My wife and I took advantage of our family trip to Hilton Head for one night out without the kids. Based on the recommendations of our group we headed for Marley’s Island Grille. This restaurant is up near what our group always calls the second traffic circle, where Pope and William Hilton Parkway meet. This is one of many restaurants owned and operated by the SERG Restaurant Group.

Kitchen

Inside Marley’s feels a bit tropical and for the most part very casual. There was a wait for a table when we arrived, but we found plenty of open seating at the bar. We enjoyed having a close view of the kitchen staff working hard to get a ton of food out in a timely manner.

Inside

My wife is nearly always ready to try something new, and she was immediately drawn to their shrimp burger feature. I don’t think we’ve ever seen a shrimp burger before but she was very impressed by it. The toppings were simple and allowed for the flavor of the shrimp patty to stand out, with citrus mixing well with old bay. This was served with fries on the side ($11).

Shrimp Burger

I was in the mood for something hearty and immediately found the Rasta chicken pasta with blackened chicken, red peppers, and mushrooms tossed in a Cajun crème sauce and topped with cheese and scallions ($17). This dish was a touch on the spicy side and had a great Cajun flavor. The penne pasta was a solid choice for this dish and I really enjoyed it. A petite size is offered, but for only $2 you should get the entrée size and take some home if necessary.

Rasta Chicken Pasta

Overall we were very pleased with our dinner at Marley’s and would not hesitate to go back. A lengthy kids menu is offered so perhaps next time we will make a reservation and take the whole family.

The Frosty Frog Cafe is a always a must hit on our vacations to Hilton Head. On this most recent trip I actually dined in twice. Our group all went out to dinner the second night of our trip, and when my brother joined in later in the week I took one for the team and made a return visit. I think by that point I had finally recovered from the large jungle juice daiquiri I had the first time around.

Daiquiris

I’m not going to lie, the main draw here is the frozen daiquiris. Their jungle juice is a favorite of mine, a combination of hurricane and jump start (mango), both of which are mixed with 190 proof grain alcohol. One large (32 oz, $13.75) should probably be considered the limit per visit. I made the mistake of having two of these on my second visit!

Jamie’s Sorta Chicken Philly

With all the talk about their daiquiris, I should mention that their food is actually pretty good too. The first meal I went with Jamie’s sorta chicken Philly with sautéed mushrooms and onions, loaded with cheddar and mozzarella ($11.99). This is served with a choice of side, either chips, fries, baked potato salad, or southern peach coleslaw. The roll was toasted, the chicken was plentiful, and there was more than enough cheese to blanket it all.

Wendi’s Chicken Walnut Salad Wrap

On my second visit I enjoyed Wendi’s chicken walnut salad wrap ($10.99), again served with your choice of side. Their chicken salad also features grapes, which always mix well with walnuts and a mayonnaise base. This was mixed with lettuce, tomato, and onion and wrapped up with a tomato basil flour wrap. I think I preferred the Philly over the wrap, but both were pretty good accompaniment to the frozen deliciousness.

During our recent trip to Hilton Head Island, we ordered a carry out lunch from the newly opened Sandbar Beach Eats in the Coligny Plaza Shopping Center. I picked up our order around 11:30 and found a decent crowd already gathered at the outdoor bar area.

Outside

In addition to the large outdoor bar, there is an equally as large bar inside as well. There are also plenty of tables both inside and out for those wishing to dine in. The entire space definitely has a beach feeling to it and is very clean and modern.

Inside

For lunch I ordered the Cuban sandwich with roasted pork, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, creole mustard, and sliced pickles on a toasted baguette and served with fries ($12). I found the baguette to be a little thick for a Cuban, but that is as far as my complaints go. The ingredients inside were top quality and true to the Cuban style. The fries reminded me of the fresh fries we would make at home as a kid, freshly cut potatoes that are fried to order, and lightly salted.

Cuban

A popular item for our groups order were the tacos. The tacos de pescado combine fresh local blackened fish with Caribbean slaw, sriracha mayo, sour cream, and lettuce (2 for $12). The jerk tacos combine jerk chicken with pickled peaches, sour cream, and lettuce (2 for $10). Each taco order was served with chips and salsa on the side.

Tacos

Everyone loved the freshly fried taco shells. Both styles were spicy, with the jerk being true to style and quite hot! The meats were fresh, and the toppings were minimal to allow for the meaty flavors to shine. I especially liked the pickled peaches, which I had never had before.

Our kids enjoyed a quesadilla ($7) and the single size son of a bun burger, plain of course ($8). Sandbar had something for everyone and we would not hesitate to enjoy their food again. In fact, I think next time a dine in visit will be on our agenda.

We spent all last week on Hilton Head Island. Our car arrived just before 7:30 in the morning and we were ready for breakfast. We’ve tried a couple other restaurants for breakfast upon our arrival in the past, but wanted to try someplace new. I quickly found a place with a funny name, Southern Coney & Breakfast, but good reviews online.

Outside

They are located in a strip mall with a few other restaurants and the BI-LO grocery store, fairly close to Coligny Circle. The inside is a no frills but clean-looking diner. A rows of booths line one wall, eight stools are located at the bar overlooking the kitchen, and one larger table sits just inside the front door.

Inside

Several reviews mentioned that the southern style biscuits and gravy were excellent. I went with the full order, two split biscuits smothered in homemade sausage gravy ($6.99). The biscuits were light and fluffy, while the gravy was full of sausage and flavor. The combination of creaminess and pepper flavors were perfect!

Southern Style Biscuits & Gravy

They advertise as having the best pancakes ever. My son is becoming a bit of a connoisseur, eating pancakes nearly every chance he can, and he did think this were very good. The three silver dollar pancakes ($3.99) was the perfect serving size for a six-year-old.

Silver Dollar Pancakes

My four-year-old daughter decided on oatmeal with the extras ($4.99). There are over a half-dozen of extras that can be added to the oatmeal, and you can have as many as you like. I think she had almonds, dried cranberries, and brown sugar. It was more than enough for her, though she did seem to really enjoy it.

Oatmeal

My wife enjoyed the egg and cheese biscuit with sausage ($3.29). Most of the food seemed to be cooked fresh from scratch, and the egg on this sandwich was no exception. This was enough food for her, but if you’d like to add a side there are a variety of potatoes or grits available.

Egg & Cheese Biscuit with Sausage

We really enjoyed our breakfast at this casual diner. One thing I will note is that no alcohol is served. So if a Bloody Mary or mimosa is a requirement for your breakfast, you better head elsewhere. Otherwise this is a great spot for a quick and easy meal.