They’re back, baby! Lucky Rooster has become a Hilton Head favorite (especially with my fam) and I was a bit worried when they closed during the pandemic. But we can all breathe a sigh of relief because they’ve re-opened so we can enjoy some delicious nouveau Southern cuisine. There’s a new chef and owner so the white tablecloths are gone, making it a bit more casual, but I’m happy to report the food is still great.
We started by sharing some apps around the table. They were out of crab cakes so we got calamari (not pictured), chicken livers on toasted brioche with apple demi glaze, and peel & eat shrimp in lager broth with wasabi cocktail sauce. Everything was good but the chicken livers were my fave. I know they’re not everyone’s bag, but it’s like Southern fois gras (which made the demi glaze a perfect accompaniment) and this was a lovely preparation.
For entrées, my beau got the pork porterhouse (humongo), covered in a Cheerwine bbq sauce and served with a black bean/collard hash and sweet potato mash. I think it was a bit sweeter than he was expecting (he was in the mood for something charred), but it looked tasty to me. My dad ordered the lamb shank with couscous, raisins, chickpeas, mint gremolata, cardamom honey, and Marcona almonds. Now, I don’t like raisins (or any fruit for that matter) in things like cous cous so I would never have ordered this, but then I would have missed the lamb itself, which was beautifully braised. Thankfully my Dad was willing to offer me a bite. After all the apps, my Mom and I both ordered side salads for our entrées, she the niçoise, me the wedge. At this restaurant, the side salad was pretty much full size, just without the protein. After having all the protein in the apps, I didn’t need any steak on my salad and was more than satisfied with my “side,” which was a very well executed salad.
The menu might be a bit different from before, but the concept at Lucky Rooster is the same: modern twists on Lowcountry favorites. The new chef joined the team from one of my favorite Savannah restaurants, Circa 1875, so the restaurant is in very good hands. If you’re looking for a good dinner spot in HHI, this one is certainly going to make my list.
Peaches to Apples 