This treasure of a town is full of restaurants and river adventures.

Claiming the moniker “Heart of the Lowcountry,” Bluffton is a small town chock-full of character, history, and hospitality. Whether you're visiting for a day or a weekend, you'll find plenty to do. Here are some of our top picks.

What To Do In Bluffton

When you arrive in town, make a stop at the Cole-Heyward House, which is the official Welcome Center. The Heyward House Museum and Welcome Center is owned and operated by the Historic Bluffton Foundation, a nonprofit that is dedicated to the preservation of the culture and history of the town. You can tour the House Museum, which was built in 1841 by enslaved people. It is one of only eight antebellum homes that remain in the Lowcountry.

Three blocks from the Welcome Center, admire the 1857 Anglican church, The Church of the Cross. Federal troops burned Bluffton during the Civil War, but spared this building.

Walk along Calhoun Street, the center of the town's arts and cultural district, which is filled with eclectic galleries and specialty shops. The Society of Bluffton Artists (SOBA), showcases more than 100 local artists, and offers workshops and exhibits. Next door is Bluffton General Store, where you can purchase unique gifts and coastal collectibles.

Afternoon is the ideal time to get out on the water with a guided adventure with May River Excursions. Be on the lookout for Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, or set sail at dusk underneath the cotton candy pink South Carolina sunset.

Where To Stay

Staying in Old Town gives you easy access to explore the area by foot. The first and only boutique hotel in the neighborhood is Old Town Bluffton Inn. Owned by husband-and-wife team Vince and Danielle Harrison, the elegantly designed hotel has 14 rooms, custom-made furnishings and original art, plus a lovely pale pink parlor and breezy front porch.

If you're looking for a stay with lots of on-site activities and amenities, the luxury resort Montage Palmetto Bluff consumes 20,000-acres along the May River. From pro shops to a Paris market, paddle boarding to golfing, Montage crafts luxury experiences specific to each guest. For a romantic outdoor adventure, try the "Veuve Clicquot Picnic + Pedal," which includes bike rentals, your choice of five picnic basket menus (the "Day Date" includes canapés, tea sandwiches, and a variety of sweets to please every palate), plus a bottle of bubbly, of course.

Where To Eat And Drink

Fuel up for a day of fun at The Cottage Café where chef Leslie Rohland dishes out Southern cuisine with a twist. Begin with a mimosa (there are three types to choose from), then tuck into a Crabby Southerner—a fried green tomato, crab cake, and poached egg perched on an English muffin.

Another option is Corner Perk Brunch Café and Coffee Roasters where the hot coffee is freshly roasted and the Huevos Rancheros are nice and spicy. Order a Tiramisu Whipped Cold Brew to go as you stroll through Old Town.

No visit to Bluffton is complete without a visit to Bluffton Oyster Company. Since 1899, the family-owned business has been harvesting fresh Bluffton oysters, the star of the May River from September through May. Take home an order of oysters, shrimp, blue crab, or fresh fish, or devour the fresh catch at the family’s Bluffton Oyster Company Seafood Restaurant. Seafood doesn't get any fresher than this.

FARM serves dinner with an ever-changing menu celebrating the fishers, farmers, and other local producers behind its food. Sample roasted oysters with horseradish souffle, chives, and saltines; grilled snapper with butterbeans; or pickled shrimp. Whatever you choose, don't miss the brown butter cornbread. Although the menu has global influences, chef Brandon Carter says the region inspires his cooking. “It’s the way the salt air smells. It’s the oyster beds that you can see from the banks of the May River," he says. "There’s a real sense of place and community here that you don’t find very often these days.”

Likewise, the Waterson brothers at Burnt Church Distillery craft spirits to honor South Carolina’s history. Every bottle has a story, like the Sin Eater Cinnamon Smoky Whiskey. Dating back to the 1600s, Sin Eaters were social outcasts who took sins of others upon themselves.

Chefs and Lowcountry farmers come together to make one great dining experience at Nectar Farm Kitchen in Old Town. The fried bologna sandwich will take you back to your childhood, and the butter bean burger is like nothing you've ever tasted. The restaurant has a complete cocktail and wine list, and Nectar Brewing Company, a craft brewery located in the kitchen.

As the south end of Hilton Head Island gets more crowded, one local restaurateur is looking for some elbow room.

Kenny B’s French Quarter Cafe will be moving across the bridge to Bluffton at the beginning of next year.

Chef Ken Ballard, owner of Kenny B’s, said renovations are already under way at a location in Bridge Center, across U.S. 278 from Moss Creek. The building was the former home of Thai Smile Cuisine, which recently made the opposite move to Hilton Head.

Kenny B’s has served locals and tourists Cajun and Creole dishes at its current location, 70 Pope Ave. Suite A, for about 26 years.

“It was a great location,” Ballard said. “I have no regrets down here.”

Still though, the building has its limits.

“We are lined out the door now,” Ballard explained.

“I’ve lived in Bluffon about 15 years, and I wanted a bigger spot and a newer spot.”

The new restaurant won’t have outside seating, but it will have more room for tables indoors.

The Bluffton location also will make it possible to add delivery through services like Uber Eats and Door Dash and will make picking up takeout orders easier for customers.

Nothing on the menu will change in the move, and Ballard said the island restaurant will still offer its traditional Thanksgiving takeout service this year.

The new restaurant will be set up in a similar way to the old one, with customers placing orders at a counter.

What will change is some of the decor. The Hilton Head location has high ceilings and a large mural of a New Orleans scene.

“We are known for our big mural,” Ballard said. “That’s what I’ll miss. I’ll miss the tall ceilings.”

Still, in the new restaurant, Ballard is re-creating a bulldog-themed section to cater to its loyal University of Georgia fans, and there will be a New Orleans Saints-themed section as well.

The Hilton Head location will be open until the end of the year, and the Bluffton location will open as soon as possible after that.

Said Ballard: “We’ll definitely be open by Mardi Gras.”

What: Kenny B’s French Quarter Cafe

Where: 70 Pope Ave. Suite A, Hilton Head

Hours: Breakfast 8:30-11 a.m., lunch 12:30-3 p.m. and dinner 4:30-8 p.m.

Phone: 843-785-3315

Website: eatatkennybs.com

This story was originally published May 25, 2023, 11:52 AM.

(Editor’s note: This story has been changed to reflect who owned the land to be purchased by the county.)

Affordable housing is planned along Bluffton’s busy Buckwalter Parkway, but that doesn’t necessarily mean apartments.

The Beaufort County Council on Monday night authorized the purchase of two parcels of land equaling 10 acres next to the Lord of Life Lutheran Church, in Bluffton, but owned by St Andrews by the Sea. The county plans to establish affordable or workforce housing on the land.

At the moment, the county is only moving forward with the purchase of the land, which will cost them $3.6 million from the General Fund. County officials say it’s too early to say what sort of properties would be best suited for those 10 acres.

Councilman Logan Cunningham, whose district includes the Buckwalter area, said he would prefer the properties not be rentals. Instead, Cunningham would like to see single-family or starter homes that can be purchased rather than rented.

“It’s got to be more than just rental properties because the rental properties just keep jacking their prices up,” said Cunningham. “People can actually reinvest in themselves instead of paying the money to a big company that’s running and managing the property or one [owner] that owns 20 things.”

However, the advantage of apartments, according to County Administrator Eric Greenway, is a potential to reduce traffic while using the land more densely. About 140-150 apartment units could fit on the property compared with about 70-80 townhouses or a dozen or more homes.

Greenway sees advantages and disadvantages to both options.

“Of course, apartments are going to get a large number of units, you’re going to help more people, but it’s not very long-term,” he said. “A [property] that they can buy outright might be a better situation for this bigger property, in this location, than anything else.”

Cunningham said he’ll hold a town hall forum later about the project to educate and gauge how his district would like the property handled.

The County Council will make the final decision on the project. The purchase is expected to close at the end of April and Greenway doesn’t expect anything to be done with the property until early next year.

The 10 acres’ proximity to Buckwalter would give the future residents easy access to the many amenities of Buckwalter Place, something the county says makes the location very appealing for a housing project.

Buckwalter Place has grown a lot since it was established nearly a decade ago. It’s added the culinary institute of the south, medical facilities, two grocery stores and multiple businesses and restaurants.

“This is kind of one of those internal opportunities where the folks can live there and shop and go to restaurants and usually go to work without having to travel,” Greenway said. “There’s a lot of employment opportunities there.”

This is one of the first strides the county has made this year toward affordable housing. More is expected to come as the multi-government regional housing trust fund comes online.

The trust will see local towns, cities and counties create a joint fund to create and promote affordable housing across the southern Lowcountry. Beaufort County will be the largest contributor giving more than $3.4 million in 10 years.

“This highlights our commitment to actually meeting the need of affordable housing,” said Greenway.

This story was originally published March 1, 2023, 12:17 PM.

Mayor of Bluffton

Another year is ahead of us, and this year will be full of completing many of our capital projects and more.

One item that is important to any town is an update of its comprehensive plan. The appropriately titled Blueprint Bluffton was adopted last month. Many residents are not sure about how towns in South Carolina operate; this plan is a major tool.

Blueprint Bluffton is a new comprehensive plan for the town that is intended to guide decision-making for the next 10 years. The plan presents a broad direction for where and how the Town should invest over this horizon. The goals, strategies, and recommendations are products of a community-wide conversation that culminated in 2022.

Starting in late 2020, Bluffton began a process to develop its Blueprint Bluffton. A blueprint represents a vision. It assumes a plan of action that, taken together and in the right sequence, leads to a desired outcome. Similarly, effective community planning requires coordinated action or investment. These steps are incremental, but collectively they drive the town in the direction desired by the community.

The State of South Carolina requires comprehensive plans to include nine topical sections and a tenth focused on implementation and priority investments. The Blueprint Bluffton plan assigns a broad goal for each section and a series of targeted objective statements to focus the plan’s recommendations.

Public engagement is an essential component of the comprehensive planning process, and the long-term success of the plan. Several methods of community outreach and engagement were used in this process to reach as many residents and stakeholders as possible.

Bluffton’s planning processes have helped shaped our town every step of the way. This process was important because it gave everyone an opportunity to voice opinions and ideas. This updated comprehensive plan helps us to view our town’s future from 50,000 feet, to ensure we have analyzed all the town’s components and how they interrelate as we aspire to grow thoughtfully as Bluffton preserves its spirit, essence and quality of life.

Bluffton has nearly twice as many residents as it did in 2010, and population growth has a domino effect on numerous parts of the community. Blueprint Bluffton will address these areas, including transportation, housing, land use, parks and recreation, as well as preservation of the natural and cultural resources that characterize the town.

The adopted version of Blueprint Bluffton is located on the Town’s website https://www.townofbluffton.sc.gov/203/Planning.

If you ever have questions about our wonderful town, don’t hesitate to contact Town Hall at 706-4500 or email Lisa Sulka at [email protected]

BLUFFTON, S.C. (WTOC) - Bluffton, South Carolina seemed to have missed the worst of Ian’s impact as those who live here now breathe a sigh of relief.

Even though this area continues to see rainy and gusty conditions, many who live nearby have come to Bluffton’s waterfront park to get a look at things for themselves.

Bluffton’s mayor says that even though she believes the worst of the storm is behind them she still plans to meet with emergency teams in the area to ensure they have a coordinated response in case anything does happen.

While many people say that they prepared heavily for this storm they’re ultimately glad that Ian didn’t have as much of an impact on Bluffton as what might have happened.

”Actually, I’ve been following this storm for a week and I was getting kind of nervous about it. It really wasn’t until last night that it was heading north, so we’re very fortunate,” Bluffton Resident Kathy Ferland said.

I feel sad for everybody else but we’re very fortunate.

Bluffton’s mayor is still urging people who live here to use caution if they have to venture out as winds here are still gusty.

She says their main focus now is turning to help other counties affected by this storm.

More people have been coming out of their homes as conditions have improved.

Many we’ve spoken to have said they were prepared for the storm but are ultimately glad to avoid any major impacts.

And while most of the Lowcountry wasn’t severely affected many who live here are still aware of the devastation that Ian brought to southwest Florida and is now bringing to other parts of South Carolina.

One man says the destruction in Florida is heavy on his heart.

“We’re all very fortunate that we did not experience the disaster that Florida had and my heart goes out to everyone down there. I hope that cleanup is prompt and resolution is swift,” Bluffton Resident Tom Stevens said.

That message echoed by many as Lowcountry residents now breathe a sigh of relief.

“Things seem to have calmed down a little and we were getting bored at home so we thought we’d just kind of stroll around,” said Ferland.

“It looks like a really bad thunderstorm went through here but it’s really from the wind gusts,” said Bluffton mayor, Lisa Sulka.

As neighbors begin to step outside their homes attention now focuses on relief efforts amid the devastation that Ian left behind in Florida.

The 3 Beaufort Memorial Medical Express Clinics including in Bluffton are expected to reopen Saturday morning at 8 a.m.

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