Best seafood restaurant on Hilton Head? Packet readers gave this landmark the title

The seafood menu at Skull Creek Boathouse on Hilton Head runs the gamut from the must-have Lowcountry dishes such as shrimp and grits to more specialized fare such as sushi. The commonality, though, is fresh ingredients.

“We try to source everything as local as we can,” said the restaurant’s general manager Chris Butler.

The atmosphere, with tables under a canopy of trees along the banks of Skull Creek and live music as the sun sets over the water every night, certainly doesn’t hurt the appeal.

Perhaps these are among the reasons Island Packet readers voted for Skull Creek Boathouse to win the title Best Seafood on Hilton Head in a series of polls over the last month. In the final round, which ended at noon Wednesday, Skull Creek Boathouse garnered 67% of the vote (12,259) in its face-off with another beloved Hilton Head landmark, The Crazy Crab.

Overall in the competition, more than 97,000 votes were recorded, whittling down the 38 reader-submitted nominees to the final winner during four rounds of voting. (We didn’t limit the number of times one person could vote, so this poll should not be considered scientific but instead is just for fun.)

Here are some comments left by fans when the restaurant shared posts about voting on its Facebook page:

• Best food I’ve ever had and a great atmosphere for so many reasons!

• Love this place! I eat here whenever I’m in town!

• We ate there a few days ago & the lightly fried scallops were delicious!

• Our favorite place for Sunday brunch.

The restaurant

According to clips in The Island Packet’s archive, SERG restaurant group purchased the business known first as Boathouse and then as Boathouse II in November 2009 and, after renovations, reopened the following year as Skull Creek Boathouse.

“From the day I set foot on Hilton Head, my dream was to have a truly waterfront restaurant,” the late Steve Carb, then CEO of SERG, told the newspaper at the time.

Butler, who has been general manager at Skull Creek Boathouse since mid-2021, explained the name: “We kind of followed the old adage that ... it was bad luck to change the name just as you would as a ship.”

He said the restaurant’s existing building is a historic one that once was used as storage for boats.

These days, about 175 people work at Skull Creek Boathouse, which is open daily. It’s been featured on the Food Network, the Travel Channel and National Geographic.

The restaurant can seat 418, and a number of those tables are outdoors, so the weather adds a particular stress for the managers determining where to seat diners on any given day.

“We have five front-of-the-house managers, and we all kind of fancy ourselves meteorologists at this point,” Butler said. “It’s probably the hardest part of our job, to be honest. We all have about five to six different weather apps on our phone.”

When rain catches them unaware, diners who are seated outside are moved indoors or into a sheltered area.

In addition to the food, the view of Skull Creek from the restaurant’s deck has made it a regular destination for tourists and locals alike. Coastal hospitality and service are part of the package, Butler said.

“The biggest compliment we can get is having a first-time guest return for a second visit,” he said.

Weather permitting, a solo musician performs outdoors nightly from 5 to 8 p.m. Three times over the summer, a full band will take the stage (next is the Eric Culberson Band from 6 to 9 p.m. on July 15.)

Pet owners are welcome to bring their best friends along, too. The outdoor deck is dog-friendly, and Skull Creek provides water bowls and treats.

The menu

One of Skull Creek Boathouse’s signature dishes is its Blackened Carolina Catfish.

“We top it with some pimento cheese, which sounded really strange when I first started working here, but the fats of the catfish and the cheese, they actually go really, really well together,” Butler said.

The lunch menu includes a spin on the BLT. The Grilled Salmon B.A.T., is built with bacon, avocado and tomato on grilled challah bread.

Skull Creek Boathouse rotates its featured fish dishes based on season, and the current selection includes cobia.

“I think we have the best sushi on the island,” Butler said. “We have guys that have been rolling sushi for years. Our executive sous chef used to be our head sushi roller here, so we’re very particular about it.”

Some restaurants may get creative with Lowcountry staples like shrimp and grits, but Skull Creek Boathouse sticks with a classic style of sauteed local shrimp, smoked sausage and tasso ham gravy over South Carolina stone ground grits.

“We also always have a local oyster,” Butler said.

What’s the next new thing coming for Skull Creek Boathouse? Other than seasonal changes and the occasional menu addition, customers can expect a consistent experience.

“If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” Butler said. “For the most part, we stay pretty close to what we know.”

At a glance

• What: Skull Creek Boathouse

• Address: 397 Squire Pope Road, Hilton Head

• Phone: 843-681-3663

• Hours: In-season hours 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday

• Website: skullcreekboathouse.com

• Note: Reservations not accepted.