Kiawah Island – Eat, Drink, Do

In this post I’m sharing my recommendations of what to eat, drink and do on Kiawah Island! Mike and I spent time last week in Kiawah. It’s a spot we love—it’s driving distance from Charlotte, and we can get there pretty easily for a long weekend. It’s quiet and relaxing, so if you are looking to get away for some R&R, it’s the perfect spot. We pretty much just eat and drink, get in lots pool time, beach visits, shopping, and bike rides!

We spent time at 2 hotels and I’ll share a bit about both of them below.

The Andell Inn

The Andell Inn is right near Freshfield’s village, which is a shopping and dining area. The hotel skews modern in its decor, which is one of the things we like about it. The Andell Inn has huge rooms—they are all suites with a kitchen with a sink, microwave, and full-size fridge, a kitchen table, and a sitting area. The hotel has great common areas including a huge porch in the back with beautiful views and comfy lounge furniture—pair this with a glass of wine from their solid wine list, and you have a perfect combination! It also has a nice pool, although not as nice as the Sanctuary’s (more on that below). The Andell Inn is steps from just about any shop you could want, as well as a grocery store, and they will also deliver groceries to your room.

The Sanctuary

The Sanctuary is a lovely resort. It’s stately and quite Southern—a bit ornate for my taste decor-wise, but very well-appointed. The grounds with the views of the ocean are just gorgeous. We don’t play golf which I know is kind of a waste, but if you are a golf player, then even better! We did enjoy the spa there, which I would definitely recommend, it was a great experience! The Sanctuary is about twice the price of the Andell Inn, for reference, but there are some big perks, like the several restaurants on site, and the 2 pools—one for families, and one for adults only 🙂 Sooo much quieter! They also have bike rentals on site (which non-hotel guests can rent also)—the bikes are a perfect way to spend an afternoon seeing the island!

Hege’s

If you’re like me, don’t judge a restaurant by it’s website. I almost bailed on our reservation at Hege’s because the dated site started making me feel like it wasn’t going to be good. This is an old family-owned restaurant and we ended up really loving the food here. I’m sharing my dinner below—yes, I ate that all by myself and I had a cup of She Crab soup, too…when in Rome.

Hege’s is also open for breakfast, which we will have to try next time.

 

Forty Eight, A Wine Bar

Forty Eight is a little wine bar that proved to be a good stop before or after dinner. You can taste their many wines on tap, which I think is always fun and a great way to try some nicer wines without spending hundreds of dollars to open an entire bottle. They also have bites of wine food, cheese plates, and charcuterie that you can order to accompany your wine.

 

The Atlantic Room

The Atlantic Room is hands-down our favorite place to eat on the island. It is a bit of a drive—about 20 minutes from The Sanctuary, but part of their property on the Ocean Golf Course. It is a stunning overlook of the golf greens right with the ocean in clear view. You can walk around outside—right up to the ocean with a drink in hand—before retreating inside for dinner. And the food is just divine!

You can also eat at The Ryder Cup bar, which is adjacent to the Atlantic Room, with lighter fare and a more casual atmosphere.

 

The Station

The Station at Freshfield’s Village is a gas station and a local quick mart with a gourmet deli. It’s a great spot for a quick breakfast (eggs, breakfast sandwiches, etc) and also any provisions you may need for the day—ice, cold drinks, snacks.

 

Jasmine Porch

Jasmine Porch is in the Sanctuary and is casual enough to take kids with you, or wear shorts, but have great food at the same time. We ate inside by the big windows overlooking the beautiful grounds, and they have outdoor seating with a gorgeous view, too.

 

Lokal Seabar

We grabbed lunch at Lokal Seabar which is a cute spot with outdoor seating and water views at Bohicket Marina. Our food was good and I’d recommend this spot!

 

Fat Hen

On our way out of town we stopped by the Fat Hen for brunch. Fat Hen is a casual, charming little spot in an old house with loads of character. I didn’t see this place reviewed much online, but it was recommended by a local who said it was her favorite food spot on the island. We really loved our food and and would love to go back for dinner sometime! Mine, (2 eggs with pomme frites) was much less exciting than Mike’s (waffle topped with pastrami, i.e. heart attack on a plate!), so I showed his below.

We love Kiawah and are always looking for other good recommendations for next time— if anyone has any, please share!

Cheers!
xx—BB