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CQ's, Hilton Head Island, SC

CQ's

4.8 (3431)
$31 to $50
Contemporary American
140A Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

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2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 18 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Neighborhood gem
Nestled amidst the ancient, moss draped oaks in Harbour Town, CQ's combines great fun, fine dining and a touch of Hilton Head Island history. CQ's has the feeling of an old, cozy, and comfortable inn. Heart-of-pine floors, wooden mantle pieces, stained glass, and the photographs and memorabilia of the Lowcountry culture all contribute to the charm that has made CQ's the place to dine since 1973. Inspired by the abundant varieties of fresh seafood, beef and game available. Our chef creates dishes that are best described as contemporary American with classic influences. Recognized for having the most extensive wine list on Hilton Head Island, CQ's offers more than 400 wine selections with over 70 poured by the glass.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American
  • Hours of operation
    Daily 5:00 pm–8:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (843) 671-2779
  • Website
    http://www.cqsrestaurant.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Location
    140A Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
  • Neighborhood
    Hilton Head Island
  • Parking details
    None
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Menu

CQ's's menu was last updated on 5/30/2025.

GREAT BEGINNINGS

  • CQ's She Crab Soup$10.00

    An Island Tradition Since 1973

    • Featured Daily Soup$10.00

      Contemporary and Classic Preparations

      • Prince Edward Island Mussels$17.00

        White Wine, Roasted Garlic, Cream and Herbed Crostinis

        • Fried Green Tomatoes$16.00

          Corn meal Dusted, Sweet Corn Relish and Remoulade

          • Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail$18.00

            Poached, Lemon and House-Made Tanqueray Cocktail Sauce

            • Calamari Puttanesca$16.00

              Sauteed with Garlic, Herbs, Spinach & Sun-dried Tomato Tapenade

              SALADS

              • CQ's Salad$12.00

                Assorted Artisan Lettuces, Pickled Red Onions, Almonds, Cucumbers, Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Sherry Vinaigrette

                • Traditional Caesar$11.00

                  Romaine Hearts, Parmesan, Garlic Croutons, Marinated White Anchovies

                  • Iceberg Wedge$12.00

                    Blue Cheese, Buttermilk Ranch, Grape Tomatoes, Red Onions and Apple Wood Smoked Bacon

                    • Roasted Beets & Arugula Salad$12.00

                      Goat Cheese, Toasted Pecans & Balsamic Reduction

                      ENTREES

                      • Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Breast$32.00

                        Yukon Gold Whipped Potatoes, Haricot Verts, Hunter Sauce

                        • Grilled Atlantic Salmon$35.00

                          Garlic-Herb Grit Cake, Sautéed Broccolini, Whole Grain Mustard Cream Sauce

                          • Grilled Bone-In Pork Chop$37.00

                            Roasted Potatoes, Caramelized Onions, Haricot Verts, Bacon, Bourbon Glazed Apples, and Demi Glaze

                            • Seared Ahi Tuna$41.00

                              Sesame Encrusted, Edamame Hummus, Asian Vegetable Slaw, Pickled Ginger and Ponzu Sauce

                              • CQ's Shellfish Pasta$39.00

                                Sautéed Lobster, Shrimp, Spinach, Grape Tomatoes and Boursin Soubise sauce over Campanelle Pasta

                                • Lump Crab Cakes$41.00

                                  Edamame, Butternut Squash, Roasted Peppers and Sweet Corn Succotash with Remoulade

                                  • 8oz. Filet Mignon$49.00

                                    Potato Pancake, Grilled Asparagus, Green Peppercorn and Brandy Sauce

                                    • Marinated Grilled Shrimp$39.00

                                      Parmesan Polenta Cake, Sautéed Spinach, Tasso Ham, Tabasco Cream

                                      • Pan Seared Sea Scallops$41.00

                                        Sweet Pea Risotto, Parmesan, Pancetta, Saffron Cream

                                        Last updated: May 30, 2025

                                        What 3,431 people are saying

                                        CQ's 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

                                        4.8
                                        4.8 based on recent ratings
                                        • 4.8Food
                                        • 4.9Service
                                        • 4.7Ambience
                                        • 4.5Value

                                        Noise • Moderate

                                        Loved For

                                        • South Carolina

                                          Contemporary American

                                        • Hilton Head

                                          Best Service

                                        Review summary

                                        AI-generated from verified diner reviews
                                        CQ's offers a "wonderful dining experience" with "excellent food" and "outstanding service" in a charming, cozy setting. Known for its delicious seafood dishes like flounder and she-crab soup, the restaurant also garners praise for its attentive staff and intimate atmosphere. A "hidden gem" in Hilton Head, perfect for special occasions.
                                        3,431 Reviews

                                        1. Brendan

                                          California Central Coast1 review

                                          5.0

                                          Dined 3 days ago

                                          1. Overall 5
                                          2. Food 5
                                          3. Service 5
                                          4. Ambience 5
                                          Food was to die for. Crab soup was a no brainer. Got the blackened sea bass, was incredible. Service was top notch.

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                                        2. Cherisse VIP

                                          Philadelphia County15 reviews

                                          5.0

                                          Dined 3 days ago

                                          1. Overall 5
                                          2. Food 4
                                          3. Service 5
                                          4. Ambience 5
                                          Peter, our server was amazing and wonderful! He made our dining experience five stars! Everything was absolutely wonderful… The scallops, the sheep, crab soup, the seafood pasta, the tomato/lobster soup, the bread with the butter, the wedge salad… The only part I wasn’t crazy about was my salad and my entrée… I ordered the CQ salad And the special of the evening the blackened Seabass… I didn’t like the dressing on the CQ salad and the blackened Seabass was dry, not enough sauce, and for me it just did not taste very good… Tasted very fishy… Other than my CQ Sallade, and The Seabass blackened special. Everything was absolutely over-the-top wonderful so five stars! 

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                                        3. glenn

                                          Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill1 review

                                          5.0

                                          Dined on June 20, 2025

                                          1. Overall 5
                                          2. Food 5
                                          3. Service 5
                                          4. Ambience 5
                                          Great food and experience. Would love to go again

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                                        4. Sean

                                          Cincinnati / Dayton2 reviews

                                          5.0

                                          Dined on June 20, 2025

                                          1. Overall 5
                                          2. Food 4
                                          3. Service 5
                                          4. Ambience 5
                                          Had an incredible server who made the great food and atmosphere even better - truly a consummate pro!

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                                        5. Kenneth VIP

                                          Philadelphia County72 reviews

                                          4.0

                                          Dined on June 19, 2025

                                          1. Overall 4
                                          2. Food 4
                                          3. Service 4
                                          4. Ambience 3
                                          We come back at least a couple of times a year when visiting Sea Pines. This trip include my son and my grandson. We all had a good time and enjoyed our visit. The She Crab was outstanding as always. I had the sea scallops; delicious. My son had the sea bass and thoroughly enjoyed it. The service was quite good and we were quite satisfied.

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                                        6. Trish VIP

                                          Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill77 reviews

                                          4.0

                                          Dined on June 17, 2025

                                          1. Overall 4
                                          2. Food 4
                                          3. Service 5
                                          4. Ambience 4
                                          Enjoyed dinner, excellent salmon with a grit cake to die for. We come here every summer.

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                                        7. mark VIP

                                          South Carolina90 reviews

                                          5.0

                                          Dined on June 17, 2025

                                          1. Overall 5
                                          2. Food 5
                                          3. Service 5
                                          4. Ambience 5
                                          Wonderful experience Small intimate restaurant with excellent food, great service

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                                        8. Aurora

                                          Atlanta3 reviews

                                          5.0

                                          Dined on June 16, 2025

                                          1. Overall 5
                                          2. Food 5
                                          3. Service 5
                                          4. Ambience 5
                                          Always love our annual dinner at CQ’s. Reliably good food, service and ambiance. Jacob, our server, was excellent.

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                                        9. Dawn VIP

                                          Atlanta35 reviews

                                          5.0

                                          Dined on June 15, 2025

                                          1. Overall 5
                                          2. Food 5
                                          3. Service 5
                                          4. Ambience 5
                                          First time eating at CQ’s and so glad we did. It’s in a quaint cottage like house. We sat upstairs. We enjoyed the She Crab Soup and CQ’s House Salad and for entrees we ordered the Salmon and the Scallops. Both were very good! It was one of the best prepared salmon filets I’ve ever had. We had no room for dessert but they did give you chocolate truffles with your check. It was raining when we left but if you do go and aren’t staying in Sea Pines, it’s a great chance to walk around and enjoy Harbour Town.

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                                        10. Tara

                                          South Carolina1 review

                                          3.0

                                          Dined on June 14, 2025

                                          1. Overall 3
                                          2. Food 2
                                          3. Service 5
                                          4. Ambience 4
                                          We have not been to CQ's in several years but my husband wanted to go there for his Father's Day dinner. The food was subpar compared to what we had previous visits. Scallops had a strange consistency and were only seared on one side. Crab cakes tasted fishy and were shredded not lump crab meat. My seafood pasta had very little seafood in it, but the sauce was good. I had much higher hopes for the food considering the cost of each meal.

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                                        FAQs

                                        CQ's offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (843) 671-2779.

                                        CQ's is rated 4.8 stars by 3431 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
                                        7:00 PM
                                        Booked 18 times today
                                        Google Map for CQ's

                                        140A Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

                                        Dining areas

                                        Additional information

                                        • Neighborhood
                                          Hilton Head Island
                                        • Hours of operation
                                          Daily 5:00 pm–8:30 pm
                                        • Price
                                          $31 to $50
                                        • Cuisines
                                          Contemporary American
                                        • Dining style
                                          Fine Dining
                                        • Dress code
                                          Business Casual
                                        • Parking details
                                          None
                                        • Payment options
                                          AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
                                        • Additional
                                          Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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