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Start Your Weekend off Right with a Great Brunch – and a View to Match
Bob Gillespie
Bob is a former sports writer at Columbia’s The State newspaper. He enjoys golf at South Carolina’s 350-plus courses, and after a round, sampling craft beers from the Palmetto State’s breweries.
Savor brunch by the sea when you dine at RipTydz in Myrtle Beach.
South Carolina is a hotspot for great breakfast/lunch offerings and splendid scenery. From the coast to the Upstate and points in between, pick your preferred backdrop and sit down to a delicious brunch.
Here are some great choices for relaxed midday dining with a view. Call ahead to confirm times or to make reservations as brunch tables tend to quickly fill up.
RipTydz 1210 N Ocean Blvd.; Myrtle Beach; 843.945.1204
Sip a Bloody Mary and dig into some chicken and waffles while you take in glorious ocean views at RipTydz on the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach. Anytime of day or night comes with guaranteed sweeping shoreline views, but there's something refreshing about starting your day with a sumptuous brunch overlooking the sea.
Brunch is served Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Ample seating is an added bonus.
Gulfstream Cafe 1536 S. Waccamaw Drive, Murrells Inlet; 843.651.8808
If you've ever dined in Murrells Inlet, you know about the views of the marshes and inlets and the quiet sound of the tides coming in. Gulfstream has those, especially from its rooftop deck, and its voluminous Sunday brunch buffet is a great way to complement those views. There's even a kids' brunch menu.
For an eagle's-eye view of Charleston's historic district, Stars on Upper King Street is hard to beat, featuring "Carolina cuisine" and its Walnut Bar plus its 360-degree views. .
The weekend brunch is equally stunning, with artisan cheeses, made-to-order omelets, local shrimp and grits and their house-special Fried Chicken Benedict. For lighter appetites, try the chilled Wadmalaw Strawberry Salad.
And don't forget the mimosa and Bloody Mary specials.
Looking for a great view of the Charleston Marina's boats and a breakfast short on glitz but long on taste? Try the rustic Marina Variety Store Restaurant, where the coffee mugs are old-style kitschy, the menus offer facts about South Carolina and the food lineup hasn't changed much since 1963.
Comfortable and low-key "like a pair of boat shoes," with all the tradition breakfast dishes.
Passerelle Bistro, overlooking Falls Park on the Reedy in downtown Greenville, offers a French-themed brunch.
Not all the water views in South Carolina are along the coast. This Paris bistro-style eatery is located at the Main Street entrance to Greenville's lovely Falls Park with views of the waterfall rapids and the city's landmark suspension bridge, Liberty Bridge. Brunch choices (weekends 10 a.m.-3 p.m.) include croissants and fruit, French toast, and quiche and croquet monsieur.
Afterward, stroll across the bridge or explore Greenville's vibrant downtown.
Blu Restaurant 1 Center Street, Folly Beach; 843.588.6658
The Folly Beach restaurant has more than 4,000 square feet of space, but the hot tip on nice weekends is the oceanfront deck, where you can dig into a brunch menu featuring parfaits, smoked salmon salad, shrimp and grits, Lump Crab Benedict, steak and eggs, the Breakfast Club Sandwich, French toast and more.
Lost Dog 106 West Huron Street, Folly Beach; 843.588.9669
Another Folly favorite (named after the owners' dog briefly disappeared while the building was being constructed) bills itself as the perfect weekend brunch start for a day at the beach, with "something for everyone" on the menu.
Like Mexican food? Try their Huevos Rancheros. Want something lighter? The fresh fruit parfaits are popular.
This Sullivan's Island rustic favorite is just short walk to the beach, so indulge than plan to take a stroll to work off the delicious dishes by Italian-influenced chef Jacque Larson. The special is the Sea Island cassoulet (part casserole, part omelet) and it tastes even better when eaten overlooking the restaurants shady, pretty foliage.
High Thyme Cuisine 2213 Middle Street, #C, Sullivans Island; 843.883.3536
Two blocks from the Obstinate Daughter is another Sullivan's Island beach place that Charleston's City Paper once declared "the best-kept brunch secret" in this foodie city. Enjoy the beach views and dig into unique-but-classic dishes like their chicken hash.
Links, An American Grill at Harbour Town clubhouse, overlooks the course's ninth green.
Whether during the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing each April, or just while on vacation at Hilton Head Island, it's hard to top Links for both food and view - assuming, of course, you enjoy the sight of Harbour Town Golf Links, one of the PGA Tour's favorite stops each year.
The weekend brunch features such standards as classic eggs Benedict, the three-egg omelet, buttermilk pancakes, brioche French toast and the Breakfast BLTE (a classic BLT with over-medium egg and cheese).
Located in Hilton Head'sShelter Cove Resort, Poseidon is mostly known for its seafood, but the Sunday brunch has a lineup of traditional and nontraditional dishes. The Coastal Breakfast has eggs, meat (including andouille sausage) and potatoes or grits, there's the Chef-Cut Brick Steak and Eggs, and house-made biscuits and gravy.
Then there are such novelties as the Big Sur Burrito, pastrami hash and eggs, and the New England crepe with lobster, brie cheese, truffle mushrooms and Mornay sauce.
For waterway views, dine on the covered Front Porch, conveniently adjacent to the Nauti Bar.
A warning for those who like to sleep in: The Ryder Cup Bar and Atlantic Room on Kiawah Island serve breakfast daily, but only from 7:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
We include it here because of a) the fabulous view of The Ocean Course's 18th green and the Atlantic Ocean, and b) a terrific menu including steel-cut Irish oatmeal, yogurt-and-fruit parfaits, a variety of breakfast sandwiches, pancakes and egg dishes, and the Ryder Cup Benedict: a crabcake, poached eggs and lemon-Hollandaise sauce served on a buttermilk biscuit.
Kiawah Island Resort's five-star accommodation, The Sanctuary, has a restaurant to match in the Jasmine Porch, so naturally its Signature brunch on Sundays is something special. With sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean and a lineup of seafood specialties, house-made charcuterie and other unique items from chef Jeremy Holst's kitchen.
Chilled Champagne mimosas and soft background music are the perfect way to cap off a weekend on Kiawah Island.
Bob is a former sports writer at Columbia’s The State newspaper. He enjoys golf at South Carolina’s 350-plus courses, and after a round, sampling craft beers from the Palmetto State’s breweries.
