Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Hilton Head, SC
Travelogue
Restaurant Comments

Welcome to the Hilton Head Island Restaurant Travelogue - a moderated page where you can get the inside information on the best eateries in the Hilton Head Island area. Note: This page is not an advertisement for any particular spot and all opinions contained here are solely those of the individual contributor. E-mail addresses are being removed to encourage the posting of answers  to the Travelogue and to reduce the growing spam problem.

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Category: Restaurants
I am a committed wonderful people loving person. I have great management skills and also have worked in many restaurants. I am looking to relocate for possibly more than just the summer. I love Hilton Head and couldn't picuture a more perfect place on earth to live, work, and relax. 
-- Cassandra Clark - Saturday, April 3, 2004 at 17:01:38

My family has traveled to Hilton Head each summer for the past six years. We stay on South Beach, and regularly visit the Salty Dog for a fun, casual evening. My son, who is 25 months, and my nephew, 15 months, loved meeting Jake the Salty Dog. Our favorite place to eat is Just Pasta in the Coligny Plaza. They have a great menu and atmosphere, and the staff is great! We never miss our annual meal at this great restaurant.
-- Amy Simindinger (asdinger@bright.net) - Tuesday, November 11, 2003 at 11:19:31

We will be vacatioing on Hilton head Island the week of July 7th. We have rented a houe in the Sea Pines community. I am very interested in any Restaurant or family activities coupons and discounts you may have. Please sned via email. Thank you.
-- Jane Blackwood (janeblackwood@carolina.rr.com) - Monday, June 30, 2003 at 01:30:25

I need directions to Ship Yard Plantation after I get on Hilton Head Island.
-- Peggy Hinton (p_hinton@bellsouth.net) - Friday, June 20, 2003 at 21:54:21

For AWESOME authentic New York Italian, try DelVecchio's. For good service, great food, casual atmosphere, and modest prices, you can't beat it. We drive 1 Hr from Savannah at least twice a month for their garlic rolls and Greek pizza. Have tried other entree's on the menu and have never been disappointed.
-- Bill Brewer (wpbrewer@bellsouth.net) - Saturday, March 8, 2003 at 18:20:25

We highly recommend Abe's for some down home Gullah cooking. We have been coming to Hilton Head for 20 years and always enjoy our dinner at Abe's. If you are looking for frills, don't come here. If you are looking for great food, this is your place.
-- Bill Marks (jmbmarks@aol.com) - Saturday, February 8, 2003 at 16:23:42

This past summer we stayed with our friends in the Ship Yard. We have'nt vacationed here for a while and found some new restuarants. One we were really impressed with was REDFISH. Does any one out there have the recipe for their BLACK BEAN SOUP? We would appreciate it. Thanks. Bonnie 
-- Bonnie Shaginaw (dbshag@msn.com) - Sunday, February 2, 2003 at 17:14:10

Dear Sir or Madam, I am a second year student of the New England Culinary Institute at H.L.Stoutt Community College. Part of my requirements to is to complete 700 hours in a restaurant any where around the world. I have done some research and found that it would be very interesting to work in your establishment. If you feel that this proposal might be able to work you may send me and e-mail so as i would know to go ahead and send my cover letter and resume. Christalen Ambrose
-- Ms. Christalen Ambrose (Chrissy_tumberlina@hotmail.com) - Tuesday, October 1, 2002 at 10:19:22

Staying with some friends in their condo at Windsor II in Palmetto Dunes. Can you send info on some nice places to eat at moderate prices. We are arriving 4-14 thru 4-21. Thanks in advance for you efforts. S. Cellura 
-- Salvatore Cellura (jscellura@aol.com) - 3/29/01

1/21/99 great place great golf 2fav. nice restaurants are 211 park and charlestons for casual reilleys and hilton head brewing. outdoor happy hours, scotts fishmarket and san miguel, both in shelter cove, in harbortown the quarter deck and south beach the salty dog. For you beaver creek co. skiers, shannon tanner entertains in hilton head at shelter cove and dave kennerly? at salty dog (saw them in co. last year) Also greg and robin on the flute enterrain at scotts and quaterdeck and i think the hilton, nice backround for happy hour. great place have fun. rb
-- rb (arbee@cybernex.net) submitted 1/28/1999

As a 24 year old looking for fun, my friends and I found it on Hilton Head. We were there March of 98 during rain and nasty weather and had THE BEST time! We found great times (hilarious people and scandal) at "BARmuda" --HHBrew Pub & the Lodge...Monkey Business is too much fun...lots of cheesiness though-- be prepared to laugh! You will have to avoid the Gold Chain-disco king types. But- great music ! 80's night there is NOT to be missed! (we saw Modern English LIVE--they played "Melt with You 3X) We have been back 4 times for more frolicking and every time we commit at least one night to Steamers for dinner-- FABULOUS seafood, reasonably priced and GREAT live entertainment!! Do not waste your time or money at the Old Oyster Factory...the waitress got mad when we wanted to share dessert!! Pool Bar Jim's ---FANTASTIC DAQUIRIS!!! Tiki Hut-- great place for sun and beer and pick up artists! Also-- Wild Wings is fun and right across the street is a great after hours club that is open when everything e lse closes ( the name escapes me right now)...anyway-- hope this tid bit helps with the 20-something crowd looking for fun!!
-- Sturdivant Wilson (sturwilson@aol.com) submitted 1/28/1999

Oct 1, 1998 all the "guides" reference paid advertisers; check here for truth. Staying Disney resorts, did Scott's at Shelter Harbour (ok, nice outdoor patio with so-so duo on vocal and variety of instruments); did CQ's at Harbourtown (upscale, attentive, decent choice of wines at no bargain, excellent food); Sunset Grille at Jenkins road (fantastic everything, including sunset view, at reasonable prices, super wines and prices, incredible desserts, awesome appetizers with cajun fried oysters on gorgonzola cream sauce [yes, great!], friendly folks, inexpensive, we liked as much as 4X-the-price CQ's); Outback (very good, as expected); lunch, Cornerstone Grille at Factory Stores II (better than expected food). Played golf at RT Jones, T Fazio, Island West and Old South. The first two are friendly; the latter two can eat you alive. All in top condition. Note: it's so humid, NOBODY walks a course here. Us northerners really suffer. But we keep coming back.
-- Winston/JoAnn Barrows (73537.1366@compuserve.com) submitted 1/28/1999

My 19 year-old son and I spent a week in Hilton Head this month. as we have done most summers for the last 15 years. This trip we experienced two restaurants that you must add to your don't miss list:
OLD FORT PUB was the best food and overall dining experience that we have ever encountered on the island. The setting is beautiful next to the water on Skull Creek...with superb service! Everything was wonderful, but the chocolate bourbon pecan pie was perhaps the most memorable. (Don't expect "pub" food or atmosphere, as this is first class dining
STEAMERS in the Coligny Circle area was much more casual, but we had excellent food sitting on the deck by the duck pond. Service was just average, but we had a delightful meal of various seafood dishes. J&B September '98
-- The Sullivan (gtjacket@bellsouth.net) submitted 1/28/1999

I spent a year on Hilton Head and I still miss it dreadfully. As a Brit Abroad I found it most welcoming and full of things to do (in the Summer at least). My favourite late night hangout was Hinchey's or Moneypennies and The Brew Pub on Wednesday 70's night. Good places to eat are The Old Oyster Factory, CQ's (gorgeous Sous Chef called Josh - tell him I said hi if you see him!) and Wings for just that! To all my buddies at the Hilton Resort including Bobby Ryder the star that he is and Lawson who worked the Buoy Bar like noone else. Okay that's it, love to you all, see you again and all that!
-- Sara Warth (sara.warth@bmpddb.com) submitted 1/28/1999

I am posting my comments to this site about our first vacation visit to H= HI. We vacationed the week of 20-25 July 1998, it was sure hot and very humid that week. We stayed at the Radisson Suite Resort which I would rate onl= y average at best, however it was more affordable than many of the accommodations at the various plantation resort areas. We had some relatives staying at the Carolina Club in Shipyard Plantation, which gave= us the opportunity to visit there many times during the week. Shipyard Plantation=92s facilities and grounds were beautiful. I can sympathize w= ith Joyce Mara who posted a comment to this travelogue on 5/18/98 and comment= ed about HHI being an island of "gated" communities. To a certain extent sh= e is correct. Unless you are staying in one of these "gated" communities, = own a condo or timeshare there, or are fortunate to be guests of someone vacationing there (as was our case), you do not get the chance to see maj= or portions of this beautiful island and I feel that can be most unfortunate. Here are some of the things we did that we enjoyed: 1) Went on a dolphin cruise out of Broad Creek Marina on the S.S. Pelican, which was very enjoyable. The captain related some very interesting history and information about areas and properties along the shore line. 2) As suggested many times on this travelogue we had dinner out one night at Fitzgerald=92s. The meal was excellent with very good service; 3) Watch= ing the fireworks at Shelter Cove on Tuesday evening; 4) Enjoyed riding bicycles one morning around the island near and on Shipyard Plantation; 5= ) For something to do off the island we did a day trip to Charleston, SC, t= o visit Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, and then did a visit to Fort Sumte= r (a very interesting Civil War era National Monument); 6) We also enjoyed = a round of miniature golf our last evening at Legendary Golf at 900 William Hilton Parkway. We had a very enjoyable week and would go back again to HHI, however I fe= el May or June may be better for less heat and humidity. Next time however,= I think we will try to make arrangements to stay in one of the "gated" communities. -- Alan Warminski , submitted 8/11/1998
-- Alan Warminski" (alan_warminski@email.msn.com) submitted 1/28/1999

Just came back from an enjoyable vacation at HHI 08/11 as usual. We stayed at Port O'Call in Ship Yard Plantation. We highly recommend Hilton Head Brewing Co. especially the Rasberry Wheat Beer. We had a bad experience at The Salty Dog Cafe and will NEVER go back due to poor juvenile service. The Quarterdeck in Sea Pines is also a gret place to eat. Go early then enjoy Gregg Russell under the tree! Have Fun!
-- Bill Weirtz (wweirtz@aol.com) submitted 1/28/1999

My husband, 14 yr-old daughter and I have recently returned to Northern Ireland from our holiday in Charleston and Hilton Head Island. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Shipyard for two weeks. For anyone coming from a colder climate, the heat (in the 90's) takes some time to get used to, but we loved the wide beach, the waves, the alligators, turtles and birds, and the excellent service we encountered almost everywhere.
Our favourite restaurant was Steamers at Coligny Plaza - great waterside atmosphere, and simple but delicious seafood. Funnily enough, we found that the more we spent on a meal, the less we enjoyed it - too much overworking of ingredients, for instance at Charleston's Fine Dining and the Old Fort Pub. La Pola's was excellent for pasta, although the atmosphere was not particularly exciting.
We found the island rather too manicured and cultivated for our tastes, but did find southerners very polite, friendly and charming. Early morning bike rides were good, and my husband enjoyed golf at Shipyard Golf Club.
Alison Patrick
-- Alison Patrick (amp@apc.onyxnet.co.uk) submitted 1/28/1999

We just returned from HHI(8/1-8/8) and loved it. The weather was perfect, beach was beautiful, and the area was wonderful. If you read this travelogue often, then you know that the Gazman has rated pretty much all of the restaurants in the area. But here are a few he has missed HHI BREWING CO. is a pretty good microbrewerey, with 4 local brews always on tap. The sandwiches are big and are very good. If traveling with kids, try going on Sunday, where Kidfest is held just outside the restaurant(jugglers, magicians, balloon artists, etc.) ABES SHRIMP HOUSE is also very good for down home cooking and soul food. But it is very popular and crowded. A couple of locals took us to 211 PARK BISTRO. Although the atmosphere was nice, the food left a lot to be desired. The pork chop was overcooked, the sea bass pasta was just ok, and while the waiter raved about having one of the best filets on the island, I found it to be tasteless. A good filet does not need to be smothered in mushrooms and onions! All in all a huge disappointment!!. The second place they told us about was JUST PASTA CAFE. A quaint little place located in Coligny plaza. Small and intimate(only 8 tables), you pick you type of pasta, then pick the type of sauce (6 different types), and then pick the add ins such as chicken, veggies, shrimp, etc. All pastas come with ceaser sald and a fresh baked italian loaf of bread from the bakery next door. Very good, and very reasonable. Can't wait until next year.
-- Bruce Grossmann (bgrossmann@benham.com) submitted 1/28/1999

My family (age 20-73)just returned from HHI. We enjoyed golf, fishing, swimming in ocean, trip to Penn Center on St Helena. We stayed in my timeshare in N. Forest Beach. Coligny Plaza was a real convenience. Enjoyed Steamers at Coligny; short walk to beach. We found everyone to be friendly. We "discovered" African American (as well as many other) families well represented at Abe's Native Shrimp House. Are there other restaurants, clubs on the island that African American families enjoy?
-- Marsha Brightwell (lynettehb@aol.com) submitted 1/28/1999

My wife and I, and friends of ours returned from HHI 4/25/98, and had a pretty good time. We stayed at the PLanters Quarters at Port Royal Plantation, which was very very nice....& quiet! These timeshares are gold crown rated with RCI and are huge! Three bedrooms, three baths(jacuzzi's in two), living, dining, & sunrooms. This timeshare gives you access to the Westin Resort health club, and outdoor areas...very nice. Since were mainly golfers, we tried various golf course on or near the island.
We played at Port Royal (course condition not so good), Ocean course at Sea Pines (Tough, but fun..windy, alligators,water, and see the owner of "Home Depot" house on #16), Shipyard Plantation (older, fairways dry, greens ok), Old South Golf And C.C. (Good condition, very good for the $$, good greens) Our favorite was the Arthur Hills course at palmetto dunes. It was in unbelievable condition & the most fun to play with about twenty alligator sitings! But, very expensive ($110)
Overall, if you've been to Myrtle Beach, Northern Michigan, or Southern Pines (Pinehurst) the golf here is quite expensive. The average round is about $85-95. We've played nicer courses in Pinehurst in the fall (Aug.-Sept.)less than half the price.
Other things to try :HH Brewing Co., Dolphin cruise at Broadcreek, rent bicycles (great fun on the beach), trip to savannah...(oysters at Shuckers..ummmm!a must!) Had a nice week.....will probably go back some day.
-- Paul Gomez (paul.gomez@usa.net) submitted 1/28/1999

To: Hilton Head Travelogue BEGIN USER INPUT Once again, on April 15th, my wife and I left High Country of Vail, Colorado after another great ski year to escape what is know as "Mud Season" in Vail and go to Hilton Head where we stayed until our return at the end of May. I can't think of a better place to get a head start on sunshine and summer than at this very special and wonderful island just N. of Savannah, GA. It's got it all....great golf...beaches...restaurants.. tennis...bike trails and close proximity to both Savannah and Beaufort, SC which are oozing with Southern charm.

The new Cross Island Expressway was being built last year and is now open. For a buck, if you are going to Sea Pines, Shipyard or the Forest Beach area, you can save a little time during crowded times. Unfortunately, the speed limit is only 45 and the local cops are hiding and waiting to pounce if you go faster, so if you are staying at Palmetto Dunes or any other place from there back to the bridge, you would be probably be better off just staying on William Hilton Parkway. By the way...be careful driving on the Island. Route 278 (William Hilton Highway) is the "main drag" and although divided, you have folks going well over the 45 MPH speed limit and some older folks creeping along in their Lincoln Town Cars at 25MPH and hardly a day went by that I didn't see an accident. Drive defensively and don't let a fender bender ruin your vacation.

Here is an update of my previous comments for those who choose to read them. I must say that I have been amazed at the amount of E-Mail I have received from folks all over the USA and in one case...as far away as Great Britain from a lovely couple who live in London where he is a Dentist and she is a Industrial Psychologist. They ended up coming to HHI during the 1st two weeks we were there and, following my advice, they rented a house in Shipyard Plantation just down the street from our place there and we not only met, we played some tennis and had dinner together a couple of times. It's a small World. Meanwhile....on to the '98 update.....

Again....I would heartily suggest that anyone arriving on the island, pick up a copy of a free booklet called " Hilton Head Island RESTAURANTS." You can find it anywhere from shopping malls to super markets to condo rental offices. It will give you a listing of most of the restaurants on the island complete with their menus and prices not only alphabetically by name, but by category...i.e. Seafood, Continental, American, etc. There are probably at least 200 places to eat and they range from excellent to just plain awful. I'll try to help you find the right place for your tastes. At this point, I must comment that, in looking at some of the submissions to the Hilton Head Island Travelogue, there are obviously a wide variance in opinions of what is good and what is bad. While I can certainly enjoy casual dining in a simple place, my wife, who is a gourmet cook and I, who am a member of the famous international gourmet and wine society...the Chaine des Rotisseurs, appreciate fine dining and service on certain occasions. To start with...I suggest you read my comments on the best....and the worst places (obviously in my opinion) that I submitted last year. I went back to a number of the best places this year and even gave some of the other ones a second chance after reading some positive comments by other folks after my departure last year. Let's start with the GOOD places.

The OLD FORT PUB on Hilton Head Plantation still has great food....views at sunset... but the service has declined in my opinion. I took a party of 8 there for dinner there and was amazed that the white wine was served "room temperature" and it had to be placed in a bucket of ice before it was drinkable. The waitress, while very nice, was rarely to be seen during the evening. This was kind of sad since the place does have a lot going for it and maybe they need to increase their wait staff.

If you want the best in food and service and a great view isn't as important as the overall ambiance and the dining experience itself....then...NENO iL TOSCANO is the place. Located in the Festival Center next to the Publix super market (by the way, this Publix has the BEST Key Lime pies with a graham cracker crust I've ever eaten...if you are eating in.....Get Some!)....Neno's features...fabulous N. Italian cuisine.with entrees priced from $14 to about $20. Food this good in most major cities would be at least double in price and Neno's wine list is extensive and fairly priced. This elegant place is definitely not for the Shoneys, Fudruckers, Wild Wings, Big Bamboo crowd. If you go....tell Neno...you heard about it from Gerry from Vail. This Italian gentleman will make sure you have a great dining experience.

CQ's at Harbour Town is still very nice as is Cafe Europa. This year we had a waiter at Cafe Europa who, despite our mentioning that we would pass on an appetizer since we had come directly from having some drinks and appetizers on a yacht there at Harbour Town owned by some friends...he keep trying to push us into buying some of their appetizers. Maybe this was only an aberration and his aggressive manner was a product of his New York City upbringing (he made a point to tell us was where he was from). The good news is that the food arrived piping hot and was delicious.

While I'm talking about Harbour Town, I mentioned the entertainment at the Harbourside Cafe last year. Great place for Happy Hour. This year they featured an African-American trio that played some laid back steel drum reggae and on 3 other nights a week a talented female singer and flute player was accompanied by her keyboard playing male partner as they played a mixture of easy to listen to music. It's a great place to check out the fabulous yachts and watch the sun go down....but the food there is awful so go elsewhere. Speaking of Happy Hour places....several people mentioned the Salty Dog Cafe located in Sea Pines at the S. Seaport Marina....I'm sorry...I think their best product is selling tee shirts. Kind of like HHI's version of the world famous hamburger and tee shirt emporiums know as the Hard Rock Cafes.

TRUFFLES is still one of my favorites. Located at the Sea Pines Center...just about a mile down the road from Harbour Town...it offers great food in an eclectic setting at very reasonable prices and their desserts...like the "Mud Pie" are sinfully sensational.

The OLD OYSTER FACTORY continues to amaze me at the crowds it draws. It is a very attractive BIG place on Marshland Rd overlooking Broad Creek that offers a wide variety of moderately priced food. This year...one of my guests had to send his fish back...it was extremely overcooked...but the good news is that they graciously took it back and returned with one that was just right in no time at all. A funny thing happened there that I'll share with you. Upon arrival, we were told we would have about a 20 minute wait and that there was some entertainment and a bar on the dock out back. We went out there and soon discovered that there was something else out there that was not advertised....namely...the pesky little bugs that come out in the late afternoon and early evening called "No-See-ums." While they are so tiny you can hardly see them...they must be all mouths and they can bite real good. Everyone was scratching their heads and slapping their exposed body parts including the entertainers whom I felt sorry for. Once we were seated, we had a table at a window overlooking the dock and were entertained by watching the unsuspecting customers arrive on the dock and immediately start scratching and wondering what was attacking them. The Old Oyster Factory is an OK place....but not sensational.

Having read some comments from some folks praising some places I had panned a year ago....I foolishly decided to give two of them another look in '98. WILD WINGS was mentioned as a great place by some folks who vacationed there and I must admit that their chicken wings are excellent....however....the LOUD rock and roll music make them pretty hard to digest. I would suggest ordering carry-out if you must have them and pass on the smoke infested bar atmosphere and eat them at the place you are staying.

Another place that numerous folks have written in about was "The BIG BAMBOO" at Coligny Circle. I thought it was dark and dismal last year and it's WW II theme was a little "cutesy" and strange for a beach place...but I thought I'd give it another shot in '98. Sorry folks, its still DARK & DISMAL with really MEDIOCRE food from a confusing menu that offers a strange variety of things from their "War-Dog" to meatloaf and California veggie wraps. All the cutesy bamboo in the world couldn't make this place a good place to eat. This S. Forest beach hangout is the place to go if you think putting on a sleeve-less Tee shirt or a tank top is fine casual attire and the nachos at the ball park are gourmet food. You'll feel right at home with the other folks who love this place. Aaaaargh !

Another spot mentioned by a number of folks was AUNT CHILADAS on Pope Ave. Again...it is close to Coligny Circle and a lot of people who come to Hilton Head and find a reasonable place to stay in the S. Forest Beach area frequent it. The menu is a dead give away...in that it features both Mexican and Italian food. Huh!!!! The result is very average food at higher prices than the quality should suggest. The decor was a little strange and looked like it had been picked up at a garage sale somewhere. It featured a fake bird perched on a large ring but the bird was not at the bottom, but rather sitting cock-eyed at an angle part way up. We decided to try it the night we arrived and were soon joined by a bus tour group of senior citizens that had a "package deal dinner" there. Our young waitress, tried her best, but had the annoying habit of referring to everyone as "Guys"....as in..."Have you guys decided on what you want?.....How's the food Guys?.....Can I get you Guys anything else? " etc. It was kind of amusing to see here continue that line of banter with a long table full of blue haired 70 to 80 year old ladies next to us. I would bet the same crowd that loves Wild Wings and the absolutely horrible Big Bamboo thinks this is the greatest. That's the beauty of HHI....there's something there for everyone.

No....I didn't even think about giving HENRY's another try this year....it has taken about a year for my stomach to get over it last time so that was enough for me.

The CAFE @ WEXFORD is a cute little place that features reasonably priced french food and we enjoyed it last year. This year, we took a couple from Colorado that had come to visit us there on the Sunday that was Mother's Day and we surprised to see that they had not only reduced their menu that evening, but had cranked up the prices about 50% as well. Gouging the public is not the way to win friends and influence people.

We alternated eating out about 2/3's of the time with eating in at our place and once again found the wonderful seafood at great prices offered up by BARNACLE BILL's to be fabulous. Every day he gets in extremely fresh seafood at his stand on William Hilton Parkway between Palmetto Dunes and Port Royal on the W. side of the road (Shelter Cove side). We enjoyed Wahoo, fresh Salmon, jumbo Shrimp, Oysters, Blue Crabs, Tuna, and Sea Bass which was cooked and smoked on our grill and it was sensational. He can even get you live Maine Lobsters if you give him a day's notice. So...if you want to pick up a bottle of wine and enjoy some great seafood at your place there....go see Bill and be sure to tell him that Gerry from Vail told you to come see him. I guarantee he will treat you right.

ABE's Native Shrimp House is located not far from Barnacle Bill's as you head toward Shelter Cove and features a $10.95 "Early Bird" buffet. I had read about it in a golf magazine so we decided to try it. This African-American family has been there since 1968 and features down home cooking including fried fish, BBQ ribs, okra and chicken but..while the food is plentiful and filling...it is pretty heavy and not for someone who is trying to watch their weight. It was also pretty hot in there in May and their A/C is barely working so be forewarned. Interesting !

As for GOLF.....really no changes from last year in that I played a number of the courses both on and off island including the famous Harbour Town Golf Links and found all of them to be a lot of fun. Pick up the local paper....the "Island Packet" which is 25 cents and you can find advertised deals on golf in it. If you are staying at a condo or hotel resort, they often have deals on golf or packages available which will reduce your cost of playing. One new course I played this year was the Golden Bear Golf Course at Indigo Run Plantation a couple of times and enjoyed it. It features on board computerized screens on each golf cart that tell you how far you've hit your drive...how far it is to the green from anywhere on the course and the clubhouse has a monitor showing where every cart is on the course at all times. Very unique.

If you are into TENNIS....and are staying at a Plantation, you should check with the club there regarding their programs. At Shipyard Plantation, they had a round-robin doubles mixer every afternoon from 4 - 5:30 PM on the clay courts for only $10 per person with wine and beer afterwards. A great way to meet some other folks and have a lot of fun.

Again...if you need additional advice or suggestions send me an E-Mail and I'll do my best to get back to you. Hilton Head is a great place to spend your vacation and if you decide to go, I hope you love it as much as we do. All the Best...GERRY from VAIL. (gazman@colorado.net)
-- Gerry "A." Zimmerman (gazman@colorado.net) submitted 6/05/98

My wife and I and friends just returned from HHI (june 3, 1998). We had a wonderfull time. The island is a great place for families, very relaxing, and a huge beach. We stayed at the Disney Resort, a great place to stay. Disney also has it's own Beach House on the ocean in Palmetto Dunes. We really like the Hilton Head Diner, just below Shelter Cove Harbor. The food was great, breakfast, lunch or dinner. It has a huge menu and the service was fast. We also liked Guiseppi's, located in Shelter Cove Plaza. Great pizza and you must try a "weggie". There are several very good mini-golf places for children and adults. Had lots of fun there. We did some shopping at the factory outlets in Buffton on the mainland, just over the bridge. We took a dolphin cruise on a 20 foot patoon boat( holds 6 people) down the broad creek. We saw about 20 dolphins, some came right up to the boat. Our guide was great. We plan to make HHI our only place to go to the beach. Richard M. Smith, Lincolnton N.C. rsmith@tntie.com
-- Richard M. Smith (rsmith@tntie.com) submitted 6/4/1998

april 19, 1998 we have just returned from another wonderful spring break on HHI. As always we frequented our favorite restaurants: Wild Wings, our tradtional first night meal, can't beat cold beer and hot wings to get a vacation started. Our very favorite spot is Steamers located in Coligny Plaza, defintely the best seafood on the island. We ended up eating there three nights out of six this trip the food and service was so good. For great pizza you have to try Pizza Chef. We have tried several others on the island but this is by far the best. Already looking forward to going back this summer to try some of the recommendations I've read here.
-- vicki theiss (vtheiss@aol.com) submitted 4/19/1998

My wife and I just got back from our HH vacation (4/3/98 - 4/7/98). We had a GREAT time. We used many of the recommendations from submissions to this site, so we wanted to contribute our opinions as well. For accommodations, we stayed at the Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Resort, in an Ocean Front Villa. It was nice, clean, and inexpensive. Folly Beach is clean and quiet. Our only complaint is that we felt we were away from the real "action". Most of the cool places to go were about 5 miles down 278 towards Sea Pines and Coligny plaza. When we go again, we'll probably stay in Palmetto Dunes, or somewhere near Forest Beach. Those seem to be the best places for the 20-somethings. The food selections were great. Our favorites, in order, were Steamers, Makotos and Shuckers. Excellent service at them all and the ambiance (sp?) was very nice at Steamers and Makotos. Shuckers was a little out of the way and desolate. The Salty Dog was ok, but we were expecting something more. The location of SD is great and it seems to be a good hangout spot. The Wild Wing Cafe also probably is a happening place, but we went for lunch on a weekday, and it was just alright. I did like the different flavors of wings, though. We went to Coconuts Comedy Club and ordered gourmet pizza that they bring in from a pizza shop across the street (don't remember the name). It had to be the best gourmet pizza we've ever had. Try the Vegetarian. There is plenty of other things to do there; enough to be able to go back consistently and never have the exact same experience. We had a chance to go to the finals of the Family Circle Cup and had an awesome time. We'll be doing that again. Island Water Sports was very good for waverunners and parasailing. The employees were very friendly, yet professional. For a beach experience, we recommend Forest Beach. It had the most people on it. Make sure to go bike riding, its almost impossible to avoid it. We don't golf, but we enjoyed playing at several of the mini-golf places. We really like the The Pirates Island Adventure golf course. Oh yeah, and we enjoyed the Dolphin Cruise at Broadcreek Marina. We spent almost a whole day shopping at the outlets in Bluffton. Bluffton is across the bridge from HHI, but it is probably only a 15-20 minute car drive away from most places on the Island. We'll definitely be coming back to HH for years to come.
-- Derek Walker (dxwalker@mindspring.com) submitted 4/13/1998

My family just (4/4/98) returned from HHI - we stayed for a week at HHI Beach and Tennis Resort and enjoyed it greatly. The villa was convenient to the pool and the beach and was extremely clean and reasonably priced. Boat House II was my favorite place to eat on the Island. Can't wait to go back later this summer. Alan Cheatham Seymour, TN
-- Alan Cheatham (cheatham@icx.net) submitted 4/6/1998

March 20, 1998 Hi, My name is Bill and Hilton Head is awesome!!! I have been going there ever since I was 10 years old. I am now 23. Hilton Head has wonderful bike trails. They are very uncrowded and allow you to become part of nature. Some of my favorite restruants are Alexanders, the Oyster Factory, and Reilly's. My favorite hotel is the Westin Resort. Although the rooms are expensive, you can't beat the ocean view. The pool-side facilities are excellant. The Westin also has an outstanding seafood buffet 7 days a week. Fishing is great...My dad discovered that the best place to fish was in a lagoon on the golf course. Within minutes the bass started biting. As my mother would say, watch out for the Alligators. One day when she was taking out the trash, a dog rubbed its nose against my mother's leg and she screamed thinking it was an alligator. Thank goodness it wasn't an alligator!! If you are ever chased by an alligator, remember to run in a zigzag. If you like birds, Hilton Head has a ton of them. Well, I just wanted to tell you about some of the highlights. Hi...Mom and Dad! Take me back to Hilton Head!
-- Bill Diehl (Charles.Diehl@Murraystate.edu) submitted 3/22/1998

Hello! I lived in Hilton Head for the entire 1997 summer, on an internship program for Resort Recreation & Tourism Management. All the restaurants I have read about on here are awesome. Some of my faves were Hinchey's, especially for Wed. night $1 bottles, Brew Pub pizza is awesome, Wild Wing cafe luch buffet is the best ever, Big Apple Bagel has great sandwiches. Anywhere you can eat Alaskan Snow Crab Legs...take advantage of it! Seafood in Iowa just isn't the same. So, words of advice for vacationers...RR&TM activities at the resorts are good, worth the few bucks you pay for it, and your kids will have fun...ask the staffers to babysit if mom and dad want a night out, cuz the interns make squat. DO NOT take your children to RR&TM's Kid's Club. I headed that day camp all summer. The kids run wild, basically just swimming all day, they get a gross lunch, and it is so hot, with no access to air conditioning, that your kids will probably get sun poisoning. There have been a few GREAT kids there, though. Usually the vacationers... If you hit the WaterFun Park at Comfort Inn, Navid (operations manager there) is awesome, tell him HELLO for me! Krista Klockentager klockentager@wartburg.edu
-- eric allen (allene@ns.wartburg.edu) submitted 1/28/1998

We spent a week on Hilton Head and loved every minute of it. From the people, the wildlife and the activities it was a wonderful time. We certainly enjoyed the entertainment at the "Salty Dog", Dave Kemmerly is the best entertainer we have ever heard.
-- Whatdoin1 (Whatdoin1@aol.com) submitted 1/11/1998

Just came back from Christmas on Hilton Head, first time there. Stayed at the Hyatt which has nice ocean front rooms @holiday rates ($69). Golf: The golf courses (except in Seapines) are closed on Christmas but it seems to be an annual tradition for everyone to go out and walk them on xmas. It's lots of fun.
We liked the Arthur Hills and Fazio courses at Palmetto Dunes. Greens fees are very reasonable this time of year.... we paid $35 each including cart. We got discounts through the Hyatt and you can check the newspaper for other deals. We also played Robert Trent Jones @ Palmetto, Country Club at SHipyard and The Golden Bear.... these didn't compare in quality to the Fazio and Arthur Hills @ Palmetto.
Tennis: I went to the adult weekend Clinic at Van Der Meer. It was fun with nice people, but I think my money would have been better spent on private lessons and the adult drills in the afternoon. Van De Meer has covered courts which came in handy on rainy days. I played at Sea Pines also which is a nicer facility, but no covered courts and it's a pain paying to get into Sea Pines.
Restaurants: We truly enjoyed 211 PARK (great wine selection) and TRUFFLES (Sea Pines). Aunt Chilada's was ok as was Hilton Head Diner.... nothing great. STEAMERS looked good but too long a wait. Have fun.
-- Holly (hollys@maine.rr.com) submitted 1/4/1998

Our family, which includes three preteenage girls has been going to HHI for the past four years and are returning for a fifth that I left under the couch. But seriously we have stayed at the Beach and Tennis Resort and have had a great time each visit. Our favorite things to do have included building sandcastles and hitting the waves. Our daughters have mastered bodysurfing and are looking forward to dolphin riding. Our favorite places to eat are Fuddruckers and Hilton Head Diner. We often eat in to economize, making the "BILO" our favorite grocery stop. See you there next August.
-- Phil and Sue Fuerst (poohbear@bright.net) submitted 1/2/1998

11/8/97-11/14/97 My Wife and I had our 10th Anniversary vacation at the Hilton Resort. The two places which really stand out are the Big Bamboo where we had an outstanding evening, and W.G. Shuckers where they have a great two for Tuesday dinner package.
-- Steve Mangerson (Stephen.e.mangerson@AWO.com) submitted 11/29/1997

Our family visited HH in July, 1996. In general our experience was a good one. One restaurant that I feel that I need to mention is the Quarterdeck Restaurant. The view at sunset was magnificant but the restaurant was a totally different story. We were their for dinner. The food was mediocre at best. The service was poor. Upon leaving we asked to speak to the manager but were told the manager was too busy. Upon returning home, I wrote two letters to the restaurant outlining our experiences. The restaurant did not respond. For you non-smokers there was an additional problem. The dining area is on two levels. The non-smoking section is raised about two feet above the smoking level so all of the smoke from the smoking section rises to the non-smoking section. Also, the smoking level has the better view of the sound at sunset. I can recommend the Crazy Crab and Aunt Chiladas. They provided good food and service at reasonable prices.
-- Allan Norman (colreb@midwest.net) submitted 11/7/1997

best sunset dinners are bound to be the Sunset Grille at the end of jenkins drive. small, quiet,out of the way(as in hard to find) upstairs with 270 degree veiws of a small marina and truly inspiring veiws of sunset over the intra coastal waterway. food was interesting and excellent. very personable ,casual atmosphere. i guarantee you wont be disappointed.
-- (lockmans@prodigy.net) submitted 10/25/1997

A belated travelogue from our annual June trip to HHI. As always, it was wonderful and as always, the home we rented in Palmetto Dunes was perfect! Our large extended family(20!) has their favorite eateries but you have to "experience" The Big Bamboo at Coligny Plaza....., just remember to check your pulse after downing a War Dog!!!! Please enjoy the visit and say "hey" when you see us cruising by- we'll be the ones smiling from ear to ear!
-- Chris (BROWNWARS) submitted 10/10/1997

My husband and I just returned from Hilton Head after spending a long weekend (Oct 3-6 1997) on the island. We got in late, and opted to order pizza since many of the restaurants stop serving at 10 pm. We chose Pizza Chef Gourmet Pizza. It was really very good. The garlic-cheese bread was wonderful, and the tomato-basil pizza was very good also. I had forgotten my print out of Gerry from Vail's scoop on the restaurants, but I remembered that he had absolutely raved about Truffles. We went there for lunch on Sunday. Oooooh! It is sooooo good! I got the meatloaf sandwich (trust me, leftovers never had it so good) which had a honey-mustard glaze, and was topped with a roasted red pepper chutney. Excellent! Without Gerry's list, I made a mistake. I remembered that he mentioned Henry's specifically, but I couldn't remember if he said it was good or bad. I guessed wrong. He was right. It was very mediocre, and the waitress was extremely annoying. We also had dinner one night at The Old Oyster Factory. The food was good (best key lime pie I had the entire trip) and so was the service. Also, if you're into barbecue, as we are, and you go to the mainland, try Duke's Barbecue in Beaufort. It's only open on Saturday and Sunday. Good BBQ.
-- Stacey Muncie (MizMunce@aol.com) submitted 10/8/1997

Most romantic restaurant/best food: LaMaisonette
Best bar: Reilley's
Best deli: Gruby's
Best golf: Long Cove
-- Anonymous submitted 9/21/1997

My wife and I just returned from an eight day vacation at Hilton Head. This was our third visit to the Island. Although we're not golfers we enjoy three activities, dining, jogging and relaxing on the beach; the variety of restaurants and jogging trails are unsurpassed. Since we enjoyed reading what your contributors had say about the island (while we were driving) so I thought that I would reciprocate with a few comments about the restaurants that we visited for dinner. We dined at the Big Bamboo, La Paolo's, The Cafe at Wexford, Hoffbraus, Big Rocco's, Cafe Europa, Rick's Place, The Cafe at Wexford (a second time). Our three standouts are La Paolo's, Rick's Place and The Cafe at Wexford. La Paolo's for its generous servings, great veranda dining and excellent Tira Misu; Rick's Place for its delicious and different appetizers and entrees (the most expensive of our dinners); The Cafe at Wexford for its atmosphere, service, wine list and a peanut butter dessert that is incredible - the Cafe has been our favorite since we first visited the island and I feel that it is still is, although Rick's tied it this year. Bob K.
-- gilberts" (gilberts@ccia.com) submitted 9/7/1997

Just got home last night. We (2adults 3 kids under 12) had a ball. we went on boat trip called The Holiday and loved the dolphins so much we rented our own 16 ft. Skiff from the broad creek marina and really got up close. we had great food we cant even pick out a favorite we went to Crazy Crab, Crazy Nicks, Gieusippis, The Hofbrauhaus, and Abes Native Shrimp House. Bike rentals are a must. We are going to try to come back next summer!
-- maria (marfu1@peakaccess.net) submitted 8/31/1997

Just returned from our 12th annual pilgrimage to HHI. As usual a great time. I haven't seen anyone plug Hilton Head Ice Cream as a great place to eat. After dinner EVERY night, we would pack the kids in the car and head off to Orleans Road and some of the best ice cream in the east. Written 8/27/1997
-- James Conahan (bhp220@juno.com) submitted 8/27/1997

Just returned from HHI, (8/17- 8/24); stayed at Shipyards Carolina Club in 3-br condo. Super facilities. Boat trip to Savannah fun, especially trolley ride, but grab a drink and use facilities before boarding trolley! Gastronomic low point of trip: Big Rocco's Italian (?) Restaurant. Didn't think anyone could screw up spaghetti. They did. Very forgettable place, hot, noisy, mediocre service and mostly inferior food. However, the HOFBRAUHAUS on Pope Avenue - WUNDERBAR! Excellent food (try the Schweinebraten), delightful German music by Bob, neat atmosphere and really nice people. Another superior meal at Nantucket Seafood House on New Orleans Road. Owner Jim Laferriere and waitress Kerry were most accommodating. Hilton Head Diner quite good, but so busy. Our first time at HHI, but we want to go back. Pat and Ellen Wright of Detroit area.
-- Pat Wright (wrightpe@oeonline.com) submitted 8/26/1997

Just came back from Hilton Head Island (8/2/97 - 8/8/97). My first time there. We stayed in Palmetto Dunes Resort in a great condo right on the beach. The facilities were beautiful. The tennis and golf were abundant. For people who like to shop, the outlet stores were everywhere. We took a day trip to Charleston and to Savannah. Both cities had alot of history with the civil war and the old restored homes and the large historic districts. Would definitely recommend Savannah. Should read the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" because it is a non-fiction book about old Savannah. It refers to actual houses and gardens etc that you can see on a tour. Restaurants that we went to were as follows : Old Oyster Factory - Great and saw Mark Messier- hockey player Wild Wings Cafe - a little loud but wonderful wings Brick Oven Pizza - Excellent for a light meal Little Venice - not good South Seaport (at Sea Pines) - great view and good food Will probably go back again --- Can't wait. Be sure to walk around Harbor Town and Sea Pines Plantation. We also took a dolphin cruise and the dolphins came right up to the boat. They did something really crazy, they so "strand feeding" in the marshes, they force little fishes to the edge of the marsh and "corral" them to land and eat them. It sounds bad but it was very interesting and it is rare for us to see but we did see it happen (during low tide).
-- Cindy (csieden@sbi.com) submitted 8/12/1997

My mother and I just returned from Hilton Head and we loved it. It's really a beautiful island! We stayed at the Hilton Resort in Palmetto Dunes. I would highly recommend anyone to stay there. Palmetto Dunes, Harbourtown, and Sea Pines are all great sections of the island to visit. Definitely walk up to the top of the Harbourtown lighthouse. The view is spectacular! I heard that the restaurant Crazy Crab in Harbourtown is great, but we never had a chance to go. South Beach is a beautiful section of the island that resembles a New England Village. It looks just like Nantucket, MA! We went to a great restaurant in Coligny Circle called Only Pasta. It was scrumptious! Definitely try this place! The prices are very reasonable.Coligny Cirle is also a great place to go shopping and ride bikes. We also heard that the restaurant Fitzgerald's was fabulous. It's right on the ocean and was recommended by an owner of one of the condos on the island. My mom and I adored Hilton Head Island and we're planning on returning as soon as we can! -JT
-- Jason Means (laugh2@ix.netcom.com) submitted 8/11/1997

Just returned on August 4 from our first-ever (definitely not last!) HHI trip. A few thoughts and musings...we stayed at the Adventure Inn in an updated unit at the Ocean Dunes Villas (always, always ask for UPDATED). This is an older complex on S Forest Beach and really isn't very service-oriented and grounds aren't too well kept. The garbage is placed in an area near the parking lot and entrance to villas that leaves a lot to be desired. The price is reasonable and it is right on the ocean, so since we're not in our rooms that much, it was fine. But we have already reserved the Disney Resort for next year. They will rent out only for about the next year or so till all the time-shares are sold. Restaurants: We ate out every night (family of 4 with two teenagers). CRAZY CRAB: A good first night intro to Sea Pines and Harbour Town, but expensive. Probably wouldn't rush back, tho the fish was good. BIG BAMBOO CAFE: A real find. Great WW II Pacific atmosphere, excellent fish, the best ribs ever. Nice staff, friendly. HILTON HEAD BREWING CO.: Fun, good food, great place for our large group of friends. Great brews. SALTY DOG: Great fun, good food, you have to buy a T-shirt! J J PEPPERONIO'S: At the Hyatt in Palmetto Dunes. On the ocean. Great view, even during a thunderous lightening storm. Pizza good and some interesting choices. AUNT CHILADA'S: Good Mexican and and fun atmosphere. A do-again. BIG ROCCO'S: Another real find. Excellent Italian, great fish in a big%
-- Anonymous submitted 8/5/97

For the past 9 years, we have made the annual trek from Chicago to HHI. We first came based on a friend's recommendation and fell in love with the island since. We have stayed at the Beach and Tennis Resort on Foley Rd. in a 2-BR condo. Very reasonably priced. Over that time, we have been to numerous restaurants and attractions. The Old Oyster Factory is a favorite and well as visiting the dolphins with Commandor Zodiac out of South Beach. Great Fun. Looking to return again and again. You can reach me at boblo@interaccess.com. 08/03/97.
-- Bob Loies (boblo@interaccess.com) submitted 8/3/1997

We just returned from Hilton Head Island after spending four days there with my teenage son & husband. The island is very beautiful, but if you're a Northerner like us, you will find it too humid. If you can adapt, you should have a great time.
I recommend renting bikes because the bike paths are great and you can see some lovely homes, beautiful landscaping and many of the sites. We went on the dolphin cruise from Shelter Cove, and that was a fun experience enjoyed by all. Some great restaurants there: Go to Crabby Nick's and have Joey, the magician entertain you while eat.
Cracker Barrel has great pancakes and nice country atmosphere--recommend for breakfast. You have to get pizza one night at Gisueppe's. The owner is from Pittsburgh and has Pittsburgh memorabilia all around the restaurant...made us feel like home.
We drove to Savanah. Take a Grey Line excursion to get to know the city. They do a general tour for about 70 minutes around the town & you are free to access the trolley all day after that when you tour the city. If you like to shop, there's plenty to shop for on River Street.
For the women who are bored while their husbands are golfing (unless you golf too), there are great outlet malls all along the main highway. Bring that charge card!
Shelter Cove is a great place to bring the kids in the evening. Shannon Tanner entertains every evening & accompanies them on the kids' dolphin cruise too.
One place I don't think people know about but that has great sea food is the Captain's Seahouse off of Matthew's Drive. It looks like a dive but they have wonderful seafood & the tourists don't know about it. We found out about it from the locals. Try alligator tail there!
All in all, it was a fun time. Just don't like that humidity!
-- KathY Nega (knega@nb.net) submitted 7/27/97

We visited HHI last year for a week from the last week in December. We rented a condo in Palmetto Dunes and had the most enjoyable, and restful stay. Saw several deer too! Oh yes, and the President and First Lady. We discovered the HH Diner. Interesting place and wide menu selection. Waiter had our drinks ready on our second visit. What great service! Restaurant near the lighthouse was great too for seafood. Some restaurants closed during the holidays. Making reservations for the same time this year. Can't wait
-- Barbara Woodland (dickens@onramp.net) submitted 7/21/1997

My family and I have been visiting Hilton Head for several years now. We usually stay in Shipyard Plantation.... it is nice and quiet, but close to everything. Some restuarants we enjoy are: Scott's Fish Market, The Old Oyster Factory, Kingfisher, Truffles and Salty Dog. There is a lot to do on the island, but if you are in search of the ultimate relaxing vacation this is the place.... it is beautiful.
-- Kim M. submitted 7/20/1997

June 7-14/97. Once again had a grand time on the Island. Took the advice of some of your Travelogue readers & tried out a few restaurants. The sandwiches at Philly's are indeed a great find. Tried both locations. Preferred New Orleans Rd atmosphere-but excellent food at either. Also tried OLD FORT PUB. Saved it till our last nite, and wish we had gone earlier in the week, so we could have spent many more outings there. Beautiful sunset,absolutely superb service, and terrific food. It didn't seem to matter whether customers were ordering from the pub menu, (munchies & lighter fare) or the full dinner menu, the staff were attentive, super friendly and very accomodating to every request. Frequented by many locals,(a good sign) with many many Chicago Bulls fans peeking in at the TV in the bar. (may have something to do with the fact that Michael & family have a home in Wexford!) We had the best time there, and after a dozen or more visits to HH in the last 6 summers , it is now our fav for that type of dining. However, we still will frequent the Wild Wing a tradition we have created since our very first visit!! Does anyone have any info on the Players Club Resort/Inn?? Can't seem to find much. Friends have a stay/play golf pkg. they are interested in using, but would like to know something about the place first. We just couldn't offer much in that regard. Appreciate any response, positive or otherwise. Hoping to get back in late August, for another week, until then looking forward to checking out Travelogue updates. Thanks. Dawna, Rick, Rose & Dick St.Catharines, Ontario Canada.
-- Dawna & Rick,St.Catharines Ont. Canada (shadowla@ican.net) submitted 7/3/1997

We have been going to HHI for the past ten years and love to stay on South Forest Beach on an oceanfront villa. This spring we stayed at SeaSide Villas directly on the Ocean. If you go, request the one on the first floor with the great wooden rocking chairs!! Our most enjoyable moments were sipping coffee in the morning while rocking on the chairs and watching the sun come up!! We love the beach for bike riding - it's great for small kids since the sand is hard-packed and you can always stop to explore the starfish or jellyfish that wash up on shore. Even better is biking along side the dolphins as they feed offshore. We love to eat at Aunt Chiladas - just a short walk from the SeaSide Villas (#123). They have a great happy hour and we love to play the trivia game!! Looking forward to our visit next year.
-- kappmeyers (compuf@erols.com) submitted 7/1/97

We have been going to Hilton Head with friends off and on since 1982. We absolutely love it. We have stayed in many different houses and villas on Sea Pines and Shipyard. Our friends have stayed oceanfront on south Forest Beach, but that is a little too busy for our tastes. My sister-in-law now owns a house at Inland Harbour on Sea Pines, and that is a convenient location. We just returned today from a week there, but were also there at Christmas for the first time this year. It was great at Christmas, with great weather. We don't eat out all the time, but went to Nantucket Seafood House for the first time this year. Probably the best food we've ever had on the island. I don't know exactly what others consider reasonably priced, but we felt it was a bit high. We had 2 buy one get one free coupons and it was $62 for 4 people. You probably pay a little more for oceanfront there than places like Myrtle Beach, but if you don't mind walking a little ways or driving to the beach there are some good prices. We liked staying at Colonnade Club and Waterford, but would recommend Villa Rentals over some of the agencies we have rented through. We have also rented through owners with good luck.
-- Judith Huddleston" (heyjude@citynet.net) submitted 6/29/1997

My family and I just returned from our HH vacation. Let me just say that the island is absolutely incredible! I am already planning my return trip, although I have a feeling that I won't be able to go back for awhile.
Anyway, here are my suggestions. We stayed at a lovely condo/villa in Palmetto Dunes. The name of the place was the Huntington, and it was at the very end of the road that leads into Palmetto Dunes. This was a great location, just steps away from a beautiful pool, and a short (3 minute or so) walk through the forest preserve to the beach.
While this sounds not good, this walk was one of the highlights of the trip--we saw several deer, lizards, and all kinds of wild life along the path.
We rented through a company called "Properties in Paradise", I believe.
As far as activities, rent bikes! Riding on the beach is an incredible experience, although the crowded sections of beach can be hard to navigate!
As far as the beach goes, absolutely incredible doesn't begin to describe it! Although parts were crowded, all you have to do is walk a few steps in either direction, and you have the beach to yourself.
I was amazed at the differences in the tides--extremely broad beach at low tide (and most of the day), but at high tide, no beach at all!
We could even see dolphins from the beach, just incredible!
As far as dining goes--We ate at several good places.
While I Asked Gerry from Vail for his advice, I'm afraid that I'm going to recommend several places that he warned against (thanks though, Gerry, you were most helpful!)
Hilton Head Brewing Co. was good, and Jumpin' Phils was great, especially eating out on the patio.
I have to recommend The Big Bamboo simply because of its unique atmosphere, although it is dark and vaguely depressing inside! At least have a drink there to see for yourself.
Guiseppe's in the Plaza by Shelter Cove was fantastic--dont miss it if you like Italian! I also have word that Giovannis ( more upscale Italian) is also good--this according to other family members who ate there.
A word or two on Harbourtown and South Beach--be prepared for parking frustration if you go there! I literally searched fro 20 minutes for a parking space and never found one! There are shuttles that run fron just ibside the Sea Pines entrance--not sure if they cost, but it may be worth it! We ate at Quarterdeck in Harbourtown--the menu and food were just O.K., but the view from the back deck was fantastic!
For the kids, try the nightly entertainment at Shelter Cove--they were having a great time the night we were there. For adult nightlife, ours ran pretty much to drinking wine coolers on our screened in porch, thanks to almost nightly rain, but even that was just great.
Do pick up the several tourist publications available, they have several coupons and such for all kinds of things. And do go to Savannah! Even for a few hours, there is much to do and see--just take a Fodors guide and start walking! Especially if you are a Midnight fan, don't miss this city!
Have a great time, and dont hesitate to email me if you want more information, from an average tourist who had a fantastic time on the island!!
-- Tracey D. (tracey@lexpublib.org) submitted 6/23/1997

My husband, 7 year old and I just returned from HH on June 20, 1997. It was 841 miles from Bowling Green, Ohio and took us 14.5 hours to drive straight through.
We toured and got a low key sales presentation from the Marriott International for an $18,900 timeshare. We did not buy.
The best place to eat was Steamers at Coligny Plaza. Ask for Tim. He was the best waiter and would love to go back.
We also ate at Cafe Europia. Not good at all; in fact horrible. We also ate at the Quarterdeck at Harbourtown. It was ok; the view was the best part.
HHI is too busy for us. We prefer NC, the OuterBanks, especially Emerald Isle and Ocean Isle. If anyone has any info, please let me know at lcrawfo@bgnet.bgsu.edu
If you have any other HHI questions, just let me know.
-- Linda L. Crawford" (lcrawfo@bgnet.bgsu.edu) submitted 6/23/1997

We visited HHI again this year (6/07/97 to 6/14/97) and had a bodacious time. The beaches are so very wide at low tide and bicycling is a must here. We especially enjoyed the restaurants Great Plains Cattle Company and Crabby Nick's (used to be Shoney's). We rented our great beach cruisers from Sand Cats (785-3210). I included the phone number because they dont seem to be to well advertized. We have a time share at HHI but dont even want to exchange. Just wish HHI would halt new construction of condos though it is becoming to to metopolized or perhaps has been for a while. Beyond that though HHI is a terrific place to vacate to. I enjoy the tennis here immensely. Golf is very prominent too but not my game. Check out Harbour Fest at Shelter Cove Harbour for music, eats, and fireworks on Tuesday night or perhaps Thursdays, better check first for exact days. You gotta come here and just have fun!
-- Chuck Small (chucksm@yadtel.net) submitted 6/20/1997

Gerry from Vail's reccomended RESTAURANTS:
TRUFFLES - Located at Sea Pines Center. Like all Sea Pines Plantation restaurants, if you bring in your $3.00 entrance pass, they will give you a refund. Truffles offers a very eclectic and sophisitcated atmosphere and excellent food and very reasonable prices. Great deserts too ! The Cajun Chicken sandwich is only about $7.00 and comes with potatoes and is HUGE as well as very tasty.
NENO Il TOSCANO - Located near Wal-Mart and Publix super market up toward HH Plantation. Classic N. Italian food, great service and style.
OLD FORT PUB - A favorite ! Located in Hilton Head Plantation. Worth the drive if you are near Sea Pines. Great views over the water at sunset....excellent service...outstanding food and amazingly very reasonable prices. Make reservations. It is popular and seating is limited.
OLD OYSTER FACTORY - A big theme restaurant on the water. Despite the big volume of people it feeds, the service and food are very good. Pick up a free "Salad Coupon" in one of the free booklets before going.
NANTUCKET - Features N. England style seafood. Nice reasonable place with good food. Near Sea Pines and Shipyard on N. Orleans Rd.
FITZGERALDS - This has been there a long time and has done so by offering good food...nice surroundings and good prices.
IMPERIAL DRAGON - The place to go if you crave Chinese.
SANTA FE CAFE - An upscale SW place. A lot better food than at SAN MIGUELS.
TAPAS - A unique small place in the NorthRidge Shopping Center. Features gormet appetizers...Mix and share...The food is great. The service is excellent and it is quite reasonable.
CQ's - Located at Harbourtown across from the parking lot and the harbour. Charming place with excellent food.
GREAT PLAINS CATTLE CO. - The place to go if you're looking for big hunks of beef at a fair price. On Palmetto Bay Rd.
CAFE EUROPA - At Harbourtown right on the water. Great views...excellent food. The place next door (The Quarterdeck) has an outside bar with live music. Have a drink there and take in the scene.
CAFE @ WEXFORD - Gourmet food at reasonable prices.
BIG ROCCOS - OK place with BIG servings. Free gourmet pizza during Happy Hour. Has Jazz.
BRIANS - A nice "All American kind of place" @ MAIN STREET VILLAGE.
STRIPES- A nice place with excellent food. A little more expensive...but good.
Hope this helps....All the Best, Gerry from Vail
-- Gerry from Vail (gazman@colorado.net) submitted 6/13/97

Gerry from Vail's scoop on HHI RESTAURANTS: Not surprisingly for a tourist place, there are a ton of them. They range from fast food places like Wendy's and McDonalds to semi fast food places like Shoneys and "move 'em in ...feed 'em up...move 'em out places like the Cracker Barrel......to a number of privately owned places . There some really bad places with lousy food, too high prices considering,, poor atmosphere etc. to some really good ones that offer good food, fair prices considering and lovely atmosphere. You don't always pay for what you get....Some of the lousy ones charge higher prices and some of the best are reasonable. In my GENERAL ADVICE....I suggested picking up a copy of HHI RESTAURANTS....do it!!! It will give you a sampling of most of the restaurants on the island with their menus and prices. Not to be Negative, but there are some places you might want to be warned about in advance. If you decide to disregard this advice....NO WHINING !
HENRY's is near a group of places near the entrace to Sea Pines Planatation which includes....Reilly's....Jump & Phils...and The Hilton Head Brewing CO. Unilike these otheres which are basically bar places which serve food (I'm a non smoker so they don't do much for me and since I'm not in my 20's anymore...that's another reason. Getting back to Henry's....the big draw is reasonably prices seafood....sounds good? Then consider that it is probably frozen and not fresh...the service is lousy...the food is tasteless...and they have loud FM music blaring along with comercials while you eat. Aaaargh !
The BIG BAMBOO - has been mentioned by others previously as being a good spot. The must be teen agers or folks who think Dennys is a gormet upscale place. It is dark and dismal.
WILD WINGS - Looks like a TGIF Fridays....caters to the 20's crowd. so so food, but their wings are HOT !!! Not enought to turn me on. Sorry.
SAN MIGUELS - A popular tourist spot at Shelter Cove. SO so mexican food.
CRAZY CRAB - At Harbourtown...this is the prototype tourist trap rip off place. Prices too high considering the poorly prepared food, noisy...pack 'em in kind of place. People seem to keep on coming. As PT BARNUM said "A sucker is born every day."
FUDDRUCKERS - Need I say more....A 1.5 on a scale of 1 to 10.
SCHUCKERS - Grubby place that features crab races on Wed nites. It's basically a bar masquerading as a restaurant. Very average seafood.
HUDSONS - Tourist Seafood place...Overly fried food.
KINGFISHER - A tourist oriented place- over priced considering.
HARBOURMASTERS - Antother tourist place with so so food.
The places that you really ought to consider will be listed in my next message. All the Best, GERRY from VAIL
-- Gerry from Vail (gazman@colorado.net) submitted 6/13/97

Recently, I sent in a note to the Hilton Head Island Travelogue following our return from an extended stay in April and May of 1997. (You can read it in the travelogue) Foolishly, I suppose I offered to give advice on the best RESTAURANTS...GOLF deals...and other items of interest on the island...but I wan't prepared for the onslaught of requests from all over the USA from a lot of nice folks. While I have tried to answer each request, it has become an awesome task so I will try to sumarize my opinions, advise and counsel at this time. While I realize it maty not be for everyone, I hope you will accept it as the "Straight Scoop" from a guy with on financial interests in answering your questions. If this doesn't work...then you can reach me at my E-mail address and I will try to help you. Thanks for your understanding... GERRY from VAIL.
By the way, I am a "young at heart 50ish guy...my long suffering wife is a gourmet cook...and I have eaten in csome of the best and worst restaurants all over the USA. I like to have fun...am an avid skier, golfer, tennis player and enjoy likfe to the fullest. Hilton Head is a GREAT place ! My coments which will be sent in seperately will deal with...GENERAL ADVICE....RESTAURANTS....GOLF....TENNIS... SIGHTSEEING and other misc. items. Hope you have a great vacation. All the Best.....GERRY
-- Gerry from Vail (gazman@colorado.net) submitted 6/13/97

My "new" husband and I just returned to Denver, CO from HHI. We were married last week, May 29, outside at the Marriott Grande Ocean Resort, and everything was simply perfect. We would highly recommend eating at the Great Plains Cattle Company - which is where we held our reception dinner. Very reasonably prices, extra large portions, excellent service, and the food was delicious. Everyone who attended the reception dinner was eager to go back again. Anyone visiting HHI whether for the 1st time or repeat visitors - you can't go wrong with a vacation here - it is wonderful!
-- Nancy Nicoll (nnicoll@co.affinitygroup.com) submitted 6/3/1997

My wife and I spent our twentieth anniversary (May 16-18, 1997)at Palmetto Dunes Hilton Resort. We usually vacation in Jamaica but decided to give Hilton Head a try because we've heard wonderful remarks about the beach. We were not dissapointed. We have been to some world class beaches but Hilton Head's beach takes the cake for cleanliness and accomodations. Most impressive was the hard packed sand, not to mention the incredible width of the beach, especially at low tide, Wow! As much as we enjoyed the island, we were very dissapointed with the Hilton Resort. Our reservations, made three months in advance, were not available upon check in. The "ocean view" that we paid extra for was a thin strip of water visible across the parking lot. The staff was indifferent to our concerns. The pool was closed on Saturday to accomodate a private party, and the pool cleaners fired up thier engines early in the morning making it impossible to sleep in. The room was large and in very close proximity to the beach. Our dining experiences were good with the exception of The Old Oyster Factory. I've never had a pushier waitress!I was not permitted even one refill on my tea, in fact the waitress poured water into my emptied glass. yuck! The food was good but not exceptional. All in all, I felt like "just another tourist." I do recommend Miguel's on the harbor-it was excellent! We look forward to returning to Hilton Head, for jogging, walking and biking on the beach, it can't be beat!
-- Wilbur Ray (wilburr@usitnet.com) submitted 6/3/97

Just returned on May 23rd to Vail, CO where I live after being at HHI for half of April and most of May, 1997. We rented a lovely 3 BR - 3 1/2 B house right on the golfcourse in one of the plantations there and really enjoyed the area. We ate out about 4 nights a week and a variety of restaurants and discovered some really good ones...some tourist rip off ones...and some that were just plain medicore. We cooked in about 3 nights a week since our place had a super outdoor grill and got some great FRESH seafood while we were there. We discovered a place called BARNACLE BILL's...which sells FRESH seafood and Bill's fish...shrimp..crabs...etc. was clearly the best on the island. There are some other places that sell seafood...but beware...some of it is frozen and not fresh and Bills prices are great and the fish is fabulous. He is located right on the main road (Hwy 278 - Hilton Pkwy) right next door to the Speedway gas station whicvh has the lowest price's on gas on the island. It is towards the bridge from Palmetto Dunes and Shelter Cove and on the Shelter Cove side of the road before you get to Folly field road. Tell Bill that GERRY from Colorado sent you and I'll bet he treats you right. If anyone is interested in the best restaurants and the ones to avoid...send me an E-Mail message and I'll get back to you. Looking at some of the comments posted here....some must be posted by people who are either kids or else they don't have a clue about what is good dining. Ex....Fuddruckers... come on...no my idea of gourmet food. If you send a message...let me know how old you are and the kind of food and atmosphere/prices you like.. so I'll have an idea what to suggest. All in all...HHI has something for everyone and is a great place to visit. P.S. I call give you some tips on how to get the best prices on greens fees and where to play if you are a golfer. All the Best... Gerry Z. gazman@colorado.net
-- Gerry Zimmerman (gazman@colorado.net) submitted 5/28/1997

We just returned from a fabulous week in Hilton Head Island. We have gone there over the past five years and had always stayed in a hotel (Crystal Sands) but this year because we were traveling with five of us, we decided to rent instead. A perfect choice. The weather the Week of May 2-11, was in the low 80's, the sun and the blue skies over the lagoons and ocean was incredible. We tried new restaurants, Quarterdeck in Sea Pines (great for sandwiches and light dining, overlooking the yatchs and water); Hudson's, (okay if you like seafood); the HH Diner for breakfast is great; Guiseppes for pizza, fab; we went mini golfing; my husband and son golfed; drive to Savannah for the day (only 45 minutes) - history and culture of the south - walk River Street; visit Shelter Cove at night, for live entertainment from 7.30p.m.Tues.-Sat. If you like steak and ribs we would recommend Damons, (Wexford), a magician comes to the table to entertain you. Great place to go every year, can't wait to return.
-- Marsha Fine (yu173439@yorku.ca) submitted 5/19/1997

after visiting hh for my first time in the summer of 1996, i was in love!! hilton head truly has it all!! sun, surf, friendly people and awesome sights! in my opinion: a must see: gregg russel (excellent family time) good food: crabby nick's (casual dining) must do: definitely watch the sunrise and sunset!! it is gorgeous!! i will be returning to hh upon my graduation in 1998!! i love it!! hilton head is #1 with me!!
-- JENNIFER/ COLUMBUS, OHIO submitted 5/19/97

Lots of great restaurants on Hilton Head Island. Finally retired here and are now full time residents. For a lunch-time treat, try Phillys Cafe & Deli - 2 locations, one in Fountain Center on New Orleans Road, and the other in the Pineland Mill Mall. They say they serve "The Best Sandwiches on the Island... Period! ----- they are right. Great price for a really over-sized sandwich. Try one of many Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches offerings. Discovered this place in mid-June of 1996 and have returned many times and ordered something different each time. Fast and courteous service. Say "hi" to owner Mike for me.
-- Karla Weaver (KWeaver589@aol.com) submitted 4/30/1997

Had an interesting experience at the Old Fort Pub in Hilton Head Plantation. We had 9:00 PM reservations and were seated on time. The food was excellent and unique. We enjoyed the dinner but soon had a series of problems with the waitress. Throughout the dinner she was nowhere to be found and table service sufferred. Following dinner she presented us with the check prior to serving coffee ( it was getting late and it appears the staff was anxious to depart). During coffee, we paid the bill and gave her a 10% tip because of the lack of quality service. She soon returned and asked for additional money claiming that the house tip is 17% minimum.
-- James A. Young" (103145.1074@CompuServe.COM) submitted //
Editor's Note: Hmmm.... I thought a TIP was optional and intended to reflect the quality of service. Pretty gutsy to ask for a bigger tip especially after poor service :-(.

We have gone to HHI for the past three years exclusivelt for vacation at least three times each year. We love the beach , the laidback atmosphere and the great selection of fine dining. You must try La Massionette and Juleps the food is excellent and the service superb.
-- Tim & Lori Thacker (Tim & Lori Thacker @prodigy.com) submitted 4/27/1997

We visited Hilton Head in March 1997. Too bad we were there when the tennis tournement was there. It was way too crowded for our tastes. I have looked forward to visiting there for sooo long. I was dissappointed in the development of that tiny island. Back to back condo's is sure a bummer. We would never return. I can see where it used to be nice. We had a great dinner at Fitzgerald's. Swordfish was out of this world! We are originally from San Francisco, so know good food! Also enjoyed the fun ambiance of the Bamboo Cafe! My father in law had a ball looking at all the WW2 stuff! Menu had something for us all! Tough to find the place tho. Played golf mostly.
-- Jeff and Lynna Smith (lynna@erols.com) submitted 4/24/97

Always look forward to eating at the Imperial Dragon Chinese restaurant in Park Plaza. Plan to try everything on the menu but it may take a while since it's 12 pages long. Great atmosphere and superb authentic food. Helen the owner is a gorgeous Chinese lady and for a while I imagine I am back in Asia. I understand she has a new Imperial Dragon in Bluffton and I can hardly wait. Now I can get my Chinese food fix before I have to fight I-95 on the way home. 4/23 97
-- George Decock submitted 4/24/1997
Editor's Note: I'd been meaning to dine at the Imperial Dragon for some time. I finally had a chance to over the Easter holidays. What a wonderful experience! The food was excellent as well as the service. I can't wait to get back there myself :-)

I spent last summer in Hilton Head. I worked at MOSS CREEK It's a great place that any one would want to retire to. I also worked at the Timberland factory store. If you need a new par of shoes thats the place to go. Jane Hays is the manager. Very nice women if you go by tell her Tom said Hi. The EDDIE BOWER outlet is another can't miss Debbie Martin the manager is very friendly and will always make you smile. If you see her tell her i said hi also. If your looking for something to do during the day. The TIKI HUT is your best bet. The Pina coladas are great, and the live music keeps you in a good mood. Shelter Cove is a great place to visit also.
-- Tom Hillis (Th21297@appstate.com) submitted 4/17/97

My family has been going to Hilton Head Island for the past 7 years. We have always stayed at Sea Pines Plantation at the Marriott's Monarch Resort. It is a beautiful place to vacation. This year (March 97) we bought a time share at Marriott's Grande Ocean Resort and it was beautiful. My twin sister,Megan, and my friend Kristin and I went with our parents and had the best time. We rode bikes all over the island swam in the ocean and just relaxed. The best place to eat we think is Jump and Phils, best place to meet guys is the grocery store by the Holiday Inn or on the beach by the Holiday Inn. Oh,we met this really cute guy at the Grande Ocean Resort when we stayed there he had a goat-t and a University of Miami hat,and his name is Andy,and we never really got to talk to him so we just want to say hey if you are reading this, we were the three girls in the Royal Tern building on the third floor who wore hats all the time.
-- Katie J submitted 4/4/97

4/1/97 We were in Hilton Head over February break staying at a place we do not own and had the best weather you could ask for. (sunny and 70's and 80's) We enjoyed Hilton Head Brewing Co. and Wild Wings Cafe. We are owners at Harbour Club in Harbour Town and were concerned when we read that the pool was not maintained and the whirlpool was broken. We immediately contacted the Marriott who maintains this property. They called us back this morning and have informed us that everything is up and running. Thank you Kim for making us aware of this problem as we are going to stay at Harbour Club April 20th. Joanne (campbell@auburn.cnyric.org)
-- Joanne F. Campbell (Joanne_F._Campbell@auburn.cnyric.org) submitted 4/01/1997

We have gone to Hilton Head for three years during the summer. We have a timeshare at The Island Club. It is located directly on the beach. It is a very nice and relaxing place. Last year,unfortunately,we were chased out of Hilton Head by Hurricane Bertha(on my birthday). My parents were taking me out to dinner at The Old Fort Pub,but we never got there. We usually go to the Cracker Barrel, order Giuseppi's Pizza,Fudruckers(when we arrive for lunch),and Antonio's Italian Restaurant. We have been to Fitzgeralds,Carmen's, and Crabby Nick's also. We go minature golfing and I have always wanted to go on the Dolphin cruises. Hopefully this year, if we go,we will get to try out some new places. If you have any suggestions,just e-mail me.(if you are between the ages of 15-18 and male definately e-mail me)!! Bye!! From Jenn-15/f.
-- Jenn (sunbeams@hotmail.com) submitted 3/30/1997

I visited Hilton Head Island for the first time just this past week in March. My parents have been going for the past couple years and have finally purchased a house in Indigo Run right on the Golden Bear golf course. The crazy crab is a great place to eat, while I found Crabby Nicks not as good, even though they were loaded with bussiness. I loved playing golf at the golden bear in Indigo Run, and The Golf Club at Indigo Run is very nice, but it is private and only accepts 385 members. I also like Rose Hill which is off the Island. If you want to take golf lessons, definetly go to the Island Golf school, right on folly road, where the driving range is. They are great there. I was there from 3/15/97 - 3/22/97
-- Jun de la Rosa (mngoph1133@aol.com) submitted 3/27/1997

Notes for HHI -
~ Italian - try Bella Italia in Port Royal Plaza. Great food / pizza and nice atmosphere.
~ Don't miss San Migeuls for mexican at the Shelter Cove harbor. Excellent food.
~ STAY AWAY from 211 Park!!! Mediocer food and snobby, impolite, horrible staff.
~ Good seafood at Harbortown - try The Crazy Crab (casual); Cafe Europa (nice)
~ Old Fort Pub on Hilton Head plantation is great. Nice view for lunch or dinner.
~ For TENNIS, Port Royal Racquet Club is the best. Play on GRASS, clay, or hard courts and meet a wpnderful and friendly staff. If you want a good tennis lesson, try Dana Landin at Port Royal racquet Club.
Have a great trip!
-- K.C. Schaefer (schaefer@wesnet.com) submitted 3/26/97

I spent only 2 hours on Hilton Head (busy work schedule). I liked the Hilton Head Brewing Co., which provided great buffalo wings, great beer, and pleasant surroundings. I'll go back as soon as I get the chance.
-- MR STEVEN C LEEVAN (LWAV44B@prodigy.com) submitted //

We have enjoyed vacationing at Hilton Head's Shipyard Plantation for several years now. We stay, and I would strongly reccommend, Beachwalk. It is just behind the Crystal Sands Resort about 150 yards to the beach. Prices are very ($795 for a three bdrm, 3.5 bath) cheap in the sport season (middle of August) and the weather and surf are still comparable to the heart of summer. Clean pool, free tennis, and golf discounts available. Villas are very secluded in a beautiful setting typical of Hilton Head. Don't miss the excellent seafood buffet at the crystal Sands Resort for under $20. Other eateries I would suggest are Shuckers for lunch, of course the Salty Dog for a casual night on the Calibogie Sound for margaritas and peel-and-eat shrimp, and a place called Steamers (beside the Holiday Inn). It seems like nobody knows about this place, but it is excellent-huge portions and very affordable.For golf either Shipyard Golf Club or go off the island to Rose Hill for about $23 for 18 and a cart. I would also suggest spending a day or at least part of a day in Savannah. Take in its old world charm, plenty of antique shops, and have lunch on the water at the Shrimp House. Oh, don't forget to pick up a caramel apple the size of a softball, maybe bigger, at the candy store on the water. I can't give away all of my secret spots, but hopefully these few tips will make your stay more enjoyable. Bye for now.
-- ANDY AND SHANNON ADOLPH (tadolph@uakron.edu) submitted 3/22/1997

3-17-97 Just got back from our 1st trip to HH Island....awesome!!! The beaches are breathtaking...so broad and great for walking riding and even pushing the stroller. Stayed at Harbour Club in Harbour town. Beatiful Villas but pool not maintained and whirlpool broken. CQs was surprisingly great...food, atmosphere and service. For a night out without the kids (we have a 3 and 1 yr old) you must go to Harbourmaster's for dinner. Another must is to visit the Seach Beach Marina Village. We cut through the villas and walked for miles along the beach. The deli has .15 shrimp for happy hour. The deli and cafe are great spots and so is the Salty Dog. We loved blading with the kids in their strollers! Enjoy...we'll be back!
-- Kim (kiml@lpa.com) submitted 3/17/97

My just returned from a week in the Charleston area attending our sons wedding. We enjoyed Boones Plantation, uss Yorktown, the carriage ride downtown. We did not enjoy our accomidations at the sea cabins at Isle of Palms. They neglected to tell us that there was daily maid service for an extra charge, clean towels were an extra charge and I have slept on a better matteress in a $29.95 motel room. We did enjoy the wedding, rehearsel dinner at Magnolia's and all the other tourist things that we did.We were there 2-18 to 2-25-97
-- Terry Barnhart (chieftb@vcn.com) submitted 3/11/1997

ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT HILTON HEAD ISLAND IS, HINCHEYS CHICAGO BAR & GRILL ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS, IS THE PLACE TO BE. I WILL BE THERE ON 3/26/97 FOR SPRING BREAK SO COME AND JOIN ME AND MY BOYS AT HINCHEYS. IT WAS ALWAYS A BLAST LAST SUMMER (3/96). ASK JOHN FOR ME WHO SCOTT IS.)
-- scott stampflmeier (sstampfl@eng.utoledo.edu) submitted 3/6/97

Hilton Head is a spectacular island to visit. I had the best experience at a fine dining reataurant on Hilton Head Plantation called THE OLD FORT PUB. The restaurant sits right in the water and there is a beautiful sunset every evening at 7:30p.m. The management really takes care of the customers. The food is excellent and the atmosphere is peaceful. The southern hospitality really shows at this wonderful restaurant!! I highly recommend it!!
-- jill (blimline@bellatlantic.net) submitted 3/3/97

WE JUST RETURNED FROM HHI, 2/23/97, AS USUAL HAD A GREAT TIME, WE GO ABOUT 3 TIMES A YEAR. EACH TIME THERE WE NEVER MISS EATING AT SAN MIGUEL'S, ALL YOU CAN EAT FAJITA NIGHT-EXCELL. 211 PARK-EXCELLENT FOOD BUT OUR WAITER WAS TERRIBLE, A LETTER WILL BE SENT TO MGMT. CAFE BELFAIR (OFF HHI) TWENTY STAR!!!!!DON'T MISS IT.JUST PASTA IS FANTASTIC, EXCELL.FOOD! MR.BENSONS CHINESE ALL YOU CAN EAT AT THE MALL IS REALLY A GOOD DEAL HENRY'S NOT TOO GOOD, MISS IT!COMING FROM SANIBEL ISLAND TO HILTON HEAD WE CAN APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY AND PROTECTIVE ENVIRONMENT, HOPEFULLY IT WON'T BE OVERBUILT, I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THE NEW HIGHWAY CUTTUNG THROUGH, BUT THEN AGAIN I DON'T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THE TRAFFIC. GOOD PIZZA ON MAIN STREET. BAKED GOODS AT COLIGNY BAKERY. SIGNE'S IS ALSO A GOOD CAFE WITH EXCELL.FRESH FOOD. SKILLETS IS GOOD, BEST GROCERY SHOPPING IS AT AT HARRIS TEETER.THIS TIME WE HAD GREAT SHELLING, FOUND TONS OF MINI SHARKEYES IN PERFECT CONDITION...REMEMBER DON'T TAKE LIVE SHELLS! DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT INTO ABE'S, PERHAPS NEXT TRIP. ENJOY YOUR STAY AT HHI, WE ALWAYS DO AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO RETURN. AG 2/24/97
-- a.galante submitted 2/24/1997

2-22-1997 have been coming to hhi for 15 years. own a home in sea pines (on the rental market if interested). we love the island anytime. october is gorgeous, december is extraordinary (golf and beach walking every day). love to eat at Neno Il Toscano--about a year old and by far the best italian food on the island. during the summer, salty dog at south beach is fun--great hot dogs and daiquiris.
-- Nancy (njjstlhhi) submitted 2/23/97

Current date: 2/21/97 IN June, 1996, our family visited Hilton Head Island. The beaches were excellent and in general we had a good time. I would recommend Fitzgerald's Restuarant. I would not recommend the Quarterdeck Restaurant at Harbour Town. While the sunset was fantastic, the food was poor and overpriced. The service was even worse than the food. Were not able to complain to the manager at the time of our visit but sent two letters subsequently to which I received no response. Go to Harbour Town to see the sunset, but do not go to the Quarterdeck Restaurant.
-- Allan (colreb@midwest.net) submitted 2/21/97

My husband and I have been going to Hilton Head with our best friends for five springs. We've had a blast every vacation. People always ask us why we don't choose another vacation destination and our repy is "Why?" When it comes to where to eat or go, there are so many options it's hard to choose. Big Rocco's a great place for italian food and for live music, especially on the jam session night. The jam sessions is where the host band invites other entertainers from the island to perform. We love the frozen drinks from Crazy Crab while sitting on the rocking chairs by the lighthouse at Sea Pines Plantation. For happy hour cocktails on an outside deck, listening to great old tunes, eating 10 cent shrimp go to La Polas/Kingfisher. The tunes are sung by Pete Carroll, he usually starts performing the weekend of the Heritage Classic...once again we enjoy cocktails there sitting on rocking chairs. If there's a night and you want to cook in, go see Barnacle Bill for fresh shrimp and have a shrimp boil. He has a stand right on 278 about a mile between Folly Field Road and Shelter Cove. For good, inexpensive italian food (great pizza, calzones, pasta) go to Giuseppi's Pizza in the Shelter Cove Plaza. For a littlle night life, you've got to go to Wingo's..live bands...dancing...darts...good times! So many restaurants, so little space...Margaritas, The Salty Dog Cafe, Wild Wing Cafe for great wings, and so much more! Althouugh, we go for the golf and tennis it does seem like we spend a majority of our time eating and enjoying cocktails. Hope everyone enjoys Hilton Head as much as us!
-- (SandaLH@aol.com) submitted 2/18/1997

In the past four years we have vacationed at HHI and stayed at the Crowne Plaza Resort (formerly Crystal Sands), but this year we thought we would rent a villa in Evian, if possible. Could you send rental info or possible agencies to contact. We need to sleep 5. We have come down the last to March breaks, and the two summers prior. In March we found other than golf and tennis, you could not veg in the pool or the ocean. Weather was great (60s and low 70s) but not as nice as being in the hot summer time. More action and people and activities to do in the warm months. Also at the Crowne Plaze (which is a fabulous hotel) we found in March a lot of business conventions there and they took over the hotel more or less. Otherwise, a great holiday spot for young and old. My son roller blades and bikes all day long and my self and my daughter find plenty of shopping. The Southern hospitality is great. My husband got a hole-in-one in Shipyard's course and that was a bonus on last year's holiday. Golfing is expensive especially if you want to take a teenager with you. Las Vegas Golf & Tennis is a great place for golf and tennis bargains, and so is Players World. Guiseppe's great for salad and pizza. Up here in Toronto we look forward to a friendly visit to HHI in the very near future. It is only a short 17 hours drive down and it is such a beautiful drive. Any rental information would be appreciated. Thanks.
-- karen (yu173439@yorku.ca) submitted 1/27/97

1/7/97 - We have been visiting HHI during March and April for the past few years and always look forward to returning. We have enjoyed staying at the Adventure Inn in a nice room with a kitchenette for quite reasonable prices for being on the beach. Weather has been between 70 and 80 degrees F. Mostly we just hang out at the beach all day, walk the shoreline, and try a few restaurants during the week. Fratello's has fine Italian food, the Brew Co. had delicious, large portions, and of course... BEER. There are many places to rent bicycles if interested. We took a sunset ship ride to watch the dolphins. It's also only 30 minutes from Savannah, Georgia which is an extraordinary city to experience.
-- Charlie and Jenny Karpelenia (cbkarp@peoples.net) submitted 1/7/97

5th January 1997 Hi & a Happy New Year to you all We are from Harrogate in England and are coming to HH at Easter following a relaxing weekend in HH after business trip to South Carolina last February.
I loved HH and managed 2 rounds of Golf at Old South & Palmetto Dunes - both excellent. Weather in Feb was gorgeous at 70f+. Ate at Damons - ribs very good! Regarding Easter - we are staying at Southwind on Shipyard in a timeshare - can anyone pls advise how I can book a golf package for the week for my teenage son(21h/c) & myself(15) Thanks Iain Gray
-- Iain Gray (106261,3706@Compuserve.com) submitted 1/5/97

We almost feel like residents on the Island...we have been coming since 1981 and have owned numerous time shares but now a condo in Shipyard. We love the wide beaches for walking and riding. Our son, a lawyer, is enamored to the original Crazy Crab's and we love the salad bar at the Chart House. Truffles in SeaPines is also a favorite. For 90's golfers we like Indigo Run and can almost always get a tee time. We rent our condo through Shoreline, the Taylor's do an excellent job...were most helpful with the hurricane scars this last summer. ..Looking forward to returning and eventually retiring! Thanks....Dick and Liz
-- Liz and Dick Reiling (rbr@erinet.com) submitted 1/4/97

I went to Hilton Head a year and one-half ago for the first time; after four days there, I called a realtor because I knew I wanted a home there; bought the first house from the car phone on the way home to Maryland; have sold and bought again since then; just came back from Christmas '96 vacation there where temperatures were in seventies and even eighties one day; love the restaurants, especially Stellini's, Neno's, Brian's and Cafe Wexford; the new fine arts center is fabulous; so much to do day and night; new movie theatres now bring total up to about 20. Would be willing to talk with anybody about the place and where to stay; my place is presently rented, but I know others that are good. It's heaven on earth!!! 1/2/97
-- Robert L. Tingle (rtingle@skipjack.bluecrab.org) submitted 1/2/1997

Restaurants: Best meal with excellent food, good service and a cheerful atmosphere was Neno al Toscante. It's new so you need to call and get the number. It's worth the effort. La Maisonette is OK, but not great. Avoid Crabby Nick's; it's not too good.
Tour of Dunfanuske (sp?) Island: This is almost a scam and will get worse as the Island becomes more settled. I enjoyed the boat ride much more and suggest you just do that and not waste time of the Island.
Overall comments about Hilton Head: Good place to visit. First place I ever played golf with alligators on the course! Hard to drive there at night with no lighted streets. Will go back again.
-- Glen (Glen Lakes@AOL.com) submitted 12/12/96

we just returned yesterday from our first trip to HH. The weather was good, could have been sunnier. We stayed at the Monarch in Sea Pines, it was very nice. Our 5 year old Zach loved the heated pool! We found things a bit pricey but that's to be expected. There are almost too many restaurants to choose from but we especially enjoyed The Hilton Head Brewing Co. good luck finding it! for that matter good luck finding any place you're looking for, there must be an ordinance banning large colorful easy to find signs. Also a bit surprised to not find any comments about those traffic circles are they fun or what? I can't imagine what traffic must be like during the peak season! Overall a wonderful place to visit!
-- The Austin's (zachman@foote.com) submitted 11/24/96
Editor's Note: As for those traffic circles in season - don't ask :-)

You have to go to Wild wings resturant,,,it makes the hottest wings I have ever had and go back time and time again. From experince have found that Big Bamboo was not our cup of tea,,,,and Henrys (sic) was terrible....Looked like everyone needed green cards...Do Fuddruckers once and that should be that forever. Have a condo on the island for the past five years, and love going back twice a year...If I was independently wealthy, I would be there right now.
-- Patrick McLaughlin (patrick@wurtsboro.ny.frontiercomm.net) submitted 11/9/96

I love Hilton Head Island. I've been ther twice int the last two years and i plan to keep going back. It is such a great atmosphere and a relaxing place to stay. I absolutely love it . It is so different than Ohio (which is where I'm from) There is so much more to do there. Sight seeing bike rides fishing the SAlty Dog Cafe. It has to be one of my favorite places in the U.S.
-- Jake Rotthoff (rotthofj@po6.odc.edu) submitted 11/4/96

After spending a week on Hilton Head (10/12-19th), we cannot wait to go back for another week. We stayed at a time share in Sea Pines Plantation. It is called Monarch by Marriott. The weather was absolutely great and the water temperature was in the high seventies. We took a boat trip on the Calibogue line to Savannah for a four hour tour of the old city and then a two hour bat trip back. A great value at $33 per adult. Try it you'll love it. The sea food is great, especially the shrimp. Try Nantucket Seafood. Two 1lb lobsters for $24 with all the fixings. Crazy Crab is touristy and expensive, but food is ok. Bike rentals are a must as there are many miles of paved bike trails throughout the plantations. Saw many alligators on our daily rides. We definitely will go again!! MSS
-- Michael S. Stowell (Stowellone@AOL.com) submitted 10/23/96

Spent a week a HH during first week in October. Rotten weather! We did have a memorable dining experience at the Gaslight Restaurant. Excellent French fare. Rack of Lamb was out of this world and the wine list was very deep. Would gladly return again.
-- Bill Mackey (bmackey@delmarva.com) submitted 10/21/96

My wife & I just got back from our first stay at Hilton Head 10/12-10/19), and we both agree that it was one of the nicest places, if not THE nicest, that we'd ever stayed at, and we've traveled a lot! We stayed in Sea Pines, at South Beach, and we couldn't have picked a better spot. Our villa overlooked the water, where the Atlantic and the Sound (?) met. Deer walked by our porch in the morning, and every day we watched the dolphins swim and play. Sundowns were beautiful, whether watched from our deck, while riding bikes on the beach, or having a drink outside at the Quarterdeck.
Some thoughts for future "first-timers":
- Have dinner at least one night at the Big Bamboo. Best grouper sandwich I've ever had, and really unique atmosphere.
- Rent (our bring your own) bikes while you're there. Leisure trails go everywhere, are well maintained, and easy to use. No place, at least within Sea Pines, is too far by bike. Be sure to ride on the beach, too!
- We brought some "dressy clothes", but they never got used. Shorts and t-shirts during the day, throw on a sweatshirt at night.
- Take a day trip to Savannah. Have lunch at the Tango Cafe on River St. Great shrimp!
- Kick back, have a drink, and listen to the music at the Salty Dog (I think it must be a law that you also buy something from their shirt shop).
- Reilly's has Guinness on tap!
- The Hilton Head Brewing Co.'s own stout is very good. My wife preferred the amber ale.
- Bring bug spray ("Pest Off" seemed to be the locals favorite). I don't know what they are, but they bite!
- Have fun, relax, and enjoy!
-- Tim Schurtter (tsch@loc.gov) submitted 10/21/96

(Week of September 14, 1996) We stayed in HH for a week with beautiful weather and beaches. A quick summary of some of the restaurants we went to are
1) Wild Wings: loved it. Had a great time sitting at the bar and hanging out. Nice atmosphere with a good crowd. Wings were hot but good.
2) Crazy Crab in Harbourtown: good food but not a place to hang out. A casual family atmosphere.
3) Fitzgeralds: Okay. It was a little dark inside and old-fashioned.
4) Shuckers: Fun. We went on Wednesday night for the crab races (9:30 pm) They were a must do event. There was room for family dining as well as a bar. Seemed good for late 20's crowd to hang out.
5) Cafe Europe: Excellent. Was a beautiful dining experience. Gracious staff, beautiful interior and view of the harbor and lighthouse and wonderful food. My boyfriend said it was the best salmon he has ever eaten!
-- Nicole (.) submitted 9/25/96

We just got back to Ontario after a week of vacation based on Hilton Head Island ( our first time !) . Thoroughly enjoyed our whole trip. The ocean was as warm as bathwater and the weather was sunny and hot, though very humid for most of the week. We would recommend: i) staying at Shorewood or elsewhere on either South or North Forest Beach. We loved the seafood at Hudsons, and enjoyed our dinner at the Great Plains Cattle Company. All of the aforementioned businesses treated us in a first rate manner and all were relatively reasonably priced. We can't wait to go back !!
-- Jason & Allyson Webb (dairysp@kwic.com) submitted 9/22/96

Best tennis is at VanderMeer. If you like German food try the Hofbrauhaus.
-- Anonymous submitted 9/16/96

Our family had a best dinner at CATTAILS RESTAURANT lots of fresh seafood, home made bread and pasta it was so good we went back next day for lunch.
-- corinna bumgardiner (mv.aol.com) submitted 9/12/96

Had another wonderful time during easter weekend of '96. Too bad I was only there for the weekend. Sometimes college sucks when you're forced to leave HH for classes. Anyway, I think I packed two weeks of fun into three days. The weather was fantastic (as if I could have expected anything else), and the new Ocean Course really showed its teeth. The redesign was great Mark!! Truffles in Sea Pines Center is still one of the best! Some of the bike paths have been resurfaced and everything was as beautiful as ever. Thanks to everybody that participated in the Great Beach Party that weekend. Hey everybody in Cincy, Chicago, Atlanta, and NY. Can't wait to go back soon!!
-- Patrick Bresonis (Patrick.T.Bresonis@Vanderbilt.Edu) submitted 9/12/96

I'd just like to add a word about Fitgerald's restaurant on South Forest Beach Drive. Best swordfish dinner I ever had! I'm not sure how they prepared it, but it was delicious and quite memorable! Great atmosphere, too...overlooking the gardens and courtyard of the Adventure Inn.
-- TABatOBNJ (TABatOBNJ@AOL.com) submitted 9/5/96

Hi, my girlfriends and I are back from HH (8/29-9/2). We had the best time. Action Sports took us on a great tour on waverunners. The Island is absolutely beautiful and the people are so nice. We managed to find the crowd bet. 25-35 every night for some dancing and mingling. Thursday night at Kat Man Du is the best. Crazy Nick had some great seafood and clam chowder. Can wait to go back.
-- Rose (Wong@panix.com) submitted 9/3/96

Follow up from my earlier note... H2 is wonderful. My family went for the first time and returned two days ago. Spectacular weather!!! Great golf courses include Hilton Head National and the Cupp course at Palmetto Hall. The Ocean course at Sea Pines was nice, though not great. Finally the RTJ course at Palmetto Dunes makes my driveway look like a PGA caliber track (RTJ is HORRIBLE!!!!). The Castaways and the Oyster factory were both terrific and the Hilton Head Brewery was good. We can't wait till next year!!!
-- Adam R. Saslow (saslow.adam@epamail.epa.gov) submitted 8/26/96

My husband and I have been visiting your wonderful island for the past five years. We will in town September 7 - 14, 1996. Our favorite restaurant is the Great Plains Cattle Company. The best steaks in the world. We usually have dinner there at least 3 times. I will not order a steak anywhere else i in the country because I know it will not compare to Great Plains. It is a definite must for all vistors.
-- Kim Holsapple (Kimbers867@aol.com) submitted 8/22/96

We visited Hilton head Island for the first time this July (7/27-8/3/96). We loved it and plan to return next summer. Our favorite resturant was the Cracker Barrel. Great country cooking, large portions and very reasonable prices. We also found the Hofbrauhaus to also be a very good resturant. We ate at the King Fisher and found it to be average at best and expensive.
-- John Leahey (zabrack@aol.com) submitted 8/16/96

Visted HH fro teh first time in July of '96. Recommendations:
Shannon Tanner- Shelter Cove Harbour almost every night - great sing-along for kids and adults
Shuckers - Good food - be sure to check out Big George's crab races on Wed. nights- fun for all ages
HH Brewing - Fun atmosphere - try the rasberry wheat
Hudsons - Great oysters, pretty view from dining room
Wild Wings - Best selection of wing flavors and beers I've ever seen. If you like'm hot, get at least the China Syndrome sauce
Harbour Town - Nice shops but too rich for my blood
The two best things about our stay were the beautiful beaches and the freindly people. If only we could control the weather!
-- Andy Smith (andysmth@on-ramp.net) submitted 7/30/96

7/10/96. four stars (or is it four forks?) to a small mediterranean restaurant called "Le Bistro", which is located in the pineland mall. unfortunately it closes for a few weeks in july and august. the rack of lamb, herb bread, good red wine and a variety of beers make it a great all around place for a semi-expensive meal.
-- smith (pitt04@aol.com) submitted 7/10/96

My husband Don and I have been vacationing on Hilton Head for about ten years now. We love it. Our favorite places to eat are:
1. Hudson's -food's good;touristy
2. Big Bamboo Cafe- very good food; great WWII atmosphere
3. Crazy Crab- very good food; very noisy
4. La Polla's- very good Italian fare; small, quiet atmosphere
5. also fun to try one of the dinner cruises
-- pat surbaugh (WB8LVH@worldnet.att.com) submitted 7/7/96

Our family had a fantastic dinner at a relatively new resturant called "Neno il Toscano". It should not be missed if you enjoy Northern Italian cuisine.
-- Pat Shelley (pmshelle@mwbb.com) submitted 7/5/96

I just returned from HH. Here's my opinion of the places I dined in the order of my preference: 1) Hudson's (Great food, service, atmosphere); 2) Crazy Crab at Harbour Town (also good food and service, a little crowded and noisy); 3) Big Rocco's (a relative newcomer that obviously hasn't been discovered yet, but good food); 4) Henry's Seafood House (no atmosphere, but decent food & service); 5) Shuckers (this used to be one of my favorites, but it wasn't the greatest this time, the food was ok, but the service and menu choices weren't); 6) Crabby Nicks (although I listed this last, it was still quite good. As for atmosphere, the building used to be an old Shoney's/Big Boy and looks like it). Most of the meals at these places were $12-16 each. If you want pretty good food cheap, try Henry's or Crabby Nicks. Most of the meals at these were around $10. Shucker's has a buy one get one free deal on Tuesdays that isn't well publicized.
-- Jeff Brown (jbrown@wpo.it.luc.edu) submitted 7/1/96

We've been going to HHH for many years, mostly late spring and summer. You would be hard pressed to find a restaurant anywhere in the country as good as Cafe Europa. The food, the service, the view all are excellent. Other favorites are Hudsons & Carmines. Stay away from Crazy Crab - it is nothing but a tourist trap. 5/96.
-- R. Cox (71144.33@compuserve.com) submitted 5/23/96

I have been going to HHI for five years. Three years ago I purchased a time share through Marriott and just love it. The accomodations are always spacious and clean. Some of my favorite restaurants are the Chart House (they have a great buffet), and for less formal, you can't beat the Salty Dog out at South Beach. My family continues to go to HHI every year in June and we love it.
-- Deborah Corcoran (dcorcoran@desire.wright.edu) submitted 5/10/96

We visited Hilton Head last (1995) and loved it. We plan to return in July, 1996 and will stay again at the Shipyard. One of our pleasures was riding bikes everywhere. Be sure to rent them ahead for the week. Restaurants we liked were the Wild Wing (very casual & laid back) - very good wings & salads; Crazy Crab was excellent; Fuddruckers had great hamburgers (our teens enjoyed it). Does anyone know anything about the Savannah Trip by ferry? We would like to try it this year. Thanks, The Schmidts.
-- The Schmidts (mschmidt@pitt.edu) submitted 5/10/96

When visiting HHI with my wife, we had an absolutely exquisite dinner at La Maisonette restaurant on Pope Avenue. La Maisonette was charming and romantic. We rang a door bell to enter and were greeted by the owner/maitre d'. Overall, the food and service were excellent. We have already made our anniversary dinner reservations for this July. I strongly recommend La Maisonette for a romantic, elegant, and fun dining experience.
-- Chris Murphy (chris.murphy@infores.com)

My family and I have been vacationing at Hilton Head every summer since I was a little girl. We enjoyed staying at the Marriott for many years in Shipyard Plantation, but it has changed over to the Crystal Sands within the last few years. I still think it is the most beautiful stretch of beach on the island. Some of our favorite restaurants include: The Crazy Crab at Harbour Town, The Old Fort Pub on Hilton Head Plantation, Alexander's on Palmetto Dunes (a great deal if you catch the early bird special from 5-6) and last of all Hudson's. Another family tradition of ours is the 4th of July at Harbour Town. It is a perfect setting for the fireworks and Greg Russell is sure to entertain kids of all ages !!!
-- Karen M. Broce (fbroce@atlanta.com)

We spent a wonderful week in Sea Pines during March, and can't wait for next year. Cycling is our favourite pas- time, as well as quiet walks in the Forest Preserve. We enjoyed a marvellous dinner at Fitzgeralds on South Forest Beach Road, but the favourite has to be the Harbourside Cafe in Harbourtown - even with the aggressive birds!
-- Tony Keith (numquam@msn.com)

Today is April 2, 1996, and we have been back from Hilton Head for three days. It was our first visit there and a wonderful experience. The golf courses were beautiful and well-maintained (even though they were quite wet) and the 'gators on the course were complacent. Our favorite courses were Island West and Rose Hill. As for restaurants, The Oyster Factory and Brian's are not to be missed, they were excellent! We are definitely planning a return!
-- Barbara Gaumond (gaumond@process.com)

Hi there! Right now I am in the Netherlands, but I still think a lot about Hilton Head. I worked for the Corel Champions and The Family Circle Magazine Cup as an intern. I miss my colleagues, the incredible nice weather and the sea!!!!!!!! My favorit place to go out was the Brewing Co. Well guys, hope to see you soon. Have fun!! Love Linda
-- Linda Duys (0028096@hes-rdam.nl)

Since the mid 80's I have attended the Family Circle. I have had the I have met the professional players, received autographs, and taken photos. I have made new friends whom I meet each year. I enjoy eating at C.J.'s and Cafe Europa.
-- Bernie Scolaro

We have come to Hilton Head for about ten years now, and are planning to retire there. We usually rent a condo in Shipyard and play tennis at Shipyard Racquet Club. We are avid tennis fans and usually take in the Family Circle Cup tournament. Our favorite places to eat include: John Braddock's Seafood House (including The Salty Dog Cafe), Hudson's, Just Pasta and The Old Oyster Factory. All have great food and great service! The atmosphere on the island is the most relaxing we've ever known and we are looking forward to doing the "snow bird thing" there when we retire from Michigan's cold winters!
-- Lee & Elaina Morey (tennisel@iserv.net)

We've been vacationing in HH for 14 years, staying in Captain's Cove. Our children became so infatuated with the SE as a result of our numerous trips, they both are students at UGA! We are Mpls. residents. There's not much we don't like about the island, but one of our current favorite "haunts" is happy hour at the Hyatt. We have come to know and enjoy Phillip T. Myers, the resident pianist in the lounge. Also, the old Crazy Crab in the Summer where the "Gator" sings every Jimmy Buffet song ever recorded.
-- j&bquick submitted 3/13/96

March 1-3, 1996. This was our annual trip to the International Reading Association convention--stayed at the Hyatt (which is beginning to show its age). Based on a recommendation in this web site, had dinner at THE BIG BAMBOO. The entire evening was confusing. Very small, upstairs, decorated very inexpensively with lots of bamboo everywhere. Varied ages of diners: children to folks even older than we! Confusing menu: hot dogs to prime rib! Drinks served in "Mason" jars--cute, but not authentic to a WWII Pacific island. Food was good, however, and the service was adequate. HIGHLIGHT of the evening: live entertainment provided by MARY LOUISE AND MINGER!!! She is a sultry vocalist, in the saloon tradition, and he is a very accomplished pianist. Talented? You bet. Mary Louise sang Nat Cole's "Unforgettable," and she made it her own; not Natalie's! So, bottom line: THE BIG BAMBOO needs to step back and define itself better!
-- Ron Daniel (red dad1@aol.com)

Editor's Note: Ron's message was actually truncated. He has sent me a longer note which will be online soon

My wife and I have been visiting HHI since 1984 and plan on returning as often as possible. What a fantastic place! We travel a great deal and have seen many gorgeous places but without a doubt HHI ranks near the top. I could go on forever but I'll get to the point of recommending a few things to do and places to eat. Our favorite restaurant that we've ever been to period is Cafe Europa in Harbor Town. You can spend more and you can be more pretentious, but you will be hard pressed to find better food, service, or views in North America. For the ultimate in peaceful calorie burning (not an oxymoron) activities take a kayak tour of Pinckney Island just behind/beside HHI, preferably at sunset as we did. And finally for the ultimate free activity, walk along the miles of wide, flat, beautiful beaches that HHI offers. If you do visit HHI, please take care and leave it as you found it. We have enough Myrtle Beaches but very few HHIs.
-- Walter Bowen (wbowen@atsmail.att.com) submitted 2/27/96

I lived on Hilton Head Island for nearly two years and found it to be the most memorable experience of my life. I worked with the greatest group of residents on the island and enjoyed every minute of every day. If you ever get down to the island, try your best to get down to THE SALTY DOG CAFE, SALTY DOG ICE CREAM SHOP, and of course the Tee-Shirt Shop. You will find the most genuine people and they are all more than willing to make your vacation the greatest. If you visit South Beach once you will never want to go anywhere else on the island. It is truly a unique little area of the island. Tell Jake and the folks at the Salty Dog Cafe' I said Hi!!
-- Jeff Land submitted 2/26/96

We have held our family reunion on Hilton Head for the last three years and are planning a fourth visit this summer, 1995 We have 14 family members renting one big house. It's great that we can find such wonderful accomodations every year. There's something for everyone to do..biking, swimming, shopping, and lots of dining. Our favorite spot is the Crazy Crab. We like the atmosphere at the HarbourTown location, but the wait is really, really long. So we go to the one at the other end of the island (on 278, right before the bridge to the mainland). Has anyone ever attended the "Murder at the Mansion" mystery at the Barony clubhouse? I'd be interested in some opinions. It's usually held on Tuesday nites. Also, does anyone have information about transportation to the Savannah airport? Are there any buses or limos that go there?
-- Susan Silver (ssilver@dudley.lib.usf.edu) submitted 2/21/96

My family and I have been visiting Hilton Head every April for the past 9 years. We absolutely love it. We are big into tennis and especially golf. Play mostly at Shipyard and Palmetto. Favorite casual eating is Damon's. Our kids love the beach, and yes, they're allowed on the golf courses (even though they are only 6 and 3 respectively) Looking for a good game of men's singles or doubles (USTA rating of 5.5) from April 7-19. Please contact me at nick_wolff@stkamer.stortek.com if you are interested. Anyone have any good ideas for the kids other than the beach....ie. places to entertain them during the day or early evening? Look forward to hearing from you.
-- Nick Wolff (nick_wolff@stkamer.stortek.com) submitted 2/15/96

After many years living in the Far East, my family and I have gotten pretty fussy about Chinese food. Outside of San Francisco,and Vancouver and maybe Toronto,the Chinese restaraunts appear to employ Italian cooks. WOW! were we suprised to find a Chinese restaurant on Hilton Head Island That Matches the best in the East. The Imperial Dragon Restaurant tucked into a corner of the Park Plaza Shopping Center near the Sea Pines gate is just fantastic. Authentic-Authentic! A MENU that goes on forever,a decor that took me back to days in Taipei and a staff that cmmunicates in Chinese. Even Chinese music. The food was superb the service excellent and the prices more than reasonable. Ordered Peiking Duck to provide the ultimate test. It was real Peiking Duck! Robin the executive chef showed me the special oven and was proud of his work. Turns out he is from Beijing. Imperial Dragon was almost worth the trip alone.
-- Roger Stahl

Hi again. Just would like to throw in a few more of my favorites. Most uncrowded bike paths=the south beach to harbour town connection. Most scenic=see above (winds through harbour town golf links). Best mexican=Aunt Chiladas. Best Overall place to stay=Sea Pines (e-mail me for specific recommendations). Night life for people my age (15-18)=e-mail me for what I can really tell you, but Harbour Town and Holiday Inn are always fun and full of people. Have we met before????=drop me a line if you know me. I've been there every year over Easter for 18 yrs. Can't wait to go back either!!!!
-- Patrick Bresonis (Bresonpt@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu)

Just got back from a great week on Hilton Head Island. The best place we found for "happy hour" was at Margarettas in the shopping plaza next to Wexford. The prices were very reasonable and Starr behind the bar had lots of good recomendations on places to go and things to see. Managed by Kim and Chris, its a small friendly place. Our server was Kelly, Kim's sister. The portions were, well, large. The truth is I could not finish. We all had a take home "swan" full of great mexican food for a future lunch. Golfing was good for this time of year. Favorite course was a toss up between Old South and Island West. Look forward to a return visit.
-- Ed Wyks (ewyks@innolog.com)

We've been visiting Hilton Head since 1982 and have watched the island grow. We own a small piece of the Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Resort. Although we have always enjoyed the seafood buffet at the Westin, this past summer it was not as good and rather pricey. I think that we really missed the raw oysters. However we did finally venture into Abe's Shrimp House where the atmosphere is extremely casual and the low country buffet authentic and real "down home good". The price is very right.
-- Henry and Gail Neubert (hneubert@ithaca.edu)

On my first visit to Hilton Head we discovered "The Big Bamboo Cafe" in Coligny Plaza. We ended up spending every weekend evening there eating and drinking. This is a great 1940's/WWII era themed restaurant. The attention to the detail of the era includes big band music and WWII memoribilia. I highly recommend the "War Dog" accompanied by any one of the twelve beers on tap. If you want more information call Scott (the owner) directly at 843-686-3443. After three consecutive nights he knew us by name.
-- rob mauldin (r2collins@aol.com)

Hilton Head is by far my favorite vacation spot for fun in the sun. While there, check out the power boats and jetskis down at Harbor Town, and stop by the Quarterdeck for a little reggae on Wednesday happy hour. If you are looking for a romantic dinner interlude, try Harbormaster's at Shelter Cove, or for a casual seafood experience try Scotty's at Shelter Cove. If you're young like me, sat away from Big Rocco's for nightlife, stick to the Brew Company, Big Dog's Cafe or Zack's. Don't forget Remy's or Shag's for the really late night drinking fests, or really early morning for that matter. A great casual place to go is Wild Wing Cafe, great beer, wings, music and people. I have plenty more great tips for those in their twenties/early thirties to do!!! I'd be happy to hear from anyone who would like to update me, or hear some more suggestions!
-- Patricia Ryan (paryan@eden.rutgers.edu)

My family and I have been returning to Hilton Head for the past fourteen years. We cannot seem to escape the haunting beauty of the South, the Spanish Moss, the clunky pelicans, and the sea oats that bend to the wind like frightened disciples. Each time we have visited, the place becomes more and more beautiful, the storms are amazing, and green. If you are looking for restaurant recommendations, Alexander's in Palmetto Dunes is excellent (salmon oscar!!!) and Cafe Europa is fantastic...a gorgeous view of the sound at sunset.....
-- emily armstrong (elarmstrong@amherst.edu)

I am 20 years old and have been visiting Hilton Head for about 13 years. My family goes every spring and some Thanksgivings. I especially like staying at Sea Pines and playing tennis. Nowhere else seems to have friendlier tennis pros and prettier tennis. Both my sister and I love the bike paths and we enjoy rollerblading down to South Beach for some ice-cream at the Salty Dog Cafe. Can't wait to go this Thanksgiving.
-- vanessa melnick (vmelnick@eden.rutgers.edu)

Well, I'm only eighteen but I've been to Hilton Head every year of my life!! My parents and younger siblings are there right in October even though we usually go over Easter. This is the first time they have been in the fall and they say that it is still as beautiful (except the azaelas aren't in bloom). I'm sure they will be back for the two weeks surrounding Easter and I hope that the people here at Vanderbilt in Nashville don't mind me taking off for a few days to visit my favorite spot on earth (and my family too I guess). Recommendations include: best golf = the new Ocean Course at Sea Pines, best tennis (least crowded) = Van Der Meer, longest wait for good seafood = Shuckers, best food with reservation = CQ's at Harbour Town, best party = Heritage Week at Harbour Town, best accomodations = anywhere near the ocean on Sea Pines, don't miss = live Heritage and/or Family Circle. More will follow in later days. Bye.
-- Patrick Bresonis (Bresonpt@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu)

i love the area and find no shortage of things to do. favorite restaurants.... best hamburger: boathouse at salty fare marina... best sunset: quaterdeck in harbor towne... best fine dining: stoddard room on daufuskie island... best italian: cafe primo... most romantic spot: spring island.... best cold beer: hilton head brewing comp.. most over rated: haig pt.... must miss: alexander's.. best shrimp: abe's... have a great time and email me with your favorites! thanks!
-- a.axelberg (nmep66a@prodigy.com)

From age 9-18 my family and I spent a week or two on Hilton Head Island. It is a beautiful, fun place. I haven't been there for about 10 years but hope to take my own family there soon! I have fond memories of searching for sand dollars, shrimping, crabbing, taking walks on the beach and getting to watch the giant sea turtles lay their eggs. For all but one year we stayed in Sea Pines. Dining was great there, too....Ballard's Shrimp House, Hudson's, Hofbrahaus, etc. If anyone reads this and would like to update me on what's still there and what's new, please e-mail me at cjacobso@crom.jjc.cc.il.us.
-- Cindy Jacobson (cjacobso@crom.jjc.cc.il.us)

My husband and I were fortunate to be able to spend a week in Hilton Head this summer. This was our first visit. We were absolutely amazed at the beautiful, smooth, wide beaches Hilton Head offers. One evening, we took a walk on the beach, and to our delight their happened to be a full moon-What a sight. The moon lit up the water and the beach with a dazzling brilliance.
When dining in Hilton Head, I suggest you go to Truffles restaurant in Sea Pines, where they serve great food and lots of it. For dessert, try the Blondie(warning: it feeds 2)- it is sinful.After such a great trip we are planning a mini-golf vacation in the fall. I can hardly wait.
-- Joey Dunphy (cjoe@ix.netcom.com)

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