We all know that April around here is dominated by a couple of things. First, of course, is golf and the annual RBC Heritage Golf Tournament at Sea Pines, happening this year April 14-20 (Easter Sunday). The second, of course, is spring break.
Both of those events make for lots of traffic in and around Sea Pines Resort, with a lot of people looking for good eats. Fortunately for them, there are a lot of options to find some. If you are a resident or a repeat visitor to the area, then you probably know a lot of the restaurants by name. We are not here to list them. Instead, I’m here to drill a little deeper into a few of the menus across the property and share with you some of my personal go-to spots when it comes to eating and liking at Sea Pines.
Barbecue at Fraser’s Tavern
For my money, the barbecue at Fraser’s is some of the best – if not THE best – on the island. Yeah, no kidding. All of their proteins are top shelf – from the brisket to the pulled pork and even their chicken wings. The wings are smoked and then fried before they are served. Though I enjoy them all and the ribs, my favorite is the pulled pork, which you can get as a topping on one of their craft burgers. The burger menu alone is an afternoon nap waiting to happen. A lot of people know about this restaurant in the middle of the property, but don’t sleep on this classically Southern barbecue.
Grouper Rockafeller at Quarterdeck
Right off the bat I will tell you that you’d better be hungry because this dish is a monster, but it is maybe one of my favorites on the island. It’s a beautiful piece of local grouper topped with creamy spinach, applewood smoked bacon, Pernod, sauteed Johns Island mushrooms, bearnaise, and crispy Bulls Bay oysters. You had me at fried oysters, but all these flavors are a party waiting to happen. Meanwhile, anyone dining with me at the Quarterdeck knows that we are getting the Street Corn Elote Fingers. That’s a great starter.
A5 Wagyu Tartare at Links, An American Grill
Forgive me for a second while we indulge in some decadence. This appetizer is just show-stopping delicious. Enjoy the amazing Wagyu tartare with crème fraiche, capers, yuzu pearls, cured egg yolk, and grilled sourdough. I think I could make dinner out of that and a glass of wine most nights.
Honorable mention for the Sea Pines-owned restaurants goes to the Harbour Town Bakery. The lines are long every morning for very good reason. I’ve never had anything from there I didn’t absolutely love.
My initial intention was to feature something a little more casual, but there are some casual eats we’ve already mentioned. Still there are other good eats inside of Sea Pines that should make it to your short list.
Crab Cakes at CQ’s
Maybe the most popular restaurant on the property (depending on who you ask) is CQ’s, Harbour Town’s first restaurant, built in 1970. They’ve had a solid following ever since. Yeah, that’s a long time. The reputation is solid, obviously, but also earned.
Admittedly, I’m a big fan of their she crab soup, but can also share that the crab cakes are great as well. Served with edamame, butternut squash, roasted peppers, and sweet corn succotash with remoulade. Does it get any more Lowcountry than that?
Of course, Sea Pines offers some more family friendly options. Salty Dog and Truffles are both incredibly popular with that crowd. The burgers at Truffles are among the most popular on the island as well.
Options are always good. The diet will start on Monday.
Happy Heritage!
