elwoh's Profile
Atlanta with a 4 year old
Thanks for the suggestions. Due to our scheduling, unfortunately, we ended up eating most of our meals in the touristy locations we visited (Fernbank, aquarium, and zoo). Not great food, but that's where we were when it was time to eat. We did try Mary Mac's. I enjoyed my meal immensely. My daughter was not very pleased with hers. She opted for the chicken tenders, mac & cheese, and applesauce. The chicken tenders were good, albeit huge for such a little kid. She didn't like the mac & cheese because it had "brown stuff in it." It was baked. So, if your kids are picky about their mac & cheese, you might want to opt for something else. She did eat the applesauce. I had a veggie plate with turnip greens, fried okra, mac & cheese, and brocolli souffle. I enjoyed everything. My husband had chicken & dumplings, mac & cheese, and fried green tomatoes. He said the chicken & dumplings were "good" and the fried green tomatoes were "okay." So, my picky eaters weren't overly impressed, but I thought it was pretty good.
Southern Hot Dog Quest (SHDQ)
I second this! My family loves Dawgs and the owners are so nice. They bring my daughter seconds on hot dogs if she's still hungry. I just had a slaw dog (chili, slaw, mustard, and onions) this weekend. Yum! I really like their chili cheeseburger too. An order of fries is huge, so we usually order 1/2 order. The owners just told me this weekend that a large order is 4 potatoes.
Atlanta with a 4 year old
My husband and I are taking our 4 year old daughter to Atlanta for her birthday May 3-5. We are looking for some good kid-friendly restaurants for lunches and dinners. We don't want anything fancy (we want jeans-friendly places), but we'd like good food. My husband and daughter aren't interested in Asian food, but we all love Mexican/Southwest, Italian, and just plain American. My husband and I like barbecue, but daughter doesn't. If there's a place that has good barbecue in addition to other stuff, that would be okay. My daughter is a good eater--she likes chicken fingers, pizza, etc., but she also loves a good steak or a simple fish dish. We don't want to do The Varsity (bad experience from when we lived in Athens). Any suggestions? We're going to be at the zoo one day and at the Aquarium another day, so if we can go someplace close to those, it would be great. Also, are there any suggestions for good "snack" places--ice cream, candy, desserts, etc.? Thanks for your help!
Greenville, SC with a 4 year old
I'd like to go out next week for my birthday, and I want someplace nice (not super fancy though) and kid friendly. I'd like to steer clear of chains if possible or anything with the common kid's meals of chicken fingers, pizza, spaghetti, mac & cheese, grilled cheese sandwhich. Not that my daughter doesn't love those things, but I'd like her to have some other choices. Generally speaking, she is a good eater and fairly well-behaved in restaurants unless there's a long wait. I'm up for anything good except most Asian cuisine (my husband is not a fan) and willing to go anywhere in Greenville. Thanks for your help!
Heading to Charleston!
I second Cru Cafe! My husband and I had a great dinner there last time we were in town.
Places to eat in Hilton Head
I also like Marley's, although I do agree that it is touristy. Captains is now in Coligny. It just doesn't seem as good as it used to be, but it is kid friendly. It's not bad; it's just now great. The Sea Shack is good, but it's very small and can get crowded quickly. For lunch, Amigo's (Mexican-ish) is good. They have locations on the island and in Bluffton. I generally had pretty good luck with Main Street Diner (wide variety of food) too. I usually went at lunch. For breakfast, Plantation Cafe is good. You might also try Palmetto Bay Sunrise Cafe, but it also gets crowded quickly. I also agree with AMF that Red Fish is good, but it is expensive. Last year my entire family went (there were about 15 of us, three of whom were kids under 5). My daughter, who was 3 at the time, wanted fish. The kids tilapia with rice as a side was $11. We lived in Bluffton for several years, and even though we were used to higher prices, this was hard to stomach for a kids meal. It was a full fillet though and it was good. I always liked Truffles (various types of food--HHI and Bluffton), but the kids prices were a little high there too. They have a new Truffles Grill that I saw last time I was in town, but I don't know anything about the food or prices. Truffles is good for lunch or dinner. Blue Coyote in Bluffton is decent and kid friendly. My family, including my daughter, also enjoyed Fiesta Fresh (we usually went to the one in the shopping center with Sam's). I thought they had great carnitas and the people who worked there were always attentive to my daughter.
Foodie near Clemson for the next 2 months...
My husband and I always try to make it to the Pot Belly Deli when we're in town for Clemson games. They have great sandwiches. I love the Greek roll-up and he always gets something with turkey, cranberry sauce, homemade honey mustard, and maybe dressing (basically a Thanksgiving sandwich). I went to Pixie and Bills many years ago and vaguely remember it as being good but expensive (for a college town). Definitely get some Clemson ice cream! I've never been, but I've heard good things about Peppinos (which others have mentioned). I don't know about bakeries, but there's probably something decent in the Seneca/Westminster/Walhalla downtown area.
Best Eats in Hilton Head?
Maybe I've just been on bad times. At both Hudson's and Old Oyster, it's been the service and prices that have ruined the experiences for me, especially at Old Oyster. I've been several times and I always have felt like they're rushing us out the door so that they can get more people in. On more than one occassion, someone in my party has ordered something and 10-15 minutes later, the server has come back and said that they were out of the food. I feel like that's something they should let you know upfront. We're often left with empty glasses on the table. The views are nice, the food is okay, but the prices are a little high and service has been lacking on the times I've been. I haven't been back in the last year. Maybe it's improved. As I said, I've only been to Hudson's once. In my experience, it wasn't outstanding and the service was poor. I just think that there are some better choices for fresh seafood at reasonable prices. I think Sea Shack (for lunch) and Captains Seafood have, in the past, had good simple seafood and good service. What about the Boathouse? I've only been for drinks, but the menu looked good.
Vacationing in North Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach recommendations are okay too. We're staying in the southern part of NMB. We probably don't want to go too far except for the one night I'd like to go up to Callabash.
Best Eats in Hilton Head?
Hmm...it's hard to say what typical HHI cuisine is because HHI is made up of mostly transplants from other parts of the country, especially the North. Most of the dining is made for the tourist industry and the food and prices reflect that. I guess I'd have to say you need to look for some good seafood, which, IMO, is hard to find here. Sea Shack is pretty good but has gotten a bit touristy every since it was featured on $40 a Day on the Food Network. Locals still eat there though. I believe most of the seafood there is caught by the owner. We used to eat Captains Seafood, but they've changed locations in the last few years. It's in a much more touristy area (Coligne area). Someone else may be able to tell you if the quality is still good. They used to have a fish market attached, so it was a fairly sure bet that the fish was fresh. I don't think they have that anymore though. Steer clear of Hudson's. I went one time because everyone said it was a Hilton Head institution. It was nothing spectacular, the service was poor, and the prices were inflated because all of the tourists go there. The same holds true for Old Oyster Factory. I never eat in Sea Pines, but some people say the restaurants in there are good. There is a newer place in Pineland Station (I don't know the name of it) that serves traditional Southern and maybe some Gullah-type food. The lady who opened it used to be the cafeteria manager at the local middle school where I teach. I've never been to the restaurant, but I've had her catered food and it's so good. She makes great barbecued chicken and some kind of rice dish that's a little bit spicy with little bits of shrimp in it. I can' t wait to make it down to her restaurant. If you venture to Bluffton for any meals, the Downtown Deli in Bluffton is great for lunch (they close at 3:00). It's mainly a breakfast and sandwhich place. The Wharf Street is a turkey wrap with vidalia onion dressing and it's great. They also have great "Bluffton Caviar" (a salad made with black beans, corn, jalapenos, and some other peppers). They also have a good barbecue (some call it pulled pork) sandwhich with cole slaw called the Alljoy. All of their sandwich names come from local spots.
Charleston, SC dining
Magnolia's is so good. I love the seafood and grits. The servers are also really helpful when it comes to wine. I also really like Jestine's. It's downhome, Southern cooking. I had meatloaf, turnip greens, and fried okra there. It was so good. I've never eaten at McCrady's, but we always go there for drinks. I like to get their sparkling wine flights. There's a place for breakfast that we like on Meeting Street that has peach and apple stuffed french toast. I can't remember the name of it (it might be Diana's), but someone else here might remember it. Poogan's Porch always gets a lot of hype, but I didn't like it that much. Last time we were in Charleston (we usually go once a year), we went to this little, hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Cru Cafe. It's on Pinckney Street. You bareley even notice it's there because it just looks like a house. It's really small, so seating is limited. The food was awesome though. You can sit at a bar right next to the kitchen, which is what we did. My husband had a pabloano and and mozzarella stuffed fried chicken that was great. I had a special with shrimp and scallops. It was very well prepared. I wanted to try to a dessert, but we were too full. A few years ago we went to Bocci's on Church Street. I thought it was good Italian food at the time, but we haven't been back in a few years.
Best Eats in Hilton Head?
I've never been to The Studio or Alligator Grill, so I can't comment on those. Sage Room is really good. I've only been once for a meal and once for drinks, but it is a meal I remember. One of my coworkers/best friend works there as well as some other people I know. I really liked their gazpacho and their crab cakes. I'm not typically a fan of crab cakes, but these were yummy. If you like martinis, my friend who works the bar some nights makes a good dirty martini (if you like blue cheese, ask for a blue cheese olive). I don't really like martinis, but I thought it was pretty good. My friends who love martinis say it's awesome. I do have to agree that Sage Room is expensive though.
Vacationing in North Myrtle Beach
My husband, 3-year-old daughter, and I are going to be in North Myrtle Beach June 17-20. We're looking for some good food, reasonable prices, and kid-friendly places. I would like to drive up to Callabash one night for some good Callabash seafood. I don't want to go to any "Callabash" buffets. We've made that mistake before. Any ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Also, does anyone know if the make-your-own sundae place in Windy Hill is still open? We used to go when I was a kid and I'd love to take my daughter there. Thanks!
Best Eats in Hilton Head?
I currently live in Bluffton (over the bridge from HHI). I love Truffles too. There's one in Bluffton and on the island. The chicken pot pie is delicious. I also really like the key lime pie. I also second Mulberry Street. On the island, Charlies is great. I've never had a bad meal there. The potatoes they serve with every meal are so good. Dessert is yummy there too. We never know what to do about wine. Just ask your server to ask Charlie what he thinks would be good in your price range and they'll help you out. They're really friendly. What about the Boathouse? I've only been for drinks and appetizers, but it's always packed with locals and the view is nice. I also like the Sea Shack, but I haven't been there in a while. I don't know if they've gotten to popular since Rachael Ray went there on $40 a Day. Sante Fe Cafe is also really good. They serve Southwest type food...big portions. The roof-top bar is really nice. They have an excellent appetizer--some kind of queso dip that they serve with tortillas--yummy. Their sangria was so-so. Marley's has better sangria, but it can be touristy. They have great seafood though.
