Good restaurants in Beaufort and Okatie, South Carolina

I’m not sure the good Lord intended shrimp and grits to be eaten in the same mouth at the same time, but since I’m in the South Carolina lowcountry, I had to try.

Blackstone’s Café in downtown Beaufort, South Carolina gives you a big bowl with a heaping of grits, covered with melted cheese and shrimp.

I’ve eaten some weird food for breakfast – squid in Malaysia, reindeer sausage in Alaska and something that appeared to be border collie in Vietnam – but this is the first time I’ve ever had shrimp for breakfast, even though I’m a son of the South and have long been addicted to grits.

Verdict: I‘ll stick to grits, eggs and bacon. Grits just don’t seem right in the morning. Your belly ain’t ready for it. Besides, once you eat off the cheese and shrimp on top, there’s nothing left to mix with the grits.

Stay with Blackstone’s home-made corned beef hash.

Now, if you’re down the road in Okatie, you’ll be wanting some barbecue. This is when you’ll be wanting to turn into Ya’lls Barbecue.

Despite the hokey name and the nondescript, semi-strip mall location, the barbecue is excellent. I got the “Gettin’ piggy with it” platter, which includes three meats and two sides.

The smoked ribs are falling-off-the-bone delicious. The chicken and sausage are a step below, but still good. The baked beans were okay, but should be sweeter. The place has some great, turn-of-the-century photos on the wall of old Hilton Head.