City: Hilton Head, SC

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (843) 785-3838

Address: 700 Plantation Center

Description: A delightful rooftop cantina is one of the highlights of the Santa Fe Cafe. With whitewashed adobe walls (inside and out), fireplaces, and tiled floors, this is a place for quiet conversation and fresh, authentic southwestern cuisine. Owner and chef Jim Buckingham spent his younger days in the Southwest, and he brings his appreciation for that region to his cooking. The upscale southwestern cuisine of his Santa Fe Cafe is spicy food based on many types of chiles, resulting in dishes such as grilled pork tenderloin with smoked habañero barbecue sauce, black beans, and sweet potato fries; herb-roasted free-range chicken with jalapeño corn-bread stuffing and roasted-garlic mashed potatoes; and grouper with chipotle (smoked chile) Parmesan au gratin. After several years of operating a limited chain of Mexican restaurants, Buckingham decided to concentrate his efforts on one establishment and in 1993 opened this cafe off William Hilton Parkway near mile marker 8. The stylishly southwestern Santa Fe serves dinner seven nights a week (5 to 10 p.m.) and lunch Mon through Fri (noon to 2 p.m.); reservations are accepted.