Personal Injury Attorneyin Bluffton, SC.

This treasure of a town is full of restaurants and river adventures.

Claiming the moniker “Heart of the Lowcountry,” Bluffton is a small town chock-full of character, history, and hospitality. Whether you're visiting for a day or a weekend, you'll find plenty to do. Here are some of our top picks.

What To Do In Bluffton

When you arrive in town, make a stop at the Cole-Heyward House, which is the official Welcome Center. The Heyward House Museum and Welcome Center is owned and operated by the Historic Bluffton Foundation, a nonprofit that is dedicated to the preservation of the culture and history of the town. You can tour the House Museum, which was built in 1841 by enslaved people. It is one of only eight antebellum homes that remain in the Lowcountry.

Three blocks from the Welcome Center, admire the 1857 Anglican church, The Church of the Cross. Federal troops burned Bluffton during the Civil War, but spared this building.

Walk along Calhoun Street, the center of the town's arts and cultural district, which is filled with eclectic galleries and specialty shops. The Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA), showcases more than 100 local artists, and offers workshops and exhibits. Next door is Bluffton General Store, where you can purchase unique gifts and coastal collectibles.

Afternoon is the ideal time to get out on the water with a guided adventure with May River Excursions. Be on the lookout for Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, or set sail at dusk underneath the cotton candy pink South Carolina sunset.

Where To Stay

Staying in Old Town gives you easy access to explore the area by foot. The first and only boutique hotel in the neighborhood is Old Town Bluffton Inn. Owned by husband-and-wife team Vince and Danielle Harrison, the elegantly designed hotel has 14 rooms, custom-made furnishings and original art, plus a lovely pale pink parlor and breezy front porch.

If you're looking for a stay with lots of on-site activities and amenities, the luxury resort Montage Palmetto Bluff consumes 20,000-acres along the May River. From pro shops to a Paris market, paddle boarding to golfing, Montage crafts luxury experiences specific to each guest. For a romantic outdoor adventure, try the "Veuve Clicquot Picnic + Pedal," which includes bike rentals, your choice of five picnic basket menus (the "Day Date" includes canapés, tea sandwiches, and a variety of sweets to please every palate), plus a bottle of bubbly, of course.

Where To Eat And Drink

Fuel up for a day of fun at The Cottage Café where chef Leslie Rohland dishes out Southern cuisine with a twist. Begin with a mimosa (there are three types to choose from), then tuck into a Crabby Southerner—a fried green tomato, crab cake, and poached egg perched on an English muffin.

Another option is Corner Perk Brunch Café and Coffee Roasters where the hot coffee is freshly roasted and the Huevos Rancheros are nice and spicy. Order a Tiramisu Whipped Cold Brew to go as you stroll through Old Town.

No visit to Bluffton is complete without a visit to Bluffton Oyster Company. Since 1899, the family-owned business has been harvesting fresh Bluffton oysters, the star of the May River from September through May. Take home an order of oysters, shrimp, blue crab, or fresh fish, or devour the fresh catch at the family’s Bluffton Oyster Company Seafood Restaurant. Seafood doesn't get any fresher than this.

FARM serves dinner with an ever-changing menu celebrating the fishers, farmers, and other local producers behind its food. Sample roasted oysters with horseradish souffle, chives, and saltines; grilled snapper with butterbeans; or pickled shrimp. Whatever you choose, don't miss the brown butter cornbread. Although the menu has global influences, chef Brandon Carter says the region inspires his cooking. “It’s the way the salt air smells. It’s the oyster beds that you can see from the banks of the May River," he says. "There’s a real sense of place and community here that you don’t find very often these days.”

Likewise, the Waterson brothers at Burnt Church Distillery craft spirits to honor South Carolina’s history. Every bottle has a story, like the Sin Eater Cinnamon Smoky Whiskey. Dating back to the 1600s, Sin Eaters were social outcasts who took sins of others upon themselves.

Chefs and Lowcountry farmers come together to make one great dining experience at Nectar Farm Kitchen in Old Town. The fried bologna sandwich will take you back to your childhood, and the butter bean burger is like nothing you've ever tasted. The restaurant has a complete cocktail and wine list, and Nectar Brewing Company, a craft brewery located in the kitchen.

BLUFFTON, S.C. (WTOC) - The Lowcountry is home to many flavors of cuisine, from local Gullah Geechee cooking to modern fusion restaurants.

Those flavors continue to expand as the area grows.

Many of those who have tried Chef Bernards’s food say it will take you on a cultural journey. He started in a food truck to now owning a full-blown restaurant.

“The whole journey started through the pandemic, I thought I had got my dream job in Chicago but the whole world shut down, it had me really contemplate what to do next.”

And the decision led him to South Carolina to be with family.

“So you know I made up my mind to come down to Bluffton, then I knew that this was a project that I definitely gonna do.”

During that time, he says he felt the need to expand people’s taste buds, so he started a food truck.

“I’m using my vision of the origin of our foods in my opinion from West Africa through the Caribbean to America.”

But he soon realized he wanted to bring something bigger than a truck to the community.

“Nobody is doing this flavor palette; I want to be bold I want to tell a story I want to showcase the love I have for cuisine. We are very passionate about what we are doing in bringing in a level of complexity and love to what we do. I think that there needs to be more places like that in Bluffton.”

And that is why a new restaurant he co-owns and cooks for is open for business in downtown Bluffton.

“Okan means heart in soul in the language of Yoruba. Yoruba is the first language of West Africa so I thought while I am trying to represent our roots and pathways of the forced migration, we should use a language that was spoken then.”

But he says he hopes the food talks for itself once people get a taste.

”Jollof rice you can’t have west African representation without Jollof rice and many other things cashew curry. Cashew curry has been one of our biggest hits.”

”Everything is done through food, so I am definitely trying to teach people a little bit of a history lesson. Rice was the cash crop rice if it hadn’t been for forced migration maybe rice wouldn’t be in this country. Different things like that. Just showcasing those little nuggets is my goal. Now, if you learn fantastic, if you don’t you had a fantastic meal so it works either way.”

Chef Bernard says that the restaurant will be open Wednesday through Sunday.

For more information visit their website here.

Copyright 2023 WTOC. All rights reserved.

The LGBTQ+ Lowcountry Pride Group is planning to move its annual Pride festival to a public park in Port Royal, which has sparked a divide in the community as opponents attempt to block it and supporters come to its defense.

It would be the first time the event, which has been held in Bluffton the past four years, would be held north of the Broad River.

Angela Wright, who represents the group, said it is looking to move the event to Port Royal in November because a number of sponsors in northern Beaufort County have expressed interest in supporting it.

“We have a lot of people who are really excited it’s going to be in Port Royal for once,” Wright said.

Wright’s comments came in July, when she gave an update on the plans during a Town Council work session.

Since then, residents who are opposed to the event being held in the public Live Oaks Park have attended Town Council meetings to urge elected officials to block the plans. That testimony has prompted others to show up to support the Pride festival being in Port Royal.

Opponents have cited concerns about the location of the festival being near the town’s elementary school and the possibility of drag queens participating in a parade. They’ve also raised issues about the distribution of LGBTQ+ information regarding gender.

Wright initially told the Town Council that a parade was part of the plans, but Mayor Joe DeVito said Thursday that he’s met with the group and a parade is no longer under consideration.

“They tell me that none of that is going to happen at this event,” DeVito said.

The group must meet certain requirements to use the park, and its application is under review, DeVito said. “At this point, there is nothing glaring that says they don’t meet the requirements.”

“Make no mistake, if you are not against this movement, you are for it,” Danny Norwood, describing himself as a father, grandfather and follower of Jesus Christ, told council members Wednesday, which brought applause.

National LGBTQ+ groups are on a “twisted spiritual crusade” to steal the innocence of kids, Norwood said, adding he believes it is no coincidence that the event is proposed near a school.

“I would ask everybody in this community, on this council, to consider what we’re letting in,” Norwood said. “The snake has crawled under the door.”

The event is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 18, when school will not be in session.

Supporters say Pride festivals are safe, welcoming events where people can find support and information and have a good time, too.

“My family will be there, and we look forward to celebrating all of God’s beloved children with you,” said Mary Foster, describing herself as a straight cisgender female who is married and has a son who is transgender.

Cisgender means a person’s gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth; transgender means a person’s gender does not match the sex they were assigned at birth.

Those who don’t want to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community “should stay home,” said Foster, adding she’s been been frustrated and embarrassed that there is so little to honor the LGTBQ+ community in Beaufort County.

The LGBTQ+ Lowcountry Pride Group says its mission is to promote the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community in the Lowcountry by educating society, honoring its heritage, advocating for its culture and celebrating diversity.

Wright said the event is family oriented and will include vendors, a bounce house and face painting.

This story was originally published August 10, 2023, 12:28 PM.

As the south end of Hilton Head Island gets more crowded, one local restaurateur is looking for some elbow room.

Kenny B’s French Quarter Cafe will be moving across the bridge to Bluffton at the beginning of next year.

Chef Ken Ballard, owner of Kenny B’s, said renovations are already under way at a location in Bridge Center, across U.S. 278 from Moss Creek. The building was the former home of Thai Smile Cuisine, which recently made the opposite move to Hilton Head.

Kenny B’s has served locals and tourists Cajun and Creole dishes at its current location, 70 Pope Ave. Suite A, for about 26 years.

“It was a great location,” Ballard said. “I have no regrets down here.”

Still though, the building has its limits.

“We are lined out the door now,” Ballard explained.

“I’ve lived in Bluffon about 15 years, and I wanted a bigger spot and a newer spot.”

The new restaurant won’t have outside seating, but it will have more room for tables indoors.

The Bluffton location also will make it possible to add delivery through services like Uber Eats and Door Dash and will make picking up takeout orders easier for customers.

Nothing on the menu will change in the move, and Ballard said the island restaurant will still offer its traditional Thanksgiving takeout service this year.

The new restaurant will be set up in a similar way to the old one, with customers placing orders at a counter.

What will change is some of the decor. The Hilton Head location has high ceilings and a large mural of a New Orleans scene.

“We are known for our big mural,” Ballard said. “That’s what I’ll miss. I’ll miss the tall ceilings.”

Still, in the new restaurant, Ballard is re-creating a bulldog-themed section to cater to its loyal University of Georgia fans, and there will be a New Orleans Saints-themed section as well.

The Hilton Head location will be open until the end of the year, and the Bluffton location will open as soon as possible after that.

Said Ballard: “We’ll definitely be open by Mardi Gras.”

What: Kenny B’s French Quarter Cafe

Where: 70 Pope Ave. Suite A, Hilton Head

Hours: Breakfast 8:30-11 a.m., lunch 12:30-3 p.m. and dinner 4:30-8 p.m.

Phone: 843-785-3315

Website: eatatkennybs.com

This story was originally published May 25, 2023, 11:52 AM.

BLUFFTON, S.C. —

The Town of Bluffton voted Tuesday to move forward with legal action to acquire roads they claim are already theirs.

But are they? It depends on who you talk to.

Catherine Harrison Cobb says she owns the road next to her property. But there's no record of that because it was destroyed in the Civil War.

That's why this road and others like them, where the owner is unclear, are referred to as ghost roads.

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“The developer is who initially subdivided these lots, that’s who owns these,” said Cobb. "So it’s not up to the town to come in and say they’re the owner."

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Bluffton Town Council Member Dan Wood explains his side, specifically why the Town is asking residents who live near the roads to sign quit claim deeds, documents used to transfer property and titles.

“The quit claim that the Town is undertaking has to do with property that technically no one owns,” said Wood.

The two have split opinions on what ultimately would reach the same goal: protect the May River and the properties around it.

Wood says those are the reasons the Town is moving forward with the ghost road acquisition efforts.

“Protecting the river, controlling the easement and rights of ways of streets in the historic district and eliminating all the septic tanks to protect the May River,” said Wood. “Those are all valid reasons.”

Cobb says it’s still unclear why the Town needs the rights to the ghost roads, and what she says is her property, to get the May River projects done.

She says she could grant the permit directly to the sewage company to do construction on her road.

“The rights of way have nothing to do with that,” said Cobb. “We can we can grant easements for Beaufort Jasper to come in.”

WJCL asked Wood why it was necessary to have residents sign quit claim deeds, and why the Town voted to move forward with legal action if he says no one owns the land.

“It’s actually a courtesy, instead of going out and doing this without input from the citizens," said Wood. "That's not the Bluffton way.”

Wood says it was a process seven years in the making. The Town voted on the issue Tuesday, the opening day of the RBC Heritage, just 30 minutes away.

“It’s finally just gotten to the point where we need to move forward,” said Wood.

But Cobb feels it could have been done much differently.

“Essentially what they’re doing is to quitclaim our rights to these beautiful green spaces in order to bring a sewer,” said Cobb. “And, if we don’t quitclaim to the Town, we will essentially be forced to pay for it ourselves.”

Wood had not heard of the accusation and said he could not comment.