Gluten-Free on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Hilton Head Island, SC has been a favorite of mine since I was little, and now we go as a family at least once a year. It is a nice, easy getaway from Atlanta. Typically we cook our meals at the house, in addition to keeping costs down, I don’t have to worry or stress about cross-contamination at restaurants.

But on this recent visit, we decided to explore a little bit, and since going gluten-free this was my first time actually eating out there.  I tried to do some research before our holiday and ask for suggestions, but the only responses I received were for chain restaurants.  And while I appreciate that chain restaurants are expanding their gluten-free offerings, those are restaurants I can go to anywhere, whether I am in Hilton Head or on the west coast.  I really wanted to find something unique and local.

We happened to have some friends staying on Hilton Head at the same time and they suggested meeting at The Sea Shack for dinner. One look at the website and it looked like a gluten haven, but after calling and being reassured I could order fish grilled, I felt a little better.  When we arrived, it really did look like a shack in a very-unlikely area.  Nothing fancy, yet  had a line out the door at 7pm.  Seeing all the fried items, I was a little apprehensive…ok, a lot apprehensive.  It is the type of place you go to the counter and order, so I asked several questions, while holding up the line and placed my order.  I ordered plain, grilled salmon, with grits and cucumber salad.  I also asked them if they could grill my fish on a clean surface and not to add any seasoning. They seemed pretty knowledgeable and  pretty sure their seasonings were safe, but I didn’t want to risk it, especially on vacation.  This reminded me why going to a restaurant for the first time when it is packed is not the best idea.

Thankfully, the dinner was delicious.  I looked longingly at my daughter’s hushpuppies, but I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and left there feeling great.  I will definitely be back on our next visit.

Another night during our visit, I really wanted to take a break from cooking and do something easy. This time I went against my philosophy of “no chains” and decided to order out from Mellow Mushroom, which I have yet to try since going gluten-free.  I miss the days when I could eat the gluten-filled Mellow Mushroom crust and it smells so good, but I was happy I could still go there and order a pizza.  The gluten-free crust only came in a 12″, so I ordered a Mega Veggie on gluten-free crust, and a Greek salad (the dressing is gluten-free).  My husband and I were very pleased with the pizza, and sharing that and a salad was more than enough.  We even had enough salad for lunch the next day.

On our last night, we decided to go out one more time, and this time we tried Land’s End Tavern at South Beach Marina in Sea Pines. We choose this place based on the pirate theme…there was no planning or calling ahead for this one.  I figured I could order grilled fish if nothing else.

Luckily, before being seated, I asked the hostess about gluten-free options and she told me she also had celiac and went through the menu and marked everything that was safe.  And let me know anytime a dish has fried fish, it could also be done grilled.  She also told me they had a separate fryer just for fries, so I was exited about this.  But, then she went on to say how while she has celiac, she will sometimes cheat – my confidence just dropped.  When we sat down I asked the server to confirm about the fryer and he said no, they are all fried in the same oil. That nixed my chances for tasting my daughter’s fries.  I ended up ordering grilled fish (swordfish) tacos with crispy corn tortillas with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.  The fish tacos were very tasty and I felt great after the meal.  My husband ordered the same as me, but fried, and after tasting mine, he said he preferred mine.  Plus, the grilled is much healthier.

All in all, my three experiences eating out while we were in Hilton Head were a success, and I would be happy to revisit all three of these places. My conclusion when visiting a beach side restaurant, stick with simple…grilled fish, grilled or steamed veggies and potatoes.  But always ask questions about exact ingredients and preparations.