” options, and the staff is always quick to help, even if you have to wait for a table. The outdoor atmosphere under cover of a live oak is inviting. Every time I go, I get the turkey burger with a Caesar salad side. The burger is filling — in addition to being delicious and a healthy beef-burger alternative — and the salad is always crisp and fresh. Local wildlife and beautiful yachts can be seen from every dining location. It is my go-to when taking friends out to lunch. Even on a hot day, the shaded areas, the breeze coming off the marina and fun, frozen drink options offer a nice cool-down. Live music is also played throughout the day and night, which adds to the aesthetic as you dine watching the yachts pass by with a view of the Harbour Town Lighthouse overhead.

Restaurant: Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks

Location: 1 Hudson Rd, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

Writer: Lana Ferguson, reporter

It’s no secret Hudson’s is a gem both tourists and locals love. The restaurant offers fresh seafood from the water you’re sitting next to, beautiful sunset views and ice-cold drinks. As a regular with a “frequent fryer” rewards card, I change up my order sometimes but typically get the crispy calamari appetizer (with the spicy marinara *chef’s kiss*), an array of fresh-shucked oysters and the Neptune’s Seafood Platter. The platter is described in the menu as “a veritable feast consisting of oysters, scallops, shrimp, deviled crab and seasonal fish.” It also comes with a side and a vegetable, meaning you’ll be sure to have leftovers for the next day. Pro tip: You’ll likely be too full to order dessert at the end but do it anyway. The mud pie is so yummy you’ll get a brain freeze from eating it too fast. Or, even better, grab a slice of Miss Bessie’s peanut butter pie to go.

Port Royal

Restaurant: The Olde Schoolhouse Restaurant

Location: 1638 Paris Ave, Port Royal, SC 29935

Writer: Sarah Haselhorst, reporter

Set in a historic one-room schoolhouse in the heart of downtown Port Royal, the Olde Schoolhouse Restaurant offers hearty Southern meals from French toast biscuits to shrimp and grits. The inside is often packed at breakfast time and on the weekends, but outdoor seating is spacious and, if you’re lucky, live music rings out and into the main drag of the quiet town. French toast fritters are a good starter; warm, pillowy and bite-sized versions of the beloved sugary cinnamon meal. There’s biscuits and gravy. Burgers and sandwiches. Vegetarian options. Salads. A kids’ menu. And breakfast samplers. But you can’t go wrong with a Southern (sort of) classic: Chicken and pancakes. It’s a good bridge between breakfast and lunch and is enough food for both. Two plate-sized pancakes are served alongside three crispy chicken tenders. Get some breakfast, a cup of coffee and settle into the calm and quaint town of Port Royal while you enjoy fast, friendly service and great Southern cooking.