Baja Grill & Bar: Approachable Bistro
By Becky Billingsley
You know a new restaurant is hot when you're already planning what you'll eat on your next visit before ordering anything for the current visit.
Baja Grill & Bar has been open less than two months, but already it is becoming one of the hottest new underground dining spots in Myrtle Beach. I say "underground" because of its tucked-away location behind a gas station at the corner of Kings Highway and 16th Avenue North. If you didn't know it was there, you probably wouldn't find it.
Baja Grill is in the former Mr. Pit/Marti's/Dawg Eat Dawg. Not a lot of remodeling has happened, but the change in ambiance from Dawg Eat Dawg to Baja Grill is astounding. Where before it was pretty much a working Joe's bar, now it is an approachable little bistro without the usual bistro pretensions.
Tables are dressed in black linens under glass, and napkins are wide heavy-duty paper. The space has subtle beach flair with a surfboard here and a bit of tiki thatch there, but it isn't cheesy or tacky.
If you want to just chat with your dining companions, choose a table on the pleasantly cool and elevated dining area overlooking the bar. Or you might prefer to sit at the roomy bar to eat and watch Chef Proprietor Joe O'Shell create his culinary treats, which are Southern California influenced with South Carolina twists.
Chef O'Shell and his wife, Elizabeth O'Shell, are a recently married young couple who met while they were both working at Aspen Grille in Myrtle Beach. Baja Grill is the first restaurant they have owned, and they are scoring big points with local foodies for a unique concept executed extremely well.
On my first visit I had Shrimp and Sweet Potato Tostadas: two crispy tortilla boats filled with grilled and spicily seasoned shrimp, diced sweet potato, cucumber, pico de gallo and jalapeno sour cream. That sour cream is outstanding – it cools and burns at the same time.
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Also on that visit I checked out two desserts: Bananas Brulee, which is an awesome chocolate/caramelized twist on Bananas Foster; and Cheesecake Chimichangas, which have house-made cheesecake filling in a fried tortilla crust. Big yums for both of them.
On visit No. 2 I tried the house specialty appetizer: Baja Rolls. These crispy and fat little rolls are stuffed with seasoned chicken, spinach, black beans, garlic, sweet onions, bell peppers, Cheddar cheese and green chilies, and they're served with a side of that jalapeno sour cream.
For our entrees my dining companion – a chef – had the Fish Tacos. She ate every bite and made several comments about how delicious they were. I had the Seared Tuna Salad, which is an enormous serving of seared yellow fin tuna on a bed of mixed greens, tomato, avocado, red onion and mango, served with house-made mango vinaigrette. I took half the salad home.
We shared a dessert of Margarita Cheesecake. My friend said she only wanted a bite, but after a taste of the light cheese filling with a kiss of citrus twang, and the graham/nut crust, she decided she needed her full half.
The rest of the menu isn't extensive but is full of pleasantly spicy choices such as house-made Jalapeno Poppers served with Chipotle Ranch dressing; the Green Chili Burger with chipotle mayo; and fries smothered with chili and cheese. You can get a beer to curb the heat; there are a handful of domestics and imports.
Tired of your same old same old chicken bowl from the neighborhood Chinese hole in the wall? Baja Grill kicks life back into the concept with rice bowls where you can get blackened or grilled chicken, shrimp or fish; or grilled or glazed veggies or steak. In addition to the protein (or just veggies) the bowls are filled with cilantro lime rice, black beans and pico de gallo.
Six other entrees in addition to the tostadas are Chile Rellenos, Soft Tacos (a friend gave these high marks), Smothered Burrito (my friend's husband loved it), Quesadilla and Chimichanga.
Vegetarians get three entrees beside that veggie rice bowl: Smothered Potato Burrito, Smothered Veggie Burrito and Goat Cheese Quesadilla with spinach, red bell peppers and "deviled" walnuts.
Baja Grill & Bar is at 504 16th Ave. N. in Myrtle Beach, and the number is 843-213-1551. The kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and the bar is open later.
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