Cheesecake Factory? Myrtle Beach residents want one — and these other restaurants
We get it. Cheesecake Factory has so many options — all in one place. The restaurant is not unlike Myrtle Beach itself, which has more eateries per capita than Paris and New York City.
Yet, despite the rapid growth of Myrtle Beach’s restaurant scene, it still lacks a Cheesecake Factory. The nearest location is in Charlotte, and the only location in South Carolina is in Greenville, the literal opposite end of the state.
The Sun News asked readers what restaurants they wish the Grand Strand had but still lacks. By far, the top answer was Cheesecake Factory. It’s an iconic staple of chain-restaurant culture, just like how Myrtle Beach is an iconic staple of East Coast beach life. It only makes sense to marry the two together.
“Definitely Cheesecake Factory. PLEASE! Always a crowd pleaser,” Melanie Yannuzzi said in response to The Sun News’ poll.
“Cheesecake Factory. That is my go-to restaurant when traveling and there is one where I am at. I go there because I miss it and LOVE their food,” Monica Howard said in response to the poll.
Here’s what else people said. Because there was so much variety in what people would like to see, restaurants offering similar types of food have been grouped together. (However, no, we are not saying that White Castle and In-n-Out are “the same.”)
“No more….too many ……”
Yep, the second most popular answer for what restaurants locals would like to see was some iteration of “none,” “we have enough” and “we have to many now.” We do have a lot of places to eat already. (There’s a seemingly endless number of breakfast places and IHOP knockoffs).
“None I like the independent restaurants,” Sherrie Glensky said in response to the poll.
When you look around, yes, Myrtle Beach has a lot of restaurants. But many people feel the restaurant scene lacks variety in the types of food on menus. That’s what the rest of the locals who responded to us want.
Burgers
People want White Castle. Apologies to the Midwest, but Myrtle Beach is not yet the land of royalty. The nearest location is hundreds of miles away in Kentucky.
“Frozen Castles just aren’t as good as fresh off the grill,” a reader named George said in response to the poll.
Another reader, Patricia Callahan, felt even more strongly that Myrtle Beach “needs WHITE CASTLE.”
Others lobbied for In-N-Out. The nearest location for the California-based burger chain is in Texas. That’s because the company relies on having all fresh ingredients, so the restaurants need to be within 300 miles of the company’s distribution centers that do the initial food prep.
Italian
Poll respondents asked for Maggiano’s Little Italy and Buca di Beppo (the nearest location for each is Charlotte) and Macaroni Grill (nearest location is Harrisburg, Tennessee).
“Maggianos Little Italy, there’s no better Italian food anywhere. Buca di Beppo cuz it’s fun to say and good food. Macaroni Grill because how tf does MB not have one of those? Best chicken Marsala I’ve ever put in my mouth,” Kirby Wilmont said in response to the poll.
Texas chains
Not a restaurant — technically — but Alamo Drafthouse got a shout-out in the poll. The Austin-based movie theater is known for its good food, themed movie nights and a strict no talking or cell phones policy.
William Korthals noted Houston-based Pappadeaux has “really good cajun.” The business is also part of a family of restaurants that offer BBQ, fine dining and Tex-Mex.
Lastly, one reader said they wished Myrtle Beach had a Chuy’s. The Austin-based Tex-Mex chain has dozens of locations in Texas, but the nearest restaurant to Myrtle Beach is — once again — in Charlotte.
Fast-casual
When Myrtle Beach lost K&W Cafeteria, many locals were heartbroken. And now they want it to come back. One of the restaurant’s Myrtle Beach locations had been serving locals and visitors for nearly 36 years before closing in 2018.
“K&W. There are a large group of retirees and non retirees that prefer a meal instead of fast food. The prices (were) good and the food was great,” Cathy Beck said in response to the poll.
Other readers wished Myrtle Beach had Jason’s Deli, a soup, salad and sandwich chain (nearest location Charleston). Many also asked for Boston Market, which serves up great Thanksgiving dinners and is known for its rotisserie chicken. The nearest Boston Market location is in Fayetteville, N.C.
“Boston Market - great, quick comfort food dinner for the family,” Catrine Giery said in response to the poll.
As for other poll responses, first honorable mention goes to reader Hope Faley.
“Please FOCUS on healthy ventures, groups, and food there. Our people need it,” Faley said in response to the poll.
Myrtle Beach does have a lot of restaurants, but it also has a noticeable scarcity of “health-food” businesses like salad, smoothie and juice bars. And while many restaurants have vegetarian and even vegan options available (sometimes buried) on their menus, few have specific focuses on food meeting the requirements of those diets.
Other notable shout-outs go to Bahama Breeze (perfect for the beach, honestly), Tim Horton’s (we can sense y’all Canadians asked for this) and California Pizza Kitchen (everyone needs more pizza). Several readers also want Myrtle Beach to have more Greek food options, more traditional New York delis and more non-buffet Chinese food.
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 10:30 AM.
