Robert Irvine’s eat!

The only thing that was good was the desert and the service.
Our server Shane deserves at least 4 stars. He made sure to take care of some special needs regarding allergies and was very attentive. The soups and salads were adequate, the deserts were wonderful, but the entrees were not quite right. Unfortunately the fish that I ordered was rubbery and some of our party ordered filet and they were unimpressive.
There seems to be some drama happening in the kitchen, and rumor on the island is that Robert Irvine is no linger involved in this restaurant. We have been coming to Eat! since it opened, and even though we love the staff we may not go back.
Robert! Come fix your restaurant!

A little hard to find. First Apple maps sent us over the cross island xpwy (toll) to a lonely dead end road. Google brought us back on track. As usual in HHI it’s behind trees facing away from the road with poor signage and lighting! BUT worth the search! Awesome meal and service!!! Probably the best meal we had in Hilton Head.

We are fans of the Food Network and Robert Irvine’s Restaurant Impossible. Being regulars to Hilton Head we decided we had to give this restaurant a try. We just had to know whether this would be a gem or would need to be rescued, like in his show. We were more than pleasantly surprised. The décor is very warm and inviting. Service was terrific. It was just the right amount of attentiveness and care. The food was wonderful. One thing we would recommend is the trio of deviled eggs. We’ve all had deviled eggs before but not like these. Loved the ones with chirizo in them! The blackened snapper and grits were also a star.
We had a chance to talk with the chef and the general manager and asked how often Robert Irvine stops by. Usually celebrity restaurants are in name only. The celebrity is never there. They said he actually stops by several times a month and sometimes every week. That surprised us, but then, we get the sense he is very particular about anything with his name on it.
Do yourself a favor if you are in Hilton Head and put Eat on your list of restaurants to visit. You won’t be disappointed.

Go for the tapas!
We went for the half price tapas deal on Tuesdays. Our waiter was very personable and knowledgable about the menu and gave us some recommendations for some great dishes that we probably wouldn’t have tried otherwise. We tried the deviled eggs (very good), the southern BLT (great), Carolina shrimp (very good), crispy duck legs (great and different) and for dessert, the sweet potato bread pudding with Tabasco ice cream. I’m not a fan of sweet potatoes, but the bread pudding and ice cream were to die for! We can’t wait to go back again and try some of the other tapas and the chocolate cake. This is one of our new favorites on the island.

Best upscale restaurant in Hilton Head. Food was fantastic and service was impeccable. We will certainly return.

First of all, the food presentation was great, however, all of our food was not delivered to our table, not all of our beverages were not delivered, the Tapas were supposed to be half price, the final bill billed us at full price, the beverages were made by the waiter, he asked us how to make them, when we got the bill, we asked about the charges, the waiter said he would correct the bill, that did not happen, actually they charged the credit card the uncorrect bill an the corrected bill, so we ended up paying twice for dinner. Fortunately Wells Fargo caught this mistake, and told us that you have to watch restaurants in Hilton Head, so I have to say, even thou the food was great, they have a problem with their staff cheating the tourists. I hope it’s not a management problem.

I went like way out of my way to get reservations for tapas Tuesday. They had a problem with the plumbing and were shut down for a week. Party of 4 and we just ordered apps because they were half price. Problem one our server, chris, took our order leaning on the wall. That’s not what I expect from a fine dining restaurant. Second problem the food was mediocre at best. The gnoochi was not seasoned at all no salt no pepper no nothing very bland. I was very disappointed. Don’t think I am going back.

Robert Irvine’s eat! never disappoints! Such a great restaurant!
We have made the visit an annual thing on our summer vacation and this time, just as last, was wonderful. The service was absolutely wonderful and some of the dishes just really stood out. By foodie standards, this is a four star restaurant. For it to have Robert’s name on it, it could stand to be a tick better, but for the location… it’s as good as it gets. This and Red Fish are leagues above HHI food options. Expertly prepared dishes with loads of creativity.
We sampled the Southern BLT (excellent), Fried Green Tomatoes (Very Good), Hummus (Great), Crispy Duck Wings (Very Good and Different), Prime Beef Sliders (Good), Spiced Tuna TarTar (Excellent the first time, just Good this round), Atlantic Salmon (Very Good), Pork Chop (Excellent), Snapper & Grits (Fantastic), Short Rib (one of the best), Grilled Filet and Seared Ribeye (both were Good but I am very partial to Steakhouses in this … and would recommend going with one of the above instead).
Dessert. the best part. Chocolate. To. Die. For. Also the Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Tobacco Ice Cream. Sounds odd, is a fantastic treat. We have copied it for supper clubs at home and it’s always a raving dish. So cold and classic with ice cream with after burn. Incredible. Save a bit that bottle of red wine for the Chocolate Cake and for goodness sake — get multiple desserts — they are amazing, you only live once, and you likely don’t get to frequent eat!
Hats off to Chef Robert for this establishment and his excellent staff.

Dined at Eat last night with my mom and husband; all 3 of us really enjoyed our meal. I am the most picky among the group (a self-​anointed foodie) and was thoroughly impressed. We had salads, gnocchi, Filet, Ribeye, Short Rib entrees, and the Chocolate Ridiculous cake, the Sweet Potato bread pudding, and Apple Cobbler. Also had Malbec, martini’s and mojitos. We found all of the food to be expertly prepared, cooked perfectly and flavorful; the filet was seasoned perfectly. All sauces were flavorful, without being overly salty. And, the portion sizes were impressive. The Chocolate Ridiculous cake is aptly named; if you like chocolate, it’s heavenly. But each slice weighs over one pound (no typo)…consider sharing this one :)
Our only complaint is with the timing of the food service; our wait for our entrees was over 30 minutes (after salads and gnocchi); and our 3 desserts were not served together. These flaws aren’t enough to keep me from going back, but they were a bit disappointing.

We have been coming here every year for the past 4 years. We actually met Robert 2 years ago & stayed to watch Restaurant Impossible with him at the bar. Super nice guy! We have had great meals each & every time. My favorite tapas dishes are the she crab soup, the gnocchi & the southern BLT. My favorite entrees are the seared diver scallops, the short rib & the blackened snapper & grits. I am not a fan of grits at all but they work very well with this dish. The bread pudding with Tabasco ice cream is amazing as well. The only somewhat disappointing meal was the fried chicken but it was still good. Chicken was tender & outside was crisp but I guess I was just expecting a little more flavor. This was the first time I ever had collard greens & they were awesome. We thoroughly enjoy eating here. The staff is courteous & friendly and provides a great dining experience!

First impression is good, grabbing cocktails at the bar… great dirty martini… sad that the cool chandeliers over the bar have cobwebs strung throughout… unless that’s on purpose… dinner review to come 8÷14÷13
While I thought my meal was pretty great, my GF found that the fried chicken was pretty bland… which I had to agree on.
While our server was nice enough, he did not return to refill our wine glasses once. What I found most amusing, is that it is universally (at least in the U.S.) known when you cross your arms it comes across as standoffish, which is what our server did the entire evening. I commented on this to my GF and then she pointed to a picture of RI directly behind us… with RI crossing his arms. Might be good for an «in the kitchen» scenario, but not from a server.
I would probably look at other alternatives for a great dining experience for the same money (see The Sage Room).

Irvine– not up to your own standards. Boiled peanut hummus was soupy with way too much olive oil and tasted nothing like boiled peanuts (you should borrow Hugh Atcheson’s recipe), chips over salted and the pasta in the carbonara was so doughy it made the dish so dry as to be barely edible (and if there was bacon in there, it was hiding). Service was great, wine was good but the food was mediocre and amateur. Wouldn’t recommend based on tonight’s meal.

This is our second visit. I know others haven’t had great experiences here but we love it. Great service, great atmosphere, even better food. Split the wedge salad. Hubby got the fried chicken. His only complaint? More hot sauce. Loved the greens and the mac and cheese. I got the papardelle carbonara. Wow. Peas were fresh. Not overly bacon-​y. Pasta was perfectly cooked. Overall, just a great meal.

For this specific visit, the service by itself would be only 2 or 3 stars as our waiter was absolutely clueless when it came to the food the restaurant served. On previous visits the wait staff made small talk and got to know us a little better. On this visit I think my husband knew more about the menu than the waiter.
The food on the other hand was marvelous. We actually dined here twice in one day, once for the cooking class which is a fantastic deal, 4+ courses with wine for 55 dollars per person. We immediately made dinner reservations for later that evening and had even more wonderful food.
Some highlights include the rib eye, which was cooked to perfection, the scallops with butternut squash risotto which was great and of course, the dessert we get every time we dine here, the bread pudding with tabasco cinnamon ice cream. This dessert is simply perfection on a plate and it’s one of the reasons we dine at Eat every time we are in Hilton Head… I give it 4 stars but if the wait staff was trained or more care was taken into the hiring practices of the waiters, then this would be 5 stars easily, based on the quality of the food alone.
One other point, on previous visits we have brought our kids so if you have kids, don’t pass this place up as they will help you find something your kids would enjoy…

The short review: Too hit or miss to deserve your business. Go to another restaurant.
The long review: We are new to Hilton Head and took our first house guests to EAT three months ago. The food and service were excellent and would have garnered 4 stars. We returned last night with a party of six. The service was unremarkable – bordering on unimpressive. The fried green tomatoes were inedible. The tomato had no flavor, the batter was much too thick and the tomatoes were undercooked. I had the impression they had been prepared in advance. If you have fried green tomatoes on your menu in the South, you’d better learn how to prepare this southern staple. Another couple in our party had bruschetta and they said they would never order it again. The entrees were for the most part fair to very good, but not what one expects from Robert Irvine… or is it?
I happened to be sitting directly under a can/​ceiling light which was so bright it was uncomfortable to the eye. We asked that the lights be dimmed (I know this can be done because we saw the lights dimmed during our previous visit .). I *think* the lights were dimmed but the light was still distracting.
Here is the summary sentence: The restaurant was not busy on Saturday night during tourist season

Robert, I love your show!!!
But. Its time you get back to your place and start whipping some cheeks! It took 2 hours to get our entrees! WWHAT!!!
I will say, we had a group of 40 come in. But the restaurant and manager knew we were coming weeks in advance! And they gave us a selective menu since we had so many… Im OK with that, good business decision to make things efficient. But it didn’t happen… Did I say 2 Hours yet!!!
I’m so hurt by this, I feel like every thing I knew to be true just became a lie… Help me Robert!

I had to post a review because I was surprised by some of the bad ones, and sincerely skeptical about some of them. We visited eat! a year ago and it was absolutely excellent. Back in HHI, we booked a reservation for tonight. I read the reviews ahead of time and was a little worried that it wouldn’t be as good as it was the last time. Eat! did not dissappoint!
I had the seared scallops and risotto (same as last time) and they were perfect. My daughter had the Filet Mignon and it was excellent. My wife had the fried chicken and it was also very good. We had the «chocolate ridiculous cake» and it was straight up ridiculous — HUGE and so rich, the 3 of us couldn’t finish it. I’m not kidding.
Drinks are great — daughter said the Mai Tai was the first drink on HHI that tasted like it actually had alcohol in it. Service was excellent. Food was excellent. I’m not sure what restaurant these other reviewers are eating at, but I don’t think it’s the same one I just left.

Bread pudding is just plain amazing. We always stop in whenever we are in Hilton Head. If Robert is there, he is a very cool guy and very interested in making sure you are enjoying the food. We sat right next to him and a group of his friends. He was very friendly.
Excellent experience.

Dear Mr. Irvine and Mr. McElroy,
This restaurant made my love affair with food a little dirty.
I don’t even know how to begin to describe how fantastic this restaurant is. It makes me want to go back to Hilton Head not for the sandy beaches, not for the mild tropical weather, and not for the sleepy resort-​style lifestyle, but for the fantastic food at an incredible deal.
We sat in the bar, and the service was absolutely amazing. The atmosphere was quiet and dark, romantic and modern. The food was great, and half priced Tuesdays even better.
I recommend trying everything but the normal suspects. Ignore the onion rings, pass over the sliders and mosey right on over to the braised short ribs or the crispy duck wings.
I will be back.

Having just gotten back from eat! I must say that the food is FOUR STAR OR GREATER…
That being said, the four stars are quickly and easily washed away by the bad service and just plain insulting prices.
The drinks here are around $ 2 (or more) MORE expensive than in NYC and the service is very pretentious. I would maybe come here to eat… but certainly NOT to drink at the bar. And in all honesty, if I want pretension served with my food (amazing or not), I’d pay for it in New York… not in South Carolina.
I’m not impressed. The service keeps me from coming back… I’ve no interest in waiting longer than I need to because of a lack of cleavage at the bar.
Not impressed.