Cracker Barrel — Okatie (Hardeeville)

Located just outside the little Southern town of Okatie in the Palmetto State, this standard-issued Cracker Barrel sits right off of Highway 278 and if you don’t have it plugged into your GPS you are likely to miss this little roadside gem. As this restaurant sits out on its own near a residential community, apart from the medium-grade swooshing of highway traffic, this place is pretty quiet and off the radar. The lot appears to be relatively new with the entire front of the restaurant’s parking lot completely log-jammed with restaurant guests, while the lateral sides aren’t much more promising; however, the spot you want to keep your eye on is in the rear, where you will actually enter from. Back here, not only will you be much further away from the highway where there’s less traffic and accompanying noise, but there’s also tons of trees back here that provide some really great shade and protection from the elements. This parking lot is solid with level asphalt pavement and ample space, again, in the rear, whether you are driving an RV or an extra-wide trailer. As you are in a pretty rural setting there will be a number of other places not too far away to stock up on supplies, groceries, gas and grub, especially as you are heading into nearby Hilton Head Island.

While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience(EZ on- and off-access), safety& security, quality(of facilities), peace& quiet and amenities(either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:

Convenience: 4 

Safety & Security: 5 

Quality: 5 

Peace & Quiet: 5 

Amenities: 4 

Overall, I scored this location a 5.