With so much to do in Palmetto Bluff, you’re going to stay hungry.
And the beautiful setting is enough to make just about anyone want to enjoy an afternoon cocktail.
Fortunately, there are a number of excellent food and drink options to choose from.
This guide will detail each of Palmetto Bluff’s restaurants, along with four additional food options to choose from.
Best Dinner Spots
Cole’s
RESERVATIONS: YES – but walk-ins are welcome.
MEMBERS ONLY: YES
If you want to have a good meal and keep the kiddos entertained, Cole’s is your spot.
This place is a full service restaurant that also offers a game room with pool tables, shuffleboard and jenga. And wait for it…there’s even an upscale bowling alley!
The bar area offers a number of TVs and there are a couple of fireplaces throughout, making Cole’s the only place like it in Palmetto Bluff.
There’s also a screened porch area overlooking the marsh and a few outdoor tables.
The menu goes more in line with the atmosphere of this place, offering more southern/low country cooking options like barbecue, burgers, and fried chicken.
The food is good but is nothing special, as are the various drinks they offer.
This spot is nothing fancy, but still as nice and clean as you’d expect in Palmetto Bluff and makes the perfect spot for those with kids.
They are only open from 5-9 pm for dinner and are located in the heart of Moreland of the Moreland Village area of Moreland Landing.
Canoe Club
RESERVATIONS: YES – tough to get a table without one.
MEMBERS ONLY: YES – but loosely enforced in the past.
The Canoe Club is located in the heart of the Wilson Landing area and overlooks the Palmetto Bluff waterway and the May River in the distance.
This restaurant is technically private and for owners/members only, but that has been loosely enforced in the past.
You can try calling and booking a reservation through the concierge which has worked for non-members in the past.
The Canoe Club offers a creative seasonal menu, with quite a few fresh seafood choices. The food is excellent, but the portions are surprisingly smaller than one might expect here.
But they make great cocktails, there’s a good upscale wine selection, and they usually offer a couple of local beer options.
The local staff is friendly and will keep you laughing, and many of them have worked here for years.
This place features an indoor and outdoor dining area with limited seating and a small bar area – so you’ll likely need a reservation to get a table.
They are open for dinner daily from 5-9 pm.
River House
RESERVATIONS: YES – tough to get a table without one.
MEMBERS ONLY: NO – open to the public
The River House is located on the opposite corner from Buffalos in the main area of Palmetto Bluff, and overlooks the river and public dock.
This place is one of the more high-end restaurants you’ll find here, with a real “wow” factor when you walk in.
And while the vibe here is one of classic southern charm, it’s more relaxed and fun than you might expect at a formal spot like this one.
There’s even a speakeasy area to enjoy drinks in a setting from long ago.
The food, drinks, and service are highly unlikely to disappoint you either. The menu items and drinks are pricey, but well worth it.
The menu offers mostly upscale dishes with items from both the land and sea, but a few more casual options as well. And you won’t find a better cocktail anywhere in the area.
There’s a spacey indoor dining area, a good-sized bar area, and an outdoor screened-in deck area.
Sit on the outdoor deck and you’ll have great views of the river and the communal patio area just below where smores are offered each night around a few public fire pits.
If coming for dinner during peak season, you’ll very likely need a reservation to get a table here. But for lunch or outside of summer, you can generally walk in and be seated, or have a drink at the bar until your table is ready a short time later..
Best Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Spots
Buffalo’s
RESERVATIONS: NO
MEMBERS ONLY: NO – open to the public.
Buffalo’s is located in the heart of the “downtown area” of Palmetto Bluff, overlooking the May River at Wilson Landing.
It underwent a complete renovation in 2023 along with a menu refresh, which now offers a number of fresh seafood options and an oyster bar.
The menu also features a number of more casual options, including burgers and sandwiches, making this place a great lunch or dinner spot.
They also offer a handful of beer, wine and cocktail options. And the food and drink prices are some of the most reasonable you’ll find among the food options at Palmetto Bluff.
Buffalo’s features an indoor dining area, along with a large outdoor screened-in patio area with a number of tables that makes an awesome spot to take in the views of the river and eat.
This place is probably the most casual and relaxed you’ll find in Palmetto Bluff – you can come in in your gym clothes and not feel out of place.
They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner most days.
Octagon
RESERVATIONS: YES – highly recommended.
MEMBERS ONLY: NO – open to the public.
Octagon is located in the Montage Hotel, and can be enjoyed by both members and guests. They’re open for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
The breakfast and lunch menus are exactly what you’d expect, just with a little more high-end options.
The dinner menu consists of mostly upscale options including seafood, steaks, chicken and duck, but a couple of more casual options as well. The food and drinks are excellent.
Like the hotel, this restaurant is immaculate and offers a classy yet light-hearted vibe.
It overlooks the backyard of the hotel where there are fire pits, pools, and sweeping oak trees that line the shore of the May River in the distance.
There’s a good-sized indoor dining area accompanied by a rear outdoor deck area with tables and a bar. The view from the deck area is truly southern charm at its finest.
Best Breakfast/Lunch Spots
Canteen
RESERVATIONS: NO
MEMBERS ONLY: NO – open to the public.
Canteen is located in the heart of Moreland Landing, which is a beautiful area of Palmetto Bluff featuring a pool, large fishing pond, multi-story treehouse that overlooks the May River, and beautiful homes with a mix of classic and modern all at once.
Canteen is located in a little center of shops and restaurants, and is essentially a sandwich shop that also offers paninis, wraps, salads, snacks and some homemade goodies.
They are only open for breakfast and lunch, and offer breakfast sandwiches and coffee as well. And if you’re in the mood for a margarita, they offer those along with lunch too.
The spot is stylish and clean, with a couple tables in the small indoor area and an outdoor back deck area with a number of tables and couches to lounge on.
The food and drinks here are pricey for a breakfast/lunch spot, but about on par with what you’ll find anywhere in Palmetto Bluff.
May River Golf Club
RESERVATIONS: NO – walk-ins welcome, can usually get a table.
MEMBERS ONLY: NO – open to the public.
The May River Golf Club is one of the nicest golf courses in the southeast, and offers a clubhouse with a grill that serves lunch.
The restaurant area offers a number of tables and is on par with the golf course – extremely nice.
The menu is about what you’d expect at a golf club, with a mix of sandwich, soup and salad options. But they do offer some seafood and other meat options as well.
This place is said to have a dress code, so you’ll want to ensure you’re not walking in in athletic shorts or you may be turned away.
The good news is you don’t need to be golfing to stop in for a bite during lunch hours.
Fore & Aft
RESERVATIONS: NO
MEMBERS ONLY: NO – open to the public.
Fore & Aft is an outdoor upscale bar area behind the Montage Hotel that overlooks the waterway and bird sanctuary.
This place is open until 3 pm and only serves lunch, which consists of a few casual, Mexican-style options. They also serve cocktails, beer and wine.
There is a good-sized covered bar area with seating, with several tables where you can sit on the deck area surrounding the bar.
This place offers some of the more beautiful views on the resort, and is about as laid back as you’ll find.
Additional Food Options
Melt Ice Cream
While not technically a restaurant, this is the only true ice cream option in Palmetto Bluff, though some other restaurants do have ice cream dessert options on their menu.
Melt is a classic ice cream parlor located right in the heart of the main Wilson Landing area, in a little stretch of shops/restaurants that overlooks the public docks, May River, and bocce areas.
They offer scoops of ice cream in a variety of different flavors along with a number of shakes, sundaes, floats, homemade cookies, brownies, candy and more.
Their treats aren’t cheap but are delicious, and will leave you and the kiddos longing for more sweets long after you visit.
RT’s Market
RT’s is Palmetto Bluff’s main market, offering a variety of grocery items.
But they also make a number of fresh sandwiches, wraps and salads you can choose from if you’re looking to grab something quick on the go.
Cabana Club At The Pools
There are “cabana clubs” located at the main pool in Wilson Landing and Moreland Landing, both of which serve casual lunch options like burgers, sandwiches, and fries.
They also offer cold beer, mixed drinks, and a variety of different flavored smoothies.
The cabana clubs are only open during the summer months.
Food Trucks
Many nights during the summer, Palmetto Bluff hosts various food trucks that park and serve dinner for a few hours.
These food trucks will usually be located in the parking lot of RT’s Market, in the main area of Wilson Landing, or in the main area of Moreland Landing.
You can call the front desk at the Montage Hotel to ask about food truck options for the week.
Final Word
Palmetto Bluff offers a number of different eating spots for everyone – from high-end options to more casual options.
And pretty much all of them offer excellent drink options along with kid menus.