I think my favorite meal of our recent trip to Hilton Head Island came courtesy of The Porch – Southern Kitchen & Bar. This relatively new restaurant sits ocean front as part of the Beach House complex, next to the Tiki Hut Barefoot Beach Bar. There are a couple of large tables inside as well as a handful of smaller ones, and large garage doors open to the spacious patio. Out on the patio, which sits next to a swimming pool, tables can be grouped together to accommodate parties of any size.

Inside

To start the evening our large group split a couple orders of fried green tomatoes, which were just about the best I’ve had.

Fried Green Tomato

For dinner I thoroughly enjoyed the red brick chicken with black-eyed pea and house sausage ragu, grit fries, charred broccolini, and pan gravy ($20). The flavor combination of this dish was amazing and the chicken was cooked perfectly. I also really enjoyed the grit fries on the side, which were like nothing I’ve ever had before, and something I wish I could eat regularly.

Red Brick Chicken

The Porch specializes in wholesome comfort food and this shows even on the kids menu. The spaghetti and meatballs ($8) appeared to be prepared from scratch and was presented in a cast iron serving dish. This also included a choice of sliced apples, green beans, or french fries.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Others in our group enjoyed the corn bread encrusted flounder ($26), the shrimp and grits ($24), St. Louis hog ribs ($16), and backyard burger ($14), just to name a few. The menu offers three choices each of chicken, beef, pork, and seafood, as well as a handful of salads. Breakfast and lunch are also offered and drink specials can be had all day long.

Corn Bread Encrusted Flounder

The food I tasted at The Porch was all outstanding and it is served in one of the best atmospheres I have seen on the island. I look forward to making a return visit on our next trip to Hilton Head.