Ribaut Social Club — Restaurant in Beaufort

We visited the Ribaut in 2022 and in 2023 and absolutely loved it. We came into town to celebrate our 10 year anniversary and made reservations over a month prior and were really looking forward to celebrating it at the Ribaut since we had great experiences the last 2 times. We had heard there was a new chef, which made us a little nervous but we tried it anyway. The tag-team wait staff were not on the same page and we had to repeat our orders a few times. Service was slow. The crab cakes we had were bland and underwhelming. My husband’s filet came out medium (when we had ordered it to be medium rare and even mentioned that he likes it more on the rare side) so they took it back. I ordered the octopus risotto and was sadly disappointed in how overcooked, tough and chewy the octopus came out and the rest of the dish lacking flavor. There was about 20 minutes from the time they took his steak until we finally got someone to come to our table to ask if we needed anything, although they went to check on every other table except for ours. My husband went back to see why and they were going to offer us more complementary wine but we refused. When they finally brought the second steak out, it was dry and over salted. We didn’t even want to try desert because everything else had already been a disappointment. We ended up paying almost $200 for a less than subpar meal. I used to recommend this place to everyone but now I’m sad to say that it has changed...

I had dinner last week at the Ribaut Social Club in the Anchorage 1770 in Beaufort while I was in town visiting family who live there. We dined out on the porch where we had a perfect and gentle evening breeze and a gorgeous view of the river. The food was delicious and fresh, and we enjoyed the special summer cocktail list. Service was what you would expect at one of the fine dining establishments in town: attentive, friendly, and not rushed. The food was not as creative as I'd hoped for, but it was my first time at the restaurant and I'd heard many people rave about the chef's creativity, so I may have had somewhat high expectations. I also heard that the restaurant is in the process of hiring a new executive chef, so we may have timed our visit poorly during that transition. Even so, the meal was delicious and served beautifully. This is a perfect restaurant for a special occasion, as the dishes are quite pricey, but if you have the chance to splurge, this is a great option! It ranks as one of the finest restaurants in the Beaufort area, and the location in such a historic building with the view out over the water make it...

So very disappointed in the Ribaut Room. We were regular patrons until Covid. Thought we’d resume our old haunt and introduce friends to its culinary delights. Boy were we disappointed. The strawberry salad was enjoyed by all however otherwise the menu had little to offer — pork chops or salmon with slice of bbq'd peach atop or rib eye steak. Under cooked roasted parsnips, rice or mashed potatoes alongside large slabs of meat. Where was the flair we were used to? Have a feeling the chef, whose talents we truly appreciated, is no longer there. Disappointing fare. As my friend remarked, "The food was good, but the cost raises your expectations to extraordinary presentation." It was ordinary not extraordinary and the cost for mediocre meals was...