The Lowcountry Dish: Marker 244

Spring is finally here! The pollen has come and gone, the spring flush has, well, been flushed, the days are longer, and the foliage is lush and vibrant. Which can only mean one thing in Beaufort. Outdoor dining!!

Although there are a plethora of outdoor options in Beaufort, it’s hard to argue that one of the best spots in town for alfresco dining is Marker 244 at Safe Harbor Port Royal Landing. With a convivial vibe, a hip bar, a welcoming breeze when the garage doors are open, and plenty of outdoor dining overlooking the Beaufort River, the marina and its boats, and the McTeer Bridge, this intimate restaurant nestled under the live oaks is a tasty respite all year long, but particularly shines during the perfect May weather.

Owned and operated by Marianna Taylor, a Spartanburg native and Beaufort-area vacationer since she was a wee one (including her family docking a boat at Port Royal Landing for years), Marker 244 has been satisfying hunger and quenching thirsts since October 2019. But that’s just the beginning of the restaurant’s history.

Previously known as The Back Porch Grille for 20-plus years with a dive bar watering hole vibe, Marianna and her family took over the lease from the owner of the privately-owned (at the time) Port Royal Landing marina in the fall of 2018. Neither she nor her dad had much restaurant experience. But they were both wide-eyed and looking for a new adventure.

Her father was retiring from a career in the insurance industry and had always dreamed of

opening a restaurant. Marianna graduated from SCAD in 2011 and had a career as a jewelry designer in New York City. However, she was missing the south. The proverbial stars aligned, and the threesome decided to take the plunge into the restaurant industry.

They spent almost a year doing a much needed and massive renovation of the space, including shoring up the entire structure, doubling the size of the kitchen, adding a waterfront patio and expanding the outdoor dining space, and installing garage doors to take full advantage of the water views and river breezes.

With a grand opening in the fall of 2019, Marianna and her parental partners settled on a Caribbean island meets Lowcountry theme, with plenty of nautical nods, like boat flags, latitude and longitude markings, fish art (some of which is for sale), island maps, bright colors throughout, nautical jewelry by local artists (also for sale), cleats as hooks in the bathrooms and as pocketbook holders underneath the bar, a charming tiki logo, and more. The nautically-leaning name of the restaurant even denotes the Intracoastal Waterway mile marker that the restaurant is located on (Marker 244)—look for the original mile marker buoy that came ashore during a hurricane inside the restaurant.

The menu keeps the island theme going with lots of shrimp options (fried, buffalo, blackened, grilled, tacos, and scampi), fresh fish (fish bites, fish stew, fish BLT, tacos, and fish n’ grits), and a Cuban sandwich (Cuba is an island, after all). Lowcountry specialties like fried okra, house smoked pulled pork BBQ (or beef brisket for Upcountry folk), and meat + 2 plates (with southern sides like grits and mac n’ cheese); and good old ‘merican standbys like nachos, quesadilla, tacos, salads, burgers and patty melts, a club wrap, and more round out the well-rounded casual menu.

According to Marianna, crowd favorites include  the fish tacos (especially on Taco Tuesday); the ooey gooey roasted pork, pickle, Swiss cheese, and mustard Cuban sandwich; the burger (which is a 6-ounce grilled-to-order patty (though insiders know that there is also an off–menu smash burger option); and shrimp all ways (thanks to the delicious and uber-fresh shrimp that they source locally from Sea Island Shrimp Company).

Since the beginning, Marker 244 has strived to keep the vibe casual, low key, and on island time, along with a menu that is simple food executed well. And we think they have hit the mark on both levels.

From the laid back and convivial L-shaped bar at the entrance—often playing host to après-

golfers and -boaters, along with the after-work crowd and regular happy hour habitué—to the comfortable tables of two, four, six and even groups up to 10 in the open-air (in season) dining room and outdoor patio (which has heaters for the cooler months), the space oozes fun and hospitality. Marianna even picked up a seriously oversized picnic table at Habitat for Humanity last fall, refinished it, and it now welcomes upwards of 20 people at one sitting or can play host to a group Lowcountry Boil while overlooking the marina.

Speaking of which, Marker 244 is the perfect place for birthday parties, baby showers, office functions, and so much more. The setting screams Lowcountry and can accommodate groups from 10 to 100, with a menu that is perfect for that special occasion.

Even the bar menu pays homage to the island life, with bartender extraordinaire, Brittney, concocting whimsical cocktails including a Mango Margarita (one of their most popular orders), a Pusser’s rum Painkiller, Lowcountry tropical tea with vodka and pineapple tea, and a rotating seasonal lemonade featuring local Rotten Little Bastard Distillery vodka. They also sell a ton of Prosecco cocktails, in that they have Prosecco on tap (yep, you heard right, Prosecco on tap!). The Aperol Spritz and Hugo Spritz are our personal favorites.

Naturally, they also feature rotating draft beers, including local options from Hilton Head Island and Charleston, along with over a dozen beers in bottles and cans. The wine list doesn’t disappoint either, with a Cabernet and Chardonnay on tap and a short, but quite geographically diverse wine list (think Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Portugal, France, Argentina, and California), including three dry pinks for these rosé lovers.

If all this isn’t enough, Marker 244 has special events all week to help get you in the mood. There’s a happy hour every day from 4pm to 6pm, with $1 off house liquor and wine or $2 off draft beer. Sundays feature $5 mimosas in all kinds of flavors, like orange, peach, pineapple, mango and more. Taco Tuesday features $1 off all tacos, trivia night starting at 7pm, and an extended happy hour from 4pm to 8pm.

Then there’s our favorite—Struggle Meal Wednesday, featuring $10 rotating plates of staff favorites like jambalaya, corn dogs, ham and cheese sliders, and fried green tomatoes, including a non-alcoholic drink. They also have varied seasonal events like Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, 4^th of July, and friends and family events throughout the year. And then, of course, there is always that spectacular outdoor dining venue to lure you back time and time again.

 

Marker 244

1 Port Royal Landing Dr.

Port Royal, SC 29935

843-379-7979

www.marker244.com

Tuesday-Sunday 11:00am-9:00pm

 

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 topics, as well as recommendations for their upcoming book, 100 Things to Do in the South Carolina Lowcountry Before You Die (coming this fall).