Restaurants & Dining
Pita Rolz: Hidden Garden Cafe
If you didn't know Pita Rolz was there, it would be easy to miss. Thankfully for owner Jeff Crowe, his restaurant is a destination for locals in the know.
For more than 10 years Crowe's original location was on U.S. 17 Bypass at the northern end of Pawleys Island, but early in 2010 he moved to the rear of Jeanette Ard's florist/cigar shop. Now the restaurant is the end of the rainbow jackpot for people strolling historic Front Street or the riverfront boardwalk in Georgetown. If you haven't visited Georgetown, a city rich in colonial and antebellum history located 45 minutes south of Myrtle Beach, a day trip is in order.
You can enter Pita Rolz from Front Street through the front door of Colonial Florist. The sweet tang of cigar tobacco combines with the floral scents of freshly cut flowers as you go straight back through to Pita Rolz, which is located in the rear of the circa 18th century building. Or you can come in from the boardwalk, and then you'll see the little secret garden behind the restaurant. That's where several tables for two and benches are situated amongst plants and live flowers – it's a cool respite where you can enjoy a wrap, salad, smoothie or ice cream treat.
Crowe has a reputation for fine ingredients put together in artfully delicious combinations. He has dozens of wrap variations, and it seems almost everyone in Georgetown County has a favorite.
Some feature ham, like the Pawleys Piggy with Swiss, provolone and American cheeses, tomatoes, onions and honey mustard dressing; or the Waccawich, named for the nearby Waccamaw River, with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and mustard.
Other choices contain roast beef like the Shark Bite with Cheddar, horseradish sauce, tomatoes and onions, which you can also have warmed so the cheese melts luxuriously into the other ingredients.
Of course there are poultry wraps, and a couple of the 13 choices in that category include the Cool Turkey with hummus, sunflower seeds, cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes; and the Left Coast Cluck with grilled chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese, avocado, sprouts and Ranch dressing.
Some folks look forward to the seafood, from Tuna Melt Supreme and Tuna Palooza to the Litchwich with shrimp salad, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes and bacon. Others prefer to go vegetarian with Cheese Bliss, Holey Guacamole, Egg Salad, Birdfeed (hummus, avocado, sprouts, tomatoes and sunflower seeds) or the Herbivore with cheeses, avocado, sprouts, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, banana peppers and Ranch dressing.
Doubling the meat is always an option, or you can ask Crowe to make you a customized wrap. The pita bread wraps are offered in white, honey wheat, spinach or sun-dried tomato.
If you'd like to forego the wrap and use a fork to enjoy the goodies, salads at Pitz Rolz are loaded with toppings. Just about any topping offered in the wraps can also be put on a bed of lettuce. Salad dressing choices include Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette, Ranch, Blue Cheese, Honey Mustard, Oil & Vinegar, Fat-free Honey Mustard, Fat-free Italian and Caesar.
Smoothies are a mainstay of area afternoon pick-me-ups. A hot day suddenly becomes much cooler while sipping a Berry Beach Party with strawberry yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, peaches and orange juice; or the Raspberry Chocolate Collision with vanilla yogurt, chocolate syrup and fresh raspberries. Crowe also serves frozen yogurt and hand-dipped ice cream in cones, drinks and other sweet variations.
Then there is the other part of Crowe's business, which is catering, which is even more popular than his retail business. Hardly anyone in the Pawleys Island area hasn't been to a party where a platter of Pita Rolz quickly disappeared.
In addition to pita platters, Crowe provide cookies, veggie trays, fruit trays, cheese and crackers, salads and side dishes such as Baked Potato Salad, Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad, Seafood Salad, Cucumber Salad and more. A popular item catered for business meetings and picnics is boxed lunches that contain a pita, two sides, a fork and a napkin.
So far Crowe is enjoying the slow-paced Georgetown lifestyle where happy people who love history stroll through the door for conversation and lunch.
“It was time for a change,” he says. “I love it here. It's a small town thing. I love the eclectiveness of this city, it's a cool place.”
Pita Rolz is at 725 Front St. in Georgetown, and the number is 485-4215. It's open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.
