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Golf trip to Myrtle - need restaurant recommendations

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JBryan:
My family used to have a place in Cherry Grove (N. Myrtle). Back then, Cherry Grove was 10 miles from anything called Myrtle Beach and it was a quiet, kinda dull beach with 2 piers and an inlet for spear fishing (mostly flounder) and crabs.

We discovered a place called 'Jack's Seafood' and it was an adventure just finding it. Tucked about a mile down a sandy road, the restaurant was built over the river on a dock full of smelly fishing and shrimp boats - I can still recall the odor. The place itself wouldn't remotely get past today's food inspector and the last time we ventured to the place, it had a hand-written sign stating 'Closed due to sickness'... not very comforting but I wasn't shocked either.

As a kid, I had walked past the 'Jack's' sign at the fish monger's shop (another smell that never leaves my memory) many times on my way to the pier and I finally convinced my folks to give it a try. All-You-Can-Eat for $4.99 had that effect on my mom and while the place gave everyone else the creeps, it became a must-stop for my mom and I (much to the others' chagrin). Like many A-Y-C-E deals in the area back then, you paid as you walked in the door and sat down at large picnic tables and benches with whomever could fit. There was no menu but a chalkboard by the door listed all the seafood choices and sides. Back then, oysters were only available in season (months containing an 'R') so we mostly avoided the place during the summer. There was the usual - shrimp, oysters, scallops, clams, crabs (deviled and steamed), fried chicken, pork ribs and a half dozen vegetable choices - all over-cooked, limp and slimy but I didn't care as I never touched the stuff. It also offered 2 or 3 fish choices which changed with the day's catch although they always seemed to have perch on the board. Of course, the waitress brought out hushpuppies, a large bowl of slaw and offered water, coffee or sweet tea (criminally SWEET!). Coke was $1 extra so I doubt they sold many.

On the table, with the tub o' butter, malted vinegar, BBQ and tabasco sauce, ketchup and the Red and White squeeze bottles of cocktail and tartar sauce was a selection of relish, horseradish and mayo. This was great because I hated most of the generic sauces and add some lemons and worchester sauce and I could make my own versions of cocktail and tartar.

So everyone at the table (family and strangers alike) ordered from the list and a few minutes later, the food arrived 'family style'. If 2 folks ordered the same thing, the item was in a large salad bowl or plate (I never saw anything resembling a salad), 3 or more orders came in an extra large cake pan and if anyone ordered steamed crabs, they just dumped a potful on the table (already covered in kraft paper). It was more seafood than I had ever seen before.. and the pile of oysters..Oh my!

As we made our way through our gluttony, the server came back to refill our drinks and take more orders. Unlike most A-Y-C-E places, you got the same amount on the next order (and the 3rd, 4th, etc...). They just kept loading up the table with food until you cried 'UNCLE' and seemed to enjoy the fact that everyone always overstuffed themselves. I guess since they pulled the food out of the water, they had a fairly low cost to factor in as long as folks showed up and in all the years I subsequently visited, I never noticed a thing that they changed about the place - even those red plastic tumblers looked like they had been around since the 50's.

Anyway, I'm sure the place has long since burned down or has been turned over to developers but I just wanted to share an old memory and suggest that with a little effort, perhaps you can still have a true 'Calabash' style experience.

rollo:
   Nice story thanks. Ya made me want some Southern fare but in NY good luck.
   Off to the store for crabs and chicken. Get out the buttermilk, Old Bay seasoning oh my !

charles

richidoo:
Very nice JBryan!

My family beaches in that same area. It's commercialized now, like everywhere, but the beaches are still beautiful!

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