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When playing on Daufuskie, dine at the Beach Club.
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We recently made a return trip to charming and quirky Daufuskie Island, S.C., the tiny spit of land that's worth a side trip during - or even instead of - a Hilton Head golf vacation.
We say "charming" because Daufuskie is a beach lover's paradise with a delightfully remote feel to it, despite being less than an hour by ferry from Savannah and about half that from Hilton Head. Most of the island's mere 300 residents get around by golf cart and at least one of the local artisans operates his gallery, (which is just his open-air front porch) on the honor system.
We say "quirky" because the resort here, the Daufuskie Island Resort & Breathe Spa, while nice, makes some curious operational moves and gaffes at times. Its dining options provide a good example.
During our first stay, the waitstaff in the main dining room couldn't produce a single pat of butter for our bread. This time, except for breakfast, the main dining room was closed altogether. Now, guests are told that the restaurant at the Melrose Course clubhouse is the main dining room. We went, hoping to see the creative transformation from club pub to the resort's gourmet hub. Nope. The food itself wasn't bad, but the atmosphere detracts from it. The mere addition of tables and linens isn't enough to pull off a "main dining room" experience.
Our advice is to head down to the Beach Club Restaurant at the end of the resort's strip of cottages. Though management seemingly positions it as a secondary dining option, we think it should be the main attraction. With a screened-in bar/dining area that overlooks the beach and the pool, and a smaller, intimate space anchored by a huge fireplace, it has a lot more going for it in terms of physical appeal and ambiance, not to mention an enthusiastic new manager who is getting creative with the menu and improving the service.
Indeed, a chance meeting with her in the lobby in the afternoon resulted in us being greeted by name by the hostess upon our arrival at dinner. That, in and of itself, doesn't make it a five-star dining experience, but it's a huge step for a resort that otherwise seems to operate on "island time."
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