Meet the stacked-high cheeseburger voted best on Hilton Head by Island Packet readers
The secret behind the winning burger in The Island Packet’s “Best Burger on Hilton Head” contest is well guarded. Only the chef knows, and he’s not telling.
Gringo’s Diner garnered 18,001 votes (or 77%) in the final round to claim the title over second-place finisher Earle of Sandwich Pub, which had 5,396 votes (or 23%). Both restaurants are located in Hilton Head’s south end Coligny Plaza.
Gringo’s Diner chef and co-owner Ariel Palma makes the patties for the Famous Gringo’s Burger fresh each day from a recipe he’s known since he was a child.
“It’s a secret recipe made by my mom back home in Argentina,” he said.
Said his co-owner Hadije Aliu: “He won’t even tell me his recipe!”
The burger at Gringo’s is a grilled half pound or full pound of meat topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. The smaller version is $9.99, and the larger is $13.50. You can add bacon or eggs for $1 each. The cheeseburger is served with a choice of french fries that are cut and made to order, cole slaw, potato salad or chips. Onion rings or sweet potato fries are available for an extra charge.
Gringo’s Diner
Palma and Aliu purchased the restaurant from the previous owner, who had operated it only about six months before deciding to sell. That was in 2014.
“We changed everything except the name,” Palma explained. “I changed all the recipes and the menu, the paint, the floor. ... We kinda liked the name, so we kept it.”
Palma graduated from culinary school in Argentina and was hired by Mariott to work in one of its Alabama properties. From there, he moved to Hilton Head and worked for several restaurants, including Hudson’s, Bonefish and Salty Dog.
It was at Salty Dog where Palma and Aliu, who is originally from Kosovo, met and recognized they shared a similar work ethic that made the decision to go into business together appealing. Both were working multiple jobs at the time. Even now, Palma works seven days a week at Gringo’s and, aside from her work at the restaurant, Aliu has a successful and growing career as a model and actress.
Gringo’s serves breakfast and lunch daily; the only day the restaurant is closed is Christmas Day. There are 25 tables inside and outside. Takeout is available, and pets are welcome on the restaurant’s two patios.
Those dining inside, though, have the added treat of being able to watch Palma work in the open kitchen.
Aside from the burger, specialties at Gringo’s include huevos rancheros for breakfast or Philly cheesesteak for lunch. French toast, crepes, the quesadilla and the chicken waffle sandwich are also popular, Palma said.
“For a place that’s not huge, we have a big menu,” Aliu said.
And don’t worry about looking at the clock to see when breakfast ends and lunch begins. Both are served anytime the restaurant is open. Do be prepared to wait in line, especially in season or on weekends. It’s a popular spot for both locals and visitors who stop by every year while they are on Hilton Head.
“I can think when we started in 2014, when we took over. I’m just like, ‘Wow,” Aliu said. “I never thought it would be crazy like this place. ... It’s been really, really amazing.”
First runner-up
It’s not a stretch to say Earle of Sandwich Pub is a landmark on Hilton Head.
It’s the oldest pub on the island, according to co-manager Wendy Cazayoux, having been at the same Coligny Plaza location for 48 years. Jeff Flenard has owned the restaurant for the last 31 of those years.
“We actually have had customers that came as kids when their parents brought them, and now they are bringing their kids,” Cazayoux said. “We have watched these kids grow up.”
Earle’s cleverly named Swept the Floor Burger was first runner-up in the Best Burger on Hilton Head competition.
It’s a handmade, half-pound burger — “a special blend of beef,” according to the menu — topped with white and yellow American cheese, bacon, mushrooms, fried onions and barbecue sauce for $13.95. It’s served on a toasted Kaiser roll. For the less adventurous, a regular hamburger is $11, and a cheeseburger is $11.75. Each burger comes with the choice of a side, including quarter-inch french fries, fresh made potato chips, cole slaw or macaroni salad. Onion rings are available for an extra charge.
The pub has 73 tables including indoor and outdoor seating, and is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Aside from its burger, Earle of Sandwich is also known for its Reuben sandwich and a roast beef sandwich called simply The Earle.
Advertising for the longtime restaurant spreads mostly by word of mouth. Cazayoux said not having a robust website of its own hasn’t slowed business.
“We are doing July numbers in October,” she said.
Coming in third and fourth in the competition that started with 16 restaurants from across Hilton Head were Big Bamboo Cafe, also in Coligny Plaza, and Street Meet, located in mid-island’s Port Royal Plaza.
If you go
GRINGO’S DINER
- Address: 1 North Forest Beach Drive, E-5, in Hilton Head’s Coligny Plaza
- Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with extended hours in season
- Phone: 843-785-5400
- Website: www.gringoshhi.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/Gringosdiner
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/gringosdinerhhi
EARLE OF SANDWICH PUB
- Address: 1 North Forest Beach Drive, I-4, in Hilton Head’s Coligny Plaza
- Hours: Open Monday through Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; bar closes at midnight
Phone: 843-785-7767
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Earle-of-Sandwich-Pub-Coligny-Plaza-183357738365265
This story was originally published October 21, 2021 at 4:40 AM.
