Experience a taste of Brazilian feast in traditional Churrascaria fashion at Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse. Located just across 29th Avenue North from Broadway at the Beach, Rioz provides a unique tableside service like a well orchestrated ballet troop. Offering 15 different cuts of beef, pork, lamb and poultry, all grilled and seasoned to perfection, Rioz staff circles the dining room and slices your choices on your plate until you give the signal to stop. Rioz also serves excellent sushi, seafood and a salad bar that goes far beyond the traditional. Rioz also features a full-service bar with a wide selection of wines.
Recommended for Barbecue because: If you have never tried Brazilian-style barbecue, Rioz is the place to test your taste buds.
Terry's expert tip: Go Hungry! There are so many excellent offerings at Rioz you won't want to miss a bite.
The name says it all - finger-lickin' and finger-stickin' barbecue straight from the South Carolina Lowcountry. Specializing in pulled pork and baby-back ribs, Sticky Fingers provides down-home BBQ in a more modern/casual restaurant setting. Although this local chain is based in Charleston, it offers a wide range of barbecue flavors from all over the Southeast. From Memphis-style dry-rub ribs to Carolina pulled pork, BBQ lovers will find something for their taste buds at Sticky Fingers. But man can't live on barbecue alone, as much as they would love to, so Sticky Finger's also offers country-style side items like mac and cheese and collard greens.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Based in nearby Charleston, this regional chain is spreading and creating new fans throughout the South.
Terry's expert tip: Sticky Fingers sells its own house sauces, including Memphis Sweet, Carolina Mustard, Texas Spicy and Tennessee Whiskey. Take home a jar or two to give your own backyard BBQ some Sticky Fingers flavor.
The surrounding towns of Calabash and Southport are famous for their seafood, but Bart's makes sure that good North Carolina-style barbecue is also represented in the coastal region of the Carolinas. Offering smoked pork, chicken and beef smothered in the house sauce, Bart's puts on the hog for hungry customers in the community, serving as a haven for country cooking for generations. Located in a former service station building, Bart's packs them in for lunch and dinner. The smoked pork is the main draw but Bart's also serves a limited seafood menu highlighted by fried shrimp. Fresh pies and cakes are available for dessert.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Myrtle Beach BBQ-lovers will drive 30 minutes past dozens of competitors to eat at Bart's.
Terry's expert tip: The hot hushpuppies and honey-butter are the perfect starters before sinking your teeth into the meaty main dishes.
Experience a true taste of coastal South Carolina cuisine at this new Broadway at the Beach eatery. Offering fresh seafood items such as shrimp and grits and Lowcountry crab cakes, along with the Palmetto State's mainland favorite like pork barbecue and ribs, Sweet Carolina's Lowcountry Grill serves up Southern classics in the South Carolina tradition. Guests can smell the aroma of hickory and pecan wood carrying through the Broadway complex and follow their noses to the source at Sweet Carolinas. Also serving lunch, this hot spot offers sandwiches, burgers, soups and salads - all with a Lowcountry twist. Try the Fried Green Tomatoes with house-made Vidalia Onion Relish, the Seafood Bisque, the Spicy Chicken Gumbo, the Blackened Lowcountry Shrimp Wrap or the Spicy Catfish Bites.The dinner menu is more extensive, offering surf-and-turf combinations from local waters and farms, including fresh grouper and smoked beef brisket. Be sure to save room for dessert (strawberry shortcake or bread pudding) and enjoy ordering from a full bar and extensive wine list.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Broadway visitors can follow their noses to the source of the smell of hickory smoke at Sweet Carolina's.
Terry's expert tip: Ask for a seat on the covered front porch beneath the palmetto-leaf ceiling fans and enjoy a glass of sweet tea while watching the Broadway crowds walk by.
A new concept in food and beverage comes to Myrtle Beach at Fire and Smoke Gastropub, a unique experience in dining and drinking. Featuring an extensive wine list as well as a full bar and bottomless number of beer options, Fire and Smoke also offers high-end cuisine that is a far cry from traditional bar food. Specializing in grilled and smoked meats and in-house baked breads and cheeses, Fire and Smoke offers a multi-flavored menu of seafood and chops. Try the Lamb Porterhouse, the Seared Bay Sea Scallops or the Crispy Pork Belly over Mustard Greens and wash them down with the perfect compliment from the bar.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Fire and Smoke's hot-and-cold smoker create some unique barbecue flavors.
Terry's expert tip: If you love oysters, try the oyster shooter with a bloody mary slushie.
In an area that is torn between regional barbecue preferences, Hog Heaven offers Lowcountry barbecue at its best. Hog Heaven is a small, stand-alone shop on a secluded stretch of highway just north of Georgetown, and people come from miles around the check out this unique eatery. A popular dinner buffet has been added and features country cooking and seafood in addition to tasty barbecue. Families gather around the picnic tables and feast on the smoked pork, ribs and other S.C. favorites, such as chicken bog and Frogmore Stew. This place gets pretty busy on the weekends. Phone ahead for carry-out service.
Recommended for Barbecue because: The best barbecue is often found in the most unlikely locations, and the quaint building that houses Hog Heaven fits the bill.
Terry's expert tip: Hog Heaven is one of the few places that also smoke fresh, local seafood. Steamed oysters are available in season.
This family-owned and operated barbecue joint is a popular spot among locals who like their smoked meat with all the Southern-flavored trimmings. Not only will you get the great taste of true Carolina pork barbecue, slow cooked over hickory coals until it is melt-in-your-mouth tender, but also its famous barbecue chicken. Whichever you choose, your plate also will be packed with hot hushpuppies, cole slaw, fries, potato salad and most any other country dish your tummy desires. Save room for a dish of banana pudding or peach cobbler. This family owned and operated eatery is also a fun hangout for locals.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Barbecue lovers of all taste buds swear by the authenticity of the Bar B Que House.
Terry's expert tip: Fridays are Frogmore Stew Day, when seafood, smoked sausage, corn on the corn and potatoes combine to make a tasty local delicacy.
This family-owned and operated eatery has been serving sweet barbecue and country cooking since 1953, and for good reason. Not only does Prosser's do barbecue the good ol' Southern way - slow smoked over hickory coals to perfection - it also serves some of the best country cooking on the Grand Strand. Fried chicken, country-fried steak and the Lowcountry favorite dish of chicken bog join barbecue and ribs on the buffet amid a sea of home-style vegetables. Breads and desserts are also available on the buffet, which is quite affordable for hungry visitors. Save room for dessert if you dare.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Prosser's brings the taste of authentic barbecue from Hemingway, S.C., to folks on the Grand Strand
Terry's expert tip: Forget about the menu. The multi-item country buffet is the way to go even if you are not a heavy eater.
Damon's specializes in ribs - big, meaty ribs char-grilled and slathered in a tantalizing sauce. Not a fan of ribs? Well, Damon's obliges, with a well-rounded menu of prime rib, steaks, barbecued chicken, juicy burgers and tasty salads. Even the kids menu will satisfy the pickiest little eaters this side of the Mississippi, with corn dogs, popcorn shrimp, and chicken fingers among the favorites. A great oceanfront location outdoor seating make for a sublime experience any time, and take out is available all day. Damon's is also located on a fairly secluded stretch of beach if you want to walk off ribs after dinner.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Oceanfront locations usually mean seafood, but Damon's delivers great barbecue and an ocean view.
Terry's expert tip: Ask your hostess for a table on the outdoor oceanfront deck and experience the ocean breeze and view. It's worth a slightly longer wait.
This hidden jewel at the end of a secluded strip mall if worth searching for, and you can follow your nose to the smell of burning hickory and smoking meat. Little Pigs does it the South Carolina way - whole pork shoulders rubbed in spices and slow cooked until it's fall-off-the-bone tender. They chop it, pile it on a bun, cover it in their vinegar-based sauce and barbecue slaw. Little Pigs also specializes in ribs, and traditional Southern side dishes are available - baked beans, fries and hushpuppies. There's plenty of sweet tea to wash it all down, especially if you opt for the hot sauce over the mild.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Sneaking up on its 20th year in business, Little Pigs has withstood the test of time.
Terry's expert tip: Save room for dessert. Little Pigs also happens to make the best banana pudding on the beach.