A Comprehensive Guide to Barbecue Sauce Across the Country

Road Trip! The Best Bars and Restaurants in Savannah, Hilton Head, and Charleston

The Deep South may be known for its Spanish moss, prolonged vowels, and leisurely way of life, but it’s also home to some of the most hospitable people, complicated histories, and best food and drink in the country. Three cities that continue to thrive with the latter are Savannah, Hilton Head, and Charleston, and they’re all within driving distance to one another (45 minutes from Savannah to Hilton Head and two hours from Hilton Head to Charleston). Such close proximity demands an epic week-long culinary road trip to experience all of (well, some of) the cuisine and cocktails this area has to offer. 

I took this journey myself with one of my BFFs, Sarah, to visit some of the best bars and restaurants in Georgia and South Carolina. What I found was a lot of butter, a lot of barbecue, but a true appreciation for locally-grown ingredients that have inspired new takes on classic Southern dishes. Check out my detailed picks for each of the cities below. There’s a spot for every type of eater and appetite!

The Best Bars and Restaurants in Savannah

The Best Bars and Restaurants in Hilton Head

The Best Bars and Restaurants in Charleston

Looking for a ride?

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

As a New Yorker who primarily finds himself in taxis, subways, and Ubers in need of some serious upgrades, I was relieved to drive the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer during this trip (courtesy of Prestige Auto). Aside from feeling ultra-safe (it’s rarely me behind the wheel…eek!) in its bold and sporty design, my friend and I were impressed with the SUV’s array of road trip-friendly technology like an easy-to-use GPS system, Apple CarPlay, and in-car wifi. While Sarah browsed the internet and worked on a graduate school paper, I was able to open the massive sunroof and blast Beyoncé’s “Before I Let Go” on repeat. It honestly doesn’t get better than that.

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Take 5: What to Eat and Drink in Hilton Head

Take 5: What to Eat and Drink in Charleston

Take 5: What to Eat and Drink in Savannah

What Is the Difference Between Types of Grills?

When Should You Use the Lid on Your Grill?

Want a simple answer to the question, When should you use the lid on your grill? It’s not an open-and-shut case. When cooking on an outdoor grill, the decision to keep the lid open or to close it depends on what you’re grilling, how you’re cooking it, and what kind of grill you use.

Lid Off vs Lid On

Whether you’ve got a gas or charcoal grill, with the grill uncovered, you can get a crustier char on the exterior of meat without overcooking the center. A closed grill will cook meat all the way through to the center for a more uniform doneness. “Cooking with the lid down captures the heat and lets it do its magic on the food,” says Elizabeth Karmel of girlsatthegrill.com. “The food will benefit from the rotating hot air (convection) and it won’t take as long to cook.”

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Lid Off, Then On (The Best of Both Worlds)

But sometimes you want a combination approach: You sear the outside of the meat directly over the flame or heat source with the lid open, and then you move the meat away from the flames (and high heat) and close the lid to cook the inside of the meat without burning the outside too much. It’s similar to searing your meat in a sauté pan on the stovetop (like keeping an open lid on the grill) and then roasting it in the oven (like cooking with a closed lid on the grill).

Chowhound’s Argentine Grilled Chicken recipe is cooked undercover (but we took a peek underneath the lid).

When to Leave the Grill Open

If you’re grilling quick-cooking foods such as burgers, thin steaks, chops, shrimp, or sliced vegetables directly over the flames, you can leave the grill open. That way, you won’t lose that pink, juicy center so many of us love. But when you grill thicker steaks, bone-in chicken, or whole roasts you’ll want the lid down, especially when you’re cooking with indirect heat. Try our archive of Grilling Recipes for a variety of techniques and the food to use for them.

Learn more about creating zones for direct vs indirect grilling:

When to Close the Grill

And if you’re tossing in soaked wood chips for smoke flavor, you need the lid down to contain the smoke. Peeking on your food while cooking with a closed grill can affect the food in opposite ways, depending on whether you’re using gas or charcoal as a fuel source. With gas grills, opening the lid can lower the heat. With charcoal, the rush of oxygen can burn the food.

To get started, experiment with these three grilling goodies:

1. Basic Grilled Steak

Chowhound

With a thick New York strip or beefy rib-eye steak, you’ll want to close the grill to ensure it cooks all the way through, or at least as thoroughly as you want it, depending on your preference for rare, medium rare, or medium meat. This recipe includes some basic tips on making the most of your grilled meat experience. Get our Basic Grilled Steak recipe.

2. Pineapple Glazed Shrimp Skewers

Chowhound

Leave the grill lid open for these sweet and savory shrimp kebabs with a tropical twist. They’ll cook quickly and get a nice char while the pineapple caramelizes. Get our Pineapple Glazed Shrimp Skewers recipe.

3. Grilled Corn with Cayenne, Lime, and Cotija

Chowhound

Unlike some vegetables, you’ll cover the grill when you cook this corn. Wrapped in husks, they’re essentially being steamed, and somewhat smoked while they cook for about 35 minutes—a relatively long time in the grilled vegetable world. Get our Grilled Corn with Cayenne, Lime, and Cotija recipe.

See The Ultimate Guide to Grilling & BBQ for even more grill intel, tips, and tricks.

– Caitlin McGrath wrote an earlier version of this article in 2013.

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6 Easy Vietnamese Recipes You Can Totally Make at Home

Curious about Vietnamese food? We've got 6 easy recipes you can totally make at home — you can even make them tonight. All the ingredients are easy to find. Promise!

Continue reading "6 Easy Vietnamese Recipes You Can Totally Make at Home" »

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