The Best Meal I Ate Last Year Was in This Small South Carolina Town
True story: I love the Charleston, South Carolina restaurant scene so much that, whenever we make a trip, my husband I pick our accommodations based on proximity to the eateries we’re most excited to try. From baked deviled crab to the iconic shrimp boil, there are so many Lowcountry dishes to savor, and it’s not hard to get your fill in The Holy City alone. And that’s precisely why I’m still shook that the best Lowcountry meal I had last year didn’t take place in Charleston at all, but in the small town of Bluffton.
Situated two hours south of Charleston and fifteen minutes inland from Hilton Head Island, this once-sleepy river town is now the rising star of the Lowcountry dining scene—and one of Country Living’s Top 10 Small Towns to Visit in 2025. For the full lowdown on how to spend a weekend eating, shopping, and exploring in Bluffton, read on! And yes, details about the dishes I still can’t stop thinking about are included.
Rise and Shine
The bacon-basil croissants and lavender matcha lattes at Corner Perk Brunch Café are best enjoyed at the eatery’s community table.
Stroll the Stores
Boutiques and art galleries beckon all along Calhoun Street. Pop into The Store, open since 1978, for an eclectic assortment of antiques and oddities curated by Babbie Guscio.
Walk Within History
A rare remnant of Reconstruction-era architecture that’s open for guided tours, the Garvin-Garvey House is one of the earliest freedman-owned cottages along the May River.
Go All In on Gullah
This summer, Bluffton chef and community celebrant Bridgette Frazier will debut Ma Daisy’s Porch, a multi-building compound dedicated to the heritage, history, and flavors of Gullah, a distinctively Southeastern culture born from the descendants of enslaved West and Central Africans. The Ma Daisy's complex will include an immersive museum, an open-air market for Gullah artists and craftsmen, a bakery offering Benne cookies and creatively-stuffed croissants, and a two-story restaurant. “The Ma Daisy’s compound is a place where Gullah culture appeals to every sense,” Bridgette says. “You can taste it, you can see it, you can feel it—in every sense of the word.”
Tip Your Hat
Personalize a straw topper with bandana bands, leather cording, feathers, and more at Brims on the Bluff.
Sea What’s In Store
Watch the shrimping boats roll in at Bluffton Oyster Company, a century-old fresh-catch seafood market that’s the last-remaining hand-shucked oyster operation in the state.
Get on the Water
Wind your way through saltwater marshes on a bottlenose dolphin-spotting boat tour with May River Excursions. Come low tide, you can also make like the locals and flock to the temporary beach at the May River sandbar.
Take in Some Arts & Crafts
With live music, arts and crafts vendors, and quirky contests, Bluffton’s annual Mayfest celebration (this year it takes place on Saturday, May 10) is a major draw.
Do Dinner Right
A red cabbage salad shouldn’t necessarily stand out. But when it’s the red cabbage salad at Chef Bernard Bennett’s Okàn, it will be one you’ll think about long after. A 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist, Chef Bernard offers an ever-evolving menu that invites diners to follow the pathways of ingredients and flavors from West Africa, through the Caribbean, and into the coastal marshes of South Carolina. Best enjoyed family-style alongside Djon Djon noodles, head-on harissa shrimp, and lobster-cashew curry, the delicious dish is just one of many entry points into the African-American legacies of Bluffton. It was also, without question, my favorite restaurant dish in my favorite restaurant meal of 2024!
Spend the Night
A destination unto itself, the family-friendly 20,000-acre resort Montage Palmetto Bluff is home to bike trails, golf courses, tennis courts, and the occasional alligator.
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