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.
Gator Krawls
9448 U.S. 17 (Ocean Highway)
Pawleys Island
235-8228
The number of menu items is amazing, as are some of the more unusual dishes such as Crab and Sweet Potato Soufflé or Fried Alligator. Breakfasts are great with choices like Salmon Patties and Eggs or Catfish Fillet with grits and a cheese biscuit.
House of Blues
4640 U.S. 17 South
In Barefoot Landing
North Myrtle Beach
272-3000
www.hob.com
If you’ve never been to the House of Blues Sunday Gospel Brunch, you’re missing out on a lavish spread and joyous live gospel entertainment. Diners go into the kitchen and help themselves to an incredible spread featuring loads of seafood, Creole specialties and an omelet bar. There is also a breakfast buffet Mondays through Saturdays. For lunch and dinners, the menu features dishes such as Pan-seared Voodoo Shrimp with Rosemary Cornbread and Dixie Beer Reduction; Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich with Tennessee Barbecue Sauce, Coleslaw and Sweet Potato Fries; Louisiana Shrimp Creole served over Pan-seared Catfish Fillet with White Rice and Sautéed Green Beans; and Raspberry and Granny Smith Apple Bread Pudding.
Ice Dreams Coffee & Creamery
10799 S.C. 707, Unit 17
Murrells Inlet
Across from St. James High School
650-5329
Many St. James students and parents head to Ice Dreams after school and after games to take advantage of the free wi-fi and enjoy iced coffee, Hersheys ice cream and Monster Energy drinks. There’s also chai, frozen coffee and other gourmet coffee drinks featuring the Seattle’s Best brand. The gelato is popular, and heartier food includes bagels and muffins, breakfast sandwiches, tuna and chicken salad sandwiches, barbecue, hot dogs, grilled cheese and soup. A couple of special treats are Cinnabon Pretzels and warm roasted nuts from The Nutty Bavarian. Closed Sundays.
Jacob’s Java
810 Third Ave. S.
Surfside Beach
477-1100
www.benjaminsbakery.com
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.
Pawleys Island
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.
Litchfield Coffee House
Mingo shopping and dining complex
Litchfield
235-3510
This is where people can come tap owner Blair Mathis’ knowledge of fine coffees and enjoy live music. Even more important, he says, “People can come sit, drink coffee, discuss different topics and have real live human interaction.” Blair has an impressive list of dozens of specialty coffee drinks, and he usually has five or so international coffees freshly brewed. There are also baked goods, smoothies and Wi-Fi. It’s open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
Los Equipales
Board Walk shopping center
Near the intersection of S.C. 544 and Dick Pond Road
Socastee
293-5442
Owner Ramon Rangel used bright colors in his décor, and the effect is that of a casual, tropical café. The breakfast menu is brief, and each dish features eggs. They can come with Mexican sausage and ham, and all are accompanied by beans and tortillas. Lunch specials are served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the dinner menu expands on the lunch offerings with dishes such as Ceviche (fish and shrimp in a lime marinade), several Mexican-style steaks, Fajitas, combination plates and seafood like Fish Tacos and Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (shrimp sautéed in butter, garlic and spices and served with beans and tortillas.
New York Deli and Café
2246 Highway 501 East
Conway
349-6300
Breakfasts are served until 10 a.m., and choices are Biscuit and Sausage Gravy, Breakfast Sandwiches, Bagels, Danishes, Muffins and Yogurt Parfait. Sandwiches include Paninis, Gourmet Sandwiches and “All Time New York Favorites” such as Pastrami on Rye and Open Face Corned Beef Reuben. Salads are full of delicious ingredients, and you can order them half- or full-size. There are also wraps and luscious desserts. You can get all the normal coffees and sodas you’d imagine, plus chocolate milk, Chocolate Egg Cream and Seattle’s Best Coffee in a handy to-go box that contains eight 12-ounce servings.
Nibils at Surfside Pier
11 S. Ocean Blvd.
Surfside Beach
238-5080
www.mrnibils.com
Early-morning beach walkers often end their exercise with a breakfast of a seafood omelet at Nibils. Lunches and dinners offer a wide variety, from sandwiches to steaks and a lot in between. Since it’s on a pier, the ocean and beach views in this casual family-run restaurant are memorable.
Oliver’s Luncheonette
1301 U.S. 501 Business
Conway
347-3602
This is just what a really great weekday working person’s Southern burger and barbecue restaurant should be: They’re frills-free and have fantastic food. For breakfast you can enjoy a sandwich like steak, ham & egg, country ham, bologna or BLT, and some hash rounds. At lunchtime the burgers are made from beef ground on-site, and you can get them with slaw, grilled onions and/or chili if you want. Barbecue sandwiches are tasty – they make their own – and you can also order a sausage dog, pork chop sandwich, grilled chicken sandwich, double bologna sandwich and a steak sandwich. The dining room is open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and the drive-through stays open until 3 p.m.
The Pier at Garden City
110 South Waccamaw Drive
Garden City
651-9700
http://www.pieratgardencity.com/index.htm
The cheerful women working behind the counter at the pier’s cafe say they have the “best breakfast on the beach.” For breakfast, which is served from 7 to 11 a.m., choices include omelets, bagels, French toast, pancakes, eggs and several sides. Starting at 11 a.m. and through 11 p.m. the menu includes crab cake sandwich, foot-long hot dogs and a burger called the Hugo Burger. They also have hand-dipped Mayfield ice cream. The pier also has a video arcade and live entertainment.
Reha’s Beach Café
The Oasis Shopping Center
Garden City
651-0811
The décor is bright and light, and while the menu’s claim to fame is many pie varieties and a bottomless 50-cent cup of coffee, which is rather down-home, the rest of the menu could be described as upscale comfort food. That doesn’t mean you can’t find classic pancakes, eggs and bacon at family-friendly Reha’s, because they’re all about that. But you can also get Polish kielbasa, or a plate-size waffle dusted with powdered sugar. Lunch choices include classic burgers and subs, but other selections include half a gourmet sandwich on marbled rye with a cup of lobster bisque (or whatever the soup of the day is), or an Asiago Grilled Cheese with jus to dip it in.
Sawgrass Room at Pawleys Plantation
70 Tanglewood Drive
Pawleys Island
237-6100
http://www.pawleysplantation.com/dining.cfm
Many people assume since Pawleys Plantation is a gated upscale housing community that the restaurant is not open to the public, but that’s not so. Anyone is welcome to dine in the plantation-style restaurant and enjoy daily breakfasts, graceful dinners on Thursday and Friday nights and lavish Sunday brunches. Appropriate attire is suggested.
Sea Captain’s House
3002 N. Ocean Blvd.
Myrtle Beach
448-8082
www.seacaptains.com
This former beach cottage is a landmark for locals and visitors. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily in a spectacular oceanfront setting, and reservations are never accepted except for large private parties. There is a breakfast buffet, but we like the Crab Cakes Benedict off the menu. Daily lunch specials are always a treat, and for dinner you can’t go wrong with any seafood dish.
Side Street Café
1000 Second Ave. S.
In the North Myrtle Beach Corporate Center
North Myrtle Beach
280-3799
This new breakfast and lunch spot is airy-yet-cozy with a sleek-yet-homey décor. For breakfast there are Egg Tacos with scrambled eggs, potatoes and cheese; Sol Quesadilla with eggs, potatoes, bacon and cheese; and breakfast sandwiches on bagels, English muffins or panini bread. For lunch you can choose from several salads like the Greek Salad with feta, tomatoes, black olives and mild peppers, or sandwiches such as a Pork Tenderloin Hoagie or a Ribeye Steak Sandwich with sautéed onions; there are also daily lunch specials.
Thomas Café
Front Street beside the clock tower
Georgetown
546-7776
Breakfast and lunch are all that’s served here, and they do them well. For breakfast we recommend the hoe cakes, and at lunch pay attention to the daily specials. It’s a meat-and-three diner like you’ve never had before.
Toffino’s Italian Bakery & Deli
880 Farrow Parkway
on the former Air Base
Myrtle Beach
477-1598
www.Toffinos.com
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
Pawleys Island
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.
WaterScapes at the Marina Inn at Grande Dunes
8121 Amalfi Place
Myrtle Beach
913-2837
WaterScapes is another new star in the Grand Strand dining landscape. Breakfast, lunch and dinner menus are thrilling in their innovation and terrific taste. You can dine inside or out, and if you have a boat handy you can arrive via the Intracoastal Waterway.
Your Cup Runneth Over
Lorraine Plaza
U.S. 17 Business at 7th Avenue South
Surfside Beach
238-9366
YourCupRunnethOver.com
The menu includes specialty coffees, teas, smoothies, gourmet sandwiches and soups, and eclectic side dishes such as cucumbers and onions in vinaigrette, and crunchy carrot and raisin salad with pineapple chunks. An array of breads and baked sweets from Benjamin’s Bakery are available along with pastries from Master European Baker Petra Jerabek of Bake & Cake. The mom and daughter added a line of gourmet goodies such as candies and condiments, and they began creating customized gift baskets they deliver free locally, and will ship nationwide. They’re open 8 a.m. until close, Mondays through Saturdays.
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