Hungarian restaurant fills Hilton Head’s former Mickey’s Pub. Here’s what’s on the menu
A twist of fate brought Marco Sanchez and Timea Szanto together a dozen years ago when they found themselves stuck for six hours on a plane with mechanical issues.
“The best 12 years of my life,” Sanchez said. “I wish I would have met her sooner.”
The couple told the story of how they met from their new restaurant, Taste of Europe, on the north end of Hilton Head Island.
The menu for Taste of Europe, which is tucked into Northridge Plaza near the movie theater, features Hungarian comfort food like chicken paprikash, Roast a la Brasov made with cubed pork tenderloin and potatoes, and gulyas — that’s pronounced “goo-yash,” for the uninitiated.
Two different types of gulyas are on the menu.
“Most people here, when I say ‘gulyas,’ they are thinking an entree dish,” said Szanto, who shares cooking duties with one other chef. “When I say ‘gulyas,’ it’s a soup.”
But those who think of gulyas as a thick beef stew entree can find that on the menu as well, Sanchez added.
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Once a month, customers will be able to order Hungarian fried bread called langos — pronounced “lang-oesh” — and the menu will change seasonally, depending on the produce available. Taste of Europe’s menu has vegetarian options like mushroom paprikash as well.
Despite the large number of restaurants and chains on Hilton Head, “people still are looking for something new,” Szanto explained.
That something new, at least in the case of this mom-and-pop establishment, is really something old and something that brings to mind nostalgia and tradition.
“This island, it’s a surprise to me, they have so many European people,” Szanto said. “They are looking for their food.”
Sanchez said customers have said the food reminds them of dishes their mothers and grandmothers prepared.
“We tell everybody we want this to be their second home,” he said.
Richie’s Cave
A door at the back of the restaurant’s dining room leads to a fully stocked bar area that the couple is calling Richie’s Cave in honor of a friend Sanchez worked with before he retired from the U.S. Postal Service in Charlotte.
Richie’s Cave has its own menu with traditional bar food, but the Taste of Europe menu is available as well.
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The connected spaces formerly were home to Pizza Del Mare and Mickey’s Pub. Mickey’s closed last year after a series of violent incidents and overdoses in the parking lot.
Sanchez and Szanto emphasized that their business is different from their predecessor’s. Sanchez said they are operating a family-oriented restaurant where customers with children are welcome to hang out.
Live music by Cameron Tate is scheduled for Thursdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
The restaurant also hosted a ballroom dancing night, and, at its grand opening Feb. 16, it offered a Hungarian wine tasting with Hungarian sausage.
“We’re really grateful for our community,” Sanchez said. “People just started coming, and they told their friends, and they told their friends. Word of mouth got out, and sometimes we pack the house.”
If you go
What: Taste of Europe Hungarian restaurant
Where: 435 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head, in Northridge Plaza
Hours: Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 5 to 8 p.m. for dinner; Richie’s Cave is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Online: https://tasteofeurope.us/
Phone: (843) 715-2691
