Faith Jones of Kudzu Bakery holds their new Lemon Cake.
The Grand Strand has a heaping host of excellent bakers. Whether you’re craving a croissant, begging for a bear claw or pining for panini, these folks have a flair with flour.
Café Old Vienna
3901 N. Kings Highway
Myrtle Beach
946-6252
True Viennese cuisine is prepared by Viennese natives. You’ll get your schnitzels, wursts and fresh breads, all served with warm and efficient service. Save room for Petra Jerabek’s incredibly splendid desserts, which are provided from her wholesale bakery company called Bake & Cake. You can also place orders for Jerabek’s creations, such as whole cheesecakes, at Café Old Vienna. Space is limited, so if you’re going for dinner, call ahead for a reservation.
Cakes by Design & Bakery
5180 U.S. 17 Bypass
Murrells Inlet
651-3187
You can order special event cakes such as wedding cakes, and there are always fresh-baked treats such as Pasa Bocas with guava filling, Strawberry Cream Sticks, Ovalo de Arequipe with caramel filling, Devil Chocolate Cake with chocolate mousse, Chocolate Rum Raspberry Cake, Passion Mango Cheesecake and several tempting cookies like White Chocolate Macadamia. Owner Lucero Beckwith also makes breads, like French loaves for $1, Cheese Sticks, Almojabanas Cheese Bread and Perezosos Cheese Bread.
Cakes by the Sea
Parkway Plaza, just west of Little River and North Myrtle Beach on S.C. 9
Minnesota’s loss was the north end of the Grand Strand’s gain when Kris and Terry Veigel moved here to open Cakes by the Sea a year ago.The couple has been bakers for more than three decades.They strive for cakes that look fabulous, taste even better and are priced economically.Their cakes and cupcakes are dense and moist, and can come filled with flavored whipped toppings and topped with either whipped or butter cream icings.Recently they were awarded the Small Business of the Year award from the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce.
This 12-year-old locals’ favorite for divine pastries and delectable breakfasts and lunches just moved to a new and bigger location. Now in addition to fresh-baked goodies baked on-site, they have wine, Seattle’s Best coffee and suppers every weeknight when there are special meal deals and live entertainment. We highly recommend everything, but the Lemon Bars are a favorite. Croissants is also known for its wedding cakes, especially the famous Beach Cake featuring “sand” and edible shells.
Crystalite Café
799 U.S. 17 Business
Surfside Beach
839-9080
Crystalite specializes in fantastic breakfasts and lunches, delicious pastries and excellent specialty coffees. Try the homemade cinnamon rolls, Honey Almond Chicken Salad or Mixed Berry Salad. Laptop users will enjoy the free Wi-Fi access.
This café features excellent coffees, plus bagels, breads, rolls and sweets baked fresh daily in the adjacent wholesale bakery called Benjamin’s Bakery. It’s a cozy coffee house setting with couches, tables, free Wi-Fi access, computers and used books.
Kudzu at the Beach
221 Willbrook Blvd.
PawleysIsland
235-8560
This bright and large shop is a wonderland of fresh-baked sweets and breads, plus a great place to buy wines, cheeses, ready-to-cook entrees, condiments, oils, dressings, kitchen accessories and much, much more. You can also grab-and-go with their prepackaged sandwiches.
Kudzu Bakery
120 King St.
Georgetown
546-1847
It has been about 10 years since Kudzu Bakery in Georgetown relocated from Front Street to its present location on King Street in a renovated turn-of-the-century horse stable. In that time owners Joey and Stacy Rabon turned the upstairs loft into a cooking classroom, opened a mercantile next door, set up an outdoor dining courtyard and opened a second location called Kudzu at the Beach in Litchfield. But the bakery is still famous for its incredible cakes, pies, pastries and cookies, plus grab-and-go sandwiches, cheeses, wines, condiments, dips and gourmet vacuum-packed dinner ingredients like bacon-wrapped quail and Southern barbecue.
Perrone’s
13291 Ocean Highway (U.S. 17)
PawleysIsland
235-9193
Owner/chef Steve Perrone is the area master when it comes to gourmet take-out food. Every day he has a smorgasbord of seafood dips, salads, fine cheeses and superb entrees that can be eaten at the cozy shop or taken home. Each take-out dish come with a label attached containing customized reheating instructions. You can also pick up a great bottle of wine and a freshly baked loaf of bread.
From 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays you can get breakfast, lunch or dinner, plus purchase delectable baked goods to take home. The meal menu includes pizzas; hot sandwiches from Eggplant Parmesan to Cheesesteaks; and a vast array of hoagies and deli sandwiches. The bakery treats include incredible Bear Claws, Eclairs and Danish; Pignoli Cookies; and fantastic creations like Chocolate Mousse Roll. For many years Toffino’s has earned top prizes in local culinary competitions.
The Village Deli
Village Shops
Ocean Highway
PawleysIsland
235-0333
Owner/chef Steven “Sketch” Kristiansen is a graduate of Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts in Providence, Rhode Island, and baked for the King of Norway for four years. This is where you can get mile-high sandwiches piled with first-cut corned beef brisket, pastrami, roast beef and turkey served on fresh bread Sketch bakes himself. He also bakes bagels and other breakfast items, and he makes fantastic desserts. The eatery is open for breakfast and lunch, until 3 p.m.
