Beach Blog Restaurant Spotlight - Calico Jack’s: Restaurateur Legend Reinvents Genre
By Becky Billingsley
When longtime restaurateur Ed Cribb opened Calico Jack's in November 2008, locals knew it would be something to talk about because Cribb has been giving diners intriguing restaurants for almost 50 years.
Ed Cribb was 18 years old in 1960, and he lived in Georgetown on his family's farm. But as 18-year-olds will do he left the farm and, with his friend Clebe McClary, went a little north to Murrells Inlet to work at the venerable Oliver's Lodge restaurant. He liked the restaurant work so much he worked there throughout his college years and beyond, and even lived upstairs at Oliver's Lodge for eight years.
In those days seafood platters were $1.75, and shrimp and flounder sold for 30 cents a pound.
Ed and his former wife, Jean Cribb, built their own restaurant called Chesapeake House in the Myrtle Beach area now known as Restaurant Row. Back then it was mostly an expanse of farm land, but when it opened in 1968 diners flocked there. Since then Ed has opened and worked at more than 15 coastal restaurants including The Channel Marker, Drunken Jack's, Gulfstream Café, New York Prime and Aspen Grille.
Calico Jack's is his latest dining adventure, and it is an extremely stylish and classy pirate-theme restaurant. You won't see servers with striped shirts or eye patches, and there is not a parrot in sight.
Calico Jack's is at the North Myrtle Beach site of the old Santa Fe Station restaurant, and while most of Santa Fe Station was torn down and removed, its roomy kitchen was retained and a gorgeous new restaurant was built around it.
The dining areas are in a U-shape around the kitchen. The left side of the U is a spacious bar, while the right side and part of the U's front are lined with booths and filled with tables. The ceilings are high and contain deep-welled skylights, and exterior walls have large windows. Ship flags hang jauntily from the ceiling cross-beams.
Sunny dining areas glow with the handsome cypress wood paneling the walls and ceiling. The décor has both a modern and a nostalgic feel to it, exemplified by tiny dramatic track spot lights and by wall-mounted lighting that offers the effect of small-town gas lampposts.
Tables are topped with black granite and ringed with a rich, maple-colored wood. The floor is laid with natural black stone tiles measuring three feet across, and chairs are black Shaker-style.
The overall effect is an elegantly breezy casual décor with an understated stylishness. It is easy to imagine you're in the hull of a ship, but this is much nicer than any pirate ship, unless it was a current-day pirate living the life of luxury with his own reality television show.
The menu is also a bit nostalgic with time-honored favorites like fried seafood dinners. Fans of Ed Cribb's years at New York Prime will be pleased to know Calico Jack's has Slow-Roasted Prime Rib (a 10-ounce portion is $17.95), and steaks including New York Strip, Ribeye, Sirloin and Filet Mignon. Many people add a Crab Cake to their steak order.
Kitchen Manager Alexandria Williams and cook Ashlee Moore also offer moderately priced contemporary choices. Sandwiches include the Hawaiian Farmer with ham, grilled pineapple and Monterey Jack; Grilled Salmon on a French baguette; Spicy Beef Wrap with prime rib, poblano pepper mayonnaise, Cheddar and sweet pepper relish; and Shrimp Quesadilla.
Some diners may make meals out of appetizers like Blazen' Shrimp, Fried Crab Cocktail Claws with Cajun Remoulade, Salmon Won Tons or Shrimp and Potato Chowder, and there are seven salad choices including Salmon Salad, Shrimp and Spinach, Chinese Chicken, and Caesar with Shrimp and Oysters.
Chicken entrees include Smothered Chicken and Barbecue Chicken, and several seafood specialties such as Lobster Pie: "A rich and creamy blend of lobster, crab and Monterey Jack cheese topped with breadcrumbs, then baked to perfection." Island Dorado features grilled Mahi-Mahi with mango barbecue sauce and mango salsa, and classic favorites include Pesto Salmon and Baby Back Ribs.
Calico Jack's is at 1101 N. Kings Hwy. in North Myrtle Beach, and the number is (843) 249-4499.
i AM TRYING TO MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR 40 PEOPLE AND YOUR PHONE IS DISCONNECTED..ARE YOU OPEN??
We have a gift certificate to Calico Jacks. When will they reopen or can we use it at another restaurant.