Crane's Tavern & Steakhouse — Restaurant in Hilton Head Island

Went to dinner with family. Server discussed the specials and that the Soup of the day was a tortilla soup. "Did you say tortilla soup? Yes, tortilla soup". Reviewed if the special could be made without shrimp or if it was integral to the dish and not possible to remove it. We let the server know we have two people allergic to shrimp and other shellfish. The allergic people each get the tortilla soup - it arrives with a wonderful deep red color and what might be chunks of cheese? - first bite of said cheese and no... That's crab. Ask the waiter if that is crab and "yes, tortilla soup with crab". Well two of us are allergic to shellfish, which is why we asked before ordering and brought it up. "Well I said it. That's why it's important to listen to these things". Important to listen...I'm sorry sir but there are 6 full grown adults with perfectly fine hearing and 2 who are keen on hearing about shellfish being part of a dish You didn't say anything about crab in the soup. Not once.

I'm not saying this server should fall on a sword or anything. Take part of the blame as should the diner - but to blame the diner for not listening to something you didn't say? To be condescending? Are you serious? If it weren't an automatic 20% tip he'd be hard pressed to get 5%. He did return with two soups without the crab. That should have been the solution with an apology considering 2 people expressed shellfish allergies. Poor form by that server.

The soup was quite good. But who the hell puts crab in tortilla soup in the first place?

Their steaks were cooked perfectly, nicely chatted. The halibut special was raved about.

He also screwed up an order for tea by bringing coffee. Only one person ordered tea. It shouldn't have been difficult.

And their AC is in desperate need of repair or replacement. The small fan in the corner near our table didn't do much to stop you from sweating bullets before the AC kicked on again.

For the price... The service and...

If I could give this restaurant 0 stars, I would. Let me start out by saying that I had reservations at this restaurant. We arrived minutes early, and had to wait to be seated (Which was fine.). After being seated, we asked for a cocktail menu and was told they did not have one. I asked for either a chocolate martini or espresso martini. The waitress wanted to check with the bartender if they had Godiva for the martini. I was never told they did not have the Godiva, but she brought back the espresso martini. My mind could have changed based on the response, but I let it slide. I wanted to order a salad for an appetizer. She then said the kitchen would charge “$4” if we wanted it split. I said we could split it ourselves. We weren’t sure what we wanted to order for dinner yet, but she then came back and told us that the chef would only accept “ full orders.” I said we don’t know what we want for dinner yet so we can’t just order the salad and go from there? She wanted our entire order or else we couldn’t place our “appetizer” order. I said then we will not be eating here. She said she would get the manager, but the manager never came to our table. The waitress was rude and had an attitude. We got the check and left this place. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone based on how I was treated. Maybe you should realize you are in a service industry and you should treat people...

This is my premier spot on Hilton Head. There may be fancier places, but for my money, it's the best "hidden gem". A simple looking place outside, with a warm, friendly atmosphere inside. A wine list to please almost any palette, and a bartender that knows how to make exceptional cocktails. The menu is simple: premium meats (not every cut of meat - only the high-end cuts) and seafoods (not everything in the sea, but a decent variety). The appetizers are delightful, but be careful not to let them fill you up -- you need room for the meal and dessert! This visit I chose the ribeye with the mashed potatoes (my friend had the scalloped and raved) and green beans with carrots. The plate looked so appetizing I dove right in and forgot to snap a picture! The meat was perfectly cooked, juicily tender, and delightfully seasoned while not overshadowing the ribeye flavor. The potatoes and vegetables were very tasty and perfectly prepared. I finally remembered to take a picture when dessert came, so what you see is the Peanut Butter Cup dessert. Peanut butter ganache with a semi-hardened chocolate covering, a dab of whipped cream, and chocolate syrup garnish. One word: decadent! This visit to Crane's solidified it as a MUST- VISIT any time I'm in Hilton Head. I do recommend getting a reservation (maybe a couple days in advance), especially in...