 Hundreds of people showed up at a restaurant's ribbon cutting March 29th and thought they were celebrating the 4th of July. American Steak & Oyster Bar set off culinary fireworks from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. in front of a excited and hungry crowd. And, if you want to experience Independence Day throughout the year, this restaurant serves the food that'll bring those familiar smells and tastes you've come to enjoy. But, before we get to the food, I must tell you about their patriotic way of giving back to the community. At the end of each meal, American Steak & Oyster Bar gives its guests a silver dollar to donate to their choice of one of our featured local charities. An American flag that was flown over the United States Capitol hangs above our donation tubes in honor of first responders, veterans, and the community of Murrells Inlet.  How sweet is that? They plan on changing charities from time to time to spread the caring and love to as many as they can. Look, this place even has red, white and blue mascots. Would be cool if they brought out the dishes from time to time. Speaking of dishes, let's get to the grub. Want more photos? Go visit their website by clicking the button below or their name hyperlinked in the story.  We visited the recently opened Hayashi Sushi, located at 5341 Highway 17, Unit G, H, and found ourselves to be the only customers there for a while. The reason for this, however, is the secret isn't out. Yet. Formerly known as Charlie's Studio Cafe, this place now has a husband-and-wife team crafting fresh, picture-perfect sushi rolls to order. Sorry, there's no hibachi here. Straight sushi menu. But as you will see, these offerings are superb and worth your dining in for the night. Or lunch. They offer their satisfying creations from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For appetizers, we had the Gyoza (deep fried pork dumplings served with gyoza sauce) and the Money Bag (cheese, crab meat and vegetable wrapped in wonton skin, deep fried with sweet chili sauce). Both were fresh, fried perfectly and tasted great. The sushi roll menu is extensive. There's something for every sushi lover here. Our choices were Tuna Roll, Alaska Roll (salmon, avocado, cucumber), Philadelphia Roll (smoked salmon, avocado, cream cheese), California Roll (crab stick, avocado, cucumber), Foxy Lady Roll (spicy tuna, avocado, topped with tuna, served with chef's special sauce), Volcano Roll (tuna, salmon, yellowtail, crab meat and avocado inside and chef's special sauce on top), Samurai Roll (salmon, tuna and yellowtail topped with avocado) and the Rainbow Roll (tuna, white fish, salmon, white tuna and avocado on top of a California Roll). These rolls were presented in fine detail and came in two portions, the biggest presented in a "Titanic" sized ship. Enjoy the photos and stop by. You'll enjoy the tastes and the service. And then the secret will be out. 
You have to drive straight to where the water meets the end of Wachesaw Road in Murrells Inlet to find Deck 383. But, you'll relate it to finding the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Owners Craig and Ariane Lieberman have had to bounce back from extensive flooding in September of last year. You can see by the video they received a lot of water.
True to form, however, Deck 383 came back stronger than ever.
We were fortunate to dine in on a slow night due to the cold temperature. Ariane said the night before saw a huge crowd. Their loss. We enjoyed some great dishes. We had their Keel Hauled Wings (10 Applewood smoked jumbo wings, fried to a golden, crispy brown, tossed in your choice of traditional Buffalo sauce, Thai chili, BBQ, Teriyaki or Garlic Parmesan) and the Waccamaw Fry (A generous portion of our all natural French fries smothered in rich brown scratch gravy and topped with delectable hickory smoked pork belly) as appetizers. Loved both. Make sure you get the cheese added to the Waccamaw Fry. It makes a huge difference. We got one with and without to show the difference. The first top entree we enjoyed was The Big Water Burger (which is a one half pound custom grind of chuck, short rib and brisket cooked to your liking. or a portabella mushroom for the veggie lovers). Served naked or on a brioche bun. Added the avocado and caramelized onions. So good. The second was the Decked Out Pig, a fried pork tenderloin on a toasted brioche bun with fried green tomato and our lemon pesto aioli. Loved the fry on the tenderloin. Not overdone. The aioli was perfect. Here's some more photos of what we had and urge you all to go check out the renovated and revitalized Deck 383. You'll love the warm welcome and good food.  Drunken Jack's Crab Cake/Cajun fried Shrimp/Fire Roasted Corn and Peppers with Remoulade Sauce This year's Taste of the Marshwalk was held Saturday and Sunday, January 26 and 27, and brought out a huge amount of people both days. Also held during the event was the 3rd Annual Bloody Mary Showdown at The MarshWalk sponsored by Tito’s Vodka. Here are a few photos from that Saturday's portion of the event.  Catfish Johnny's Shrimp & Grits  Fried Catfish from Catfish Johnny's New restaurant to the Marshwalk Catfish Johnny's had an increasingly significant crowd at their location due to the shrimp & grits and fried catfish. They took over the location formally known as Capt. Dave's Dockside. Their "original buffet on the Marshwalk" has been a huge hit amongst locals and tourists alike.  Dead Dog Saloon's Fried Shrimp and Grit Balls  Dead Dog Saloon's She Crab Soup kept people cozy and warm Local favorite Dead Dog Saloon offered their famous she crab soup and tender bites, but the fried shrimp and grit balls stole the show. As I was taking photos in the 10 minutes I was at their location, they brought out at least five refills of the cherished golden tastes. It was a real crowd pleaser.  Wicked Tuna's Crawfish Mac & Cheese  Wicked Tuna's Sushi Rolls The Wicked Tuna also saw huge crowds flock for their creative sushi rolls as usual, but the award-winning crawfish mac & cheese wowed, too. Flavored well and excellent portions of crawfish made the taste worthy of any award that day.  The Claw House's Shrimp and Artichoke Bruschetta  Considered the sleeper that day, The Claw House's shrimp and artichoke bruschetta quickly awoken those who had it, and in return, told others to come grab it. People also enjoyed their clam chowder.  Creek Ratz's Mahi Mahi Tacos  Applying cocktail sauce to the Creek Ratz's Fried Shrimp was a frequent sight. Offering a fried and grilled version, the mahi mahi tacos from Creek Ratz were flying out as fast as they could prepare the fish. People could sauce their tacos as they liked, but the flavors for some were more than enough. Their fried shrimp was also a huge hit.  Bloody Mary offerings Here's a shot of one of many bloody mary offerings. Each restaurant had their own version of the world-known drink. This year's winner was Creek Ratz.  Drunken Jack's BBQ Pork Slider with Slaw  Drunken Jack's famous Hush Puppies - or Fried Gold Drunken Jack's offered their version of a crab cake (pictured above) and a BBQ pork slider to compliment their famous hush puppies with honey butter. That's right, compliment. Those hush puppies are to die for and the long lines proved it. But, people grabbed the sliders, too, and were super pleased. The crab cake was a huge hit as well.  Bovine's BBQ Baby Back Ribs  Getting ready to serve up some Bovine's Pork loin Gumbo Walking towards the end of the Marshwalk, Bovine's was drawing people with their BBQ baby back ribs and pork loin gumbo. The ribs were a huge favorite and the gumbo was a great compliment offering. They also served hush puppies.  Sadly, I was not able to get to Wahoo's Fish House due to time constraints. I sincerely apologize to them for not snapping a few photos of their offerings, but I heard from a few people there the fried flounder was awesome. Here are more photos below of Saturday's portion of the event.  You might have noticed the sign while driving by in Murrells Inlet. Have you stopped in, though? Salt Water Creek Cafe is serving up some good food on a daily basis since 2008. Located at 4660 Highway 17 Bypass, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576 and looking small, don't let the size fool you. Flavors cannot be contained. Let's learn more. Locally owned! Salt Water Creek Cafe is an "upscale casual" dining experience. A family friendly restaurant operated by Keith Wolff, former operating partner of the Gulf Stream Cafe and present operating partner of the Wolff family of six. Here are some restaurant-provided photos below to entice further into coming by. Enjoy.  This one is just a bit outside Georgetown County, but damn well worth the mention on Georgetown Foodland. And, yes, you can blame your gut on them. Open since May 2018, Beer Belly Deli Owners Jason Keefer, Jeremy Keefer and Bryan Kaufman have been slinging out fresh deli sandwiches with their unique touch. Jason and Jeremy are brothers and they'll be familiar to you if you have patronized O'Keefe's Irish Pub. The deli is located at 830 Inlet Square Drive in Murrells Inlet, right beside the pub. Jason told me he wanted a nonsmoking restaurant to compliment the pub. With Beer Belly Deli, he accomplished that and more. The decor is clean and trendy. Really cool people running the show and construction the craft sandwiches. I had them build my own. The roasted pork on toasted white bread with BBQ sauce, honey mustard sauce and a slice of Swiss cheese hit the mark. The "Get in my Belly" is a corn beef craft sandwich and is what flavortown would die for! Guy Fieri, I honestly enjoyed each bite knowing you'd be jealous (hint: You really need to check this out). Boar's Head is the only meat they use and their touch makes it shine. Jason came across as a passionate dude about his deli and where he'd like to see it; Georgetown. Whether it be in the city, Pawleys Island, Andrews, he has his eye on expanding the concept. Much love to you folks at Beer Belly Deli. Got a real awesome gig going. Folks, these sandwiches are fresh, made to order and will most definitely pack the weight on you. Portion sizes are excellent. Go by and tell'em we sent you.    What a way to end 2018. Mike Zalloum at Uncle Mikey's Pizza in Murrells Inlet treated guests not only to his speediness in getting pizza out, but to a buffet offering of spaghetti with meatballs, lasagna and chicken alfredo. It was all you could eat, too! The $45 special for two included a bottle of Mercer wine and dessert. The dining room was packed with people ringing in the new year. A great time was had by all. Here are some photos capturing the moments from the last night of 2018. Enjoy.  Stuffed Flounder Here are photos from the dinner at Woodland Creek Grille in Murrells Inlet, S.C. They are located at 4891 on US 17 Business. Click the buttons below the photo slideshow for their Facebook page and website. Here's a little about them. Woodland Creek Grille is one of just a few restaurants in the area that offers Wood Fired Steaks cooked to order as well as fresh local seafood. The woodfired grill utilizes a mixture of hickory, pecan and cherry hardwoods, with this unique combination we obtain our signature flavors. Enjoy the photos below! Tell them Georgetown Foodland sent you when you visit!  We were invited to a chef's choice dinner at Luna Mexican Bar & Grill over the weekend by Chef Armando Cobian. Needless to say, it did not disappoint! Chef Armando has diligently been crafting his technique for years. The masterpieces of tasteful greatness showed he'd not been procrastinating! Dish after dish led you wondering and anticipating what was next with a slight drool and gazing stare. It was a splendid trance to be in. We were literally were taken to Mexico on this food adventure at Luna! Here's a little background on Chef Armando.
Enjoy the photos the below as much as we enjoyed the tastes! Chef's works of art should be enjoyed by everyone! Go visit Luna Mexican Bar & Grill at 4450 US-17 D7 in Murrells Inlet today and tell'em Georgetown Foodland sent you!  Yes! It is Cinco de Mayo! And what better place to celebrate than LUNA Mexican Bar and Grill! We can say we celebrated their very first Cinco de Mayo with them! Alas, we were not the only ones! Dozens of people were seated for a pleasant dinner when we arrived and an hour later there was a 30-45 minute wait. The word had gotten out! Awesome food and awesome service. The photos will tell the story. From Steak Quesadillas to Chicken Fajitas to Mini Chimichangas aka mini chimis, the food was elegantly prepared! The guacamole was freshly prepared tableside! Chef Armando, his kitchen staff and the house staff all were in sync. Our server Gavin was truly on point! Thanks... and enjoy the views! The tastes were hermosa!  It's not hard to find this quaint pizza place in Murrells Inlet. If you roll your windows down after you pass Lee's Inlet Kitchen, you can hear the good times and laughter as they lead you in. When you arrive and walk inside, it's feels you've been away from family members for a long time. Owner Mike Zalloum, or Uncle Mikey, welcomes you in with a big smile and warm handshake. It really feels like you've been missed! And he's been missed, too. Uncle Mikey's Pizza closed for a brief period, leaving many people on the Inlet wondering where to get good pizza. He answered that question in early April of this year by reopening. And I finally had the chance to meet him and enjoy the food coming out of that exciting kitchen. The Shrimp Scampi pizza is made with fresh shrimp and a white garlic sauce. I was weary at first about the shrimp, but the blends of flavor really make this pizza one to try. It was so good! I also had the Philly Cheese Steak pizza. And as Uncle Mikey shows it off, you can see how good it looked. It tasted even better, if that's possible. The Shrimp Alfredo was creamy and fresh. One of the best around. To tell you it was a pleasure to meet this man would be an understatement. You rarely meet people so dedicated to their craft and passionate in pleasing customers with top quality food. It seems every creation has heart and soul poured in amongst the flour and sauce. Hey, he's no pushover. This multiple award-winning chef has some flair! You can hear and see the Boston in this scrappy Sicilian! Uncle Mikey is the long lost family member waiting to welcome you back home with some cold drinks and a fresh, warm pizza! Go and see him and his crew today.  My family and I chose to have my birthday celebration dinner at Lee's Inlet Kitchen this weekend. Pretty outstanding choice. I finally met in person who'd I been helping promote for years. Owner Kelly Lee Dorman and her daughter Adrian were such a pleasure. We were treated like family. The food was great. Their award winning shrimp & grits is very flavorful and filling, even as an appetizer. You'll see by the photos just how the plates overflow with items. You really get your money's worth here, not only in taste, but service as well. THE CANNEY FAMILY IS ORIGINALLY FROM ROANOKE, VA. AFTER 24 YEARS IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, THEY DECIDED IT WAS TIME FOR JOHN TO PURSUE HIS DREAM OF OPENING HIS OWN BUSINESS. |
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