Terry’s Top 10: Best Places to eat Americana in Myrtle Beach

You could add some serious meat to your buns sampling all the burgers on the Grand Strand, but there's no need if you know where to find Hamburger Joe's in North Myrtle Beach. The burgers are hand-patted fresh and cooked on a flat-top grill to order. You won't find a better, cheaper burger in town.

There's not much to preparing a hot dog, is there? Not if you've managed to miss Sam's Corner in Myrtle Beach or Garden City. Not sure what these folks do to a dog to make them so tasty (I suspect a dip in the deep-fat fryer is involved) but they are tasty, and a foot-long with chili and onions is a meal in itself.

No one on the Strand makes good cheese steaks, according to implants from the City of Brotherly Love, but they use Cheez-Whiz, so what do they know? There's a little stand in downtown Myrtle Beach called Best of Philly, and it's not false advertising. The sandwiches are fat, greasy and good.

This list is too long to narrow down to one. The best seafood place on the Strand is Mr. Fish in Myrtle Beach, where fresh seafood and creative chefs make the best fish dishes. But if you're fishing for a bargain, Bubba's Fish Shack in Surfside Beach is hard to beat. You can chow down without drowning your wallet.

Dagwood's is perhaps the most appropriately named establishment in town, featuring sandwiches piled higher than the cartoon character made famous. With two locations -- in Surfside Beach and downtown Myrtle Beach -- you don't have to drive far to get a sandwich that's wider than your mouth.

There's nothing like a meat-and-three to break out of burger-and-fries mode, and there's no place that makes it like Magnolia's on 26th in Myrtle Beach. The buffet features fried chicken, pork chops, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, etc., all cooked like mama makes it - if your mother is Paula Dean.

The one thing I missed more than anything else upon moving to the Grand Strand from Tennessee was barbecue. Not the sloppy-joe tasting stuff that was being served at the time, but real hickory-pit BBQ. Then Little Pigs opened in Myrtle Beach and it was case and mouth closed. Great sides and sweet tea too.

You could call random phone numbers on the Strand and odds are you would find a pizza place pretty quickly. The odds of them being good? Not so much. But it's hard to go wrong with Ultimate California Pizza, which offers more toppings than you can wrap your mouth around. The Big Kahuna is to die for.

Hooters may have the others beat on scenery (wink, wink) but no one makes better wings on the Strand than Wild Wing Cafe. Its motto "Best Wings South of Buffalo" is not false advertising, and Wild Wing features more flavors than your taste buds can handle. Try the hot garlic and Cajun wings, if you dare.

The most important meal of the day can be easily enjoyed three times a day on the Strand, with breakfast houses popping up like hot cakes. Again, plenty of choices but only one winner: Mammy's Kitchen in downtown Myrtle Beach serves up an awesome breakfast buffet. It's all you can eat for less than you can spend.