About Us | The Cottage Cafe, Bakery & Tea Room

The Cottage Café on Calhoun Street in Historic Old Town Bluffton, South Carolina.
Old World Charm. Southern Hospitality. Award-Winning Cuisine.

The Cottage was first built back in 1868 by J.J. Carson — known for his bravery in saving the life of General Stonewall Jackson during the Civil War battle of Chancellorsville. Carson also organized the First Baptist Church of Bluffton, and services were held at the cottage until the church building was completed.

Since Leslie opened The Cottage in 2009, she has transformed one of Bluffton’s most historic cottages into one of the Lowcountry’s most popular, and highly regarded, restaurants known as The Cottage Cafe, Bakery & Tea Room. She is also the Queen Bee at the popular Bluffton juice bar and emporium, The Juice Hive and is also the creator/owner/”chief roaster” at May River Coffee Roasters. In late 2022, she purchased The Pasta Shoppe in Bluffton and recently changed the name to The Bluffton Pasta Shoppe, carrying fine Italian foods, wines, and gifts.

Leslie has won many local and national awards for her cuisine since founding The Cottage Café, including numerous “Good Food Awards” (a highly regarded national food competition.) She has been named a winner in the national USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards – where The Cottage was honored as one of the top 5 Shrimp & Grits dishes in the entire state of South Carolina for its Bacon Pimento Shrimp & Grits and has won multiple honors in the Artisan Flave Awards.

Leslie’s commitment to bettering the Greater Bluffton area through her culinary endeavors is evident through her quarterly fundraisers for local charities, including events raising money for Paws Rehome, Search + Rescue through a “Bring Your Dog to Brunch” event, and restaurant fundraisers for the Palmetto Animal League.

In 2024, Governor McMaster named Leslie as one of three South Carolina Chef Ambassadors. This is the 10th year of the program, which was created in 2014 to highlight South Carolina as a destination for great food. Chef Ambassadors represent the state through food festivals and other promotional opportunities, sharing South Carolina’s culinary traditions, agricultural heritage and undiscovered places with the world.

“The Chef Ambassador program celebrates two important sectors of our booming economy — agribusiness and tourism,” McMaster said in the release. “Our state’s outstanding culinary talent contributes to the rich cultural heritage and quality of life that makes South Carolina unique and attractive to all.”

South Carolina Chef Ambassadors support the state’s farmers by using Certified South Carolina produce, meats, dairy, seafood and other farm-fresh foods in their own ways.

Today, the award winning Cottage serves fresh, scrumptious fare for breakfast, brunch, lunch and afternoon tea. The pastries, breads, pies, and cakes -especially their award-winning wedding cakes — are renowned. We feature specialty teas and house-roasted by our own Bluffton-based micro-roastery May River Coffee Roasters, as well as a full bar. The Cottage Café is ideal for indoor or outdoor dining, as well as small parties and events.

Over the past decade, the Cottage Café has been the recipient of numerous local and national culinary awards – including being named one of South Carolina’s “10 Best” Shrimp & Grits in the national USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards, and numerous Good Food Awards — a prestigious national honor given by the Good Food Foundation to foods that represent the highest standards of quality, sustainability and social responsibility. The Cottage Café’s national award-winning Shrimp & Grits was also honored with the “People’s Choice Award” for Best Shrimp Recipe at the 2017 Beaufort Shrimp Festival.

List Of Our Awards
2022 Good Food Awards Winner: Korean Pickled Elephant Garlic (category: Pickles) Winner: Watermelon Rind Chutney (category: Pantry) 2021 Sun Select Today Awards: Winner: Best Shrimp and Grits 2021 Best of Bluffton Awards: Finalist: Best Bakery, Best Brunch, and Best Dessert 2021 Good Food Awards: Winning Products: House-made Cherry Bomb Jam, Green Tea Watermelon Rind Pickles 2020 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards: Best Lunch, Dessert Menu, and Brunch 2020 South Magazine: Greatest Travel Spots “Eat” Category for the Lowcountry 2020 Best of Bluffton Awards Best Desserts and Best Shrimp and Grits 2020 Best of Bluffton Awards Finalist: Best Bakery, Brunch, and Southern Food 2020 Good Food Foundation Winning Products: Pickled West Indian Gherkin, Black Garlic “All Hail” Caesar 2020 Millenials in Bluffton Hotspot of the Week 2019 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards Winner: Best Lunch, Dessert, and Bakery	2019 International Flavor Awards: Artisan Flave Third Place: Cottage Caesar Dressing 2019 Best of Bluffton Awards Winner: Brunch, Shrimp & Grits 2019 Best of Bluffton Awards Finalist: Lunch, Dessert 2019 Sun Today Select Awards Winner: Shrimp & Grits 2019 Sun Today Select Awards Finalist: All-Around Restaurant, Breakfast, Dessert 2019 USA Today 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards Fourth Place: Best Shrimp & Grits in South Carolina 2019 Island Packet Top Romantic Spots in Bluffton 2018 Good Food Foundation Winning Products: Shisho Leaf Kimchi, Lowcountry Kimchi 2018 Sun Today Select Awards Brunch, Breakfast, Best Outdoors 2018 Best of Bluffton Winner: All-around restaurant, Dessert 2018 Best of Bluffton Finalist: Brunch, Breakfast, Outdoor Dining	2017 Beaufort Shrimp Festival Winner: Best Shrimp Recipe (shrimp salad) 2016 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards Winner: Brunch, Desserts 2015 Sun Today Reader’s Choice Awards Best Sunday Brunch 2015 Sun Today Reader’s Choice Awards Best Signature Omelet 2015 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards BEST OUTDOOR DINING 2015 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards BEST CAKES & PASTRIES 2014 Sun Today Reader’s Choice Awards BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH 2014 Sun Today Reader’s Choice Awards BEST SIGNATURE OMELET 2014 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards! BEST OUTDOOR DINING 2014 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards BEST DESSERT	2013 Hilton Head Monthly Reader’s Choice Awards BEST CAKES AND PASTRIES 2013 Bluffton Today, Best of Bluffton Awards Best Pet-Friendly Restaurant 2013 Bluffton Today, Best of Bluffton Awards BEST BOILED PEANUT 2013 Peanut Festival Runner Up: Best Lunch 2012 Hilton Head Monthly, Reader’s Choice Awards TOP TEN RECIPES 2012 2012 Pistachio Cake, Bluffton Today BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH 2012 Bluffton Today, Best of Bluffton (BOB) Awards Best Pet-Friendly Restaurant, Best Quick Lunch 2011 Bluffton Today, Best of Bluffton (BOB) Awards Best Lunch, Best Pet-Friendly Restaurant, Best Dessert 2011 Hilton Head Monthly, Reader’s Choice Awards Best Lunch, Best Brunch 2010 Hilton Head Monthly, Reader’s Choice Awards Favorite New Restaurant

Come experience the history, cozy ambiance and award-winning cuisine, of Bluffton’s famous Cottage … and enjoy scrumptious food in a truly special Southern setting!

The Cottage Café on Calhoun Street in Historic Old Town Bluffton, South Carolina.Old World Charm. Southern Hospitality. Award-Winning Cuisine.

List Of Our Awards

Come experience the history, cozy ambiance and award-winning cuisine, of Bluffton’s famous Cottage … and enjoy scrumptious food in a truly special Southern setting!

The Cottage Café on Calhoun Street in Historic Old Town Bluffton, South Carolina.
Old World Charm. Southern Hospitality. Award-Winning Cuisine.