Lucky Beach Bar and Kitchen opens this week on Hilton Head. Here’s a first look inside
Lucky Beach Bar and Kitchen, located at the site of the former Carrabba’s on Hilton Head, is expected to open to the public on Friday to kick off Memorial Day weekend.
The long-vacant building — Carrabba’s closed in 2020 — at the high-profile intersection of Folly Field Road and U.S. 278 has shaken off vestiges of its former life as a chain restaurant. It was renovated inside and out, and a lobby was added to the entrance.
“Anyone who remembers this space as the restaurant it was before is going to be really surprised,” said David Leffew. “It took a lot of work to bring our vision to life.”
Leffew, who has owned the Hilton Head fixture Lucky Rooster Kitchen and Bar with wife Carrie Leffew and other family members under the banner Leffew Restaurant Group since 2021, said the newer restaurant will have its own personality and menu.
That is, except for the fried chicken, David Leffew said. That will be served at both locations.
Lucky Beach Bar and Kitchen’s decor has a Caribbean feel with a slightly kitchy but still cool vibe. A bar dominates one side of the restaurant, with tables and booths throughout the space in pale wood and tropical colors. A large abstract mural in various shades of blues, yellow and orange covers the back wall where an open kitchen is tucked in.
The restaurant will be able to seat 250, including indoor and outdoor seating.
Once the restaurant is running smoothly, a grab-and-go window will offer customers an easy opportunity to pick up a meal on their way to or from the beach. An area already has been set aside for bicycle parking, with the idea that the location will be a convenient stop along Hilton Head’s bike path, which curves around the front of the building.
The menu
Lucky Beach Bar and Kitchen will offer an all-day menu for lunch and dinner, with plans to keep the kitchen open later than many other island locations.
David Leffew described the menu as having a combination of Southern and Caribbean influences. There also will be an element of Gullah culture included in some of the dishes.
While Lucky Rooster’s fried chicken is making the move to the new restaurant, Leffew said he wanted the burger selection to be different.
“I wanted the burger you want to eat at the beach,” he said. Lucky’s Beach Burger features a sweet but zesty signature sauce.
For those dining in, expect “big fun appetizers. Big fun desserts,” he said.
Among the appetizers will be crab bread, a smoked fish dip served with chips, and “Devilish eggs.” Desserts include Nutter Butter Nanner Pudding and a carrot cake waffle topped with a scoop of vanilla and a pecan praline sauce.
The takeout window will open for breakfast with coffee and espresso drinks, or soft serve ice cream to tide beachgoers over on a hot afternoon.
At a glance
What: Lucky Beach Bar and Kitchen
Where: 14 Folly Field Road on Hilton Head Island
When: Friday, May 26, restaurant and bar open 4-9 p.m.; Saturday, May 27, limited bar menu noon to 3 p.m. and dinner 3-9 p.m.; Sunday, May 28, limited bar menu noon to 4 p.m., restaurant and bar 4-9 p.m.; Monday, May 29, closed
Website: luckybeachhhi.com
