Alfred's Restaurant — Restaurant in Hilton Head Island

We made a reservation here and were very excited to try based on reviews. I am always weary of booking the last reservation time available as I do not want to be rushed out. It was a Friday night so I did not think that would be our experience and my husband really wanted to go. We were about 25 minutes away and it was pouring rain. I called on my way over numerous times to say we could possibly be late but we were in fact on time. However the restaurant was not able to be found when we arrived. We called again and it was an answering service with no possibility to speak to a human. We Finally walked in at 9:08pm and I saw two employees give each other a strange look and then the older woman loudly stated in front of other diners from across the room "The kitchen is closed". I said we have a reservation and she continued speaking from across the room and said sorry we tried to reach you (NO ONE called me) there is nothing we can do, the kitchen is closed, maybe you can go eat next door." I stated that we could not find the restaurant and she agreed that it was hard to find and I stated that I received no calls but that i in fact had tried to call them several times.

I am a manager of a restaurant on par with Alfred's. I Never write reviews because I know things happen but their service and treatment of us was abhorrent and humiliating. I Never allow my staff to make anyone who has a reservation feel unwelcome or rushed even if it's the end of the night. If we say "open until 10" we are open and we do not rush our guests. I do not allow it and neither should you. Service is a big part of demanding...

Pretty good. What I liked:

1. The food was good-to-great. My wife had the Cod-crab-potato pancake special and her response was “Can I lick my plate?” I had the beef filet au poivre special and it was good enough.
2. The wine list is perfect, and has almost no markup.
3. They take reservations.
4. Our server went over the top to accommodate our request to take two iced-cream strudels “to go,” which was not a standard practice.
5. There is adequate parking. It is “at your own risk,” according to the sign.

What I didn’t like:

1. This is not a restaurant venue. This property could serve just as well as a pool chemical distributor, a factory seconds T-shirt outlet, or a propane refill station.
2. The blinds are closed, because there is nothing to look at outside.
3. The blinds are dirty, and ambiance is non-existent.
4. The restaurant is VERY small. I didn’t count chairs, but certainly under 50 total, and close together. So if you have a loud talker at the table next to you, you get to hear her whole life story. And if YOU have a loud talker amongst you, you’re the problem.
5. Steak was slightly overcooked. I ordered medium rare. See pics to judge.
6. You have to make reservations over the phone, and the maître d' is a bit abrasive.
7. You can’t reserve via Opentable.
8. Did I mention my $40 USDA choice steak was...

Made our annual visit to Alfred’s on Hilton Head Island, last night. We’re only on the island for 6 days each year and this place is always a requisite for one dinner. We were not disappointed. We started the evening with a couple of whiskey sours….they were really good. Our waiter, Ben, was very nice, easy to talk to, and knew the menu thoroughly. He made the specials for last night sound so good that we did not open the menu’s. We ordered an appetizer with shrimp, butter, and panko….it was awesome! The wine list had some interesting cabernets so we asked Ben for his recommendation. He suggested one called Synthesis. It was excellent….so good that we will try to order more from one of our wine distributors back home (Charlotte). We ordered both specials for our entrees; the locally sourced halibut and the bone-in veal chop with a mushroom sauce. They were so good that we ate off each others plates. And that does NOT happen often. After we finished the main course, we were undecided about the dessert menu but hey, the meal was spectacular so far, so we inquired. The German chocolate cake sounded like a good option. The chef makes this dessert in house and it was the best German chocolate cake I have ever had! Not too heavy or too sweet. Perfect ending for a great meal. Needless to say, we recommend...