We passed Gullah Grub Restaurant on our way to Fripp Island and I said “We have to eat there!”. You know how often I share about great restaurants here on It’s Just Life and I just had the feeling that Gullah Grub would be a great place.
I was right.
If you are unsure what the term “Gullah” refers to you are probably not alone. The Gullah people are a group of African Americans who live mainly on the Atlantic coastal regions. You can find these people from the southern parts of North Carolina, in the islands of South Carolina and all the way through Georgia to parts of Florida. They are a people with a rich heritage and have preserved their dialect that is rooted in South Africa. Their language which they are preserving includes African dialects as well as integrating English with those different dialects to create an interesting language that they continue to use today as they honor their heritage.
There are numerous videos available on line that help to educate and the following one is one that I particularly enjoyed – if you watch to the end she sings Down by The Riverside which warmed my heart.
The restaurant, Gullah Grub, was such a nice stop during our vacation. The restaurant is located at 877 Sea Island Pkwy
Saint Helena Island, SC with the following hours:
Wednesday – Friday 12 noon – 5:30pm
Saturday – Closed
Sundays – 11am – 4:00pm
The old house that houses the restaurant boasts a lovely front porch complete with rocking chairs that invite customers to come and sit a spell. On some days one of those chairs is occupied by basket weaving artist Jery B. Taylor who sews and weaves authentic Gullah baskets made from sweet grass. palmetto, pine needles and bulrush. Mrs. Jery learned to weave from her grandmother and takes time to visit with visitors and explain her craft . She was not there the day we visited but I was intrigued and wanted to know more so I checked out her website here.
I also was intrigued by some of her artwork that was on display in the restaurant. 
The food was what we went for and we were not disappointed . Owner Bill Greene has an impressive background not just in cooking but as a storyteller and huntsman as well. This short video will give you a quick idea of who Bill Greene is.
So what is the restaurant like? A very simple place where good food is served.
There were only two other couples there when we visited and our cook was Bill’s son Bubba who shared a few stories with us.
Lightly breaded shrimp and flavorful potato salad.
Shrimp gumbo
Sweet and dense cornbread
His cooking was over the top wonderful and the peach cobbler was amazing.
Steaming hot juicy peach cobbler.
Mr. Greene himself is featured predominantly in photographs and pictures throughout the restaurant as well as his sons. This one captured my eye and I could almost feel the warmth of his smile coming out of the photograph. 
Cooking classes and videos are available to help folks learn how to cook the “Gullah” way and I got caught up in watching far more than I had planned to but it was something that just kind of drew me in.
If you are ever in the area of Saint Helena, South Carolina you must stop and visit the Gullah Grub Restaurant. For more information head on over to their website here to learn more and make sure you check out YouTube for a variety of cooking videos and other videos on the Gullah culture including the one that I have included below that tells a bit more about the Gullah people.
Have you heard of the Gullah culture before? Leave me a comment and help support our Comments for a Cause this month – Friends of Hunting Island. Each comment this month on any post means a 50 cent donation so please comment often.
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