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Nibils at 33rd: New Location Feels Like Home

By Terry Massey Mar 03, 2011

Nibils at 33rd in its new Myrtle Beach location.

Surfside Beach's loss is Myrtle Beach's gain, and the victory smells a lot like hot biscuits and home cooking.

Nibils at 33rd, located on the Surfside Beach Pier for the first 23 years of its existence, has relocated to Myrtle Beach after a bitter battle over a renewed lease at the oceanfront location.

Nibils owner Jack Cahill decided to relocate his family operation to Kings Highway and 33rd Avenue North in Myrtle Beach, transforming the old Pizza Hut into a family restaurant that already feels like home.

"We've been busy since the first day we opened the doors," said Cahill. "We've kind of had to hit the ground running but it's gone surprisingly well. We're happy to be here."

Nibils at 33rd opened its doors on Feb. 17 and has seen a steady flood of traffic, ranging from longtime regulars who made the trip from Surfside Beach to new customers who finally get to see what all the fuss is about.

The fuss, of course, is over the eatery's good food and friendly service. Two weeks into the grand opening and its still hard to find a time when the place isn't hopping with activity and abuzz with neighborly chatter.

And then there's the sound of silence made by folks enjoying their meals too much to talk. That's the true sign of good food ahead, as I discovered during a recent visit during rush hour.

The rollover time between breakfast (6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.) and lunch (11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) sees a heavy crossover between the breakfast and lunch crowds. Neither group leaves disappointed.

Breakfast features the old standards with a Nibils twist - three-egg omelets filled with a wide range of goodies and two eggs any style with sausage or bacon, grits or potatoes, toast and jelly for only $5.29.

And there's French toast and pancakes piled high for those who like to start their day with something sweet. Breakfast sandwiches, fresh fruits and slices of homegrown tomatoes help satisfy the most important meal of the day.

The lunch crowd has even more options as Nibils offers a wide variety of appetizers, salads, soups and sandwiches, including the famous BLTs, grilled ham and cheese and reubens.

Nibils has added to its menu to include several new salad choices, like the Neptune salad with shrimp and crab, the Oyster Salad and a Fresh Fruit Salad for those watching their waste lines but not neglecting their taste buds.

She-Crab Soup and New England Clam Chowder, along with a special soup du jour are served up by the bowlfuls and patrons can couple it with a salad for as low as $5.99.

But the entrees are what has kept folks coming back for 23 years. The hot open-faced roast beef served over bread points and under a layer of gravy and pulled pork barbecue in a vinegar-based sauce with fries and slaw are among the favorites.

Nibils may be no longer located right on the beach but it still offers the same great seafood options. Fresh flounder either fried or broiled, a bountiful seafood platter featuring shrimp, scallops, oysters and crab cakes with sides of hushpuppies and fries and fish and chips are among the features from the sea.

And you can't go wrong with the old standards, like hot dogs, corn dogs, burgers, chicken fingers and Po Boys. Those are the staples upon which Nibils has built an empire.

If you have room for dessert, good luck narrowing it down to one. The Key Lime Pie, New York Cheesecake, Death By Chocolate and variety of ice cream sundaes make sure you don't go home hungry.

It's food and a family atmosphere that folks don't mind driving to a new location to find, and the combination of good eats and good times has quickly made Nibils an institution in its new neighborhood.

"We still see a lot of people driving up from Surfside, but we have a lot of new customers too," Cahill said. "As long as they keep coming, we'll keep feeding them."