Stellini Italian - Hilton Head

Finished out our week on the island with some excellent Italian food! We each got a pasta dish (which come with side salads) and some garlic bread to share. Would highly recommend stopping by!

Our second visit to this restaurant was even better than last year's! We called ahead to reserve a table for three and were seated in the side room with windows. It was a great decision because we were able to enjoy the deer and raccoons that live in the area coming to the feeders, providing us with dinner and a show. Our server was new and a bit nervous, but she was incredibly friendly. The owner, who was training her, recommended a delicious bottle of Riesling to start and gave us some dinner suggestions. We tried the escargot and crab ravioli for appetizers, both of which were incredible. While we waited for our main course, we enjoyed fresh house salads with a tasty balsamic vinaigrette. I also had a perfectly made filthy vodka martini with blue cheese olives. For our entrees, we had chicken pancetta with flavorful broccoli, pesto tortellini with excellently seared scallops, and sea bass Naples style with Kalmata olives and angel hair pasta. Each dish was executed perfectly and showcased the kitchen's skill. For dessert, we had a trio of cannoli, flourless chocolate cake, and mini crème brûlée, all of which were delicious. Overall, we were thrilled with our experience and would give this place 6 stars for the food alone. The service and atmosphere were also excellent.

The food was good, the garlic bread was especially delicious. I was torn between 4 or 5 stars, I opted for 4 for a few reasons. The parking lot was a bit confusing as there was no parking when we arrived and we had to back out of the lot and park across the street. The ambiance was okay, but nothing special. The portion sizes were a bit smaller than what I am used to at Italian restaurants (a meatball appetizer that sells for $11 came with THREE small meatballs on the plate) and the average price of an entree was not exorbitant, but was high for the amount of food you got. None, of these would stop me from going again, but they are the reason for not rating 5 stars. If you are on island and looking for a good non-chain Italian restaurant this is a good place to try. Not the best, but you would likely not be disappointed.

We stopped by this restaurant tonight for the early bird special and we were impressed with the food. The tortellini with meatballs and eggplant parmesan were exceptional. The service was attentive without being overbearing. The early bird dinner was a good deal. We would have given them 5 stars, but the ambiance was lacking as we were seated at a table facing the back of the restaurant with a view of a rotting wood fence. Despite this, we will definitely be returning because the food was fantastic.

I doubt you will find a better early bird dinner deal anywhere else. You have plenty of options, and the food and service are excellent. Dining on the enclosed porch creates a pleasant atmosphere. Just picture enjoying a delightful 3-course Italian dinner with a glass of wine for only $20.95! You can have it all here - from soup, salad, rolls, to veal Marsala.