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ELA'S On the Water, Hilton Head Island, SC

ELA'S On the Water

4.6 (7169)
$30 and under
Seafood
One Shelter Cove Ln, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

Make a reservation

2 people
9:00 PM
Booked 76 times today

About this restaurant

  • Great for scenic views
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for outdoor dining
Featured in Bon Appetit and the winner of numerous Open Table awards, ELA'S On the Water is a shining star on the Hilton Head scene. Fresh catch seafood and prime cut steaks of the highest quality, artfully prepared by our culinary team of experts, compliment the extensive boutique wine selection. Located at Shelter Cove Harbour overlooking the marina and Broad Creek, ELA'S is known for the best water views on the island. A casual intimate interior, wrap around dining patio exterior, and nightly entertainment provided by local recording artists sets the perfect dining experience or location to host special events, private parties, or rehearsal dinners.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak, Wine Bar
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Catering
    Second Level private dining for Wedding & Private events for up to 80pp<br />Penthouse VIP Dining Room available for parties up to 20pp
  • Private party facilities
    Best Water View Dining on Hilton HeadSecond Level private dining for Wedding & Private events for up to 80ppPenthouse VIP Dining Room available for parties up to 20pp
  • Neighborhood
    Hilton Head Island
  • Parking details
    Enter Shelter Cove Harbour and follow Shelter Cove Lane to the private parking for guests.<br /><br />OMNI RESORT / MARRIOTT RESORT / WESTIN RESORT offer free shuttles to ELA'S <br /><br />For directions call our concierge at 843-785-3030
  • Public transit
    OMNI RESORT / MARRIOTT RESORT / WESTIN RESORT offer free shuttles to ELA'S Palmetto Dunes - DunesBuggy - free shuttle to ELA's
  • Entertainment
    Original Artist Productions, Classic Rock, Island Music John Wasem every Thursday & Friday from 7 - 11pmReid Richmond every Saturday from 7 - 11pmBill Peterson every Sunday 11 - 2pmDean St. Hillaire every Sunday 7 - 10pm
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 7,169 people are saying

ELA'S On the Water reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Hilton Head

    Great for brunch

  • Hilton Head

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Hilton Head

    Great for scenic views

  • Hilton Head

    Seafood

  • Hilton Head

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
ELA'S On the Water offers a captivating dining experience with "outstanding food" and "gorgeous views" of the waterfront. Guests frequently praise the "attentive service" and "beautiful atmosphere." Ideal for special occasions, the restaurant is a favorite among Hilton Head visitors. While some note room for improvement, the overall experience is highly recommended.
7,169 Reviews
  1. Melissa VIP

    South Carolina29 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    This was the 4th or 5th time I’ve dined at Ela’s and it may be the last time. Cosmopolitan wasn’t very good. Grouper was terrible. It was obviously frozen but it had no flavor. The lemon sauce needed seasoning. The rice wasn’t edible - hard and dry - and the green beans were barely cooked. Meal was mostly inedible. The waiter did remove the $40 something entree from our bill. My companion had the fried oyster appetizer which was good but the crab cake app was only so-so, and small. To top off a dismal dining experience, as we were finishing the last of our bottle of wine a man came over and began disassembling our table. He said he had another party coming in that needed our table and he literally sat down and began pulling the leaf out with us sitting there! They could have let us know that they needed to turn the table and we would have finished up quickly and left. Thinking about it today, my friend and I are still in disbelief! Granted it was the 4th of July and they were busy but the lack of hospitality was pretty shocking.

    Is this helpful?

  2. andreae VIP

    Denver / Colorado12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and service. Great location. Shrimp and grits were amazing.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Mary

    Pittsburgh / Western PA4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Wonderful service and delicious surf and turf. Really appreciate the celebratory Champaign for our anniversary!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Callie

    Nashville2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We enjoyed our dinner. My only comment is that the lobster bisque lacked in flavor. Otherwise, it was wonderful.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Paul VIP

    Atlanta12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We made the reservation last minute because we had a cruise leaving from the same cove. Good cocktails- a mint julip and a raspberry cosmo. The food was amazing. We had the lobster nachos, which were out of this world. Plenty of lobster, lots of fresh ingredients, and even the chips were very tasty. We split the wedge salad, which was on point. Then the sea food scampi bucatini and the diver scallops on risotto came. Wow- just wow. Delicious mussels, shrimp and scallops in a nice sauce over pasta, and scallops nicely done sitting on a divine risotto. Yum. The servers were super personable, although we were off in sort of a side room, and felt a little forgotten after we ordered the main course. The physical facility is also a little tired. Could use a face lift. But none of that detracted from the outstanding food.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Sally VIP

    Asheville / Western North Carolina4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    My husband and I both had the salmon Rockefeller which was great. However we celebrated our grand daughter’s birthday and they acknowledged it was her special day. So they presented her the dessert menu. We thought it was complimentary but was charged 12.00 for the cheesecake. They did bring our other granddaughter a dessert as well though she didn’t order it. So I guess it all evened out.

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  7. Christy

    Atlanta2 reviews

    1.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Beautiful views, good food, absolutely terrible service.

    1 person found this helpful

  8. Doug VIP

    Pittsburgh / Western PA39 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 27, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    First time trying Ela's. Nice, upscale restaurant with great views of the marina. Service was very, very good. Attentive and personable. Food was fresh and very good. I had the seafood bucatini and it was bountiful with fresh seafood and a great scampi sauce. My wife had the salmon and it was done perfectly. It is a sister restaurant of Celeste (where we dined the night before) so the menus were very, very similar. If we would have known we might have not gone 2 nights in a row or chose another restaurant. Overall.... very, very good!

    1 person found this helpful

  9. David

    Virginia1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was superb and the staff we attentive and incredible

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  10. Kristy

    Central Kentucky2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved everything about it! The food was outstanding and the view was gorgeous!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

ELA'S On the Water offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (843) 785-3030.

ELA'S On the Water is rated 4.6 stars by 7169 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. South Carolina
  4. Hilton Head
  5. Hilton Head Island

Make a reservation

2 people
9:00 PM
Booked 76 times today
Google Map for ELA'S On the Water

One Shelter Cove Ln, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Hilton Head Island
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak, Wine Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Enter Shelter Cove Harbour and follow Shelter Cove Lane to the private parking for guests.<br /><br />OMNI RESORT / MARRIOTT RESORT / WESTIN RESORT offer free shuttles to ELA'S <br /><br />For directions call our concierge at 843-785-3030
  • Public transit
    OMNI RESORT / MARRIOTT RESORT / WESTIN RESORT offer free shuttles to ELA'S Palmetto Dunes - DunesBuggy - free shuttle to ELA's
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Entertainment
    Original Artist Productions, Classic Rock, Island Music John Wasem every Thursday & Friday from 7 - 11pmReid Richmond every Saturday from 7 - 11pmBill Peterson every Sunday 11 - 2pmDean St. Hillaire every Sunday 7 - 10pm
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    Second Level private dining for Wedding & Private events for up to 80pp<br />Penthouse VIP Dining Room available for parties up to 20pp
  • Private party facilities
    Best Water View Dining on Hilton HeadSecond Level private dining for Wedding & Private events for up to 80ppPenthouse VIP Dining Room available for parties up to 20pp
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