We always eat well when we travel to Hilton Head. This year was no exception. We started with two stops in Savannah. I haven’t been very excited about Savannah food on our last couple of visits, but this year was amazing! Of course it didn’t stop there. We went to a few of our favorite places on Hilton Head and also tried a couple of new places, one in particular was really good.
Anita Deli Sandwich
If I ever retire to Savannah, I’m buying a house down the street from Anita’s and not just because they have good sandwiches which will be very important in retirement. These were the nicest people in the world. I was going to write that they take care of you like you were in a fine dining restaurant, but really they took care of you like you were in their home. While we were eating they came over to check on us (never happens at a sandwich shop) and offered us a rice crispy treat for my son just to be nice. On top of that the Southern Gobbler, a delicious take on a turkey club, was huge with some of the best bacon I’ve ever had on a sandwich. I highly recommend this place.
Anita Deli Sandwich
348 Jefferson Street
Savannah, GA
Local 11Ten
Local 11Ten is the best restaurant I’ve been to in Savannah in a few years. The ultimate bite was a fresh Georgia peach on top of a thick, juicy pork chop. But that wasn’t the only heavenly morsel, hamachi crudo, tomato salad, shrimp curry, and olive oil cake were all delicious. To see the dishes and read the details, click here.
Local 11Ten
1110 Bull Street
Savannah, GA
Hudson’s
This is our fifth year going to Hilton Head. Our first meal there was Hudson’s and we have been back each year since. It’s the best restaurant on the island and shouldn’t be missed. Our favorite dish is the peel and eat shrimp. It’s incredible, but really I’ve liked almost everything I’ve ever had there. This year, I had a really delicious cornbread cobbler with bananas and peaches. Read about more of our Hudson’s visits here.
Hudson’s Seafood
1 Hudson Road
Hilton Head Island, SC
Giuseppi’s
Giuseppi’s is the ultimate family dining experience on Hilton Head. Single slices of pizza for the kids and good drinks for the parents. This year, we tried a special pizza and while we enjoyed it, we prefer their famous over/under pepperoni pie. Still you can’t go wrong with their wings, which I love dipping in honey mustard. Read more about Giuseppi’s here.
Giuseppi’s Pizza & Pasta House
50 Shelter Cove Lane
Hilton Head Island, SC
Duck Donuts
There aren’t a lot of choices for donuts on Hilton Head Island. If you don’t want Dunkin’, you can hit up Duck. They make their donuts from scratch by creating a base donut, hot and fresh, and then loading up the toppings of your choice. I went with what I thought was cherry, but seemed to be raspberry. It was basically a jelly donut with the jelly on top instead of inside. Duck Donuts isn’t an important stop on Hilton Head, and now that there is one in Massachusetts it seems even less important to me.
Duck Donuts
890 William Hilton Parkway
Hilton Head Island, SC
Alfred’s Restaurant
This is the third year in a row we have visited Alfred’s during our trip to Hilton Head. It’s a tiny little place so make sure you get a reservation. This year, we happened to be there for a pierogi party. They had a cooking station set up on sidewalk in front of the restaurant where they were making them. We got the short rib ones which were stuffed with sauerbraten. That was just the start of a great meal which also included bratwurst, wienerschnitzel, and cheesecake. Read more about our Alfred’s visits here.
Alfred’s Restaurant
807 William Hilton Parkway, Suite 1200
Hilton Head Island, SC
Plums Restaurant
Beaufort is about an hour ride from Hilton Head and worth a visit. The historic down town is filled with beautiful historic homes. For a more in depth history lesson, visit the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park. While you are there you can enjoy lunch at Plums. Their back patio looks out across the harbor park to the water, and while the view was most enjoyable, the burger was pretty good as well.
Plums Restaurant
904 Bay Street
Beaufort, SC
Rotten Little Bastard
If you are heading to Beaufort, you might as well stop at Rotten Little Bastard Distillery. No matter your taste, there is something at RLB for you: moonshine, gin, vodka, rum, whiskey. They offer a tasting where they walk you through the production of each. I especially liked their gin (of course), moonshine, and white rum. There is nothing to eat here, but plenty to drink.
Rotten Little Bastard Distillery
2139 Boundary Street #102
Beaufort, SC
One Hot Mama’s
We like to try a new spot each year. It’s easy to just go back to the favorites because we like them so much so we force ourselves to pick a new place. This year’s choice was One Hot Mama’s. It’s located in the space that used to house Nectar. We really enjoyed it, maybe enough to go back again, at least for some banana pudding for dessert. Read more here.
One Hot Mama’s
35 Office Park Road,
Hilton Head Island, SC
Hilton Head Distillery
Sadly the state of South Carolina has nothing better to do than enforce puritanical alcohol rules. For years Hilton Head Distillery has been able to serve cocktails making it one of the best stops on the island. Unfortunately, the state has demanded that they serve food (a lot of food) in order to serve cocktails. You can still grab a tasting and pick up some bottles to take home, but you can’t spend a raining afternoon relaxing over a nice tiki drink anymore. Not their fault.
Hilton Head Distillery
14 Cardinal Road
Hilton Head Island, SC
Burnt Church Distillery
Currently our favorite distillery in the area is Burnt Church. They have food so they have cocktails. The space is really nice, made to look like the nave of a church with a beautiful stained glass window. Their spirits lineup includes gin, whiskey, and moonshine. Their chocolate milk moonshine is particularly great. Although their food isn’t destination worthy on its own, paired with a cocktail, Burnt Church is a must visit.
Burnt Church Distillery
120 Bluffton Road
Bluffton, SC
Concord Culinary Lyceum 
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