Top 26 Gluten-Free American Spots to Enjoy in Hilton Head Island

Tiffany Ray

Surviving of unsuspecting tourist! The gluten free pancakes were nasty, very dry and tasteless. I got then banana foster and that was plain uncooked banana’s with whip cream and plain syrup. My husband ordered seafood omelette and their seafood is not fresh. His shrimp was hard! WOW! This place was a mistake. The waitress did not present well either. Your better off going to IHOP!

Tim Grooms

Handsome Sammy and I were out for a walk and suddenly realized that we have nothing for dinner at home and decided to try the Diner since we were only a couple of hundred feet away. I moved to HHI after living in NJ for 25 years, so my comparison to the original diners may have jaded my view. I tied Handsome Sammy to something stationary to prevent him from running into traffic and wanted to go inside, place a take away order as quickly as possible and back outside before my boy becomes restless. I walk inside and no one is seated at or near the register. I start to look around and finally a lady stands up from a 2 person table, looks at me, yet says nothing. I was not completely sure if she had just finished eating or is part of the staff. After a couple of seconds, I stated that I would like to place a take away order. She pointed me to a gentlemen that had multiple things going on at the same time but handling them all very well. He took the order and I mentioned having celiac. He mentioned that a friend has celiac and I could easily determine that he takes it serious and is very knowledgeable. I decided to take the easy route and ordered omelets for each of us. My omelet consisted of ham & American cheese. Handsome Sammy had ham, bacon and mozzarella cheese. Both included gluten free diner potatoes, which are the greatest. The gentleman that helped me out asked if I would like gluten free toast. I was a little hesitant, but once I realized how much he knows about celiac disease, I was fully at ease. He mentioned that he would include the gluten free bread without toasting it and taking a chance of cross contamination from the toaster and may be better if I waited and used my toaster at home. After overcoming the initial interaction with the first staff member, this gentleman was a pleasure to deal with and extremely knowledgeable. Omelets had a larger amount of ingredients, just like the Jersey diners. They were very good and we both enjoyed. I could not fully understand Handsome Sammy because he attempted to provide his rating while his mouth was full of omelet. Lets just say he picked the platter clean. Its time to return and move forward to other sections of the menu as long as the same gentlemen is working so he may guide the way. Photo of Handsome Sammy a short time after finishing his omelet. Seems like a positive outcome for Handsome Sammy as well.

Lauren Drakulic

A wonderful breakfast experience! The gluten free French toast was delicious!! All food was great. Very accommodating to GF, will be back.

Elizabeth Howlett

We had lunch as a family of five when we first arrived to HHI. It was perfect to walk to from our hotel. We were seated quickly and enjoyed the indoor table since it was warm out. One of our daughter's has a gluten allergy (Celiac Disease) and did not have a reaction from her GF chicken ceasar wrap. Their menu is marked so that you can have an allergy safe meal which we truly appreciated! Thank you!

Kaitlyn Stone

This is always our first stop for lunch when we get to HHI each summer. Last Saturday, 8/3, they were down staff and had a busy lunch crowd. We watched both waitresses absolutely hustle the entire time to make sure everyone continued to have exceptional service. They were both so personable and took time to chat with us even though they were slammed. They even went above and beyond in still making a gluten-free version of their banana cream pudding for me, which I know took extra time and effort. We’ve loved Low Country for years because the food is always amazing, but this year, the service was equally as impressive. Thanks for always taking care of your customers and making one of the best gluten-free desserts on the island!

Clay Manship

My wife and I ate dinner at Fraser’s at 6:00 on a Monday evening in November. Plenty of parking, food was PERFECT, and drinks were delicious. My wife is gluten free and there are many options. I recommend the ceasar salad and house old fashioned. The burgers were also amongst the best I have ever had…no hyperbole! Thank you Mahalia for the excellent service!

Jesse Locklear

We came in for a late lunch and the menu looked delicious. We started with the cheese fries, which was the best thing to come out. We also tried fried green tomatoes which were good. We then ordered burgers and a sushi roll. I liked that they had gluten free burger buns available:)

Alisa Jones

This is the perfect median between an upscale fish restaurant and a local dive bar. Food was AMAZING! It is family owned and you MUST sit outside on the dock. I WILL be going back next time I'm on HHI. We arrived a little after 5 pm & had about a 20-minute wait. We sat in the bar, had a couple of great drinks, & enjoyed talking to the bartender. Food was reasonably priced and high quality. I'm gluten free and they were very conscientious of my needs.

Amber Easterling

They do not list gluten-free options on their menu, but a lot of their food is naturally gluten-free. Their bowls and their curry dishes (without naan). I got the lunch special, which was a burger rice bowl! It was amazing! They also offer gluten free buns for their burgers and sandwiches!

Jen Hall

Good food, decent gluten free options

kelly braun

Best pulled pork and smoked wings I’ve ever had! And they have gluten free buns ◡̈ fries are super good too. Love the atmosphere

ed Stemp

The ribs are literally fall off the bone. My wife is allergic to Gluten so the fact that the sauces are gluten free was definitely a plus. The service was friendly, informative and attentive

MattBinSC

This place is a true gem. The service is always super friendly and the food is sooo good. I would place the Road Runner Panini as one of, if not the absolute best sandwich in the area! (The house made ranch is absolutely essential for dipping, btw!). My wife is gluten free and they have a nice selection of GF crepes, as well as some GF baked goods. The GF almond cookies are amazing! Definitely worth checking out for breakfast or lunch when you're in the area.

Grant Hudish

We went here for lunch with a group of 10. We were one of ~6 tables in the restaurant. It was not very busy. Our waiter was a mess. He kept commenting that he was the night bar tender and not sure about this or that. He couldn't remember drink orders. Missed the lemon in my tea. Small stuff, up front. Most of this wasn't that big of a deal. He did bring out the wrong burger for one of our group, though. The real issue arose when my son's burger didn't arrive. We think he forgot to enter the kids burger, but he blamed the kitchen. My son didn't get his food until everyone was done eating. Kind of a big deal for a 6 yr old. Luckily, he handled it like a champ and didn't meltdown. But the waiter showed no care or remorse. Just blamed the kitchen. He comped the burger, but by that time we were so frustrated it didn't matter. I also had a very awkward interaction with the waiter when I told him about my gluten allergy and instead of changing the dressing on the ahi salad he vehemently talked me out of it due to the dressing containing gluten, stating that the "dressing made the salad" and I should pick something else. Okay... At least he steered me away from the dressing. The food was good though. If you have kids, or you're in any sort of a hurry, be very careful going here.

Barbara Keeney Longo

We chose this place based on reviews and we wanted the view, which was lovely. Service was a little slow bringing drinks but outside was busy. My daughter-law made in very clear she HAD to be gluten and dairy free due to allergies. The waitress assured her her meal would be ok. My husband and swordfish- very small and not good. I had stuffed flounder which was tasty but warm not hot. Worst of all my daughter-law’s dinner came with butter on the vegetables and in the rice and beans! The manager brought her a salad instead. I would not recommend.

Sandie Parrott

Great smash burgers. Gluten-free bun for me! Lauren was great. Understood my gluten-free need. The atmosphere needs some sprucing up... dated and weird floors. Inside and outside seating. Parking right out front... I recommend it!

Carol Lintz

Chef is doing original, tasty work at this pleasant spot in Shelter Cove. The shrimp shared plate was a revelation. Half dozen fat local shrimp sat in a creamy sauce, served with fresh mixed greens and slices of toasted baguette. It could be an entree right there. The Chicken in Pesto was an enormous bowl of linguine with a big pile of fresh, grilled chicken breast. The pesto sauce was very rich and creamy and loaded with grilled vegetables. Very impressive dish. Nice wine list, and, like the food, prices are reasonable. The restaurant is handicap accessible, and plenty of ideas for gluten free diners and vegetarians, as well as kids. We ate on the patio, very pretty. Service was friendly and efficient. Hilton Head is busy so plan on making reservations for dinner.

Chris B

Main Street is our favorite restaurant for a casual dinner, so we were thrilled when they started serving breakfast. Wonderful decision! I loved my Scramwich on a gluten free bun, and my husband enjoyed his traditional breakfast. The home fries were delicious, and they were happy to prepare them for us without the onions and peppers. As always, it was great to enjoy a delicious meal in a comfortable atmosphere with excellent service. It’s also nice to have GF options at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They will make most sandwiches on gluten free buns if requested. We highly recommend a place we’ve been enjoying for years.

Karen Befumo

The cocktail sauce in the shrimp cocktail was great. The steaks were thick and juicy. They have a gluten free menu which is always appreciated.

Tim Grooms

I have dined with CQ's many times over the last 15+ years and never disappointed. It was an early dinner with a 5 year old, so how much atmosphere can a person handle. The restaurant was busy, but it was calm and peaceful, which was good after being in the sun for most of the day. Take away the 5 year old, allow me 30 minutes to throw back 5 shots of tequila, and we have a totally different ballgame. Appetizers consisted of calamari and a shrimp cocktail for me. I have celiac and must adhere to a gluten-free diet. Thanks to all those on a gluten-free diet that is not required. Provides better products and more options, so keep eating gluten-free. Apologies, both of the appetizers were good. The shrimp cocktail was extra special when compared to the one from a few nights earlier while diving at a different restaurant. For some reason, any day that I have spent a long period of time in the sun, I crave a cold wedge salad, and it was on point. The chicken fingers and fries were rated 5 lipsticks, based upon the Barbie scale, which I was unfamiliar with until the rating. I was informed that the filet and potato pancake were excellent. I would estimate that 80% of the time that I select the pork chop. Always cooked perfectly and outstanding. The only issue I personally have is the Bourbon glazed apples listed as part of the dinner. As we all know, bourbon mash is made from corn, wheat, rye, and malted barley. Except for the corn, the other ingredients are not gluten-free. It could be that some people are not impacted, or maybe when the apples are glazed, the ppm drops below the measurement threshold. I have no idea and am highly sensitive, so stay away at all costs. I once read that double distilled scotch is fine for celiac, and though triple distilled should be even better. I will only say that the scotch experiment did not work out so well. Staff is great. Servers are attentive without being overbearing and are knowledgeable of the menu and dietary constraints. Great meal paired with a nice Barolo, and of course, what goes best with chicken tenders? Shirley Temple!! Now that I live a couple of miles away, please order more pork. I shall return soon.

Clement Perez

A D

Staff was super familiar with gluten free and dairy free diets, felt super safe eating here. Good food, good drinks, good time

Allison Osborne

Great food and atmosphere. They accommodated my gluten allergy (owner said most things can be made GF).

Salma Ramadan

We ate here last night and each of us had one of the best meals of our trip! Everything is flavorful and not just spicy but has actual flavor. Only complaint is that the tables need to be bigger to accommodate more plates. They do have a gluten free menu which is so helpful, would be nice to see more vegetarian gluten free options. The fajitas should come with beans and rice like everywhere else. Salmon should also come with beans. Service was great.

Laura Robertson

Teri Salkas

The Sand Bar is awesome! The food is fantastic! The prices are not bad at all! There is a great variety on the menu, and they can accommodate every dietary need! We had gluten-free, vegan, and Dairy- free in our group, and everyone loved their meals. The cod dinner with seasonal veggies was awesome! I highly recommend it.👌