Food & Drink

Here are 4 of the best hidden gems in the Myrtle Beach area, according to our readers

Good Day Cafe in Surfside Beach Wednesday morning.
Good Day Cafe in Surfside Beach Wednesday morning. jbell@thesunnews.com

Myrtle Beach is jam-packed with popular stores and restaurants, but locals boast the quality of some of the potentially overlooked establishments in the area.

The Sun News conducted a non-scientific poll in hopes of finding the best hidden gems in Horry County, and our readers delivered.

From pizza joints to cafes, here are the results.

Best hidden gems near Myrtle Beach

Athens Pizza, 5419 Dick Pond Road in Myrtle Beach

Athens Pizza offers Italian and Greek food in the Socastee area of Horry County. Myrtle Beach has its fair share of pizza restaurants, but Athens Pizza “gets my vote for best crust,” wrote Holly Roesing.

Good Day Cafe, 357 US-17 Business in Surfside Beach

Surfside Beach’s Good Day Cafe is known for its bubble tea and power bowls. The expansive menu also includes vegan options in addition to sandwiches, salads, soups and wraps. According to Sun News reader Joseph Sheehy, Good Day Cafe is home to not only a great staff, but also the “best homemade chips ever.”

Sam’s Southern Eatery will open this month in Wichita.
Sam’s Southern Eatery will open this month in Wichita. Julie Mah The Wichita Eagle

Sam’s Southern Eatery, 2635 US-701 in Conway

Sam’s Southern Eatery is a staple in Conway, but people near the beach may have overlooked it in the past.

The restaurant is a classic southern spot, serving traditional favorites such as fried green tomatoes and po’ boy sandwiches. Ask Carol Cleaver-Hesser, and she’ll recommend the shrimp dinner.

“Not only (does) it taste good, it is plentiful and (at a) good price,” she wrote.

A dish at Sun City Cafe in downtown Myrtle Beach.
A dish at Sun City Cafe in downtown Myrtle Beach.

Sun City Cafe, 801 Main Street in Myrtle Beach

Located in the heart of Myrtle Beach, the Sun City Cafe is something of a local hangout.

The appetizer menu is complete with a variety dips while entrees include tacos, burritos and vegetarian options.

One Sun News reader complimented the business’ “fun atmosphere and great service.”

See the full results to our poll below.

This story was originally published February 28, 2022 at 1:20 PM.

Mary Norkol
The Sun News
Mary Norkol covers education and COVID-19 for The Sun News through Report for America, an initiative which bolsters local news coverage. She joined The Sun News in June 2020 after graduating from Loyola University Chicago, where she was editor-in-chief of the Loyola Phoenix. Norkol has won awards in podcasting, multimedia reporting, in-depth reporting and feature reporting from the South Carolina Press Association and the Illinois College Press Association. While in college, she reported breaking news for the Daily Herald and interned at the Chicago Sun-Times and CBS Chicago.
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