The Maine Cafe — Restaurant in Hilton Head Island

I want to first start off this review with the fact that I hope this helps the owner in improving her cafe. In no way do I want to disparage any local business, especially one that is new. However, our lunch today, was deeply disappointing. I would also like to mention that I am from Massachusetts, spending almost my entire life in the Northeast, so I know genuine New England Seafood and fare very well. So this review is not coming from someone who just wants to complain or doesn't know what they are talking about in regards to traditional New England seafood or dishes.With this being said, I couldn't wait for the Maine Cafe to open. There are very few places that offer this type of cuisine in the LowCountry and sometimes you get home sick for some local dishes that were comfort foods from your area. My hope was that this little cafe would fill that space and introduce Bluffton to that special piece of seafood heaven. Unfortunately, here is my brutally honest opinion on the food, pricing and service. Quant little space, causal, but cute inside. Gentleman who served us was very nice, but extremely forgetful and should carry a little pad to write orders down, so he doesn't need to keep coming back to the table multiple times to ask us what we had ordered. Prices are OUTRAGIOUS! A cup of clam chowder was $14 and it was truly awful! It was absolutely the worst clam chowder I had ever had, except one from a can. It had no cream in it at all, was an off putting color. It was like she used potatoes as the broth base of the whole chowder. It was strange and definitely not normal or appealing in the slightest way and was tasteless to boot. True New England Clam Chowder should have a yummy creamy consistency, not too thick, but rich and this was just yuk. I then got the Hot Lobster Roll for $37 for my meal. It was just Ok. It did not come with the truffle butter as it stated on the menu( just tasted like regular butter) and was missing some lobster for that price point. My meal was also supposed to come with some pickled cucumbers, but instead I just got a copped up bottled pickle and some blah chips. My husband got the Cold Lobster Roll with chips and some kind of slaw for $37. His roll had more lobster than mine did, but his bun was not toasted as it should have been. Technically speaking, the rolls are traditionally lightly buttered and toasted, giving them a buttery crunch and support for the lobster. It doesn't matter if the lobster is cold or hot. My husband said it was ok, but liked better lobster rolls served in the area, especially for that price. We each had an ice tea to drink and our total was a whopping $102 before the tip. The owner never came by to introduce herself and if she was struggling to get certain ingredients for her meals, should be offering a discount to her customers or some sort of promotion or incentive to come back, when things are up and running more smoothly. The menu on the door, is completely different than the basic lunch menu we got upon being seated and it seems like she is reaching to make it sound more appealing and high end than she is technically capable of making in the kitchen. I say this, because if the Clam Chowder is any indication of skill, then this place is in real trouble. For the life of me, I have no idea where she got that recipe from, but she needs to dump it immediately. I'm assuming she ran out of cream or something , but should have declined to serve it to customers quite frankly. For your information a cup of terrific clam chowder in New England goes for about $8 or $9 a cup, not $14. A bowl at Saltie Girl/Atlantic Fish Co. (2 of Boston's high end fish restaurants) is $14. I know this is brutal to read if you are the owner and really hope that you can pull this together. However, your technique, food quality and presentation need serious work to craft the dishes you have advertised on your door and prices you are charging. The current subpar service and food that is being served is not balancing...

-- The Worst Lobster Roll I've Ever Had If you want the worst lobster roll of your life, The Main Café is for you. At first glance, there was barely any lobster meat, and the roll wasn't even toasted. When I picked it up, it was so soggy I could barely hold it together. One bite was all I could manage -- it tasted like a dead, rotting fish. The lobster was chewy and had an off smell. And this was after waiting two hours for our food. I wasn't alone -- I was there with my women's group, and everyone had a bad experience. The woman next to me got her dinner 30 minutes before I did -- a so-called "homemade pasta" bolognese that was so thick and rubbery it looked like large intestines. She had to send it back. Another woman canceled her order after waiting over two hours with no food (probably the best decision of the night). The salads were sad and unappetizing, and the chicken parm was "okay" -- likely only because it came with boxed pasta instead of their "homemade" version. Our waitress, poor thing, was doing her best but was clearly overwhelmed -- she was the only one working the entire front of house. I even told her she should find another job, because I honestly can't see this restaurant surviving much longer. (Photos attached: soggy, smelly lobster roll and the table still waiting...

I don't like to give bad reviews on a new place but I was so Disappointed with our 80.00 take out lunch . We ordered two lobster rolls one hot one cold . The lack of "New England " style" The hot roll was so soggy from not being toasted it was a dreadful mess not to mention lack of lobster , the cold lobster roll with " seasoned mayo" had zero flavor. Again bun was not toasted what lobster that was on it sad . The rose pedal chips tasted more like basic kettle chips from a bag . The pickles nothing special. Unfortunately we won't go back . Our to go order with tip 95.00 We were so hopeful...