Fifteen or so years later, once the leaves begin to change color and the hoodies come out of storage, I usually start thinking about some of the eats I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying throughout the year. If I wanted to get a little more psychoanalytic (is that even a word?) about why, I’d guess it has something to do with the traditions associated with the holiday season. I know there are other reasons, but I’ll spare you my time on the couch. Maybe I’ll take a deep dive on the podcast (episodes drop twice a week on Apple Podcasts and Spotify).

But I digress. We’re here to look at my favorite eats from 2025. I used to share my absolute best of the best—you know, A-number-one, top of the heap. I got away from all of that years ago because telling you about an amazing mofongo I had in Washington Heights offered readers in this area little to no value. Right? Right.

With that in mind, here are my favorite eats of 2025—Lowcountry Edition. As is always the case, this is not a ranking; it’s simply a list.

Asado by the Sea at the Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival

This one-night event at the Beach House was one of the best outdoor dinners I have ever enjoyed—certainly here on the island. There were grills everywhere, there was fire, there was a beautiful setting, and there was delicious food provided by Del Sur of St. Simons Island. As you might expect, there were lots of meats—many carved to order—and, of course, grilled whole fish. There were grilled vegetables and wonderful wine pairings. It was the first time they held this event, so I truly had no idea what to expect, but every bite was exceptional. The good news is it’s happening again in February—Wednesday the 25th, to be exact. If this sounds like it’s your speed, you owe it to yourself to take a look at hiltonheadseafoodfestival.com.

Sundown Saloon’s Saloon Burger

If you are a regular follower of my work, then you know we held a first-of-its-kind Burger Bash event over the summer. That was quite an endeavor. We thought it would start small and grow in subsequent years, but it started big—which was great—but it also meant I was eating two or three (or more!) burgers a week from July 6 through about August 28. No complaints from me, except maybe a couple of sleepless nights. Part of the gig; I’m used to it.

A few burgers stood out during that six-week run. But a major standout for me was the Saloon Burger at Sundown Saloon. It wasn’t any special topping that made it great—it was the use of prime beef, prepared perfectly, with simple but tasty toppings. If you need a fix and are looking for something besides Tin & Tallow, then you need to take a peek at Sundown’s burgers. Very, very well made.

Firemost Pizza Food Truck

One big story on the summer food scene was the debut of the Firemost Pizza food truck. Tavern-style pies (cracker-thin crust) with high-quality toppings made these pizzas among the best on the island from day one—if you like that style of pizza, of course. My go-to has become the Honeymoon in Vegas (pepperoni, ricotta, and hot honey). I know the guys have set up with delivery services around town, but if you’re trying it for the first time, try it at Broad Creek Marina during regular business hours (find those on Instagram). I’m sure the pies travel fine, but like any pizza, they’re never as good as when they’re hot out of the oven.

Una Jaltera Puerto Rican Food Truck

If you follow along on Instagram and/or Facebook, then you know I made a very big deal about my chance encounter with this food truck at Lot 9 Brewing Company earlier this year. I had no idea such a truck existed, and the flavors of that beautiful island were fresh in my mind because I had just visited a couple of months before. I tried to eat it all—tall order—but everything I had was as good as my Puerto Rican grandma used to make back in the Barrio. Well… almost. Bottom line: this is outstanding Puerto Rican comfort food. Find Una Jaltera (translated, “A Pig Out”) on Facebook. She’s based out of Port Royal, but she’s south of the Broad quite often.

Breakfast Sandwiches at The Hidden Egg — Okatie, SC

This was a late addition to the list, but absolutely worthy. There’s a tiny sandwich counter inside Daddy O’s Beer & Wine in Okatie doing breakfast and lunch to order—and it’s delicious. As are the fresh-baked goodies next to the register. I had a Pumpkin Pecan Muffin that nearly knocked me on my backside. So much so that I grabbed the baker’s business card from the rack. He’ll be hearing from me soon. How good was all of this? Well, I added it to the list, didn’t I? Go check them out. Most of the menu is $5–7, which is a super-duper bonus.

Some secret bites I should know about? Shoot me a note. tips@eatitandlikeit.com Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!

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