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. 

Leslie Rohland, owner and head chef at The Cottage Café, Bakery & Tea Room has been committed to bringing customers innovative cuisine, true Southern hospitality  —  and preserving a piece of Bluffton history —  since she first opened her quaint eatery in 2009.  At that time, noting that Bluffton was in need of a bakery — and with no restaurants on Bluffton’s “main drag” — she decided to use her culinary skills to open a café.  She worked to restore Bluffton’s historic cottage —  renovating it and transforming it into what today has become one of Bluffton’s most established, historic and popular restaurants.  
 
The café, which offers both indoor and outdoor dining on the porch in the art-rich historic district, offers sophisticated cuisine with a Lowcountry flair and features a wide variety of fresh local fare. 

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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 10Best 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!