New hibachi place coming near Myrtle Beach area in building once used by Big E’s buffet
A new Asian-influenced restaurant will open in the former Big E’s Country Buffet and Seafood building, now vacant after the family restaurant shut down last year.
Chef Laura’s Seafood, Steak and Hibachi will open at 1250 E S.C. 9, Longs, later this spring, said owner Laura Smith. The restaurant will serve Southern food, such as steak sandwiches and fried chicken, along with hibachi.
Smith plans to add sushi and Asian cuisines to its offerings at a later date.
The restaurant will serve a lunch buffet, a full lunch and dinner menu and daily specials.
Smith began working in the restaurant industry after she moved to the United States from Indonesia in 1991. She owns Indo Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar in Socastee and sells a line of sauces, including ponzu, ceviche and her signature “Bootie Hole” hot sauce.
The Myrtle Beach-area chef decided to open a new restaurant in Longs when she saw the space available.
“Everything came together and fell into place,” Smith said. “I believe God and Jesus helped me find this place.”
The building used to home Big E’s Country Buffet and Seafood until the eatery closed last fall after a controversy with the neighborhood across the highway, The Sun News previously reported.
In the summer of 2024, the restaurant began playing loud music late into the night, serving alcohol without proper approval and built a deck without permits. This led to the permanent closure of the restaurant. Neighbors told The Sun News they would support Big E’s as long as it stopped blaring music until after midnight.
The property owner has remained the same and he will rent the space to Smith for her Chef Laura’s Seafood, Steak and Hibachi, according to Smith and Horry County land records. Smith said she plans to close the restaurant at 10 p.m. and will not play loud music.
Smith is excited to share her hibachi with the Longs area, saying her marinades set her apart.
“My hibachi is so different from everyone else’s,” Smith said. “I hear so many compliments about my hibachi.”
