I think we’d all agree that sometimes the best things happen by accident. Afterward, you look around and say, “Well, alrighty then. I’ll take it.”
That’s just what happened to me one morning a few weeks back, standing on a sidewalk out in front of the Harbour Town Clubhouse at Sea Pines Resort. I’d just left a grueling workout. I was in sweats and a sweaty T-shirt. But there I was when a golf cart pulled up on me. The driver was the Matt Roher, director of food and beverage at Sea Pines Resort.
“Hop in,” he said.
I’ve known Matt for over a decade, so sure thing. I hop in and ask questions later.
“Where are we going?”
“Let’s go take a look.”
It didn’t take a BS degree in BS to know that we were zipping over to the under-construction all-new Quarterdeck Restaurant and Marketplace, right under the lighthouse at Harbour Town. How could I not be excited?
If you aren’t familiar, the Quarterdeck, once upon a time, was one of Hilton Head Island’s most iconic restaurants. Positioned perfectly under the lighthouse, it has a deep history with locals and visitors alike. In fact, back in February when the Quarterdeck held its final event, a couple of hundred people gathered to say goodbye and swap 50 or so years’ worth of stories and memories about that building.
The wrecking ball was brought in practically the next day, and the building was leveled to the ground. In its place will be a state-of-the-art restaurant and marketplace that is extremely likely to be one of the most popular spots on the island for the next 10-20 years. Wait until you see it.
The new building will have two entrances: one for the restaurant, the other for the marketplace. A marketplace/general store will offer fresh seafood for sale as well as handheld bites such as shrimp po’boys and other sandwiches. That will be surrounded by other retail items and a wall of wine.
Across the way will be a “Kids’ Zone.” I’m told it will be brightly colored to attract the little ones and will offer 16 flavors of Haagen-Dazs ice cream. There will be a few other sweet bites, but you get the picture: roll in, grab a few scoops, and resume your stroll around the yacht basin.
The restaurant itself will be massive—in the neighborhood of 500 seats—just about double what it was before. When I tell you that every single inch of space has been not only utilized but maximized, there is absolutely no exaggeration there.
There will be ground-floor seating—indoor as well as a huge deck space. At the front of the room will be a huge bar with all seating facing the entrance to the basin with the eighteenth green of the Harbour Town Golf Links in the distance.
At the top of the stairs, guests will be greeted by an oyster bar. Another smaller bar will be upstairs, but those seats won’t face the water. Instead, the second floor outdoor deck is very likely (especially during Heritage Week) to be the most desired spot in the building, thanks to a sweeping view from the seventeenth green on the left all the way to the Calibogue Sound on the right. I can already tell you this will be Hilton Head Island’s No. 1 spot for a sunset view.
Televisions will be tastefully positioned throughout. This isn’t going to be a sports bar, but you will be able to keep tabs on a game if you like.
Tucked away in a far corner of the second floor is a room being created for private dining groups. That room will also offer stunning views of the sound with Daufuskie Island in the distance.
But perhaps the one thing that jumped out at me most is an outdoor area being built directly under the famous lighthouse with a stunning view of the harbor. My reaction?
“Oh, wow. Talk about a perfect spot for a rehearsal dinner,” I said.
“We are already booking them,” Matt responded.
No one is going to talk menu just yet. We are still roughly five months away from a grand opening. I have heard some whispers that a few of the Quarterdeck favorites will be returning to the menu, which I’m guessing will be relatively simple due to the sheer number of people who they will be expecting to Eat It and Like It at the new Quarterdeck. Especially at the beginning.
That’s not to say there won’t be opportunities for a little envelope pushing. Wine dinners? Sure, why not? With those views and the beautiful new building, everything is fair game.
If I sound a little more excited than normal about a new restaurant, I am. Like many of you, I have quite a few memories at that spot, going back to my days as a sportscaster for WSAV, covering the golf tournament around the turn of the century. (I always wanted to say that. Just never thought it would apply to myself.)
As of November 2021, construction is moving along swimmingly. Look for the doors to swing open at the all-new Quarterdeck Restaurant and Marketplace this spring.
And beware of hitchhikers.
