Looking for a fresh seafood lunch? You may soon have a new option on Hilton Head

An ocean-to-table food truck could be coming to Hilton Head to serve locally caught fish.

The town’s Design Review Board gave conceptual approval Tuesday for “Mullet’s,” a pavilion and food truck that would be located behind Barnacle Bill’s Fresh Seafood Market on William Hilton Parkway on the island’s north side. It would serve the market’s fresh seafood daily from about 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Greg Berkes, the owner of Barnacle Bill’s since February 2016, said Mullet’s will “fill a void” on the island.

“We’ve been in business selling seafood on Hilton Head for about 38 years now,” Berkes said after Tuesday’s meeting. “I grew up eating seafood, and when we go on vacation we always look for a good grouper sandwich or something like that. In Hilton Head it’s just really tough to go get a quick lunch and have it fresh seafood at the same time. ... There’s not really that grab-and-go place on Hilton Head.”

Berkes said the food truck plans to serve fresh-catch sandwiches, with the option of grilled, blackened or fried fish. He said there are also plans to have a “blue crab day” where visitors can eat all the blue crab they want for a flat fee.

“It’s really just going to be a farm-to-table, ocean-to-table kind of place,” Berkes said.

Architect Scott Corkern said the pavilion was added to the proposal after the town did not support having an exposed food truck on the property. The truck will be hidden from all sides once parked in the pavilion’s garage. It will serve items prepared from Barnacle Bill’s market from a window opening.

According to the plans submitted to the town, the 1,700-square-foot pavilion will have a bar shaped like the bow of a boat with about 15 seats for customers.

“I think this is unique on the island,” said Corkern. “The structure, once it’s up, is going to look like it’s been there for a million years because of distressed wood and the dock aesthetic.”

Berkes said he doesn’t yet have a food truck but is considering building a new one that would be painted a solid color.

Corkern said Mullet’s is set to open sometime next spring. He plans to submit documents in December to the Design Review Board for final approval.

This story was originally published November 28, 2017 at 3:48 PM with the headline "Looking for a fresh seafood lunch? You may soon have a new option on Hilton Head."