Just had one of those "how is this place not packed every night?" experiences at Annie O's Kitchen... and wow, I'm still thinking about it. Debbie and I stopped in about an hour before closing, not expecting much--just a quick bite. What we got instead was hands down one of the best seafood meals I've had in a long time. First off, we met the owner, Jim Scully--absolute legend. Friendly, genuine, and actually takes the time to sit and chat. You just don't see that anymore. Great conversation, great energy... set the tone right away. Now let's talk FOOD... * Fried oysters & shrimp - ridiculously good. Light, crispy, not greasy at all. You can tell everything is top quality. * Coleslaw - vinegar-based, shredded, and honestly reminded me of proper German kraut salad. Perfect balance with the seafood. * Soft shell crab... alright, this is where things got serious. "It was like a circus in my mouth... just an explosion of flavors." I'm not exaggerating. The texture was creamy, not oily, and the batter was just perfect. One of those bites where you just stop and look at each other like... yep, this is special. On top of that: * Everything is made with high-quality ingredients * Prices are very reasonable for what you're getting (honestly, some places charge double for worse) * BYOB (bring your own wine/beer = big win ) * Huge menu--seafood, ribs, BBQ, pulled pork, chicken, desserts... you name it Final verdict: (three thumbs up from Debbie & me) If you're in Hilton Head and even thinking about seafood--this is a hidden gem you don't want to miss. We'll 100% be back. read more

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Take the sugar out of seasonings Too oily and didn't taste fresh chicken, was soaking in oil but was still chewy Odd! read more

I ordered the Wednesday lobster sandwich special. I will be doing so every Wednesday that I am in town. It was huge, overflowing with lobster. read more

Annie O's Kitchen - Wednesday Lobster sandwich special. - Southern Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Don't let the construction stop you! We stopped in for lunch while doing some thrifting on Arrow Rd. We both had the Fried Shrimp basket. The food came out super quick and was perfectly fried. The fries were leaps above the "average" fries. Seasoned well , crunchy but soft, best I have had in a long time! The Shrimp was the real MVP though- large shrimp that were lightly breaded,crispy and very fresh. The cocktail sauce tasted house made and had just the right amount of horseradish. Andrea was our server, she was super nice and took great care of us. We will definitely be back and look forward to trying more dishes! read more

As mentioned there is construction being done on the outside so looked kinda sketchy. Once inside it's a very nicely decorated and clean. The menu is extensive and we chose the Lobster rolls n I had southern potato salad. Both were well prepared and good. Will be back as many items to try! read more

Small, cozy place on the island. If you are looking for delicious homemade southern food, this is the place for you! The meat loaf and chicken dumplings were both amazing. They were freshly made and seasoned perfectly. The portion size on the chicken/dumplings was enough for two meals. I'm not usually a southern sweet tea fan - this tea was sweetened perfectly. read more

I was scared to eat my chicken because it looked so bad. If you see my photo, you will know what I'm talking about. I ordered over the phone and I told them I was 5 minutes away. #1 first impression of restaurant, inside smelled like oil. The man I spoke with with said they will go ahead and drop my chicken. My chicken was ready in less than 10 minutes. 2 pc white. It looks awful, don't smell good and it tastes like oil. Based on how it looks, the excessive oil, no season... I am guessing it's chicken from yesterday that didn't get sold. Why sell old food if you need customers, everything should be made fresh daily. I wanted to come back because they gave me a $10 coupon. Not going to happen. Very bad first impression. read more

Annie O's Kitchen - Fried, oily, no seasoned chicken with lots of black spots. - Southern Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Food, with the exception of the biscuit, was excellent. From the deviled eggs, the wings (that take 20 minutes) ,to the ribs. All worth it! We literally were the only table there, so service was good too. read more

We only come to HHI for vacation so when we remembered a fantastic meal from a few years ago, we jumped on the chance to return. The parking lot and broken glass on the front door were a clue that the restaurant had changed was a clue, but we were undeterred. I'm not sure why we stayed, honestly, but what followed was one of the strangest dine I'm experienced I've had to date. The restaurant looks like it is in mid construction, construction fans blowing, peeling paint from the walls, it was all so confusing. We ordered and learned that the cook is also the server. All of a sudden, our entire party stared to have itchy eyes and throats; we couldn't figure out why-- it was the Nashville chicken being cooked. The Nashville chicken was inedible, the rest of the food was actually really nice. Until the construction is done, I beg you to just order take out; do not scale this parking lot to attempt to get the chicken. It's good chicken, not worth the dine in experience. read more

Ordered the fried chicken sandwich (Monday special) and meatloaf. The sandwich was really good and a good deal to boot. The brisket and short rib in the meatloaf really made an impression. The meatloaf also came with a salad and side. I chose collard greens and I'm glad I did because it wasn't overcooked as like in many places. Definitely happy I made the visit! read more

Annie O's Kitchen - Menu dinner - Southern Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

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I must say the food is excellent! Must husband and I had slaw and pie for and appetizer. The slaw was vinegar based with the perfect crunch and flavor. The tomato pie was made perfect. The tomato, cheese, egg and crust were perfectly put together the flavors together made me want another slice. It paired well with the sweet and tangy slaw! Then I undulged and had the shrimp and grits. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and the grits were out of this world!! I highly recommend. This is a must try place! I could come back daily. The food was fairly priced. Maybe under priced... read more

We had an amazing thanksgiving ham and fixing. 10 out of 10. Could not recommend it more.

Great food and wonderful staff. Fried chicken was delicious and the waffles too. Highly recommend! Note the outside of the building is a bit deceiving but, give it shot! read more

We're locals and was our first visit. We were really hoping for good southern cooking. I'm home sick so my husband ran in to pick up comfort food. The menu online said that dinners come with a choice of two sides and a biscuit. When he ordered, he was told that one of the two sides must be a salad or that there's an up charge. Their online to-go ordering system definitely has this listed differently, as shown in the attached photo, and we weren't asking for uncharged items but just collards. He's pretty laid back so he agreed and ordered one meatloaf dinner with baked beans and one chicken and dumplings platter with mashed sweet potatoes. They didn't include biscuits with these meals, but they did include the mandatory salads with vinaigrette. I thought his meatloaf looked decent and the beans were pretty standard. I won't judge a place based on personal tastes, but my husband is from Georgia and thought his meal was a miss. He thought it was pretty bland. The chicken and dumplings were a really large portion and they looked good. The stew was just chicken broth, not thickened at all. This actually felt far more like a bowl of matzo ball soup, except there was an unidentifiable sweet flavor to the whole thing and not much other flavor. I could have managed this, but the chicken was very roughly picked and there were bits of bones and gristle still attached. The mashed sweet potatoes were just that. There was no salt nor any seasoning at all. I can't comment on those salads as neither of us wanted those. My husband did say the restaurant looked nice and clean inside. I'm not sure if these are new owners making changes, but I hope that they'll update their online menu and ordering system for accuracy. Maybe the chef was having an off night, but we're used to flavorful comfort foods that use "salt, fat, acid, heat" and these just kind of fell flat in all regards. You can cook for healthier diets but still involve interesting flavors. We may try again if we hear that they've made some changes, as this is one type of dining that doesn't really have a lot of competition on the island. read more

Annie O's Kitchen - Online ordering system showing standard vs up-charge items. - Southern Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Annie O's Kitchen is a bit deceptive on the outside. But it serves up seriously good food. I had a half-rack of fall-off-the-bone tender baby back ribs with collards and beans. Everything we tasted was perfectly cooked, not to mention delicious. Prices are quite reasonable, too. The outside is pretty pitiful right now since there's construction at the storefront next door. Don't fret. Just go on in and enjoy. Seriously. Delicious food. read more

Fried chicken is the best on the island. Also menu had a few of almost everything, there were a lot of sides to choose from. The service was great and was very quick. We had a person in our group get the sweet potatoes they said it was the "absolute best I've ever had!" The crates on the wall make the restaurant feel more Hilton Head. read more

This quaint place off the beaten path was a diamond in the rough. The inside decor was very cool... "rustic chic" as my wife calls it. The deviled eggs with bacon were delicious. The sweet tea and lemonade was tasty... and in mason jars was a nice touch. Lastly, the fried chicken & french toast was phenomenal! Highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great food and service. read more

Annie O's Kitchen - Fried Chicken & French Toast! Mmmmmm! - Southern Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

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Went for the chicken and was wowed by the soft shelled crab. Loved the ambiance, service and food - definitely on my HHI favorites list!

We ordered a Christmas take out of spiral ham,BBQ ribs gravy,stuffing,mashed potatoes,carrots and salad.I honestly must say that each item was very very good.Each item tasted like it was prepared by a knowledgeable home cook.We will definitely return.Julian read more

At first this place seemed like a small hole in the wall. It is located in a out of the way nondescript place. Don't let this fool you! We had the Nashville hot fried chicken with baked beans and the tomato pie with collard greens. The chicken was hot and juicy fried to perfection. The spice level and crunch were crave worthy! The baked beans had good flavor but could have used a little more cooking time. The tomato pie was the perfect combination of acidic tomatoes and creamy cheese with a buttery flaky crust. The collard greens were cooked just right with the right amount of seasonings. The service was good and the place was super clean. read more

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We were looking for a place with notes fried chicken and fried green tomatoes - staples in the South. So, based on the menu and 4 star reviews, we came to Annie O's. The building itself is very rundown on the outside and I figured it was going to be one of those hole in the wall gems. We were seated right away and the waitress was decently nice at first. We ordered fried chicken, Mac n cheese, the fried green tomato BLT and tots. The bacon on my BLT so was so black I had to remove it, but my sandwich still tasted like charcoal. The green tomatoes would've been good otherwise. And the fries were good too. But why the chef thought anyone wanted to eat black burned bacon is beyond me - and I love crispy bacon! The worst part was that my wife partner bit into her fried chicken and it started bleeding all over her plate. I told the waitress and she was like "let me see if he has another one." She came back, took just the chicken leg, and went back and had him throw it in the fryer, after she'd eaten some! She still left my partner with a bloody plate, obviously contaminating everything on it. She brought the chicken leg back in a puddle of grease. Needless to say, our appetites were gone and we tossed it in the trash outside. Very poor and unsanitary practices. read more

Annie O's Kitchen - Decent fried green tomatoes had there not been extremely burnt bacon to accompany them. - Southern Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

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Good food. Fast service. We had no complaints. Casual ambiance. None of our party got a lot of food, just the apps with sides read more

Annie O's Kitchen - Menu - Southern Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

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Outstanding fried chicken and sides! We were jonsing for some fried chicken ans yelped up different places nearby and this was a hit!!

My family got takeout for dinner. It was ready before the promised time. The tomato pie was excellent! The fried chicken and ribs were great. The side salad was one of the best I've had. The only suggestion is the mashed sweet potatoes needed more seasoning. Great spot ! read more

We enjoyed our stop here. We had chicken, collards and Mac n cheese. All were delicious! It's quick serve, so service wasn't an issue and the ambiance reflected that. read more

The hidden gem Ok team yelpers. This place is off campus. And not packed like our five stars. But, the southern menu is to die for. Has all cookin of a soul food restaurant. We ordered: Shrimp dish Deviled eggs Tomato pie Crispy chicken livers Get ready set go. Very yummy. Find a place off campus and go see katelynn and crew. read more

Should have taken the shattered front door as an omen and ended the visit then. Unfortunately we did not. This was a return visit to a restaurant we enjoyed years ago. We were excited to see it still in business. HOWEVER, we were not aware that ownership changed a few years ago until after our meal. We were greeted and seated promptly, our server was prompt in taking and delivering soft drinks - we thought they still had a liquor license but they do not. We ordered fried chicken, homemade chips, vinegar slaw and biscuits. The food came very quickly, which makes you question the freshness. The chips were inedible and had a strange oily taste - very unpleasant. The vinegar slaw was not recognizable. It was a very weird color with spaghetti-like shreds of maybe cabbage? No carrots, or onion. Just very long strands of very yellow cabbage which were not visibly appealing and did not taste good. Both the fried chicken breast and the biscuit were tough and basically, barely edible. Sadly, this visit ended any future visits and I recommend you seek southern fried chicken from a different restaurant. read more

Annie O's Kitchen - Yellow coleslaw - Southern Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

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The fried foods were cooked perfectly, not greasy and the collards were tender and seasoned well. Coleslaw was different, a little sweet and peppery and shredded like spaghetti noodles. Very tasty indeed! read more

Annie O's Kitchen - I finally got my whole flounder with collard greens and slaw. Hubby had the fried shrimp plate. Everything was fresh and cooked perfectly. - Southern Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

We ordered on line for pickup and didn't realize it was close to closing. Chicken was overcooked and tasted like the oil needed changed.

What a sleeper for food on the island! While it may not be your "typical" vacation meal for the beach but it was so so good! The meat was fresh and seasoned so well! I also really recommend getting the collard greens because I thought about them days after. A family member also got the Nashville hot chicken and said it was done wonderfully!! read more

Annie O's Kitchen - Southern Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

We had great service. Our chicken was amazing with all the sides well prepared. The food is amazing and well presented. I highly recommend this place. We had dinner on Aug 27 and our server was great. read more

If I could rate this higher I would. This is my favorite place on the island without question. I cannot advocate highly enough for this place, it really is so special. I am a Nashville hot chicken fangirl and Annie O's has some of the best I've ever had--including in Nashville. I kid you not that when I took a bite of the sandwich my eyes started welling up. It's incredible. The first time I went I tried the regular hot chicken meal, and it wasn't quite spicy enough. The owner said to not hesitate to ask next time to make it extra hot. They are unbelievably accommodating. They also have seasonal-type specials. I ordered a single-serving Easter meal from them as well. Again with them going above and beyond, the meal came with chocolate-covered bourbon balls. I asked if they could be made without chocolate, and they were able to accommodate. The bourbon balls were perfect, and the rest of the meal was pretty darn perfect too! YOU. NEED. TO COME. HERE. You will not be disappointed! I need to go more often! read more

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We went for lunch and were greeted as soon as we walked through the door by a very pleasant woman. My husband had the 2pc Nashville fried chicken with smashed sweet potatoes and I had the regular fried chicken with vinegar coleslaw. It was the best fried chicken I have very eaten! The Nashville definitely had a kick. Highly recommend! read more

We ordered Thanksgiving dinner with Annie O's Kitchen. Jim was exceptional when I placed the order. He even helped me with how to store the food as we were driving 10 hours from HHI to Kentucky to be with family and transporting Thanksgiving dinner. The food was exceptional! Best turkey and side dishes we've ever had....everyone loved it. I have to mention that Jim called me the evening before we left for Kentucky to let me know he had forgotten an item from our order. I went to pick up the item, he was waiting for me outside, and had added an extra pound of turkey! Very classy, very honest. We will never hesitate to eat or order from them again. Exceptional food and service. Thank you Annie O's! read more

I went to Annie O's for dinner tonight and DO NOT recommend it. I got chicken & dumplings. I asked in advance if they were homemade and not made from biscuits. I was assured everything would be to my liking. As soon as it came out, it looked like flakey biscuits and tasted like biscuits. No business being called dumplings. It wasn't good. The waitress then came back and said they are made from biscuits. The stock was decent, but the chicken was dry. The baked beans and sweet potato mash are also disgusting. The actual biscuit on the side plate was better than everything there. If you want good soul food, skip this restaurant. DO NOT EAT HERE. read more

Annie O's Kitchen - Chicken & biscuits in broth - Southern Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

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Annie O's Kitchen was conducting counter service during lunch, so my wife and I selected a menu and our own table. Social distancing for the dine-in area was very visible. I decided to order the pork chop and baked beans from the fifteen-dollar lunch menu. Sweet tea was selected as the beverage. Payment was required in advance after placing the order with the owner at the front counter. After receiving a bottled sweet tea (not expected or indicated as such on the menu) the single pork chop and small bowl of baked beans arrived rather promptly. I must admit I was rather disappointed in the food portions. The pork chop was dry and tasteless, while the baked beans were very average tasting. It was not the worst tasting food nor was it the best based on my experience. In my opinion, the overall dining experience was below average. My wife had an issue with her order which we felt was not resolved properly, and the experience left a very bitter taste for both of us. We will not be returning. read more

Annie O's Kitchen - Sweet tea and lemonade ordered from the lunch menu. - Southern Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

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Good food, service and reasonable prices. Easy to miss at night as they don't have a lit sign. Got fried chicken and salads. All good. Sodas no refills which is odd. read more

The Nashville Hot Chicken was fantastic. It had a great crunch and the Nashville hot was not overly hot where you lose the flavor of the chicken. Amazingly well cooked chicken and being a dark meat fan super surprised the breast was juicy and flavorful. The baked beans were awesome too. Baked beans are often over cooked and Anne's was of perfect consistency and flavor. Great win for that. Went to Hattie's in Atlanta early in week which is known for fried chicken and would rather come here. Great job! read more

Wonderful homemade meals by the chef & owner. Deviled eggs, fried chicken and SOFT SHELL crabs! Truly a place where the locals know and go! Oh! And the biscuits!! read more

This southern girl moved north a long time ago and I always have a craving for southern cooking. Annie O's did not disappoint! The shrimp and grits, collard greens, sweet potatoes, and biscuit were incredible. Really loved the lightly seasoned sweet potatoes, not overly sweet. The owner/chef came out and visited with us after we ate. Charming destination with incredible food and service. read more

Annie O's Kitchen - traditional southern sides - Southern Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

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