Lucky Rooster

Neat little spot with craft cocktails and very tasty food. Staff was very friendly, the only thing I would say is that it can get a little expensive, but most of the food is well worth the price.

Phenomenal culinary delights presented with true southern hospitality. Octopus, sweetbreads, beef tartare, seared tuna, charcuterie/​cheese board… we were on cloud 9. Hand crafted cocktails, wine on draft, Jackson Evans playing his guitar-​this place is our new favorite.

Excellent food quality & great hospitality. Best restaurant in the area, by far, during our 4 day stay. Kudos to the entire team. Thank you for the spread of desserts for the celebration of our new Marine!

Great food and service. Locally owned by an outstanding chef. A little pricey
Don’t let the name throw you off; this is a fine upscale restaurant.

Wow fantastic food! Bone marrow appetizer! Octopus too! They are a little stingy about the bread though with any apps or entrees… I had fried chicken — crispy juicy and the other dish was the pork duo which also disappeared! Very good attentive service despite a party of 20 seating at the same time.

We are here for nye and my mom was in looooove! First get drinks — pain killer and lambs blood. I got the shrimp and grits that were a bit grainy, I’ll be honest I’ve had better elsewhere BUT my mom got this steak with carmelized onions and gnocchis that were amazing. Brownie Nutella dessert was also a plus

There really wasn’t a single thing I didn’t like about Lucky Rooster. From Jimmy’s friendly greeting to Ryan’s incredible service, from the atmosphere, live piano music and the cozy booth where we were seated right away we felt instantly at ease and welcomed. And It only got better from there.
My mother ordered a special — locally sourced drum fish with terrific depth of flavor and crispy skin (basically grilled to perfection). I had short ribs with risotto and mushrooms — the combination of the flavors was fantastic; a truly «cohesive» dish in which each ingredient elevated the next. My father had the beef which he said was one of the best cuts he’s ever had (you could cut it like butter).
For dessert there was homemade ice cream and a delicious apple crumble — both of which we’d recommend saving some room for.
My only regret is that I didn’t make note of the Cabernet Ryan recommended — it was stellar!
Thanks to the Lucky Rooster for a memorable meal. We’ll be back!

How the mighty have fallen…
Maybe it was a bad night??? We did hear the chef yelling at his crew, «We are behind.» We sat at the bar with high expectations. First, the local beer we tried last time was out of stock — can’t help that. So, we shifted gears to the Octopus a la Plancha that wowed us on our last visit. Unfortunately, the meat was nowhere near as tender as our first visit. The octopus was a bit chewy. They replaced the chickpeas with white beans and the sauce was bland. We tried to close strong with the decadent chicken skins. While the skins still delivered a savory, crispy crunch the honey and hot sauce was lacking lacking in hot sauce. We’re pretty sure it was straight honey, no complexity at all to cut the salt. That said, our first visit was so good, I’d be willing to try again. Please read this Lucky Rooster and bring back the soul that got one of my very few 5 star ratings.

Best restaurant we’ve found on HHI. First off, they have live music most nights, usually a piano and guitar duo. Not overpowering, not your usual playlist. «You are so beautiful», some dylan and orginial compostitions are representative of the music selection. If you like cocktails, this is your place. Negroni, Brooklyn, Aviator, you name it, Ryan will make it and make it right. LR is so good, we went their twice in the same week. On our first visit, we had the country pâté and the jalapeño corn bread. Corn bread was great, pâté just OK, but any place that makes their own pâté is to be commended. Dinner was their sirlion, shrimp and grits and pork duo. Get the duo… pork belly and some other cut over apples. It is traditional in the McSmoot household to share dinners. Not a chance with this food. «Mine’s great, buzz off» was the sentiment in a nice, familial way. Our waiter suggested 3 wines by the glass that complemented each meal perfectly. We did share dessert, pumpkin ice box pie. Pretty good, but not as good as the entrees. Friday night, we started at the bar. Bone Marrow isn’t on my list of favs, or should I say wasn’t. A big, split bone of marrow, perfect baguette toast, roasted garlic and a wine aujus; fan-​damn-​tastic. Olives were good, not too salty. And the deviled eggs; bacon, horseradish and chives. Best deviled eggs ever. Moving to the dining room, we had the octopus appetizer, kinda chewy but flavorful with a garlic crème. The foie gras meatballs are a must order. Dinner; catfish, fried chicken and sea bass. Same result… McSmoot family hunkers down over their entrees. AJ the waiter suggest an excellent Uruguyan Chardonnay that keeps everyone happy. Dessert was a shared flourless chocolate brownie, paired with a nightcap of choice for the three of us.
This is best restaurant on the island and would be a welcome addition in any cities dining scene. Well trained but unobtrusive staff, killer cocktails and imaginative food.

This place has a great upscale atmosphere, and even had live music when we were there. All-​in-​all the food is very good, though it is a bit pricey for the amount of food you get.
We started with the FRIED GREEN TOMATOES which are served with pimento cheese and a sweet & spicy pepper jam. The combination of flavors were unexpectedly divine. As others have suggested, this is a must try item.
We also had the CAULIFLOWER & BLUE CHEESE SOUP (with bacon and chives). I am not a big fan of blue cheese, but this soup had little to no blue cheese flavor, which worked for me. It was a creamy, delightful soup that was not overly heavy.
For the main course we had the HALF A FRIED CHICKEN: three pieces of perfectly fried and juicy chicken served with collard greens, potato purée & gravy, and a honey dipping sauce. The collards included bacon and a vinegar base that gave it more of a sauerkraut flavor. We were not fans of the collards or the «odd» side of honey; but the chicken mixed with the collards and the honey did create a nice melding of flavors.
For dessert we chose the seasonal APPLE CRISP with their staple Captain Crunch ice cream. The apples were thinly sliced, covered in cinnamon, and perfectly tart. The combination with the overly sweet ice cream worked well.
This place would be a solid four if not for their «no substitutions» policy. Not only would we have preferred a different side, one member of our party was allergic to pork, and could not fully enjoy the experience. At one point the waiter asked how everything was, and we mentioned the allergy to pork, and that the collards had pork which was not mentioned on the menu. The waiter merely commented «Oh.»; and walked off.
There needs to be some accommodations for food allergies.

Farm to table dinning is always a plus in my book. You get the freshest of the fresh from the current season. Now that I currently live in the South, souther flare cooking will always appeal to me.
My party of 5 was ready to head out to dinner and I had called in our reservation about 30min prior to departure. Lucky us! They were able to give us a table with very little advance notice. It was, however, the off peak season for this part of town. We arrived, greeted, and seated.
You get your white linen table cloths here and the dress code is flexible. A smattering of business casual mixed with some aloha shirts. Bring your child, it’ll be a good experience for them as there were a few guests who brought their loved ones.
There’s an extensive wine, beer, and liquor list. Request for the draft list because it looks as though they have a varied rotation. Delirium on tap– yes! Needless to say, even their tap water is amazing and goes through a complex filtration process. No need to ask for a lemon here. Bread can be obtained but only on request for the table. Our table ordered the following appetizers to start: bone marrow (allow 15−20min to prepare), Hamachi tuna tartare, and fried green tomatoes. The bone marrow melted in your mouth like butter. Rich and full of iron. It came with confit garlic and au jus. My method was to spread the garlic over the toast, spread the marrow, and drizzle the au jus. What a delightful treat! The tuna tartare was light and refreshing with a sweeter acidity usage of yuzu. The fried green tomato did not appeal to me and I did not try. My fellow southerners, on the other hand, were raving about them!
I ordered the scallop special which blew me away. A nice clean sear over a bed of toasted (maybe fried) pecans, washed capers, and grapes. There was also a purée on the dish but I could not get my taste buds to identify. Side note: If the capers were flashed fried rather than washed, I would have enjoyed it better. The overall dish was a bit well seasoned but I can’t deny that I love a good blood pressure increase. I had a bite of the braised short ribs. It was rich rich rich and oh so good! Chanterelle mushrooms are really my favorite and the meat had a nice smokey taste to it as well as a glaze.
Would I recommend this place? absolutely! Our waiter was originally from Pennsylvania and I can’t remember his name… I recommend sitting in his section as the service was superb. His passion for food really elevated our dinning experience.

This is not just a great restaurant, this is one of those eateries where the chef should be celebrated. If you’re lucky enough to live in Hilton Head, you should understand how lucky you are to have a world class restaurant like The Lucky Rooster. We have been eating in the low country for well over 30 years and we don’t live here. It is one of the great culinary regions in the country because of restaurants like this.
We began with tuna tartare and fried green tomatoes. The tuna is married with pineapple, yuzu, soy – well let’s just say it had a crunch and ever so slight sweetness unexpected by the eye but appreciated by the mouth. The fried green tomatoes sit on a bed of pimiento cheese surrounded red spicy cabbage. I am usually not a huge fan of pimiento cheese, but this homemade version was of a shredded texture with less seasoning so as to compliment, but not compete with, the spicy red cabbage, just a wonderful dish.
Hands down, we had the greatest dish of shrimp and grits in a part of the country where the competition is fierce. The waitress’ recommendation of fried chicken was accepted without knowing the chef puts 18 hours into this dish’s preparation. The good part about that is you can taste that effort in every part and bite of the bird, the bad part is that you should probably give up on ordering fried chicken in any other restaurant. FOODIE HEAVEN, ENOUGH SAID.

Farm to Table Fabulous!
Although we didn’t have a reservation, they were very quick and accommodating to get us seated. Excellent service and ambiance! I had the Fried Chicken — HIGHLY recommended, especially with the Honey Sriracha sauce! Delicious!
My friend had the Lucky Burger — another win! Served with Parmesan Garlic Fries! Yes!
A must in Hilton Head!
I also HIGHLY recommend the Bourbon Flight! It’s vacation, right? :)

The Lucky Rooster was delicious! I’m always on the lookout for local, high-​quality, farm-​to-​table style restaurants, and this was right up my alley. The food was tasty, and the staff was great — it was a perfect way to top off a day on the beaches at Hilton Head. We had a variety of dishes and appetizers, all of which were fresh, unique, and a huge hit with the entire family. Caveat — the burger my son got was good, but nothing quite as delicious as the rest of our food; skip that for something more unique.
I’d recommend making reservations if you want to eat here — we lucked out with an open seat outside, but the place was PACKED even at early dinner hours.

Holy fried chicken yum!
Place is absolutely perfect!
We started out with the bread cheese, which was everything we didn’t know we could ever want. It was just too great.
I had the fried chicken, which was cooked to perfection and served with collard greens and pureed mashed potatoes. The spicy honey was the perfect addition to this dish.
My date had the steak, which was so tender and juicy. It was great!
The servers know a lot about their food and offer excellent recommendations. Would love to come back here.

I travelled to Hilton Head for short getaway with five girlfriends. We really had no definite plans. At the last minute, we decided to coordinate a pre-​birthday celebration for one of my girlfriends.
We called the Lucky Rooster and made a last minute reservation. The staff was warm & welcoming. They accommodated us without hesitation. The manager was very hospitable. Our server, Joe, was the best!!!
All of our entrees were delicious. «Classy with a southern flair». The presentation was beautiful. The cocktails were great.
Can’t wait to return to the area. This restaurant is truly a local favorite!

Honestly– my pity to the chef. The food was delicious, it really was.
The service on the other hand?
My family is the kind that doesn’t flaunt their money, but has some to share. Needless to say we were talked to a handful of times by our waiter– only when necessary, and his attitude toward us couldn’t have been worse. We weren’t interested in an appetizer– had to ask for bread. We actually came for the desserts everyone raves about on here. Eating frozen yogurt down the street as I type.
I was a waitress– I get that tips are your paycheck. But we are the kind of people that would tip you $ 50 on a $ 20 bill because you deserve it. But $ 10 on a $ 100 bill if you deserve it.
And TYLER deserved his $ 10 as well as this review– hope management takes immediate action. As we, and our friends (we own a condo) will not be returning. Such a shame.

Delicious from the chicken skin beginning to the flourless brownie end. If you get a chance to eat here, do. I was very impressed with my dinner of golden tile fish with corn pudding, which was not a traditional version of corn pudding. It had heirloom cherry tomatoes, chipolini onions and many other vegetables all held together with Sweet grits. So delicious.
My boyfriend had the smoked oysters and they were phenomenal. He said that he wished he could take a picture of the smell!
The best thing about this place for us was that we were able to enjoy the amazing food, with our 6 year old. They have a children’s menu, which included shrimp, grilled and fried chicken, and grass fed steak, which is what our daughter chose.
This is definitely the best place I have been on the Island thus far, full of character and yummy food.

Lucky Rooster was on the «must eat» list considering a fabulous experience last year. But instead of dining out, we decided to do takeout and eat in the comfort of our hotel that was only 10 minutes away.
We ordered the steak and short ribs for dinner. At first, I was a little disappointed that our steak ordered medium was actually well done. I called the restaurant, and Damon was very gracious in making it right. But please note that if you do the same, order your meat one temperature below what you normally would as it may cook a little more on the ride home. Both our meals were distinct and delicious. It’s definitely staying on the list.

We tried 4 times to go to this restaurant, where my parents had eaten great oysters the year before, only to finally figure out that it had changed ownership and become something new. We were disappointed that they did not have oysters, but then completely delighted by a really wonderful experience.
The bartender was really great, and introduced us to their house made ginger beer (non-​alcoholic) and the drink they make with it (the Moscow Mule). We tried the deviled eggs (with horseradish) and the bone marrow.
direct quote as my father shamelessly licks the bones, «This’ll make you wish you were a dog!»
We’re a cat family, but another employee was quick to inform us that once the bones have been roasted, we should not feed them to our dog… head’s up for dog families.