SERG Restaurant Group

Still surging after 40 years… 

Way back in 1984, Hilton Head Island was hungry for a neighborhood pizzeria experience, and high school and college buddies Steve Carb and Tony Acuri—serious pizza lovers who had eaten their way through Pittsburgh’s many renowned pizza joints—were happy to say, “Si!” to the concept. With the help of partner, Rick Meccariello, Giuseppi’s Pizza & Pasta House opened 40 years ago. Fellow college roommate and trusted friend Jim Loniero was brought in as a partner soon after the company was founded. And the rest is SERG (Southeast Entertainment Restaurant Group) history.

Today, SERG’s award-winning family of restaurants and concepts numbers 18 including a second Giuseppi’s in Bluffton that opened in 2004, a thriving catering company, and their unique takeout spot, SERG Takeout Kitchen. “The SERG family of restaurants offer a wide variety of cuisines to locals and visitors to Hilton Head, and each restaurant stands uniquely on its own in terms of outstanding atmosphere, high quality food, and service. This is what our values were built upon and continue to this day,” says president and partner, Alan Wolf, who started with SERG back in 2002 as a bar back for the then Brew Pub.

We were working on a stand-alone entry for SERG in our upcoming book, 100 Things to Do in the South Carolina Lowcountry Before You Die, so it seemed like an ideal time to pursue a SERG DISH for Lowcountry Weekly

Here’s a tasty rundown of SERG’s current offerings (we can’t wait to see what’s next on their menu!):

 

THE BLACK MARLIN BAYSIDE GRILL (www.blackmarlinhhi.com): Situated in the heart of the bustling and newly rebuilt

Palmetto Bay Marina (after Hurricane Matthew demolished the original) and featuring the famous Hurricane Bar, The Black Marlin is beloved for its fresh seafood, famous Hurricane cocktail and more, including their loaded-to-the-gills brunch come Saturday and Sunday—where the Make-It-Yourself Bloody Mary Bar provides the perfect brunch pairing.

CHARBAR CO BURGERS & SUSHI (www.charbarhhi.com): With indoor and outdoor dining on a covered patio, Charbar Co. features a unique dining duo of creative burgers and freshly-rolled sushi that we love, plus spiked and unspiked shakes and floats. Their Wine Jam Wagyu Burger and Dirty South Burger are Charbar favorites, as are The Pineapple Under The Sea Roll and The Song of the Shrimp Roll. 

FRANKIE BONES RESTAURANT & LOUNGE (www.frankiebones.com): With a choice of the original Hilton Head hotspot and the more recent Bluffton concept, Frankie Bones remains a SERG favorite for us and many more, thanks to its hip 60s vibe and classic American-Italian fare, including Frankies “Made” Meatballs, house-made cannelloni, and more. 

GIUSEPPI’S PIZZA & PASTA HOUSE (www.giuseppispizza.com): Savoring 40 years of flavor and

tradition, Giuseppi’s is on Hilton Head Island at The Plaza at Shelter Cove—and the second location is at Kitties Crossing in Bluffton. With indoor and outdoor dining, odes to Pittsburgh sports, and the freshest and most authentic ingredients (think tomatoes from California’s San Joquin Valley, sausage and pepperoni from family-owned businesses in Chicago and Cincinnati, made-daily dough, and tasty cheeses), we think Giuseppi’s is better than ever. 

LOCAL LEGEND BREWING COMPANY (www.locallegendbrewing.com): Coming in late-2024, Local Legend Brewing Company will be all things beer, food, fun, and nostalgia. The concept pays tribute to the people, places, and events that made Hilton Head what it is today, with a special nod towards the 1970s and 80s, when the Island began gaining notoriety. With multiple house and seasonal draft beers on tap, delicious brewery-style culinary treats and entrees, historical memorabilia displayed across the space, vintage games, and of course, a 6,000-square-foot beer garden in the back, this is a place will be not only a beer-lovers dream, but great for the casual family hangout spot as well. Cheers to that!

MARLEY’S SHRIMP & BURGER SHACK (www.hiltonheadshack.com): Marley’s, located just outside the Sea Pines main gate, redefines what we generally think of as a classic Lowcountry food “shack.” With quick and convenient counter service and outdoor patio seating, Marley’s is famed for their shrimp chowder, chili, seafood baskets, sandwiches (including their popular shrimp burger), and delectable burgers, including the Smash Burger (served as a single, double, or triple).

NECTAR FARM KITCHEN (www.nectarfarmkitchen.com): Also situated just outside main gate for Sea Pines, as well as in Old Town Bluffton, we’ve loved Nectar’s “farm-to-table” concept since the day it opened. Serving lunch, brunch, and dinner daily at both locations, plus seasonal entertainment and more, the list of “Our Local Farm Partners” now exceeds two dozen (including Port Royal Farmers Market favorites like Adam’s Farm, Tuten Farm, and Whippoorwill Farm). Be sure to check out Nectar Bluffton’s “Beetown” fall and spring oyster roasts as well, featuring live music, drink specials, and of course, our famed Lowcountry oysters steamed to perfection.

ONE HOT MAMA’S BBQ (www.onehotmamas.com): We’ve always been fans of Food Network’s star chef Orchid Paulmeier, and we’re happy that there are two places (Hilton Head and Bluffton) where we can get a One Hot Mama’s fix, with both locations part of the official South Carolina BBQ Trail (we’ve been to dozens on the list).The namesake BBQ is slow-smoked and delicious, but there’s much more, including smoked fried chicken, Texas beef brisket, baby back ribs, and char-grilled or fried wings that we love.

POSEIDON (www.poseidonhhi.com): Situated on the Broad Creek waterfront, popular Poseidon anchors Shelter Cove Centre. With two

stories of indoor and outdoor dining featuring varied spaces like The World is Your Oyster Raw Bar, the four-sided Nautibar, and the popular Rooftop Bar (including a lively live music line-up), we love that Poseidon features coast-to-coast cuisine, ranging from San Francisco-style cioppino to seared New Bedford scallops, to local catch-of-the day options. They also have a great sushi selection as well!

SERG TAKEOUT KITCHEN (www.hiltonheadfoodtogo.com): We recently stopped by SERG Takeout Kitchen for the first time and left with lots of fresh frozen, chef-prepared, fully-cooked meals-to-go, including options for one, two, or company, as well as sides, decadent desserts, and more. The mouthwatering menu features breakfast items, fresh salads, microwaveable-ready meals, a potpourri of popular pot pies, pizzas, soups, sides, desserts, and a lot more—including Friday hot meal specials (like their very popular Jamaican jerk chicken on Fridays and Leopold’s Ice Cream). 

SIGNATURE CATERING & EVENTS BY SERG (www.signaturecateringhhi.com): For 30-plus years, Signature Catering & Events by SERG on Hilton Head Island has been a popular choice from Savannah to Charleston. We can attest first-hand they offer creative fare, great service, and coastal hospitality.

SKULL CREEK BOATHOUSE LANDMARK WATERFRONT RESTAURANT (www.skullcreekboathouse.com): With a menu

that includes classic Skull Creek views (and sunsets), Marker 13 Buoy Bar, fresh catch seafood, southern classics, sushi, Skull Creek General Store, and more, Skull Creek Boathouse remains one of our favorite restaurants on Skull Creek (and that’s saying something).

SKULL CREEK DOCKSIDE WATERFRONT RESTAURANT (www.docksidehhi.com): Okay, adjacent Skull Creek Dockside is another waterfront favorite as well, thanks to its views, sunsets, Shark Bar, and tasty food. Dockside takes its low-and-slow house-smoked BBQ from the Southern Pride smoker seriously, including delectable beef brisket, smoked chicken, and more. But BBQ isn’t the only thing they are great at in Skull Creek, thanks to fresh seafood, including the stuffed local shrimp casino, with fresh caught shrimp onboard Seaworthy Lifestyle.

WISEGUYS MODERN AMERICAN RESTAURANT (www.wiseguyshhi.com): With an uptown-chic vibe that belies its Hilton Head Island location, WiseGuys (next to Frankie Bones on Main Street) is well-known to SERG fans like us, thanks to their shareable small plates (several from their wood-fire oven) perfected pastas, and varied steaks (including a 24-ounce bone-in porterhouse prepared in their Montague Steakhouse Broiler, which sears meat at 1,800 degrees!).

We’d be remiss without mentioning SERG’s great “Menu Guide,” which we devour each time they publish a new edition and which we used a lot for this DISH. Along with menus, they feature mouth-watering articles and lots of food- and drink-oriented advertisers that we love to support. For instance, the 2024-2025 Menu Guide has an article called “The Kings of Crab,” where SERG chefs highlight their favorite crab dishes (yum!), as well as advertisements from Rollers Wine & Spirits (we love it there!), Burnt Church Distillery (ditto), and many others.

 

 

SERG Restaurant Group (Corporate Office)

9 Hunter Rd., Ste. A

Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

843-715-0344

www.serggroup.com

 

 

Beaufort-based travel journalists Lynn and Cele Seldon (www.seldonink.com) often cover culinary travel around the world and Lowcountry Weekly lured them to write a monthly feature covering the local food scene. This includes articles about restaurants, chefs, food-focused stores, farms, farmers, farmers markets, and more. They welcome suggestions for “DISH,” as well as for their next book, 100 Things to Do in the South Carolina Lowcountry Before You Die (Reedy Press).