Skull Creek Boathouse

Had a fantastic experience at Skull Creek Boathouse in Hilton Head! Our server, Guil, was absolutely amazing—friendly, attentive, and made us feel right at home. The standout dish for me was the Carolina blackened catfish—it was honestly some of the best I’ve ever had. Perfectly seasoned and cooked just right. The collard greens were delicious too, but I do wish they gave a bit more of them with the meal. Overall, a great spot with great food and top-notch service. Definitely recommend it!

My friends and I dined here for the last evening of a bachlorette trip! The view was beautiful right on the water front, the live music was great and the food was very good! I also had the best drink with fresh fruit! If and when I return to Hilton Head I would def come here again!

We really wanted to like it but the food was below average and the ambiance wasn’t really great either. From the bland “Cajun” boiled shrimp to the rock hard, flavorless “coconut” shrimp, the food was all a hard pass. For what it’s worth, the server was very nice & attentive but not even she could save this place.

This is my go-to place in Hilton Head. Food is always phenomenal, views are wonderful, service is always good, and we come back every time! I spend way too much money in the gift shop and half my tshirt closet is Skull Creek attire. Can’t wait to go back!!

we love taking the boat over and having lunch. it is $10 cash to dock. Lauren was our server. she checked on us several times. Also checked to make sure everything came out properly. not many servers do that. the restaurant has a beautiful view. the food is fairly price. ADDED picture of the omelet. took friends on Sunday for the brunch. They buffet is fairly priced. There is not a lot of seafood on the buffet. As you can see from the picture the made to order omelets are huge. If you are going by boat on Sunday make sure you get there early the dock fills up. You may have to wait for someone to leave to park your boat. They are good about moving the boats to make spaces easily available.

The food here was sub-par. The local shrimp did taste pretty fresh and was quite tender, but the coleslaw was warm and rubbery. There were lots of fruit flies that arrived with the food, which makes me think they have rotting produce in the kitchen. Food presentation on some of the dishes was really nice. Solid tap list with some good local beer options. 🍻 Staff was very kind and professional. 👍 The best part was walking out on the docks after the meal, seeing the sea birds hanging out, and watching the sunset. 🌅 🌴 🦢

Loved our meal here! Beautiful views. fast and friendly service and great food options. We can't wait to come back and try more things on the menu.

We asked for outdoor seating, the lady seating us asked if we were OK sitting next to a table that had brought their dog- that was very kind of her to check with us first before seating us there (it was completely fine with us but I’m sure some people wouldn’t like it). The atmosphere outside was very nice- we got there for sunset and got to see all the outside lights come on. While we were waiting for our food we walked out on the pier. We’ve heard great things about this place and their food. We started with sushi and it was really good. Then we got our fish sandwiches- they were dry and with barely any taste. The tomatoes looked very dull and didn’t taste good. Overall it was a decent experience, maybe we’ll try again with a different entree next time.

A great experience. Extensive menu and something got everyone. Right on the water, great views and a great bar feel. We loved Tammy!! She's the best waitress- very attentive and great sense of humor.

Typical tourist restaurant by the ocean trap With that being said, two things on that menu will kick your dick in. The hush puppies and that poke bowl. That is the best hush puppy I've ever had and a top 10 poke bowl. I lived in Hawaii I like to think I know my poke They are slammed nonstop for dinner hours but our waiter was still awesome and very attentive to us which I loved. The interior is set up... well. Like a boat house Good spot to take the family out but if you love searching for hidden gems then I would pass on this

Call me when you bring back the Big Kahuna Tuna Sandwich. Good service and bar selection. Hush puppies are a must. Seafood chowder is delicious. Thank you in advance. Very Respectfully, HHI

Amazing location! Food was great! Fish was fresh! Service was excellent! Ask for Ivan! He's the best!!

The bartender was fantastic! He made some great BAM margaritas and offered food suggestions. The crab ball appetizer and low country boil were really really good. Best LCB we've ever had, to be honest, and we got it to go. We ate the Tuna prepared three ways that was super yummy too.

My daughters rice tasted like it had been sitting around all day, dry and under cooked. My grouper imperial was tasteless. Couldn't tast any lemon butter sauce and the green beans and carrots were raw . Very disappointed as this wa the third time we have taken family there. Won't make the drive again, great options in Bluffton

The menu has a lot of different options. The drinks were delicious but the food was disappointing. The server was very knowledgeable on the gluten free items so she offered us a GF menu. The food was disappointing tho.. ( see pics of the oysters and mussels) The view and music was awesome but we do not plan on coming back here.

Food was bland & greasy. Fries too, definitely from a bag in freezer. Server wasn't rude but not pleasant either. My son ordered a kiddy cocktail that's supposed to come in a souvenir cup with lights l(silly but he loves it) well he just got a plastic cup from the bar. When o asked my son said it's fine but I said no we are paying for it. The server acted Surprised and said "oh you'd like that?" Yes that's what the menu says so yes please. I would not return while we are down here. The Facebook Hilton head group lied to me! :)

First time in Hilton Head SC, had dinner at the Skull Creek boathouse! Do not be swayed with the massive parking lot, it houses several restaurants We sat outside and had a fantastic view of the sunset! Dog friendly! Great wait staff! We started with the calabash shrimp. We had the lobster and seafood platters which were so filling and full of flavor! We really enjoyed our time in Hilton, this was a great option for a lot of variety!!!

We had a party of five, and a dog, for lunch on a Friday. First of all how nice we could bring our dog with us! the view outside is beautiful! We started off with the hush puppies they were delicious. We also got the pimento cheese and club style crackers that were good but not great, probably would have skipped that if we didn't already order it. We also had a round of drinks, the mixed drinks were small for $11, stick with beer or wine. The chowder was fishy. The fish sandwich (flounder) was a stand out at our table. The shrimp poboy got an okay rating. The crinkle cut fries and waffle cut sweet potato fries were ok but there was complaints about barely getting any with your meal. The low country fried chicken sandwich was HUGE. I ended up taking it off the bun and eating it with a knock and fork. Overall the food was good but the outside atmosphere was the best part.

What a fun experience! You're coming for the food, but you're not really coming for the food. Skull Creek Boathouse appears to be located in an area of Hilton Head Island where more locals live than the resort areas. There is a large boat house (assuming that's what it's called, given the restaurant's name) and a gift shop. There is ample seating on the water to watch the boats and have a drink while you wait for your table. (See photo.) The setting is gorgeous and casual. Expect a wait. We arrived at 4:55 on a Saturday night and waited 30 mins. When we got our table, the wait was an hour. The staff is very friendly. We had served Emilio, who was friendly, engaging and made great recommendations! The drinks are college bar types of drinks. If that's not your thing, maybe stick with beer and wine. The food menu is EXTENSIVE. We went preparing to eat food that is more what we're used to---poke bowl, sushi, ceviche, but ultimately decided that we might be disappointed in South Carolina's interpretation of our food and stuck with theirs. We ordered the hush puppies, based on rave reviews. I don't know if I've had them before, so take my words with a grain of salt. They were lukewarm, dense dough balls. There was a sweet butter that livened them up. I thought about sending them back for hot ones, which likely would have helped this review, but I didn't want to be a Karen. We still ate them all. We ordered the fried pickles which were flavorful, hot and delicious! We ordered the firecracker roll, which definitely seemed to be the south's take on this roll. It was enjoyable, but the sweet sauce could have been used more sparingly, imo. The crunch of the shrimp tempura was nice with the tuna. We ordered the blackened catfish, which was delicious and perfectly cooked. I don't know if I've had catfish, but I really liked it! The pimento cheese sauce on top made it decadent and actually the flavors were enjoyable. While I do like collard greens, I prefer them more basic stir fried. These were over-powering flavorful. I could leave the red rice on the plate.

Disclaimer: I didn't eat here. I drove up to Hilton Head while in Savannah for work... We went to Skull Creek years ago and I tried to go back, but it didn't work out. I was seated immediately and sat for 10+ minutes without anyone stopping by the table (there were 3 other tables around me and they were not waited on either). The perplexing part? The restaurant was not busy. Due to the clear management ineptitude, I got up and left... I ended up going to Benny's Coastal Kitchen (up the street), which was very good and the service was excellent.

I came here for dinner with my family. The weight wasn't that long. There was plenty of places to eat and they had water to serve. Parking can be a pain but we were lucky to find a parking and they have a parking guide to show you where to park. We got sat outside, which was nice and shaded. Service was pretty good for outdoors. We started off with the deviled eggs for the appetizer and they were really good, but I wish that there were more eggs to serve with the price that it came with. We got chicken fingers and mac & cheese for the kids and they were happy with those. My husband got the shrimp and scallops and they were very tasty. I got the shrimp pasta and I was surprised at how generous the portion was. The goat cheese that came on the pasta was an amazing addition to it. The bathrooms were very small and tiny. It was really hard trying to get my baby's diaper changed. Other than that we were happy with our visit!

If you are looking for a casual seafood place in Hilton Head try this place. We had a group of 11 and got seated right away at 5:30 We did have to wait until everyone got there to be seated. Inside was very nice and the staff was very friendly. I like to try new things, so I spotted a Fat Elvis drink, Little bit banana, with Peanut Butter Whiskey and some Bacon on top! You have try one, it was crazy! For appetizers, fried clams and fried calamari both very good! For a soup I got the Seafood Chowder, that was very good! For dinner I got the Boiled Seafood Catch, I wanted the Fried Platter but I would have needed a Baby Aspirin! The Boiled was good, it needed more seasoning. For dessert I got a Key Lime Colada drink... very good! Check out the pictures! Cheers!

Love this hidden gem nestled in the back of a boat storage facility - great aesthetics when you walk & the outdoor bar is on my list to hit when warmer weather is in sight Went with the double hot dog plate which was delicious and reasonably priced at $13. There is depth to the menu with sushi, seafood, & American fare The service was 10/10. Everyone was very helpful & prompt PS if you love sweet tea they may have the best

Nothing beats the views at Skull Creek Boathouse. The menu is large, so there is something for everyone. Definitely recommend the specials! It stays busy, so go early to avoid a long wait. We enjoyed our food and our server was super nice and attentive. One of our Hilton Head faves.

The service at the bar was outstanding with just an exceptional bartender. Wish we got her name. Wonderful views from the bar. Nice selection of beers. Local beer selection. Had the hush puppies to start that were a little bit overdone. My wife had the seafood chowder with a side salad topped with fresh avocado that was very nice and fresh. I had the shrimp and grits with ham gravy - big fan of shrimp and grits, but didn't like the ham gravy. It drowned out the taste of the shrimp, the grits were a little too soupy. The service along with the views in the setting of this waterfront bar is the tipping point for four stars.

What a beautiful setting for a restaurant. This place is seated on the bank of scenic Skull Creek. Boats, trees, & vistas abound. You can sit indoors or out, & there is seating for hundreds. I ordered the shrimp & grits, because my guess is I'm in the region where that combo originated. I received a large bowl with plenty of shrimp & grits & sausage & colored pepper slices & onions & tomatoes. The taste was great. However, the bottom half of my bowl was a sea of oil. It is as if they poured about a cup-and-a-half of fatty oil all over my meal. That reduced my rating. Outside of that, the food & ambiance & service were great.

It's best for its location/view and outside seating/bar area... and a great place for drinks. The food in my opinion though is average and a little pricey. It is a lively spot, especially outside - I find the inside to be pretty loud, especially when it is busy. As a local, I think it's kind of a touristy spot and there are some better quality options. The wait can be pretty long especially in season (summer) but they have things go on/there to pass time. The view is really great and you can get some beautiful pictures - I think if you're visiting and on vacation, it's good to checkout and experience but I think it's overhyped.

Food was just average. Service was good. But we were seated by the door to outside and it was cool and they swept the floors around us. It was unpleasant.

So so disappointed in the food here. If you're looking for a great view and drinks, this is your spot. The view was gorgeous and the outdoor seating was great. But the food....terrible and OVERPRICED. Our waiter had a bad attitude and was not attentive. The food was sooooo subpar. I should've expected that for the GIANT menu. Steak was chewy. My sushi was flavorless. And my kid barely touched the chicken strips. Won't be going back.

Truly 3.8 for the overall experience. Throwing plates on the table + undercooked seafood. Read more below. Get the seafood chowder!!! It's thick, chunky, creamy, and jam packed with seafood meat! The photo attached was a bowl and my fiancé and I shared it and thought it was a Perfect start to the meal. I got the seafood sampler. At almost $40 I do have to say it was a little weak. I liked the variety and ability to try a little bit of everything but maybe 2 oysters or 1 more scallop would have been appropriate. I was able to sub out my rice for grits and that was the best decision. The grits were nice and thick. Perfect with the seafood. Mango ceviche mix for scallops was different. Not bad but too tangy and fruity for scallops. Speaking of scallops mine were not cooked all the way and ended up being too squishy and chewy rather than the typical melt effect when cooked properly. The salt + vinegar crab cake was awesome, the stuffed shrimp were ok but too heavily seasoned in my opinion. My poor fiancé. The food runner THREW his plate on the table. Literally there has never been a more disrespectful food experience. We didn't bring it up to the server because it was late and we didn't want a free anything but this young man absolutely should not be handling food. The princess thai salad was good. Spicy and not filling with the added tuna ($12 for 5 slices...) the tuna was good but too less (especially after having the seafood chowder that spared no expense.) it got cold around 9pm so bring a sweater. Atmosphere and vibes were phenominal. This is such a great outdoor location but maybe train the staff on some good ole southern hospitality...

If you can time a sunset here, after a day at the beach, you are living life correctly! Great menu. Good service. Food was really good and reasonably priced Its a large patio setting. Not intimate. Boats arrive as often as cars, carrying patrons to eat on the patio.

Amazing food and atmosphere and we both agreed that we would definitely go back to this place It's on the water and food was really good!

The character of this restaurant is perfect for the area. The service here is attentive and kind. The food however is above average seafood. It's a little overpriced. Which is a pretty common thing in these resort towns. Don't expect to be blown away, but it was a solid meal. I got the fisherman's platter, it was good, not great. We also got the appetizer sampler. The calamari was the best on that, the other stuff was average. Would I go back? Probably not. Although it's not an awful pick if you're looking to try something specific or are in the area.

Skull Creek Boathouse If one is seeking a more sophisticated, beautiful, less commercialized locale, with meticulously zoned building codes, lovely landscaped courses and byways, and a genteel environment; with casual and upscale non-chain restaurants; with happy hours that do not involve rambunctious young'uns, we totally recommend Hilton Head Island. Given our six decades of Seaboard beaches, we have holidayed at beaches from Prince Edward Island to Patagonia, Argentina; also from Kenai Alaska to Patagonia Chile. We have elected Marriott Resorts of Hilton Head for our spring and autumn sojourns for the foreseeable future. We discovered our first soft shell crab sandwich 50 years ago in Annapolis, and have delighted in this specialty ever since. This is the soft shell season in Hilton Head. We return to Boathouse today; i.e. Skull Creek Boathouse. We "discovered" our very first Oyster PO' Boy in New Orleans 48 years ago. Brianna, our enthusiastic server informs us that today's oysters are from Maine. Ok - it will be a Maine oyster PO' Boy. A runner delivers a shredded lettuce Shrimp; the shredded lettuce is hiding the shrimp. This won't do, and I summons Brianna to correct the order. Shrimp may be fine, but NOT on Hilton Head. We like Skull Creek Boathouse, and have become semi- Hilton Head Natives. We love the deck at Boathouse as well as the numerous Live Oaks which provide necessary shade. Skull Creek Boathouse has several indoor dining rooms and an all weather patio. Perhaps Skull Creek Boathouse offers the nicest outdoor casual dining on Hilton Head. There is Skull Creek, view, boating, Pelicans, and outdoor space; However, Hudson's clearly has the HHI casual dining winner in the Oyster PO' Boy. Now to achieve the Hudson's Oyster PO' Boy on the Boathouse deck.... Not a Hidden Gem (perhaps for newbies,) and Never order hot dogs at Hilton Head.... One visits Hilton Head to dine on seafood....

This was one of my favorite meals while on the island. This is what most would deem a "locals spot". This bayside shack is set in the best location! As I was there in March, the windows were rolled down and the heat lamps were on, making it the perfect spot to sit and have a drink and some food! The bartenders here were wonderful! James and his wife killed it, offering suggestions and making one mean mojito. I enjoyed a variety of fried clam strips, tuna tataki, and some local oysters. All very fresh and delicious! 100% will be visiting this spot again when I come back to visit!

Rainy afternoon made better after lunch at Skull Creek Boathouse. Loved the bar feel inside and the beautiful outdoor seating. We all started off with a variety of drinks like the cucumber lime cooler (so refreshing and cooling) and straw-bouy mojito (sweet and lovely). We also tried the Super Crunch Roll- great flavors! The crab and shrimp quesadillas (amazing) and the clam roll, delicious! Our waitress was Sarah and she was fantastic and helped us make these selections! Fantastic service and great spot!

Tammy was friendly, attentive and fun to have as our server! loved the food and views of the water! Dawn

Doesn't get much better if you're looking for fresh seafood with a view. The restaurant is massive with both indoor and outdoor seating options. They have a small outhouse where you can play cornhole and order drinks while you wait for your table. The seafood is fresh enough but I was a bit disappointed by how bland the oysters and crab were.

We think this is a delightful restaurant with delicious food and a great staff. Our server Tammy took great care of us! I had the catfish (eventhough I'm not a big catfish lover) and i'm glad i did. The dish was bursting with flavor. My husband had the grouper and loved it too! We shared the green goddes caesar and what a fabulous twist on that dish! We will definitely eat here again when we return to the area!

First time here. Three girls at the reception desk were very impersonal. They didn't smile and weren't very welcoming, just going through the motions. They didn't take reservations for our group of 4, so make sure you bring a cell with battery because we waited 35 minutes for a table. Then another 15 for a server once seated. We arrived at around 7 pm, and didn't eat till 8:30ish. We sat in the fartherest away covered pavilion, across what seemed to be a public boat launch. It had restrooms and a tv, also a fireplace, which must be nice in colder weather. On the plus side, it had a good view (I relocated ourselves to the waterside view table after the hostess left). This remote pavilion was quieter than the main outdoor dining area.. Downside, the service was minimal and seemed to take much longer than usual, perhaps because of the location. Parking lot was a zoo. Would probably go again, mainly for the view, just not on a Friday night due to crowds and parking lot madness. Food was mediocre. My catfish platter (featured on Food Network) was very salty and covered with a strange melted pimento cheese blob. Hubby did like the poke bowl. And the other couple shared the seafood combo which looked good. After dinner, a very large palmetto bug ran across the ground towards our table which caused us to get up and leave asap.

Our server, Tammy, was awesome! The food was great too. Highly recommend Napa Salad and Hushpuppies!

Great place - decent food - very touristy long waits and no reservations Had a party of 6 once seated the server was very attentive and food was decent - great place when visiting

The area is very relaxing with a great view of the bay. Service was top notch. Will definitely be returning!

Finally had a chance to visit this place and was not disappointed. Firstly, the view was great! We sat at the outdoor bar and had great service with attentive bartenders. There was also live music being played at the perfect volume which was lovely. I had the frozè to drink and it was delightful, though I think it's a special and not on the regular menu. We ordered the hush puppies obviously and they were some of the best we've had on the island. The poke bowl was also very good and I would definitely order again! Can't wait to go back and try other things on their huge menu. We got there around 4pm and had no trouble getting a seat, though when we were leaving there was a line down the parking lot.

We came here with a party of 17. We sent a few people ahead to get a table of that many and spoke to manager. They accommodated us rather quickly for such a large party. Our sever, Audrey, was fantastic. I cannot say enough about how patient, fast, sweet with the kids and overall amazing she was. A table that large with kids, multiple drink orders, multiple appetizers, desserts and checks is difficult to manage and she was perfect. Food was good but service and ambiance was top tier. Thank you to Audrey and the manager for taking time to accommodate our large group. We will definitely be back!

Great food. We had 2 of the fish specials, the scallops and shrimp, and the creole salad. Good service. We love the atmosphere here. We try to always sit outside and watch the sunset.

Stopped in for lunch at this great location on the water and ordered the fish basket. The fish was lightly fried, and there were several pieces of mahi-mahi and grouper. The fish had a light taste and was cooked very well. The dish came with french fries and coleslaw. The coleslaw was a little different than I'm used to, but I enjoyed it. We also sampled the hushpuppies and they were tasty. The location is awesome. It was a beautiful day to be outside for lunch. Our server was friendly and pleasant and super attentive.

Great location! Servers very attentive and personable. Drink menu has many options. Menu with great variety. Also can bring dog! Gorgeous setting.

Very busy place on a Friday night! It has a merch shop, which screams "tourist trap" and gave me pause. The staff I met were all friendly and helpful, and working their butts off. Beer selection gets the big "meh" - nothing interesting and the people next to me were drinking a mass-produced lite beer. Drink menu looked like more fun, and they have sangria, but I didn't try any of it, having already had a rather generous local good beer earlier. However, I did try one of the rice bowls, which was served with surprising speed...venue by the water is great, but based on my dinner, you don't go there for the food. It desperately needed seasoning (soy sauce maybe), more sesame, and less mayo. I also expected larger scallops, not tiny bay scallops that tend to come frozen (texture was fine, but I suspect the seafood was sadly not local). It did the job for dinner, but I would not get it again. Drinks with friends? Yes, go enjoy the live music. Had I had more time I would have tried the other restaurant onsite, which seemed to have much more appetizing seafood.

The service and ambiance were great. The food was not as good as I expected. The shrimp was fried hard and the calamari rings were a bit rubbery.

Great food and service. Fresh peel n eat shrimp and Mahi tacos are a must. Beautiful views too!

We have been going to HHI for 30 years and have tried many restaurants! This is one we have not gone to a lot as it is kind of off the beat and path and they do not take reservations! This night we were able to sit right away! The food and ambiance was good - not great! Our server was wonderful! 4 in our party - we started with the deviled eggs which were ok - a little runny. 2 in our party had the seafood chowder which they enjoyed. I had the salt & vinegar crab cakes which were good but too much breading - not enough crab. And the crab that was there was chopped up too much - prefer more lump pieces! Another in our party had the Halibut was was just ok. This is a good place - lovely views! But with so many other choices it might not be on the top of our list to return.

Tammy our server was great and attentive. My filet mignon was pretty good. Scallops for my wife had to be reheated. Came out cold a tad fishy. The hush puppies were just ok. Not like Fish Camps !!! Nice view, dog friendly and out door area had plastic walls and heaters. I prefer the Boathouse menu. This menu is more fish centric.

Love going here to sit on the water. It's fun to watch them put the boats into the water right next to the restaurant. The drinks are always great. The hush puppies are to die for. Very large menu with tons of options. Service has always been good.

I've been able to get call ahead seating from some of the resorts, which is very nice. The service this time around was excellent, but the drinks are hardly worth the money. The food is good, not great. Props to the sushi chef as the poke bowl is delicious, but everything else ordered by the rest of our party was just ok. Had we been able to sit outside, may have enjoyed it more.

Love coming here and sitting at the outside bar - with the kids, dogs, or just date night. Best sunsets, drinks, and sushi specials. Services's is always on point - love us some Noelle!! It's a must go to place while on HHI.

Ordered the hush puppies, crab cake dinner, noodles for the kiddo, a fried seafood platter, and drinks. The food was fine but nothing outstanding. I will say the kids portions are sizable. Power for 2 kids to share. Probably won't go back yet but interested in their sister restaurant.