Salty Dog Cafe

Super average. Clearly they care more about their branding and marketing than they do their food and actual customer experience. The best part of the meal was it being on a dock. I had the fresh catch sandwich (wahoo) and it was very bland. Would not recommend for anything more than drinks.

We ordered a couple of pulled pork sandwiches and a hot dog. They were all about 10 bucks each, which is to be expected in a tourist town, but I was hoping for a little better bread and pulled pork than what we got for the price.

Drinks were decent, noticed the bartender pouring more alcohol into the mixed drinks than the frozen ones
Tried the chili cheese dog and sautéed shrimp roll — both were really good, the hush puppies were too sweet though, tasted like donut holes. Overall would return if in the area.

Boo– my kids named it the crappy dog. I’ve been to many places with this type of atmosphere and this was by far the worst food I’ve ever had. Not attentive staff, over priced adult drinks and wilted salad. Good hush puppies if that’s what you want to hang your hat on.

Great location and nice people. Make sure you try to eat early or off times due to long waits. Also remember the wreck of the salty dog has the same food and usually has less wait. Make sure to get the hush puppies they are our favorite.

Live music on the dock while at the bar waiting for our table, then dinner and service was great. Only minor item, it was about 90 out and the AC in the dining room couldn’t keep up. Will definitely come back on our next visit to HHI

Food was really good. It was a little annoying to pay 6.00 to drive into the development where the restaurant is but no one else seemed to mind. We sat outside on the balcony and enjoyed the view. We all had something different and everything was great!

We just stopped here for some drinks so can’t speak about their food. They have a very nice outside seating area. Crowd was decent too. Their drinks are good and reasonably priced. There was live music on Friday night when we visited. Good place to visit and relax

Didn’t want to go. Thought it would be a cheap and cheesy tourist trap. Glad I didn’t miss it. The staff was super friendly and the food was pretty good. This is not a foodie’s restaurant. Got hush puppies for starters and they were good. I had the swordfish it was okay. I had the key lime pie for dessert. It was home made and although it wasn’t the best I ever had, I really appreciate and can’t express how much I love a restaurant that makes their own desserts. I’m glad I went here, but with all the great eats on the island I don’t think that I’ll be back for the next vacation. Except maybe for some more beer and hush puppies.

We came to Salty Dog Café tonight for drinks, dinner, and to enjoy the atmosphere. This definitely isn’t a first class dining experience, but for good bar food and ambience, this place is top notch.
We started with drinks on the patio while we were waiting for our table. We were quoted 60 minutes to sit outside, but it ended up being 40. I can see it getting really hard to eat outside during peak season though– there are only eight tables on the patio.
Our waitress was friendly, funny, and efficient.
For appetizers, we had the hush puppies (about 12 in an order), the fish bites (again, about 12 in an order), and the gumbo soup. I’ve been obsessed with gumbo since visiting New Orleans a month ago, and this was a great sampling.
For dinner, we had the veggie burger, shrimp and grits, the Island Bird (pineapple chicken), and the Jakezilla (a half pound beef burger with pulled pork, bacon, and fried onion). Everything was great with huge portions– we all had leftovers.
The ambience here can’t be beat– live music and a view of the water. Will definitely make this a routine visit on a trip to Hilton Head!

We go every year. This year was a disappointment. The manager was great, he came over and talked to us for a bit. It was buggy and the music was too loud. The food is good pub fare, nothing special. We went twice while on HHI. First time they told us it was a 20 min wait. We had net even crossed through the restaurant when we were paged! The second time they told us 90
Minutes and sure enough 20 minutes later we were seated! We brought friends telling them it is like a HHI must see. I was embarrassed after the poor service, bugs, loud music and fair food!

I was looking forward to checking out this «tourist trap» all week of our vacation, and was excited to go there on our last night, but we were terribly dissatisfied. As mentioned previously– Beautiful location, waitstaff nice, live music, ok drinks but we drew the short straw on timeliness of service and the quality of the food was quite low. All parents (of toddlers especially) are familiar with the ‘golden window’ of time at a restaurant in which all is wonderful, right before all is not wonderful. After waiting for 45 minutes for our appetizer and soup and salads, I knew we were in trouble. Another indicator of the demise of our dinner was when the table of 6 behind us ordered and got their entrees before we got our pre-​meal items.
And then there was the food… the components of my low country boil was so water-​logged, I could swear the corn had been sitting at the bottom of the pot for over 12 hours– it was bad y’all! And sooooo overpriced, it ended up being our most expensive meal of vacation and because I’m wildly adverse to complaining at restaurants, we quietly left as soon as possible, as we had bigger battles with our cranky 2 year old.
Despite the epic fail that was our dinner experience (which now has a new moniker: «salty doggin’ it»), on the way out, we were pleased and surprised to be wooed by the live music and easy atmosphere– we sat for a few moments on the deck and enjoyed the scene while our little man danced his heart out and entertained everyone.
And– no diaper changing station that I could find!

Of course we had to go here, and yes, it is «touristy», but I couldn’t resist. Went for lunch on a Friday afternoon, we were seated immediately at 11:45 AM, so I guess we beat the lunch rush as the the place was filled by 12:15. Sat outside and fortunately did not have to use the complimentary bug spray at the table.
Had a few beers that were made by a local brewery which was cool. The food far exceeded my expectations, as I had the shrimp and lobster rolls. Very fresh, and seasoned just right. My wife had the chicken sandwich which she thought was flavorful and very fresh.
Gift shop was great as well, and we bought a few t-​shirts for the kids before we left.
Overall very solid and we will be back again next time we visit HHI. The trick to getting here without paying to get into Sea Pines is to ride your bike on the beach and then hit the main road at marker #38.

My girlfriend and I love Hilton Head, and whenever we visit, we devote one day to Sea Pines. We’ve got the day down to a science: we rent bikes at South Beach Cycles, bike to the Harbour Town Lighthouse and back (gorgeous ride by the way), and claim our just reward: lunch at Salty Dog Café.
Yes, there are a lot of tourists. Yes, the cuisine is typical American seafood (fried and salty, who’d have guessed?). Yes, they brand out the wazoo. But you know what? It’s a really fun experience.
Staring at the water, recovering from a lovely bike ride, sipping an indulgent frozen cocktail (I can’t resist the «Cocobana») between bites of crispy and salty food… it’s just tough to beat that! The gift shop is also pretty remarkable for its sheer variety, even for a minimalist like me.
Overall, Salty Dog is more than just a restaurant to me; it’s a complete experience that’s unique, fun, and essential for a visit to Hilton Head.

Nice bar, good food, good time, music, some view of the water and you kinda feel good during the rainy days.

The location is without a doubt one of the best. Perfect for lunch on a bright sunny day… ask for seating by the waterfront and you’ll enjoy watching the sea gulls fly by real close. We were lucky this thanksgiving weekend when the sun was out and the place was thralling with people and music.
On the food from I would not rate it more than 3 as the portion sizes were dismal… Really very small and not mind blowing on the taste and quality front. Along with drinks the place is pretty good though… Some nice variety of cocktails on the menu. We Liked the Steamed peel and eat Shrimps… Me sure u drizzle lemon juice. It spikes up the flavors! The fish and chips were a good combination with a glass of merlot and the salty dog lager.
Visit it when the sun is out. The music will add to the ambiance! Enjoy…

This place is exactly what you think it is: American touristy food. I’m not sure if you could actually find legit sea food on this island because of the vacation location. Because Hilton Head is such a hot spot and the Salty Dog is basically famous, you can sometimes be hard pressed to get a parking or dining spot. It is pricier than other restaurants and you get less food for you cash. They had a guitarist playing some acoustic versions of songs outside. It combines with the location to make for a relaxing evening. Being right on the water is fantastic.
In general, the food is good. It’s cooked properly and comes out in a timely manner. Get the hush puppies. The au gratin potatoes were actually great. Every one of us who had them absolutely loved them. A family member mentioned that the daiquiri was perfect. The rest seems to be nothing special.

This summer was hot! After a morning at the beach we decided to move our lounging to the sea pines pool so that we could get a little bit of shade after all the morning sun. Salty Dog Café is located just across the parking lot from the pool, so when I saw a woman bring in a pink drink from the bar, I suggested we head over for a refreshment. There is waterside seating offered for those looking to grab lunch, but since we were just interested in drinks, we headed up to the tiki bar.
They were quite busy, but the bartenders were quick to acknowledge. The drink special of the day was a South Beach Breeze. A vodka drink with lemonade, pineapple, and ginger ale. It just so happens that those are all my favorite things, so I ordered that (I think it was ~$ 7). My boyfriend, who always seems to pick out the girly drinks (he drinks beer too, I swear), ordered the tropical freeze, a blend of rum and fruits. Of course it came out pink (I’m starting to think he just likes to carry pink drinks). His drink was $ 8. Both drinks were good and had a nice flavor to alcohol balance.
Salty Dog Café pretty much serves its purpose. The parking lot is full of bikes with people going back and forth from the pool to the beach looking for a break in their day. The drinks are a little pricey, but they are well done, and there are specials. The staff was friendly and the tiki hut offered a nice breeze… overall a nice afternoon.

I had high expectations for the Salty Dog Café– I had heard nothing but great things about this place, and being in Hilton Head, surely it must be good!
Meh.
The patio atmosphere is nice, but that doesn’t make up for the sub-​par food. The service was friendly, but terribly slow. The food was only slightly warm when it got to the table, as if it had been sitting out for just a tad too long. Yuck.
Maybe this is one of those places that’s better suited for some evening drinks rather than an actual meal? Who knows.
This place seemed incredibly touristy, to the point of almost being tacky. If they spent half the amount of effort focused on putting out great food rather than pushing their brand and their t-​shirts, this place could be awesome. Along with the food and drink menu, we were given a catalog of all their t-​shirts and other branded junk they sell– that’s a quick sure-​fire way to cheapen your brand… and before we had even ordered anything too!
I don’t recommend coming here for the food. You can get a better tasting and better priced meal at a place like Subway or even McDonalds.

Dear people looking to go to Salty Dog:
There are good things and not good things about this place.
Let’s start with the good –
— Great location and atmosphere
— Live Music
— Plentiful seating on the patio
— Dog friendly outside
— Mosquito spray on each table (and you’ll need it)
— Good drink menu
— SUPER family friendly, you can tell this place draws a regular crowd of locals/​vacationing families
And the not good –
— The food (yikes)
— Slow service
— Having to pay to get into the gated community where the Salty Dog is located
It felt very much like something you «have to do» when you come to HHI, and I’m glad we ventured away from our resort to join in on the fun. I bet this place gets SLAMMED during the busy summer months. Plan accordingly… I hear the wait can get up to 2 – 3 hours, which makes sense because they only have 6 – 7 outdoor tables with dinner service and EVERYone wants to sit outside.
I think a smart move would be to come here in the evening for drinks and to enjoy the live music. Don’t worry about grabbing food here and you’ll be in a better mindset. If you do want some food, I suggest easy stuff like peel and eat shrimp or maybe another appetizer. Full meals were not worth the price.