Carolina Forest is a new unincorporated community located beside U.S. 501 between Myrtle Beach and Conway. It was planned in the late 1990s, and it will have 20,000 single and multi-family home sites when finished.

Café Rouge

2005 Oak Heart Road

At the intersection of U.S. 501 and Carolina Forest Boulevard

Myrtle Beach

492-6580

The interior is simply spectacular with enormous colorful French-inspired art, crystal chandeliers, wrought iron ceiling fans, bistro tables, a glossy wood bar and a cozy overstuffed blue couch in front of a faux fireplace with a flat screen TV over it. Bring your laptop, hook into the Wi-Fi and relax over breakfast, lunch or dinner with coffee, teas, smoothies, croissant sandwiches, salads and baked goodies.

Handley’s Pub & Grub

3873 Renee Drive

Myrtle Beach (Carolina Forest)

903-4904

Brews are serious business here with lots of specialty brands. The menu is surprisingly extensive for a neighborhood pub. To cover the English angle they offer Fish and Chips, Shepard’s Pie, Yorkshire Pudding and Bangers and Mash. Other menu choices include Shrimp, Chicken or Steak Quesadilla; burgers; Fried Peppers (banana or jalapeno); Brit Chips served with gravy, Cheddar cheese, onions, tomatoes and bacon; Tuna Sashimi; Chicken Parmesan; Barbecue Pork Sandwich; Portabello Club Sandwich; and a 12-ounce Ribeye Steak Dinner.

Junior’s Pizzeria & Pub

Piggly Wiggly/Forest Square shopping center

Carolina Forest

903-7499

Junior’s is most known for its pizza, which has thin and crispy hand-tossed crust with a delightfully flaky crunch.  You can get a nice salad; a hot sub like Sausage, Onion and Pepper Parmigiana or a cold Italian Combo sub; Calzones; and Stromboli. There are more than a dozen pasta choices such as Lasagna, Sausage Palermo and Stuffed Shrimp Parmigiana, and you can also choose to create your own pasta from a variety of pasta shapes, sauces and toppings. Pasta dishes are available in lunch-size portions until 4 p.m., and there are nightly steak and veal specials. For dessert there are cannoli, tiramisu and bags of zeppollis. They aim to be a neighborhood restaurant, and deliver food within the Carolina Forest community. You can place your order (there’s a $15 delivery minimum) by calling 903-7499.

Stefano’s Cucina Rustica

2005 Oak Heart Road

off Carolina Forest Boulevard

903-7238

Stefano’s has a warm décor rich with colors of a Tuscan sunset: umber, sienna, misty green. Low metal ceiling fans and lights have a terra cotta hue, and arches that peek into the kitchen lend an old-world air. The vintage theme fits with the heirloom family recipes the Toniolos use, like their marinara and meat sauce that’s rich and thick and sweetly peppery from fresh herbs and spices. There are lunch specials, paninis, pizza, hot subs, stromboli, and Stuffed Pizzas. Stefano’s has wings and salads, lavish appetizers like Provolone Fritta and entrees such as Lasagna Al Forno, Ravioli Di Quattro Formaggi (four cheeses), Manicotti, Parmigiana Alla Sorrentina, Personalized Pasta and Angry Rigatoni.

Tavern in the Forest

Forest Commons

Carolina Forest Boulevard at River Oaks Drive

Carolina Forest section of Myrtle Beach

626-3000

Out front the feel is that of a beer garden with several huge flatscreen TVs tuned to sports. The menu is casually serious with dishes such as Fried Green Tomatoes that have pancetta and mozzarella in a cornmeal crust served with roasted red pepper coulis; Pulled Pork Sliders that are slow-roasted and served with garlic rosemary fries and coleslaw; Baby Spinach Salad with mushrooms, fried egg, pecans, gruyere and warm bacon vinaigrette; Crab Cake or Shrimp Salad on a croissant; and Prime Rib Au Jus served with smashed potatoes, horseradish and asparagus.