Binging on Bargains
By Becky Billingsley
Since January is often a time when tight budgets and a goal of healthy dining replace more luxurious holiday fare, this week MBSun.com presents choices for economical and nutritious restaurant dishes in the Myrtle Beach area.
Burger Brothers, 1518 4th Ave., Conway, 843-458-4317.
This is indeed one of the best places in the Grand Strand area to get a juicy and flavorful burger. The humble diner also has lunch and dinner buffets for $6-$8. A few dishes on the line include Meatloaf, Liver and Onions, Chicken Rice Soup, Mashed Potatoes, Beef Gravy, Green Beans, and a Taco and Nacho Bar with seasoned ground beef, black beans, cheese sauce, Spanish rice, flour and corn tortillas and nacho chips.
Island Cafe & Deli, in the Island Shops, 10683 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island, 843-237-9527.
Soups and salads are extraordinary at Island Cafe & Deli, and they're priced at $4 to $12. There are Mexican Black Bean Soup, Shrimp Salad with cottage cheese and fruit, and Aristotle's Salad where pasta is served with feta, shrimp, scallions and tomatoes in vinaigrette. Fish Tacos where fresh fish, lettuce and tomatoes are rolled in a soft tortilla wrap is another deliciously healthy choice. For dinner, there is a Monday night special when for $12 you get a pound of shrimp that can be barbecued, sauteed, broiled, boiled fried or scampi style. On Tuesday and Wednesday nights 1.25-pound Maine lobsters are $14.
Jimmyz Japanese Hibachi House, 6108 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, 843-839-8008.
Locals go to Jimmyz for some of the best hibachi meals in town. Portions are generous, and the Hibachi Salmon dinner is highly recommended. Low Carb Veggie lunch bowls, as well as fried rice and noodle lunch bowls, are all $6.50 or less.
King David: The Kosher Moroccan & Mediterranean Cafe, 1711 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, 843-712-2507.
Entrees can get pricey at this restaurant, but you can't go wrong with soups, salads, appetizers, side dishes and pita sandwiches, which are all less than $10. A few healthy favorites include Stuffed Grape Leaves, Tabouleh, Hummus, Falafel, Baba Ghanoush, Marrakech Pita, Moroccan Lentil Soup and Lebanese Salad. The Turkish coffee is excellent, and there's a full bar.
Nacho Hippo, 1160 Farrow Parkway, The Market Common, Myrtle Beach, 843-839-9770.
The full bar with $3 Margaritas made with freshly squeezed juice is one attraction at Nacho Hippo, but this hip and funky eatery also has several internationally inspired tacos for $4 and less. Taco fillings include tuna, Korean barbecue, tempura lobster and Thai red curry chicken.
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Paradise Pancake and Omelet House, 1201 S. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, 843-448-5600.
Local pancake houses are often overlooked as lunch choices, but most of them stay open through lunch and offer daily specials. At Paradise Pancake there are daily $6 lunch specials such as soup of the day plus a sandwich or salad. Other lunch choices ($3.75-$8) include Egg Salad Sandwich, burgers, Chicken Philly, club sandwiches, Chef Salad and Greek Salad with grilled chicken breast.
Redi-et Ethiopian Cuisine, 746 Main St., Myrtle Beach, 843-238-2879.
The food at Redi-et isn't cheap, but it isn't expensive either, especially considering how much food you get. If you're in the mood for an exotic and healthy meal, you will love choices such as Kik Kei Wat (green split peas cooked with onions, garlic, and ginger root, seasoned with red chili pepper powder and spices) and Yegel Tibs, where lean beef cubes are cooked in a clay pot with onion, tomato, bell pepper, spiced Ethiopian butter, rosemary and seasoning. Most dishes are placed on a large platter topped with Injera, which is a flat bread with the spongy consistency of a thick crepe. No silverware is offered; you tear off a piece of Injera and use it to scoop up the food.
Sweet Frog, 254 U.S. 17, Surfwood Plaza, North Myrtle Beach, 843-663-3456.
All the treats at this self-serve frozen yogurt shop are made with non-fat frozen yogurt, and there are also sorbets and sugar-free frozen yogurt options. Dozens of toppings can add calories, but the price is easy on the wallet at 39.9 cents per ounce.
TBonz Gill & Grill, 1169 Seaboard St., Myrtle Beach, 843-946-7111.
A daily $5 lunch special from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. will leave you wondering how they afford to offer so much food for so little money. Choices include Chicken Club Salad, Prime Rib Sandwich with a side, Blackened Tilapia over rice with tropical fruit salsa and a side, Patty Melt and a side, Taco Bowl, and Crab Cake Sandwich and a side. The side dishes are Red Skin Potato Salad, Black Beans and Rice, Summer Succotash, Apple Walnut Cole Slaw, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Idaho Baked Potato, Seasoned Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Flash Fried Brussels Sprouts and Sauteed Mushroom and Onions.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 201 Graduate Rd., Conway, 843-234-5670.
Whether you're in the mood for a zesty breakfast wrap with salsa and pepperjack cheese, a Turkey Guacamole sandwich or a fresh fruit smoothie made with non-fat yogurt, you'll get a healthy meal for less than $10.
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