FOODIE FIX: THE SUNDOWN, SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C. REVIEW

Jonathan and I got the rare opportunity to travel for a few days of Labor Day weekend to Surfside Beach, South Carolina. After failing to find a parking space on the beach to have one last dip in the ocean before heading home, we decided to stop off at lunch at The Surfside, which was a pub and eatery just up the road from the beach access.

Before we get into this, please remember that these reviews are honest and not paid for in any way. I want to help you decide if you should try or steer clear from restaurants wherever you may be traveling. Let's get started.

THE SUNDOWN NACHOS

Once we were seated, our waitress informed us that Sunday's were $6.99 appetizer days, so we decided to take advantage of the promotion by trying one of our favorite types of appetizers: nachos.

These were usually more than $10, so I was surprised when they came out looking more like what you'd find at a football game or tailgating party. Don't get me wrong, it was good. But it tastes exactly how I described it: high school football nachos with the cheese and chili. It was a bit nostalgic, but wouldn't have been worth the $10 it originally costs, so I'm glad we tried it when the appetizers were on sale. 

THE SUNDOWN ORIGINAL BURGER

I opted for a simple burger for my lunch. It was pretty affordable, costing only about $9 for my plate of food. You could customize your cheese and add the toppings you wanted. My only issue with my meal was the onions. They were raw, which is somewhat typical, but were very thickly cut, so I just ended up taking them off completely. The fries were the standout. They were crispy and delightful!

THE PHILLY CHEESESTEAK

According to Jonathan, who opted for the philly cheesesteak with onion rings, said the sandwich was OK, but didn't stand out to him.  The onion rings were nice and crunchy, though, and the onion didn't trail out when you bit into it like some do. However, the breading on that could have been seasoned more, as well. 

OTHER FACTORS

One really big thing that stood out to us about this place was the fact that everything, from your drink to your meal, was served on styrofoam plates and in styrofoam cups. For Jonathan, it was weird. He understood that COVID brings some issues, but several other places used regular plates and cups. In fact, he said he felt the added cups and plates would cost the restaurant more.

I think there is something about the use of these that cheapen the brand of this restaurant. If the food was stand out, I think it would have been a different story. I will say that there was a framed article about a "local restaurant burning down," so maybe they were just getting re-booted and lost some things in a fire. That's unconfirmed though. 

With all of that being said, it was a bar. We didn't have any drinks, but that certainly was the main appeal most people had to this place. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Jonathan said that this was an average food experience with elevated prices. This may be because of the closeness the bar had to the beach. For me, I would have to agree. For those three items and two drinks, we ended up paying $40 plus a tip. Sadly, I'd recommend trying something other than this venue if you visit Surfside Beach. This day was a kind of "go with the flow" say, so we just went where the traffic took us. If you try a great restaurant in Surfside, let us know. I'm sure we will be back in the future!