Sea Islands Getaway

A few weeks back, my wife and I took the opportunity to get away for a few days and headed for the southern coast of South Carolina. We went back to Fripp Island, just north of Hilton Head, for a few days of beach, relaxation, and of course eating!

Here are my tips / observations / options on the places we visited.

Gullah Grub on Sea Island Highway, St. Helena Island.
This place is small, looks like it’s been there for awhile, casual, cash only, limited menu, my kind of place. I went in on the way back to the condo for some food to go. The friendly lady greeted me, told me about their specials (BBQ goat!), and took my order, then we chatted a little while the one cook got our food ready. We had the She Crab Soup, which was creamy and rich, loaded with what looked like hand picked crab meat. The Gumbo was full of shrimp and crab, thickened with a dark roux and served with red rice. Lima beans were buttery and salted with pork, and the cornbread was fresh and delicious. Total tab was about $21. Needless to say, I highly recommend and will stop back next time we are in the area.


Fuji Sushi on Sea Island Highway.
We had a very good meal here last time we were in the area, so we stopped in to get some food one of the days. It was just 2:00 pm (their afternoon closing time – we did not know this ahead of time), and the surly sushi chef refused to even allow us a few things to go. We won’t be back there; no food is good enough to put up with bad customer service.

Bateaux, Port Royal
I wanted to go hear last time we were in the area, but they were not open yet. A chef friend of mine was partner, but he is not involved anymore. We were there early, 6:00 pm, and enjoyed a lovely meal of small plates.
We started out with Fried Avocado with Housemade Chorizo, a nicely composed, if a little bland, three bite taste.
The Kobe Slider with fried shitake mushrooms and cocktail sauce was good but not great. The mushrooms were my favorite part, with the cocktail sauce being an unlikely and interesting accompaniment.
The Chicken Livers with caramelized onions in a rum sauce were delicious, nicely crusted and accompanied by a rich sauce. The cornbread accompaniment was stale though.
Shrimp ceviche potato tulle, yuck. The shrimp were mushy and tasted like they were on the way out. The only thing I didn’t like.
Smoked fried chicken orzo mac, ham, salty but good. Imagine fried chicken that taste like bacon.
Corn chowder with stone crab, nice thought but bland. Generous portion though.
The Cheese plate was goat cheese with olives, Bleu cheese with honey, and camembert with marinated apricots. Very nice cheeses and accompaniments
White chocolate cheesecake tart was a little sloppy but delicious. Service was friendly, and a warm greeting from the general manager was nice. The dinner for two set us back $86 before tip.


Saltus River Grill, Beaufort
The wife and I ate outside on a balmy evening. Another very good dinner.
Blue Crab Cocktail, sticky rice, fresh avocado, wasabi aioli was good, the rice would have been better warmed, the wasabi aioli delicious.
Bibb Lettuce, goat cheese crouton, spiced pecans, red onion, julienne tomato, and balsamic dressing, very nice salad, good balance and sweetness for the wife.
Local Shrimp Sautéed with Country Ham, scallions, shiitakes and garlic
on creamy stone ground grits, I was so looking forward to this but, alas, it was bland. Would have been great with a little salt and pepper
“Blackened” Dorado, ragout of fennel and leeks, sauce beurre blanc,
smashed fingerling potato and crab gratin was very good, our favorite thing of the evening.
All together the tab was $96 before tip. My wife had a glass of wine as well. Service was attentive if a little stiff. Be careful, the palmetto bugs come out after dark!


Magnolia Bakery, Beaufort
Counter service was very slow but the cakes were good. We took some to go.

The Chocolate tree, Beaufort
Very good handmade chocolates, chocolate dipped ginger, bark, nice stuff, well worth a drop it!

Driftwood Farms, Sea Island Highway near Gullah Grub
Pick your own tomatoes, fun and cheap!

Gay Shrimp Dock, Sea Island Highway, near Fripp
Great local shrimp in season, a truly local place. Across the street is The Shrimp Shack, I will stop next time!

White shrimp company, Sea Island Highway
Also a local shrimp counter, very clean, sells their signature shrimp pie.
Dobson shrimp dock

We stopped in a little bagel place in Beaufort for a snack, had a great bagel sandwich named after the writer pat Conroy, very tasty!

Nippy’s is a little fish shack and taco stand in Beaufort owned by the same people as Saltus River Grill and a more casual place called Plums. It is very cool, tasty, and cheap. Fried shrimp tacos, fried fish, slaw, eat outside on wooden tables, just a great quick meal.

Georgia Pig BBQ, Exit 29 off of I95 in Georgia
We stumbled upon this place and I will definitely be back. Little A-frame by the side of the road, the pit is inside so it permanently smells of hardwood smoke. The pork is chopped to order, two plates with slaw, mac and cheese, beans, and Brunswick stew set us back less than $15. Plus I am still trying to replicate their jalapeño relish.

Overall, a great place to visit and explore. I love finding new restaurants and food place, meeting the people who make them run, and enjoying the fruits of their labor. Get out there, explore, enjoy, eat local, and have fun!