Went here for dinner while on vacation and was generally happy with the meal overall. The staff were very attentive and friendly. The food is pretty good, definitely not the absolute best Italian food I've ever had but it hit the spot. The seafood pasta came with cheese which would be a crime where I am from. The restaurant itself is very small inside so you should plan on getting reservations. 3 stars because the value for the money was just not there for me read more

Cafe Al Dente - Seafood Fra Diavolo - Italian Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

We tried this place for the first time on Tuesday and had a very good experience overall. We arrived around 6 or 6:30 and were seated immediately. They brought out water and we ordered a bottle of wine. They have a pretty good wine selection. We both decided to do the 3 course for $45. I ordered the Ceaser salad and hubby got the Al Dente Salad. Both were good and lettuce was fresh. I chose the Chicken Parm with Linguine. It was a solid 4 out of 5 stars. The breading was good & it was baked with cheese melted over top. I deducted 1 star because the sauce was a tad bit too salty for my preference, but overall it was good. I would consider ordering this again here. Hubs got the Lasagna Rollatini with Sunday Ragout. I thought it looked very good but I don't eat beef, so I didn't try it. Hubs thought it was good. For dessert I ordered the Lemon Marscapone cake, which was delicious. It had great flavor but was not overly sweet. The marscapone icing was light and creamy. I would definitely order that again. My hubby doesn't typically care for lemon desserts, but he tried a couple of bites and was impressed. Hubs ordered the Italian Cheesecake and it was delicious as well. We both enjoyed it. Our service was outstanding and the person who brought out the wine was fringe and helpful as well. Hubby typically likes bread with his meal but we didn't order any. Next time we will have to try it. read more

See all

My family and I ordered the family meal one night for takeout. The pastas were all delicious and so was the chicken! I especially recommend the vodka sauce! read more

Cafe Al Dente - Italian Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Good service for takeout. Menu is limited and the flavor was bland , dry and really missed the mark unfortunately. We tried many dishes like chicken Parmesan, cavatelli bolegnese, fettuccine w meatballs, gârlei bread and fettuccini Alfredo. The fettuccini Alfredo was super dry with very little Alfredo sauce. Garlic bread was ok. The cavatelli was the best dish and had depth of flavors and everyone liked. The cadet salad was heavy on the dressing and a base hit. No spaghetti noodles only fettuccini. Meatballs were big and had decent flavor. Would eat here reluctantly if nothing else was available. Ordered takeaway but saw the inside it had nice open tables and also outside dining too I think read more

See all

Last meal in Hilton Head - but certainly not the least! Starting with the drinks, the espresso martini may have been the best I've ever had... and I've had many! The calamari was great especially with the peppers. My wife loved her Caesar salad. She had the rigatoni a la vodka and I had the seafood pasta. The seafood pasta definitely has some spice to it, but was delicious. I tried her pasta and that vodka sauce was unbelievable. If they use that sauce in more dishes (like my seafood pasta) it will be the best bite on the island and I don't think it will be particularly close. The lemon cake was an incredible way to end the perfect final meal in Hilton Head. What a dinner! read more

See all

This place is beyond amazing! We had Eileen as our server she was wonderful with wonderful recommendations. Food and service was so good we went back two days later! 12/10 recommend. read more

See all

Wow what a great find. We checked into our hotel on Hilton Head and needed some place to eat dinner. I did a Yelp search and Cafe Al Dente came up within walking distance of our hotel. It had great reviews, so I thought let's give it a try. We are so glad we did. It's a small Italian restaurant tucked away in a shopping area not far from the Piggly Wiggle. The food and service were great. So good, that we made reservations for tomorrow night. Enjoy, you won't be disappointed. read more

Cafe Al Dente - Italian Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

See all

Loved this little gem on our vacation. We came in early (around 4) and were welcomed by the very nice young lady. Luckily we got a table without reservations (you should get them if you are coming later as there were a few turned away or could sit outside). Way too hot today!! We ordered the garlic bread (I did get a photo of that). OMG!! It was awesome!! I ordered the lasagna relation and my sister got the eggplant parmigiana (her go to). Both were fabulous but I forgot to take pics!! Maybe next time. Overall it was a great meal. read more

Cafe Al Dente - Garlic bread - Italian Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Super welcoming, cozy Italian restaurant. Definitely recommend reservations! The staff was FANTASTIC, answered all our questions and had great recommendations! Would definitely go back! read more

We had chicken parmigiana which was enough for a second meal. Gnocchi w short ribs were delish. Bolognese sauce n eggplant parmigiana both very good Toasted Buratta raviolis and calamari start our meal. Hostess was welcoming and engaging. Our young nursing student was our waitress. She knew all the details of each meal and made recommendations and she was correct. Pretty large wine list Waiting for them to open up at Riverside Bluffton read more

We had just arrived in town and were looking for a nice dinner. We called and were lucky they could seat us as we got the last table. OH my, this was a great find. We had the Parmesan garlic bread and the bolognese. These were amazing. We finished with the lemon mascarpone cake that was delicious. We will be back. Our waitress was super nice. read more

Had an amazing dinner last night at Cafe Al Dente. I can't believe after living here for two years that it took us so long to eat here. The service was amazing and the food was even better. The Warm salad was delicious. I had the Eggplant parm and it's the best I have had on the island. Eileen took good care of us and it was great talking about our past on Long Island. We can't wait to go back and still have a ton of leftovers for dinner tonight! read more

Cafe Al Dente - Eggplant Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

We discovered this charming little spot last year and couldn't wait to return--and once again, Cafe Al Dente did not disappoint. From the moment you're greeted at the hostess stand to the final goodbye, the staff makes you feel genuinely welcome. The espresso martini is easily one of the best I've ever had--perfectly balanced and beautifully crafted. Our server, Kate, was an absolute standout. Her kindness, attentiveness, and sincerity reflect everything great customer service should be. This place has officially earned a spot in our regular rotation whenever we're on the island. Thank you, Cafe Al Dente, for another memorable dining experience! read more

Cafe Al Dente - Rigatoni A la Vodka with a meatball - Italian Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

See all

Don't want to take away from the food (which is ok) but the poor servers were not set up for Success. Very slow service and people ordering after us were served before us. Didn't understand our very basic drink order and very non-apologetic. Management needs to step it up. Otherwise not worthy of the location. read more

Just wow, we tried Cafe Al Dente which was directly across from our VRBO. My party of 4 was sat immediately outside but it took at least 20 minutes before even our drink orders were taken. It was a Wednesday evening. At the same time our drink orders were finally taken we realized we better place our entree orders. Much to our dismay the table of 8 behind us placed their entree orders after us and received theirs before us. I went into the bar inside and expressed our dismay but was told our entrees were coming. When our food finally arrived it was very good, just wish there was more communication with the wait staff. They said they were short handed but it would've been nice to be at least acknowledged that it would be a bit to receive our drinks for starters. Communication goes a long way! read more

Cute little cafe in Coligny. Great service, the place was not busy when we went. The food was very mediocre and lacked flavor. I had very high expectations based on previous reviews but left disappointed. The mozzarella stack was the only dish we enjoyed, my rigatoni did not come out hot, there was little burrata and sauce but the chicken was seasoned and cooked well. My husband wasn't too excited about his fra diavlo. The experience was not bad but will not be back anytime soon. read more

See all

Cute cafe, however food not so good. We ordered and the food came out in two minutes. It was cold and not what we expected. Based on reviews, we were disappointed. read more

outstanding. We were looking for a good Italian place and this one was it. Keep in mind very small inside. It wasn't even 10 tables but they do have a few tables outside. Don't hesitate to try this restaurant. It's good. read more

See all

Based on the excellent Yelp ratings from others, I decided to take my wife and her mother her for my wife's birthday. Located close to the Coligny Plaza, its a close walk from the beach----but we were here for Christmas eve which is a very slow time on the island. We had no problem parking. We had reservations and were quickly seated in this small, New York cafe style bistro. Their signs and pillows reference Cafe Al Dente Est 1988 New York. I'm guessing the owners opened another restaurant in HHI or possibly decided to retire here. Thre restaurant itself probably holds 40 people max including the few bar stools they had at their full service bar. This is not a place for very large groups. We started out with the Garlic Bread with cheese. It's not quite typical garlic bread as it has a lighter texture while covered with shredded cheese all in their vodka sauce which makes it tasty for dipping. I had the Salad Al Dente which supposedly has romaine lettuce, blue cheese, salami in a garlic & provolone vinaigrette. While it was very tasty and also very filling, I couldn't find any blue cheese chunks and assume it was part of the dressing as well. The dressing was very close to a Caesar dressing. The salami comes in long "french fry" style strips. For dinner, my wife ordered the Rigatoni A La Vodka which she thought was amazing. There was enough for her to bring home for another meal. Her mother had the shrimp scampi which she thought was excellent. It came with a garlic and cream sauce over thin spaghetti. I ordered the Seafood Fra Diavolo which came with shrimp, calamari and some white fish pieces. The name Fra Diavolo should let you know that there's some spice to the sauce. I assume their sauce is created by the chef. WARNING-- save some bread or bring a fire extinguisher with your for this sauce. It was 5 alarm fire hot. On a scale of 1-10, it was a 10. At least at Thai restaurants, they ask how much heat you want. Typically I would knock a star off the review if excessive heat was a mistake, but in this case I would guess most would appreciate the true Fra Diavolo for spice lovers. Comes with plenty of peppers which I avoided. I was able to finish the seafood, but couldn't handle the thick spaghetti. Tyrese was our server and did an excellent job. read more

See all

Food was great. Service was outstanding. This will be a regular stop on our annual Hilton Head trip

This small cafe just opened for lunch. It is fantastic. We sat outside in the shade. And the service was terrific. Great wine selection. A definite must visit. read more

Food was fantastic, not the cheapest, but definitely hit the spot. The staff was so attentive and kind and provided top notch service. The ambiance of the restaurant interior was romantic and very quaint. I enjoyed the fettuccine with meatballs (it does come with a red sauce which was unexpected but tasty) and my wife enjoyed the cavatelli bolognese! read more

Cafe Al Dente - Fettuccine with meatballs - Italian Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

This order was to go but that's after a wonderful dinner a couple nights ago! We had to have another taste! The ambiance is so sweet and intimate for a date night or even small group! Not a large menu but that's exactly how it should be! read more

Cafe Al Dente - Rigatoni a la vodka to go! - Italian Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Had a party of 7, a couple got the chicken parm, said it was tasty but chicken could've been pounded thin. The shrimp scampi was in a a garlic cream sauce. The Arincini was really tasty The moz stack didn't stand a chance The lasagna rolls were really good as well as the eggplant parm which I had them make more spicy (using the fradiavlo sauce) A little pricy but was ok read more

See all

My spouse and I dined there last evening. A mistake. My expectations were high based on previous reviews, and they were immediately crushed. My wife ordered the rigatoni, and was unable to consume more than a few bites due to how salty it was. I ordered the lasagna. The pasta was overcooked to the point of being so tough cutting it with a knife was an adventure in frustration. It came without a vegetable or side salad, and without bread service. The house red was adequate. Overall, a waste of a hundred dollar bill. read more

Wonderful place! It was nicely located near our hotel so we were able to walk. Food was great and employees were helpful and friendly!

The atmosphere for this place is spot on. It's a very cute little place located in the Coligny tourist trap. The food looks delicious, but it's actually very bland. It tastes like a can of tomato paste. No spices or herbs to add freshness or taste. We got the vodka pasta and chicken parm and they both had the same bland taste. We were looking forward to this place and were let down by the food. It definitely did not live up to the hype of previous reviews. It's pretty pricey for bland dishes. We will not be returning. read more

The food, service, and wine were all great! And the prices were very reasonable. Highly recommend. (Try the Super Tuscan!)

The ricotta gnocchi was fabulous! The inside is sooo cute and the hostess/owner is so sweet. We will be returning soon! read more

Excellent food and great service. Mallory and Emily were on point. Will definitely go back. Highly recommend this locally owned restaurant.

We dropped in without reservations in late September and got right in! We had wonderful service from our waitress, Eileen. Drinks, apps, and our meals were out in less time than expected and were all very tasty. With storms rolling in, we decided to sit indoors, but the patio and indoor seating were both very nice. This was our first time at this hidden gem on HHI and will definitely plan to visit again in future trips! read more

See all

Carry-out order. We ordered chicken parm and spaghetti and meatballs based on reviews. Worst sauce I have ever had. Meatballs were mealy. Pasta was dry. So much breading on the chicken it literally didn't stay on. The chicken underneath was dry and paper thin. Didn't send any shaker cheese or pepper flakes nor did we see that option when ordering. read more

Food was solid and really liked the bottle of wine that we got. I thought the Bolognese dish was above average and tasty. Had only one appetizer which was just OK and my wife got a market fish entrée that she thought was delicious and came in a white wine sauce! Overall a great experience with good service and really happy they were able to accommodate both our infant and our small dog on the outside patio given this place is a little nicer than a casual café. Overall four out of five stars and would return if back in the area. It is also very convenient for the hotels we were staying at and an easy seven minute walk and located in the very popular tourist district, but was never overcrowded at any point on a Friday night a good option for sure! read more

Food is perfect I went there twice on a 4 night stay. The staff are welcoming and attentive, the ambience is quaint and cozy Highly recommend the appetizers fried risotto w pepperoni sauce for something different but all dishes were Amazingly perfect tried salads to pastas‼ read more

Hi, We've been coming to HHI for over 20 years. I believe we've eaten multiple times at all the Italian themed restaurants. I don't want to take away from any of the other great venues - I must say we have found a new personal favorite! We got one early bird special (B4 4:45) chicken parm - YUM! My wife got the amazing shrimp scampi - OMG - the best ever... We brought a little home and I think I'm going to get up early and eat it for breakfast before my wife gets up. ENJOY!!! FYI - it's just a little causal place - come as you are! read more

We had a take out order. Good portion sizes, the food was well served, hot but we all agreed it was average Italian food, other better choices in the area. read more

We went back again because it was soooooo gooood! Just to add... the Homemade bread pudding was the BEST bread pudding I've ever had in my life! The bourbon sauce was phenomenal (and I don't even like bourbon and I'm from Kentucky!). The outside has a beautiful crisp while the inside is warm and soft. Trust me on this one you can't miss out or you'll regret your life choices!!! Compliments to the magnificent chef who even came out and introduced himself after we couldn't get enough of the delicious food at this hot spot! read more

See all

Truly special! We discovered this establishment our first day and opted for a reservation on our 3rd day so we could eat inside. The service was top notch. The food was exquisite. Get the Garlic Parmesan Bread for the table, amazing. Would have loved to try the desserts but we were too full. Authentic Italian food! read more

Absolutely wonderful! Everything and everyone was amazing! We have eaten there twice this week on vacation! We will return! read more

See all

Food was TO DIE FOR! Amazing service from Amanda plus she was very knowledgeable on the menu! Inside was very cute and quaint! read more

See all