Red’s Ice House: A Restaurant With Its Own Culture

 By Brian Sherman

Dianne Crowley has enjoyed a long and fulfilling career in the hospitality industry, a lifelong journey that has taken her from Jacksonville to Atlanta to Hilton Head and finally to Shem Creek, the home of Mount Pleasant’s once-vibrant shrimping fleet.

The number of boats that tie up in the creek has diminished over the years, and the restaurants and bars that line the waterway make up what now is considered by many to be the culinary center of the fourth largest municipality in South Carolina. One of the eateries along the banks of the iconic waterway once served as the ice house for local shrimpers. The building was owned by Red Simmons – hence the name of the restaurant that has occupied that space for nearly 20 years.

Red’s Ice House, established in 2003, was purchased a year later by Dianne and Cecil Crowley. It has survived and thrived for nearly two decades, mainly because it is much more than just a place to consume a seafood platter or a burger and wash it down with a cold beer.

“The beauty of Red’s is it has its own culture,” Dianne explained. “It’s part of the community. People need a place to come. It’s part of your life. Red’s is so much more than a restaurant. It’s a place to be. All we ask when you come in here is that you treat people nice.”

The laid-back atmosphere at Red’s certainly is conducive to engendering a pleasant mood after what might have been a difficult day. After all, where else can you relax beside a gently-flowing body of water, listen to live music and watch boats of all shapes and sizes, paddle boarders and even dolphins drift past?

A cursory glance at Red’s— with its rooftop bar—might lead to the conclusion that it’s more a drinking place and less an eating place. That’s not the case, however, according to Dianne. She pointed out that Red’s sells $4.5 million a year in appetizers, seafood platters, signature plates, smoked pork, burgers, wings, ribs, sandwiches, soups, salads and unique desserts.

“People don’t realize we sell more food than alcohol,” Dianne said. “I don’t think people are aware of that.”

Almost everything at Red’s is prepared in-house, from the hand-battered fried shrimp – the restaurant’s No. 1 seller – to the variety of soups and dips and pork butts smoked to perfection by Red’s Ice House pitmaster. Diners also have the opportunity to try what Dianne refers to as “limited time offers,” items added to the menu just to see if customers take to them. Recent examples include shrimp and pimento cheese dip and Nashville hot sliders.

“If people like them, we’ll keep them on the menu,” Dianne pointed out.

She added that the food staff at Red’s is not afraid to venture into uncharted territory by trying out new and different recipes, whether they come from employees of the restaurant or from loyal customers.

“If you love the way your grandma cooks fish, tell us about it,” she said. “Give us the recipe. We’ll give it a shot.”

Regardless of whether they offer up new and exciting ways to prepare food, employees are a vital part of the success of Red’s Ice House. Many of them have worked at the restaurant for years, and some have even been with the Crowleys since their days at Wild Wing Café in Hilton Head.

“We’ve grown up together. We become almost like their parents,” Dianne mused.

Customers, of course, are important as well, and Dianne also looks after their well-being, making sure they are responsible about drinking and driving – which includes those who are behind the wheel of boats or cars and trucks. She said there are times when as many as 12 to 15 waterborne vehicles are tied up three-deep in front of the restaurant.

“Nobody drives up to your door with a car full of liquor. But they do that with boats,” Dianne pointed out.

Dianne Crowley’s culinary career started in Jacksonville in the early 1970s, when she had a cooking show on television. She met Cecil in Atlanta, and they later moved to Hilton Head, where they opened the first Wild Wing Café and started a chain that has since expanded into seven Southeastern states. At one time, the Crowleys owned three Wild Wing Cafes in the Charleston area.

Today, they are concentrating on their Shem Creek restaurants – Red’s Ice House and Tavern & Table next door. Retirement doesn’t appear to be an impending option.

“It’s an integral part of my life, but it has to be something I enjoy,” Dianne said. “I love serving food, and everyone needs to eat.”