Eating Out in Vermont

Shelburne: Barkeater's, 97 Falls Rd. Phone (802) 985-2830. Pretentious. Bad waitress. Denny had the club sandwich and sweet potato fries, I had the ½ sandwich/soup special which was either a turkey or ham sandwich and a cup of the soup of the day. I had the turkey and the soup was cream of cauliflower curry. The cook pureed the cauliflower until the texture of the soup was gritty which to me affected the taste and mouth feel of the soup. The sandwich was fine, everything was overpriced and the waitress didn't come back to see if we needed refills on our drinks (it was a warm day and we were eating outside). We would not go back. (6/2011)

Buonos,3182 Shelburne Rd, Phone (802) 985-2232 A comfortable little restaurant, favored by locals, a nice wine list, good penne with Italian sausage and sauce, good spinach and mushroom tossed with garlic and EVOO over linguine. Tasty hot dinner rolls, share-able size serving of tiramisu that was decent but not memorable. Good service, reasonable prices for the area. We would go back. (6/2011)

The Dutch Mill, 4309 Shelburne Road, Phone (802) 985-3568 Denny and I had breakfast here on a Sunday as it was right next to the campground and the place was busy with locals. Basic breakfast, reasonable for a touristy area, but if we came back, I'd probably look for a different place to have breakfast. (6/2011)

Eating Out in Utah

Hurricane: Hunan City Restaurant, 1141 W. State St. #5 Phone (435) 635-6882 Very good dinner, reasonable for a tourist area (near Zion National Park (9/2005)

Sweet William's Restaurant, 1560 W. State, Phone (435) 635-3169 Breakfast was good, but the waitress ruined the biscuits by microwaving them to heat them. Reasonable. (9/2005)

Leeds: Molly's Restaurant, 251 N. Main St., Phone (435) 879-2039 Great bacon BBQ cheeseburger and Philly cheesesteak. Moderately expensive, rustic. (9/2005)

Nephi: The Family Tree Restaurant, 2087 S. Main, St. Phone (435) 623-5300 Breakfast was good, food was plentiful, relatively inexpensive. (9/2005)

Eating Out in Texas

Amarillo: TheBig Texan Steakhouse, 7701 I-40 East (exit 175), Phone (800) 657-7177 We ate dinner here simply because we didn't feel like unhitching the truck and the restaurant offers free limo rides to campers and hotel guests along I-40 in Amarillo. The interior decoration is half saloon, half hunting lodge but the staff is eager and friendly. Unfortunately, the cuts of meat aren't all that terrific and the prices are pretty high. I'm sure Amarillo has a lot more to offer in a steakhouse. Not recommended. (5/2007)

Aransas Pass:  , The Big Fisherman Restaurant, 510 Hwy 188, Phone (361) 729-1734  Everyone in Rockport has to go to the Big Fisherman at least one time to try the Tuesday special of all you can eat chicken fried steak for $2.25 (up from $1.99 last year).  That's all you can eat chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, cole slaw and dinner roll--as many plates as you can eat.  Denny ate two.  I had the lunch special of fried fish (pollock) and french fries which had five pieces of fish on it.  Very good.  The service could have been better; Denny actually had to chase down our waitress to remind her to bring tartar sauce and others at our table had similar problems with her.  But the food is amazingly good for the price.  $1 margaritas don't hurt, either. (2/2011)

Columbus: Becky's Cafe, 1237 Bowie St, Phone (979) 732-5553 We had breakfast here, as do some of the locals. My ham and cheese omelet was good as was Denny's ham and eggs although the ham slice was off a processed shaped ham. The breakfast menu is a bit limited. Decent. (3/2011)

Los Cabos Mexican Grill, 2543 Hwy 71 South, Phone (979) 732-9744 Reasonably priced Mexican food. I had the Guadalajara Special, which was a chicken enchilada and a beef taco smothered in queso with a side of beans and a cup of tortilla soup. Delicious. Denny had the Texas burrito which he also enjoyed. There's an ice cream machine in the lobby so I guess that means it's free for the taking as you leave. Nice margaritas, nothing special.(3/2011)

Nancy's Steakhouse,2536 Hwy 71 South, Phone (979) 732-9700 We were prepared to enjoy this restaurant which is decorated in a full out Western/cowboy style. Denny had a Hickory Burger which had bacon, BBQ sauce, button mushrooms (hard to keep on the bun), lettuce, onions—so much stuff that he could hardly get his mouth around it. The hamburger, unfortunately, was relatively tasteless. I had the soup and sandwich special with chicken tortilla soup and half a Texas steak sandwich. The steak pieces were very tender but the chipotle mayo was hard to find so the sandwich was a bit dry. The chicken tortilla soup's texture made me think the cook had added a piece of bread in the pot to stretch the filling—the soup had an odd, thick, grainy texture to it. Not my favorite version by a long shot. We'd pass this one up for lunch. (3/2011)

Schobel's Restaurant, 2020 Milam St, Phone (979) 732-2385 This is the winner, winner chicken dinner restaurant for this town. We ate here four times in two weeks; breakfast, lunch and twice for dinner. The restaurant provides a breakfast and lunch buffet at a very reasonable price as well as offering menu choices and then at dinnertime there is a large salad bar to go with your meal. We had the jalepeno schnitzel and the sausage and sauerkraut (Denny thought the sauerkraut was too mild but he grew up in a family that made their own in huge crocks in the basement) as well as their burgers. Friendly, pleasant staff, full bar, good food. Recommended. (3/2011)

Emory: Y'all Come Back Cafe, 659 W. Lennen Drive, Phone (903) 473-2224 We hit this place for breakfast, as do most of the locals. There's even a “Table of Knowlege” here, which back home we call “The Liar's Table”. Denny enjoyed his chicken-fried steak, I enjoyed my Western omelet. The sour dough bread is good, although like so many places, this restaurant simply slaps the bread on a grill for a couple of moments instead of using a toaster. I wish restaurants would toast bread because I much prefer “toast” to “heated bread”. Reasonable and good. (4/2011)

Fulton: Alice Faye's Restaurant, 106 N. Fulton Beach Rd. Phone (361) 729-6708 Breakfast here was mediocre. They made a boring omelet and had no substitutions for the potatoes and toast. Smeary windows obscured the view of the bay. We were disappointed. (4/2006)

Charlotte Plummer Seafood Restaurant, 202 N. Fulton Beach Rd. Phone (361) 729-1185 We were pleased to be seated near a window overlooking the fishing boat fleet but that was the best thing about our experience here. They do have an excellent chicken tortilla soup and a nice salad bar but all the shrimp in my shrimp sampler were badly overcooked as were the shrimp in Denny's shrimp linguini veracruz. A seafood restaurant should NEVER overcook shrimp, no matter what the form. We were disappointed. Very good bread pudding. (1/2011)

M & M Express Cafe, 3501 Hwy 35N, Phone(361) 727-0498 The proverbial greasy spoon with a great oversized fish sandwich and a small order of onion rings that was more than enough for two of us. Their hamburgers looked and smelled wonderful. Prices on par for the area. (4/2006)

Panhandle: Buffalo Grass Steakhouse, 200 Main St. Phone (806) 537-1010 Norman says they have great buffalo steaks (2006)

Harlingen: Gem's Pancake House, 1925 E. Harrison, Phone (956) 423-7977 Fluffy scrambled eggs, good tender chicken fried steak, quick and efficient service, reasonably priced. We would return. (2/2011)

Judy B's Cookhouse, 1101 S. Expressway 83, Phone (956) 423-4117 Good tender chicken fried steak, fluffy scrambled eggs, crisp bacon. The toast was simply bread slapped on the grill for a couple of seconds so I take points off for that. Reasonable. (2/2011)

New York Deli, 122 N. A St, Phone (956) 425-3500 Great sandwiches, all three of their soups are terrific and while we didn't have the burgers, those we saw looked delicious. A funky little place just off the main drag in downtown (read old) Harlingen. Try it. (3/2011)

Sun Palace, 1610 Midlane Dr. Phone (956) 412-3000 American and Chinese buffet, plus oysters on the half shell and other seafood selections. The sizzle heat is strangely tame for this part of the world, although the hot and sour soup is very good. There is a selection of sushi, salads and desserts also, all for $9.95. If you like basic, non spicy Chinese food then this place is for you. (2/2011)

The Pizzeria, 1610 E. Tyler, Phone (956) 465-1477 Great garlic knots, good pizza. New York or Sicilian style, by the pie or by the piece. There are also calzones, strombolis and Italian donuts. We liked this little place. (3/2011)

Rockport: Golden Gate Chinese Restaurant, 2005 Hwy 35 N Phone (361) 790-8223 If you like spicy, try their hot and sour soup. I had the Szechuan Triple Delight, Denny had the spicy Shrimp and Mushrooms and both were great. Very reasonable, very good. We went back for the lunch special and both our choices were good. (4/2006)

J J's Burger Works and Cafe, 302 Hwy 35N, Phone (361) 729-8787 A favorite with locals, we had breakfast here which was quite good and the experienced was enhanced when the owner shared some of his homemade spicy salsa for our eggs. (1/2011)

Jalisco's Restaurant, 1701 Hwy 35N, Phone (361) 727-0555 The menu is in Spanish with the English translation following. Great chicken fajita chimichanga, great beef fajita burrito, good corn tacos, great rice. Took home leftovers. Would return. (2/2011)

Panjo's Pizza and Pasta, 2744 Hwy 35N, Phone (361) 729-1411 Reasonably priced pizza. We would wish for a little more sauce but that's an Ohio thing. Nice thin crust that was crispy without being dry, decent side salad with a good house dressing. (1/2011)

Ken's Diner (formerly The Diner), 205 Hwy 35 N, Phone (361) 729-4985 Very popular on Sunday for breakfast. Ours was good with the exception of Denny's sausage which was badly overcooked. The waitress adjusted the cost of the meal for that and the price overall was quite reasonable. We'd go back. (4/2006) Edited 1/2011. We tried this place for breakfast again; Denny loved his chicken fried steak, my scrambled eggs were dry which is a major sin in my book. French toast was okay, the bacon was excellent. Very uneven meal.

San Benito: Sabor de Mi Tierra, 415 N. Paso Real, Phone (956) 399-7671 The problem with going back to a restaurant where you experienced your first plate of huevos rancheros is that after ten years it's just not going to be the same. And it wasn't. The decor hasn't changed (although it's very clean and bright inside) but the food is more Americanized. Ten years ago the eggs were poached and laid over over a bed of refried beans that had been covered with fried potatoes and served with salsa and wonderful homemade flour tortillas   The tortillas are still wonderful but now everything arrives on your plate side by side. Sigh. Good, but years ago it was excellent. (2/2011)

The Longhorn Cattle Company, 3055 W. Expressway 83, Phone (956) 399-4400 Very popular with the Winter Texans here.  Chopped and sliced brisket. Denny had a po-boy with briskey and sausage, I had the chopped brisket sandwich. Once I spooned on some of the BBQ (which we had to ask for) the bottom of my sandwich bun became soggy with grease. The sauce itself was pretty tasteless. Sides are extra with the sandwiches, although you do get a cup of soup beans which is good. Not to my taste. (2/2011)

South Padre Island: Dirty Al's, 1 Padre Blvd. Phone (956) 761-4901 There are two Dirty Al's, one on the island and one just before the bridge in Port Isabel. We went to the original restaurant on the island. The sign on the door says "sorry--we're open" but it's all in good fun. The decor is frumpy/funky, the view is of the marina and the fish is great. The shrimp is huge, looking at other people's meals but the fish tacos were also more than I could eat. I finished one and took one home for the next day's lunch. Everyone enjoyed their flounder and you can also buy fresh fish and shrimp as you are leaving. Noisy, jam-packed with Winter Texans when we went, good food. (3/2011)

Parrot Eyes Restaurant, 5801 Padre Blvd., Phone (956) 772-9040 Great happy hour margaritas priced at $1.75 and three times as good as the ones we paid $4.50 for at Boomerang's Bar down the street. Happy hour dinner specials at $5.95 were simply okay. I had the fish and also shrimp (long story). There were only 4 shrimp on the plate and they had an odd taste from the seasoning. Lots of fries, mediocre slaw. The fish was decent. The fish sandwich was flounder which Denny said was very good (the fish and fries plate was pollock). A friend's burger was very thick and nicely cooked although the fries weren't cooked as she requested. I don't think we'd come back except to have the margaritas and maybe try some appetizers. The meal also took a long time to arrive. (2/2011)

Study Butte: Big Bend Motor Inn & RV Park, FM 170 & TX 118. Small restaurant is the only game in town, priced accordingly. Burgers, etc. Lots of interesting stuff on the walls to read. (3/2001)

Willis: Pizza Shack ,115 W. Montgomery St. Phone (936) 856-9780 We visited this restaurant twice over two years and somehow I neglected to add it, which is a shame, because they have terrific pizzas and what we saw of the various Italian dishes that other diners were ordering looked wonderful and smelled terrific. If they still offer bread pudding and the tiramisu, get it. Yum! As long as the restaurant is here, we'll go back there. (2001 and 2003) Added 2/2008. Edited 12/2009: The food is still good, the desserts divine.

Eating Out in South Dakota

Rapid City: Colonial House Restaurant, 2501 Mount Rushmore Rd, (605) 342-4640 We stopped here for a late lunch/early dinner since the parking lot was always full every time we drove by. My husband ordered the G4 Dipster which was sliced roast beef with Cheddar cheese and sauteed mushrooms on a grilled sourdough bun with a side of fries. I had the fish sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries. Both sandwiches were huge, well prepared and so very good. I had a chocolate malt which had a good malt flavor and a little chocolate syrup left in the bottom of the metal cup (yep, the malts and shakes are served in the metal mixer cup) while my husband had the strawberry shake. We took home half our sandwiches and fries and looked longingly at the banana cream pie and rhubarb custard pie served at the next table but we were simply too stuffed to eat anymore or to even consider taking a piece of pie home with us. Pleasant surroundings, nice staff, outdoor seating for when it's not 100 degrees outside.

Stonewalls, 5955 S. Hwy 16, (605) 342-6100 Since our campground was several miles south of Rapid City itself, we tried Stonewalls for breakfast on Sunday. My husband had the 3 piece french toast breakfast with scrambled eggs and sausage. The three piece french toast was literally that; three small slices of a baguette style loaf of bread. The scrambled eggs were dry. I had the western omelet with poblano peppers; the omelet was overcooked, the ham in the omelet was diced deli ham and the veggies practically non-existent. I did enjoy the black rye bread. The iced tea was badly overpriced as were all their drinks. The surroundings were pleasant, the wait staff efficient but we wouldn't go back for breakfast.

Rockerville: Gas Light Restaurant, 13490 Main St, (605) 343-9276 We stopped at the Gas Light Restaurant because it was only a couple of miles from our campground and it was recommended by the staff there. My husband had the small filet mignon with a side of fettuccine alfredo while I had the prime rib with fettuccine. Both pieces of beef were flavorful and tender, although my prime rib had a fairly good amount of fat that needed to be cut away. The meals were quite good but the air conditioning vent right above us froze us to death. We mentioned to the waiter that we were uncomfortable at the amount of cold air blowing on us but all he said was that he'd have someone turn it down (which didn't happen) instead of moving us to a different table. Instead of sitting an enjoying another adult beverage and/or a dessert we left quickly because we were so cold we couldn't stand it anymore. There is a separate section of the building that is a bar where they were playing live music after we arrived--it was much warmer there.

Eating Out in South Carolina

Myrtle Beach: Akel's Family Restaurant, 6429 North Kings Hwy, (843) 449-4815 Denny and I stopped here for a late breakfast. Denny had the chicken fried steak with fried eggs and hash browns. The steak and gravy were excellent, the eggs overcooked for over easy and the hash browns were limp instead of crispy. My scrambled eggs, ham and French toast were quite good. Reasonable. 10/2012.

Fiesta del Burro Loco, 960 Frontage Road West, Phone (843) 626-1756  We go here at happy hour for the $3.50 margaritas, the free Buffalo Wings and the $3.00 personal size pizzas.  It's all good. (10/2010)

Firehouse Subs , 5407 Dick Pond Rd., (843) 215-3473 Great subs even if this is a chain. Recommended by a local, I liked the Italian sub here. There are three franchises in the Myrtle Beach area (11/2007)

Garden City Cafe, a new cafe on US 17 near Garden Lake Dr. Sorry, no address or phone number. Bright, cheeful, friendly employees, good although not exceptional breakfast. Reasonable. (11/2008) Edited 10/2012: Garden City Cafe is closed and another Eggs Up Grill is moving in. 

 

J. Edwards Restaurant , 2300 S. Kings Hwy. (843) 626-9986 Nicely decorated, dim, pleasant service, great ribs, steaks and pork chops. (1998, 1999, 2000) Edited 11/2008: BBQ pork chops were hunks of loin, but the shrimp was good. Local reviews seem to show service and food is uneven. J.Edwards is closed.

Liberty Steakhouse and Brewery , 1321 Celebrity Circle #R4 (Broadway at the Beach) (843) 646-4677 Loud and crowded because of 2 for 1 night, food was good, there is indeed a brewery in the restaurant with a variety of microbrews offered each night. Live bands on the patio which has propane heaters for cool nights. We had fun (11/2008)  Edited 10/2010.  We came back for the annual birthday celebration in 2009 and again in 2010, both times we were seated overlooking the manmade lake because of our large group which worked out well.  The food is good for as large as the restaurant is and as busy as it is for this once a year deal.

Mrs. Fish, 919 Broadway St. Phone (843) 946-6869  A favorite with locals hidden in a strip of buildings in the older section of south Myrtle Beach.  You come here for fish; grilled, blackened or fried, served with a choice of several different sauces ranging from savory to sweet to spicy. Good. (10/2010) Edited 10/2012; they have updated the seating and walls at Mrs. Fish. It's still simple but now is a bit more attractive. The waiter (who has been there several years) assured us the prices hadn't changed. Neither has the quality; the fried flounder sandwich and the fried shrimp with hot and spicy sauce (Buffalo sauce) are excellent. The coleslaw, unfortunately, is simply chopped cabbage with the barest sprinkle of sugar—no mayonnaise, no vinegar.

Scatori's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant , 1399 South Commons Dr. (843) 650-3370 One half of the building is the pizzeria and the other half is the more upscale Italian restaurant (no pizza on the menu on this side). Meals were nicely presented, house salad and bleu cheese dressing was mediocre at best, and my ravioli was garnished with potato chips. But the antipasto, ziti, ravioli and lasagna (there were four of us) was all good. (11/2008) Edited 10/2010: the owners have worked on their food here; we came in a group of 8 and so were seated in the restaurant although we came for pizza and they normally don't serve pizza on the restaurant side.  However, four of our group ordered regular meals and raved about them, the rest of us had garlic knots and hot bread and pizza and were extremely pleased with our choices.  For once a place got better instead of worse.  Recommended.Edited on 10/2012:  This time around we arrived on a Saturday night with our son and daughter-in-law intending to have a nice dinner.  After talking with Chef Kevin, we agreed to try his specially made four entree and a dessert dinner, which he creates based on your food preferences, with or without wine.  He never duplicates his meals, keeping track of them in a journal.  What we had was a splendid meal paired with wonderful wines and a fun time interacting with Chef Kevin and our waitress Lauren.  It's pricey but so incredibly good and so much fun shared with another couple.  Recommend, recommend, recommend. 

 

Spencer'z Sports Bar , 5910 S. Kings Hwy. (843) 238-4800 Happy hour on Friday nights has a small free "buffet" with pizza, meatballs, appetizers, hot dogs or whatever they feel like putting out. Play the trivia game against regulars Lizard and Len. (11/2008) Edited 9/2009; the economy has changed, the drinks are weaker and there's less food at the appetizer bar. Edited 10/2010. Spencer'z has been bulldozed and is no more.

Woodhaven Pancake House, 2600 S. Kings Hwy (Hwy 17) (843) 448-2277 Run by the same folks as the Plantation Pancake House, but their omelet was better here. Also free wi-fi. (11/2007)

Murrell's Inlet: 

Bovine's, 3979 Hwy 17 Business, Murrells Inlet (843) 651-2888 Wood-fired grilled pizza, tasty appetizers, pleasant atmosphere. Pricey-very. (1999)

Dead Dog Saloon, 4079 Hwy 17 Business, Phone (843) 651-0664  This was a happy hour/appetizer place for us.  If you stay within the yellow line at the bar you get the happy hour prices and still get to listen to the live bands.  We had the chorizo con queso (all chorizo, no cheese) and the nachos, others highly recommend the crab cakes, the Cajun fish bites and Boo Boo's tender bites.  This restaurant sits on the marsh at Murrell's Inlet and you can walk the boardwalk to a couple of the other bars/restaurants or just enjoy the scenery and wildlife. Edited 10/2012: Happy hour is the best time for drinks; after 6 or outside the boundaries of the bar the drinks and special beers are pricey. The Boo-Boo Bites hoagie, the French onion soup and the Buffalo shrimp are all very good, albeit expensive. Don't sit near the band as the sound is turned up high. If it's warm enough to sit outside, you can hear the band well without destroying your hearing.

Flo's Restaurant , 3797 Hwy 17, Murrells Inlet (843) 651-7222 Good food, great view of the marshes of the Inlet, nice folks. A bit pricey. (1999)

Greg's Cabana Bar & Grill, 2800 Hwy 17, Phone (843) 651-1836  Come here on Friday's for the fish special.  It's great.  As are the burgers.  A mixture of locals and tourists. (11/2010)

Harrelson's Seafood Market, 4368 South Hwy 17, Murrells Inlet (843) 651-5707 Fresh seafood to purchase and sandwiches available at lunch time. Great fish tacos, crab cakes from TV's The Crab Cake Lady. (11/2008)

Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant, 931 Garden City Connector, Phone (843) 651-7101  This is more of a carry-out place than a sit down restaurant; you have styrofoam plates and plastic utensils when you "dine in".  The food was a tiny bit bland but tasty, the hot and sour soup was very good.  I just hate to eat off styrofoam so we won't return. (10/2010)

 

River City Cafe, 4393 Hwy 17 Business, (843) 651-1004 Older than the River City Cafe in Surfside Beach, more rustic, same great sandwiches and a view of the marshes. (1998, 1999, 2000)

T.G.I.F., 3202 Hwy 17 South, Phone (843) 651-8888  This was our Friday night happy hour place.  Long Island Ice Teas for $3.50, free wings in a choice of five different sauces and half price appetizers.  We would make this our evening meal with the wings and the half-price pot stickers.  By the time we left Myrtle Beach the waitress knew our orders when we walked in. (10/2010)
 

Santee: Big Water Country Store, 5236 Dingle Pond Rd., Phone (803) 478-3800 I hate styrofoam and that's what our water and orange juice was served in. The bb holes in the windows were the second strike. The badly chipped china was the third strike. The food was good, the waitress adjusted the price of our breakfast when we eliminated the bread/potatoes/grits but we couldn't get past the styrofoam. 

 

Maurice's BBQ , 263 Britain Street, Phone (803) 854-3889 Yum. Just yum! Maurice's BBQ is an unusual sweet mustard sauce that is terrific! The cashier has you taste a bit of pulled pork before she lets you order anything because it IS different from your normal barbecue. However, the pulled pork sandwich is melt-in-your-mouth tender, the fries and crisp and hot and the price reasonable. We picked up several bottles of the barbecue sauce for our own use and for Christmas gifts.

Tastee Food Shop Restaurant, 656 Bass Dr. Phone (803) 854-1334. Pass on this one, it's grubby inside and the food is mediocre at best and the onion rings were so overbreaded to be unrecognizable. We were there for dinner and wouldn't come back. Cash only.

Sumter: Stellato's Restaurant , 2320 Peach Orchard Rd, Phone (803) 499-2400. If you happen to be visiting the Sumter area, do give this restaurant a try. They serve Italian cuisine and the three different specials Denny, Melissa and I tried were all excellent. We shared an appetizer of their formaggiio bread and a bottle of Lambrusco and we all took home leftovers. The staff was friendly and helpful, the prices were reasonable and the company wonderful. Kudos to this one.

Surfside Beach (Myrtle Beach):  Eggs Up Grill, 2300 Glenn's Bay Rd. Phone (843) 650-5515  Big sign "voted Best of the Beach 2005,2006, 2007, etc."   I have to admit, we were disappointed in our breakfasts which were mediocre and slow to arrive at our table.  And expensive. (10/2010)

Golden Egg Pancake House, 415 Hwy 17 North, (843) 238-4923 Great breakfast no matter what you choose. Inexpensive, the staff is friendly, the atmosphere is pleasant. The locals eat here; they have their own coffee mugs waiting at the door. Recommended. 10/2012.

Nibil's Restaurant, 11 S. Ocean Blvd., Surfside Beach (843) 238-5080 Years ago we at lunch here and enjoyed it, this time it was breakfast which was good but not exceptional. However, this small restaurant sits on the beach and we watched dolphins swimming by in the ocean as we ate. A nice trade-off (11/2008) Edited 10/2012; Nibil's has moved.  This is now the Surf Diner.

Plantation Pancake House , 1150 Hwy 17 N., Surfside Beach (843) 238-1690 Decent breakfast, free wi-fi and it's a geocache site! (11/2007)

River City Cafe,11 N. Seaside Dr., Surfside Beach (843) 232-9797.

Thick burgers, buckets of salted peanuts on the tables and peanut shells on the floor. A great view of the ocean and great sandwiches. (11/2007)Edited 10/2012: The burgers are still huge, the staff friendly and the view of the ocean from the outside seating is great. 10/2012.

  
Surf Diner, Surfside Pier, 11 North Ocean Blvd, (843) 238-0121 Denny and I had breakfast here; he had the Chicken Fried Steak and eggs, I had the Denver Omelet. The chicken fried steak was good and tender, the eggs okay, the potatoes were frozen diced fried potatoes, not hash browns. My Denver omelet had a lot of good cheddar cheese and veggies inside, but the omelet itself was cooked brown, which I hate. The waitress admitted the biscuits were frozen, but they had just come out of the oven and weren't bad at all. A couple of dollars more on the meal due to being beach-front, compared to any of the pancake houses on Business 17. (10/2012)

Surfside Jenny's, 1013 Glenn's Bay Rd., Phone (843) 238-5366  Open for breakfast and lunch only.  This is where we usually eat breakfast when we're at Myrtle Beach. (10/2010)Edited 10/2011:  We came back again this year to find the service wasn't as fast nor was the food as good.  Still a decent meal, the furnishings are getting quite worn, but the prices are reasonable.